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A61649 Consolation in life and death wherein is shewed that interest in Christ is a ground of comfort ... begun in a funeral sermon occasioned by the death of Mrs. Ellen Asty, and since much enlarged : together with the life of the said Mrs. Ellen Asty / by Owen Stockton ... Stockton, Owen, 1630-1680. 1681 (1681) Wing S5697; ESTC R34617 76,502 170

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know what actings there are in our Souls towards God and Christ whether we chuse the Lord for our God and Portion and whether we accept of Christ for our Saviour and Redeemer or whether we refuse and reject him Psal 16.2 O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord th●u art my God Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my Soul Now this Testimony of our Consciences that we do accept of Christ on the terms of the Gospel to be ruled and saved by him in his own way is a good ground of comfort and may embolden us to hope that God doth accept us in Christ 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience 1 Joh 3.21 Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God When I speak of the Testimony of Conscience witnessing our accepting of Christ on the terms of the Gospel understand it of a Conscience enlightned by the word and Spirit with the knowledge of Christ 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and the knowledge of the terms on which God offers Salvation by Christ for if we know not the terms on which Christ is offered to us how can our Consciences witness to us that we do close with the terms of the Gospel 3. The grant or promise of God in the Gospel to all that recieve Christ that he shall be theirs and they shall be his Joh 1.12 As many as recieved him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name Here is a priviledge granted and promised to all that do or shall recieve Christ how many soever they be that they shall become the Sons of God God will become their Father in Christ and will own them for his children Joh. 6.37 Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast him out In this promise is implyed that such as on the call of the Gospel close with Christ he will bestow himself and all his benefits on them for theirs and he will own them for his 4. Our finding in our selves those marks or characters which the Scriptures give of such as have a saving interest in Christ which will evidence to us that we have rightly recieved or closed with Christ As namely our having the Spirit of Christ given to us 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Our loving and preserving Christ above all things Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his But of these Scripture characters I have spoken before § Christ becomes theirs by covenant that accept of him How conduceth this to our comfort 2. If you would hold the perswasion of your interest in Christ as you must look to your grounds on which you lay claim to an interest in Christ so also it will be of great use to you to understand the nature of that covenant which Christ maketh with you when you come to him and accept of him on the terms of the Gospel The Lord Jesus takes all those that come to him upon the call and invitation of the Gospel into an everlasting covenant Isa 55.1 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Incline your ear and come unto me And I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Concerning this covenant which the Lord maketh with those that come to Christ we may observe these three or four things 1. This covenant is to give us Christ himself and all his saving benefits for ever I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Christ the Son of David is called by the name of David Hos 3.5 Ezek. 34.24 And so the sure mercies of David are all those Mercies and Blessings which Jesus Christ hath purchased for us and made sure to us by an everlasting covenant 't is as much as to say I will enter covenant to give you my self and all my benefits That this covenant which Christ inters into with those that come to him is to give us an eternal interest in himself and all his benefits We may see Hos 2.19 20. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgment and in Mercies I will even betroth thee unto me in Faithfulness To open this Scripture consider 1. What it is for the Lord to betroth us unto himself It is to engage himself to us to be ours and to take us for his 2. For how long a time the Lord engageth himself to us and that is for ever I will betroth thee unto me for ever 3. The manner how he will betroth us to himself in Righteousness in Judgment in Mercies in Faithfulness It is a most sure contract made out of infinite mercy and managed with Wisdom and Judgment and shall be Righteously and Faithfully observed 4. The persons that the Lord will betroth to himself are those who are willing to be divorced from their sins and to accept of Christ for their Husband ver 7.19 I will go and return to my first Husband I will betroth thee to me They whom God taketh into Covenant with himself ver 18.19 I will make a Covenant for them And I will betroth thee to me for ever And 't is also to be observed that the Lord repeats this three times I will betroth thee yea I will betroth thee I will even betroth thee unto me that we may rest satisfied that our former sins though great shall not hinder us on our Repentance from this great priviledge of being betrothed to the Lord for ever That the covenant is to give a mutual and eternal interest that is that the Lord will be ours for ever and take us for his for ever you may see Ezek. 36.28 Yeshallbe my people and I will be your God Psal 48.14 This God is our God for ever and for ever Lam. 3.31 The Lord will not cast off for ever 1 Sam. 12.22 The Lord will not forsake his People for his great names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people 2. This Covenant which the Lord Jesus Christ maketh with us upon our coming to him wherein he engageth to be ours and to take us for his for ever is a sure and everlasting covenant 2 Sam. 23.5 More firm and stedfast than the Hills and Mountains which shall all be removed out of their places sooner than Gods covenant shall be removed from us Isa 54.10 For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills shall be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee nor the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee 3. The failings and back-slidings of the Members of Christ shall not make void this everlasting covenant he will chasten them for their sins and backslidings but he will not break his covenant with them Psal 89.30 31 32 33
thy strength O Lord and in thy Salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce 3. As Christ comforts his afflicted people by the gracious visits which he gives them so also by raising and strengthning their Faith in times of trouble and causing them to stay themselves upon God in an evil day For the staying the mind upon God is a means to keep the Soul in peace under the greatest dangers Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee 4. Jesus Christ comforteth his afflicted people with the hope of Eternal Life which he promiseth to such as are in a suffering condition if they continue faithful to the death Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also reign with him Rom. 5.2 And rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Vse I. If an interest in Christ be such a ground of Consolation then here is reproof 1. For those that content themselves with a Worldly Interest and take no care no pains to get an interest in Christ but neglect Christ Such mens case is sad For 1. The world is a poor portion for all worldly enjoyments abstracted from God and Christ are nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit 2. All the world will avail a man nothing when he comes to dye It will give no ease to a troubled Conscience no pardon of Sin no help to Heaven 1 Tim. 6.7 We can carry nothing of it away with us into another world 3. They that have neglected Christ and the Salvation purchased by Christ shall not escape the wrath of God in the other World Heb. 2.3 2. For those that have an interest in Christ and yet live very discontentedly either for want of some things which they desire as Parts Riches Friends a setled Condition or for the loss of some things which God hath taken away from them or because of some crosses or troubles that they meet with in the World Vse II. Of Examination Have we a true saving interest in Christ can we say Christ is ours and we are his Quest How may we know whither Christ be ours A. 1. If we love him Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and if our love to him exceed our love to all other things and persons in the World if he be our best Beloved Christ doth not own those as having an interest him that love any thing above him Mat. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me That such as love God and Christ above all things have a saving interest in Christ is evident because eternal Life is promised to them Jam. 2.5 Heirs of the Kingdom which God hath promised to those that love him Quest How shall we know that we love Christ above all things A. 1. When we desire Christ above all things in the world Psal 73.25 So that if God should ask us as he did Solomon what shall I give thee we would say Lord give us thy self for our God and thy Son for our Saviour 2. When we esteem Christ above all things so as that we count them as dung in comparison of Christ and are willing to part with any thing so that we may win Christ Philip. 3.8 3. VVhen the love of God in Christ puts more joy and gladness into our hearts than the enjoyment of all the world or it would be a greater joy to us than the whole world if God would manifest his love to us Psal 4. 6 7. 2. If we are Christs then Christ is ours that 's another Character in the Text. Cant. 2. 16. My Beloved is mine and I am his Now we may know we are Christs 1. If we have solemnly given up our selves to Christ with a sincere heart without any secret reserves of any Lust resolving that by the help of his grace we will deny our selves take up our Cross and follow him 2 Cor. 8.5 Mark 8.34 2. If his interest will prevail with us beyond our own interest and his will above our own wills if his word be our rule and his glory our end that is a good evidence that we are Christs Isa 63.19 VVe are thine thou never bearest rule over them As much as to say they are the Lords over whom the Lord bears rule Psal 119.94 I am thine I have sought thy precepts When in doubtful Cases we seek out the will of Christ and follow the will of Christ that shews us to be his 3. When we are Christs Servants Act. 27. 23. VVhos 's I am and whom I serve And the great end why we desire to live is to do service for Christ Phil. 1.21 4. When we are tender and careful of Christs glory John 17.10 I am glorified in them that are mine and thine 3. The Spirit of Christ sent down into our Hearts is a certain Evidence of an interest in Christ 1 John 3.24 Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit that he hath given us Rom. 8. v. 9. Q. How shall we know that we have the Spirit of Christ A. 1. If we have an obediential frame of heart Ezek 36.27 compared with Rom. 8. 7. The carnal heart is enmity to the Law of God and therefore when we are caused to obey Gods Statutes that is from the Spirit put within us 2. We may know we have the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit which are Faith Love Peace Joy Long-suffering c. Gal. 5. 22 23 c. Vse III. Of Exhortation Exhort 1. To such as want an interest in Christ that they would above all things seek to get Christ What Solomon saith of Wisdom Prov. 4.7 The same may I say of Jesus Christ who is called the Wisdom of God Jesus Christ is the principal thing therefore above all things get Jesus Christ Exhort 2. To such as have an interest in Christ to labour for the knowledge of it that every one may be able to say Christ is mine and I am his Q. How shall we attain to the knowledge of our interest in Christ A. 1. Examine your selves by those Characters the Scripture gives of an interest in Christ and more particularly about your Faith 2 Cor. 13.5 And if you cannot make any clear work hereof at one time try what you can do at another 2. Pray earnestly to God to manifest your interest in Christ It is in his light that we see light Psal 36.9 Pray as David Psal 35.3 Say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation And if you can't obtain the knowledge of your interest in Christ by much seeking to God yet follow on to seek him and then in Gods good time you shall know the Lord to be your God in Christ Hos 6.3 Isa 24.9 Zech. 13.9 3. Accustom your self to trust in God in all your straits fears dangers and temptations For the more you trust in God the