are as Rain ay and all your Afflictions too Then you may go through all Trials chearfully to Heaven you my meet God smiling on you in every Trouble and Affliction After a great Rain how doubtingly does a Man go on his Journey there are great Floods of Water I cannot go on with comfort I fear deep Gulfs in the way but when the Flouds are dried up he goes forward comfortably So does a Soul when he comes to live on Christ he goes forward with Joy We may say to a Christian you have great Afflictions and great Temptations but it is all sweet there is no fear of God's Anger Christ hath taken all that away The more I pray saith the Believer the more I am encouraged to pray the more I do act Faith the stronger I find my Faith but till you come to believe in this Christ to make him your Life you go on very feebly very doubtingly and the Soul many times cries out I faint I fear I shall not come to Glory when I have done all And many under Convictions go back again and cast off Religion What is the matter Truly I fear I shall not hold out I shall not reach Heaven at last But when you come to know Christ saith the Soul I know whatever I meet with I shall be brought home safe to Glory O then what miserable Doctrin is that of falling from Grace As if Christ would bring Believers half way to Heaven and then leave them Hath this glorious Redeemer undertaken this for the Believer and at last will he leave him No no if you have made Christ your Life you shall certainly be brought home safe to Glory Seconldy if it be so that a Believer's Life is wrapt up in Christ's Life then a Believer lives a happy Life I shall branch these forth into several particulars to shew wherein this Happiness consists First He that lives on Christ lives an happy Life because it is a suitable Life to an immortal Soul while persons live upon any thing below Christ it is nothing but a little Dust a little Earth What is Gold or Silver or Honour or Life or Liberty without Christ Such is the nature of the Soul that it is not fitted to live upon gross material and perishing things as the Body doth The Food of every Creature is agreeable to its Nature One cannot subsist upon that which another doth as we see among several sorts of Animals What is food to one is none to another In the same place there is found a Root which is fit for Swine a Stalk which is Food for Sheep a Flower which feeds the Bee and a Seed on which the Birds Live The Sheep cannot live on the Root as the Swine doth nor the Bird on the Flower as the Bee doth but every one feeds upon the Plants which are agreeable to its nature so 't is here our Bodies being of an earthly material nature can live upon things earthly and material as most agreeable to him that can relish and suk sweetness 〈…〉 these things But the Soul can find nothing therein suitable to its nature and appetite Mr. Flavel it must have spiritual Food or perish Now to live Christ is the only suitable Life to an immortal Soul A precious Soul must have something precious to live upon there is nothing can purchase the redemption of the Soul No one can redeem his Brothers Soul that is too precious Psal 49.7 8. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for him for the redemption of the Soul is precious and it ceaseth for ever Every thing is below this immortal Soul none can redeem his Brothers Soul no not by his Riches nor by his Prayers or Duties without Christ become his Life The redemption of the Soul is too precious to be bought by any Duties that can be done Prayers or Tears or Fasting cannot buy a Soul therefore it must be a precious Christ that must be the Life of the Soul for he is suitable to an immortal Soul as we speak concerning our natural Constitutions When Health is wanted we say the person must have that which is suitable if they give him Food we tell him he wants Physick if he have Physick we tell him he wants Air if he have this we tell him he wants Contentment and so if they do not hit of that which is suitable the Man is lost A Man may be killed with Food as well as for want of it and likewise with Physick as well as for want of it So if we do not hit of that which is suitable it is the destruction of the Body So if we do not hit of that which is suitable to the Soul it is the Death of the Soul Suppose a great many persons endeavoured to make a Cure but they miss of that which is suitable then there can be no Cure wrought The poor Papists think to save their Souls by trusting to their own Merits and their feigned Purgatory but alas they miss the mark So some carnal Protestants they will do many things and think to gain eternal Life When they are convinced of sin they will run to Duty they do well but if they make that their Saviour there they miss the suitable Good Some they go to Reformation they do well but that will not do if rested on or to trust to their own endeavours or own purposes they settle on a false bottom all miss the Mark of this glorious high Calling in Christ Jesus It were therefore too bruitish and unreasonable of a man that understood the nature of his own Soul Mr. Flavel's Treatise of the Soul p. 59. to chear it up with the stores of earthly Provisions made for it as he did Luke 12.20 I will say to my Soul Soul thou hast laid up Goods for many years eat drink and be merry Alas the Soul can no more eat drink and be merry with carnal things than the Body with spiritual and immaterial things it cannot feed upon the Bread that perisheth it can relish no more in the best and daintiest fare of an earthly growth than in the White of an Egg but bring it to a reconciled God in Christ to the Covenant of Grace and the sweet promises of the Gospel set before it the Joys Comforts and Earnests of the Spirit and if it be a sanctified renewed Soul it can make a rich Feast upon these These make a Feast of fat things full of marrow as is expressed Isa 25.6 Spiritual things are proper for a spiritual and immaterial Soul If a Physician gives a thousand Medicines and miss of the right the Man dies Every Man walks in the Name of his God but how many are ignorant of Christ who is the Life of the Soul Now notwithstanding all Duties and Performances they want a precious Christ for a precious Soul At first Man lived on his own Works but when he sinnned the Soul had an immortal stroke
Christ a Christian's Life Or A Practical DISCOURSE OF A Believer's LIFE Derived from Christ and Resolved into Christ BEING The Substance of several Sermons Preach'd by the Author upon his Recovery from a Fit of Sickness and now extorted from him by the Importunity of Friends By JOHN GAMMON Minister of the Gospel and Pastor of a Congregation in White-Chappel Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Rom. 14.8 For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords LONDON Printed by J. R. for W. Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street 1691. The Epistle Dedicatory To the little Flock of Christ over whom the Holy Ghost hath made me Overseer The Father of Mercies and God of all Grace who hath called you to his Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you and make known to you that Mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God who created all by Jesus Christ Beloved in the Lord I Have in some measure been acquainted with the longing Desire of most of you to have these Sermons Published by whose Importunity I have been prevailed with to Print them against many Struglings and much unwillingness in my self to go forwards with the Work for some of you well know how much I was set against the Printing of them and that for several Reasons First Knowing that there are plenty of good Books the Works of worthy Learned Men extant That there was no need of my unworthy Labours Secondly Knowing how little the best of Books are valued by most Thirdly Knowing the Scorn and Contempt not only of profane and wicked Persons but many that profess a great Zeal for God do contemn those principal Gospel-Truths Justification by Christ alone But if persons were truly wakened they would be of the Mind of Bellarmine That it will be best to rest upon Christ alone for Salvation when they come to die They will then see that they have had no cause to abuse the Servants of Jesus Christ that have made it their business to exalt Christ and Free-Grace Fourthly Knowing my own Insufficiency for so great a Work as to appear to Publick View Fifthly Because of many things that might be lest out in the Printing that was Preach'd I not Preaching by Notes cannot remember many things which were delivered to you when the Sermons were preach'd but here you will find the principal Heads of what I deliver'd being taken from my mouth by a Servant of the Lord when preached I have done my endeavour to supply what I could that was wanting and to correct what I saw out of order but it cannot be expected so well as it would have been if I had writ the Sermons I had preach'd at length yet finding the earnest desire of most of you to have them printed and the many Arguments you used to have them hastned to be published notwithstanding the many Struglings I have had against the Work yet the dear Love I bear to you and the earnest desire I have to serve you in the Lord hath overcome my unwillingness in this Work having received an account from several of you the sweet comforts many of you received when you heard them preach'd and have also declared how much it would add to your comfort and edification if they were printed I hope through Grace that you will not be disappointed of your expectation Some of you have declared that the Preaching was as Marrow and Fatness to your Souls I hope that you will suck out some Spiritual Sweetness in the reading of them As God was graciously pleased to answer your Prayers in raising me from a sick Bed to preach these my sick-bed Meditations amongst you so I hope through mercy your longing desire to read them will be satisfied in receiving that comfort you expect to reap to your Souls in reading of them What is said of Mony that it answers all things to the subsistence of the Body may be much more said of Christ to them that live upon him he answers all their Wants supplies all their Needs He that hath Christ wants not he that hath not Christ inherits not what he seems to have Christ enjoyed in the Soul makes bitter things sweet heavy things light where Christ's Presence is Darkness is made Light and Sorrow turned into Gladness How precious are the enjoyments of them that have such a precious Pearl as Christ is He is the chiefest of ten thousand he 's a most excellent and lasting Good Heb. 13.18 All the hid Treasure of Wisdom and Knowledge is in him Col. 2.3 What an excellent knowledge have ye attained unto that truly know Christ How doth this transcendent worth affect your Hearts changing them into his own Image and Likeness When a Soul comes to a saving knowledg of Christ he is changed then from Vir Terrenus an Earthly Man to Vir Coelestis an Heavenly Man Ignorance of Jesus Christ causeth Men to rest in Shadows and Forms in poor and low things compared with Christ and his Excellency are all but Dross and Dung so the Apostle esteems them Phil. 3.8 It is only a real saving knowledge of Christ can draw the Heart of a vain and perishing World to seek things that are above It is not a Speculation but an Application of Christ that brings home to the Immortal Soul what it stands in need of Life Light Pardon Peace Purity Righteousness Counsel Comfort Healing Deliverance Grace Glory all flows to the believing Soul from Christ in whom all fulness dwells The Soul that lives Christ hath a good Livelihood John 6.51 He shall live well for ever It is not an outside shew of Religion will be to the Soul what it stands in need of as Redemption Forgiveness Reconciliation Sanctification Consolation Salvation Christ is the Believers safe Sanctuary in all their Troubles and Temptations Isa 8.14 In this small following Treatise I hope you will find some Discourses of the fulness of Jesus Christ and the emptiness of the Creature for that is my Desire in all my Labours among you to get an esteem in your Hearts for Christ above all other things and that the Name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and ye in him I hope I need not doubt of your acceptance of those plain following Truths I do not think that you will refuse it for its plain Dress but rather embrace it for I know as for the most part of you that you had rather have Christ plainly preach'd than such Discourses that are bedeck'd with Rhetorick or painted over with curious
again she knew not When Jesus told her that her Brother should live saith she Lord he hath been dead four days it seemed an impossibility that he should rise again yet before she believed the Resurrection of the Dead Was it a greater impossibility to raise him up when no part of him was diminished than to raise him up at the last day Saith Christ I am the Life I will raise him up at the last day and am not I able to raise up thy Brother that hath been dead but four days So should a Believer say within himself under his Doubts and Fears Did the Lord convert me bring me out of a state of Sin and Misery quicken me when I was dead and will he not give me Life Can he raise up Lazarus when dead four days and cannot he raise up my dead Heart Saith Christ I am the Life I am the Original of Life I am the first that gives Life all are dead Sinners till I come to quicken them till I come to bring Life to your Souls Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die for I am the Principle of their Life as I gave them Life at first so do I also continue their Life they shall never die When Death comes the Immortal Soul is alive it is but the Body that is gone to the Dust that will be raised up again that will be a glorious Body for the Soul to live with in Eternal Glory What an exceeding Joy is it then for a Believer that Christ is the Vital Fountain of his Life Though Death be at the very door it shall never come into the Soul Though there may be a Separation for a time the Soul is with Christ and the Body united to Christ that the Believer may be rather said to sleep than die The root of his Comforts are alive There may be a Death on a Believers outward Mercies and Comforts yet it shall never come into his Soul As we see the Trees in the Winter seem to be dead so the Believer they may fear the Death of their Comforts or Graces though they may have the Withdrawings of God's Presence yet as the Trees in Spring they revive and sprout forth so shall they revive and Death shall not enter into their Souls Saith Paul Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death I thank God for the Victory through Christ There is Death in my self but Christ gives me Victory he removes it he carries it away though it be at the Door it shall never come in at the Door if there be deadness upon the Heart Christ is Life to my Soul if there be Corruptions strong and great Christ is the Fountain of Life to innoble me to outgrow all As we may say of young Children that are weak and infirm they will out-grow their Weaknesses So a Child in Christ will outgrow his Infirmities they will outgrow their Corruptions and inward Weakness they shall have Victory over them they shall be Conquerors at the last Christ being the vital Fountain of Life a Believer must needs live a growing flourishing Life the Lord Christ doth water them at the Root Psal 1. The godly man is like a Tree planted by a River of Water which withereth not but bringeth forth Fruit in due season because there is a vital Fountain there is Life at the Root Isaiah 41.18 The Prophet speaking of Christ's being Life to his Church he is said to be Rivers of water in high places Were not Christ Rivers of Water the Saints would be dry at root but he is Rivers of Waters in a dry place Small Rivers may flow from a Fountain that may be stopt Mr. Robinson's Christ all in all but Christ is the ever-flowing Fountain that none can stop Other Rivers may be stopt in time of Drought but nothing shall stop the Grace of Christ Cold Weather may freez up Rivers but the coldest deadest Heart that is shall not freez up Christ's Grace he will be Rivers of Water in dry places Other Rivers may dry of themselves but all our Unworthiness shall not bar Christ's Grace from the Soul Christ is set forth excellently by that Rock our Fathers drank of and the Rock followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 20.4 How did the Rock follow them The Water that was in the Rock followed them by some Channels or little Rivers in the Wilderness So doth the Lord Jesus Christ his poor bewildered people he not only is ready to give them Grace but follows them with Grace and follows them with Mercy Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my Life Psal 23.6 Alas if we should stand by the Rock never so long could we by smiting cause the water to gush forth But this Water is so free that it flows to the Believer Christ follows the Believer with his Grace follows them with his comforts follows them with supports follows them with new refreshments If this Rock did not follow us it would be long enough before we should go to this Rock Christ follows the Soul with Divine Grace as the Soul stands in need of it The Rock smitten by Moses supplied the Israelites and Christ smitten by the Curse of the Law supplies the Church not with Earthly Water but with Heavenly Rivers of Grace and Comfort following Believers not for a time but indeficiently and for ever Christ told the Woman of Samaria He that drinketh of this water it shall be a Well of water springing up unto eternal Life I am the resurrection from the dead the Resurrection from the Death of Sin and also the Life of the Soul to live in and upon Christ He that believes in me shall never die no Death shall lay hold on him to ruine him nor separate him from God and though Death come on the Body he is said never to die because he shall live for ever Therefore the Saint in Christ every day he lives he is living so upon Christ that he is daily getting on his way to Glory and is nearer to Heaven and Happiness Christ saith Because I live ye shall live also If the root die the branches must needs die but the root cannot die and the branches shall not die while the root lives the branches shall not die Therefore in John 15. he saith That he is the Vine and the Believer is the Branch that is the reason the Soul that lives in Christ and one in Christ must needs live a flourishing and increasing Life because Christ is the vital Fountain of Life to keep the Soul of a Believer flourishing and green at root it shall not be like the Barren Hypocrite or barren Apostate Secondly Christ is said to come down as Rain upon his Church and People to keep them watered to keep them fresh and flourishing Now you must note there must be a good root a living root or otherwise all the rain that is will do no good to the Soul Col. 1.19 It pleased the
and loving cannot but mourn O now I wonder how I could shut him out of my Admiration of my Adoration out of my Praises and Delights one Moment Thus the loving-kindness of Christ melts the Heart when Christ is made our Life and Christ sends forth new glorious Beams of his Grace into the Soul the Saint would not walk with a slighting Thought of Christ but would be always admiring and glorifying Divine Love When a Soul comes to have a look from Christ then there is the weeping Eye Whâ—t dost weep for Soul O I weep for joy yet mourn for sorrow O that I should be so unkind so ungrateful as to slight and disregard him O that ever Christ should knock and knock again love and love again O Christ is my Life had he not been my Life I had been dead and undone unto all Eternity The Soul that before thought it self something now sends forth sad Complaints complaints of an unbelieving Heart that Christ hath been entertained no more believed no more relied on no more now the Soul complains and cries out O wretched Creature that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and sin This is not a pining Unbelief but Faith being raised up in an higher pitch the Soul grows in Humility that it hath been so misbelieving If ever a Soul comes to have the blessed revelation of the excellency of Christ the thing which they lay to Heart is unbelief Many think if they can but keep touch with Duty it is well enough but when Christ comes the Soul mourns that it has not believed the Soul comes to see how worthless its self is and how precious Christ is O saith the Soul methinks all of Christ is precious His Offers are precious his Promises are precious his Precepts are precious O how unworthy am I of such Grace Thirdly When this Glorious Sun of Righteousness shines into the Heart of a poor sinner the Will is subdued they shall be a willing People in the day of my Power Man hath a Will to set up something of his own but now the Will is conquered When the Soul is brought to this Mr. Perkins in his Grain of Mustard-seed to have a constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God to believe and to repent if it be in a touched heart is in acceptation with God as Reconciliation Faith and Repentance it self Saith the Soul Let me have nothing but Christ whatever I have without Christ it will do me no good let me live to Christ let me glorifie Christ blessed and glorious is such a Life I would be swallowed up in that Life and so then the Will is brought down Lord let me be any thing so that I may glorifie Christ then the Soul will trifle no longer Saith the Soul I am resolved to have a Christ he is offered why may I not have him God hath given him freely Why not to me that am a sinner the poor Soul presently laies hold on him presently stretches out his hand of Faith to lay hold on him Thus the Soul is growing though not with those Affections as it would yet the Affections are healed in growing in Contrition by the Sun of Righteousness shining on it Secondly A Soul is healed of the Wounds and Guilt that is on him When a Sinner comes to have the Sun of Righteousness shine on his Soul his Guilt is healed Isa 53. The Prophet saith by his Stripes we are healed The Stripes of Christ are our healing Verse 4 5. Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed There is no thriving in Grace till the Wounds of the Soul are healed all our Wounds are inward Wounds it is not an outward Prayer will heal your Wounds nor outward Fasting nor outward Confession no it must be the streams of the Blood of Christ running through the Veins of the Heart by Faith The Soul never comes to have his Wounds healed till Christ rises with healing under his Wings There is an inward Wound within the Soul there is Guilt within that will sit as a Judge condemning the Soul Now by his stripes we are healed there must be an Union with Christ the Sufferings of Christ to be made over to the Soul Christ's Righteousness to be made as surely the Soul 's own as if it had a perfect Righteousness of its own Take away all iniquity saith the Prophet so will we render the Calves of our Lips Take away all iniquity while there is any Guilt on you you are altogether guilty Psal 143 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man be justified If you are called to answer for one Transgression you are undone if you are called to account for one you lie under the condemnation of all but when Christ is become your Life then all your Guilt is removed no Justification but by Christ alone The Diseases and Distempers of our Souls are our sins the guilt of sin is a wound that is cut deep in the Soul Now when a Soul is brought under the healing Wings of the Sun of Righteousness he heals this Wound Psal 103.3 Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Sin cut off a Creature from God and so maketh a Wound which now is healed and made up When they are pardoned forgiveness and healing is all one with them in the Prophet Hosea 14.4 I will heal their backslidings I will love them freely the Justification freely by his Grace as the Apostle calls it Poor sinner thou that ever knewest what sin was what a Wound it was to thy Soul knewest that thy pardon was a healing in thee so then this arising is by his Spirit in his Word he conveyeth the Blood of Jesus Christ the merit there of maketh it over to the poor Soul that believeth to the doing away of all the Guilt that lay on the Soul it also taketh away that Anguish and Trouble that did lie upon the Soul When a Wound is healed the Anguish and smart is taken away tho it may be while searched and tented there will be smart and sore yet afterwards it is taken away Broken Bones are nothing to a broken Heart nor the broken Flesh any thing to a broken Bone The Lord heals the broken Heart he bindeth up their Wounds Psal 141.3 I have seen his ways and I will heal him saith the Lord. He speaks to the conditions of a poor disconsolate Soul under the sense of God's Wrath Isa 57.8 9. He was wrath and smote him yea he did hide and was wrath Oh how this troubles a poor Soul he cannot but have his Heart full of Darkness Terror and Trouble that hath the face of God hidden from him Well saith the Lord tho
he did walk frowardly before me gave me not my ends in smiting him yet I will heal him and wherein doth this healing consist Alas in restoring Joy and Comfort to him The poor Soul was overwhelmed with Sorrow his Heart was ready to sink and fail within him and lest it should do so he will heal him Here is a healing indeed the healing of broken Bones and broken Hearts the Lord Jesus was anoynted by the Father for this very purpose with the Oyl of Joy and Gladness above his Fellows that he might speak in due season that he might bind up the broken Spirits The Lord Jesus delighteth to do this Will and Work of his Father O he loveth to be doing with broken Hearts And O that we had Work for the Lord Jesus This day he is among us now to see if there be any Heart in this condition that he may heal us it is his delight to do it O how doth many a poor Soul come under an Ordinance with an heartless Mind cold and dead and his Heart doth burn within him while the Lord by his Spirit hath Communion with him in those Ordinances What refreshing doth arise to a poor weary Soul when the Lord that createth the Fruits of the Lips speaketh Peace to such troubled and weary Souls He reviveth the Spirits which languish and are ready to go out As the poor Birds that in the Winter are hard put to it some lie you hardly know where as if they were dead or dying when the Sun returneth how doth it revive their little Spirits that were dead before The Night brings a heaviness and burden along with it to the Body but in the morning when the Sun ariseth how doth it enliven and enlighten Oh so it is in this case many poor Souls can say by experience when darkness hath been long on them they have no light no comfort no refreshment no breathing of the Spirit to their Apprehensions in Ordinances on their Heart O how have their Hands hanged down and their Knees feeble and knock one against another for feebleness And that which was within them in their own Apprehension ready to die But no sooner hath the Lord Jesus the Sun of Righteousness looked on them Mr. Murcer but they have had their Ankle-bones stretched The Joy of the Lord is their strength Neh. 8.10 The Saint indeed sometimes may have some Graces that may not be in exercise but there are other Graces set on work so that a Soul still lives a fruitful Life While you are ignorant of Christ there is no going forward whatever whatever Duties we do it is all but an heap of Ignorance Legal Repentance is such Sorrow as is in Hell but they that know Christ go forth of themselves to Christ for all First The Soul goes forth from his own Righteousness all becomes as filthy Rags he goes forth from himself you will never thrive while under the old Adam no believing in Christ no living on Christ until the Soul goes out of himself before ever you can see Christ glorious you must go out of your selves Cant. 3.11 Go forth O ye Daughters of Zion and behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother crowned him in the day of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his Heart It is a glorious crowning when we are crowned with Christ's Crown but a withered Crown when we are crowned with our own Doings and Duties The Pharisees never thrived under any thing they did because they did not come forth of themselves Go forth from your sins from your selves out of your selves to Christ for your Life A poor Man hath nothing at home and he goes forth every day for something to live on So a poor Believer cries Lord I have nothing in my self I will live upon Christ for all it is not enough that I have made a Profession or can hear a Sermon or have got good Books but saith the Soul that knows Christ I will live every day on Christ for new experience for new supplies every day for the manifestation of his Grace of his Love of his Peace The Natural Man is bound up in himself and is fond of his Prison As the Prodigal he was resolved as long as he could get Husks he would live on them rather than go to his Fathers House for Bread Many poor Creatures while they can but speak to God in Duty though they have many fears they will live on that rather than go to Christ to be their Life The Woman of Canaan was highly to be commended for when Christ told her she was a Dog she desired a Crumb Why Woman sure you may fare better than to live on Crumbs What have you nothing at home No she must live upon Christ for she had not a Crumb of her own that would feed her Soul Mat. 15.25 26 27. She came and worshiped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and to cast it to Dogs And she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Master's Table I shall never thrive till I am under Christ's Table A Crumb from Christ will satisfie me more than all my own Loaves I am sure not a word drops from him but it is Life not any Look from him but it is Life not any Communication from him but it is Life So a Soul that lives on Christ he goes forth of himself O pray how do you that have been so long without the knowledge of Christ that live upon your own Duties A Believer will tell you he lives better and fares better now he is Christ's Beggar and lies under his Table for a Crumb than he did when he lived on his own stock There is Liberty in this Life If the Son make you free ye are free indeed You are but Bond-slaves by Nature a Slave to the Devil a Slave to the World a Slave to your selves in Bondage to the Law and I believe many Professors in this day understand not these words If the Son make you free then are you free indeed Many will be ready to say Make me free I will pray my way to Heaven I will hear my way to Heaven Ay but do what you will while you are out of Christ you are in Bonds it is only Christ can make you free John 8.36 If the Son make you free ye shall be free indeed The Servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever the Servant shall be cast forth When you have done all you shall be shut out of Heaven if you are not a Son The Servant abideth not in the House for ever but the Son abideth for ever If you bring the best of your Performances at the Great Day before the Lord and hope to be accepted for your so doing if you should say Lord receive me into thy Kingdom of Glory for I have prayed and fasted and gave
Professor complains for want of Gifts and Enlargements Shall we bring thousands of Rams or ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl or my first born for my Transgressions the Fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul Micah 6.7 What a proud absurd Question is this A carnal Heart will do any thing rather than come to Christ and yet have no Contentment in what they do But Soul when Christ becomes thy Life and the glorious Divine Beams of his Grace shine on your Soul you will live a contented Life all comes through Christ's hands all your Blessings and Mercies are bought with the Blood of Christ all your Duties sanctified by Christ Surely this Soul must needs thrive We say discontentedness make an unthriving Person Indeed it is impossible the Soul that is not united to Christ should thrive for he hath altogether Impossibilities before him It is impossible for you to reach Heaven with your Duties to get your sins done away with all your Tears and Prayers without you are wash'd in the Blood of Christ that cleanseth from all Sin 1 John 17. If you can fulfil the Law you shall live by the Works of the Law but it is an impossible thing If you can pray your way to Glory you shall be saved it is impossible But when a Man comes to Christ he takes away all the Impossibilities To what purpose were a Man commanded to bring in a Sum of Mony of his own to save his Life if he never had it nor ever will have it to pay Man since the Fall hath not nor never can have a Power of his own to obey God's Commands Whatever God commands Christ hath done it for the Believer what ever Law commands or Justice demands it is all done for you by Christ Saith the Apostle As for the Works of the Law if you can do them you shall live in them Gal. 3.6 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Verse 23. But before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterward be revealed But saith he we were all concluded under sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Christ comes and opens the Prison Doors le ts the Soul out from Unbelief le ts the Soul out from under the Curse of the Law How does Christ let the Soul from Prison Christ comes to the Heart causeth it to believe the Soul now believes the Promises takes hold of Christ in the Promise Christ comes to the Unbeliever to the Soul under the fear of God's Wrath and Curse assisting it with a Divine Promise working Faith in the Heart As suppose a Soul is under the burden of his Sins and should say I am so great a Sinner I fear I shall never obtain Mercy Christ comes with this Promise It is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief The believing Sinner layeth hold on Christ in the Promises and findeth Relief The Soul lies burdened with the sense of God's Wrath for sin Christ comes in with that Promise Come to me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest Saith the Soul Is it so indeed What rest in Christ for me What will Christ give me rest The Soul closes with the Promise makes Christ his Life and Rest to live upon As supposing a Man should be in a Crowd among Pikes and Guns and Halberts among mischievous Men he is afraid one will wound him another kill him but comes a Friend of his and a strong Man and carries him through all So does Christ when a poor Soul is under fear in himself he is afraid of every Frown of every Trouble Christ comes and carries him through all from the Curses of the Law from the Wrath of God from sinking Fears by applying himself a suitable Remedy who died for their sins and rose again for their Justification Now the Soul goes out and is at Liberty Until you know this Life you are but poor Prisoners Slaves and Servants and you do Duty but in Servitude till you come to know Christ The Soul that knows Christ shall grow many do not grow and they think it is for want of such a Grace or for want of Gifts and Enlargements But here is the fault It is in not living upon Christ and making him your Life As you know the Flowers and Roots that are in the Earth peep up their Heads in Spring as if they were rejoycing to see a Jubile So does a Soul that hath been tugging under the Law that hath not known Christ When Christ comes to shine on the Soul the Soul comes to look up and to breath in a new Air. Now Christ appears to his Soul he as it were hears a new Voice Come away my Beloved the Winter is past the singing of Birds is come Cant. 2.10 My beloved spake and said unto me rise up my Love my fair one and come away Vers 11. For lo the Winter is past the Rain is over and gone Vers 12. The Flowers appear that is when the glorious Spring comes the Sun shines warm and gloriously and what then The Spring is come the Flowers appear on the Earth the time of the singing of Birds is come and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land the Fig-Tree putteth forth her green Figs. When the Soul comes to live by Faith in Christ and grow up in Christ it puts forth green Leaves They are all withered Duties that are performed out of Christ Persons may make a great Discourse of Religion and be divided into Parties and they will all pretend to own Christ whereas if they are examined they deny Christ But the Souls that do live on Christ they do bring forth Fruit. What is the Law but the Winter to the Soul Arise saith Christ my Love my fair one and come away for lo the Winter is past the Rain is over A Man you know can't travel in Rain because of the Floods The Floods of God's Wrath are dryed up when you come to know Christ The Rain is sweet and pleasant when it comes down moderately but when it comes down hastily and in abundant manner it causes Floods Whatever a Soul does until it knows God in Christ there are Flouds of Wrath between God and them But when a Soul comes to know Christ all God's Dealings are like moderate Rain Rise up my Love and come away for lo the Winter is past the Rain is over no Rain to hinder you from God no Rain to keep you from the enjoyment of him Mild all your Mercies
that can never be healed by all his Works It must be Christ that must redeem his immortal Soul When Adam had sinned God said Thou shalt die that is in dying thou shalt die a double Death while he lived he lived a dying Life To live Christ it is a suitable Life a precious Christ for a precious Soul is suitable For First The Redemption of the Soul is precious they are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace Now this Redemption becomes not the Soul till a Soul lives on Christ but this Redemption is suitable to a Soul under the wrath of God under sin and under Guilt Secondly Pardoning Grace is very precious And it is in Christ alone that the Soul can be pardoned Pardon is a precious Jewel to an immortal Soul It is only living by Christ laying hold on Christ that this pardoning Grace is conveyed to the Soul Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven him whose iniquity is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Rom. 8.32 Psal 1.2 An immortal Soul is precious in its being yet for want of a pardon is miserable to all Eternity because of its precious Excellency and Nature that wants the highest perfection to live upon him alone and not having him to be their Life their Death is more miserable than any Creature because other Creatures when they die there is an end of their Misery If a Man be condemned to die that is a Malefactor if under the sense of his miserable end looks upon himself better never to have been born better never to have lived on Earth than to make such an end A Soul out of Christ is the most miserable Creature that can be for the excellency of the immortal Soul is cast down to the greatest misery because it wants that which alone is the Soul's cure and happiness Thirdly Christ is suitable to the Soul in that there is a righteousness suitable to cover the Soul All the Gold and Silver and Jewels in the World will not be of any account to an immortal Soul when it stands naked before God But Christ's Righteousness is a precious Garment that cloaths the Soul that is naked in sin Buy of me white raiment thou art poor miserable and naked but I counsel you to buy of me Gold tried in the Fire that thou mayest be rich and white Raiment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear Here is a cloathing for the Soul or else it will remain naked for ever and have nothing to keep off the Wrath of God When a Soul is convinced and awakened and affected with the Love of Christ when the Beams of his Divine Love and Grace break into the Soul embracing Christ what a quick sight and sense hath a Soul of Divine Comforts and Blessings And on the other hand what a quick sight and sense hath a Soul of the Wrath of God that is awakened under the sense of its Guilt and Misery Many have stifled their Conviction being swallowed up in Sensuality and are apt to forget the awakenings of Conscience by reason of the hardness of their Hearts and blindness of their Minds but when God comes to awaken them thoroughly that ye shall not sleep again then the Soul hath a deep sense of the Wrath of God If we could have spoken with Judas before he hanged himself he would have told you he had Hell begun here If you could have spoke with Cain he would tell you he found the Terrors of Hell while here on Earth Were we to speak to despairing Souls yet out of Hell they will tell you their Souls are naked to Divine Vengeance apply to them what Comforts you will there is nothing will do them good without an Application of Christ to their Souls and as they are awakened here so they will feel another Day what they now fear Psal 90.11 What is suitable to the Soul but Christ Have not many gone with all their Gifts and Parts and Duties to Hell What will serve this Immortal Soul but the Robes of Christ's Righteousness That alone will save from the Wrath of God and will alone bring the Soul in the favour and love of God Therefore to know and behold Christ is the only suitable good for an Immortal Soul We say when we see a Man raised from sickness or Death by the use of means How happy it was he was directed to that means or Physician Ah! but thrice happy yea a thousand times happy yea everlastingly happy art thou if thou art directed to know Christ for his is the only Righteousness that can cloath you to stand in God's Presence and be saved from the Wrath to come Then further as there is in Christ's precious Pardon and precious Righteousness to cover the Soul So there is precious Peace suitable When a Man hath not Peace with God he is a miserable wretched Man For a Man to be followed up and down where-ever he goes with the Wrath of a sin-revenging God that he cannot come to God But whereever he goes he is afraid Divine Vengeance will seize him What a dreadful state is it Fifthly To have Christ our Life is suitable because Christ lives for ever and your Soul lives for ever and you must have something to uphold them for ever All the Saints in Heaven though they live for ever and all the Angels though they live for ever they cannot help you if you have not Christ for yours If Christ who is at God's right Hand is not your Life where will your immortal Souls sink How happy is it to be provided for an Immortal Life Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Psal 45.6 The Soul liveth for ever and therefore a short good Mr. Murcot on the Parable of the ten Virgins tho never so full is not commensurate to it There must be certitudo aeternae fruitionis There must be a never-dying Life and that must be a Life wrapt up in Christ Your Life is hid with Christ in God e're long you will all go out of this World and must appear before God and if you have not Christ for your Life what will you do What a Folly is it to make any thing your Hope below Christ be it Riches or Honours or Duties alas these will all fail you Saith John the Baptist I live a decreasing Life He must increase but I must decrease John 3.20 but he is yesterday and to day the same for ever but all other things will wither and die Therefore how good is it to live in Christ Take a Soul naked out of the Body and shew it all the Riches and Honours and Blessings of the World Alas they can
do it no good Saith the Man my Soul that lives for ever that never dies It is immortal Life that my Soul must be bound up in so that I say to live Christ is a suitable Life in that it is suitable to a Soul that lives for ever We see Persons are careful that they may lay up something to help them when they cannot work and are careful to lay up something for their Children and alas will you provide for a mortal Life for a poor dying Body and will you not provide for your immortal ever-living never-dying Souls O lay hold on Christ now that you may live for ever E're long you must be gone from hence and then no more praying nor hearing And you that rest on Duties e're long you can rest no more on them and you that are careless and formal in Duties or negligent of them e're long you will have no more Opportunities And you that are careless of getting Christ e're long you will have no more Offers of Christ There are two sorts of Fools I have minded mentioned in the Holy Scriptures First The Fool that laid up much on Earth but did not live to spend it And the next The Fool that laid up so little and lived beyond it In Luke 12.29 we have an account of the Fool that laid up a great deal on Earth he thought he had a long time to live saith he Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years This was a Fool indeed for he had not provided for nor thought what would become of his Immortal Soul Thou Fool hast thou not thought of thy immortal Soul Of thy eternal state Thou hast laid up for thy Body for a long time but this night shall thy Soul be required of thee thou shalt live no longer here What take thought for Barns for Riches and no thought for an immortal Soul No thoughts of a Christ to save thee to all Eternity Many will take great thought about the things of this World but no thought for a Christ for their immortal Souls You have enough laid up for many years as you think but it may be not for many moments If you have not a Christ you are not safe for one moment And what will you do if the Lord say to thee this night shall thy Soul be required of thee O Fool hast thou not something laid up for time to come when thou hast not an hour to live Hast thou had thoughts for the things of this Life when thou hast not spent one thought for the things of another Life This mad Fool he laid up Goods for longer than he had time to enjoy them Considered for a great while to come and yet laid not up any thing for his Immortal Soul that was to live for ever this night shall thy Soul be required of thee thou shalt have no more time in this World and hast thou not laid up for Eternity O Man or Woman what a Fool art thou that dost not look after Christ That dost not seek in good earnest for thy immortal Soul to be happy to all Eternity The second Fools that are mentioned are They that out-lived their Estate they had not enough to keep them I warrant you will say they wanted care in this World and you shall hear many worldly Men say That will not I do I will take care to lay up something for a spending time but it is not worldly Riches we are concerned about but higher matters it is Spiritual things The Foolish Virgins outlived their Estates they survived them they had not enough to maintain them my meaning is they wanted saving Grace they took much pains in outward Truths yet wanted Grace to carry them safe to Glory You may live on Duties and Performances and the outside of Religion and I tell you your Immortal Souls will out-live your Duties and be undone for not having a Christ Your Souls will not out-live all external Duties and Ordinances and if you have not lived on Christ you are undone The foolish Virgins thought they had done very well and had got enough to keep them to all Eternity they set out with the wise and kept along with them but here was the difference the one had Christ in them and the other was without him the one had Christ in their Hearts and the other had only the Notions of Christ in their Heads the one lived on Christ in their Duties and the other lived on their Duties without Christ the wise Virgins Lamps kept burning because they had Oyl of Grace and Christ was in them the hope of Glory but the foolish Virgins they wanted Oyl in their Lamps yet what confidence had they that their Condition was good which did appear by their Coufidence to the very last Mat. 25.10 Afterward came also the other Virgins and said Lord Lord open to us sure we have some part in thee sure we have some Treasure here No saith Christ you have none at all I know you not They bgged Oyl of the wise Giv us of your Oyl for our Lamps are gone out They out-lived all their Duties and Gifts and were miserably poor for want of Grace My Friends be you never so outwardly religious if you have not Christ in you you will out â—â—e all your Duties and Righteousness Prâ—yers and Tears and all Duties will 〈◊〉 over and if you have not Christ to 〈◊〉 your Righteousness you will be very poor at last None so poor as those who lie down in the Grave without a Christ Give us of your Oyl for our Lamps are gone out We have no Oyl What have you been doing all this while What so long a praying People So long Hearers So long Professors and have you not a Christ for your Souls They thought they had Oyl enough in their Lamps but were miserably mistaken Many think certainly if they pray and hear they shall go to Heaven if they come to the Lord's Supper and are baptized and have other Ordinances they shall go to Heaven Why Friends the foolish Virgins were all this yea and more than this for many Persons may have scandalous Lives outwardly but these were called Virgins they walked so uprightly none could charge them with Hypocrisie none could say black was their Eye till at last they slept when the others slumbred The foolish set their faces Heaven-ward as well as the wise only the Hypocrites they have their Faces one way and row another as Water-men do But what was the difference The wise Virgins made Christ their Life and the foolish lived upon their own Duties without Christ Many think themselves very well because they do perform Duties and attend on Ordinances and can discourse of Christ But do you know what it is to have Christ your Life When the foolish Virgins found Christ was come they cried Alas we are undone we have lived on our own stock and we want a Life beyond all that we have lived And the
out Lord must I be shut up under thy eternal Wrath for ever There he sees the Judge condemning him the Law condemning him Conscience condemning him he can look no way but he is amazed above him a sin-revenging God below him everlasting Flames O what a dreadful Outcry will a condemned Soul make You may know by these foolish Virgins Lord Lord open to us what a dreadful Outcry will there be for a condemned sinner to appear before a sin-revenging God You are all condemned in Adam and if you have not a Christ you will be condemned to all Eternity when the last Moment comes what an Outcry will there be Lord Lord must I to Hell for ever Must I be damned for ever Yea Soul for thou hast no part nor portion in Christ Secondly As Seamen or Mariners when they suffer Shipwrack and are sinking make a dreadful Cry so a Soul that 's out of the Body that hath not Christ all your Duties and Profession and Comforts all your Righteousness and your Souls sinking together O what a dreadful Cry will there be my hope is perished my Righteousness is perished my Duties abhorred Wo is me I am undone for ever Thirdly What a dreadful Outcry is there when a City is besieged and plundered and all the Men Women and Children put to Fire and Sword So when Christless Persons must appear before God's Tribunal the Sword of Divine Justice meets the Soul The Angel that stood at the Gate of Paradice had a flaming Sword in his Hand the Justice of God that flaming Sword will meet you at Heaven Gate Soul no entrance here you must for ever lie in the Prison of Hell till your Debts are paid you have no Surety you have no Christ you have no Grace then you must for ever depart into everlasting Burnings now too late when Justice hath took hold of them Legions of Devils halling them down to the bottomless Pit They cry Lord Lord open to us when their Lamps are gone out Now Lord we see our Sparks dying before they reach Heaven O pardon this our Hypocrisie And O give of thy Oyl Thou art the Olive-tree pour out thy Oyl into our Vessels Had they with the wise Virgins Oyl in their Lamps saving Grace in their Hearts they had been ready and entred with Christ No but they would not come to Christ and see now the Gate was shut upon them now they cry Lord open to us they would not come to him for a Wedding Garment but they would be beholden to him to let them enter into the Feast without one Mr. Murcot tho Heaven would have held them but a little while if they had entred in that condition Next This Life is a suitable Life because it is a glorious Life Alas you live a miserable Life till you know Christ A Professor without Christ is a poor empty Person You read of a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwells Righteousness What was the Earth A dark Chaos before the glorious Sun that glorious Light came What is a poor Soul in this poor House of Clay till you come to know Jesus Christ till you come to live Christ We have a dark Chaos but when you come to live Christ this is a new Heaven in the Soul and a new Earth every part of the Soul every Member of the Body is put into a new Frame O saith the Soul let me not act but for Christ let me not walk but with Christ let me not be employed but for Christ let me not live but to Christ it may be you will give us the hearing of a Sermon on the Lords Day but what Mould are you cast in all the Week Alas what Folly and Madness is it for to be seeking looking waiting and watching for what is not for what will not do you good Our Eye is fixed our Thoughts are fixed our Hands are employed but is it for Christ Can you say you desire nothing in comparison of Christ Or are your Thoughts swallowed up in the World Where you have had one for Christ it may be you have had many thousands for the World To be a Professor and not live on Christ it is as if a dead Man should be dress'd with the Cloaths of a living Man and should have Meat dish'd out and set before him to eat who yet remains Dead and the Meat untasted Persons may make external Profession and have Ordinances administred to them but if you do not know Christ and live Christ what Profit will you have in all What is the Chaff to the Wheat Most of the Sermons you hear you may have the Notions of Religion but if Christ is not made manifest to your Souls you have but the Shell without the Kernel the Chaff without the Wheat He that knows Christ he that lives Christ is above that Soul let him live never so noble a Life that knows not Christ Therefore the Prophet saith That a wise Child is better than an old and foolish King Eccles 4.13 A wise Christian though he is never so little in Grace and Knowledge that knows Christ is better than the greatest Person in knowledg that doth not know Christ Better is the poorest lowest Christian than the greatest Noble in the Land that doth not know Christ Now I shall shew in some particulars the Glory of this Life To live Christ first If you come to live Christ it is a glorious Life for there is the beginning of Glory Whatever you do you never come to have Glory begun till you come to live on Christ by Faith Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun the good Work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ he that justifies he glorifies We are called to eternal Glory by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 5.10 If we have not Christ ours eternal Life will never be ours Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory All the Pearls of a Christians Crown of Glory are the purchase of Christ's Blood As soon as a Soul begins to know Christ he begins an Heaven on Earth Let Earth and Hell do what they will Glory is begun the World and Devil and Temptations may toss you but they are come too late to destroy you there is immortal Life and Glory begun The immortal Seed is sowed in the Soul Grace in the Soul is Glory in the Believer Christ dwelling in the Soul is the beginning of Glory you never come to know the Life of Glory till you know Christ and when you come to live on Christ you are in the way to Glory and shall as sure come there as the Saints and Angels now in Glory This is the comfort and stay of a Believer when he comes to know Christ he is certainly linked to eternal Glory Secondly To live Christ is a glorious Life for you are changed from Glory to Glory into the same Image for there is a glorious Union between Christ and a Believer there is the natural Faculties there is the same
14.19 saith Christ Because of him you shall live also He lives and you shall live he is in Glory and you shall be in Glory he is on the Throne and you shall be on the Throne he is beloved of the Father and you are beloved of the Father Believing in Christ is a safe way no way safe but by believing in Christ There is a poor Christian in Troubles and Trials but he is happy his Life is bound up in his Lords Life which is the Life of Lives When Jacob was in his Journey to Padan Aram when he came to lie down at night he had but an hard Pillow Indeed many times it is hardest with the outward Man when it is best with the inward Man He had a stone for his Pillow but a cordial for his Soul A Ladder that reached from Heaven to Earth This Ladder hath six glorious Rounds that make a Believer to ascend up to the enjoyment of God his Birth his Life and Doctrin his Death and Resurrection his Ascension and Intercession Christ is that Ladder that reacheth from Heaven to Earth the Saints Salvation is begun carried on and finished in and through and by him he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith we are elected in him Ephes 1.1 Christ is Principium Caput Electionis he is the first Elect in whom and for whom all other are elected God elected Christ to be Head of the Body all the Members chosen in him he is made All to the believing Soul from first to last he is made of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 It was a Figurative Discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ whose Deity and Humanity was set forth by this Ladder This Ladder may be considered either 1. Literally and so it is represented to Jacob the Providence of God who tho he dwells in Heaven extends his Care and Government to the Earth and particularly makes use of the Angels as ministring Spirits for the good of his people and these Angels do not appear idle or standing still but always in motion either ascending to God to receive his Commands or descending to Earth for the execution of them which was a most seasonable Vision for Jacob in his sad and sorrowful condition that though he was forsaken and persecuted by Men and forced to flie away secretly for fear of his Life yet he neither was nor should be neglected or forsaken of God in his whole Journey Or Mystically and so it represents Jesus Chist by whom Heaven and Earth are united who is called the way to Heaven which this Ladder was who as the Head of Angels Mr. Pool's Annotations is perpetually sending them forth either to God or from God to minister to the Heirs of Salvation And he dreamed a Dream and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached up to Heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending Gen. 28.11 And he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night It is best tarrying though night when Christ is present because the Sun was set When outward Comforts go down and Christ arises it is a blessed change And he took of the stones of the place and put them for his Pillows It is a blessed Lodging where Christ is And lay down in that place to sleep Well may a Soul sleep quiet when Christ is present with him And he dreamed a Dream and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached to Heaven This must be Jesus Christ figuratively For First His Protection was ready though this was but a Dream God did visit his People in Dreams of old before Christ was manifest in the Flesh Jesus Christ whose Humanity was set forth who humbled himself to the Death of the Cross he came from Heaven to Earth he was truly God truly Man And behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Still there are always ministring Spirits about the Heirs of Salvation still they keep the Rounds of the Ladder they are ready to serve God if they are sent a thousand Miles yea Millions of Miles to minister to the Saints shewing still only that a Soul in Christ hath protection and Guardian Angels to attend upon him he hath the Chariots of God to accompany him Psal 68.17 O Believer what are you Christ's And have you so many Angels waiting on you daily Where is your thankfulness Where is your Heart-love to God Psal 34. The Angel of the Lord encamps round about those that fear him Have you Angels waiting and attending on you Angels ascending and descending for your Good you are in a safe condition Believing Souls have you not found this Ladder many times when you have been in Trouble and under Desertion have you not found your Hearts hard your Comforts dead your Souls cast down have not you found Jesus Christ the Ladder by which you have ascended up to the Father Hath he not brought you out of that Wilderness condition Whosoever thou art that fearest the Lord be of good courage take thou no care neither be faint-hearted nor make any doubt of the Angels waking watching and Protection for most certainly they are about and by thee and do carry thee upon their hands But how or in what manner Take thou no care God saith it Luther therefore it must be sure and certain Although now adays they appear not visibly nor afford such outward help yet are these Heavenly Messengers employed for the safeguard and benefit of the Saints As Embroidered Cherubims environed the Tabernacle Ainsworth so do those Heavenly Soldiers guard God's true Tabernacle the Church Cant. 3.6 Who is this that comes out of the Wilderness Who is this From whence doth she come From the Wilderness a Wilderness of Trials Temptations and Desertions she turns her Back on them and her Face on Christ And how doth she come She ascends like Pillars of smoke What Incense hath she She hath perfumed Incense Myrrh and Frankincense with all Powders of the Merchant with the sweet savour of Christ with the Righteousness of Christ It ascends being drawn up by the Spirit of God it is perfumed having Christ's Righteousness No Powder of the Merchant can be sweeter than the Prayers of a Saint to God in Christ but they would not ascend if it were not for the Spirit of God While Persons employ their Gifts and Parts out of Christ they descend though they do perform Duty in the exactest manner yet there is Evil enough in them for God to abhor it they are as smoak in the Nostrils of a pure God But when they are perfumed by Jesus Christ they are a sweet savour Therefore be not afraid of those weak Prayers smoky Prayers they are perfumed with Christs Righteousness It may be the poor Soul complains I have been at Prayer but I have prayed with such wandrings and such deadness and such coldness that I fear God will abhor me But
Soul hast thou breathed after Christ in them Then Soul they are perfumed they will be accepted in Christ Therefore by Faith in Christ your Prayers are safe O blessed be God for Jesus Christ blessed be God for the Persume and blessed be God for this ascending for you never would have ascended if it were not for the Spirit of God nor have your Prayers perfumed were it not for the sweet Odour of Christ's Righteousness There are two things a carnal Heart is ready to do if they do a Duty to their mind then they are apt to be proud of it and rest on it and if they do not do it to their Mind then they are cast down and complain I cannot pray I cannot profit by hearing God hath forgotten me The humble Godly believing Soul that hath made Christ his Life he can truly say Though I am poor in my self yet I am rich in Christ I am indifferent and cold in Prayer but Christ is my Offering and Altar and therefore in him I put up all to God Therefore you see how safe a Soul is that is in Christ First Your Souls are safe none can rob you of them go where you will your Souls are safe in the hands of Christ you that live Christ know Christ believe in Christ lay hold on Christ your Souls are safe indeed he will keep you Saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 What I have committed to him he will keep my All I have left with him he that hath bought me that hath paid the price I have committed all to him As you know if a Man hath purchased a rich Jewel and leaves it in the hand of a trusty Friend saith he I have left it with one that is an able Man but is he faithful Yes he is a very honest Man O how much more may we speak of Christ Hast thou committed thy Soul to Christ Why Because he is able to pay whatever Justice can demand He hath paid it all Whatever Troubles or Trials I go through Christ can bare me up But is Christ faithful He is a faithful High Priest saith Paul I have committed my All to him You do not know what you lose by not committing your selves to Christ We commit our selves to our selves and that is our great loss If you believe Christ to be faithful commit your Souls to him it is safe to leave your All with Christ Sometimes a Man will not leave the worth of six pence in another Mans hand why Because he is in debt and so he thinks it is not safe Christ is not in debt he hath paid all that God hath demanded therefore do you commit your Souls to him the Apostle had committed his All to him and truly Paul had learn'd very much of the knowledg of Christ For the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed Many times a person says I am ashamed I was such a Fool to believe such a Person Many times you trust to your own Heart ay the more Fool you Many times you say I trust to my own Duties ay the more Fool you But I have committed my All to Christ Why Because I know him I have left all with him and I am perswaded when I meet the great God I shall not be a Farthing in debt for Christ hath paid all I am perswaded my Comforts will be safe I am perswaded my Hopes my Faith my Soul my Body my Treasure are all safe when the poor Hypocrite will be ashamed when the carnal Professor will be ashamed Whatever Denomination Believers go under by a reproaching World let them do all they can you that have committed your Souls to Christ shall not be ashamed Nevertheless I am not ashamed saith the Apostle for I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Look to that day that great day of accounts is coming that day that you must meet God at the Judgment-seat If Christ doth not then present his satisfaction for you to God you must lie by it to all Eternity But if you are in Christ your Souls are safe Paul was as sure of Glory as if he were in Heaven he was as certain of a Crown of Righteousness as if possess'd of it 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforward there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing Friends look to your Crown look to your Souls look to your Glory ay and that you may secure them look that you lay hold on Christ Methinks to consider how many Millions of Souls will stand at the great Day strangers to Christ that have made a great Profession of Religion but have rested upon their own Duties for Salvation should awaken us to throw our selves upon Christ alone in all we do for acceptance before God Do as many Duties as can be performed if Christ be not yours at that day you will be confounded but if Christ is yours your Souls are safe But Christians are your Souls in the hands of Christ Bought with the Blood of Christ Have you committed your Souls to Christ Do you live on him Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall hring it to pass he will never fail them that commit themselves unto him Heb. 13.8 Yesterday and to day the same for ever If the World be turned upside down he is the same for ever Secondly The Soul that lives Christ his Soul is safe none can rob him of his Comforts First Afflictions shall not rob you of your Comforts Truly I tell you Friends there are many we hope they are Believers but for want of a real demonstration of Faith in Christ and living on Christ they are afraid in every Trouble that God is coming to destroy them But if Christ is your Life who can destroy you Mat. 10.28 And fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell What hurt can all Affliction do when God is your God There is not one Affliction comes but it is in Love You may write Love upon all your bitter Portions they are all safe you have them from a kind and tender Physician that understands his Practice and loves his Patients If it is a bitter Portion yet Love and Care may be writ upon all Many are apt to cry God is against me he is destroying me he hath found me out but when Christ is become your Life it is all in Love from God If a Child be running in a pleasant way to the Rivers side where many Children have been drowned and one pulls this
safe for him then a Saint while he lives he need not fear Death he lives a certain Life Secondly He may live comfortably First He may live certainly on comforts I am Christ's and I know nothing shall pluck me from Christ I am perswaded What are you perswaded of Paul I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. May not some Temptation some Corruption over-set you No saith he they shall not I shall be a Conqueror through Christ nothing shall separate me from him I am perswaded Death shall not if I live I live Christ if I die I shall live with Christ Nor Angels Good Angels will not if they would they should not nor bad Angels shall not nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present Buffitings Reproaches Scornings Imprisonment Sufferings what if you go through all this and are not separate from Christ Yet is there not something to come Do you not fear Death and Judgment that will be a Terror to most of the Sons and Daughters of Men. Whatever comes I still am Christs neither height nor depth shall separate me from Christ Let mine Iniquities reach up as high as Heaven the righteousness of Christ is still higher Nor Depths It shall not swallow a Believer up he is held safe in the everlasting Arms of infallible Grace and Mercy What a certain Life does a Saint live that is sure never to be separated from Christ things present cannot do it nor things to come shall not What a blessed Life an happy Life a safe Life is this O poor Christless Soul how uncertain dost thou live You are not sure of abiding here one moment The World is like an handful of Sand running through your Fingers like the Air that you breath in that you cannot hold a moment in your Fist But the Believer hath a certainty he can assure himself he shall never be poor and miserable nor deprived of true Happiness but shall be safe for ever in the Hands of Christ As for this World it is uncertain how long we shall enjoy Life Liberty or any Mercy we know not But the best Counsel I can give you is to get Christ and then you will be safe Things may have a good Aspect one day and another day as bad but yet in Christ you are safe for ever in Life in Death and to all Eternity Here you are certain of nothing Favour of Men or high or low rich or poor is unconstant the Wheel turns in a moment But if you have Christ you have a certain Life O how comfortably may a Saint live in all troubles and changes whatsoever that hath Christ for his Life We use to say It is an ill Wind blows no body good But I say let the Wind blow as ill as it will it blows the Saint always good that the Soul may say Let what will come I live well We may compare a Saint that is troubled for outward things to a Man that hath an Orchard full of Trees laden with Fruit but because the Wind has blown off the Leaves sits down and weeps If one should ask What do you weep for Why my Apple-tree Leaves are gone Why you have your Apples have you not Yes then what a foolish Man are you to weep for a few Leaves that might hinder both sight and ripening of your Fruit The comforts of this World are but Leaves Why do you weep for the Leaves while you have the Fruit Glorious Promises Glorious Peace Glorious Pardon Riches of Grace Hope of Glory and set down to weep or be cast down for the Loss of a few worldly comforts And the truth of it is so narrow are our Spirits so unbelieving are our Hearts that we many times weep for Losses here as if we had no better Portion What weeping while the Boughs hang full of Fruit What weep while your Souls have the glorious Promises and glorious Peace and glorious Pardon and a glorious Christ and hopes of Life Eternal through him Will you weep for a few outward Losses and Crosses while your Souls are filled with Fruit While your Souls are as Trees bringing forth Twins This is much to be lamented that the Saints do thus mourn for outward comforts let the Wind blow which way it will it cannot take away your Life You may eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life in the midst of Paradice that you may leave your Drops below and come to the full Fountains above If a Man hath enough he may afford to lose a little Saith the Psalmist I have a goodly Heritage the Lord is my Portion Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly Heritage While Christ is my Life my Glory my Portion I have a goodly Portion May be the Winds may arise Storms of Affliction Storms of Trouble the Lord knows what may be but make sure of Christ let the Wind blow what way it will it can but blow off the Leaves it cannot take away the Fruit. The Church saith in Lam. 3.24 The Lord was her portion she would hope in him Is it so that a Believers Life is bound up in Christ There is a great deal of difference between a Believer and another Man at Death What are the thoughts of a carnal Man at Death What if they were known to the Standers-by My Life is done and my Misery is come O that I were to live in the World and never die But what is a Believers thought O saith he that my Heart may be setled on Christ that I may know Christ to be my Life and God mine I would bless his Name for ever There is a difference between a moral Man and a Believer How is it I have lived honestly I have done no body any harm God deal with me as I have done with others Now a Believer will discourse of things in another manner I have nothing in my self I am sin and sinful but Christ is my Life therefore I desire not to stand in one of my good Works in Judgment but wrap up my self wholly in Christs Righteousness Come to a Legal Man one under the Law O I would pray more fast more if I were to live longer Thus he would do a great deal of Work in a little time not considering if he lives longer he carries the same Heart about him But a Believer saith If I am to live it shall be by Faith I would believe more know Christ more I would live upon Christ more and when I die I would die in him and be found in him at the great day 3 Infer Is it so that a Believer's Life is bound up in Christ What boundless Love was
Words of Arts. I may expect it will not be free from the Slighting Scorn and Contempt of many that are ready to undervalue every thing but what they do themselves and to find fault with that they cannot mend But I have learned not to value any of their undervaluings For if a thousand to one slight it yet if one in a thousand get good to their Souls ' by it I shall bless God that ever it was printed what evil Report soever I may receive from evil Men of evil minds for the Works sake I hope I shall not value the Frowns of Men as one well saith Better to lose the Smiles of Men than to lose the Souls of Men and I am sure without Christ be our Life we are poor undone dead Sinners I know I have many Enemies who have through their Envy and Malice raised many false Reports of me But I desire to be an Enemy to none but those that are implacable Enemies of Christ in Doctrin and Practice but tho they are my Enemies yet I freely pray for them But I cannot expect to fair better than those that have abundantly excelled in Grace and Knowledge that were both burning and shining Lights whose Works praise them in the Gate and their sweet Savour in Christ made known to Saints and Sinners many hundreds I believe have cause to bless God that either heard them preach'd or have read their Works And yet how are these Men railed against as not worthy to live and their Works to be burnt by the common Hangman as one with more Zeal than Knowledge declared Because Men have not received that measure of Knowledge and Experience as those Men had they rail against them as ignorant unlearned Men their Books not safe for any to read Do not these Men go quarrelling along in the Dark because their Brethren have received more Light than they Persons are grown to such a fond conceit of themselves and their own Opinion they will not hearken to Gospel-Experiences they will not so much as try those Truths they revile by the Scripture but proceed with Lies and Slanders against those good Men though they never knew their persons nor read their Books I am Perswaded if these persons had knowledge of those persons and Truths they speak against if the Lord were pleased to reveal himself to them had they a taste and sight of the Lord Jesus who reveals himself how and to whom he pleaseeh insted of biting and devouring of them and spending their time to raise evil Reports of them they would enquire after the knowledge of Christ as the Daughters of Jer did of the Spouse Whether is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee Cant. 6.1 If Christians would spend that time in enquiring after Christ and receiving and imparting their Experiences to each other as they spend in Contentions and taking up and carrying about evil Reports of them that excel themselves in Godliness they would find more Peace and Comfort to their own Souls and bring more Glory to God bring more Souls to Christ and would be a means for the Beauty of Holiness and Power of Godliness to shine with a greater Lustre to the World This is my comfort whatever Mens Thoughts or Words Censures or Contempt are of these my poor Labours I can truly say I seek not my self but the exalting of Jesus Christ and his Truths and Kingdom in the World In singleness of Heart I have imparted Truth to you as I learned them in Jesus I had rather have the Scorn of Men for the plainness of Truth than you should have plain Truths hid from you If I am the Object of Worldlings Scorn so Christ be the Object of your Faith therein I shall rejoyce Beloved as I have granted your Request in Printing my unworthy Labours which were done chiefly at your Request and for your sake I pray grant me some few Requests which I beg of you for Christ's sake First That you seriously and carefully peruse these Plain Truths that I have Dedicated to you Secondly That you go to the Throne of Grace and there earnestly beg a Blessing on what you read Thirdly If your Souls receive benefit in the reading of it ye ascribe all to God alone it is he alone that teacheth to profit by all we read or hear Fourthly That you would study and love Christ more let his Glory be the end of your Actions you never seek your own interest better then when you seek Christ's above all Your Excellency most appears when Christ and his Excellency is known to you When your Eye is singly set on Christ then is Christ admiring your Beauty Cant. 4.7 The single Eye took away Christ's Heart then the Chain of Obedience ravished him also Without a pure Intention aiming at the Glory of God to exalt Jesus Christ there is no Action be it never so excellent in its self is accepted of God Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth Fruit to himself He weighs out his Fruit to himself he proportions his Religion to himself all being for himself God accepts him not Such Fruit and meer Emptiness is much as one before God It is not enough that a thing done be materially good but because God commands it and that it is to the glorifying the Lord Jesus He that is Alpha must be Omega He that is the Supreme Good must be the ultimate end of all things Let all your good Works fall in Christ's Bosom and centre in his Glory They that do not with a single Eye look to Christ in all they make as if there were something more excellent than Christ to look unto Since Christ is a Believers Life from whom he receives all the good he enjoys his Life and Strength and Comfort depend upon him for the Influence of his Grace and Spirit to have daily Supplies and Waterings from him that you may continually live to him Psal 119.32 He prays for Heart-enlargement to run the way of God's Commandments Psal 119.173 Let thy hand help me for I have chosen thy Precepts We have need of continual Supplies of Grace If you be never so well furnished with Divine Grace it will not be in exercise without fresh anoynting and fresh Gales of the Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out let my Beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant Fruits Ordinances are but Mediums and Chanels of Grace we had need to look to Christ to fill them with Divine and Spiritual Blessings It is not a Sanctuary of Ordinances will do our Souls good it is the Power and Glory and Goings of God in it is the Life of the Soul It is the Drops of the pure Rivers of Life above dropping upon the Soul refreshing it in Ordinances Ordinances are dry and empty things if the Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not breath upon the Heart O then lie down at
praying for their Ministers Many are readier to reproach them than to pray for them and to rejoyce in their Falls than to pray that they may be upheld How many that have excellent Gifts and Parts do little Work for God bring little Comsort to Souls If shining they are not burning Lights they leave cold earthly proud Hearts I think one Cause may be they have not been earnest at the Throne of Grace that a Blessing may attend their Labours People may be much in admiring such Ministers Gifts when the Word they Preach takes little effect upon their Souls Ministers have a great Charge committed to them a great Work to go through many Trials and Temptations in their Work they had need be daily the Subject of your Prayers and Pity Your strangeness to the Work may cause their Work to be much a Stranger to your Souls To be a Minister saith Luther is nothing else but to derive the Worlds Wrath and Fury upon himself The Dirt of Reproach saith one lies no where so thick as on Ministers Coats How many would count themselves happy in their ruin that bring the Tidings of Peace and Salvation to their Souls A miserable Happiness that rejoyceth in the Destruction of them that bring Salvation to them As the People would have their Ministers good Nurses to their Souls and good Examples to their Flock as they would not have them pervert them by their Error in Doctrin nor be Temptations to them by their Falls they should pray hard for them that they may neither miscarry in Life nor Doctrin that God's Urim and Thummim may be with them I hope Beloved in the Lord you will not shut me out in your Prayers as you would have the Name of Christ honoured by me your Souls well fed with wholsom Spiritual Food as you would not have my Enemies have the desire of their Hearts that wait for my Halting Alas I am a poor frail Creature that am encompassed about it may be with as many Temptations if not more than many others are and I fear have less Strength to go through them Pray for me that while I preach to others I may not be a Cast-a-way my self It is dreadful to drop into Hell from under the Pulpit but more dreadful to drop out of it into the Bottomless Pit It is sad for Ministers to be without the Grace of God and true knowledg of Jesus Christ they press others upon pain of Damnation not to neglect Like one that should spend time and strength to draw Water for others and perish with Thirst himself Or as one that directs many the right way and yet doth lose his own way As you would have me a faithful Labourer in the Harvest to bring full Sheaves to your Souls pray the Lord of the Harvest to give me Skill and Strength to bear the Burden and Heat of the Day As you would have the Word which I preach drop upon your Souls as the Rain and distil as the Dew and small Rain upon the Herb and as the Showers upon the Grass beg of God to pour out a double portion of his Spirit on me As you would have my Preaching powerful my Life teaching my Sermons Heaven-born my Lamp burning my Heart engaged my Talent improved my self to spend and be spent for your Souls good pray forget me not at the Throne of Grace I shall now take my Leave of you and subscribe with my Hand the Reality of my Heart your Loving Pastor and faithful Servant for the Lords sake JOHN GAMMON TO THE READER Christian Reader THE subsequent Tract being sent down to me in the Country I did as my other occasions would admit for I have not had time for a strict Perusal cursorily look it over and finding to my great satisfaction such a sweet breathing in every part of it I do joyfully recommend it to thy serious View as a Jewel not common or easie among the multitude of Books this Age abounds with to be found And that thou mayest know the Cask that hath sent forth such precious Wine I will give thee a brief Account of the Author tho indeed ex pede Herculem his own Work portrays him and delineates the frame of his Spirit far beyond what my feeble Pen can do But being well known to me perhaps better than to any besides I think it my Duty to wait upon him to the Press in this his first Essay with this just and impartial Character of him He is an holy serious good Man abounding with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit and every way fitted for that Great Work he is called to Prayer Meditation and the sanctified use of Affliction Luther's three Ingredients to make a Gospel-Minister few has a greater share of He is one of an excellent Spirit of great Faithfulness and Courage a perfect Hero in his Ministerial Work none of those Rattle-Snakes that hiss and sputter in warm Sun-shiny Weather but durst not peep out of their Holes in a Winter Season This worthy Champion for which his Praise is and will be in the Gates of Sion bore a glorious Testimony in the late horrid Persecution he stood manfully to his Arms when the Bulls of Bashan encompassed him about he never quitted the Field nor flinch'd from his Posts notwithstanding the imminent Danger himself and Family were daily exposed to but as one unconcerned in any Terrene Events he went on in his way in his Work and verily the Lord was with him he crowned his Labours with extraordinary Success and as a Token of his special Favour gave into his Bosom a most sweet People to be a Nursing-Father to whose Unanimity among themselves and Fervency of Love to their endeared Pastor whatever others may I am sure I cannot match in the Sphere of my Acquaintance But to pass from the Workman to the Work His Book will exactly shew him such an one as I have hinted Read it but seriously over and thou wilt be under no Temptation to think me a Flatterer but count me as much too low as the Queen of Sheba did the Relators of Solomon's Court. Thou wilt meet with no uncouth Phrases no Logical Whimsies no Flashes of wanton Rhetorick But here Oh! here thou wilt find the refined Language of Canaan the Dialect of the New Jerusalem and such a melodious Consort of Divine Musick as if the Lord set in with it will warm thy Heart refresh thy Spirit and ravish thy Soul as the Spouse was ravished with the Rays of Christs Glory I am Thy Soul 's well-wishing Friend C. N. Christian Reader THE Author of these ensuing Sheets desired my Perusal thereof that afterwards I would give my Judgment of the same to the World the former of which I easily granted and have Sheet by Sheet as they were done perused the same and suppose that thou hast them entire without Typographical Errors so far as we observ'd they are very carefully corrected However if some have escaped the Press they
and true Knowledg of Christ what a poor miserable Wretch will he appear to be in a dying hour Alas how poor and low a thing is health strength riches parts and gifts if we are ignorant of Christ Fourthly Consider what a blessed Life they live that live in Christ and upon Christ What a blessed Life it is to live to Christ There is no Life like it and that is a Believers Life Fifthly Consider and this hath been much my Meditation How terrible would the thoughts of our life past be when we come to dye since our best actions have been mixt with sin were it not for this glorious Name the Lord hath revealed to sinners the Lord our Righteousness All the names of God would be astonishing to poor sinners were it not for this to know the Lord a righteous God That would be a terrible name Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord but the Lord our Righteousness poor sinners Righteousness this Righteousness is made mine This makes the thought and name of Christ sweet to a poor sinner Sixthly Consider there is no dying comfortably if we have not lived on Christ If we have not lived to glorifie Christ all things we have enjoyed will leave us wretched poor and miserable Seventhly Consider all our Reading Praying Ordinances will be but like withered Leaves if they are not kept green and flourishing in Christ our Life Eightly All the actions of our Life that are good are all in and from and through Christ that glorious Vine that bears the Branches and causeth them to be fruitful In the Verse before the Text you find the Apostle resigning himself up wholly to Jesus Christ According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Saith he I have resigned up my self I am not afraid of death neither am I careful for this life Whatever God will do with me so I may but glorifie him I am not careful about this body whether I live longer here or whether I lay it down in the dust Paul as it were stands a Tip-toe saith Mr. Trap to see which way he may glorifie Christ I am ready to dye it will be for my profit it will be best for me to go to Glory I am sure it is best for me to go home to my dear Lord there to sit with him on the Throne and receive the Crown of Immortal Life and Glory but for you it is best to continue here Let his name be exalted and his Glory made more known to his Church however he deal with me I am not careful in any thing neither am I ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death that is it I live for that is it I dye for I would live that I might glorifie him I would dye that I may enjoy his Glory But which way his Glory may be most exalted that way have I resigned up my self to the Lord Jesus to dispose of me which way he pleaseth so his Name may be magnified in Life or Death I desire nothing more than the exalting of Christ in all The matter contained in the words of my Text is of as high Concernment and of as great a Consequence as the Soul of man can be taken up with and indeed so great that all things in the World are but Trifles in comparison to it What was the sum of the Apostles desire and business of his Life to serve and enjoy the Lord Christ ought to be the business of every one that will be everlastingly happy This Life only can bring true Peace Treasures Pleasures Wisdom Grace Glory to the Immortal Soul of Man Whether we read the words actively or passively of his receiving Life from Christ or acting for Christ in his Life it plainly appears in either sense That Christ is the Sum and Substance of a Christians Life If the Apostles meaning was That Christ was Life to him or that he would live to Christ in either sense Christ is a Believers Life Some do expound it efficiently others objectively I think the meaning of the words may not be mis-placed if both be understood for Christ is that inexhaustible Fountain and Treasury of Grace that a Believer receives his Grace and Holiness from to act for Christ We cannot move toward Christ but as we are moved by Christ we must have our Life from Christ before we can live to Christ he is the Fountain from whence the Believer hath his Life the Sun from whence he hath his Light and Glory the full Treasure of Grace from whence a Believer receives a holy heart and life He that is the Image of the Invisible God renews them by his Grace in that Image he purgeth Conscience with his Blood to serve the living God the Lord Jesus being formed upon the heart the desires and delights of the heart are changed the bent and byass of the heart is carried after Christ it is Christ must kindle the holy Fire upon the Altar of the heart before the Believer can act from a true Zeal for God So whether the words be taken disjunctively from the Verse before That he would magnifie Christ because he had received his Life and Salvation from Christ He would magnifie the efficient cause of his Life whom he was united to Or whether conjunctively He would live to glorifie Christ as he had resolved in the Verse before in either sense this is plain The Apostles heart was wrapt up in Christ more than any thing in this World There are many precious Truths to be suckt out of this blessed portion of Scripture But I shall only through Gods assistance draw from the words this point of Doctrin That a true Believer desires not Life nor the things of Life whatever they are no further than he may glorifie and enjoy Christ in them Or thus The Aims and End of a Believer in Life or Death is to glorifie the Lord Jesus Christ Or Christ a Christians Life I. By way of Explication wherein Christ is a Believers Life or how a Believer is thus wrapt up in Christ II. Shew the Reasons why they are so III. Apply the whole There are four things wherein a person is chiefly concerned as to Life First His dependency upon his Life Ask a Man to do any thing yes saith he if I am alive or in health Secondly In our natural Actions If a Man eat drink put on Cloths take Physick Food or any thing it is that he may live Thirdly Take Life for the Comforts of Life A Man's Life is a burthen to him when his Comforts are gone a Believers Life is a burden to him when he does not injoy Christ Fourthly For the Aim and End of Life Persons that are tractable and industrious
desire to live here to be uselful in their places they serve their Generation so a Believer desires to live for this end to serve the Lord Jesus and to glorifie his Holy Name First To take the dependance upon Life James corrects the manners of them that said I will go into the City and buy and sell they should have said if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that So a Believer living depending on Christ saith he in my self I am a poor dead Sinner I am dead to my self and in my self but I depend on Christ for Life I depend on Christ for Wisdom for Righteousness for Sanctification for renewed Strength I live upon him for all For I am dead I am dead to the Law I have no Action to meet the Law with nor the Law hath no Action against me I am dead to Sin as to the Life of it and to its condemning Power and to its Malignity and Guilt and I am dead to the World I depend on Christ saith the Apostle that Christ might be all in all Alass what can I do all my Suits are ended in Law it is Life we depend on for the enjoyment of our Friends Oh it is Christ for all saith the Apostle ye are dead what then your life is hid with Christ in God Colos 3.3 Ye are dead ye are crucified with Christ dead to your own Righteousness An Unbeliever what ever good he doth exalts himself and his own Righteousness but what good a Believer doth is to have Christ and his Righteousness exalted he saith no more I but Christ but one ignorant of Christ sets the crown of all he doth upon his own Head I fast I pray I give Tithes saith the Pharisee but when a Soul knows Christ No more I saith he you are dead but your life is hid with Christ in God what then when Christ our Life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory The Believer is wrapt up in Christ living wrapt up in Christ dying if it were possible a Believer could be separated from Christ he would be lost and undone for ever what a poor sinful naked Creature is he No saith the Apostle you are dead and where is my Life safe enough in Christ my Life is hid with God in Christ When shall my Life appear Why when Christ who is our Life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory The Saint lives upon Christ when he dies he dies in Christ when raised up is raised up by Christ clothed with Christ's Righteousness when Christ who is our Life shall appear c. A Saint cannot be separated from Christ but shall appear with and in Christ all the Formalists Legalists and Moralists in the World shall appear at the Great Day but it is without Christ you know a Man cannot speak act nor do any thing when his Life is gone So saith the Apostle As you are dead to the Law dead to Sin and dead to the World so you are dead to your own Righteousness when Christ who is our Life shall appear we shall appear with him in Glory you shall not go one step further than Christ goes you are Members of his Body My Friends there is a great difference between a Man hearing and praying and knowing Christ only by reading and a Saint living upon Christ in every Duty in every Affliction living upon him in Life living upon him in Death saith our Blessed Lord John 6.9 Your Fathers eat Manna in the Wilderness and are dead they depended on the Manna for life but he that eats this Bread shall live for ever as if he had said you that depend on any thing below me shall die When persons live on any thing below Christ they have dead Souls living and damned Souls dying If any depend on me as the living and immortal Food of their Souls they shall live for ever your Fathers eat Manna and are dead Ordinances perish with us Duties perish with us and all below Christ will perish the Believers All is to have Christ in them Jesus Christ the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven I am the living Bread that came down from Heaven if any eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and this Bread the Spirit of the Lord in the Word reveals to the Soul and the believing Soul lives by it for ever it is the Spirit of Christ that reveals and applies to the believing Soul the Righteousness Grace and Bloud of Christ to justifie and cleanse them from all Unrighteousness and makes known to them that their Name is written in the Book of Life the knowledge of which doth draw forth a Believer's Heart to depend upon Christ for daily Strength to exercise Grace in every condition Saith the Apostle Phil. 4.12 I can do all things Paul you are a brave man indeed what can you do I can do all things I know how to want and how to abound you hear me speak what I can do pray don't mistake me I depend on Christ for it I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me The Believer lives through Christ You may see a natural Man praying a natural Man hearing or performing a duty but this Man depends on his own strength and on duty and you may see a Believer in Duty and it may be the natural Man hath greater parts and finer expressions than the Believer but the Believer lives on Christ for all and the other on himself Saith the Believer I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me he would have Christ in all he would have Christ foremost in all so that a Believer is girt with the Strength of Christ Persons may preach others may hear pray discourse we may have fine Matter curious Divinity wrapt up but if Jesus Christ is not preached to poor Souls and depended upon it is all nothing what can this poor Creature do when he comes to die and look Death in the Face that strong Champion that King of Terrors he cannot see him but in great horror and fear A formal Christian that strives to speak fine words have fine expressions learn something by rote they can dispute of Religion therefore think they are brave Christians but comes a Temptation or a Tryal on them they know not how to go through the Battle But take a real Christian that is meaner in expressions that lives on Christ and is girt about with the strength of Christ how does he go through the Battel 1 Sam. 17. What Armor was there put on to go out against that mighty Champion That which girt him with Strength was the glorious Name of the Lord the Men of Israel though Men of War were afraid but comes David without Armour and he would encounter him Vers 45. Then said David to the Philistine Thou comest to me with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Shield but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts
David had made the Lord his Strength he was girt about with the Strength of the Almighty Lord the Name of Jehovah was the Breast-plate he put on but the Men of Israel that were great Warriors were afraid to meet this Champion So persons that have been great Disputers great Discoursers persons that have been great in Knowledge in the Letter shall be afraid to meet Death that great Champion when a weak Believer that hath made Christ his Life shall go through the Battel with Courage so I say a Believer depends on Christ for Life for the Life of Grace for the Life of Righteousness being girt about with the Strength of the Lord. Secondly Take Life for the Actions of Life While a Man lives he acts when a Man is dead he cannot act saith the Apostle first negatively and then affirmatively None lives to himself none dies to himself and then affirmatively living or dying we are the Lords Rom. 14.8 So if we ask a natural Man why do you eat drink put on cloaths and work that I may live And if we ask a Christian why do you pray hear wait on God in Ordinances O that I may live on Christ injoy Christ You see me saith Paul live as you think but you are mistaken I do not live of my self it is Christ that lives in me and the Life I live is by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live I am dead yet I live I am dead to the World yet I live in Christ I am a dead condemned Sinner by the Sentence of the Law yet I live in the Righteousness of Christ I am dead to my own Righteousness to my own Works but I am alive in Christ I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me though I am dead to Sin I am alive to Christ though I am a dead Sinner I am a living Saint I am pardoned in Christ beloved in Christ made alive through Grace in Christ clothed with the Righteousness of Christ therefore I live though dead as if a Man should say I am a Man sentenced yet I am a Man absolved I am a Man dead in the Eye of the World yet I am a Man acquitted here is my Pardon so saith a Believer the Law condemns me the Law judges me but I am alive in Christ pardoned in Christ Now Law thou hast nothing to say to me Well but Paul do you live You have got your Pardon will you live now to your self Nay saith he do not mistake me though you hear me say I live yet not I live but Christ liveth in me I do not say I am pardoned and absolved to live to my self No my Life is none of mine though you see me a living Saint yet I have my root in Christ it is not I but Christ lives in me When I was a Pharisee it was I then I prayed I repented I humbled my self I did this or that I lived zealously to the Law but now it is no more I though I do the action of a Man as before I spake as the Pharisee I did so and so in my self but now it is changed now it is in Christ all before it was my own Righteousness now Christ's Righteousness before it was my Duty but now it is Christ Christ liveth in me Christ reigns in me Christ is all in all therefore not I but Christ therefore look not on me do you hear me pray preach do any action it is no more I but Christ in me and the Life I now live is by Faith in the Son of God If a natural Man cats drinks puts on cloths it is that he may live but all that I do is that I may enjoy Christ Some poor Creatures think when they have done some duties they have done enough to justifie them but if they have not Christ their Life they will appear in as bad a state as the profanest Wretches on Earth But I put on Christ to be my Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification in all my Duties I am putting on Christ It is a hard matter to turn persons from Profaness but when they are turned from Profaness and rest upon their Reformation it is an harder matter to turn them to Christ Now all the Actions of a Believer are still that Christ may be his Life acting in Christ and for Christ Thirdly Take Life for the Comforts of Life What is a Man's Life to him if his Comforts have taken their leave of him So it is with a Believer saith he if I cannot enjoy Christ I have no Comfort in praying or hearing I have no Comfort but as I meet with Christ What are Sabbaths or Ordinances though I use them I cannot rejoyce in them till I meet with Christ he is my Comfort when he shines on my Soul then all goes well with me He is the health of my countenance saith David Psal 43.5 How do Saints return mourning and sorrowing and what a sorrowful story will they tell us if they have not met with Christ in an Ordinance A formal Professor he is content if he hath been at an Ordinance whether he meets with Christ or no But come to a Believer ask him how doth it go with you saith he I have waited on God and I bless God that he hath brought me to wait on him but I have not met with God and he sorrows and mourns with the Spouse I called but he gave me no answer I could not hear one comfortable word from him Cant. 3. I went to the Watchmen but I could not find him Oh what sorrowful stories will Believers tell if they do not meet with Christ If I could meet with him then should I rejoyce though you may see me perform Duties what is this if I do not meet with Christ and have him shining upon my Soul Thus take Life for the Comforts of Life and the Believer hath no Comfort when Christ withdraws when they come from an Ordinance where they have met with Christ they will come leaping like an Hart Oh I met with him whom my Soul desired and that is to make Christ our Life to depend on Christ and in the Actions of all our Duties draw life from Christ and then our Souls have no comfort in Ordinances without Christ So therefore the Spouse invites Christ very friendly for she knew that if she had not injoyment of him she should have no comfort she invites him in Cant. 7.11 12. Come my Beloved let us go forth into the Field let us lodge in the Villages let us get up early to the Vineyard let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appear and the Pomgranates bud forth there will I give thee my loves Oh come saith she my Beloved let us go forth if I go without thee I shall have no comfort in my walk Lord Jesus saith a Believer come in this Ordinance come in this Duty reveal
thy Grace and Righteousness without that I have no comfort Come my Beloved let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish I am sure if I have not thy presence I shall have a dead and dark time a dismal walk of it Come Lord Jesus in the Revelation of thy Grace in my Heart then will my Soul thrive in Grace then shall I receive comfort If I have but the Buddings of Grace if I have thy presence I shall make a good construction of it if I have but a little Grace and Christs presence I can rejoyce in a little Grace A little Grace when Christ appears is more to a Believer than a strong Faith when Christ withdraws The Spouse would not bring discomfort to her self Come let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender grapes appear if there be but the least Grace in my Soul what will you do there will I give thee my loves there will I give thee my delights there will I embrace thee with open Heart with warm Affections there will I give thee my praises there will I exalt thy name Come let us see whether the tender grape appear and the Pomegranates bud forth see how my Soul thrives let me take comfort though there be but the least budding forth of Grace though I have but a dram of Grace let me have thy presence there will I give thee my loves First My Soul shall have heart-joy and be full of delight Secondly Then will I give thee the glory of thy Grace Thirdly There will my Soul be endeared to thee When thou art present the very buddings of Grace will be sweet The strongest Believer cannot take comfort in his Graces till Christ appear in the manifestation of his Love to the Soul Fourthly Take Life for the end of Life The end I live for pray for hear for is that I may enjoy Christ My Friends Pray look to the end of your actions and see that your aim and desire in all is to glorifie and enjoy the Lord Jesus for it is but a few days and you will come to your last day a little time and you will have time no more a few Minutes before you will draw your last Breath a few Sabbaths and you will have no more and whatever you have done if you have not made Christ your life you are undone for ever That is an excellent question the Lord Christ puts to the multitude Mat. 11.7 saith our blessed Lord concerning John What went ye out into the Wilderness to see a Reed shaken with the Wind John that had Preacht of the coming and appearing of Christ there was abundance of People flockt about him to hear him as if they would all have been his Converts but alass they did not know him nor wherefore they went after him Many poor sinners seem to be taken with the Ministers and ways of God for a time but they do not know why nor wherefore as if the Lord Jesus should say if you are only taken with his Preaching as a Man and only the words of his mouth you will but see a Reed shaken with the Wind If a person goes to hear the best man upon earth Preach a man of the greatest Fame and Name and go barely for his Learning or Eloquence or to hear some new thing alass you see but a Reed shaken with the wind a poor mortal man a poor earthen Vessel the best of Ministers and Christians when under temptations are but Reeds shaken with the wind but if you come out to hear Christ Preacht to enjoy Christ to meet with Christ and can say I come to hear Christ Crucified and Preached Christs Righteousness revealed then indeed this is the aim and end of a Believer But saith Christ What came you out for we may say to many Professors What come you out for notwithstanding the means you have had the mercies you have enjoyed you are in the old way that you were in how blind and ignorant are most of the Doctrins of Faith in Christ of that Doctrin that alone will save them of that Righteousness that will cover them in the day of Battle Some are taken with one thing some with another some to get Notions in the Head to maintain Disputes But few come to enjoy Christ and meet with him but what went you out for O believer to enjoy Christ and if Christ is not your aim and end in every Duty and Sermon what a sad disappointment will you meet with at last Will you not do that in a spiritual action as in a civil action You eat you drink that you may live saith Christ Mat. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yet for your body what you shall put on is not life more than meat and the body than raiment So I say is not Christ more than life Is not Jesus Christ more than all the things that appertain to life So saith a Believer I do all that I may get Christ So much for those four things in the Explication concerning Life The next is the reasons why a Believer enjoys Christ First Because of that Union there is between Christ and every Believer As there is an Union between a man and himself so is there an Union between Christ and a Believer You are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God not I live but Christ lives in me I am not on my own bottom I am not a man living of my self they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit Christ is made my own he is made to me Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Christ and I am one I am a Member of his mystical Body so that wherever I live I live in Christ and Christ in me and I live to Christ A Believer is the very Image of Christs Goodness the very Impression of Christs Mercy the pledges of Christs Love Saith a Believer I see Christs Conquests is my Conquest his Life my Life his Righteousness my Righteousness his Victory my Victory I see him dead for me risen for me at Gods Right Hand for me appearing in Glory for me raising me up at the last day John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent him draw him and I will raise him up at the last day There is such an Union between the dust of a Believer in the Grave and Christ that he will raise him up in a close and near Union his Body like Christs glorious Body Saith Christ though a Believer dies there shall none of his Glory be lost the Grave is a perfumed Bed to take a sweet Nap till Christ calls in the glorious morning of the Resurrection then he will raise up every crum of his dust there shall none of him be lost for there is such an Union between Christ and a Believer that a Believer may meet death and not fear Death is but a messenger
of Peace to you though he is the King of Terrors to most of the World he comes with an Angels Face to the Believer tells you sweet news tells you you must go to your Beds of Dust where you shall rest in Peace for a time and then be raised up to Glory as we do our Children wrap them up in their swadling Cloathes for the Night and dress them fine in the Morning Death might say come you are only to go to your bed of Dust and in the Morning when you awake the Bridegroom will come and attire you here you are desiring and longing after Christ you would have more of God more enjoyment of Christ more comfort in your Spirit well you shall have it in the other World It is true Christ will raise up the wicked to judge and condemn them Union with Christ causes the Soul to cry out O for me to live is Christ O let me live to thy Glory Lord O let not a moment of my Life be without the enjoyment of thee What is the Preaching of the Word why are the Embassadors sent forth what are a multitude of mercies if I do not enjoy Christ O that I may magnifie Christ glorifie Christ saith a Believer that is it I press after more than any thing I here enjoy Secondly A Believers desire is that he may live to enjoy Christ because of the blessed Supplies he hath from Christ saith the Prodigal In my Father's house there is Bread enough O saith the Soul my Grace and Peace and Comfort and Righteousness and Joy is all from Christ Saith the Psalmist He led me in the Paths of Righteousness and caused me to lye down in green Pastures O saith the Believer It is from Christ alone that I have supplies of Grace of Peace of Strength Saith Austin I wish I had seen three things That I had seen Rome in its Glory That I had seen Christ conversing with Men and that I had seen Paul and heard him Preach But saith another Father I desire to see the King in his Beauty the Lord Jesus Christ in his Kingdom of Glory Many have spoke of him yet never received Grace from him but to have Supplies from Christ to be watered from him that a Believer desires Thirdly A Believers desire is to live to Christ because all means and mercies are all too low for a Believer without Christ Ah saith the poor Soul What is this Ordinance but a dry Well if I have not Christ what is my Life my Friends my Comforts without Christ It was asked one where lay his Jewels my Jewels are in my Husband and his Conquests Another where lie your Ornaments my Ornaments in my two Sons But ask a Believer Where are your Jewels my Jewels are in Jesus Christ the Pearl of Price ask another Believer where are your Ornaments O it is in Christ I put on Christ I wear Christ I enjoy Christ Christ is my Ornament ask another where is your Treasure in the unsearchable Riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ there is a Believers Riches Now the World is too low a Region for a Believer to live in were it not that he enjoys Christ in it Meat and Drink and Honours are too low for a Believer to live on but to enjoy Christ in all is that which he aims at I hope that I may say that it is your earnest desire to enjoy Christ and that any thing below this would have been too low an end for you in your earnest desires for me to be restored to you and to have me among you once more to see me in the Flesh only was too low an end but your end I hope was that you might enjoy Christ That I might be spared to Preach Salvation in Christ to you what your Souls had formerly tasted of The Lord wip'd away your Tears and took away your sorrowful Spirits O that you may meet with Jesus Christ whom your Souls long for and long to hear from O that he that is the Life of Saints may come with quickening Life to your Souls that you may know your aim and end was that you might enjoy Christ The Lord hath heard your Cries and the Lord grant your Weeping and Sorrow may be turned into Joy while you live and that we may meet together before the Throne where you shall have your Tears wiped away Fourthly The fourth Reason is The endeared Love of Jesus Christ constrains a Believer to desire nothing in this Life but what they may enjoy Christ in O saith a Believer Lord let me dye in thy Embraces rather than to live with the hiding of thy Face I had rather dye in thy Arms than to live with thy Arms clasped against me The love of Christ constrains me as 2 Cor. 5.14 Friends have you tasted of the Love of Christ and can you desire any thing that you do not enjoy Christ in What a poor heap of nothing is all in the World without Christ A Saint will tell you if you ask him that he never lived a good day while he lived without Christ why the Love of Christ is shed abroad in his heart for the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all than were all dead Saith the Apostle The love of Christ constrains me why if one died for all then were all dead in sin what shall we do then that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again When a Soul by Faith sees a dying Christ methinks he should say The love of Christ constrains me He lived Love and taught Love he died in Love and sits at Gods Right Hand in the infiniteness of his Love to intercede for his redeemed ones Saith the Apostle The love of Christ constrains me If we ask some Why do you so long after the enjoyments of Christ O says the Soul the Love of Christ The Love of a bleeding dying Christ constrains me How lovely are his embraces He hath called me loved me washed me a dead sinner a wretched sinner O the love of Christ constrains me I am in a strait I would not ask for Life if I might not enjoy Christ Not Christ only as he was King of the Jews as he conversed here on Earth but a crucified bleeding Christ Paul goes through the World as a Man minding nothing I don't know any man after the Flesh nor I do not regard what man saith No nor I do not know Christ as he came of the Stock of the Jews but I know Christ as my Redeemer and that he died for me He goes through the World as a man that hath lost a rich Pearl he goes looking for that Pearl so that he minds nothing else But if I could find this Pearl It is the love of
above all your Sin where Sin hath abounded Grace doth much more abound where Sin hath abounded there is a superabounding Grace superabounding Righteousness and superabounding Life Adam received the Promise of the Woman's Seed before he had done any Work or Sacrifice to the end that God's Truth might stand fast namely that we are justified before God altogether without Works and do obtain Forgiveness of Sins meerly by Grace who so were able to believe this well and stedfastly the same were a Doctor above all the Doctors in the World said Luther Again All Hereticks have failed in this point that they do not rightily understand nor know the Article of Justification how we are justified before God for if that were lost then manifold errors of necessity would ensue O then how rich is Christ How rich in Merit to pay God all that is due to him from the Sinner O saith one I am a great Sinner saith another I have great Imperfections in my Duties I am so carnal so dead so wandering so indifferent I am afraid to come to God I am so sinful Why poor Soul here is a Christ for you to live upon here is Righteousnes for Sin Life for Death Pardon for Condemnation Then go to Christ lay hold of him by Faith as given of God to you and then you will say with Paul For me to live is Christ Secondly As Christ is rich enough to repair all your Losses So you are inricht with all the Treasure of Christ 1 Cor. 3. ult For all is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods As if he should say have you a Christ with God Is your Christ God's Son and is he Heir of all things Then all is yours Paul and Apollos and Cephas are all yours all the Ministers of Christ are sent for the good of the Redeemed ones all that are Christs Then the Saint may say Is all mine Is Life mine Yes Life is yours for while you live you shall live a sanctified Life Well but is Death mine many are afraid to die Yes Death is yours Death is made your Friend Death is conquered in Christ and when Death comes you need not be afraid to entertain your Lord's Messenger that he sends to fetch you home to his Glory Death is sent to fetch you out of your Houses of Clay to meet your Redeemer and sit on the Throne with him and to enjoy your Lord in Glory Saith the Believer But how comes all this to be mine Why your are Christ's and Christ is Gods All things are yours the Crowns above the Thrones above the Saints above the Angels above Fulness of Joy above Rivers of Pleasure above and how comes all this to be yours in Christ Because Christ is Gods and God hath possessed him with all things and made him Heir of all things therefore he enriches his Members with all things Then well may a Saint desire neither Life nor any thing in Life any futher than he enjoys Christ Thirdly As Christ repairs all your Losses and as you are enriched with the Treasures of Christ so he enriches your Souls also As you have Riches above and Riches below so he enriches you within When a Soul knows Christ what a glorious Knowledge of the things above comes into the Soul He enriches your poor dark beggerly Understandings for while a Man is ignorant of Christ what poor low things does he study and seek after but when a Soul comes to have Christ revealed to him then the Soul comes to aspire and inquire after God and Christ and the things above he enlightens the Understanding that before did lead on the Affections to grasp after a little vain Pleasures and Honors and Profits in this World and now causes the Soul to pursue after higher things then he enriches the Will I will make them a willing people in the day of my Power Psal 110.3 It is a glorious thing to have the Will subdued the Will renewed to have a perverse stubborn Will now to serve in the Beauties of Holiness Secondly he enriches the Affections with Joy and Peace and Delight O what a Glory is it to have the Affections raised up the Heart set on things above on Jesus Christ the Soul is seeking after Glory the Heart is seeking after Heavenly things When Jesus Christ comes he enriches all the Affections of the Soul The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Christ is so rich a Pearl such Riches in him that he sets open Doors to all that come whoever come shall find welcome there is enough in him for the Sinner to live upon while he lives here and to all Eternity Thirdly Christ is an Heart-chearing Pearl O saith the Soul could I but have Christ for mine enjoy Christ how would my Heart rejoyce Now when Christ shines with a glimps of his Righteousness into the Soul O saith the Soul that I could enjoy more of this Christ more of his Grace of his Love Saith the Spouse He brought me into the Banqueting-House and his Banner over me was Love Cant. 2.4 Banners of Love O what a chearful Feast I have now I think all the Afflictions and Temptations I have in the World can never cast me down the Heart is cheared What is Christ mine What is God mine Is Grace mine and Righteousness mine and Glory mine This is an Heart-chearing Pearl O it is such a Pearl drink it in all your Potions and bring Christ in every Duty Then a Soul may take comfort and reason thus with himself though I am dead in Duty Christ lives though I am sinful Christ is righteous though my Corruptions abound Christ's Grace doth much more abound Take Christ in every Portion and in all Duties let Christ be there still I have set the Lord always before me saith David so should you set Christ always before you and when Satan or Conscience accuses set Christ before you as your perfect Righteousness Saith the Plalmist Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Verse 9. Therefore my Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth my Flesh also shall rest in hope Verse 10. For thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption If Christ shall be raised up to Glory then I will live in hope of being raised up to Glory with him The Psalmist speaks Prophetically of Christ Neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption Now saith the Believer if Christ conquers Death and Hell and did not see Corruption I may well rejoyce for I set the Lord always before me and whatever he enjoys I shall have a glorious share in Fourthly He is an Everlasting Pearl Many have rich Pearls live on them and spend them but live on Christ as long as you will you will never waste Christ's Stock All the Sinners that ever came to the Gate of Mercy and have been supplied with Mercy ever
since the Draw-bridge of Mercy hath been let down never diminished or lessened Christ's Mercy No he is an Everlasting Pearl for he that believes in Christ shall have Everlasting Life God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to die that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting Life John 3.16 There you see is a Pearl that will last you for ever when Friends fail you and the World fails you he will not fail you For he that believes shall never perish but have everlasting Life Fifthly He is a most glorious Pearl If ever you would live a glorious Life live on Christ who is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory We see his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth He is a glorious Pearl therefore see to it in all you enjoy let Christ be the prime principal thing to be the all in all and more than all in every thing you enjoy The 8th reason A Believer desires not Life nor nothing in Life no further than he enjoys Christ for he knows that Christ is better than Life Psal 63. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy power and thy Glory as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy Name Thou shalt be the Object of my Worship thee alone will I trust in thee alone will I rest on because thy loving-kindness is better than life thy Grace and Mercy and Love in Christ is better than Life God is very gracious to give us our Lives he did not owe us one moment of time When we came into the World he might immediately have sent us to our Graves First God's love in giving of Christ is better than Life How gracious is God to preserve us hitherto But what an Act of Grace to give Christ when poor Sinners lay weltering in their Blood for the love of God to pity them and look on them and bestow Christ upon them Secondly Christ is better than Life because of the Wonder of God's Love the Love of God in giving Christ is more wonderful and admirable than Life it self This is a wonder of Mercy but the wonder of God's love in giving Christ that is a greater wonder O the Heighth O the Depth O the Length and Breadth of the Love of God in giving Jesus Christ O the riches of his Grace His love is past finding out In giving Jesus Christ there is height of Love depth of Love length of Love bredth of Love it is higher than Heaven Though our sins have reached to Heaven yet Christ's Love is higher than our sins it is deeper than Hell Hell shall never prevail all the Plots of Hell shall never prevail against a Believer Then as to the breadth of it Spread our Thoughts as far as we can we can never reach the Love of Christ to poor Sinners it passeth knowledg Then as to the length of it It is longer than Time for it is everlasting Thirdly It is better than Life if we consider the Bounties of it How bountiful is God to give us means and mercies in our life But Jesus Christ is better than all better than Silver or Gold or all things that can be desired who with him can compare Fourthly He is better than Life in regard of the Delights of Life though we may enjoy all Comforts and Mercies of this Life if we have not Peace with God what good will they do us A wounded Spirit who can bear Who can stand against a sin-revenging God Then is not Christ better than Life Next Christ is better than Life if we consider that the Believer will never be separated from Christ But as for our Life though we live a while e're long we must lay down our Lives we must all e're long away to the House appointed for all living But now as for Jesus Christ where there is Union with him and the Soul lives to him and upon him there is neither Life nor Death things present nor things to come shall separate a Believer from Christ Rom. 8.39 Neither height nor depth nor any thing shall be able to separate him from Christ Ninthly A Believer is well acquainted what it is to be without Christ and know what it is to have Christ For me to live is Christ as if he should say I knew what it was once to live without him to trust to my own Works to live on any thing without him I knew once what it was to be without Faith and without God and without true Hope and without true Joy and without true Consolation now I know what a wonderful Change there is in me and what a wonderful difference there is between my living in Christ and my living without Christ before if I had any hope it was false if I had any Comfort it was perishing But now my hopes are built on another Foundation and all my Comforts spring from another Fountain Oh I would not live one day without Christ I would not have one Mercy or Duty without him While I lived without Christ it was all lost time I lived on Vanity and Folly now I have many a weeping Eye and sighing Heart for those things I once took delight in O my Vanities my lost days O that I knew Christ no sooner O that I got not acquaintance with him before First The Believer will tell you all the days of his Life before he knew Christ were spent in Folly and Vanity O the time that is run out in Vanity O let me not live in any Comfort or Enjoyment where I do not enjoy Christ O saith the Soul the difference that is between the Joy I have in Christ and the foolish mad Pleasures I enjoyed when I lived out of Christ Now Lord let me not live but to glorifie thee Lord I would be with thee and glorifie thee in all let Christ be all in all to me What weeping Eyes and wounded Hearts will Sinners have that live without Christ when once they come to know Christ that they lived so long without him O how ready are poor Sinners to think we do them much Wrong in wooing them to come to Christ and accept of him But poor Sinner when thou comest to know Christ thou wilt then with a weeping Eye and Heart cry out O let me not live but to Christ A Believer will say It is high time for me to awake and to be serious and earnest in seeking Jesus Christ Many are turned from vain Sinners to foolish Professors but take a true honest-hearted Believer and ask him what would you have O that I may enjoy Christ saith he What would you have in every Duty What would you have
in Ordinances O let me have Christ or else they will be poor empty Wells without Water Clouds without Rain to my Soul Secondly He will tell you it was not only vain and foolish but altogether unprofitable Saith the Apostle What I counted gain I found loss What will it profit a man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Mat. 16.26 Saith the Apostle What I counted gain I found loss Alas What Profit shall I have of my Education and Learning I thought once I was as happy as another and a little Duty would make me happy for ever but I see without Christ I am undone for ever I thought if I gave God something of his due if I did some Duties and was something beyond the vain World I should be happy but I see nothing will do or can profit me without Christ for without I live in Christ I cannot enjoy Christ I cannot enjoy Grace in Christ Righteousness in Christ Faith in Christ Thirdly I see all my Duties are poor worthless things out of Christ I thought to have prayed my way to Heaven but I see all my Duties are Dross and Dung let me not meet one of them without Christ I had lost my Prayers and my Soul had not I been shipt in Christ had I not had Christ to be my all and in all I see all would have been unprofitable if I had not had Christ Prayers Sabbaths Hearing What is all my Hearing if I have not Christ So also the Supper of the Lord and other Duties what would they be to me without Christ they would be as whited Sepulchers which within are full of dead Mens Bones and all Vncleanness Mat. 23.27 O how miserable was I before I knew Christ and lived to Christ Nay saith a Believer I cannot tell you how wretched I was but I can tell you three things First I had been unprofitable I had never brought forth fruit to God Secondly Uncomfortable in Life and Death and unto all Eternity Thirdly I had been wretched and miserable O then Come to me I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul Psal 66.16 Tenthly A Believer desires neither Means nor Mercies nor Comforts but what he may enjoy Christ in because a Believer hath experienced how sweet the Life of a Believer is O taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 9. O taste and see how precious Christ is how rich in Mercy how wonderful in Love O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him I will tell you what Christ hath done for me I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me I have experienced it O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him that liveth upon him So in 1 Pet. 2.2 3 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious O saith the Soul I desire I may live upon Christ upon the Promises of Christ upon the Love of Christ What if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious Then let Christ be one at my Table one in my Prayers one in every Ordinance one where ever I am What have I tasted That the Lord is gracious that is the best Sawce to my Meat the best Comfort to my Soul O I have tasted What have you tasted That the Lord is gracious I experience I know what he is he is the chief of ten thousand I cannot live without him I cannot enjoy any Mercy or any Comfort without him Saith the Soul What is this Friend This is not Christ and what is this Ordinance This is not Christ What can I take Comfort in if I have not Christ The Saints can experience how precious Christ is to them that believe he is precious Mary came to the Sepulchre there was the place where her Lord lay there were the Grave-Cloths the Sepulcher but her Lord was gone where have you laid my Lord There Mary stands weeping I cannot live withou Christ So a Soul comes to an Ordinance Here is the Tomb Here is the Grave Cloths but where have they laid my Lord What comfort is this or that What is a Sabbath What is a Sermon What is a Sacrament What are Means and Mercies without Christ Where have you laid my Lord Why do you know him Yes saith the Soul he is the Chief of ten thousand I heard him speak to me my Sister my Spouse and I have felt the sounding of my Bowels toward him he hath moved my Heart and I cannot be satisfied without him I am sick unto Death if I do not enjoy Christ Thus the Soul experiences what Christ is he is the Chief of ten thousand Why he hath done more than ten thousand Worlds could have done What is he I have tasted that he is gracious I have experienced the Bowels of his Mercies the Wonders of his Grace therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 116. I belived therefore have I spoken Vers 5. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful 6. The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me Saith the poor Soul I was as low as the Gates of Hell I was as one without hope till Christ raised me up Christ was my helper God laid help on one that was mighty what then Now will I live upon this God Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine Eyes from Tears and my Feet from falling Thou hast delivered my Soul from Eternal Death mine Eyes from Tears of Sorrow which I had while they said Where is my God My Feet from falling into Sin I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living I will live upon the Lord to the Lord in the Land of the Living I believed therefore have I spoken what I set forth of the Wonders of the Lord that have I experienced And saith the Apostle 1 John 1.3 These things write we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ and we would have you live as we do live on Christ as we do O saith the Believer that all persons did but know Christ and live upon Christ We write unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us for truly our ends and aims are that you may live as noble lives as we do and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ It is God in Christ that we live upon and have Communion with O the Soul that experiences what it is to live on Christ desires in all things to enjoy Christ The Spouse would not step a foot without him Come my Beloved let us go forth into
upon him for all So much for the Doctrinal Part and Reasons of the Proposition why a Believer desires to live upon Christ and to Christ in all The Application follows The first Inference from the Point is this If it is so that the desires of a Believer run out in all after Christ to enjoy him more than all If Christ is a Believers Life then a Believer must needs live a very fruitful Life A Believer's Life is no barren nor unfruitful Life he cannot be a barren Tree there are no unfruitful Branches in Christ that fruitful Vine He that chooses Christ with his whole desire to make Christ his all he must needs be a fruitful Liver increasing in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ Indeed a Believer may have some dark Days that look gloomy he may have some Summer Droughts may make him look withered notwithstanding he is sound at Root he hath rooting in Christ for me to to live is Christ saith the Apostle while I live I will have my Life bound up in him and expect all from him A Soul that does thus cannot have an unfruitful Life there may be some Summer Droughts But is Christ your Life and do you expect him to be your All and wrap up your selves in Christ it is impossible for you to be barren for I tell you you that look up expecting to have your Life of Grace and Comfort from Christ he will not let your Expectation fail I do not speak what you are sometimes in your sense and feeling but what you are by Faith in Christ As that good Mr. Peacock he had a Summers Drought Saith he I feel an Hell in my Conscience crying out of the woful burden of his Sins saying how woful and miserable is my state that thus must converse with Hell-Hounds the Standers by asked him to pray I cannot said he suffer us to pray for you he replyed Take not Gods Name in vain for a Reprobate as I am Yet after these grievous Pangs this blessed Saint found much comfort as did appear by his Expressions I have been far led and deeply troubled with Temptation and Sting of Conscience I thank God they are ceased in good measure I desire I may not be branded for a Cast-away or Reprobate He declared that he renounced his inconsiderate Speech in his Trouble and Temptation humbly and heartily asking Mercy of God for them and after receiving a little more Light that through Mercy did arise in his Heart he brake forth in such Speeches as these I do feel God be praised such comfort that if I had an hundred Worlds I could not make satisfaction for such an Issue the Sea is not fuller of Water nor the Sun of Light than God is of Mercy his Mercies are ten thousand times more What cause have I to magnifie the great Goodness of God that hath humbled nay rather exalted such a wretched Miscreant one of so base a condition to a state so glorious and stately the Lord hath honoured me with his Goodness I am sure he hath prepared a glorious Kingdom for me the Joy I feel in my Heart is incredible Mr. Glover in his trouble and casting down thus complains What he felt inwardly in his Spirit no Speech was able to express he lay langushing in trouble for the space of five years he took no comfort in Meat nor Drink nor any pleasure in his Life being under the sense of some Back-sliding was perplexed as if he had been in the deepest pit of Hell he did not eat his Food from any Appetite but for this end to defer his Damnation thinking with himself that he must needs be thrown into Hell so soon as his Breath was out of his Body yet after this Summer Drought this Servant of the Lord had sweet showers of Mercy from Christ his Life after his many years Buffetings and strong Temptations he received great Comfort and afterward lived altogether an Heavenly Life No Art of Man no Arm of Flesh no Earthly Comfort no Earthly Power can possibly heal or help in this condition neither Men nor Angels Friends nor Phisick Gold nor Silver Pleasures nor Profits Preferments or Favours Mr. B's Cases of Conscience infinite skill must take this in hand or else never any Cure and Recovery can be had A poor Believer may be brought so low through Temptation and Desertions that they that behold them may think they are cast off by God but the Believers Life is hid in Christ and doth yet hope for a time of Refreshing as one that stands by the Trees and Plants perceiving them to look withered tells the Gardiner that he had as good cut them down as let them incumber the Ground for he believes they are dead but saith the Gardiner you are mistaken the Root is alive in the ground I hope for a good shower from Heaven to revive them a Believer by Faith beholds his Life in Christ expecting for the dropping of his Spirit to revive his drooping Spirit Saith the Saint you think because I am under temptation and burdened with Sin my hope is gone no in Christ my Root is green and I wait to have his Grace and Comforts poured out and I shall be raised up again Saith David I look to the everlasting Hills from whence my help comes Psal 123.1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine Eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Behold as the Eyes of the Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the Eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God how long until that he have mercy upon us Psal 121.1 I look saith David to the Hills that is to Sion Hill where God meets his People through Faith in God by Christ David did not look to the Tabernacle barely but to God in Christ figuratively Psal 18.24 Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth and do you behold that God that made the Heavens that made all things Do you see the Clouds Do you see the glorious Sun To that God will I look till he break the Clouds and send down Streams that glad the City of God I lift up my Eyes to God in Christ I lift up my Eyes to the everlasting Hills to the Eternal Love of God in Christ and Everlasting Righteousness of God in Christ till he look down on me and look into my Soul therefore though you see me look like a barren Tree in Summer Drought it does but make me long the more for a shower for watering that is it I look up for O Saint What do you expect to see O saith he though Satan tempt me and Conscience may trouble me and my Soul be cast down that I am a sinner a condemned sinner but I will look up till God reveals Christ's Righteousness to be my Righteousness Rom. 1.17 For therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith as it is written
The Just shall live by Faith A Believer must needs live a thriving Life that lives on Christ The truth of which among the rest that might be brought to prove this I shall only lay down three things to demonstrate That every true Believers Soul is in a thriving and prosperous state that can neither fall from the State of Grace nor lose any one Grace First Christ is the Fountain of Life whom they are united to Secondly Rain from Heaven to water them in time of Drought Thirdly The Sun of Righteousness to revive them in Winter Seasons First Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life the vital Fountain from whence a Believer hath a continual supply of Grace to maintain his Spiritual Life John 14.19 Because I live you shall live also We may ask them that talk of falling from Grace what the Child told the Mother I have heard of a godly Woman being left a Widow in great Distress the Children crying for Bread and she having none to give them saith the Mother Children be comforted for God lives the Child sometime after saw the Mother cry Mother saith the Child is God dead We may put this Question to the Arminian when he pleads for falling from Grace Is Christ dead that a Believer can fall from Grace Who hath said Because I live you shall live also while Christ hath it a Believer shall never want Phil. 4.19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus A Believer shall not want Grace to maintain his Spiritual Warfare if he live fighting he shall dye conquering John 1.16 Of his fulness have we all received Grace for Grace The Believer hath all in a way of receiving Adam had his Stock in his own Hands he lost it but a Believers Stock is in the Hands of Christ and shall never be lost He is the Author and Finisher of their Faith Hebrews 12.2 As the first Adam that we by Nature are all in is the Original of our Death and Misery Mr. Gale 's Summary of Mr. Strong 's Book on the Two Covenants so is the Lord Jesus Christ the second Adam in Believers and they in him who is the original cause of their Restauration and Life who gives daily supplies to them out of his infinite Fulness What good is there in Man but what is first in Christ as the original Head of the Covenant and publick Receiver Wouldst thou see Gods Love and Grace streaming towards thy Soul must thou not see it first lodged in Christ as the Fountain of all Dost thou desire to see all thy sins wiped off Must thou not first see them wiped off from Christ thy Representative Wouldst thou by a Prevision of Faith see thy self in a glorified State O then by Faith look on Christ the Head of the Covenant glorified for thee Alas If thou look on thy self in thy self growing out of thine own natural Root what art thou but as a Branch cut off from the Olive Root But how comfortable and sweet it is to see thy self crucified acquitted and glorified in Christ the Head of the Covenant The Soul that lives on Christ shall neither lose nor lack Grace but shall have daily supplies from Christ who is an Everflowing Fountain of Grace and Comfort So long as there runs Oyl from the Olive Branches there shall never want Light in the Lamps This Oyl from the Olive Branches that runs through the golden Pipes is the Emblem of Supernatural Grace filled from the true Olive Tree Mr. Pool 's Annotations ever emptying themselves and are ever full so are Gospel Ordinances filled by Christ always filling his Members true Christians and ever full for all Believers It pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell and that the Lord Jesus Christ is both active and willing to communicate it to Believers according as their want requires He also may be pointed at in his two Offices by the two golden Pipes conveighing the Oyl from the Trees to the Candlesticks Mr. Hutcheson 's Exposition on Zechariah it being through his Merit as Priest and his Efficacy as King that the Fulness in him becomes ours it is the enjoyment of Christ in Ordinances that doth refresh the Believers Soul with the Joys of Gods Salvation and causes him to flourish like a Palm-Tree in the Courts of their God Psal 92.13 If the death of Christ hath brought unto us Righteousness and Life what shall his Life do If our Saviour dying paid the Price what shall he do now being alive and interceding for us For Christ liveth and dwelleth in the Heart If the Remembrance of his most holy Merit live and flourish in it draw me Lord Jesus that I may be possessed in the Truth of the thing the which here I expect by the firmness of Hope Let thy Servant I pray thee be with thee and behold thy Glory John 17.23 And let him inhabit the Mansions which thou hast prepared in thy Fathers House Gerard's Meditations John 14.2 Blessed are they that dwell in thy House O Lord they shall praise thee for ever and ever Psal 84.4 The Lord Jesus Christ in his Discourse with Martha about Lazarus declares himself to be the Fountain of Life Grace and Glory John 11.21 saith Martha to Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Here is 1. Her sensibleness of their own Weakness and Frailty 2. Of Christs Power If thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Jesus saith unto her Thy Brother shall rise again Christ speaks in general to bring her Faith to her particular Case Martha said I know it he shall rise again in the Resurrection It is an easier matter to believe future things many times than present because future things are put off by supposition Many say they believe the Resurrection of the Body but if they did really believe that their Bodies should be raised up and stand before God's Tribunal would they live quietly in a Christless state or mistrust God in present streights If we did but stand on the Graves Mouth and consider Shall all this Dust be raised up Shall every person be raised up in order Cannot this God deliver out of all streights Said Martha Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died but that was more than Martha knew she depended too much upon his bodily Presence It may be that she thought Christ would have prayed for her Brother and so he would not have died but Christ comes to take her off of some depending on sensible things and to live by Faith Jesus saith unto her Thy Brother shall rise again Saith she I know at the Resurrection he shall rise Jesus saith unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he live Martha had a general Faith of the Resurrection but how to believe at the present that her Brother should be raised up
Father that in him should all fulness dwell as he is the vital Fountain from whence their Life is derived so is he manifesting his Grace to them and so is said to come down as Rain on them in Psal 72. This Psalm was penned when David was on his Death Bed and he orders Solomon to be Crowned he speaks of Solomon Give the King thy Judgment O Lord and thy Righteousness unto the Kings Son And then he speaks Prophetically of Christ and of his Kingdom He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgment the mountains shall bring peace to the people and the little hills by righteousness He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressor They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and Moon endure throughout all generations Now that cannot be spoke of Solomon that must be of Christ Then Verse 6. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass and as showers that water the earth in his days shall righteousness flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth Speaking of the Prosperity and Glory of Christ's Kingdom under the Gospel He shall come down as rain While there is Rain from Heaven there will be Fruits on the Earth while Christ is Rain to a Believer he shall never die though there may be some Limitations and some restraints in his exercise of Grace yet he shall not die First Christ came down in his Incarnation when he came to take our Nature upon him he descended from the Bosom of his Father Mr. Robinson's Christ all in all descended from the Crown to the Cradle from the Glory of his Father to the Manger from Angels and Glorified Saints to converse with poor Man Secondly he came to live here an humble and debased Life he came here to bare our Infirmities and to take our Sicknesses Thirdly He came down very low when the blessed Lord of Glory came to the Cross when he that was the Fountain of all Life must die the cursed Death of the Cross Fourthly He comes down in descending into the Hearts of his People by his Holy Spirit in the Revelation of his Divine Grace he comes down when he reveals from Heaven his blessed Grace and Consolation to his People The River of Life that is above drops down many sweet drops into the Soul When a Believer is gasping and thinking I will hear this Sermon and die will God ever speak peace or comfort As the Woman she would bake her Cake eat it and die but when that was gone she had a supply The Believer is ready under Doubts and Fears to say Hath God forgot to be gracious but he hath a supply from that River that comes from the Throne of God Rev. 21.1 And he shewed me a pure River of water of Life clear as Crystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. He shewed me a pure River there is in Christ no Impurity he is the Lamb of God without spot what he gives to his People are pure Mercies choice Mercies pure Blessings when we drink of other Streams they are mixed with Mud all your Comforts below Mr. Durham on the Revelations yea all Ordinances and Duties are mixed with Corruption but Christ is the pure River it is a River no small Brook but a River running and always running flowing and always flowing giving and always giving It is not only a River flowing but Waters of Life to the Soul that lives on Christ Those that drink of this Water of Life shall never die He that desires to drink of these Waters of Life that thirsts for them cannot but live they are as clear as Crystal That is an Emblem of the Saints Life a Life of Grace and Life of Glory Here we have these Waters in Ordinances through Pipes here we see them through a Glass but there you will see them Face to Face there the Saints shall solace themselves as Celestial Fishes in that pure River In Ordinances we have some sweet drops and streams Psal 46. the Church being under trouble speaks of her help in God Though the Earth be removed that is though there is a change of times and revolution of things though the Mountains be carried into the Sea we will not fear So though we have many Temptations many Troubles though we have many Discouragements we will not fear though the Waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof There is a River the Streams whereof make glad the City of God This shews forth in the letter the Tabernacle where the Presence of God was and his Glory appeared Though we have swelling Waves great Temptations great Troubles yet we have a Stream that makes glad the City of God for God is in the midst of her He was in the midst of Jerusalem that was called the City of the great King Psal 48.1 2. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the Mountain of his Holiness Beautiful for situation the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion on the sides of the North the City of the great King So that the City of Jerusalem where the King of Glory had his Dwelling-place where he met his People between the Cherubims and the Mercy-seat God did dwell in the Tabernacle in Jerusalem but Christ is the glorious Temple wherein the Godhead dwells being in the midst of his Church by a Divine Union is their Life in the midst of their Troubles Here are sweet Streams that flow from him There is a River and this River is in the midst of her Christ is in the midst of his Church watering of his Church giving new Streams to it daily that makes Glad the Heart of his People How does Rain rejoyce the Heart of the Husbandman in a dry time when it comes unexpected So a Believer receives the Streams of Comfort unexpected under the Ordinances An Experimental Believer longs to be under the Enjoyments of all Ordinances and would be hindred from none though the Heart may be back ward to Duty A poor Believer will cry to the Lord in secret Lord let not this wicked Heart hinder me it may be I may have a Stream from Christ that may refresh my thirsty Soul and make it glad for Christ is in the midst of his People and my Soul desires to enjoy him my Soul desires to live upon him There is a River makes glad the City of God the Church of God And why may not my Soul receive Comfort Thus Jesus Christ comes as Rain from Heaven to make Glad the City of God Though there are swelling Waves of Temptation and Trouble there are Streams that make glad this City The Wrath of God is made known from Heaven to Unbelievers and his Love is made known from Heaven to Believers though indeed the Believer may not always have
the Comfort of it But the Believer that lives on Christ whose Desires and Thirstings and Ends and Aims are that in all he may enjoy Christ I say when they are under Fears and Doubts they seem to be in a withering state but when Christ as the Rain descends down the Believer is revived and refreshed As Gideon's Fleece was wet when the Ground was dry so hath a Believer Heavenly Enjoyment and Communion with Christ when all the World is barren When the Believer is under fear and saith I fear I am a withered Plant that I am not watered Saith the Lord He shall come down as rain If we ask many where is your Comfort They will tell you here and there But say to a Believer Where is your expectation My Hope is laid up in Christ my expectation is from him To such saith God he shall come down as rain that is with his Spirit revealing his Love and Grace to the Soul as Rain comes from the Clouds So through the Clouds of Darkness doth Christ reveal his Grace to poor dark doubting Saints When the Lord Jesus poureth out his Holy Spirit into poor doubting Souls to comfort and refresh the weary and heavy laden Soul to give a Testimony of the Love of God to your Souls the efficacy of God's Holy Spirit revives the Saints and begets Life in dead Sinners Christ comes down to them and causes them to live that never lived before Indeed I confess there Christ is wonderfully beyond all showers of Rain for if we plant and sow Rain brings it up but Christ brings up Seed brings forth Fruit where it was never before So saith the Prophet Isa 32. from the 12th to the 16th They shall lament for the Teats for the pleasant Fields for the fruitful Vine Vpon the Land of my people shall come up Thorns and Briers yea upon all the Houses of Joy in the joyous City because the Palaces shall be forsaken the multitude of the City shall be left the Forts and Towers shall be for Dens for ever a joy of wild Asses a pasture of Flocks Vntil the Spirit be poured upon us from on high and the Wilderness be a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a Forest This indeed was literally spoken of the Captivity of the Jews saith he All their pleasant places shall be filled with desolation and their Palaces shall be forsaken How long until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high But how should this be Why it might be supposed that the Spirit of the Lord came on Cyrus and those that gave the Jews Liberty to go and build the City of God But shall we think that this is the whole No every sinner that lives upon the face of the Earth is a barren desolate wretched Creature till the Spirit of God is poured upon him How long shall these sinners continue so Until the Spirit of the Lord be poured from on high And what then Why then this Wilderness shall become a fruitful Field the Wilderness becomes a Garden or Field The old ignorant poor carnal sinner becomes now a gracious Saint Doth he stand at a stay No And the fruitful Field be counted for a Forest When the Spirit of the Lord comes down then the Wilderness becomes a fruitful Field and the fruitful Field is counted for a Forest Many Professors there are that hear Christ preached hear what it is to live upon Christ but they not knowing Christ not having the Spirit of God poured out upon them are the same as ever they were Now how long will it be that you will hear of Christ and not live on Christ I can tell you until the Spirit of the Lord be poured upon you from on high until the Spirit be revealed from on high it signifies a plentiful communication of the Spirit it hath a respect to the times of the Gospel for altho God gave his Spirit in some measure before yet he poured it not out before he was first anoynted with his Fulness a larger measure of God's Spirit is now given then was before Then we shall return and say Lord the Wilderness is become a fruitful Field and the fruitful Field is counted for a Forest but the mean time you sit unconcerned while you send us home mourning you sit on your Seats unconcerned and go home so but your poor Minister goes with sorrow to the Lord. How long Lord shall I preach before one Soul be converted by my Ministry How long shall I teach before one Sinner is converted Dr. Owen on the Spirit The Lord answers Until my Spirit be poured out upon them from on high Many Sermons may be poured out and Hearts and Lives of Ministers poured out before your Souls are converted except the Spirit of God be poured upon you How much do they err that tell you If you will you may believe and that there is no such thing as an irresistable Power put forth But let them that know Christ speak whether the Arminians speak Truth or no. You know you were barren before the Spirit of God came you that are rush'd into a Profession of Religion that are barren and dead and carnal and live so still I profess you are in a miserable condition you never did know Christ if you did you would lead other kind of Lives but those that have received Christ that live upon Christ and thirst for Christ Christ comes down and revives them with new showers from Heaven Isa 44.3 4 5. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upom thine Offspring And they shall spring up as among the grass as Willows by the Water-courses One shall say I am the Lord's and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel These Words call for your attention the beginning is Jacob was afraid he was forsaken of God Israel of old was under Discouragements and the Evangelical Prophet reacheth to all the Israelites of God Verse 1. Yet now hear O Jacob my Servant and Israel whom I have chosen Thus saith the Lord that made thee and formed thee from the Womb which will help thee fear not O Jacob my Servant and thou Jesurun whom I have chosen We see here plainly that which many of our Age do deny God's choosing of one more than another God laies the Foundation of Israel's Comfort in his peculiar choice of them Israel whom I have chosen If God hath not chosen Israel what is all Blessings or Mercies But Lord if I am chosen yer I am under Trouble Straits and Fears Saith God I will pour Water upon him that is thirsty and Flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thy Offspring That is all that are in Christ If you are Christ's then you are
Abraham's Seed and what then they shall spring up as among the Grass as Willows by the Water-courses by the Water-side they shall grow I shall see my people grow And what then One shall say who shall say why the poor doubting Soul that hath long cried out O that I could but know Christ were mine O that I could but make mention of him as my Lord and my Redeemer My Soul even faints with expectation for his loving-kindness to be revealed What shall these flourish and grow and thrive Yes they shall One shall say I am the Lord 's and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. When the Spirit of the Lord is poured out then the Soul comes to have the Revelation of the Love of God to it Before he was drooping hanging down his Head fearing himself a withered Soul But now saith the Soul When I read the Love of God I can subscribe my self the Lords and I can call my self by the name of the God of Jacob. I will set Heart and Hand to it as that good holy Man of God Mr. Peacock said Let it be preach'd at my Funeral that I am no Cast-away How comes this about A poor Soul longing for Christ waiting for him desiring nothing more than to live on Christ and with Christ yet under much doubt and fear Why the Believer wanted these Heavenly Showers to be poured out the Testimony of the Spirit But when the Spirit is poured out saith the Soul I can call my self by the name of Jacob and subscribe with my hand I am the Lords Say to a Believer What dost thou desire Soul Nothing more than to live to Christ nothing more than to enjoy Christ nothing below him will content me Where will you wait there Where the Lord comes And how long Till the Spirit of the Lord is poured out and then I shall call my self by the name of the Lord and not be ashamed This hath relation to the righteous and gracious Act of God in delivering a righteous and oppressed Nation from cruel Tyrants and Oppressors This Work shall be so great and illustrious as if God had rain'd down showers of Righteousness out of Heaven But this is not all the meaning the Mystery of the Sinners glorious Redemption through Christ is here included and also God's gracious Acts of Righteousness Isa 45.8 Drop down ye Heavens from above let the Skies pour down righteousness let the Earth open and let them bring forth Salvation and let Righteousness spring up together I the Lord have created it Here is the Lord's Command and the Church's Prayer drop down ye Heavens Let the Skies pour down righteousness the Lord commands it the Church and Prophet prays for it When a poor Believer is praying sighing looking up to Heaven O that I might have a glimpse this day of the Love of God! O that I did but know that I were redeemed by thy Blood Saith the Lord Drop down ye Heavens For until the Spirit of the Lord come there will be cold hearing and praying until the Lord reveal himself to the poor sinner A poor doubting Soul in his own imaginations is undone God's delivering his people from Temporal Miseries was but a Drop in comparison of his giving Christ for poor sinners to satisfie Divine Justice then he poured down Righteousness Saith the Lord You shall not want a Righteousness I will send down a Righteousness to that Soul Drop down ye Heavens and let the Skies pour down righteousness As the Sky when it is clear gives Light so does the Lord by his Spirit reveal to the Soul his interest in Jesus Christ and his love to his Soul That is a poor Life indeed or Profession that you live on your self and your own performances and not on Christ You see when Christ comes down he comes with the Power of his Spirit on the Hearts of sinners in their Conversion and on Saints in their Desertion and then you shall go away rejoycing O with what chearful Hearts have we had many gone from an Ordinance They have been complaining in the Morning and have been rejoycing in the Afternoon And how comes this Did it lie in the power of a Man Could an earthen Vessel give this No the Heavens dropt down and then what praising and blessing God is there in the Soul when the Spirit of God in the Word is poured out on a poor Believer that was in Fears and Doubts While the Hypocrite never questions nor fears his Condition The Believer fears nothing more than decaying tho he is established that he shall never fall from Christ yet he would not be barren As it is the desire of a Believer to be glorified with Christ so to glorifie Christ while on Earth Here a Believer hath many Fears and Doubts First he fears that God is not reconciled to him but the Spirit of the Lord comes to water the poor drooping Soul Christ manifests to the Soul that God is reconciled I am at peace with thee saith the Lord Isa 27.2 3 4 5. In that day sing unto her a Vineyard of red Wine Truly it is red Wine must make the sinners peace it is the red Blood of Christ a bleeding Redeemer must give Peace unto the doubting Believer Sing ye unto her a Vineyard of red Wine Redemption thro' the Blood of Christ is the sweetest Song that ever sinners can hear it is not a Vineyard to work in but a Vineyard to sing in a Vineyard of red Wine without this red Wine our red sins would undo our poor guilty Souls But Lord How shall I know that this red Wine this Blood of Christ is made mine How shall I know that I am reconciled by the Blood of Christ Saith God I will water it I will pour out my spirit to reveal it and manifest it And what then Lord Shall I know Fury is not in me who would set the Briers and Thorns against me in Battle I would go through them I would burn them together You shall know that I am a reconciled God unto you I am at peace with thee How shall I be at peace with thee Saith God in the fifth Verse Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall be at peace with me In that day sing ye unto her a Vineyard of red Wine Saith the Lord I will sing her a song every Sermon you hear of the Love of Christ is a Song to every doubting Believer When poor Souls come to have the Spirit of the Lord poured out upon them to reveal that God is reconciled unto them then the Soul goes on in the ways of God chearfully before the Believer was doubting and fearing and questioning But what dost desire O Soul I desire nothing more I crave nothing more than to enjoy Christ Then saith God I will sing you a Song under the Gospel the Lord does not come to
call you to Mount Sinai he doth not speak with Terror and Horror but he comes to sing a glorious Song of Redemption that is red Wine to poor undone sinners and to poor doubting Saints But I tell you we may sing and preach till we come to the Grave and not one Soul be converted and brought home to God except the Spirit of the Lord come and work with us For I durst speak it if I could but have acquaintance with you to know your Minds there is not any one of you that will draw near to God while you think God is an Eneâ—y unto you but if any thing draws 〈◊〉 to God it must be the Song of red Wine Redemption through the Blood of Christ And then as for the drooping Saint he is afraid to come before God while he is under his Fear and Trouble then what shall I do Lord Take hold of my strength that is on Christ and be at peace with me The Spirit of the Lord reveals to the Soul a reconciled God that God is at peace with them and hath pardoned all their sins But before the Soul cries What am I an unpardoned Soul I am afraid I shall meet my sins that they will stare me in the face another day O that I did but know that Christ was mine That my sins were forgiven me That I had but the Love of God in Christ I have been looking saith the Soul when God will come and say Thy sins are forgiven thee David Psal 32. was greatly troubled he said The Lord's Hand lay day and night heavy upon him And how is it now I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin I found great Comfort I had a sweet shower Christ came down as Rain upon my Soul God revealed his pardoning Grace I said I will confess my Transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my sin What was David's sin never forgiven before Yes all his Transgressions were done away and his Soul was pure in the sight of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ But David had doubts on his Soul Fear on his Soul he had a Summers Drought would I had a shower of Mercy I confess I am a poor wretched Creature I am a vile sinner I will now look to the Lord and he did not look in vain Are not Believers sins pardoned Yes they shall never be remembred more But the Believer doth not know this always and when he does not know it he begins to cry out Is thy Mercy clear gone But then he calls to mind this is my Infirmity Then he cries to the Lord and in comes pardoning Mercy Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee O what a refreshing shower is this It is this I have looked for longed for waited for Then next saith the Soul I desire nothing more than to enjoy Christ yet I am so unrighteous I question whether his Righteousness be mine Now comes the Lord by his Spirit and reveals to the Soul that it hath a righteousness to stand before the Lord in Now the Soul can say The Lord my Righteousness Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption he is made of God to me O now he is made the Lord my righteousness How shall I know this The Spirit of the Lord reveals this to the Saints in the Gospel of Jesus Christ Now I can go boldly to God and ask mercy boldly of God Psal â—26 4 Turn again our Captivity O Lord as the Streams in the South As the Streams in the South refresh the dry and barren ground so does the Righteousness of Christ revealed comfort my Soul How barren was I in Duty I was afraid to come to God I was afraid whether my Wandrings would not cause God to turn me out of his Presence but God hath prepared Christ to be my righteousness therefore in him I come without Spot Indeed when I am out of frame it is without Comfort to my self but I have always Righteousness before God I have always boldness to the Throne of Grace through Christ Many Prayers that have been made when I was out of Frame have been no small Trouble to my Soul but when it was revealed to me that Christ was my Righteousness that he was made sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 that is tho Christ was a Man without sin in himself yet our sin was imputed to him and he was by God reckoned as a sinner and then he kills him putting our Curse upon him so that to us that are free Christ was made so that God looks on us as if we had performed perfect Righteousness Dr. Preston on Rom. 1.17 and when that is done he saves us You that have lived and not made Christ your Righteousness you will want a Righteousness when you come to die But they that have made Christ their Righteousness though their sins be as heaps of Sand yet through the Righteousness of Christ you will stand as spotless before God as if you had never sinned Now how do you know this to be your Righteousness Why the Spirit of God reveals this to your Souls and you can as boldly call him the Lord your Righteousness as you can call your House and Land or any thing you enjoy your own If you go to God in Christ whatever is needful for you you shall as surely have it as if you had it already Then next the Spirit of Christ flowing from the Heart of a Believer gives the Believer sweet Communion with God The Soul thinks it is at a distance from God the Spirit comes down in a sweet shower and brings it near to God O saith the Soul that I could but enter within the Vail to have Communion with God! But methinks God and I stand at a distance he is in Heaven and I am as it were in Hell I am as one forgotten though I lay claim to him as my God I would have the Knowledge of him that he is my God and God of my Salvation Psal 88. O God of my Salvation let my Prayer come before thee incline thine ear to my Cry for my Soul is full of trouble Sometimes a Believer is full of Trouble And what is the next And my Life draweth nigh unto the Grave I am counted with them that go down into the Pit That is dreadful when the fear of Death and of Hell meet together I am as a Man that hath no strength to believe yet I have some glimmerings that thou art the God of my Salvation But Death and Hell is approaching to me in my apprehension wilt thou shew Wonders to the dead shall the dead live Is it not possible I should live Shall I have a Shower of
Mercy Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the Grave or thy faithfulness in destruction Shall I have a shower upon my dying Soul Shall I be brought to have Communion with God Thus when the Lord seems to stand at a distance from the Soul he comes down in a shower by his Spirit that he finds very familiar Communion with God Therefore the Apostle when he prays for the Corinthians he prays That the Grace of the Lord Jesus the love of God the Father may be communicated unto them by the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13 14. The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen The Grace of Christ your Life the Love of God in Christ communicated to you through the Holy Ghost So when the Love of God is come down on the Soul then the Soul comes to have sweet Communion with God before the Soul was afraid to come to God but now it can say Lord thou knowest me and I know thee Lord thou knowest what is in me and what thou hast wrought in me Thus the Soul goes on knowing and being known So the Soul is carried on in this sweet Frame with that familiar sweet Communion with God that the Soul wishes it might always be employed in God's Service Again When Christ is revealed by the Spirit to the Soul the Soul comes to know its Adoption that it can and doth know God to be his Father the Spirit of the Lord poured out crying Abba Father Gal 4.4 5 6. But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Christ comes to redeem us the Holy Spirit comes to reveal to the Soul that you are no more Servants but Sons that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Sons of God redeemed by Christ's Blood but the Soul seems to be doubting whether it be so or no Well saith the Apostle because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father O what would many a poor doubting Soul give to call God Father Though many a Wretch calls God Father But a poor Believer if all the World were given him to be his Portion he would trample on all to call God Father in deed and in truth to go to God as a Father to have God for my Father that glorious God that made Heaven and Earth that glorious God that turns Men to Destruction and saith Come again ye Children of Men who feeds the Saints above with eternal Pleasure This God I can call my God my Father my Portion my Portion living my Portion dying a Portion beyond all the World This God by the Spirit the Soul comes to know to be his Father and the Soul is never well but when he is speaking to his Father there is such a Converse between the Father and the Child Again The Spirit when it comes with its revealing Evidence comforts the drooping Soul that Jesus Christ is everlasting Life to him They that live on Christ shall have everlasting Life from Christ The Believer hath many sweet and comfortable showers many precious drops flowing into his Soul that he can witness the Prophesie is come to pass The Prophet Joel saith Joel 3.18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Mountains shall drop down new Wine and the Hills shall flow with Milk and all the Rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a Fountain shall come forth from the House of the Lord. The Prophet alludes to those Waters that were conveyed from some Spring through Conduit Pipes towards the Altar Ezek. 47.1 2 3. for the use of the Temple in which Water the Priests washed what was to be washed This no doubt is a shadow of the purifying Blood of Christ and his sanctifying Spirit and Word and in that it is said to come from the Lord it intimateth that these glad Tidings this saving Grace shall be first Preach'd from Jerusalem and by the Church which is the House of God shall be published to others The Valley of Shittim that this Fountain shall water the meaning is it shall refresh purge and make fruitful all holy Works It was on the Plain of Moab on the Borders of Israel toward the South-East Numb 33.49 Josh 3.1 not far from the Dead Sea These Waters shall flow down to the dry and thirsty Mr. Pool's Annotations the barren and fruitless Gentiles and make them fruitful And it shall come to pass in that day in the day of the Gospel in that day that a Soul believes in Christ what shall come to pass In that day the Mountains shall drop down new Wine the new Wine of the Gospel not the old Lees of the Law but Wine upon the Lees. The Law may fret and grind your Spirits to Powder Mr. Strong 's Treatise of the two Covenants but what can melt them but the Covenant of Grace Isa 25. new Wine new Comforts new Peace and Joy that the Law could never bring Christ brings and the Hills shall flow with Milk the glorious Promises of the Gospel that shall be as Milk to the poor Soul Milk to poor Babes in Christ But then a poor Soul may object Truly I have desired Christ if I know my own Heart I would fain live upon Christ but yet I find my Heart very barren I do not find my Soul flourishing nor increasing nor growing but I find Comforts are absent from my Soul that I may say still the Comforter that should relieve my Soul is far from me To this I answer Soul you that desire Christ nothing in the World is like Christ to you you shall not miss of growth in Grace you shall not miss of this blessed Life though the Lord may not give it to you according to your Measures but according to his own good Will Grace and Wisdom for God hath very glorious Ends that you have not your Vessels full at once The First Reason is That you may depend upon Jesus Christ for daily incomes and supplies Alas while you are in this Life your Vessels are always filling and you are always to live in a way of dependence on Christ not only for that Grace you have received but for daily manifestation of Grace to your Souls for the grace of Faith and for the love of God to your Souls You are to wait daily on the Lord for strength Not I live saith Paul I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God 2 Gal. 19 20 21. I depend on Christ for all I live by the Faith of the Son of God and one that lives by Faith does not live by Sight There is something absent that a Man waits for for what we enjoy what
need we hope for and what need we act Faith for what we possess We are to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ so as to act Faith in him for new supplies of Grace We are to set our selves under those golden Pipes that do convey the golden Oyl you are to be looking to the everlasting Hills from whence your help comes as the Psalmist saith Psal 123.22 Behold as the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us Psal 121.1 I will list up my eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my help The Hills where the Temple was built Sion and Moriah there will I look from whence cometh my help Now we must look unto God in Christ for supplies of Grace and Peace and Comfort we are to expect our Comfort from those Mountains that drop down new Wine and the Hills that drop down Milk the Skies that pour down Righteousness and the Heavens that rain down Grace Were your Comforts always flourishing and green were you always filled with Joy would there be such a dependence on Christ where you are daily supplied and renewed When persons are waiting for Rain they set their Vessels forth day and night and when they are full they take them in again but persons that turn the Cock to let it run into their Cisterns it fills them presently they wait no longer Alass many run to their own Cisterns their own Duties walk by the sparks of their own kindling to what they can perform which the Lord complains of Jer. 2.1 My people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living water and hewed to themselves Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Alas their Cisterns will not hold there is brackish Water in all their Springs broken Cisterns that hold no Water their Vessels will quickly be empty again but the Soul that waits on Christ will be like the Husbandman that waits for Rain is glad when he seeth the Clouds are gathering the Husbandman is glad he looks on his withered Grass and Corn but saith he the Clouds begin to gather and I wait for Rain and that will revive them again So saith a poor Soul I do expect yea I do wait for the Lord to come with new Light and new Love and new Peace and new Comfort and new assurance of his Love and that I may read my Pardon in his Blood and my Comfort in his Love Saith the Lord I will be a dew to Israel Hos 14.5 In the mystical and spiritual sense it signifies Christ who doth by his Holy Word and Heavenly Grace drop down and distil upon the Souls of Believers by his Princely Favours and loving Countenance which is as a Cloud of the latter Rain That which Dew is to Fields Gardens Vineyards Flowers Fruits of the Earth after an hot and scorching day that the Favour Word Grace loving Countenance and Holy Spirit will be to the drooping and afflicted Conscience of his People Dr. Reynolds A Believer hath his dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ who is appearing before God for him pleading the Sinners Cause presenting his own Wounds before the Father till he pours down his Grace into the Soul and drops down showers of Grace into the Heart But a Soul that feeds himself with his own Gifts and Parts he does his Duty and is gone therefore he does not wait for nor depend on Christ But saith a Believer I would be in a Believing Frame though I do not find Christ coming I will look up Psal 5.1 2 3. Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Hearken unto the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up There are many go to their own Cisterns in the Morning performing Duty exercising what Gifts and Parts they have or what they remember they do Duty but it may be think not on Christ one Moment more all the day These are poor empty Cisterns that can hold no Water But saith the Psalmist I will pray and look up tho I am come off from my Knees I have not done looking up expecting or believing for I wait for the Lord's Answer I look for a Return of Prayer I look for supplies of Grace for supports of Faith for comforts to my Soul Many pray but do you look up do you believe do you make Christ your Life depending on him for the showers of his Grace to come into your Souls That may comfort you and quicken you and may be matter of praise not only that you may quiet Conscience but that you may enjoy God When the Earth is dry if a drop does but fall our Hearts begin to be glad we hope to have showers from Heaven So when a Soul finds but a drop of Comfort a drop of Love a little taste Saith the Soul Christ is coming now he is revealing himself I will depend upon him as long as I live as Job saith Though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee so saith the Soul I will depend on thee And as Luther said Though Christ come against me with a drawn Sword yet will I run into his Arms. Secondly The second Reason is That as you should depend on Christ so you should be waiting in the way of Duty waiting in Ordinances What Confusions have come into the Minds of Persons throwing off Ordinances pretending they had the Light within them and were come to perfection and had no need of Teaching pretending they knew more than could be taught them But speak with a Believer he will tell you another thing he will tell you he wants Comfort he wants Grace he wants teaching and that he wants new reviving Isa 26.8 Yea in the way of thy Judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our Soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early yea in the way of thy Judgments have we waited for thee Though thy Hand hath been as it were against us though thou hast afflicted us though thou hast seemed to frown upon us yet we have waited for thee though it be dark with us whether it be the Night of Affliction or the Night of Desertion as well as in the Night of Trouble and Adversity though our Souls are in an afflicted state or a discomforted state we will wait till thou return we will wait for that God that hides himself from the House of Jacob Not like some that are seeking purer Churches through the deceivings of Satan and their own Hearts Many there are that think they have Knowledge enough and Peace enough but these are the
had strength to hope and I had strength to live upon Christ for all Have you not experienced this that you have come weak to an Ordinance yet have found strength as one that hath drank new Wine Therefore the Lord is pleased to give you strength that you may go from Duty to Duty from Mercy to Mercy from Peace to Peace O you that wait on Christ in a way of dependence for new Revivings and new Manifestations to your Souls what Comfort will it be to you tho you have but little strength to go from strength to strength The Lord hath promised it Psal 84. They shall go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Sion This was spoken of the willing Israelites many tarried at home to worship Jeroboam's Gods they would not come to Jerusalem the Journey was too far and the cost and pains too much they would rather serve the Calves that Jeroboam had set up But the Godly Israelites went to Jerusalem and what did the Lord do for them See vers 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them whose Heart is found believing and waiting for Christ whose Heart is united to Christ and found waiting in his appointments What then They go from strength to strength every one of them in Sion appeareth before God not one shall faint by the way every one shall appear before God in Sion if they have never so far to go as sure as if they had but a Mile to go So it is in this day of our Gospel-worship in our waiting on Christ in the means the Soul saith I have many Duties on my Hand to perform and I do not know how to do them but if your Soul desires to believe in Christ to live in Christ to rowl upon Christ to wait on him in his Ordinances you shall go from strength to strength you shall every one come to Glory though you go through the Vally of Bacha tho you have dark places and barren places you shall have Wells of Salvation and they shall refresh your Souls Christ will be dropping his Comforts and Grace that you shall be filled with Comfort you shall go from strength to strength till you appear before God Again As for your Strength so for your Victory and Conquest over Corruption Have not you found in your waiting that the Life of Christ hath been manifest in the Death of your Corruptions in your Conquest that when you have cried out O wretched Man or Woman O how unfit to wait on Christ O how dark and dead am I Yet have not you through the Grace of Christ found the Life of Christ made manifest that you have gone away conquering and Victorious Though you do desire to live upon Christ yet you are not brim full of him at once but do receive your Joy and Comfort from him drop by drop that you may live on Christ in the way of his Appointments Thirdly The third Reason is that your Souls shall not be filled as you desire but drop by drop because we are not able to bear much of God's Glory at once we shall be over-set with the Feast if it be too much we are not able to drink much of this new Wine it is a Joy unspeakable and full of Glory therefore the Saints are called to enter into the Joy of their Lord because this Glory is unspeakable and cannot enter into them as good Mr. Whelch when he was in Prayer and Communion with God Hold Lord saith he it is enough So the Spouse complains of being sick of Love not for an absent Christ but for the great Enjoyment Cant. 2.4 He brought me into his banqueting House and his Banner over me was Love What then Stay me mith Flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of Love But in the 5th Chapter she was sick of Love for an absent Christ for a withdrawn Christ not absent in Union then she could not be sick of Love nor for Communion but over-set with manifestations not in that manner as she enjoyed when she sat under his Shadow in the third Chapter that she tasted his Fruit to be sweet for then she had it by degrees but here in more abundant manner vers 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat under his shadow with great delight and his Fruit was sweet to my taste While the Fruit drops from the Tree the Spouse could eat it taste it relish it and that with delight and was not over-set with it but she wants more Communion He brought me into his Banqueting-House to the Love-Feast there his Banner over me was Love First You see a Believer in a state of Grace cannot move one Foot till Christ move him how much less can a Soul that is in a state of Sin move after Christ Christ brings a Soul on from lesser to greater enjoyments from lesser to greater manifestations he brought me into his banqueting house where it was sweet to sit where I had an Apple a drop of his Love a taste of his Grace But he brought me I could not get thither of my self he brought me to his banqueting house what Sauce to the Feast His Banner over me was Love What would have been the Banquet without the Banner of Love His Banner over me was Love What then I was made so much of filled with such joy such comfort filled with such assurance filled with such delight that she was fain to cry out Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples my narrow Vessel will not hold it I must have new strength Stay me with Flagons new Wine that is the thing containing for the thing contained in it By Flagons is meant the Wine contained in the Flagons as we speak in the Lord's Supper We say this Cup is the New Testament in his Blood that is the Wine in the Cup. So here the Spouse Stay me with Flagons I have such a Love Feast I want Flagons of Wine to strengthen me yea and let me have some of the Apples too that before dropt from the Tree I am sick of Love Do you not wish sometimes O that I were filled with Christ O that I could praise him love him behold his Face and enjoy him as they do above Could our poor weak Vessels bear this No. When the Lord passed by Moses was to lie in the Clefts of the Rock and John fell down before him therefore he gives drop by drop that we might not have our Hearts over-set but with an Appetite long for more of him But for the full manifestation of him that is reserved for you in Glory where you will have strength for Vision and where you will have support for Fruition there you will have your fill of him when he brings you to the Throne of his Glory Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased not to come down with those full Streams and pour
in as your Souls may be would desire because your Souls may have a real Impression of his Divine Grace and Love to your Souls When the Soul hath longed and waited for manifestations of his Favour what deep Impression does it make Then O bless the Lord my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Psal 103. How was the Psalmist taken with the loving kindness of God Whet deep impressions does it make on the Heart when the Soul hath been in the miry Clay and there hath been dead and cold and the Lord hath quickened it Fifthly The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased to give down to your Souls not such full flowings as you may desire but yet you are not barren that nothing may be lost of his Divine Grace and Love there is Milk for Babes What would you have all strong Men What then should we do with the Milk there is Milk for Babes and Meat for strong Men The Apostle writes to Children to young Men and to Fathers there are Children that can scarce go must be carried in Arms there is the Breast for them and then there is young Men that is the Christian that can weather Temptation better than some others Alas should we preach to weak Believers as we do to strong Believers they would be discouraged and think they had no Grace There are some that are able to weather Temptation and to conquer Corruption and to overcome the Enemies of their Souls and bear the hidings of God's Face better than others but then there are old Men Fathers in Christ and they have more experience in Trials more experience in Comforts David had experience Hide not thy face from me thou hast been my help hitherto leave me not neither forsake me O God of my Salvation Consider there are three sorts if every one should be a Father every one young Men and strong then there would be no Children You that cry you are barren have you no Grace because not so much as others and as you desire And though you have not such Divine Manifestation as others therefore is not Christ yours Have you not your longing Desires many times filled up abundantly There are small Vessels and larger Vessels the Lord Jesus would have nothing lost of his Divine Grace and Love and Believers that serve him faithfully and sincerely yet have not such manifestations such full showers as you desire Would you have all Love all assurance all comfort and so pass along But are not you conscious that many of the Children of God are not so But they are longing depending on Christ for Manifestations and would not you have some drops of Comfort for them Yes saith the Believer then that would go beside you at that time for while you have assurance you need not those comforts and supports as poor doubting Souls want but you are rather for praising and blessing God But yet we are in divers Frames and the Soul is still thirsting or wanting and sees its want of Grace that frame of Grace seldom meets with disappointment in the Word but something falls to their share If you had your Hearts full of Joy and had full assurance you would rather be seeking a place to be praising God than to be under such Ordinances where we are disponsing and giving comfort to doubting Souls As a Child at the Table give it a bit and a bit and the Child will be looking up in your Face but if its Belly were filled at once it would be ready to be gone so if you were filled with Comfort and Joy and so were not living upon the Lord Jesus Christ for the manifestations of his Grace you might not have one Sentence in some Sermons belonging to you But the longing Soul is still longing and waiting because they are sensible they want more Grace more of Christ more of the pouring out of the Spirit When we have a plenty of Rain we have not so many Vessels empty but when the Hills are dry and the Vallies want Rain then the Vessels are set forth if but a little Rain falls So when you have those full streams of Mercy you desire there will not be such running to set out your Vessels as when you feel your Wants and are more sensible of your Emptiness O with what earnestness do you thirst after Christ and the means of Grace when you are under the sense of your own Poverty Then the poor Believer cries O let my Vessel have some fillings O that my Heart may not miss any o that comfort that joy that drops in the Word Sixthly The Lord is pleased to give us by drops and not in such full measure as is desired that they may be the more endeared to Jesus Christ It is the whole Work of a Believer though he use means yet to live on Christ Adam's Nature is too much in us we think we have Stock enough like the Prodigal Give me my Portion and I will be gone so we think we have enough of our own And if we have inlarged Hearts inlarged Desires we are apt to rest on Ordinances more than Christ But when the Soul sees nothing neither Ordinances nor Duties can help it then it rests on Christ then it lives above all upon Christ though they use all means they may to enjoy Christ they would leave no stone unturn'd as the Spouse that they may meet with Christ Cant. 3.2 I will rise now and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad ways will I seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not The Spouse used all means secret Duty publick Duty all ways to meet with Christ but she could not prevail till Christ revealed himself to her Seventhly The Lord is pleased thus to give to us that we may be more thankful for every shower of Grace So much for the second particular the Soul must needs live a growing Life that lives on Christ because Christ comes down as Rain on the Soul and although the Soul does not find those manifestations that it desires yet the Lord intends nothing but good towards them Thirdly They that live this Life of Faith that desire Christ in all and live on him in all Jesus Christ will through his Grace make them live a fruitful Life because Christ is to them the glorious Sun of Righteousness As he is Rain from Heaven so he is the Sun of Righteousness that the Believer lives under the warming Divine Beams of this Glorious Sun For me to live is Christ to live under his Divine Beams of Grace to have my Eye fixt on this glorious Sun of Righteousness to have my Aims and Ends and my Eye singly fixt upon him therefore the Believer that by Faith lives on him must needs live a fruitful Life Mal. 4.2 But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings and you shall go forth and grow up as Calves of the
in the Glass of the Gospel this glorious Lord how glorious Christ is then the Soul cries out O let me live in Christ Let me glorifie Christ Surely now you are thriving Souls in the knowledge of Jesus Christ I mean saving knowledge sanctified knowledge such as the Sun of Righteousness reveals when he rises with healing under his Wings There are some places that have not the Sun for many Months and O how dark and uncomfortable are they then How dark are Souls till Christ comes into them Whatever knowledg you have though you could discourse whole Bodies of Divinity yet you are dark and ignorant till Christ comes to enlighten and teach you The weakest Believer is brought to this Frame to thirst after Jesus Christ and to desire him with his whole Soul most do not believe the Report Ministers give of him Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed for he shall grow up as a tender plant and as a root out of the dry ground he hath no form nor comliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him many see something in good Duties they would be doing something for their Salvation and think to patch up a Righteousness thereby but for to know Jesus Christ so as to live on him they see no desirableness in him How much did the Pharisees do Yet Jesus Christ was rejected by them We shall see his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth O what a Christ full of Grace and full of Truth and full of Love and full of Clory did these Jews reject The Sun of Righteousness though he was come he had not risen with his Glory upon them Ah glorious Lord that any should be so blind as not to see some Beauty in this glorious Christ And yet so blind is the most of the World and many Professors that though they have the glorious Light of his Word yet how dark are their Souls We may say as the Prophet When they see him there is no beauty that they see in him that they should desire him Tell a carnal Heart of Christ and Grace and Heaven they go away and have no desire to him but when Christ comes in his Word and shines into the Soul and rises with healing under his Wings O then saith the Soul let me have a Christ let me live to Christ Before they saw no Beauty in him that they should desire him no Beauty and yet altogether beautiful What is the most glorious Object when a Man is blind What is the glorious Sun to a Man that cannot see So what is this glorious Christ this lovely Christ this precious Christ to a poor blind Sinner But for the Believer that hath Christ his Life he cries out for more Knowledge more Grace more Communication with Christ Christ doth daily shine more and more in a Believers Understanding removing Ignorance and Darkness The poorest Believer in Knowledge cannot but give God praise for healing his Understanding though I know we are rather crying out for what we want than giving thanks for what we have receiv'd The Lord Jesus heals the gross Ignorance of your Understanding and heals it more and more Though God is pleased to give to every one according to their place and station yet every one shall have a saving Knowledg There is Milk for Babes and Meat for strong Men. Secondly You shall prosper and thrive because the Sun of Righteousness when he arises on your Souls heals your Affections Before the Heart was as dead and as cold as a stone no love for Christ whatever you loved no love for this Lord of Glory But now when this Sun of Righteousness is risen with healing under his Wings he heals the Affections of the Soul that now the Soul is let out in affection to Jesus Christ now the Soul cries out How lovely is thy dwelling-place as David did and why is it so lovely David Because there I enjoy God So saith a Believer How lovely are the Ordinances of Christ Why Christian what makes them so lovely Oh saith the Christian I meet with a lovely Christ there Saith the Spouse Tell thou me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy Flock to rest at noon Why would you be there I would be where the Flock is because Christ is there Cant. 1.7 When the Soul feels the warm Divine Beams of the Sun of Righteousness then the Soul comes to see a Loveliness in Christ Before you can love Christ you must see that Christ loved you first he first darts his Divine Love into your Souls When Elijah cast his Mantle over Elisha saith Elisha Let me I pray thee kiss my Father and Mother and then I will follow thee Why what have I done to thee What hast thou done Enough to draw me after thee It was not any vertue in the Mantle but a Divine Power from Heaven that did draw his Heart after the Prophet Away he runs after him and when he was taken from him he cries out My Father my Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof When the Divine Beams of the Love of Christ are cast into the Soul then the Soul cries out For me to live is Christ O that I may live to the Lord O that I may die in the Lord O that I may have upholdings that I may have strength in every Trial Then I care not what I go through that I may enjoy the Lord. Sometimes a Believer comes with an Heart very cold dead and narrow and doth not Jesus Christ send him away as a burning Lamp When he rises with healing under his Wings what Divine Love does he draw forth in your Souls after him The Spouse was so cold she could not so much as open to Christ but when Christ had left his Myrrh upon the handle of the Lock she runs after him crying out She was sick of Love So sometimes a Believer is in a very dead frame a very cold frame a very narrow frame but the Lord Christ comes in the Ordinance with his Divine Beams and the Soul is warmed and transformed into the very Image of the God of Love As for Example the Disciples were walking in a freezing condition Christ was among them but a little while and their Hearts were burning hot within them Was it Christ's bodily Presence only No no that many Thousands enjoyed but he came to them with the healing Beams of his Divine Love to their Souls he darted Divine Beams of his Grace into their Hearts O then they talk after another manner With what fervency and delight did they discourse of the Kingdom of Heaven to what they did before Sometimes when Believers meet together how dead and cold and narrow are they But when Christ arises with new healing Beams of Divine Grace in their Hearts how thriving is their Discourse How
profitable How warmly do they discourse of the Kingdom of God How longing after it Luke 24.32 And they said one to another Did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures He might have talked of the Scriptures long enough and opened the meaning of them and no warmth come to their Heart till he shined into their Souls You that are united to this Sun of Righteousness you that live on him by Faith you are under these thriving Beams though you have not always the same manifestation But when these glorious Beams dart into your Souls how lively are you in your walking and in your talking Though you may have some frosty Nights some cold Fits yet while you are united to this Sun of Righteousness you shall have some warm Beams that shall make you thrive and grow All means of Grace are like the Prophet's Staff which will not bring the dead Child to Life until the Prophet comes When the Prophet came and lay on the Child the Child was warm and it breathed and stirred and rose up and walked Poor doubting Soul is there Breath in thee Dost thou breath after Christ Dost thou desire no means mercies nor blessings but what thou mayest enjoy Christ in them I say Christ hath already breathed on you and his Divine Beams of Grace will cause you to rise up and walk I mean to grow stronger and stronger so that the Sun of Righteousness heals the Affections of many A poor Soul cries I cannot love Christ it is impossible I should ever love him But if you desire to love Christ with your whole Heart you love him already The Soul that hath a spark of Faith that works by Love shall be sure to increase in Love When Christ comes down when he puts in his Finger by the hole of the Door saith the Soul Draw me I will run after thee his Love is better than Wine Christ sometimes gives you drops of Wine sometimes Flagons of Wine sometimes but a Sip and sometimes full Draughts Draw me and I will run after thee as if she had said Draw me and I will commend thee to others As Melancthon said when he was converted He thought that he could have converted all that he conversed with but he found the old Serpent was too hard for young Melancthon When the Soul comes to know this glorious Christ by Faith and to live upon him the Soul thinks he could so commend him that he could make all about him to love Christ Draw me I will run after thee Why what is the matter Thy Love is better than Wine vers 3. Because of the savour of thy good Oyntments thy Name is as Oyntments poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee vers 4. Draw me we will run after thee When the Lord Jesus Christ witnesses to the Believer by the Spirit that he is united to him when he sends forth Divine Beams from this Glorious Light and Life and Warmth the Soul hath his Love drawn out abundantly When Peter was freezing by the Fire in the High Priest's Hall one look from Christ melts his Heart Ah my Friends you may have the Fire of Ordinances kindled yet have an Heart as cold as a stone but when Christ looks on you then does he melt your Souls into the very Image of Love then he draws the Heart after him in Divine Acts of Love that what the Soul hath often thought of now it comes more and more to the Soul that Love is stronger than Death When the Divine Beams of Divine Love are darted into the Soul and the Soul comes to consider First What unconceivable Love the Love of Christ is O saith the Soul Christ hath loved me with an unconceivable unspeakable Love So Paul saith who loved me and gave himself for me Not I live but Christ lives in me the Soul is acquainted this is an unspeakable Love John 1.3 Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Children of God! O what unspeakable Love is this saith the Soul that I should be called a Child of God! How comes it about O the Wonders of this Love O that I should be called a Child of God What me to be made like Christ For God to be my Father in Christ What manner of Love is this How unspeakable how wonderful is this love Secondly When Christ comes to shine on the Soul it comes to see what distinguishing Love this is Why me O Lord Who gave himself for me Saith the Apostle There is an application of this Love Why me Lord Why not many thousands chosen and I left out Why I chosen and many thousands left O that Christ should love me redeem me die for me O my Soul love thou the Lord live to this Lord let him be all in all who loved me before the World was That I am not among the Damned in Hell is a wonderful mercy But that I should be one of the Lords redeemed ones that I should be chosen out of the Kindred and Tongues and Nations of the Earth O what Love is this The Expressions and Impressions of Divine Love A Believer would live with it all his days and die with it and go to Glory with it Why me Lord Why hast thou pardoned me sanctified me O that God should give Christ for me That Christ should go through his Sorrows for me Through his bloody Sweat for me That I should have a part in Christ's precious Merits What though Christ loved sinners if I am not the sinner that Christ loves But when the Beams of Divine Love are darted into the Soul it cries O that Christ hath loved me more than his own Life more than his own Glory and love me above others in the World O what distinguishing Love is this Then the Soul must needs have an endeared Love to Christ O that for me to live may be Christ O that I may enjoy him in all my enjoyments Thirdly The Soul sees the Love of Christ is undeserved Love O wretch that I am that ever Christ should love me It is an heightning our Love when the Divine Beams of his Love shines on our Souls to reveal how unworthy we are of Christ's Love This is that the Apostle speaks of and nothing more heightens our Love than that Christ loved us when we were unworthy of his Love 1 Tim. 1.12 13. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy It is a glorious Beam of Divinity shines on the Soul when the Soul comes to see its own Unworthiness Why me Lord so wretched and miserable a sinner What Christ come from his Glorious Throne from Heaven to Earth to heal my Heart To come here to die for me a wretched Soul O when the Sun of Righteousness rises on the
Alms lived in offensively to all done hurt to none as sure as you live now the next word would be I know you not depart from me We must be sanctified by the Righteousness of Faith which is of God in Christ O what a blessed thing is it to be found in him That was Paul's care and desire Phil. 3.9 And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith and be found in him These words have an Emphasis in them And be found in him O take heed every one of you that hear me this day that you be found in Christ not having mine own righteousness saith the Apostle What Paul none of your Sufferings none of your Prayers none of your Duties no none of them these are good in their places but I would have none of them in point of Justification but be found in Christ I desire the Righteousness which is of God by Faith I tell you Friends you can never grow till you come to live this Life till the Sun of Righteousness rises on your Souls and you go forth of your selves and live on Christ and then you grow why Because then you are grafted into another Stock John 1.1 2. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away and every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit. You must be united and grafted into another Stock before you can bring forth Fruit. It may be some will say What have I lived so long and have not taken one step to Heaven I tell you until you know Christ you have not taken one step Heaven-wards many Duties performed and yet the Man be where he was Can a blind Man see his way until his Eyes be opened Can a dead Man walk till he is raised from the Grave Can a Man serve God and please God that is dead in sin under sin Dead God-wards Heavenwards Dead to the Life of Grace Blessed be God for every moral Man and I wish we had more of them in the World But this is Salvation-work we are about there is nothing below the saving Knowledg of Christ will give you entrance into Glory Be under Ordinances as long as you will not one step do you take Heavenward till Christ comes to be your Life then the Soul prospers then it hath liberty Take a Soul that doth not know this Life of Christ the Soul is under burdens I will appeal to your Consciences until you came to know Christ was there not a burden on your Soul If you should have prayed all your Life you could not get the Burden removed And can a Man thrive under a Burden under Weights under Pressures There is a Burden on the Conscience the poor Papist the poor Legalist the poor Formalist when they have done all they can come to speak with them the weight is still left behind What if a Man lives twenty or thirty years in Turky he is still in Captivity notwithstanding all his toil and pains if he be not redeemed by paying a Ransom for him There is great plenty of Means among Professors but still there is a complaining I pray and I hear and I have no comfort but when Christ comes to rise with healing under his Wings when a Soul beholds his Iniquities laid on Christ never to be charged on him more then he serves the Lord chearfully walks chearfully with God in all the Duties of his Heavenly Calling While a Man bears his own Iniquity he can never walk chearfully never serve God comfortably Whatever a person does while he lives on any thing below Christ he lives but discontentedly What gives the Soul rest and satisfaction must be as durable as the Soul is Mr. Flavel's Treatise of the Soul p. 121. for if we can possibly find in this World a condition and state of things most agreeable in all other respects to our desires and wishes yet if the Soul be conscious to it self that it shall and must over-live and leave them all behind it it can never reach true contentment in the greatest afflulence and confluence of them Man being an immortal is therefore a prospecting Creature and can never be satisfied with this that it s well with him at present except he can be satisfied that it shall be so for ever Do what you will there is a discontentedness if you have not Christ to take away the sin of your Duties When the Messengers of Job came one after another what will you never have done He might have said No not while all is gon neither will the Law have done cursing you nor Conscience accusing you while you are under the Guilt of sin there comes one Messenger after another bringing the bad News Whatever you do while you are Straâ—gers to Christ you have nothing but ill News The Justice of God meets you the Law condemns you the Devil takes all advantages against you because you have not Christ to be your Righteousness But whatever a Christian meets with of Crosses Afflictions Reproaches if he say Comest thou peaceably the Answer will be I come peaceably When Christ is become your Salvation and hath taken away your Iniquity there is nothing comes to you but what comes peaceably Where is Daniel In the Lion's Den What among those devouring Creatures But there is the Angel of the Lord with him to stop their Mouths The three Children in the Fiery Furnace but there is the Lord Jesus Christ with them Where is Moses on Mount Horeb but there is the Angel in the burning Bush with him Where are the Children of Israel in the Wilderness In Affliction but the Angel of his Presence is with them Isa 63.9 In all their Afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his Presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed him and he bare them and carried them all the days of old And where art thou Soul that Christ is thy Life in Afflictions All is for good all is in love There is not one Providence comes but it is for thy good How can you love God when you live discontentedly How can you delight in God while you fear God is angry with you While you think tho I have been at Duty I have not done enough Here will be an Opposition against Duty a carnal Heart cannot hold out long and what you do will be but with discontent What Profit have we that we have fasted and prayed and thou regardest it not Many Persons look after large Expressions and great Enlargements when they miss of them they are discontented as Jonah was because his Goord withered Here is a discontented Professor as well as an humble Christian The humble Christian complains why Because he cannot believe more nor love God more nor serve God better But the discontented
foolish said to the wise give us of your Oyl Have you no Oyl to spare us No none All the Angels in Heaven nor Saints in Heaven cannot help a poor sinner that hath not made Christ his Life He that hath most of Christ cannot part with any of Christ he that hath most Grace cannot part with any when he comes to die O saith the graceless Soul when he comes to die give me of your Oyl have not you some to spare The ungodly Husband will wish himself in the condition of the Godly Wife the Ungodly Parent of their Godly Child the Ungodly Children in the condition of the godly Parent If the ungodly Child should cry to the Godly Parent Oh for some of your Grace Oh spare me some of your Grace The Answer will be No no we have little enough for our selves would we had more Grace pray go and buy for your selves But alas 't is too late we trifled with Christ and with Grace I could go home after I heard a Sermon and be content and thought it was well enough though I never minded it any more I was told if I had not Christ I was undone It was preach'd to me if I had not Christ's Righteousness I should be found naked but I did not mind it nor regard it but now it is too late I indeed performed some Duties because I was afraid of Hell and because Conscience would not let me alone I kept to hearing and praying but to make Christ my Life that I was ignorant of Whatever was preach'd to me of him to make him my Life whatever was preach'd to me of him to make sure of him for my own I thought I could spare him well enough I thought I could live on my own Duties Alas you may be full of Duties and yet have an Heart empty of Christ You may keep a Sabbath outwardly and yet have no enjoyment of God inwardly you may perform Duty but if you have not Christ your Life you will survive all you have you will live to spend all An Hypocrite may go very far his Profession may carry him very far and yet fall short at last God doth not pluck away the Vizard at first but letteth them proceed The foolish Virgins took their Lamps and went boldly out to meet Christ along with the Wise More then will be perswaded too that will hardly now stir a Foot for Christ they continued so until the Bridegroom tarried so long beyond their expectation that they fell asleep What a dreadful thing is it for Professors to have nothing but what they may live to spend and be undone when they come to die Your Immortal Souls will survive all your Prayers and all your Sabbaths and if Christ is not your Life you are undone for ever This was the case of those fooolish Virgins The Fool in the Gospel provides for many years to come and lives but a short time And the other they pretended to get something for their Souls and lived to spend all You may be undone for living on your Profession as well as those who are Enemies to it Many will say they have not time to look after the things of another World no time to mind Christ nor seriously to think of their latter end Alas it is not being on your Knees in a morning and remember the Lord no more all the Day then to go hurrying on in the World never minding Christ nor your precious Souls On the other hand there are foolish Professors that make their own Duties their Righteousness and so think they have no need of Christ The one laies up more for himself than he lives to spend The other is so foolish he lays up so little not having Christ that he spends all and so is miserable but let us have a care we are not those Fools You that are Professors have a care you do not die poor that you do not live upon your Duties and not get Christ for your Souls to live upon The foolish said to the wise Give us of your Oyl But the wise answered and said Not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go rather to them that sell and buy for your selves Ah! how fain would every one of you have a Christ when you come to die How fain would every one of you have Grace when you come to die You will go home it may be this day and a few days more and set quietly at your Tables without Christ but when you come to die you will cry out O that I had a Christ It is hard venturing your Immortal Souls on this Line of time thinking it will reach out longer and you do not know how soon this thred of your Life may be cut asunder and when you come to die and are without Christ you will wish O that I had closed with Christ when I was perswaded to do it You are always ready that know Christ but never ready whatever you do without Christ if you have performed ten thousand Duties and keep a thousand Fasts without Christ you are undone And when they came the door was shut the Door of the Kingdom the Door of Grace the Door of Mercy the Door of Happiness of Comfort What the Door shut What the Door of Heaven shut against me O where shall I go Those persons that will not in time come to Christ for Grace they will knock when it is too late for entrance into glory What shall I do I am shut out without the Kingdom without God without Christ in everlasting Burnings Afterwards came also the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to us Thus ready will they be to call Christ Lord that never took him to be their Husband Lord Lord open to us we are come we are come we knock now O how earnestly do they knock now You that coldly desire Christ now that indifferently seek after Christ now you will at last knock and call earnestly when it is too late There are three dreadful Outcries in this World but there will be three dreadfuller Cries which a Person that dies without Christ will send forth in the other World The first dreadful Cry in this World is a Malefactor that is sensible of his Misery when he is condemned What an Outcry when it is said Thou must die O how doth he cry out for mercy The second dreadful Outcry is When a Ship suffers Shipwrack and the Mariners or Passengers are sinking into the Sea then what a dreadful Outcry is there with them that before were cursing and swearing The third dreadful Outcry is When Soldiers or Rebels besiege a City and put Men Women and Children to the Sword but a Person that lives and dies without Christ there are three dreadfuller Cries First A Soul that is awakened departing this Life takes a view of his miserable state in the other World when Conscience drags him before God's Tribunal and there is condemned by the Law of God the Soul cries
rational Soul But the Soul hath new Qualities being changed by Christ dwelling in the Soul they are changed in their Understandings their Affections their Wills It may be compared to Iron put into the Fire while Iron remains red hot and the Fire is in it if you beat the Iron to pieces you cannot separate it from the Fire knock but the least piece of Iron Fire is in every piece yet the Iron is not the Fire nor the Fire the Iron yet the Iron is in the likeness of Fire So the Soul is not so changed into the Image of Christ as not to retain its own natural Faculties but by reason of Christ dwelling in it is changed in its Qualities from Evil to good So there is the Glory of Christ appearing in all the Actions of a Christian tho' they have many Infirmities yet all that they principally design is the Glory of God When Fire is in the Iron you cannot separate it you cannot say that Iron is without Fire nor Fire without Iron So in this Life you may see a Saint hath many Imperfections but yet Christ is in him swaying his Heart and Life with the Scepter of his Righteousness Though there are the same Faculties yet the Qualities are all made new So though there is corruption in Prayer and weakness in Faith and weakness in Love yet there is true Love and true Faith Repentance there is something seen of Christ in all his Infirmities 2 Cor. 6.18 We are changed from Glory to Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Lord the Spirit or the Spirit of the Lord. Dr. Owen on the Spirit in every Faculty of the Soul What a glorious change to be changed into the Image of Christ The Beams of the Sun have several effects some things it withers some things it revives The Gospel of Christ and the goodness of God that melt the Heart of a Saint hardens the Heart of an impenitent Sinner but the Soul that hath Union with Christ that Christ is his Life the Love of Christ conforms the Soul to Christ There is the meekness of Christ though not in Perfection there is the Love of Christ the Humility of Christ though not in perfection the self-denyal of Christ there is the Patience of Christ though not in perfection but through Christ you are pardoned The Soul that is changed into the Glory of Christ hath natural corruption natural backwardness but Christ being their perfect Head and spotless Righteousness they are pure and lovely in God's Eye Jesus Christ God Man hath all the glorious Idea's of God's Image and Grace shining in him as in a Glass he reflects the same in and by the Glass of the Gospel in the Hearts of Believers who by Faith contemplating are by the efficacious working of the Spirit of Grace transformed into the same glorious Image even from Glory to Glory from one degree of glorious Grace unto another Thus the believing Soul by Faith contemplating the Wisdom Meekness Patience Kindness Justice c. of God shining in Christ is by the effectual concurrence of the Spirit of Christ transformed into a wise meek patient kind and just Spirit Faith by contemplating the Glory of God in Christ brings into the Soul Spiritual Ideas of the same glorious Image a Divine Light and Life bearing some resemblance to the Life of God or Divine Nature so that Christ the essential Glass of God hath not only a manifestative Mr. Gale's Treatise of the Saints Amity with Christ but also transformative changing Glory shining in them Beloved have you not all immortal Souls What would you have your Souls be like when you come to die Would you have them like the Devil Would you have the Pride and Envy of Hell the Covetousness of Hell Or would you have the Image of Christ stamped on you that you may live Christ and lead an humble Life a meek Life a self-denying Life an holy Godly Life What likeness would you have your Souls appear in out of your Body Whose Image and Stamp would you have them bear Most Men live to themselves and make provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof And some live to be revenged of others to get the World of their side The Lusts Persons seek to fulfil are innumerable to speak but how would you have your Souls appear What condition would you have them in Would you have them in Christ O then beg Christ may be your Life Beg you may be changed from Glory to Glory into his Image every day of a Believers Life he is going from Glory to Glory Poor wretched ignorant Professors What do you think will become of you e're long if Christ is not your Life Eternal Death will be your Portion You see many Imperfections in a Believer yet he is perfect in Christ being changed into the Image and Glory of Christ A Believer all his works are works of Grace all his walking walks of Grace all his Actions Actions of Grace and in all that he doth there is a Glory on it through Christ his glorious Lord. They that live on external Duties they will give you the hearing of a Sermon and away they seek not to know Christ but they will be found as dreadfully miserable as the Turk or Heathen that never heard of Christ for notwithstanding their Profession they are swallowed up in the World Take a covetous Man his Heart is on this World Take a gluttonous Man his Heart is set to make his Belly his God Take a Man that lives on Christ his Heart is knit there he cleaves to the Lord with full purpose of Heart Thirdly It is a glorious Life because you have the hope of Glory You never will have the hope of Glory till you have Christ living in you Christ in you the hope of Glory 1 Tim. 1.1 If a person be without Christ he is without all true hope of Salvation there is neither hope of the Glory of God nor rejoycing in the Hope while a person is without Christ What have you hope of Glory But have you a good Hope If you come to live Christ then you have a good hope if you have Christ in you then as sure as Christ is in you you shall come to Glory Who is in you Who lives in you We know our next Neighbour we know our familiar Friend or Acquaintance Who do you converse with Who is your near Neighbour Christ or the World Christ or vain Thoughts Christ or Carnality Is Christ in you If Christ is in you then he reigns in you and you converse most with him What is your daily Food your Livelyhood Mistake me not I would not have you neglect your daily Calling I hope you understand me better But what do you make the chief of your Aims and Ends What takes up your Heart most Does the Love of Christ the Mercy of Christ the Peace of Christ affect you most If so I tell you you live a glorious Life
I warrant you think that they that conversed with Christ on Earth were happy I tell you there were thousands saw Christs Face on Earth that shall never see his Face in Glory It may be you think if you come and hear a Sermon you have conversed enough with Christ for all the Week though you never had one precious thought of Christ but to have Christ your Life you have a Glorious Life Soul is thy Heart wrapt up in Christ What would you desire if you were to have your Wishes granted Is it Christ More of Christ To live more to Christ To enjoy more of Christ If it is so you live a glorious Life there is more Glory in one Believer than in all Creatures on Earth beside When Chrysostom was put to silence said some Better the whole World were left in darkness than such a glorious Light should be put out Now if the preaching of Christ be so glorious what is the Life of Christ in the Believer Fourthly To live Christ is a glorious Life for there comes a glorious Train with Christ all the Graces of the Spirit Believers are God's Habitations Eph. 2.22 You are the Terrestrial wherein the King of Glory keeps his Abode till you be removed to abide with him in Heaven If we did but consider and our Eyes were opened to see what a Train of Hellish Lusts dwell in us before Christ is in us we should be amazed the Apostle tells you of many of them While you are fleshly and not know Christ I tell you whatever you are in Profession you are what the Apostle speaks Gal. 5.9 Now the works of the Blesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witcheraft Hatred Variance Emulation Wrath Strife Sedition Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like as if he should say I will not foul my mouth with what dwells in a carnal Heart May be you may say Many that have no Grace abhor many of these things I answer It may be the Devil may not lead Persons into all at once but the Works of the Flesh are manifest in unconverted Persons What Man is there that knows not Christ but loves something below Christ and that is Idolatry though you do not worship a strange God Do you love a strange God Is God first and last Highest and best Most prized and loved Is all well when Christ is enjoyed Do you not complain more for other things than for Christ Hatred is a very reigning sin Variance Emulations Wrath Strife many sins dwell in the Heart all sin is rooted in corrupt Nature but what is meet for Sale he brings forth like a Shop-keeper he brings forth Goods that are fit for Sale he hath all sorts but he doth not sell all sorts at once So the sinner hath all sin in him to be brought forth Satan tempts him sometimes to one sin sometimes to another When the Devil comes to buy the Sinner is furnished with all sorts of sins for him and sells what the Devil pleases to buy But when Christ comes what Train does he bring with him He brings a glorious Train Verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law the Law hath nothing to say against them for Christ is formed upon their Heart O what a glorious Train does Christ bring When Christ is your Life you come to Christ and walk with Christ what a glorious Train of Graces possess the Soul Now the angry Man the wrathful Person is a meek an humble Person the worldly Man is come to love Christ and God and the Kingdom of Heaven and the Saints and Holiness he is come to have the Fruit of the Spirit O what a glorious Life is it to live Christ It sets Christ on the Throne and unthrones Ungodliness and at the last Day Christ will set you on his Throne and crown you with Glory Christ and the Believer are all one he dwells in you and you live on him Alas to be a Professor and walk at random to walk in the Suburbs of Hell while we Profess to be Citizens of Heaven I profess it is a shame some Professors should profess Religion Blessed be God that many are waiting on God but till you know Christ there is a black Train in the Soul The Hearts of many swell if they know but a little of the Letter if they can but speak or discourse but when Christ comes there is a new frame of Heart not new in Faculties but in Qualities O what a glorious Life it is to live Christ I This Life is not to be parallel'd If I had the Tongue of an Angel I could not set forth the Life of a Soul that lives on lives Christ it is so far beyond the Life of the carnal Professor that makes me repeat it over and over There is so much difference between this Life and the Life of carnal Professors that they do not deserve to be once named in the day the Believer that lives on Christ is spoke of What for Christ to have Union with the Believer For the Believer to have Union with Christ It is such a Mystery that the Angels desire to look into the Mystery of it Those that live not this Life tho they make a Profession they are cold Professors ignorant Professors and indeed nothing but Professors Fifthly It is a glorious Life because it is the richest Life you can live You never live richly till you live holy and you never live holy till you come to live on Christ Of his fulness have we all received Grace for Grace There is not only in Christ a fulness of Abundance but also fulness of Redundance there is an everflowing fulness in Christ as a Fountain overflows and yet remains full Grace for Grace or Grace upon Grace abundance of Grace and the increases of Grace one by another there is all good in Christ that poor Sinners want Omne bonum in summo bono Mr. Brook's Unsearchable Riches of Christ all good is in the chiefest good You may see Corn that is scattered on a thatch'd House spring up but it soon withers it is not like Corn sown in its natural Soyl. You may see some new Professors under some Convictioons how hot and zealous they are but it soon withers there being no root But when a Soul is planted in Christ it is got in good ground it is not thorny ground or stony ground Many Persons are very unhappy they are very diligent to do something to attain Happiness yet miss of Happiness at last Many Professors are very unhappy they make a great noise of Religion yet never come to know Christ so never thrive in Religion You never thrive nor lead a rich Life till you know Christ all Treasures of Wisdom dwell in him that is the true Wisdom and the Lord humble this Generation because they exalt Christ no more
live Christ no more It may be you pray and hear and perform Duty but alas all this is nothing till we come to know Christ The Lord humble us I say you and me and all of us for we are all Fools till we know Christ I do not condemn Arts and Sciences but yet I say it is all nothing to the knowledge of Christ in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2.3 Soul would you know God It must be in Christ Would you be wise It must be in Christ Would you have true Learning It must be in Jesus Christ Would you know the Glorious the Mystery of the Gospel it must be in Christ What is all Learning all Knowledge all Understanding though all this is good in its place If you can tell the Name of God in all Tongues what doth this signifie If you do not know God in Christ you are but a poor Creature the treasure of all Wisdom is in Christ and Christ will lead you to the Father the Fountain of all Wisdom this is a rich Life to live Christ First You are enriched with the Presence of God When you know Christ then you dwell in the Presence of God the Devils dwell in his wrathful Presence all of us this day dwell in God's general Presence the Saints only dwell in God's gracious Presence When you come to know Christ you dwell in the special Presence of God Psal 140. ult ver The upright shall dwell in thy Presence Shall sit before thy face or dwell with thy face that is in thy presence Ainsworth None upright but in Christ none perfect but thro' Christ Surely the righteous shall give thanks to thy Name the upright shall dwell in thy presence There is no Man upon Earth that hath Righteousness in himself no not one There is no Man upright but in Christ When Christ is become yours then God takes up his Dwelling with you When Christ dwells in you then the great God takes up his Abode with you then you have the gracious Presence of God go where you will Secondly When you come to live Christ you are enriched with the glorious Benefits of Christ all that Christ died for is yours Redemption Justification Sanctification the Riches of Grace and Riches of Glory is all yours What a Soul in Christ and poor It was never found and can never be found A Soul in Christ cannot be poor all the Riches of Heaven the Riches of the Mercies Blessings and Comforts of this Life and that to come Thirdly All the Promises are yours There is no condition you can be in but there is a Promise to supply you Truly that is a rich Man that hath a promise of Supplies whatever state he is in Though you have a great many Afflictions you have abundance of Promises you have a great many Trials and you have great Promises free Promises glorious Promises you are rich for go with the Key of Faith and you may open the Promises And whatever you take out there is never the less left behind That Promise that supplied you some years ago it is as full now as it was then If a Man takes out of his Bags or Coffers the more he takes out the less he leaves behind but the Promises are always full go to a promise in Temptation go to a promise in Desertion go to a promise in Affliction yet they are still full indeed sometimes Faith not being lively to suck out the Comfort we think the promise is dry but the promise is full We are like a poor weak Child to a full Breast that cannot draw out the Milk When Faith is weak we leave the comfort of the promise behind and cannot draw it forth Now how come you to be enriched with these promises Do they not flow in through Christ all the Curses belong to them that are out of Christ but in Christ all the promises are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us in Christ All the promises are Yea that is certainly true and in him Amen to the Glory of God Amen I know it is the desire of most to be rich then beg of God that you may know Christ beg of God that you may live Christ In him all the Promises are Yea and Amen What art thou not in Christ O wretched poor miserable Man or Woman In Christ only are Promises and true Riches Yea and Amen for ever Whatever you do go to Christ for in him they are Yea and in him they are Amen see that by Faith you go to Christ he is the way What rich and precious Promises are in him To take a promise and not take Christ to be your way to the promise is to go a wrong way to receive comfort from the promises If ever you have a promise it must come in by Christ if you make Christ your Life wrap up your Life in Christ as hath been discoursed and all the Promises are yours There is not a Soul of you so full of comfort but you have need of a promise not one of you so well in the World but you have need of a promise Isa 38.6 By these men live Go to the promises and then living or dying you are rich Men. Ah Sirs if the promises in Christ are not yours I would not give a Farthing for your Profession and when you come to die you will wish you never had made a Profession But the Soul that lives on Christ is happy Blessed Souls are you tempted Are you afflicted Are you troubled The promises in Christ will yield you sweet Relief Fourthly If you have Christ you have all the Blessings of Ordinances I tell you though you may not enjoy that comfort as you desire yet there is not a Sermon you hear but you are enriched by it for if thy Soul break and mourn and long after Christ thou art enriched for a broken Heart is worth ten thousand Worlds A Broken Heart through Christ is accepted of God Psal 3.8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. The means of Salvation the preaching of the Gospel and all other Ordinances Salvation belongs to the Lord compared with Eph. 1.3 where it is said We are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus in Heavenly places pray mind it Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus what then who hath blessed us how With all spiritual Blessings all the means of Grace are made Blessings What abundance of rich Seed of Grace is sown upon stony ground where Christ is not known But the Blessing is upon the people of God Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus who hath blessed us with the Blessings of Faith with the Blessings of Hope Blessings of Love Blessings of Patience Blessings of the Sacrament and all the means of
Grace we enjoy You that live Christ though you go mourning from a Sermon this may encourage you to wait for the Blessing of the means of Grace It may be a Soul may object and say I am a poor sorrowful Soul am I blessed Soul thou art blessed Blessed are they that mourn The contrite Heart is an acceptable Sacrifice to God Blessed are they that mourn This is your case sometimes you mourn at other times you rejoyce in God and joy in the God of your Salvation You are rich in Blessings all Sermons that you hear do your Souls good and all Ordinances do your Souls good you are blessed when you are humbled when you mourn when you thirst as well as when you rejoyce These are Spiritual Blessings in Christ O Christless Soul till you know Christ there is not one of these belongs to you O Sinners you have innumerable Curses hang over your Heads that are out of Christ you have a Book 〈◊〉 of Wo and Lamentation written without and within Ezek. 9.10 Many sorrows are to the wicked but he that trusteth to the Lord mercy compasseth him about Psal 32 10. Innumerable are the Blessings that Believers are compassed about with When you come to an Ordinance and think you do not meet with God you complain and go away mourning you are blessed if you go away in the dark you are blessed How so I blessed that cannot see Christ Yes blessed are they that trust in him and stay themselves upon him though they walk in Darkness and see no Light O what a rich Soul art thou that livest this Life of Faith You are blessed in all Ordinances all Opportunities I tell you whatever comes God will bless his people God's Providence is to all the World he takes care of the whole Creation he is wonderful in Goodness and Mercy yet as a rich Man that gives to many yet in an especial manner saith he I must remember my Children at home my dying Child my weak Child this Child that Child every Child So God gives liberally to all but gives his special Blessings to his Children his choice Blessings are reserved for his redeemed ones O what a rich Life it is to live Christ The Saint is rich in Faith rich in Love rich in Peace rich in all Blessings Then the Soul admires What am I blessed in every condition What with all spiritual Blessings O Lord not long ago I was crying out Sure God hath forsaken me But this was your infirmity and sin But is not Christ more precious to you than ever Do not you long for Christ thirst for Christ Then you are blessed Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Under Darkness under Temptation under every Affliction you are blessed and every Sermon and every Sacrament and every Ordinance you have you are blessed though you cannot rejoyce in God in all yet you are blessed in all though you go away hanging down your Head O I have not met with God! I tell you you are blessed For it is said Blessed are they that mourn and Blessed are the poor in Spirit Fourthly You are enriched with the Love of God I do not know what you can have more to enrich you If the love of God doth not make you rich I am sure nothing can and you can never be rich if you have not the love of God and be sure God loves you if you know Christ he looks on you in Christ loves you in Christ delights in you in Christ John 16.27 For the Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God God's favour maketh rich those whom God favours he hath grace that heals his Soul which is that that makes his Happiness and is that which is the inward fashioning of every Man's apprehension that makes him happy that brings comfort to him Pray mind the Lord Jesus speaks with an Emphasis for the Father himself loveth you You have my Father's love a choice Love indeed And how comes this Love about because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God because you have believed in me and made me your life God loves you What God love me I confess it would make a Christian go comfortably through all the Tryals in the World the very ardency and application of that the Heart of God is the Ocean the first rise of all Love to the Creature Christ is the Spring that first receives from him Dr. Crisp and then through him all Love is diffused to the Creature God loves me for the Father himself loveth you What God love me I pray how comes it about because you have loved me and believed that I came out from God You have made me your Life you have Faith in me and now God loves you God never loved you whatever you did without Christ God abhors all out of Christ God elected you all in Christ chuses you all in Christ pardons you all in Christ and then Oh what Immense Love is this God loves you in Christ O unspeakable Love O infinite Love this Love is Love that passes Knowledge Love that passes Bounds O highth and depth of Love you that live in Christ and believe in Christ are rich Souls We use to say when we see Men thrive and prosper in the World This will be a rich Man And what may you say of the Saints O they will be rich indeed they will have a rich portion because they believe that Christ came out from God O Soul hast thou with thy Heart chose Christ with thy Heart lived to Christ with thy Heart wrapt up thy self in Christ is it the out-cry of thy Soul none but Christ none but Christ thou art a rich Soul for thou art already possest of the presence of God it will be thy portion to live in the House of God for ever For Brethren to dwell together in love and unity how sweet is it O the harmony of it but what a divine Harmony is there in that Soul where the Love of God dwells Turn about your Thoughts turn about your Ears Hear I beseech you for Christ's sake accept of Christ that you may have God's love God indeed loved the Elect with Everlasting Love in Christ but God's Love is not manifested to you until you believe in Christ then all the things of this life are yours there are many things which we cannot reach here the price is too great Is not that rare which costs dear there is not a bit of Bread you have you that are Saints but it cost the Bloud of Christ all your Mercies are in a way of redemption all is yours Paul and Apollos and Cephas and life and death and things present and things to come for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods May it not be said of them that know not Christ Nothing is theirs Is not the Minister yours as well as others Is
not your Bread yours and your Meat yours and your Drink yours and Cloaths yours No Soul they are borrowed Mercies stoln Mercies and you will be damned for them without Christ has paid for them for you but the Soul that loves Christ his Mercies are all bought the Ministers of Christ those Ambassadors of Peace are all yours in Christ Paul is yours Apollos is yours and Life and Death is yours You that art out of Christ it makes my Heart tremble to consider that your Mercies are all to be payed for to be reckoned for and you that are in Christ you may leap and rejoyce at a drop of cold water and a bit of bread O! it is a rich Mercy it is bought with the Bloud of Christ and then at last you will be inriched you will sit like Kings in Glory with your Lord and Redeemer for ever and ever Fifthly It is a happy life because it is a Soul-satisfying life the Soul cannot be satisfied with any thing below Christ whatever a person does enjoy whatever a person does in a way of duty he cannot be satisfied if he hath not Christ Take who you will whether they be Formalists or Legalists whether Moral men or Profane men whether Rich men or Poor men or Professors that have not made Christ their Life they will tell you they want satisfaction there is a complaint of this thing or that thing wanting to give contentment if they have Golden duties if they do not bring the Water of life they cannot satisfie their Souls but this life of living upon Christ doth satisfie the Soul I shall shew in these following Particulars The Lord will satisfie her Poor with Bread the poorest Man that lives upon Christ lives more plentifully than the richest Man that knows not Christ Psalm 132.5 I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her Poor with Bread Who is the Poor the Poor is a longing person a craving person the poor desire something they stand in need of saith the Lord I will bless Sion's provision it is a great Mercy to have our provision blessed we may be fed high and yet not have healthy bodies Many may fare high in means of Grace but not having a Blessing with it they do not prosper Many have been long under the means of Grace and yet do not thrive nor grow in Grace saith God I will satisfie her poor with bread The Poor are craving and desiring and longing so the longing Soul in Christ shall be satisfied they shall not want the Prophet Isaiah speaks of spending their Money for that which is not bread which will not satisfie but the Lord Jesus satisfies the Soul fills up the Desires whatsoever they be Take one which is under the Law and hath the greatest Gifts and Parts but is a stranger to Christ and one that is the poorest in gifts and parts yet in Christ he hath more satisfaction than the other with all his great Gifts and Parts the poorest and meanest in Grace that is in Christ lives a higher life than the richest in Gifts and Parts or in worldly things that does not know Christ so that it is a satisfying life to live Christ Here is enough for this present life enough for hereafter there is enough in Christ to fill up all the Faculties of the Soul John 6.35 I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger he that believeth on me shall never thirst Coming and Believing is the same he that comes or believes in me shall never hunger What doth not a Soul in Christ hunger doth he not long for Christ yes but as he hungers and thirsts for Christ he shall be filled his wants shall be supplied we say in our outward things Money answers all things but Money will not satisfie the Soul But saith Christ he that comes to me I will satisfie all his desires he shall have Contentment Supplies Satisfaction he shall want nothing I am the bread of life I will satisfie his hunger I am the water of life he that comes to me shall never thirst they shall never cry I perish for hunger or I perish for thirst The Prodigal when he came to his Fathers house he did hunger but he had bread to satisfie his hunger A Soul believing in Christ making Christ his life there is enough in Christ to â—â—ll up all the desires of the Soul and to heal all the Wounds of the contrite Heart Whatever the Soul desires in Christ are Eternal Springs to fill up the Soul every thing that is below Christ is too empty to satisfie an Immortal Soul they are not Springs they are but Cisterns take Ordinances take away Christ what can the Ordinances do will not the Soul wither immediately Ordinances are but Cisterns and not Springs the Psalmist saith All my Springs are in thee Psal 87.7 Doth a Soul desire to love God hath the Soul a desire to be satisfied with Love with Beauty with the Glory of Christ there are divine Springs from Christ who is an overflowing and ever-flowing Fountain to the Souls of Believers to satisfie all their desires So that a Believer let him desire as much as he will he shall have his desires satisfied Psal 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness The longing Soul shall not miss of being filled with Wisdom in Christ with Redemption in Christ with Sanctification with Salvation Let the Soul crave for Holiness there is enough in Christ to fill it let it crave for Love there is enough in Christ let it crave for Peace and Joy there is enough in Christ to fill it Christ being such an inexhaustible Fountain is still flowing into the Soul to give it daily satisfaction the Soul may weary it self in other things and not be the better Believers that can but experience the least true Longings after Jesus Christ tho with a weak Faith need not doubt but that they have true Faith and shall not miss of a true and full satisfaction A weak Faith shews it self by this Grace of God namely an unfeigned Desire not only of Salvation for that the Wicked and Graceless Man may have but of Reconciliation with God in Christ This is a sure sign of Faith in every touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the Elect. Perkins on the Creed What a Mercy and Blessing it is to have the least true Desires after Jesus Christ since such Souls are assured in Gods Word that their longing Souls shall be satisfied Saith Holy Bernard He that Thirsts let him Thirst more and he that Desires let him Desire more abundantly because so much as he can Desire so much he shall Receive Persons will be weary of their Pleasures weary of their Treasures and weary of their Duties that Soul which hath made Christ his rest hath the truest satisfaction when a Soul comes to know Christ it may say with the
Psalmist Psal 116. Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee What Rest hath the Soul There is a great many restless Enemies there is Satan pursuing the Law condemning Guilt pursuing the poor Soul hath no safe Refuge to flee unto but the Lord Jesus The Soul that hath Christ his Life can say the Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased eternal Salvation for me he became a Curse for me and Redeemed me from the Curse of the Law and let Satan and Conscience say what they will Jesus Christ hath paid my Debts satisfied Justice given me rest to my Soul Take up thou thy quiet Rest in him O my Soul for what ever the Law saith it speaks to them that are under the Law But I am Redeemed by Christ he is become my Rock and my Salvation my Soul return thou to thy Rest Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Be sure you do all or you do nothing there was never a Man since the fall of Adam that could do all things nor the least thing as he ought But Christ fulfilled the Law and hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law for the Just shall live by Faith in Christ Till a Soul comes to center in Christ the Soul can never have rest and quiet Indeed you may forget the day of your Death if you are wrapt up in Carnal securities that is not Rest the Soul will be molested again when Conscience is awakened to consider what the state of the Soul is But if the Law and Sin accuses the Soul that can truly experience the Lord Jesus Christ is his Life hath Redeemed him from the Curse of the Law hath Died and Risen for him and is at Gods right hand interceding with Divine Justice and hath payed the whole Price and Ransom the Law condemns them that are under the Law but Christ hath delivered a Believer from all its Accusations who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect What Christ hath done is a Believers own he is Righteousness to every one that truly applies him My Friends till you know there is satisfaction made to the Justice of God you can never take up your rest do as much as you can until you come to center in this Glorious Redemption that Christ hath purchased to see him Sanctification and Redemption that he hath satisfied for you that you live on him for all then the Soul can take up his quiet Rest But till it is thus do as much as you will there is something wanting still Not a word of Peace to be had from God but in and through Christ Do as much as you will in a way of Duty without Christ you cannot have Rest and Quiet If you have been a Praying Person this Ten Twenty or Thirty Years this will all be swallowed up in this one thing God is not satisfied the Guilt of Sin follows me my Conscience accuses Saith Luther I am not able to indure my Conscience neither am I quieted by my own Works or by the Righteousness of Gods Laws much less have I any comfort by my sanctity which out of my own Devotion and good Opinion I make choice of yea the Devil through my Sin so hunteth me in such sort that I think the World is too narrow for me only the acknowledgment of Christ lifteth me up and setteth my Conscience in Peace Therefore I look not what I am in my self but what Christ hath done he hath bore the Curse therefore I shall never bear it God hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all therefore my Soul return thou to thy rest All the Debt is discharged now my Soul can live a quiet Life in Christ O what a Soul-satisfying life it is to live Christ and till then there will be a complaining when you have done all that you can do when you have done the best you can you want a Righteousness to stand before God The Soul in Christ is cloathed with a Garment sufficient for to cover its Nakedness Here is a Righteousness is as broad and long as the Wounds and Nakedness of the Soul and that your own Duties can never be If a Man could stand bemoaning his Sins from Morning till Night there would be something in that that he would need a Pardon for but now Christ was made Sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Made Sin not only said to be so but made so Sin imputed to him And while our Sins lay on him he was an imputed Sinner baring our Sins The Wrath of God was poured on him he bore the fault and God laid our Sins on him that we might be the Righteousness of God in him His Righteousness is made our Personal Righteousness as if we had performed all things our selves we are made the Righteousness of God not thought to be so or seem to be so but really made so here is a covering to cover all our Nakedness Isaiah saith our Righteousness is a Bed too short for us to stretch our selves upon and a Covering too narrow for us to wrap our selves in if a Man hath a Garment of Silk or Silver and if it be not long enough to cover him there is cause of shame so if you have the bravest Duties and Expressions Carriage and outward Behaviour in Religion without you are wrapt up in this Righteousness there is still something wanting that will cause shame and Confusion to all Eternity he was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him A Believing Soul ought to talk with our Saviour in this manner I am thy Sins thou art my Righteousness therefore I am joyful and boldly do triumph for my Sins not over ballancing thy Righteousness neither let thy Righteousness suffer me to be or remain a Sinner Luther Blessed for evermore and praised be thy Name sweet Jesus It is a glorious Expression a high Expression a comfortable Expression and truly a great Mystery that the innocent Lamb of God that knew no Sin should be made Sin for us and we made the Righteousness of God in him Col. 2. We are compleat in him compleat in Christ though not compleat in Sanctification yet compleat in the sight of God in Justification he doth present you without Spot or Wrinkel before God In the best of Men the best Performances leaves a sense of Guilt upon their Souls there is something wanting but in Christ there is compleat Righteousness compleat Wisdom compleat Redemption compleat Beauty compleat Glory every thing compleat that the Soul is compleat in him Fifthly To live Christ is a happy Life because it is a safe Life you are never safe till you are in Christ and there is no
safety any where else you that are in Christ O look back first what not long since you were Secondly what now you are Thirdly what you shall be and you will see cause of Admiration When you were out of Christ what a dangerous state were you in under the Wrath of God the Curse of the Law Consider where was I when I knew not Christ Where was I going I was going to Destruction and did not know it Was I so near the Brink of the Pit and did not mind Was I so near sinking and did not cry out O how can I but admire and adore this God that hath done this for me He hath brought me nigh by the Blood of the Covenant he hath brought me to a safe Condition you were a far off but now are brought nigh by the Blood of the Covenant ye were without Christ without the Covenant Ephes 2.13 Thirdly Consider what ere long you shall be you that are in Christ shall ere long be with Christ you shall be safely arrived in Glory O the danger that a Soul out of Christ is in You are under the Sword of Divine Justice and how soon it may drop down on your Head drop down on your Heart you do not know therefore you are never safe till you are in Christ that is a safe Life Prov. 1.33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil Whoso hearkens so as to believe accept and lay hold on and close with Christ they shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of Evil the Fear of Evil shall not hurt you Prov. 3.18 speaking of Wisdom she is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her There is in Christ safety there is first the Life of Justification secondly of Sanctificaon and thirdly of Glorification First a Life of Justification a Tree of Life to free from Condemnation There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 1.8 You are safe from the Condemnation of the Law you are safe from the Condemnation of Justice you are safe from the Condemnation of Conscience you are safe from the Condemnation of the Devil you are safe from the Condemnation of the World Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect there is Life laid up in Christ Life for poor dead Sinners Life for poor condemned Sinners that lay hold on this Tree of Life there is no Condemnation to them more there shall be no following them as it was with Joab to the Altar to slay him there Lay hold on the Tree of Life and you are safe for ever You may say of the Thunderings of the Law I am safe from them all the Tree of Life stands ready to give you the Life of Righteousness and Justification that you may be free from Condemnation there is no Condemnation What a safe case is a Soul in that is in Christ let a Soul be condemned never so much nothing shall hurt him God hath justified him in through and for Christ's sake though the Devil come and accuse and saith this man is clothed with filthy Garments this Tree of Life stands ready Zechar. 3.1 2. Satan comes and accuses Joshua he was clothed with filthy Garments Thou art a holy God a God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity with approbation But here is one come with filthy Garments here is a sinful Man come he comes to offer up Sacrifice for the People but he is sinful the Devil comes and accuses him and condemns him Now while there is any thing to condemn a Man he is not safe the Devil comes and lays to his Charge that he is clothed in filthy Garments but he comes not in Love to Holyness but in Envy to Joshua in Envy to the Saints and in Envy to God and in Envy to his Free-Grace but the Lord Jesus Christ said to Satan the Lord rebuke thee Satan the Lord rebuke thee Is not this a Brand pluckt out of the Fire I have chosen him he is an Elect Vessel I have redeemed him I have clothed him with Change of Raiment I have put a fair Mitre on his Head Satan do thy worst and speak thy worst thou canst not hurt Jashua So this Tree of Life frees from Condemnation lay hold on Christ you are quit let what Bills there will come in against you if a Man should be tryed for his Life and there comes in many Bills of Inditement against him but he shews his Pardon for all then in vain do they come in or if there be never so many Items all is forgiven so let the Devil come in with never so many Items and the Law come in with never so many Items the Lord Jesus forgives them all to them that lay hold on him by Faith Secondly Then it is a Life of Sanctification Where sin reigned before sin shall not have Dominion over you you are not under the Law but under Grace Then you may see that the Law will not kill sin The Law will tell you you are a sinner but it will not kill your sin Rom. 6.14 For sin shall have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Tho sin may trouble you it shall not have Dominion over you tho it may grieve you it shall not undo you The Serpent's Seed is sentenc'd The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's Head Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh When a Soul laies not hold on Christ sin is in his Nature his Lusts dogging of him his Lusts reigning and ruling over him but through Christ he overcomes Thirdly A Life of Glory The Apostle reckons the Justified ones among the glorified ones Whom he called them he justified and whom he justified them he glorifies He speaks in the Present Tense as if it were already done that they that lay hold of this Tree of Life are as sure of eternal Life as if they were already in Glory So that it is a very safe Life to live Christ and to lay hold on her But mark it still this Tree of Life is too high for carnal Reason to reach This Tree of Life must drop Fruit into your Souls before you can reach up to that We see fruitful Trees are bending Trees Trees that are loaded with Fruit bow down so that even a Child may lie on the Ground and eat the Fruit So Jesus Christ taking our Nature humbled himself to the Death of the Cross he condescended so low to have Union with us poor sinners that a poor Soul cannot go to Christ till Christ first comes to him Christ first comes to the Soul he bends down to the carnal Heart and possesses the Soul of the Life of Faith and then the Soul can reach up to him Come to
me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest But how Shall I come Lord may a poor sinner say Says Christ No man can come to me except the Father draw him I must first come by my â—pirit to the sinner before he can come to me by Faith But saith a poor Soul I cannot lay hold of Christ I cannot believe nor I cannot make Christ my Life I am a poor undone sinner but if Christ comes to you and takes you by the Arm as he did Ephraim Hos 11.3 cannot you go along with him If he comes and gives you an hand of Faith and takes hold of you can you not follow him This fruitful Tree of Life bends down with his Fruit that sinners may lay hold on him If the Husbandman expects to have Corn he must sow it if a Man would have a fine Garden he must plant it for the ground naturally brings forth nothing but Briers and Thorns The Ground was cursed when Adam had sinned and every Heart is cursed and all the sinner can bring forth by Nature is cursed Fruit there may be something like Grace something like Faith but no true saving Faith as there may be Field-herbs like Garden-herbs and many other things alike that are not the same natural Gifts may shew like Grace But by natural Reason there is never a Man nor Woman do the most they can that can lay hold of Christ till Christ comes and lays hold of them There is nothing in our Hearts but Briers and Thorns we cannot believe but when Christ comes and works Faith in our Hearts then we lay hold on Christ then we are safe for ever When you are got into Christ all Storms whatsoever cannot hurt you you are safe So the Lord Jesus speaks Prov. 8.35 For whosoever findeth me findeth Life Whoever is a stranger to Christ is under the power of Death the sentence of Death and Condemnation but whoever findeth me findeth Life What then They shall obtain Favour of the Lord. In the Favour of a King or great Man they say is safety but that is not true always nor very often but they are certainly for ever safe that enjoy the favour of God You must find Christ before you know the favour of God God's favour is manifest in Christ when he shews kindness it is in Christ whosoever finds Christ shall have God's favour Psal 68.18 He hath received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that God may dwell among them If you would have the favour of God seek after Christ in this Temple the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily and when you come to live in Christ God lives in you he comes and takes up his abode with you Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men What Men The Rebellious What encouragement is here for rebellious sinners to come to Christ O sinner come Christ hath received Gifts for you To what end That God may dwell among you Christ hath received enough to make you lovely in the sight of the Father for ever How should Saints also be encouraged by this under all their Infirmities and Troubles If you had all the comforts of a present Life and had not the favour of God you would be undone for ever He that finds Christ finds Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord God will dwell among such As Christ by Death made way for the Soul to come to God so by the Revelation of his Grace a Soul comes to taste of the Love of God When a Soul comes to know Christ then the favour of God shines on him and is not this a safe Life O Christless Soul that lives but not in Christ that knows many things but not Christ that performs Duties but not by Faith in Christ you are never safe you do not know how soon your slaughter-day will come and it will be eternal You that have not Christ for your Sacrifice you must be the Sacrifice for ever The Lamb of God was offered up once for all but if he be not your Sacrifice your Souls must be a Sacrifice in Hell for ever But you that live Christ live an happy Life for it is a safe Life As Abigail spake to David when she met him the greatest comfort that she brought to him was That his Life should be bound up in the Life of his Lord 1 Sam. 25.28 29. I pray thee forgive the trespass of thine handmaid for the Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure House because my Lord fighteth the Battels of the Lord and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days Yet a man is risen to pursue thee and to seek thy Soul Saith she Here is a mighty Man risen to pursue thy Life but though he is risen up against thee thou shalt be sure to be safe Why What is the reason The Soul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of Life with the Lord thy God Whatever pursues a Soul in Christ shall never hurt him All Temptations and Troubles and Accusations that pursue the Soul shall not hurt it Saith she A Man is risen to pursue thy Life but however the Soul of my Lord is bound up in the bundle of Life with the Lord thy God Friends you are never safe till your Souls are bound up in the bundle of Life with Christ till you come to take Christ lay hold on him as your own you are never safe you have Pursuers A man is risen up to pursue the life of my Lord But one poor Christian is pursued with Temptation another with strong Corruption another with strong Fears and Terrors another with great Desertion but Christians never fear your Life is bound up in the bundle of Life the Life of Righteousness the Life of Grace the Life of Comfort the Life of Glory The Soul that believes in Christ is so bound up in him that the Devil cannot reach him Temptation cannot harm him sin cannot undo him Trouble cannot overcome him O what a Life is a Believers Life I am not speaking of a Professors Life only not one that performs Duty but one that lives on Christ For me to live is Christ O it is the safest of Lives Whatever you have done you will never be safe whatever you have professed you will never be safe till you are bound up with Christ There is nothing you can do in outward Duty but the Devil will have more to say against you than you have to say for your selves There is no fear O Saint whatever comes against thee if thou art in Christ Therefore consider it every one of you as you would appear at the Great Day and your Faces not be ashamed pray see that Christ be yours pray see that you can produce the Seals and Witness of the Spirit of God that you are Believers or all your Profession will leave you miserable To live Christ is a safe Life John
Child away it cries out O let me go this pleasant way but the Person or Parent that pulls it away knows the Danger that the Child doth not therefore he plucks it away tho against the Childs Will So many times when a Saint cries out God is dealing with me in Anger when God is dealing with him in Love and tho it is a green and pleasant way the Lord prevents you by Afflictions from the Evil that otherwise you would fall into My Son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him It may be you will say Do any despise the Lord Yes when you murmur Truly God might have prevented this Affliction I cannot bear it I should have done well enough had not these Troubles come upon me But God is not wrath with a Believer the Flame of his Justice hath taken hold of Christ The Physician does not intend any hurt in a bitter Portion Christ hath paid dear for your Afflictions that they might be sanctified Heb. 11.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But while a Soul is out of Christ every Pressure is a Lash of Divine Justice But a Soul in Christ may say by his stripes am I healed my Iniquities are laid upon him God hath nothing against me Christ hath paid all for me When God calls his Children aside corrects them they may say I will go to my Father and hear what he speaks for Christ hath paid all bought all and whatever the Cup is though bitter I will drink it up though a Cup of Affliction it is a blessed Cup. But Souls out of Christ every thing robs them of their comfort while they can do any thing and prosper in the World they go on bravely but let God touch them and they are filled with Amazement But take Saints that God is their God Christ their Life they can go on comfortably Lord whatever bitter Portion I have it is in Love That God in anger chastises his Saints is impossible for Christ hath born the Wrath of God and hath satisfied Divine Justice that God hath not one drop to pour out upon you that are Christs Your Afflictions are to keep you from sin to subdue sin to sanctifie your course of Life that you may be weaned from the World and live to God Many Persons bring a false Charge against the Saints of God in their Afflictions as Job's Friends did against him You will say to the Godly when they are afflicted The Hand of God is against you the Curse of God is upon you the Devil and our corrupt Hearts are very apt to make bad constructions of God's Dealings and to close in with such conjectures If Christ hath not paid all there is something for you to pay but if you are Christ's Christ hath paid all therefore Affliction cannot rob you of your comfort Secondly Justice cannot rob you The Justice of God is satisfied you may look Divine Justice in the Face boldly There are two Men that walk very fearfully the Man that borrows what he hath and the other that steals that he hath The one is afraid of an Arrest the other of hanging So it is with poor Sinners The ungodly Man that calls not upon God at all steals all for he never asks Gods leave he steals the Mercies of God without asking God's leave whether he shall have them or no. There is another that is the Professor that knows not Christ he indeed will ask God for Mercies and doth perform Duties he will pray he will give thanks and he will fast and in his own conceit do whatever God requires but he rests here but notwithstanding all this Justice is not satisfyed It is your Duty to give thanks for Mercies and your Duty to pray and your Duty to fast But do you think your Duties are Payments to God for what you receive And do you think because you perform Duty you satisfie God No there will come a day of Reckoning and you must lie in Prison till you have paid the last Mite if your Mercies are not bought with Christ's Blood but if Jesus Christ is become your Life then all is paid for you have all your Mercies in a way of Redemption So the Psalmist Psal 107.1 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Will giving Thanks entitle to these mercies No let the redeemed of the Lord say so You that are Christs all God's Mercies are yours made over to you every Mercy is bought and paid for But an Unbeliever every comfort he hath he must pay dear for his Mercies and Talents are but borrowed but all the Mercies you have that are in Christ are bought with the Blood of Christ What you have is your own in Christ Jesus therefore none can take it from you Thirdly Satan cannot rob you of your comfort if you are in Christ he may cast Floods after you but he cannot rob you he may wash you but shall not drown you Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it You are not built on this Rock that have not Christ to be yours do what you will but taking hold on Christ you are built on a Rock Mat. 16. And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Christ is not only a Rock to uphold you but he is Life to keep you that all the Flouds that the Devil casts after you shall not drown you Satan's Temptations may come and may try you the Saint may see a great Cloud arising but it shall not drown him David complains That Deep calleth unto Deep and that the Waves and Billows were gone over him Tho' there may be great Waves great Trials great Temptations they shall not overcome you I tell you the Devil shall never drown you that are in Christ the Ship may be tossed the poor Saints may cry out Lord save or we perish but if Christ is in the Ship no fear if Christ is yours if you are tossed with Temptations and perplexed with great Troubles all the Devil can do against you shall but stir you up to awaken Christ though he intends the undoing of your Souls Have you Temptations or Wandâ—â—ngs in Prayer Does it not make you to cry to Christ more vehemently to run to Christ more constantly to rely on Christ more heartily The Devil's Temptations do but wash away your Filth you are kept still upon the Rock you shall not be drown'd The loving-kindnesses of the Lord are still the same to you the Devil robs most of the World he robs them of their Time and their Souls and Comforts and they will certainly be undone But now though Satan
does trouble you with Temptations and Corruptions you that are Believers he shall not rob you of your comfort because you live on Christ Fourthly Death shall not rob you of your comfort If Christ is yours Death in and through Christ is conquered If a Lion or Bear did lie dead in the street every little Boy would be ready to stand on them and make nothing of them but if they were alive they would be afraid of them and not dare to come near them So Death being conquered by Christ the Sting being taken away the weakest Believer in Christ may insult over Death Death comes peaceably to tell you God would have you come home to your Mansions of Glory But a carnal Man out of Christ Death undoes him he may cry out I am undone lost and damned for ever I shall never breath on Earth more I shall never hear a Sermon I shall never have an Offer of Christ more I am going to everlasting Destruction But to a Believer the Sting is taken out Sin was the Instrument that brought Death into the World and the Death of Christ is the Death of sin A Believer when he dies may say I shall change my Life for a better it doth not rob him of his Joy Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. When Christ who is your Life shall appear you shall also appear with him I am going to live a better Life I am going to live with him that I live to Death is conquered to a Believer it cannot rob you First It cannot rob you of your Joy for you are going to a better Life A Believer may say I am going where I shall never grieve God more where I shall never cry more Why hidest thou thy Face I am going to that Christ I live to my very Heart longs for him whose Presence I shall e're long enjoy You are but going out of the lower Room into the upper you are but going from the Church Militant below to the Church Triumphant above you are going up to him that came down to you That Life is safest that Death cannot rob us of O what a lamentable Outcry will there be with many at their Death There would be more Outcries with Sinners than there are when Death comes but that the Devil stupifies them that they do not cry out till they are in Hell But if Men were set on the brink of Hell and could see the misery they are going to Christ not being theirs O what a dreadful Outcry would there be But now a Soul in Christ may challenge Death O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory O Death what hast thou against me Christ hath took away thy Sting O you that have Christ your Life how sweet should every Sermon be How sweet should every Sabbath be How sweet should every Word be Methinks your Souls should be bound up in Love Grace Glory and the Comforts and Blessings of the Covenant of Grace and when Death approaches you should think of Christs sweet Words to you Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. O what a joyful Day will the day of Death be to a Believer Secondly Death cannot take away the comfort of a Believers Company We are sorry to leave our Relations and Friends and Company that we delight in here but never was your Heart so taken up with Delight in the Saints in the best Frame that ever you were in to the thousandth part to what you will be in Glory But the Wicked will be rob'd of the comfort of their Company they will then curse the Day that ever they saw each others Face but the Saints will meet all the glorious Saints Patriarchs and Prophets God is yours Christ is yours and you will come to a glorious Assembly the Company that you delighted in on Earth you will come to after Death Heb. 12.22 23. But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect What a glorious company are these O how many glorious Suns will you see in one day The very first moment you enter into Glory what a glorious sight will you see O how will you admire that blessed Face that was spit on for you O how will you admire those blessed Wounds in his Arms Legs Side and Heart that was made for your healing Satan cannot rob you of your company you loved the People of God on Earth and you are going to them So the Apostle comforts the Thessalonians that at the Death of their Relations they should not complain 1 Thes 4.13 14. But I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that they sorrow not even as others that have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Do not you fear Death shall not rob you of your company Christ will bring them with him For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. Death cannot rob you of your glorious Company the glorious Saints that are gone to Heaven before and they that remain behind You shall never lose one Friend by Death Thirdly Death cannot rob the Believer of his Life for his Life is hid with Christ when Death comes they do but sleep that Immortal Soul that God breathed into the Body that is now living that goes immediately into Immortal Glory Death does but enlarge it and set it in that place where it will never be confined to a sinful Body The Saints will never cry out with David Ps 102.2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble But the time will then come that all his Fetters will be knockt off and he will then indeed come to know that Life that he hath long wished for So that Death cannot rob them of their Life they do but fetch a Nap in the Grave till Christ comes and calls for them If we would live for ever let us live Christ now if we would not have Death kill us let us kill sin now Rom. 6.23 For the wages of sin is Death but the gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that there is eternal Life laid up in Christ Dying it is but a going out of your dark Chambers here below to that Glory above where you will have no need of a Candle or the Sun for God and the Lamb are the Light of that place there the Saints shall never cry out O my Heart or O my Head but shall be taken up in the Arms of the Lord of Glory When Christ appears who is our Life What then we shall appear with
him in Glory Col. 3.3 4. For ye are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in Glory The Saints if they consider need not be so afraid at the approaching of Death for it will be the real happiness of their Souls for then you shall enjoy that perfect Communion and Blessedness that you long for here on this side the Grave We are willing to have rest but are loath to go to bed we are willing to be released of our sins and troubles but we are unwilling to die and we shall never be wholly freed from them till then How lingring are we as if our Desires were that Christ's Chariot-wheels should stay a little longer But sure were the Joy of this glorious Life more cleared up to us we should long to put off our Mortality and to put on Immortality 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4. You that have Christ for your Life are very safe Death shall rob you of nothing for the Apostle saith For him to live is Christ and to die is gain Death does but take away that clod that we carry about us that we may see the Sun of Righteousness more glorious and enjoy him more perfectly in immortal Life and Glory Death robs most but shall not rob the Believer you shall but make an exchange of Heaven for Earth Glory for your Shame Joy for Sorrow for your crying and weeping here praise and Hallelujahs above Fourthly Death shall not rob you of your Treasure Indeed the Damned live but it is a miserable Life living Death in everlasting chains When Death comes the Treasure of the Saint is perfectly enjoyed What they had an earnest of before now they have in possession now they shall put on the glorious Robe and the Royal Crown on their Head they shall put on the Crown of Glory and of Righteousness Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness O what a laying up is here When the Apostle was ready to be offered up saith he I am ready to be offered up but I shall lose nothing by it for I cannot have my Crown till I die 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all that love his appearing I am ready to go I do not repent my going I know very well the time of my departure is at hand But what then Though it be I have fought the good fight I have kept the Faith I have lived Christ I have made him the hope of my Life and now I shall receive my Crown I have been in Troubles and Trials and in my Lords Battles but now I am going to receive a Crown of Righteousness Why so Had Paul deserved it by his Works No but as God is a righteous God and had promised Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day I shall have it when I am offered up when I am put to Death and then shall I wear a Crown an Immortal Crown on my Head for ever and this is not only for me but for all that love his appearing they must needs love his appearing that have him for their Life O the glorious Crowns that the Saints shall be crown'd with at that day a Crown of Life that never withers Here our Comforts wither while we hold them in our Hand they wither like a Beautiful Flower in the Morning it holds up its Head but by Evening it is withered A Crown of Glory that never fades away O what treasures will the Saints have when Death comes that have made Christ their Life The Worldling will lose his Treasure the Hypocrite will lose his hope he will never hope more Job 27.8 For what is the hopes of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul Tho he hath gained applause of Men he shall lose it Dan. 12.3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever What is the Hope of a Hypocrite of a Christless Soul when he hath breathed his Last when his Soul sits quivering on his Lips Alas I have made a Profession of Religion I thought I had something laid up but all is lost for ever O that I should hope in vain and now the end of my hope is come and not the Salvation but Damnation of my Soul Though I have done many things and made a clutter in the World and eat and drunk in Christ's Presence it is all in vain that I have hoped my strength and my hope is perished for ever and then all his Peace is lost No Peace saith my God to the wicked Then the Storm of Divine Vengeance will come and awaken the false hope of the Hypocrite then the Worldling will lose all his Riches The Young Man was sorrowful to leave all and follow Christ Persons are afraid to do any thing for Religion for fear of wanting But whether the Young Man will part with all to follow Christ or no he must leave all at Death Death does spoil them of all their Treasure But it is not so with the Saint The poor Christless Soul may say when he considers his state Whatever I have e're long it will be taken from me if I have treasured up the Worlds Goods and have not made Christ my Life I am like for ever to be undone to use this World to God's Glory will be our Mercy but to over-love it it will be our undoing but Death to the Saint will be the year of Jubile they shall have double for all their Trials Troubles and Sorrows when Death comes they shall have all restored to them whatever they have lost for Christ it will be gain then they have laid up for themselves a good Foundation for time to come as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the times to come that they may lay hold on eternal Life A good Foundation against the time to come the Saints have their Treasure in store when they go hence Mat. 6.20 Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where Thieves do not break through nor steal In Heaven there his Heart was there his Hope was there his Desire was there his Longing was and now he comes to die his Treasure is
fuerim omnes si potuissem occidere I was so great a Saint in my own esteem that I was ready to slay all if I could and this he did out of a blind Zeal The Pride of Men's Hearts together with their blind Zeal cause persons to exalt themselves and strive to make the Doctrin and Life of others odious to the People altho they are such as God has given his Vrim and Thummim to While Persons are contending about Words and distracting their Hearers with things that concern not their Salvation and endeavouring to beget a Prejudice in their Hearts against Godly Ministers they in the mean time neglect to preach down Heresies and false Doctrins that strike at the Principles of Faith and welfare of immortal Souls Surely all those that are begotten from the Dead unto a lively hope by Christ Jesus will love all those that are made partakers of the same Life and will not cease daily to mourn for their Deficiency therein 6 Infer Is Christ a Believers Life and such a Life as you have heard then what a miserable state is a Christless Soul in A state of Darkness while they live a state of misery when they die the Cup of Wrath without mixture eternal misery will be the portion of the wicked Oh what a state of blindness and darkness do they live on Earth And what a state of misery will they be in in the other World But you may say How shall I know that Christ is mine I shall lay down a few Characters but I shall First Shew who they are that have not Christ for their Life Secondly Who they are that have Christ for their Life I shall begin with the Negative First That Soul that was never sick unto Death for Christ never yet had Christ for its Life that Soul that never saw himself undone without Christ that Soul never made Christ his Life They that never groan under the body of Sin and Death that never cried out Wo is me I am undone what shall I do to be saved they are dead in Trespasses and Sins They that never saw the Sentence of Death in themselves never made Christ their Life 2 Cor. 1.9 But we had the Sentence of Death in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead When a Soul comes to say Alass I have gone as far as I can but I cannot get peace nor comfort by all I do therefore I must lie down and perish if I have not Christ to be mine I have nothing of my own to cover me I shall be naked if I have not his Blood to wash me I shall die in my sins If you believe not in me saith Christ you shall die in your sins Better die on a Dunghil better die in a Prison better die in a Fiery Furnace in Christ than in a Palace out of him But what remedy shall there be to save us from our sins Why Christ doth not set them to work for Life but to believe in him who is the believing Sinners Life Let a Legalist or Formalist they that never were pained at the Heart with a sense of their undon state they that have not Christ for their life what a deal of difference is between a Believer and them as much as thereis between a person that is sick and another that is dead He that is dead if he be laid on the ground there is all quiet and lay a Weight on him he is quiet but go and lay your Ear at the sick Man's Bed and there is groaning and crying O my Head O my Heart What is it you want I want Breath I want a Physician I want Life We preach Christ to you poor sinners What is the reason You do not groan for this Christ Why You are dead in your sins You go away and it may be some particular things we tell you of you can repeat them when you go home Some particular Duties you perform but are your Souls awakened Do you groan for Christ Do you go home pained at the Heart Was Christ ever your Life Do you cry out I am dead and undon without Christ be my Life If you were sick at Heart and were pained for Christ we should hear of you It may be you go to hear as your fancy leads you but not with a sense of your wants You fancy somtimes this Man sometimes that Man but were your Souls ever sick for Christ Did your Hearts ever break within you Did your Souls ever mourn in secret Lord give me a Christ I am afraid of this little number many that are dead that Christ was never your Life When persons are in a Swound put Spirits or any thing into their Nose they do not mind it but when they come to themselves they cry out I am sick O give me something Saith our blessed Lord Jesus John 5.25 Verily Verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live When Christ comes with an effectual Call by his Spirit to the Heart in his Word it raises up the dead Man If there be a whole Family dead there is not one Groan heard but if one that is alive be sick or in pain he fills the place with Groans Talk of any thing rather than Christ any preaching is for some Men rather than Christ that is foolishness to some Ay but Soul whether thou wilt have Christ or no we must preach Christ and then we can give up our account with Joy It is the whole Work of a Minister to preach Christ whatever Duties are Spiritual they all flow from Christ but where Christ is not dwelling in the Soul all they perform is dead and formal Silent Professor quiet Professor quiet with outward Duties with a Form of Religion and so rest until you are undone If once God calls you and awakens you by the effectual working of his Spirit then your Souls will cry out O give me a Christ If I have not the Blood of Christ I am undone If I have not the Righteousness of Christ I am undone If I have not the Spirit of Christ I am none of his And whose are you then The Devils Rom. 8.9 Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his There is no middle state you are the Devils that are not Christs you are dead in sin under Bondage if you have not the Spirit of Christ Be what you will a Professor a Person in Communion or out of Communion be rich or poor a person of Gifts a person that can hear read and pray if you have not the Spirit of Christ you are none of his When the dead persons were raised up by Christ something was called for them to eat O saith the Soul when he is awakened by Grace give me a Christ or I perish O that I had a Cordial of his Blood I want his Blood I want his Righteousness his
Promises they shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and live It is called a Vivification We are by Nature dead in Trespasses and Sins in our deliverance from them we are said to be quickened Eph. 5.5 Though dead we hear the voice of the Son of God and live being made alive unto God through Jesus Christ Rom. 6.11 Now no such Works can he wrought in us but by an effectual Communication of a Principle of Spiritual Life and nothing will deliver us Some think to evade the power of this Argument by saying that all these Expressions are metaphorical and arguing from them are but fulsom Metaphors and it is well if the whole Gospel be not a Metaphor to them But if there be not an Impotency in us by Nature unto all Acts of Spiritual Life like that which is in a dead Man unto the Act of Life natural if there be not a like power of God required unto our Deliverance from their condition and they work in us a Principle of Spiritual Obedience as it is required unto the raising of him that is dead They may as well say that the Scripture speaks not truly as that it speaks metaphorically and that the almighty Power the exceeding Greatness of God's Power that is put forth are exercised herein Eph. 1.18 Col. 2.12 13. 2 Thess 1.11 2 Pet. 1.3 And what do these Men intend by this quickning this raising from the Dead by the power of God A perswasion of our minds by rational motives taken from the Word and the things contained in it But was there ever heard of such a monstrous Expression If there be nothing else in it what could the Holy Writers intend by calling such a Work as this a quickning of them who were dead in trespasses and sins through the mighty power of God unless it were by a noise and insignificant Words to draw us off from a right understanding of what is intended Dr. Owen on the Spirit p. 279. Sect. 49. and it is well if some are not of that mind Do you hear the Voice of Christ continually in the Word preached but you must hear another Voice or you are undone for ever If the Voice of the Ministration of the Word without the Power of the Spirit would awaken Men there would be fewer in Hell and more in Heaven than there are This is the external means but yet there must be the pouring out of the Spirit or else this will do no good And here I shall shew how the Spirit of God works on the Heart First The Spirit of God works effectually that is the Voice of the Son of God How long may we preach the Resurrection of the Dead to a dead Man before he rises but that Resurrection that is preached when Christ comes with the Sound of the Trumpet and saith Ye dead arise presently the Dead arise We may come and sound the Trumpet in the Ears of Sinners but they will not hearken till Christ come by the effectual working of his Holy Spirit then it works indeed Acts 16.14 speaking of Lydia whose Heart the Lord opened and then she attended to the things of the Kingdom of God And a certain Woman named Lydia a Seller of Purple of the City Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose Heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things that were spoken of Paul She attended as one whose Heart was opened and was sick for Christ and rejoyced to hear Christ preached Secondly The Spirit of God comes and perswades the Heart to close with Christ Saith a sick person I am perswaded if I could but have such a Physician I should be cured healed of my sickness So poor Souls lie complaining but not in Despair they are sick unto Death but yet shall not die they see themselves lost without Christ yet shall not die for want of Christ The Spirit perswades them to embrace Christ John 6.45 It is written they shall be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learn'd of the Father cometh unto me It is written in the Prophet they shall be all taught of God Is this to leave off all teaching No they shall be all taught of God How Why God shall teach them by the Power of his Spirit in the Word And how then Every Man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me God teacheth them by the World and the Spirit perswades them there is Life in Christ The Soul is perswaded to close with Christ for the Soul that is sick for Christ shall never die Saith Christ He that believeth on me shall never die But the sick Sinner is perswaded that Christ can heal him and will heal him he groans but not in Despair he sighs but not as a Person that is out of hopes but does believe that Jesus Christ will be his Salvation and is his Life he shall hear the Voice of the Son of God The preaching of the Word is the means but it must be the Spirit of God that must work and make it effectual and then the Soul makes no delay no consideration of this or that but closes with Jesus Christ as a dying person closes with a Medicine that may cure him Thirdly The Voice of Christ is a Voice that engrafts it self with power in the Heart The Apostle saith Jam. 1.21 Receive with meekness the engraffed word which is able to save your Souls They are peswaded that Jesus Christ is their Life the Promises of Christ are become theirs though they are sick of Love to Christ they shall not die for want of Christ Ask Believers what it is they want they will tell you they want more strength from Christ more knowledge of Christ more Communion with Christ Now they that have not had these Symptoms of Life lie yet in the Grave of sin and the Worm of Conscience feeds on them and they feel it not Millions feel not the Worm of Conscience till they come to Hell Saith Christ I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The whole need no Physician but they that are sick The Second Character of such that never made Christ their Lise are those that never see themselves poor and undone without Christ Thou sayest thou art high and increased in Goods and hast need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3.17 What without Christ and not cry out thou art poor miserable and undone They that never see themselves poor miserable and undone are yet without Christ What without Christ and well enough What hath enrich'd you Need of nothing What are you well enough without Christ Thou sayest I am encreased What can you patch up with any Duties with any Hopes with any thing below Christ But saith Christ thou art poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked 3ly They never made Christ their Life that never prized that glorious Gospel that brings them Tidings
of this Life If a Man be sick unto Death as he thinks bring him tidings of Life it is the best News he can hear of bring him Tidings that his Will is made his Estate is setled very well but how is it with you I am a dead Man O Sir but I have brought one with me that saith he can certainly cure you This is the best News saith he that you have brought me So is Jesus Christ come to save poor Sinners of whom I am the chief saith a poor Soul This is a Saying worthy of all Acceptation They that do not prize the Gospel and find it the sweetest thing in the World yet have not Christ for their Life There is that in Nature that persons must be doing something that they may obtain Blessedness The Israelites stript themselves for to make them a God So do formal Professers they will be at much Cost and Charge for an outward Profession and then fall down and adore their own Doing but to prize this Gospel that brings them News of a Redeemer it is very rare to find one among many But now the Soul that longs for Christ is sick for Christ rejoyces to hear these glad Tidings Saith Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief It is the best News that ever I heard If the Gospel is not joyful News to you if it doth not affect you you never had Christ When a Soul comes to close with Christ he saith And is there hope for me and did Christ die for me And did Christ come to be Life for me O welcom News the best that ever I heard in my Life 2 Tim. 1.10 But now is made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished Death and brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel Life is brought through the Gospel What Life Immortal Life Immortal Grace Immortal Salvation to a poor undone Sinner If this Gospel is not prized but as a thing indifferent as many make their calling and business their main end but the Gospel is a thing they can best spare Such never made Christ their Life In ver 9. the Apostle saith Christ hath called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ before the World began who hath abolished Death The Death of immortal Souls under the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God Christ takes Death away And what hath he brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel Were you but sensible of the Worth of this Life how would you love the Wells of Salvation from whence is drawn the Waters of Life Love the Pot that holds the Manna that preserves this Life Love the Messenger that brings you Tidings You shall live and not die How would a condemned Malefactor love that Person that should bring him a â—ardon yea the Messenger that should bring him News of it So it is with the condemned Sinner the Sentence is pass'd He that believes not is Damned O what Joy is it to hear of Salvation by Christ when the Sinner hath a sense of his misery This immortal Life comes through the Gospel When a Sermon of Christ is preached News from Heaven is brought to Sinners and what News is it O that there is mercy and pardon for poor Sinners Saith the believing Soul shall my Soul live is Christ become my Salvation O what blessed Gospel is this What precious News is this Now Soul do you look on the Gospel glad Tidings and the Feet of them that bring it beautiful if not be sure Christ is not your Life Fourthly They never had Christ for their Life that live in themselves that centre in themselves on themselves and not above themselves As thus Take a dead Man and wrap him up in Silk and Silver with the best Perfumes you can it centres all in Putrifaction Rottenness and Death all the sweet Smells and Perfumes will not keep him from corruption But take a living Man he lives on something to preserve Life It would be improper to say a Man lives on nothing a living Man must have something to subsist with A dead sinner centres in himself what Duty he performs he takes to be his Life But a Soul in Christ lives on Christ and not on his Performances tho he performs Duty So much for the Negative now follows the Affirmative What are the Characters of them that have Christ their Life First If Christ is your Life you will love the Word of God and look upon it to be very precious that hath been the means of begetting and nourishing this Life in you As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may go thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious you will love the Food that the Lord gives you The Prodigal when he returned home to his Fathers House then he thought his Food precious The Word of Christ is that which is very precious to the Soul if you do not taste that the Lord is gracious you can never fall in love with Christ There may be some Convictions under the Word but they will wear off again there may be something that may delight but Souls that Christ is their Life they come to relish the inward sweetness and power of the Word of Christ if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious First They will long for it Secondly They will make it their Meat and Drink First They will long for it If a Child be crying for the Breast if you give it a Rattle or any other thing it will not please it or still it without the Breast It is not any thing of this World nor the Glory of it will still a Believer without Christ Psal 84. See how the Psalmist praises the Courts of God how lovely it is One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of God than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness Why would you be a Door-keeper in the House of God Truly there Beggars fare well Hungry Souls would be first in and last out they would be served more than once Saith a longing Soul I would not have a Word drop before I come that I may lose nothing I would be one of the first in and last out I would not have a Word drop nor a Crum fall I would hear all that is spoken of Christ How sweet is every Word of Christ The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul More are they to be desired than 〈…〉 than much fine Gold sweeter than the 〈◊〉 the Honey-comb Ps 19. And 〈…〉 prize thy Word more than my 〈◊〉 Food Soul thou that longest for the Word of Christ certainly thou art alive in Christ Surely thou that longest for the
Food of Christ livest on Christ I believe there are many poor doubting Souls among you If you were asked when you are an hungry if you were invited to a great Feast would you not leave that to go and hear Christ preached would you not leave your Meal to hear Christ's preous Word Saith Job Chap. 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary Food Then if thy Soul longs for the Word of Grace it is a sign that your Souls are made alive by Christ Whoever can say of the Word of Christ My Soul longs for it I long for the Courts of God I long for the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ I long for the Pot of Manna that I may taste of the Golden Manna I long for the day when Manna comes down from Heaven if it is so I say from God's Word though you may have many castings down your Souls are made alive by Christ and he is become your Salvation A Saint makes Religion his Meat and Drink It is one thing 〈◊〉 be waiting on God 〈…〉 and another thing to 〈…〉 Meat and Drink An 〈…〉 perform many things and be large in Duty and yet not make it his Meat and Drink John 4.31 32. His Disciples prayed him saying Master eat But he said unto them I have meat to eat that you know not of Alas his Meat was to do his Fathers Will The Word of Christ his Ordinances and Duties are Meat and Drink to the Believer I live a Life that you do not know of I have Meat and Drink that you do not know of I live in doing my Fathers Will. Saith a Believer I live on Christ and his Word and of all Mercies I enjoy nothing so sweet to me as Christ and his Word who is better to me than all outward Mercies If it be so with you you may take comfort in this that Christ is become your Life where the Word of Grace and means of Grace is become as Meat and Drink to your Souls Secondly A Soul that lives Christ and hath made Christ his Life he lives above the World He may have some Fears and Doubts But it is the Desire of a Saint to live above the things of the World If ye then be risen with Christ Saith a Reverend Author Amor meus pondus meum Every Man goes where his Love carries him seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth Col. 3.1 2. When I was in my natural state saith a Believer when the World went well with me I was mightily content but now I am risen with Christ made alive with Christ now my Heart is set on seeking things above had I but Communion with Christ could I but walk with Christ live upon Christ let the World go which way it will tho I have many Fears and Discouragements when I have Communion with Christ my Heart is above them all O my Soul what a good Day it is when thou canst enjoy Communion with Christ The Believer lives above Though many times a Soul hath his gloomy days in the World when Fears surround his Faith but he gets above it again When they look above where their Glory and Comfort is Set your affections on things above and not on things below There is an Exhortation and Dehortation Set your affections on things above there is the Exhortation And not on things below there is the Dehortation Christians are often forbid That they should not love the World and commanded positively that they should set their Hearts on things above Tho a Believer is many times complaining that his Heart is too much on this present World but saith a Believer I desire my Heart may be above O that it might never be below again O were it my Duty I would wish to be always in the House of God Therefore when your Heart is carried up above the World you have an Interest in a better Life than this is below Thirdly To perform Duty and to live on Christ above all Duties is another Character of one that makes Christ his Life They are carried up above Duty they pray and yet live on Christ by Faith they hear yet live on Christ for Righteousness Paul was a Man prizing Duty and loving Duty as much as any Saint preaching all night praying night and day preaching in season and out of Season he was much in praying and fasting yet saith he I count all my own righteousness but dung and dross without Christ It is rare Wisdom to be a Student in the Knowledge of Christ An exact walking Christian and yet to live above Duty upon Christ For one to neglect Duty and yet profess Christ that is a Delusion To profess Christ and live upon any thing below Christ is Confusion but to walk circumspectly in our Duty and yet to live above all upon Christ is a Character of a true Believer Fourthly If Christ is become your Life you will be diligent under all means of Grace under those means where Life is begotten and preserved The Impotent Folks lay at the Pool of Bethesda waiting for the moving of the Waters if ever they had healing it must be there A Soul must be diligent about Christ's Table where Crums fall to feed their 〈…〉 And Simon answering â—â—d unto him Master we have 〈…〉 the night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the Net A diligent waiting at Wisdom's Gate a diligent hearkning when Christ will speak peace We will hear what the Lord will speak are the Words of gracious Soul Fifthly They that have Christ their Life Christ is very precious unto them O how precious is a Mans Life The Devil could tell God Behold skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his Life A Man would give any thing for his Life So a Believer would give any thing for a 〈◊〉 The Devil appears before God What is Job alive Tho be is 〈◊〉 of all thou hast spared his 〈…〉 Man will give all that 〈…〉 his â—â—fe Saith Paul I count 〈◊〉 but dung and dross that I may win Christ convinâ—◠〈…〉 will do any thing for a Christ part with any thing that they might but know Christ to be theirs When a Man is set on by Thieves saith he Take all so you save my Life Job 2.4 And Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin all that a man hath will he give for his Life If Job had a thousand Treasures all that he had should go for his Life How willingly doth the Mariner unlade his Ship and cast all his rich Wares over-board that he may preserve that precious Jewel his Life A Man will give Skin upon Skin Gold upon Gold Treasure upon Treasure that he may save his own Life Let Life be at stake and a Man will give all the things he hath in the World for
it and think he hath a good bargain Life is the most precious the most excellent thing in Nature Hester's Speech to the King in her Petition imports that all other Losses might have been born but the loss of Life Mr. Caril on Job She thought Liberty not worth the asking for compared with Life A Christian values Christ above all things Phil. 3.7 What was gain to me I count loss that I may have Christ I count all but dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ For Christ is precious his Love is precious his Offices precious his Person precious his Promises are precious I would give all so I might have Christ to be mine Where Christ is your Life you will prize him above all O let me have Christ know Christ that is the Sum of my Life The Spouse told the Daughters He was the chief among ten thousand Did you ever see Christ precious Is his Blood precious Do you long for his Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.7 To them that believe he is precious Fifthly If Christ is your Life you will study Christ more and more Many we say are their own Physicians they will study Physick that they may be their own Doctors and know how to apply Medicines to themselves Those Souls that know Christ to be their Life they will study to know Christ more that they may have a Remedy for every Disease of their Souls ready at hand and not be strangers to that Grace and Mercy that helps in time of need I shall now come to wind up with a Word of Exhortation Is it so that the Life of a Believer is such a glorious Life O then you Christless Souls cry day and night till Christ is become your Life it is a Life above all Lives if once you come to live Christ you will say with David One day in thy Court is better than a thousand and I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of God than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness I would rather enjoy one moments time with Christ than all the Pleasures of the World It is a Life above all Lives The Happiness of this World is mixt with Sorrow You have your dead Flies in your sweet Oyntment The best of your outward Mercies are mingled with Trials and Troubles and Fears and when you have Gain you are afraid of losing it When you have great Mercies you have great Care comes in with it But to live Christ it is a pure Life It is said of Wisdom All her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are paths of Peace Now the Soul that lives on Christ what a sweet Life what a pure Life what a glorious Life does he live But saith the Sinner What shall I do Ah Sinner Christ hath done all that thou mayest have all given freely for in thy doing thou mayest be undone But what may you do to make Christ your Life Nothing that we do can move God to give Christ If we think we deserve any thing at God's hand for our doings it is the way to be undone But though we cannot work for Life we are taught to beg for Mercy God will be enquired of for those things he freely gives First Go to God and beg of him to convince thee of the necessity of Christ Go and tell the Lord what an undone and miserable Wretch thou art thou art poor and canst not see it Cry Lord I am poor but I am blind and miserable O Lord convince me what need I have of Christ Jesus Beg of God to open thy eyes to see the worth and want of Christ Secondly Beg the Lord to awaken thy Soul to see how suitable Christ is to thy Soul If the Lord would speak from Heaven this day and say to an awakened Sinner What wilt thou have Sinner Riches and Honours Wilt thou have long Life The Sinner awakened would answer No Lord that is not suitable give me thy self or I am undone Oh how suitable is Christ to an undone Soul Thirdly Beg God to perswade thy Heart how ready and willing Christ is to entertain thee when all is done you still sink under your Burden if you do not believe the willingness and reaidness of Christ to receive you Ah poor Sinner thou canst not long more for Life and Salvation than Christ longs to save thee All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6.37 Fourthly What can you do Sinner Nothing to work in any way to purchase the Favour of God but this you may do Wait upon the means of Grace wait at Wisdoms Gate You do not know Sinner how soon it may be your Call how soon Christ may come and you may hear the Voice of the Son of God Though a carnal natural Man can do nothing in matter of his Salvation he may wait on God in the way of his Divine Appointments Though Zaccheus was a carnaâ—â—ublican he could get up into the â—â—camore-Tree to see Christ A poâ—â—â—â—â—â—al Heart may come wait and hea◠〈◊〉 be at Wisdoms Gate Come get into the Sycamore Tree and it may please the Lord to speak a Word to thee this day or next day Salvation may come to thy House to thy Soul May not we liken many persons that come to hear the Gospel to Zaccheus's getting up the Tree to get a sight of Christ they come to see and be seen and think not what they shall meet with they never see their need of Christ but Christ comes and calls the Soul awakens it Sinner where art thou Where art thou going undon sinner I will become thy Salvation Luke 19.3 Zaccheus had only a mind to see Christ as other persons had And he sought to see Jesus who he was but could not for he was low of Stature and he ran before and climbed up into a Sycamore Tree to see Christ And when Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him Christ must look upon us first he saw a poor ignorant People running to see his Person but not to believe in him for Salvation Christ said unto him Zaccheus make haste and come down for to day I must abide at thy House Come to the Ordinances of God attend there Then poor Sinner thou art in the way though thou hast no Interest in Christ nor never heardst this Salvation sounding in thy Soul so as to give thee comfort though thou art looking and beholding there seeing and hearing out of custom Jesus said unto him Make haste and come down for to day I must abide at thy House Make haste if Christ would give thy poor dark Soul a call this day what haste would you make to close with Christ there would be no deliberation Zaccheus delays not but comes down presently and the Lord may speak in a Word of Grace sinner This day I will take up my Abode in thy Heart for ever O how good it
is to be under the means of Grace Tho many come but to take a Nap as Bishop Latimer saith God may catch thee napping The Lord may speak to thy Soul This day I will be thy Salvation O what joyful News would it be to a poor dead carnal sinner If the Lord should this day speak to thee and say Sinner I am thy Salvation And he came down and received him joyfully he was the best Guest that ever he entertained If you had asked Zaccheus a little before when he sat at the Receipt of Custom whether he would have parted with any thing for Christ he would not have hearkned to you now all shall go for a Christ now saith he Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor I will take Vengeance on my Iniquity and if I have taken any thing from any Man by false Accusation I restore him four-fold He came down and received him joyfully Thou art welcom to me if I had a thousand Worlds I could part with them all for Christ Be sure wait at Wisdoms Gate you may hear Christs Voice saying I am become thy Salvation Fifthly When you are waiting O send up Cries as the poor blind Men did when they heard that Christ was coming You have heard Christ preacht this day can you be still and not send up one Prayer and Cry to Christ Lord come into my Soul Will you go home with your cold Prayers and cold Hearts and cold Affections and shall Christ stand aloof off and you stand afar from Christ Mat. 20.30 And behold two blind setting by the way side when they heard that Jesus passed by cryed out saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David and the multitude rebuked them So a Soul may say I have a multitude within me bids me hold my Peace I have a multitude of unbelieving Thoughts tell me it is too late for me to come to Christ now I have a multitude of Thoughts Christ will not have mercy on me I have a multitude of Temptations never to pray more I have a multitude rebuking my Soul but the more the multitude rebuke me the more I will cry to Christ the more my unbelieving Heart cries Christ will not save thee the more I will cry to Christ to save me the more my Temptations bid me I should not pray I will pray the more when the Devil tells me it is in vain to seek for Mercy I will seek the more earnestly And they cryed Have mercy on us it was mercy they wanted Saith the Soul Unbelief tells me Christ will not look on such a Sinner as I am and my Heart tells me I am so vile there is no hope for me but I will cry the more Have mercy Lord help me I will tell the Lord I have need of a Christ I must have him or I am undone The more Temptations beset me the more Unbelief besets me the more I will cry to Christ to remove it the more I am tempted the more I will pray the more I will cry the faster I will cleave to Christ Sinners send up Cries to Heaven for Christ and Grace that your Souls may live and not die How would the Devil Baffle poor ignorant Souls out of all He would baffle them out of Duties and Ordinances and Sabbaths But a Believer will not be baffled by him and though the Devil and the World and his own Heart oppose him he saith I will make my Prayer to the God of my Life let them say what they will I will cry to Christ for Life And O you that are Strangers to Christ and are convinced of your undone condition beg of them that have an Interest in Christ to cry for you O you that have Christ consider what a safe a blessed a comfortable Life you live You that are yet Strangers what will you do when you come to die if Christ is not your Life Therefore let me beg of you to set your resolution to cry to the Lord and resolve that you will not be put off without Jesus Christ that you may not die in your sins and so perish for ever for the Wages of Sin is eternal Death but the Gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ ERRATA Christian Reader Notwithstanding the Care that hath been taken to prevent Errors yet upon a farther perusal of this Tract I have found many have escaped the Press I hope what I have marked you will mind and what I have overlooked if you find them you will candidly pass thenn over minding the Sense and not charge the Author with the Printer's Faults PAge 13. line 24. for is he read would he be p. 29. l. 4. for his Jewels r. her Jewels p. 25. l. 10. for enjoys r. desires to enjoy p. 96. l. 5 6. for a Child in Christ r. Children of God for his r. their p. 249. l. 4 for to be r. is it to be p. 251. l. 14 for speak r. speak of p. 258. l. 9 for lives on r. lives Christ p. 260. l. 22. for the glorious the Mystery r. the glorious Mystery p. 262. l. 28. for a Soul r. Saints p. 263. l. 9. for Soul r. Souls p. 175. l. 17. for in thee r. in FINIS Books Sold by William Marshal at the Bible in Newgate Street Dr. Owen 's Books THE True Nature of a Gospel-Church and its Government wherein these following Particulars are distinctly handled I. The Subject-matter of the Church II. The formal Cause of a particular Church III. Of the Polity Rule or Discipline of the Church in general IV. The Overseers of the Church V. The Duty of Pastors of Churches VI. The Office of Teachers in the Church VII Of the Rule of the Church or Ruling Elders VIII The Nature of Church-Polity or Rule with the Duty of Elders IX Of Deacons X. Of Excommunication XI Of the Communion of Churches Printed in large 4o. Price bound 3 s. Another Book of the same Authors lately Printed left in Manuscript Entituled A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace wherein Sins Reign is discovered in whom it is and in whom it is not how the Law supports it and how Grace is deliver'd from it by seating its Dominion in the Heart Price bound 1 s. Another Book of the Doctors lately published Entituled A brief and impartial Account
Christ always when the Soul wants Fruit comes with a Divine Beam darting into the Soul Christ doth cast many sweet Looks on a sinner when he breaks his Heart for sin First A Look of Love Hast thou dealt so with the Lord that loved thee Ah Peter tho thou hast denied me I will not forsake thee Oh Peter though thou hast swore and curst I know not the Man yet I know thee and will take notice of thee and will make known my self to thee O consider what Love this was Christ looked with a first Love on Peter we love him because he first loved us Ah Peter thou hast made the Breach but I will come to make it up thou hast turned from me but I will follow thee with my Love I will begin with thee As Christ began our Life of Grace so he begins all our Revivings Take a Saint under an hard Heart under Guilt he may sit under means and it is his Duty so to do but no stirring till Christ comes When Peter was in his sin and rebellion Christ looked on him with a first Love Secondly Christ looks with a free Love Peter I will not wait till thou comest to me with Legal Repentance I will look on thee before thou confessest me Christ begins first he comes freely with his Love Peter had smote on his Heart he had no preparation to come to Christ Christ loves freely Hosea 14. when he heals Backsliders he loves freely Verse 4. I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely for my anger is turned away from them Every Act of Christ's Love to us is free Love there is not any moment of our time that we can bring any thing that is our own to Christ to love us Thirdly Christ's Love was a very strong Love sinners shall never break the Cords of it Therefore have I drawn them with the cords of a man with the bands of Love Hos 11.4 O how strong was Christ's Love to Peter When a Soul laments that it cannot love Christ then the â—oul is growing in the Grace of Love Love then is stronger than Death and so is Christ's Love to every one that he redeems and so it was to Peter The strong love of Christ broke in upon him and now he falls a weeping Ah Peter have I loved thee and yet thou hast forsaken me yet here I am with a new look of Love Love stronger than Death that overcomes all our deadness and coldness then the Heart breaks and melts when Christ comes with his look of Grace he will break the hardest Heart there Fourthly Christ's Love was a very seasonable Love Then was the time of love when thou wert weltering in thy Blood Ezek. 16. How seasonably does the Sun shine on the Flowers and Plants to revive and comfort them When the Soul complains Corruption is strong Grace is weak my Heart is cold Love dies I find my Soul fainting I fear I decay Christ comes in seasonably with a new Manifestation of his love to the Soul and this breaks the very Heart That which is spoke of the Sun in the Firmament may be spoken of this glorious Sun of Righteousness the Sun comes like a Bridegroom out of his Chamber so does the Lord Jesus Christ appear to his Bride The Sun rejoyceth to run its Race as a strong Man and as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber does it appear So does Christ comes as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber and as a strong Man delights to run his Race so does the Lord Jesus Christ break forth into the Soul with his glorious Beams of Divine Grace Fifthly Christ's love is a great love How great is that love that can pardon such sins pardon such sinners visit the Saints under such Frames of Heart This was the love of Christ to Peter he lookt on Peter to break his Heart with a look of love Secondly He looked with a look of Mercy O Peter I will pardon thee Return to me saith the Lord I am married unto thee Jer. 3. Ah Peter I am thine he looked upon Peter it was Mercy broke Peter's Heart The Terrors of the Law may make Men run distracted but their Hearts are hardned against God But when pardoning Grace comes that breaks the Heart melts the Heart Peter went out and wept bitterly what shall I find mercy shall I find favour shall such rich mercy be shewed in pardoning me O give thanks unto the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 107. Psal 136. Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ breaks in with a Divine Shine of Sanctification If Christ is your Life you shall never want Grace it is our Duty to be waiting for Grace praying for Grace but a Believer shall never want Grace he gives Grace to him in a time of need if ever it was a time of need this was a time of need with Peter It is good you should see your want it is good you should seek the Lord he gives the Grace of Repentance the Grace of Humility he gives the Grace of Godly Sorrow How seasonably is Grace given to a Soul that longs for it When there is no Water in their own Cisterns the Lord Jesus comes with new Springs of Grace to such a Soul A Believer never walks more comfortably than when he walks humbly then the Soul mourns before the Lord. Such Divine Beams of Love from Christ work in the Soul true Contrition and Humiliation Ah saith the Soul have I had so many wooings so many offers of Grace yet have kept Grace out of my Heart Could I shut out the remembrance of him one moment Hath his love been so soon forgotten He that wept for me and bled for me and died for me have I kept him out of my Heart The Spouse tasted of this but it was a growing time but her Soul was in great bitterness Oh saith she it was the voice of my Beloved I knew him yet I did not open to him Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh saying open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled for my Hand is filled with Dew and my Locks with the drops of the night Verse 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Verse 4. My Beloved put in his Hand by the hole of the door and my Bowels were moved for him When I opened my Bowels my Bowels were moved to think that I knew it was my Beloved yet would not open to him When a Soul comes to know Christ it cries O the many Offers I have had O the many sweet Wooings I have had O that ever I should slight and neglect and resist as I have done O that I should love so little when he loves so much O how slight have I thought of him How unkindly have I carried it and how untenderly O now let Christ be all in all Now the Soul hath a weeping Eye I looking cannot but love