otherwise they wait in vain But for what for a rising Sun a superexcellent glory to be reveal'd in them in their souls after this life in their bodies after this world This is the highest fullest greatest manifestation of that glory which shall in that day sweetly fully certainly satisfie all patient desires that have been exercised in the expectation of it This is the glory the Saints wait for The third is the Spirits work Of this what more can be said what more can be thought than is summ'd-up in the 26. verse Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. This hath two parts A Person and His work First a Person The Spirit of glory It appears he is ingaged in a Saints sufferings by those conjunctive particles Likewise also But how Not simply but in reference to his work Secondly His work To help our infirmities * Piscat Divines say to help our infirmities is Auxiliari nobis infirmis quum prae infirmitate non sufficimus oneri crucis portando The Spirit strengthening weak men to hear the burthen of the Crosse The Spirit bearing as it were the burthen that man faint not So that sufferings may load a Saint not hinder his glory The fourth is the Fathers love A royall attribute which hath its floods in persecutions hottest climate It is seen In the Fathers heart By the Fathers hand First in his heart Have you ever observ'd in the relation or action of private of publick differences how the auditors the spectators have inclin'd or sided as affection led them to the one party or with the other So sides yea far more this person of glory with all his Saints He sees he hears their sorrows their cries his heart earns and he takes their parts ver 31. If or * Ponitur autem si pro quia c. Pisc because God be with us Beza renders it on our side who can be against us The glory prepar'd therefore shall in them be reveal'd All sufferings cannot hinder in all the Father of glory sides with them is for them is with them Secondly By his hand A loving heart is open handed Can any thing be thought too much too dear to expresse a heart fully indeared to one The Scriptures tell us This Person so intirely loved that he gave his Son his onely begotten Joh. 3.16 He gave him as his rich rare love-token to the Saints A gift implies propriety and possession and this the greatest the sweetest What hindrance then can sufferings be to Saints Christ the brightnesse of the Fathers glory and all things are theirs theirs as a Right a right Peculiar to them a right injoyed by them after the sweetest the fullest way How shall he not with him also freely give us all things v. 32. This Text by some is read How doth he not c referring as it were to the particular moment of each Soul's conversion wherein the Father in the act of giving his Son doth instate them in the inheritance of all things in him By others How Hath he not c as it were pointing at the Saints present injoyment of that inheritance This seems most harmonious in the literall sound the word Hath being expressed in every Translation either silently or visibly twise before But the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most properly signifies How shall he not c. This thwarts not the other two but according to the manner of expression a question carrying it's answer in it which is He shall with him freely give us all things renders the text as a gracious promise of continuing the Fathers bounty to the Saints begun in them at their houre of conversion Now with out any longer stay the parts of this Teat are two viz. A free giver His great gift First a free giver How shall He not freely give Who this is appears by the demonstrative particle He. A person easily known by his paternall relation 'T is He in the beginning of the verse Who spared not bis Son c. and freely to bestow this gift is His proper act Secondly His great gift But who or what is this great gift It is mark'd with a double character A Person All things How shall he not WITH HIM give us ALL THINGS First a Person a Divine a Distinct person in the Trinity Jesus Christ He is spoken of as of a Person Him as of a Divine person Him in reference to Son as of a Distirct person in the Trinity Him as Another besides this He the Father Secondly All things Some say such onely are these All things which are necessary to salvation Others These and Created things too It is true All things whether Paul or Apollo or Cophas or the world or life or death things present or to come are the Saints 1 Cor. 3.21 22. But I will not here anticipate my purpose My Doctrine from the text is this Doctr. Such as have receiv'd Jesus Christ Saints by calling injoy by his Fathers liber all hand all things with him By comparing two places I will at once prove and explain it Rom. 8.32 wherein Paul speaks as a Saint to Saints when he saith Shall be not give us all things with 1 Corinth 2.12 we know the things that are freely given us of God These places have this sence with this Difference The Father freely upon his Saints bestows all things This all things he bestows with it's distinction By things therefore he explains All things both which in sence are terms equivalent A Saints All things then are but all some things but such as in themselves are truly All things Of things the Scriptures thus distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things whose depths are fathom'd onely by the Spirit of God things Divine Things apparent to the sencitive to the rationall soul things Huntaine 1 Cor. 2.11 For what knows the THINGS OF A MAN save the spirit of man which it in him even so the THINGS OF GOD knows no man but the Spirit of God If the latter Things humain be here meant then a Saints All things are those which St. Paul cals the world this life things visible and temporall 1 Cor. 3.22 David the portion of the wicked Psal 17.14 And Solemon Things equally common to good and bad Eccl. 9.2 In such gifts in such injoyments what comfort peculiar to beleevers what difference essentiall can there be between the righteous and ungodly Their All things therefore must be Peculiar Dinisive Constitutive Things onely theirs distinguishing them constituting them Such as the naturall man hath no part in Such as differenceth them from him Such as makes them to be what they are men effectually call'd Such as these are onely the deep things of God These are the Fathers gift and these from St. Paul's mouth are call'd All things 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed which is his hidden free way of giving them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth All things
to be a Saints their God Theirs what his own that is God The certainty of this by entring Covenant he hath put out of all question freely binding himself over to perform I will be c. I a particle of equall worth and value with God I who am very God will see that I be your God Yours as bound to you yours as on my one part the substance of the Covenant But secondly in himself too hath God the Son abundance yea all things He is a plenty without an end his measure if it may be so call'd is fulnesse fulnesse in the largest extent all and for ever inseparable from his person it Dwelt in him Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Now this Son to every beleever is the Fathers gift Isa 9.6 To us a Son is given as their abundance Joh. 1.16 Of his fulnesse have we Saints by calling all received as firm then as undeniable is the beleevers title of propriety and possession to Him and his fulnesse as to God the Father In the world there 's nothing either fully truly or clearly can be more their own He is given to them clearly without condition truly without deceit fully without division his Person his Benefits are both theirs He this way is all theirs and for them His Person now in heaven is theirs as there for them The Father gives him to them to stand in their stead representing them continually spotlesse and unblameable in his sight Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 All theirs are his Benefits too The Father never gives one alone but both together Let loose your thoughts among the fruitfull benefits of his person and try if there can be found one upon which the beleevers propriety is not deeply ingraven in these characters THEIRS Free justification from sin's damning guilt sweet reconciliation to God his Father compleat adoption to glory and liberty is their justification their reconciliation their adoption as Jesus Christ given to them Now Christ as thus theirs is so in foure respects As their Husband Brether Friend Advocate First as their Husband Revel 21.9 I will shew you the Bride the Lambs wife that is the Church beleevers standing to Jesus Christ related as to their Husband For Jer. 3.14 I saith he am married to you to which adde this conjugall effect The wife hath not power of her own body but her husband and likewise the husband hath not power over his own body but the wife 1 Cor. 7.4 They who before wore no yoke but their own retaining a prerogative in self proprietie have mutually exchang'd and solely become each others after the celebration of nuptiall rites This Eph. 5.32 is according to the flesh a great mistery but I speak concerning Christ and the Saints to whom being married and thereby fully given over to them he hath not that power now remaining in him as to deny himself or his sanctifying saving uses He is married to them and so he is theirs My beloved is mine c. Cant. 2.16 Secondly as their Brother Joh. 20.17 Go saith he to Mary to my brethren the disciples personating all beleevers and say unto them I that is Jesus their Brother ascend Fraternity for its kind is the neerest native personall relation giving an actuall propriety to both in each other a joynt one while they live in their Fathers possessions and a totall sometimes to the survivour in his deceased brothers All which is freely given to a beleever with Jesus their Brother His next of kin are such for with their difference 1 Joh. 3.9 they are born of God as well as he Whereby he in their persons and they in his have at once and for ever this neerest this native propriety Moreover this their Brother was dead but is alive Rev. 1.18 By vertue of whose brother-hood as he now lives for ever beleevers have a share with him as joynt-heirs in life and immortality God their Father's eternall possession Rom. 8.17 If children then heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Christ c. And still by vertue of the same relation as he was once dead beleevers retain a full interest in all his benefits The first person of glory when upon them he bestowed this Jesus dealing with them as a loving Father after the funerall solemnity of his eldest Son gave ALL to them as the next of kinne that was in the possession of their elder Brother His obedience his satisfaction his righâ—eousnesse was transacted upon them and now is theirs Thus he that was dead and is alive is theirs as Jesus their Brother This partly is that giving of Christ to a Soul as Christ dying and as risen again Thirdly as their Friend Equality which other relations hath not appears in this A Husband a Brother are titles of dignity therefore terms of distance but Friends are equall And he into whose thoughts it never entred as robbery to be equall with God Phil. 2.6 thinks it no disgrace thus to be equall with a Saint Ye are my friends c. Joh. 15.14 If relations infold any rights reciprocall friendship then may hold parallel with most For men therby have in each other a true constant interest such as the summe whereof the ancient Heathen have long since cast up and in their grave Orations their best passionate Songs left it upon record That true friends have divided bodies for each other upon occasion readie to die and but one heart one mind one possession common to both In after-times The multitude of them that beleeved were of me heart and of one soul neither any of them said that any thing of that which he had was his own but they had all things common Act. 4.32 And some there hath been yet but few such who chearfully for each other have adventured to walk through the worst of dangers among whom matchlesse in all is this couple a true beleever and his friend Jesus To speak onely on his part Joh. 10.17 I lay down my life c. v. 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self 1 Pet. 2.24 His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sins Rom. 4.25 and was raised again for our justification And Joh. 17.19 for their sakes I sanctifie my self that as the Margin reads it they also might be truly sanctified * The antient Greeks therfore calld him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such another Plut. A Friend is his friend's as he is another own self In all these this Friend Jesus is theirs as thus to them Observe the burthen of the last quoted Scriptures in every one it is Christ for them He with All that he did in dying rising justifying sanctifying was in their steads and for them As their persons then as their performances this friend and his is theirs A peculiar interest too to compleat their community in him they have
in his tender heart and soul Thou hast ravished or taken away my heart c. Cant. 4.9 Of this friend's especially it is true the heart is not so much where it lives as where it loves By distinction of persons Christ and a Saint are two by union in affection he is theirs This as one branch is that unity which is the beleevers band of comfort Fourthly as their Advocate The expression is politicall a sublime title of office implying a Subject imploy'd after this way for another and as thus spoken of Jesus Christ we read it 1 Joh. 2.1 We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ who as it is his office makes intercession for us Rom. 8.34 that is continues the mournfull act of his sacrifice after this manner The same body which in beleevers steads with strong cries and tears was upon the crosse once offered now virtually in the heavens with as strong prayers he still so offers up for them to the Father So that in this act of oblation for them his person is as an Advocate theirs And now lastly God the Spirit is abundance yea theirs as the Father's gift with Jesus Christ to them In one breath you may read all three Tit. 3.5 And renuing of the holy Ghost v. 6. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as relating to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which holy Ghost he the Father in a distinction from his Son and Spirit sheâ—…n us abundantly by Jesus Christ Abundantly on us is here joyn'd with the Father's effusion of his Spirit declaring thereby it's signification to be an abundance and that theirs by the Father's gift To this Spirit also hath a beleever then as true a title as to the Father and the Son To them the promise the Father shall give you another Comforter the Spirit of truth Joh. 14.16 17. is fulfill'd Upon them the Father hath poured him forth They have him actually in possession peculiarly in title he is theirs Now as the other two persons had their distinct relations in which they were made over this hath his proper work in which he is theirs viz. This Spirit is their onely light by which they see all things necessary for them to see of the Father and Jesus Christ God hath made sence and reason lights in their own sphears to this world of nature but in the deep things of himself these are darknesse to a Saint As it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared 1 Cor. 2.9 But mark what follows God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for he searcheth all things yea the deep things of God v. 10. And in v. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things c. 'T is the proper work of this Spirit to sound these depths for from eternity he lived in the bosome of the Godhead and was privie to all in God and Jesus Christ 'T is his onely too to make them known As an inhabitant therefore he is said to dwell in beleevers 2 Tim. 1.14 Into whose minds to whose souls he continually bringe them Here shines the Saints light in a mistery they know these things not theoretically but feelingly as this Spirit reveals them Thus as well as I am able little of much have I set before you the relations of these persons of glory in which God freely makes himself over to his creature and not all but some yet by these few imperfect lineaments the spirituall sence of that Christiano-Platonicall thesis one was all and all one may be in some sort conjectured For this Trinity indeed is but One and that one a beleevers ALL. This is the close of the first Question Quest 2. What comfort hath a beleever more by having this ALL FREELY GIVEN him than by injoying it any other way Ans A great deal In the injoyment it is unspeakable full of glory Consider this All but simply as a gift so it was neither bought nor borrowed Deeds of Sale and Loan have each their trouble viz. Laerge expence short injoyment And were this all made over by either of these the creature must pay for it and at last part with it If the first their Stock not amounting to the ten thousandth part of the price they must then either go without it or be undone in the purchase Or if not so should God but lend Himself his Son his Spirit a time would come when but justly he would look for his own again Would not this then be as bad as the former The Creature would be undone in the surrender But now the Father hath burthened them with neither of these What they have they have by gift Herein then lies that which is better felt then spoke one peice of their comfort viz. With a price they are not troubled of a parting with they are not afraid This all though in respect of Christ it is true the Saints are bought with a price costs them nothing and is theirs to eternity Consider it again as a free gift And here if you would rightly understand the Answer of the Question have recourse in every particular as the sound passeth by your ear to the chearfull workings of your own soul Are the Saints intitled to are they possessed of All freely All then is theirs without reluctancie Jer. 30.18 The Father the proper giver waits to be gracious In his eye a chearfull giver is of great esteeme 2 Cor. 9.7 for he himself delights to give chearfully All such acts toward his own go not to but from his heart All is theirs without any motive externall Among men the glory of a gift's freenesse consists in the voluntarinesse of the spirit we use not therefore to call that free to which a man is outwardly provok'd Were God thus moved to give Himself Son and Spirit to a Saint a gift it might be but not free That therefore which he doth by deed of gift comes from a principle within him his love Joh. 3.16 that his gift might appear plainly to be free All is theirs without Condition The Father gives it not according to the Law but the tenour of the Gospel He binds not his Creature in the act of donation to the performance of Articles for their interest in his gift but bestows where he pleaseth without these Conditions it is true may perchance sometimes stand with a gift but they are alwaies limits to the freenesse of it that then which is bounded cannot be free This great gift therefore is unconditionate Thus I have done with the Doctrinall part Vses Now to close all give me leave my dear friends to speak thrice to you 1. First an Information Are beleevers thus possessed of All things in the injoyment of Jesus Christ They are then the onely rich men Rich absolutely rich incomparably none so rich nor truly so as they