Heaven and must be the way for his also By his own blood Heb. 9.12 he once entered into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us The spurious spawn of the Papists are under a prodigious mistake who say That Heaven is not that place where the Man Christ is above or beyond the visible Skies but the happiness they have within them If Israel according to the flesh passed thorough the Red Sea unto Canaan as Type so Israel according to the Spirit must pass thorough the Red Sea of Christs blood Heb. 10.19 unto Heaven the Antitype Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest but how by the blood of Jesus Our Sins did shut Heaven but Christs blood is the Key that opens the Gate of Paradise for us Christ's blood is pacifying blood Christs bleeding was Gods pacifying Christ's blood Col. 1.21 22. is the blood of Atonement You hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh thorough death Christ's blood is not onely a Sacrifice but also a Propitiation denoting a bringing us into favour with God It is one thing for a Traytor to be pardoned and another thing for this Traytor to be brought into favour Mans sin rent him from God but Christ's blood Rom. 5.10 cements him to God Reconciled to God but how by the death of his Son Had we as much Grace as the Angels had we offered up millions of Sacrifices had we wept Rivers of Tears we could never have appeased an angry Deity It is the blood of a Christ that ingratiates us into the favour of God and causeth him to look upon us with a smiling Aspect When Christ dyed the vail of the Temple was rent This was not without a mystery shewing that thorough Christ's blood the vail of our sins is rent which did interpose between God and us One Theodoret. calls the Cross the Tree of Salvation because the blood which trickled down the Cross distilleth Salvation It is the blood of Christ that pacifies Christ's blood is conquering blood After the Combat and the Conflict is the Conquest Nay in all these things Rom. 8.37 we are more than Conquerors thorough Christ that loved us These things but what things were these There were seven Dishes and each Dish enough for the strongest Palate Tribulation Distress Rom. 8.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persecution Famine Nakedness Peril Sword yet in all these things we are more than Conquerors We over-overcome so the Greek We are more than Conquerors in them because we are Conquerors by them But how is this thorough Christ. Though Christians may be killed yet they cannot be conquered for though they die in the Combat yet like Sampson they shall have the Conquest The Conquest that the Christian hath is thorough Christ's blood They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.11 and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Conquest is thorough Christ Christ's blood is crucifying blood A Christ bleeding to death will bleed sin to death They that are Christs Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts As that Physick saves a mans life which removes his sickness so that which is life to the soul is death to the sin We must look upon our sin as that which was the death of our Lord and we must look upon the death of our Lord as that which will be the death of our sin Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6.6 that the body of sin might be destroyed Sin drew out the life-blood of Christ and faith in Christ's blood will draw out the life-blood of sin Christ's blood is softening blood Though the heart of man be the hardest thing in the world yet the blood of Christ God-man can soften the heart of man Oh says one my heart is like the nether milstone and what can soften that Oh says another my heart is like an Adamant and what can soften an Adamant Is there any thing in the world that can soften an Adamant Yea Soul blood will soften an Adamant The blood of Christ if applied will soften the most Adamantine heart The blood of Christ if applied can dissolve the most stony heart and break the hardest sinner The Jews who are hardened to a Proverb for one saith Dost thou think that I am a hard-hearted Jew these Jews shall have the Rock of their Hearts turned into a Fountain of Tears Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn as one for his onely Son and be in bitterness as one for his first-born God himself hath laid himself under Promise to take away the stony heart and to give an heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 There is nothing so hard but it may be softened if it lay a steeping in this blood Water will soften the earth but it will not soften a stone the blood of Christ if applied will soften a stone yea an heart of stone This blood turns a flint into a spring The Jaylors heart was dissolved Christ's blood is quickning blood The life of a thing is in the blood The life of the flesh Lev. 17.11 is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an atonement for your sins for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul The blood is called life because the seat of life is in the blood and this was a figure of Christ a Type of Christ's life whose flesh is meat indeed and whose blood is drink indeed The life of our soul Sanguis Christi Clavis Coeli Luther is in the blood of Christ Christ's blood is Heaven's Key One little drop saith One of Christ's blood is more worth than Heaven and Earth What is the blood of a Grape yea what is the blood of a Son though an onely Son to the blood of a Saviour Can we give our first-born for our iniquity the seed of our body for the sin of our soul It is the blood of Christ that quickeneth John 6.53 54. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day Christ's blood puts vivacity into us Christ's blood is justifying blood Justification â—s a great thing to be acquitted from sin and death the wages thereof and to be accounted righteous unto life and Glory the Reward thereof is not this a great thing and yet this is by Christs blood The moving cause of Justification is the free Grace of God but the meritorious cause of Justification is the blood of Christ Being justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 thorough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus The justification of one sinner is more than the creation of all the world There are many not onely in Italy but also in England who
delight and desire Pag. 184. 1. Christ is the Object of thy delight Delight is unlawful and lawful 1. Vnlawful 'T is then unlawful when 't is 1. Sinful 2. Hypocritical 3. Treacherous 2. Lawful This is 1 Natural 2 Spiritual Thus 1. In the People of God 2. In the Commandments of God 3. In God himself Quest What manner of delight is this delight Pag. 186. Sol. 1. A Strong 2. A Holy 3. A cordial 4. A constant delight 2. Christ is the Object of thy desire This desire is 1 Natural 2 Spiritual That Christ is a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire will appear by a reflection 1. Of his Person 1. As Man 2. As God-Man Pag. 188. 2. Of his Affection 1. In the freeness of it 2. In the fulness of it 3. In the firmness of it To this is superadded that Christ is the Churches 1. Mercy 2. Merit 3. Mine 4. Mirror Quest But what manner of desires are cordial desires Pag. 193. Sol. 1. Good 2. Lawful 3. Working 4. Constant 5. Holy 6. Hard. 7. Acquiescing Unto which three things are added 1. Whether cordial desires shall be answered 2. Why cordial desires shall be answered Because 1. Imposed 2. Promised 3. Encouraged There 's encouragement 1. Unto these desires 2. After these desires 3. How cordial desires shall be answered 1. In kind 2. In effect Cordial 10. Christ is the Physician of greatest value Quest But what manner of Physiician is Christ Pag. 200. Sol. 1. Choice 2. Costly 3. Cheap 4. Appointed 5. Approved 6. Loving 7. Living 8. Valuable 9. Sadden 10. Seasonable 11. Sutable 12. Incomparable Cordial 11. Art actually Christs Be joyous also for the Death of Him is the Death of His. Pag. 206. 1. Christ disarms the first Death 2. Christ prevents the second Death 1. He will be thy Guide unto Death 2. He will be thy Guide thorough Death THE DEATH of CHRIST THE DEATH of DEATH Section I. Whether there be a Natural or Corporal Death the Circumference of the Universe THE word Death is capable of a various Acceptation in the Sacred Scripture There is an Vniversal Death But of the tree of knowledg of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat Gen. 2.17 Moriendo morieris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obnoxius eris morti tum Corporis tum Animae Joh. 14.6 for in the day thou eatest thereof dying thou shalt die So the Hebrew and Junius Thou shalt surely and suddenly die so Ainsworth Thou shalt die the Death so the Septuagint Now this is if I mistake not both the first and the second Death so Pool in his Synopsis It is temporal and eternal Death together with the Causes Signs Antecedentes Consequents and Effects of it whatsoever so that all Dangers Difficulties and Deaths are implied in this Judgment threatned for Disobedience Dying thou shalt die That is thou shalt Die this way that way every way if Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life interpose not between Thee and Death There is a Judicial Death He that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 because he believeth not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God The Man is under the Judgment before the Judgment the Man is already cast the Sentence is past 12 Verse of Judes Epistle only there is a suspension of the Execution We read in Jude of those who are Twice dead Dead spiritually for want of a principle of Life and dead judicially under the Wrath of God They were obnoxious to the first death by original corruption and obnoxious to the second death by actual transgression They were dead say one in respect of their natural Condition Jenkins in â—lo pool in loc Piscator and dead in respect of their final Declension Twice dead altogether dead They were obnoxious to the first Death by Nature and to the second Death by Sin These men were alive naturally Quest. though dead spiritually how then were they twice dead They were judged twice dead Sol. either Because a spiritual Death is so great a Death that it may well go for two Deaths One spiritual Death is worse than a thousand natural Deaths Or They are said to be twice dead because they were dead both in regard of an internal Habit of Grace Caryl in loc p. 553. and in regard of an external Act of Grace There is a spiritua Death This Death looks two waies To the Saint to the Sinner To the Saint Now the Saint is dead To the Law Thus he is dead To the Ceremonial Law If ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments or Elements of the world Col. 2.20 A majore ad minus why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances It is an Argument from the greater to the less Ye are freed from the Rites which God himself prescribed freed from worldly Philosophy or Judaical Ceremonies Pool in loc therefore freed from new Rites by men invented or from old Rites by humane Authority revoked as one saith upon the place To the Moral Law I through the Law am dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 that I might live to God I have no Commerce with the Law I through the Law of Faith am dead to the Law of Works I through the Law of Christ am dead to the Law of Moses That I might live to God that I might live according to the Precept of Christ live according to the Gospel of Christ The Saint is dead to the world God forbid that I should glory Gal. 6.14 Contemptus est a me save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and Romanus Fervor Furor I unto the world The Apostle here speaks of the World as Luther did of Rome I contemn the Heat and Fury of Rome Thus did the Apostle I contemn the world and the things thereof the world and the things therein The Saint is dead to Sin As to be dead in sin is the worst death so to be dead to sin is the best Death How shall we that are dead to sin Rom. 6.2 live any longer therein To be dead to sin is to be freed from the servitude of sin to have the Force and Power of sin killed It is a metaphor taken from Death because Death is the privation of Life and of Actions To the Sinner Now the Sinner is dead in sin As the Saint or Soul in Christ is dead to sin so the Sinner or Soul out of Christ is dead in sin And you who were dead in trespases and sins Ephes 2.1.5 Hath he quickened these words are not in the Greek The sense here is imperfect but this is supplied in a verse following Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ made alive together with Christ so the Greek What he had touched upon in the first verse he repeats in the fifth verse and
The Object This is Salvation As there is the the matter the manner and the subject so the object and this is Salvation This Assurance is an internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath of Salvation Is not Salvation a great thing it is made up of Grace here and Glory hereafter Is not Salvation a great thing it is Grace and that is Glory in the bud it is Glory and that is Grace in the flower Is not Salvation a great thing it is Grace and that is Glory militant it is Glory and that is Grace triumphant Salvation is the object We believe Acts 15.11 that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they The Motive This is free-grace This Assurance is an internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath of Salvation through free-grace By grace ye are saved There is no reason to be given of Grace but Grace There is not any other motive with the God of Grace but the Grace of God As free-grace is mans mirror so it is Gods motive The Argument that prevailed with the God of Grace was the Grace of God So God loved the world so there is the Emphasis and it is an Emphasis unto wonder yea an Emphasis above wonder So God loved the world Joh. 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The Medium or Means The meritorious cause is the Blood of Christ. The moving cause of Salvation is the Grace of God but the meritorious cause of it is the Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 who suffered without the gate Who suffered for sin the just for the unjust In that he died he died unto sin once but in that he lived he lived unto God Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin Rom. 6.10 11. but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that Soul Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is that internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath of Salvation through free-grace written in the Blood of a crucified Christ It is true Assurance may be reduced to three heads Civil Corporal Spiritual Civil This is an Assurance for Fields Lands Houses Jer. 32.9 10. c. The Prophet bought a field of his Vncles Son subscribing the evidence sealing it taking witnesses and weighed him the money in the ballances Corporal Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have none assurance of thy life Deut. 28.66 Spiritual To the full assurance of hope unto the end It is a metaphor taken from Ships which have all their Sails up Heb. 6.11 and all these filled with wind This is the Assurance I have described But why is Assurance attainable in this Life Quest 3. Sol. If we reflect Precept President and Promise Assurance is attainable in this Life Precept What is Prescribed is attainable but Assurance is Prescribed Wherefore the rather Bretheren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give diligence the word signifies Study and Diligence As if the Apostle had said be Studious 2 Pet. 1.10 and Diligent or be Studiously Diligent But about what About your Calling and Election Make your Calling and Election sure Vocation is a Comment upon Election and Evidential to Election No man can know that he is Elected until he be called but being effectually called he may know that he is eternally elected President What is exemplified is attainable but Assurance is exemplified If ye turn over the leaves of the blessed Bible that Book of Books from the beginning of it to the ending of it ye shall read of some persons in all Ages that have been assured As there is a distinguishing favour a favour proper and peculiar to the Saints and Servants of God so these Saints and Servants of God have been assured of this proper and peculiar Favour That there is a distinguishing Favour is evident Romember me Oh Lord Psa 106.4 with the favour thou bearest unto thy people Oh visit me with thy salvation That the people of God have been assured of this Favour is as evident Psa 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Promise What is Promised is attainable but Assurance is Promised As God hath Promised to keep his People so he will keep his Promise Isa 61.1 2 3. As Christ hath Promised to assure his People so he will assure his People by a Promise The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the Meek to bind up the Broken-hearted to comfort them that mourn c. But unto what is Assurance attributed Quest 4. and ascribed which is attainable in this Life This Assurance is attributed to the Spirit Sol. Assurance and the sealing work of the Spirit are Synonoma's In whom after ye believed Eph. 1.13 ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise The nature of a Seal is to make things sure A writing when Sealed is firm among men men also set their Seals on things to note their Propriety in the things that are Sealed As Faith may be without Assurance so it is alwaies before Assurance There is the Faith of Affiance and the Faith of Assurance There is the direct act of Faith this is an assenting and consenting that Christ is the Sinners Saviour and for the Sinner to cast himself at the feet of this Christ for Salvation this is Faith and the Soul that thus believe shall not perish for he that commeth unto Christ he will not Joh. 6.37 not cast out There is also the reflect act of Faith for the Soul to say this Christ is my Christ my Saviour my Surety my Sacrifice this is the Assurance of Faith this is the sealing work of the Spirit Grieve not the Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 whereby ye are Sealed to the day of redemption The Spirit here is set forth with very great Energy and it can hardly be expressed fully according to the Greek Here are three words which have three Articles each word hath its Article And grieve not the holy the Spirit of that God This is not spoken properly but tropically for the Spirit is incapable of Grief but we are said to grieve him when by sin we obstruct his Operation But what course shall I steer for this Assurance Quest 5. which is attainable in this Life Would ye be assured Sol. 1. Be much then in private prayer Is ever thy Heart more in consort than when thou art in a Closet Psa 51.4.12 Against Thee Thee only have I sinned According to the Dimension of the Person is the Dimension of the Transgression against whom we trespass But what course doth he now steer He sets upon prayer Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation uphold me with thy free Spirit Would ye be assured watch then
was in the Saints and Servants of God In the Commandments of God Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord Psal 1.12.1 that delighteth greatly in his Commandments There is a Delight in God himself As it is the Spirit of sinfulness to delight in Sin so it is the Spirit of Godliness to delight in God and make him the object of delight An Hypocrite delights not in God nor the things of God What is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul Will God hear his cry Job 27.8 9 10. when trouble cometh upon him Will he delight himself in the Almighty Will he alwayes call upon God An Hypocrite will serve God no longer than he serves himself of God He looks one way and rows another he pretends one thing and intends another he hath Jacob's voice but Esau's hands we must do by an Hypocrite as we do by Hebrew read him backward But a Soul actually in Christ makes Christ the Object of his delight Job 22.26 Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face to God Now a person then delights in Christ Qui habet habentein omnia habet omnia and makes him the object of his delight when he is well pleased with Christ when he is best pleased with Christ when he acquiesceth in him and can be satisfied with him alone None to Christ saith the Psalmist None but Christ said the Martyr All in Christ saith the Apostle Christ then is the object of a Souls delight when he can be satisfied with Christ in the absence of All and not satisfied without Christ in the presence of All. I have all I abound and am full Paul Phi. 4.18 had little of the world but he had much of Christ and having Christ who is All yea All in All he had All. No graceless Soul can delight in God as God can delight in Christ as Christ What delights soever a graceless person hath they are in something below a God in something below a Christ. But what manner of delight is this delight Quest This delight Sol. 1. is a strong delight It is not a feeble but a full delight not a weak but a strong delight Nch. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength Worldly delights are weak and they weaken us delight in the Lord is strong and that strengthens us This delight is a holy delight The delights of the world are impure and they defile us we seldom drink in worldly delights but they leave some spot and taint upon our spirits and conversations but the delights we have in Christ are all pure delights yea they are all purifying delights He that hath this hope in him 1 John 3.3 purifieth himself as he is pure This as is an as of quality not of equality This delight is a cordial delight 'T is a delight from the heart 't is the delight of the heart This delight is a real delight Worldly delights are but shadows or Pageant-like shadows of delight The delight of an Hypocrite is like his holiness as he hath no real holiness so he hath no real delight but this delight is cordial As seeking so delighting is from the heart When thou sayest seek ye my face Psal 27.4 my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek This delight is a constant delight This delight is not for a fit and a pang but for a continuance 'T is not like the crackling of thorns under a Pot Gnal that makes a noise and a blaze for a time but are presently extinct but this delight is a constant delight As 't is a cordial delight Delight thy self that is Psal 37.4 Psal 94.19 thy Soul above in Jehovah Hebrew so 't is a constant delight In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Thus the Soul actually in Christ maketh Christ the object of his delight Christ is the Object of thy Desire As Delight so Desire may be reduced to two Heads unlawful and lawful Vnlawful There is a desire after things lawful which is unlawful There is a lusting after things forbidden The-love of money 1 Tim. 6.10 is the root of all evil In these words ye have the Subject and the Comment The Subject The love of money the desire or love or study of money It is a preposterous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and inordinate love desire and study The Comment But what of this love or study or desire It is the Risa the root of evil yea of all evil yea of all evils so the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The element of evils Timon Bion. The Apostle saith not that it is the cause principle or original but the root and that not of a few but of many evils yea not onely of very many but also of all evils As if a covetous man who looks like a compound of self and of the world were ready to commit any sin One calls it the Metropolis of Vice Lawful As there is an unlawful so there is a lawful desire which may be reduced unto two Heads Natural and Spiritual to these distinctly Natural There is a natural desire which is appointed and approved Prov. 3.15 She is more precious than Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared with her Spiritual This is a desire from the heart and the desire of the heart This heart-desire is not onely a looking for but also a longing after some good of which it finds and feels a want Brethren my hearts desire Rom. 10.1 Psal 73.25 and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved Now having evinced that there is the desire of the heart I shall also evince that the Soul actually Christs makes Christ the Object of his hearts desire There is a place of which take these Readings Who can be to me in Heaven besides thee Junius And besides thee am I delighted in none upon earth Whom have I in the Heavens Ainsw And with thee I delight not any in earth There is none to me in Heaven Sept. and besides thee have I willed none upon earth Who to me in the Heavens Hebr. Lo-caphatzti And with thee have I not delighted or desired in earth The word signifieth to desire as well as to delight Here is One who is the object of desire and this One may be that Onely-one Christ Jesus This thee in that Text is called God in the Context Truly God is good to Israel Psal 73.1 Psal 74.1 even to all that are clean of heart Oh God! why hast thou cast us off for ever Now Christ is God Thy Throne ob God is for ever and ever The Church makes Christ the object of her desire Isa 26.9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night That Christ is not without compare but in a Christians eye nor the
hand but in Christ their publick head Because I live Joh. 14.19 ye do live yea and ye shall live To have a portion for the Body is a mercy but to have a portion for the Soul and Christ this portion who hath Rhetorick enough to express this mercy Now Christ is a Soul portion under a double notion as he is Meat to the Soul and Medicine to the Soul Christ is the portion of the Soul as he is the Meat of the Soul Can the Body be without Bread Is not Bread that one thing without which a man would not long be Yea that one thing for which a man would part with any thing rather than long be without Christ is Meat to the Soul He Joh. 6.55 is the Bread of Life His flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed As Christ said I have meat to eat that the world knows not of So may the Christian say who hath Christ for his portion Christ is meat to my Soul which the world knows not of Christ is the Portion of the Soul as he is Medicine to the Soul He that is Meat to the Soul and Medicine to the Soul too that is Food for the Soul and Physick for the Soul too must needs be a Soul Portion but thus Christ is The Wilderness-Manna was Meat but not Medicine Food but not Physick If an Isralite had been Sick that Manna could not have cured him if an Israelite had been Stung which the fiery Serpents Num. 21.9 that Manna could not have healed him There was a Serpent of Brass lifted up upon a Pole that whosoever was bitten might look up unto and be healed Now this brozen Serpent was an emblem of Christ and shadowed him out Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life As Aron lifted up the Sacrifices at the Altar so Christ the Son the Substance of all Sacrifices was lifted up Christ is a satisfying Portion An Affluence and Confluence of these lesser and lower things will not satisfy without a Christ but a Christ will satitsfy without an Affluence and Confluence of these lesser and lower things The Eye is not satisfied with seeing but could see a thousand times more than it does Eccl. 1.8 not the Ear filled with hearing but could hear a thousand times more than it does Now if the Eye and the Ear cannot be satisfied how then should the Heart of Man which is the vastest thing in the world be satisfied without a Christ A man may have a Crown upon his Head and a Scepter in his Hand and not be satisfied but if a Soul hath Christ he cannot be unsatisfied It is enough said Jacob that Joseph is It is enough said Simeon that Jesus is Lord now let thy servant depart in peace why for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Simeon had lived long enough having lived to see Christ. Eccl. 5.10 Jer. 31.25 Psa 107.9 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with it nor he that loveth abundance with increase It is Christ that satiateth the weary Soul It is Christ that satisfieth the longing Soul and filleth the hungry soul with Goodness Now there are two things at least that contribute to the constituting of a right satisfaction the suitableness and sufficiency of the Object Christ is a satisfying Portion in respect of the sutableness of the Object There must be a sutableness in the Object to satisfie the Subject Had there been a Will in Christ and not a Power in Christ there had not been sutableness nor sufficiency in the Object to satisfie the Subject There can be no satisfaction without sutableness It is not Dirt but Bread that sâ—â—ts the Body There is not any thing so suits the Body as Christ suits the Soul Is the creature a Sinner Christ is a Saviour Was it man that sinned it was Christ that suffered and that as man By man came Death 1 Cor. 15.21 by man also came the Resurection from the dead He that suffers for man must come in the Nature of man thus Christ did He took not upon him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Or thus Heb. 2.16 He taketh not hold of Angels but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold So that here wâ—s sutableness Christ is a satisfying Portion in respect of the sufficiency of the Object There must be a sufficiency as well as a sutableness in the Object for the Subject in order to satisfaction Had there been a propensity in Christ and not a sufficiency in Christ this would not have satisfied but now as Christ was Man that he might suffer so he was God that he might satisfie here is sutableness and sufficiency There is a sufficiency in Christ in order to salvation He is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him Heb 7.25 1 Cor. 1.2 And as Salvation so Sanctification in order to Salvation is from Christ. Sanctified in Christ Jesus Christ is a durable Portion Christ is a Portion that will last for ever Other Portions may be wasted but this cannot other Portions may be spent or lost but this cannot other Portions whether in our own hands or in the hands of others may be lost a Fare may come and Houses may be made heaps The more a man spends of a worldly Portion the less he hath he may beggar himself yea bankrupt himself but the more a man spends of this Portion the more he hath Christ is a Portion that will last as long as the Soul lasts Psal 73.26 and yet the Soul hath a stamp of Immortality upon it My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Worldly Portions are transient but this is permanent others fleeting but this abiding others temporal but this eternal Christ is not only the Christians Portion here but also hereafter But consider the Duration of this Portion under a double Notion in respect of his Life and in respect of his Love In respect of his Life As the Father hath life in himself Joh. 5.26 so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Christ once dying no more dieth In respect of his Love As Christ lives for ever so he loves for ever Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love As the Essence so the Attribute Christ is a seasonable Portion According to the timing of a Deliverance is the greatness of the Deliverance many times The timing of a Mercy greatly accents the Mercy many times The timing of Daniels Deliverance out of the Den and of the three Childrens out of the fiery Furnace did greatly accent their Deliverance and cause Heaven and Earth to ring with it When Man was so poor that he had beggared himself and was worth
nothing yea so poor that he had bankrupted himself and was worse than nothing then Christ became his Portion When man by his sin had stripped himself naked and to cover his nakedness had Fig-leaves upon his Loins then Christ became his Portion Rom. 5.6 8. In due time Christ died for the ungodly While we were yet sinners Christ died for us Ah! what a poor pittance a Christless soul hath though he hath a Kingdom before him an Empire before him Who for the most part have been the Princes and Petentates of the warld the Dons and Emperours of the world but the Nero's and Nebuchadnezzars of the world the Pharoahs and Pilates of the world Had a man as many Kingdoms yea could a man have as many worlds Esth 1.1 as Ahasuerus had Provinces who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 Provinces yet if without Christ he would be but a Beggar be but a Bankrupt Is not Christ then a seasonable Portion But consider the season of this Portion under a two-fold notion in reference to the work and in reference to the wages In reference to the work Sin was the work now this was a desperate work a dangerous work a damnable work Sin is a darkning of the Glory of God a defacing of the Image of God a murdering of the Son of God a grieving of the Spirit of God and a wronging of the Soul of man Is not Christ now a seasonable Portion Adam says God hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat Gen. 3.11.12 And then the man said the woman which thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat Here is the work and that is sin now sinful work is sad work In reference to the wages Sin was the work Death was the wages In the day thou eatest thereof Rom. 6◠23 dying thou shalt dye The wages of sin is death All manner of deaths the first and the second death Sin pays all its servants in black money Christ is an incomparable Portion To whom will ye liken Christ Is he not without compare Was Absalom a Beauty without compare among the Sons of David Certainly Christ is among the Sons of God Absalom was a Beauty in Body but a Black in Soul Christ was a Beauty without a Spot a Substance without a Shadow an Ocean of Sweet without a Drop of Gall. Jer. 10.16 The portion of Jacob is not like them Was it ever said of any one but that only One Christ Jesus that he was all Desires But so Can. 5.16 Ainsworth Psa 86.8 Christ is His palate sweetnesses yea he is all Desires Among the Gods there are none like unto thee Jehovah neither are there any Works like unto thy works Take now a prospect of the Incomparableness of Christ in a twofold respect his Person and his personal Excellency Christ is an incomparable portion in respect of his person Christ was God and Man and herein he was without compare Now this person of his as God-man is the Object of Faith Joh. 8.24 If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins If ye believe not that I am God as well as man ye shall die in your sins and be damned for your sins Christ is an incomparable Portion in respect of his personal Excellency As the person of Christ is the Object of Faith so the personal Excellency of Christ is the Object of Love Soul do but look upon Christ and thou canst not but love him such are his personal Excellencies Suffer a Tast by way of Instance Reflect his Love Did ever any one love as Christ loved He loved his enemies 1 Pet. 3.18 and for those was bled to Death by whom he was bled to Death He suffered for sins the just for the unjust Inspect his Life His Life was a mirrour of Holiness As he is a principle in His so he is a president for His. Heb. 4.15 No blot in his Scutcheon Sin in his Soul In all points tempted like us yet without sin Though Christ was tempted unto sin not into sin Reflect his Kindness Was ever any one so kind as Christ was Luke 8.26 27. he sets sail for the City of Gadara to dispossess one man at most two men possessed with Devils and that dwelt in Tombs Luke mentions but one man Mat. 8.28 and Matthew mentions two men possessed with Devils coming out of the Tombs Inspect his Obedience He fulfilled to a punctilio the whole will of God Jon. 17.4 I have finished the work which thou gavest me t◠do Christ fulfilleth the Righteousness of the Law for His and fulfilleth the Righteousness of the Gospel in His. Reflect his Humility Was every any one so humble as Christ was Joh. 13.5 He left his Fathers bosom for his Mothers womb a Throne for a Manger Heaven for Earth Quericus Leigh in Loc. He washed his Disciples feet not their head but their feét One upon a consideration of this example cried thou hast overcome me oh Lord thou hast overcome my pride this example hath mastered me Inspect his Sympathy How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah Hos 11.8 how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together When Christ strikes His every stroak goes as it were to his own Heart when he is about to strike he is as it were unresolved whether he shall strike or no and when he hath stricken he doth as it were repent that ever he did strike Do not all these motions of Gods Heart appear in the highest strains of passionate Rhetorick Reflect his Mercifulness Was ever any one so merciful as Christ Luke 10.30 31 32 c. witness the man that sell among Thieves between Jericho and Jerusalem the Priest and the Levite passed by but the Samaritan had mercy Inspect his Muteness Was ever any one so mute as Christ was Isa 53.7 He was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so opened he not his mouth Reflect his Meekness Moses was not to compare with Christ for Meekness Say we not well Joh. 8.48 49. that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil Jesus answered I have not a Devil but I honour my Father and ye do dishonour me Is not his Meekness a Mirror Inspect his Mindfulness Was every any one so mindful as Christ was Go tell the Disciples Mar. 16.7 and Peter Be sure ye tell Peter Peter hath been sining and may now be unbelieving tell the Disciples and Peter Peter hath been denying and now may be doubting be sure therefore ye tell Peter Peter hath been denying before the Crucifixion and may now be hesitating about the Resurrection Go tell the Disciples and Peter DIRECT IV. ART actually in Christ Direct 4. get