THE SINFULNESSE OF SINNE AND THE FULNESSE OF CHRIST Delivered in Two Sermons By Mr. WILLIAM BRIDGE Sometime Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and ' late Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth LONDON Printed in the Year 1667. CHRISTIAN READER THou art desired to take notice That these two Sermons are not exposed to publique view by the Author 's own hand but were taken as they fell from his lips in his ordinary Preaching Nevertheless the style method spirituality conciseness and depth of them give in ample testimony to all that have acquaintance with him that they are his genuine off-spring And being suitable and usefull to all persons in all conditions thou mayest through the blessing of God reap much advantage by them THE SINFULNESSE OF SINNE Rom. 7. and part of the 13 Verse But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful MY purpose is now to speak something concerning the evil and sinfulness of sin and therefore have made choice of these words In this Chapter the Apostle Paul doth give us some account of the way and manner of his Conversion Before I was converted sayes he I was alive without the Law ver 9. but when the Commandment came sin revived and I died for without the Law sin was dead and I was alive without the Law once I thought my self a jolly man I was very brisk and jolly had good thoughts of my condition I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came when the word of the Lord came in power unto my soul for I had the Law and the Commandment always with me Concerning the Law I was blameless Phil. 3. 6. the letter of the Law was not absent from me but when it pleased God to set on the Word of the Lord in power upon my soul then whereas I was alive before now sin revived sin that lay dead before and was hid now revived and did appear to be sin for that in the 9 Verse and this in the 13 are the same Vers 9. Sin revived and I died but sin that it might appear sin working death in me in this 13 Verse But how did sin revive and appear By the coming of the Law by the coming of the Commandment thereby it broke out the more and so was discovered as by the coming and shining of the Sun-beams upon the Dung-hill the filth stinks the more not that the Sun-beams are the cause but the occasion thereof And sin revived by the coming of the Commandment and appeared to be sin appeared more to me in its own shape and struck me dead with the apparition thereof whereas before sin was dead and I alive now sin alive and I dead From whence then I take up this Observation Observ That there is a great deal of evil and sinfulness in sin which doth not appear to a man until he doth Convert and turn unto God Look when a man doth Convert and turn unto God then sin appears to be sin indeed and not before For the clearing and prosecution whereof I shall labour to shew First That there is a great deal of evil and sinfulness in sin Secondly That this evil and sinfulness of sin doth not appear to a man until Conversion-work pass upon his soul Thirdly Look when a man doth Convert and turn to the Lord in truth then sin appears in the sinfulness thereof unto him 1. There is a great deal of evil and sinfulness in sin To make it out in the general and then more particularly 1. In the general this may appear by the names of sin for sin hath taken up all the names of evil of all evils The Scripture doth not Nickname sin and yet what evil is there incident unto man but sin is invested with the name thereof in Scripture 1. Is it an evil thing for a man to be unclean and filthy Sin is called filthiness I will wash you from all your filthiness Ezek. 36. 25. 2. Is it an evil thing for a man to be naked Sin is called nakedness That your nakedness may not appear Rev. 3. 18. 3. Is it an evil thing for a man to be blind Sin is called blindness The blind shall lead the blind Mat. 15. 14. 4. Is it an evil thing for a man to be foolish Sin is called folly That you may no more return unto folly Psal 85. 8. 5. Is it an evil thing for a man to be mad The Prodigal returned unto himself Luke 15. 17 and I was mad sayes Paul Acts 26. 11. 6. Is it an evil thing for a man to be dead Sin is called death Dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1. 7. It is called an Abomination Prov. 8. 7. and because there is no word that can express the evil and sinfulness of sin the Apostle in this place sayes That sin might become exceeding sinful Why Because there is no word of evil that can reach the evil of sin Now look what that is that doth ingross and take up all the names of all evils that must needs be exceeding evil So it is with sin 2. Look what that is that doth separate betwixt us and God who is the chiefest and universal good That must needs be the greatest evil Now sayes the Prophet Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Isa 59. 2. 3. Look what that is that doth unite us to Satan and make us the Children of the Devil That must needs be very evil Says our Saviour You are of your father the devil Why For his works you do Joh. 8. 44. Sin makes us the children of the devil 4. Look what that is that did put Christ to death that was the cause of his death That must needs be exceeding evil So sin did He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. He bare our sins upon the Cross 1 Pet. 2. 24. and the Lord made the iniquity of us all to meet on him Isa 53. 6. 5. Look what that is that doth bring a general curse upon the whole Creation That must needs be evil So sin hath done cursed be the ground and the earth for thy sake Gen. 3. 17. 6. Look what that is that doth soil and stain all our glory and the Image of God in us That must needs be great evil Sin hath stayned the beauty of the Image of God that was stampt upon us and by sin saith the Apostle Row 3. 23. we come short of the glory of God For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God 7. Look what that is that doth bring such horror of Conscience that a soul is not able to bear and cannot be allayed but by the blood of Jesus That must needs be a very great evil Sin and the eating of the forbidden fruit hath bred this worm that never dies 8. Look what that evil is that is the fewel of Hell that feeds Hell-fire to all Eternity That
presume Never think on sin without Christ Labour to get the sight of your sin but never think on sin without Christ but look on your sin in the wounds of Christ and read your sins written out in Christs blood 2. Humble your selves for sin though it be never so small but do not question your condition for sin though it be never so great I do not speak this to those that are unconverted for they have cause to question their condition for every sin though never so small but being converted and turned unto God I say humble thy self for every sin though never so small but never question thy condition for any sin though never so great 3. The more sense you have of sin and the sinfulness thereof the more labour to maintain your assurance of the pardon of it and the more assurance you have of the pardon of your sin the more labour for a sight and sense of it Let not your sense of sin quench your joy of pardon let not your joy of pardon hinder your sight of sin if both these be true and genuine the one is an help unto the other 4. And to conclude the more sense you have of sin the more do you come to Christ for in Scripture you shall find that every good work is not for it self but some good works are in order to others as for example to instance in the keeping of the Sabbath you are to rest on the Sabbath and it is a good work but not for it self but in order to Prayer Hearing Sanctification other duties So here sense of sin is a good work but it is not for it self but in order to going to Christ Therefore now go to Christ and say Lord now I see the sinfulness of sin let me also see the graciousness of grace and the fulness of Christ yea now I do come to thee for righteousness because I see my sin is out of measure sinful FINIS THE FULNESSE OF CHRIST Isaiah 9. 1 2. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Nations The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined THese words do relate to the former Chapter us you may see by the word nevertheless in the end of the former Chapter the Prophet shews that great trouble and misery should befal the people of God It shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselVes and curse their king and their God and look upward vers 21. and they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darkness dimness of anguish and they shall be driven to darkness nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation c. So that in these words you have a great affliction mentioned and the mitigation of that affliction the affliction or trouble is more easie and more heavy it hath two parts a more easie part and a more heavy part at the first he lightly afflicted the land of zebulun and the land of Nephtali and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the Sea The story whereof you have in 2 King 15. 19. Pul the king of Assyria came against the land and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand and Manahem exacted the money of Israel so the king of Assyria turned back and stayed not there in the land There was the more light affliction but in ver 29. there you have the more heavy affliction In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria and took Ijon and Abel-beth-Maachah and Janoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee all the land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Assyria Here was the affliction wherewith they were vexed both more light and more heavy The mitigation follows at the second verse The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Here is an alleviation of this affliction by the promise of Christ which is interpreted of Christ in Matth. 4. Now at Ver. 12. when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison he departed into Galilee and leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum which is upon the Sea-coast in the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying The land of Zebulon and the land of Nephtali by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles the people which sate in darkness saw great light and to them which sate in the Region and shadow of death light is sprung up So that Christ and Christ alone is an alleviation to our greatest afflictions And so the Doctrine that I shall fall in with at this time is this Doct. There is that in Jesus Christ alone-which may and can and doth afford sufficient comfort and relief in the worst of times and conditions For the opening and prosecution whereof First We will inquire into the truth of it that it is so Secondly What that is in Christ that may or can succour comfort and relieve in the worst of times and conditions Thirdly How far this concerns us And so to the Application 1. First As to the truth of it it is said of Christ That in him the fulness of the God head dwelleth bodily Col. 2. 9. and there is enough in God to supply all our wants As there is enough in Heaven to pay for all at the last so there is enough in God to supply all at the present He is too covetous whom the great God of Heaven cannot suffice When David was in the greatest strait that ever he met with in his life his Wives and goods taken and carried away by the enemy and his own men and soldiers mutined and ready to stone him how did he comfort himself but in God David incouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30. 6. There is enough in God to comfort in all conditions and the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in Christ Therefore there is that in Christ which may afford sufficient comfort and relief in the worst of times and conditions 2. If you look into Scripture you shall find that the promises and prophecies of Christ are calculated and given out for the worst of times it was usual with the Prophets to prophesie of Christ but mark how their prophecies were calculated for the worst of times In Jer. 23. you have a prophecy of Christ Vers 6. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his
the Father for the very thing you want 2. Be sure of this that you make good your interest in Christ get assurance of your interest in him else you will be afraid to come at him For all things are yours saith the Apostle whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death Why For ye are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. But if you be not assured of this that ye are Christs and Christ yours how can ye relieve your selves in Christ in an evil day Get therefore an assurance of your interest in Christ 3. Observe what those attributes and titles of Christ are which are most suited unto your condition and lay them much before you and press your hearts therewithal it is not enough for us to come to Christ in the general but we must come to him and deal with him according to those attributes or titles that are suited to our condition Christ is willing we should do so and hath on purpose clothed himself with such titles as suit our condition the second and third Chapters of the Revelations are a proof of this very thing all the Epistles to the seven Churches begin with titles of Christ in the Epistle to the Church of Ephesus there is one title in the Epistle to the Chuch of Smyrna there 's another title and so to all the seven Churches Every Epistle begins with a several title of Christ and according to the condition of the Church he writes to so is the title he begins with As to instance in the Church of Smyrna at the 8th verse there his title is The first and the last which was dead and is alive Rev. 2. 8 Why this title He writes to the Church in Smyrna that was to suffer hard things ver 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison Is that all Is the Prison all No sayes he Be thou faithful unto death ye shall have tribulation ten dayes relating to the ten persecutions in the Primitive times dying times VVhat then Now remember my titles my attributes this is my name and title the first and the last which was dead and is alive see how this title suited to their condition And friends assure your selves of this that Christ will certainly make good his titles that he is clothed with David assured himself of it The Lord is my shepherd VVhat then I shall not want Psal 23. 1. He will make good his title I know I shall not want he relieved himself in that title of Christ that suited his condition So do you do this day As for example Is there distress among the Saints and people of God remember his title he is the King of Saints Rev. 15. 3. Is there great distress of Nations remember his title he is King of Nations Jer. 10. 7. Are you under any dimness or vexation as it is in this Chapter remember his title A light is risen up a marvellous light Thus be sure you deal with Christ according to that title of his that is most suited to your condition 4. Be sure of this that you study Christ and your condition together some study their condition stand poreing upon their condition but they do not study Christs and they are full of unbelief Some think much on Christ but not on their own condition and they are given to Presumption But would you find true relief in Christ whatever your condition be Then study Christ and your condition together as thus Christ is a King a Priest and a Prophet if you be ignorant now think on Christ as a Prophet if you be guilty now think on Christ as a Priest if you be disorderly now think on Christ as a King Thus study Christ and your condition together 5. Be sure of this that you put Christ upon it to succour and relieve you in the worst of times to do that for you that he hath entitled himself unto So David did Psal 31. See how he argues and his argument is exceeding good Lord sayes he ver 2 Be thou my strong rock why for thou art my rock vers 3. Lord this is thy name this is thy title Thou art my rock then be my rock and sayes he ver 4. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strength I have to deal with enemies and they have laid their net privily for me Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strength So now popish men have laid their net privily for us and we may go to Christ and say Lord pull us out of the net that they have laid privily for us for thou art our strength Thus put Christ upon it to answer his titles 6. If you would find succour comfort and relief in Christ in the worst of times and conditions then rest upon him in opposition to all other helps and shifts or unlawful means of deliverance in case you come into any strait Christ is so much yours as you rest upon him as our resting on the promise makes it ours so our resting on Christ makes him ours And you know how graciously the Lord appear'd to the three Children Christ came and walked with them in the fiery furnace and delivered them Dan. 3. 25. How so They rested or him We know that our God is able to deliver us we will not bow down to the Idol whatever comes on us We know our God is able to deliver us ver 17 18. here they rested upon him alone in opposition to all unworthy shifts and unlawful means for deliverance and then Christ appeared and gave out his succour and relief to them 7. If you would find succour comfort and relief in Christ upon all occasions and in all conditions then go to God by Prayer go and beg of God to open your eyes that you may see this fountain that is by you it is possible that your eyes may be held as Hagars were Hagar had the Fountain by her but she did not see it for her eyes were held And thus it is with many of us Christ our Fountain is by and we even sit down in despair why for our eyes are held Go then to God and beg of him to open your eyes that you may see this Fountain 8. And lastly If you desire to draw water out of this well of salvation and to improve Christ for your relief and comfort in the worst of times then observe what those promises are that the Lord hath made to his people for the latter times and be sure that you deal much with them Christ comforts and relieves by promises As the Devil tempts by promises so Christ comforts by promises and when a man is relieved by a promise that Christ hath made he is relieved by Christ Now there are nine or ten promises that the Lord Christ hath made to the latter times for the comfort of