by Christ made one of the richest Kings Revel 1.6 2. And besides this dignity to his person Christ also dignifies all their performances of duty making them acceptable to God for all the filth that cleaves to their sacrifices holy things he washeth off by rincing them in his blood all their prayers and other presents offered to God by them Christ perfumes with the odours of his Merits and so represents them as sweet Incense to his Father Rev. 8.34 That soul which hath put on Christ finds him a Garment not onely to cover his nakednesse but also to beautifie and adorne him and this makes the soule also to prize Christ above all as a man is more choyce of his best Apparrell Lastly the soule that hath saving grace finds this admirable commodity also by Christ that he gaines by all his losses he sees all other men lose by their very gaines Paul in our Text affirmes it in his owne particular case he found now that he lost by all his supposed gaines and that he now did gaine by his supposed losses Take a soule that hath Christ and he will say with David It was good for me that I was afflicted Psal 119 71. I got well by it a prison will be as gainfull to such a soule as it was to Manasses who thrived more in the prison at Babylon 2 Chron. 33.11 12 13. then in his Pallace at Ierusalem for in his adversity he sought and found his God he lost in his prosperity such a soule will with the three children dance in a fiery furnace Dan. 3.25 it will doe him so much good all losses and crosses whatsoever outward and inward spirituall and bodily bring him in gaine and enrich him for all things work to his good Rom. 8.28 and this not onely all his life long but also at death when other men lose most then he gaines most when men out of Christ dye and goe hence they doe not onely leave their goods as they call them behind them but also all that little goodnesse was in them and so goe to that place where is nothing but sinne and its punishment misery a great losse indeed they suffer when their fraile Barke of the flesh shipwracks on the mercilesse Rock of death but such as have Christ saving grace informes them and they beleeve it as Gods truth that they shall lose nothing then but what is worse then nothing Heb. 12.1 their sinnes and sinfulnesse which they would faine have parted with before but could not it hung so fast to the flesh but for that little goodnesse which was in them that shall be encreased and perfected yea and their goods they shall not lose but exchange for better for Parents he shall have God his heavenly Father for brethren and sisters Jesus Christ his eldest brother and the blessed Saints for friends the holy Angels for faiding wealth the true riches for momentany pleasures the everlasting for vain titles of honour immortall glory yea for sorrow joy for labour rest for mortality immortality and in one word for his hell here his Heaven for ever Is not this a happy change yet this Christ brings to the soul thetfore you see good reason it hath to prize him above all and thus you have the first part of the truth made good to you there is as much reason for The second part thereof why saving grace makes the soule prize Christ above all in Justification and Sanctification Reas 1 For Justification because saving grace doth enlighten the soule to see the perfection of the Law which requires an exact performance according to its Rule in every the least particular and that for want thereof it pronounceth a curse on it as guilty of the breach of all Gal. 3.10 Iames 2.10 And Secondly the soule by saving grace being quickned with spirituall life is sensible of its owne weaknesse and imperfection whereby it is dis-inabled to answer the law to its perfect commands ever in its best performances he finds he cannot doe what he would much lesse what he should and yet doth much what he both would not and should not Hence it is that in matter of Justification to obtaine pardon he renounceth all his owne righteousnesse as dung and filthy rags and would not be found in the same but in Christ Jesus the righteous whose righteousnesse which is by faith ours to our selves he sees must as it only can free him from guilt of sinne before Gods Justice and therefore he prizeth Christ so much above all herein But this particular hath been so clearly manifested of late by others as I shall not need further to insist thereon come we therfore to the Reasons why saving Grace makes the heart prize Christ above all in sanctification They are seaven The first is because saving grace discovers to the soul not onely the guilt of sinne but also the filth of sinne and as justification takes away the guilt so sanctification doth away the filth of sinne And as for the taking away of the guilt the soule denies it selfe and its owne right so for the doing away of the filth the soule abhorres it selfe in dust and ashes as Job 42.6 So that saving grace works not onely self-deniall but also a self-loathing as in Paul Rom. 7.24 he is even sicke of himselfe the filthinesse of sin that cleaves to him makes him out of love with himselfe and not to endure himself with patience and to sweeten him both to God and himselfe he prizeth Christ above all he finds now his owne garments so spotted with the flesh as he would fain change them and none in his account like to Christs white robes of holinesse and righteousnesse when a soule is sick of sinne as all soules are when endued with saving grace a bare pardon will not serve their turne that alone doth not cure them the Lord must heale their transgressions also now this is by sanctification as the former is by justification Another reason is because saving grace works the heart to a desire and longing after the image of God that it may become like God as our Saviour often cals us to be Such a soule knows by Adams example that it shall not get into a state of innocency till it obtaine the image of God stampt on it Now this image of God consisted in holinesse and righteousnesse Ephes 4.24 and both these are by the new man Christ Jesus in whom we are created to the good works of them Eph. 2.10 for he is the image of the Father Col. 1.15 and therefore that the soule may be holy as his heavenly Father 1 Pet. 1.16 and righteous as he is righteous Mat. 5. last he prizeth Christ above all as being the treasury of all grace from whom he must receive grace for grace John 1.16 A third Reason is from the discovery of heaven to the soule that hath saving grace for hereby as through a perspective Glasse he can looke into heaven and
roome get Christ When saving grace comes to a Saul it enters in at the understanding first that is the everlasting gate whereby the King of glory passeth in to the City of the heart Psal 24 7. Mal. 4.2 Rom. 13.12 2 Pet. 1.9.19 he therefore is called a Sunne and that is called light because by their light a man seeth more into things more of them then he did before they came into him He was before like a blindfolded man that could see no more then a seem of things errours and false opinions so bemisted him as he could not discerne aright of them But when the day-starre ariseth in the darke place his mind then as he hath other eyes so he sees things otherwise he finds that he was much mistaken in things when he called losse gaine and gaine losse wherefore now he alters his Opinion and accounts things as they are losse shall be losse and gaine gaine onely to him Is not this most apparent in our Apostle did not there fall off as thick as great scales from the eyes of his soule Acts 9.18 as from them of his body when Christ Jesus took possession of him Yea doubtlesse and hence it was that he changed his opinion of all things and by declaring this alteration he cleerly tels us he is not now the same man he was as much difference between him then and him now as is between a Saul and a Paul who are no more like one another then black and white direct opposites as losse is to gaine and gaine to losse A great change indeed so great as himselfe thought would seem a Paradox to the men of this world his former Companions and brethren in affection hence it is as may be conceived that he repeats it over and againe he would have them beleeve it is certainly true there is such an alteration of and in him and to work it into them comes upon them in a gradation each step being a preventive Answer to an Objection they might make For in the seventh Verse having shewne them the things which he accounted losse for Christ the things that were gaine to him his performances and priviledges mentioned in the fifth and sixth Verses They might have Objected what is this such a matter they are but some things thy judgement is altered of in comparison of this Christ thou talkest of to prevent their saying thus to him in the eighth Verse he saith to them Yea doubtlesse I account all things losse for Christ To whom they might reply Thou doest say so Paul but thou wilt not doe so Yea but I have done so already is his returne Hereto they might Object It may be Paul thou hast done so once but thou wilt learne more wit then to doe so againe Nay saith he for even now at this present time I doe so undervalue all things in comparison of Christ Jesus my Lord I but Paul might they say why doest thou so prize Christ above all He answers them that I may win Christ And what good can Christ doe thee when thou hast him why desirest thou Christ so much He gives them and us two reasons of his esteem and desire of Christ above all in the two Verses following in the ninth Verse his reason is that he might be justified in God's sight Psal 143.2 Rom. 3.22 for in his sight no flesh shall be justified in his owne righteousnesse He would not therefore for a world that God should come to Judgement and find him in his owne righteousnesse and out of Christ and Christs righteousnesse which is by Faith applied to us And in the tenth Verse his second motive to set up and seek Christ above all was his sanctification and therefore he saith that I may know him Know him might they say what doest thou not know Christ Paul Why we know Christ I but my meaning is saith the Apostle not such a knowledge as yours is alas it is not an historicall knowledge of him in mine head that I would have but an experimentall knowledge of him in mine heart I can talk of Christ as wellas you but I would feel Christ in me and have Union and Communion with him which you want I would find in my heart and life the vertue of his Resurrection and a fellowship of his Death and Sufferings Now what meanes he by the vertue of Christ's Resurrection but that which Divines call Vivification that is a quickning power therefrom to walk in newnesse of life as he explaines himselfe Rom. 6.4 And what intends he by the fellowship of Christ's Death and Sufferings but that which we call Mortification which is a dying to sinne as is evident from Rom. 6.5 6 7 8. And what are Vivification and Mortification but those two parts of a Christian which make up his Sanctification for which Christ was as highly prized and as earnestly prized and as carnestly desired by Paul as for his Justification Thus have you briefly the scope and meaning of these foure Verses read unto you we will passe by the dividing of them into their parts at this present because I have but a little time to speak in and much precious matter to speak of the Observations that they naturally yeeld unto our consideration are these five I. A man before Conversion doth alway confide in and rest on his performances of duty II. After conversion a mans judgement is altered concerning his owne righteousnesse III. Without Christ all things are but losse and dung IV. Christ alone is the true gaine V. True saving grace wherewith Paul was endued when he wrote these words of our Text teacheth a poor soule to esteem of Christ above all things not onely for Justification but also for Sanctification Of all these five I doe conceive this last most usefull for this Congregation at this time wherefore mine intent is with Gods assistance to confirme it unto you and afterward make some use of it which whilst I doe if you love Christ and prize him above all you will yeeld me your patient attention The Philosophers often call man a little world in himselfe but Christians know he is not such an entire Common-wealth as able to live of and by himselfe these say if he depend on Christ for maintainance he will soone breake and fall into so wretched a condition as is farre worse then a non-being Christ therefore in whom are all the hid treasures of God must man repaire unto for supply of all his wants but alas he wants an heart to goe to him he must be drawne by God the Father or else he will never come to Christ John 6.44 The lâ—gs of Free-wiâ—l which the Papists and Arminians stand so much upon will never be able to carry a soul so farre as Christ there must be an inward principle of saving grace in the heart to enable and direct us or else we shall never truly desire or effâ—â—â—uâ—lly sind him to be ours Indeed there may be some gasping after Christ
teach the heart first doth dedocere then docere first makes him unlearned what sinne hath taught him false and hence it is that such a soule comes to prize the Lord Jesus above all things Reas 3 The third and last cause hereof proceeds from that inestimable worth of Christ which saving grace makes the heart sensible of by feeling those unspeakable benefits it is made partaker of by him which are many we will at this time but point out to you these six following One which is the first and root of all the rest is Reconciliation with God Col. 1.21 Reconciliation is that gift of God's Free-grace in Christ whereby such as are strangers and enemies become acquainted with God and so have peace joy and delight in him and boldnesse to him Rom. 5.1 2. and for the ground of emnity between God and them which was sinne that made the seperation and alienation Isa 59.2 Col. 1.21 is utterly taken away by Jesus Christ his death whereby he satisfied for sinne Eph. 2.16 So that now the poore soule instead of terrifying frownes and heart-breaking threats and menaces hath chearfull smiles and cordiall promises good and comfortable words Zach. 1.13 The Lord doth shine in love so clearly and abundantly on the soul that it warmes him to the very heart and makes him rejoyce with joy unspeakable this benefit by Christ may seem little in the eyes of some persons but as we that have felt the bitternesse of warre and dissention amongst our selves how welcome would a Peace and Pacification be to us what would we give for it if it might be bought we knew not the sweetnesse of Peace before but our fulnesse thereof had produced in us a very loathing of that Hony-combe so that soule which hath alwayes lived in peace by meanes of the strong man Luke 11.21 doth slight this benefit by Christ but when that devils peace is broken and a poor soule is at civill warre in and with it selfe and with sinne satan his instruments yea and with God also who seems to take part against it and to wrastle with it too O how sweet is this Peace and Reconciliation with God by Christ there 's no soule can conceive the sweetnesse of it much lesse any tongue expresse it but that soule which hath tasted thereof by saving grace and for love of this as I may so say the soule doth prize Christ the more Another benefit is Life for Christ is the very life of such a soul Col. 3.3 4. for by him the soule that was dead in sinnes and trespasses is quickned Eph. 2.1 he hath breathed his Spirit thereinto and made it a living soule Rom. 8.10 The man that lyes rotting in his sinnes is altogether ignorant of the excellency of this new life by Christ as a dead man in the grave is not sensible of the sweetnesse of bodily life the living man is he that prizeth life as the best Jewell on earth and will give skin for skin and all that he hath for life so only that soule which is raised up from the dead to newnesse of life feels and findes the excellency and sweetnesse thereof and therefore he alone prizeth Christ above all in a respect hereof A third benefit is that Al-healing vertue that this soule finds in Christ he is at no time sick of any malady but Christ applyed he finds gives him present ease be he never so much wearied by labouring under any spirituall or temporall burden any terror of spirit a broken spirit a sick body a sinking estate a prision any tempest of tribulation come he finds Christ a ready Haven of rest where rides at the Anchor of Hope with such comfort as he hath a pretty heaven on earth what would not a man give for such a Panacea a Sovereigne receipt if such one could be found as would cure all wounds sores sicknesses distempers and lamenesses in the body The man that should have such a Medicine would think himselfe well provided for he would not part with it at any rates and the soule that finds this al-curing vertue in Christ thinks no price sufficient for him you cannot offer enough to him for his Christ for indeed he will not leave his Christ on any tearmes A fourth benesit by Christ is the soule by having Christ hath himselfe and is come to his right wits againe Adam seeking by unlawfull meanes to get more knowledge then he had like men that over-study themselves crackt his braines and lost that knowledge which he had before and his Posterity to this day are yea will be to the last day a company of dictracted persons foolish and mad children till Christ take them in hand and by giving them himself bring them againe to themselves This is evident by that in Titus 3.3 where the Apostle speakes of himselfe and such like We our selves were sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is out of our minds that is before we had Christ we were by-witted persons it is worth our observation in this particular to take notice of what is said concerning the Prodigall at his returne which signifies the conversion of any sinner in Luke 15.17 The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is comming or when he came into himselfe he said c. Which plainly implyes the man was before time quite out of himselfe Psal 75.4 and that he both said and did all as a mad man and so madly doe all men carry themselves before they have Christ And this aggravates their misery that they are not sensible of this their pittifull condition neither will be perswaded to believe it but like as mad men think others more mad then themselves so doe men out of Christ think them that are in Christ to be mad their wayes words and behaviours are so strange and uncouth to them 1 Pet. 4.4 But such as are in Christ know them that are out of Christ to be mad indeed and they know it by their owne experience for they themselves were such at that time but now they are come to themselves by Christ's comming to them and for this great blessing they prize Christ above all But fifthly the soule that hath saving grace finds by Christ it hath not onely received it selfe but it selfe with advantage for by Christ he finds an excellency put on himselfe and all his performances 1. As the touch of the Philosophers stone is said to turne the thing touched into pure gold so more truly one touch-of Christ to a poore soule doth metamorphose it making it of great worth which was before despised as vile and base now he becomes a man of some account indeed both with God and good men He is one of Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 one of his chosen Generation one of his holy Nation and peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.9 one that is both precious and honourable in Gods sight Isa 43.4 and therefore one of his beloved ones briefly the soule that was the poorest amongst Beggars is
he imployes in both our Justification and Sanctification are the same for as we justified by his Active and Passive Obedience by his death and sufferings by his resurrection c. so we are sanctified by them for the vertue of them as Paul in our Text cals it doth work in us to the killing of sinne in us and quickning of us to new Obedience As Christ died for our Justification so for our Sanctification Titus 2.14 Luke 1.75 as they take away the guilt of sinne so they free us from the filth and dominion of sinne so that you must know this for a truth that you cannot be assured of Christ's living to you in your Justification untill you can find him living in you by Sanctification Our Apostle knew so much and therefore when he would have the Corinthians to get assurance of their salvation by Christ he sends them home into themselves saying prove your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 examine your selves whether you be in the Faith that is in the estate of the faithfull which we call Salvatione And how shall they know this He tels them by adding for know you not that except Christ be in you you are Reprobates that is such as are excluded from that happinesse Now by Christ being in us is meant our Sanctification as to speak strictly our being in Christ looks at and chiefly implies our Justification though indeed this phrase in Christ is used sometimes in a large sense for both but to draw this particular to a close the Apostle sends the Corinthians to their sanctification for a proofe justification and till they can find Christ in them by his sanctifying them they cannot conclude any thing but that for all they know as yet they are Reprobates and hence it is that a good soule earnestly lahouring for assurance which is the very soule and life of a Christians comfort here doth so highly prize Christ for sanctification and thus you have the truth confirmed in both parts come we now to Application Vse The Use that at this time I shall desire you with me to make of that truth we have heard is to goe to a tryall of our selves whether we have saving grace or no Truly my Beloved self-examination is a duty of great consequence and necessary to the wel-being yea to the very being of a Christian indeed it is the very key of the work of assurance Hence the Apostle when he sets them about the work of assurance first directs them to take examination of themselves in hand Let us not then trust to the reports of our deceitfull hearts who will be ready enough to sooth us up with a vain and fruitlesse hrpe of God's free grace in Christ Alas how many are gone to hell with this hope that Christ dyed for them their salfe hearts told them they should be saved and they beleeving them sate down in security and sought no further till it was too late so late as Heaven gate was shut against them as the foolish Virgins Mat. 25.10 11. But this is a truth that if we be in the state of salvation and so may assure our selves we shall be saved for ever then there is saving grace in us and if we have saving grace in us we prize Christ above all things both for Justification and Sanctification so then the point whereof we are to examine our selves is our prizing of Christ above all in the particulars before mentioned and for the cleerer discovery of the truth therein we will draw up the rules of our examination into two ranks answerable to the proofe of the position delivered As First whether we prize Christ above all Secondly whether we prize Christ above all both in Justification and Sanctification First Whether we prize Christ above all If saving grace be in us so will we esteem of Christ as more worth then all we have not time to instance in every particular saving grace we shall therefore at this time but mention one which is accounted as a Mother grace and that is faith Have we but that saving grace Christ will be a Pearle of great price in our eye and you have a cleare proofe thereof by the Testimony of Peter who sayth To you that beleeve he Christ is precious but to them that beleeve not he is a stone of offence 1 Pet. 2.7 Now to beleeve is to receive Christ John 1.12 and by the rule of contraries not to beleeve is not to receive Cstrist wherefore the Apostles words hold forth to us that Christ is precious onely to such as have received him and to such as have not received him he is but as a peble stone nay which is worse a rock of offence whereon they strike in despight and make an utter shipwrack of their soules So then if we prize Christ we have received him now the Question will be whether we have received Christ or no to determine this case we will onely consider the manner of our receiving him for that is so remarkable as it will resolve this doubt if we can find it to have beene in us If you ask what is the true manner of receiving Christ I answer that the soule which receives Christ truly and savingly takes him with a holy kind of greedinesse we receive him with so much earnestnesse of affection as they which took Heaven by violence Mat. 11.12 as if we took Christ by force out of the armes of his Father even when he freely holds him out to us a kind of behaviour displeasing to men but herein most acceptable to God We are like hunger-starven men whose hot appetite doth make them so earnest after victuals as when offered by a charitable hand they doe take them with such earnestnesse as they seeme rather violently to snatch then civilly to receive them such a disposition God loves to see in us and therefore hath called such persons blessed and prommised them a full satisfaction Matth. 5.6 Yea he knowes that till we be such we will not truly receive him and therefore he cals onely such to take him Isa 55.1 But least you should wonder at this I will briefly shew you how it comes to passe The Lord poures the healing Oyle of saving grace into none but broken Vessels he brings down such as he intends to exalt and before he bestowes his Christ on any soule he will make that soul know and feel his want of Christ And why because the sight of his want of Christ will make him prize Christ seeke Christ and to praise his free grace for Christ given to him Now to make a soule see his want of Christ he sets all his sinnes in order before him Psal 50.21 reckons with him to the utmost farthing and so shewes him how much he is endebted to his justice which cals for execution on him to bind him here with great manacles and fetters of temporall and spirituall plagues and judgements and so to lead him to the infernall prison of hell He
thy selfe up with thine owne righteousnesse thou prizest not Christ at all for Justification Secondly aske thine owne heart what opinion it hath of thy good works in procuring thy pardon from God's Justice if they be thy gaine then Christ is losse to thee if thou thinkest with the Papist to merit and gaine Heaven or the least part of Heaven by them Christ is nothing worth to thee I know the Papists say they exclude not Christ by including their works in matter of Justification but what they say not that they doe for by their making of works to be sharers with Christ they doe really exclude Christ and so themselves from Justification If you cry up works in Justification you cry downe Christ the Apostle Paul in our Text prizing Christ above all for Justification beats downe works to the ground for indeed therein Christ must be alone all in all or else nothing at all as all sound and learned Protestants have and doe continually maintaine against the Popish Doctrine of Merit and therefore I shall not need to insist any further on this particular The second is more necessary for us who take that for granted among us but little think of this latter which yet is as necessary to be knowne and learned as the former as hath been proved and whether we have learned to prize Christ above all for Sanctification if we deale truly with our owne soules we may know by these Rules of examination First see how thine heart stands affected with the dishonour of Christ is Christ's disgrace and losse more to thee then thine own for what we desire most we shall grieve most for if we fall short thereof never was Christ more dishonoured by his own people then in these times both in private and publike in families in churches and Kingdomes feele therefore the pulse of thy soule in these diseased times wherein the world seemes to draw nigh apace unto its end Christ is dishonoured in thy family this church and Kingdome and how doest thou take it doest thou not see his Gospell neglected yea opposed are not his Sacraments even by such as goe for his servants cast behind their backs and laid aside as of no use are not his Sabbaths prophaned his Name blasphemed his servants abused and many more horrid indignities put on him and how takest thou it to heart It may be thou wilt say it doth much break your heart to see things so much disordered but be advised here that you may not be mistaken in your griefe see whether it be not more for thy selfe then for Christ's sake now thou seest the ship of the State crackt and sinking to a ship-wrack yea and Church too by the many rents in it if the Lord save not both it may well be thought that thou art deeply affected but I pray weigh the matter throughly in your own soul is it not because thou art a passenger therein and thou hast a venture in this Barke that is split and thou knowest if that sink thou canst not escape but thou and all that is thine must be quite lost and therefore thou settest thy hand to help save the Barke that thou and thine may be saved therein But if thou wert out of the ship and embarqued in another Kingdome and church with all thy venture wouldst thou be so much troubled for the losse of Christ's Vessell here would it come so neer to thy heart then to heare of all the dishonour that Christ suffers by broaching of Errours and Heresies to the great impeachment of his truth and by the great dissention between his best servants Then it is a signe thou prizest Christ above all in Sanctification for a soule that doth so seeks to advance Christ's glory most of all and that Christ may be more and more served by him and all others Secondly consider how thy heart standeth affected towards sin If thou seek Christ above all for holinesse thou wilt be at utter emnity with the greatest enemy thereto and that is sinne every sinne even thy bosome-sin thy darling-sin will become as odious to thee as the foulest Toad neither wilt thou be at defiance onely with outward actuall sinnes but also with those that are more hidden and inward the sinnes of thy nature yea and truly these will be most offensive to thee because they are as fountaines of iniquity and roots of bitternesse in thee thus we find David more complaining of his naughty and corrupt heart then of his actuall transgressions of murther adultery drunkennesse and idlenesse and Paul cryes out of the body of death in him Rom. 7. a soul that seeks Christ for Sanctification would digge up sinne by the roots another man may top and lop lust in the branches thereof try therefore your selves by this rule Thirdly examine your selves what entertainment the doctrine of walking exactly and precisely finds with your hearts truly if you seek Christ above all for holinesse you will prize his strictest lawes at the highest rate if Christ's Commandements be grievous to thee and thou wouldest cast off his lawes as bonds with them in Psal 2. thou hast no esteem of Christ at all for Sanctification His Yoake is light and easie to such as seeke Christ for holinesse Fourthly he that prizeth Christ above all for Sanctification doth not only prize his strictest commands but also practice them he loves to walk in the strictest way his best Beloved hath chalked out to him bring therefore your lives and conversations and lay them to that rule in Titus 2.12 doe you deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts doe you live godly righteously and soberly in this present world is this your endeavour to give both God and man his due and to keep your selves from being overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life Then thou doest seek Christ for holinesse for such a soules desire is to walk altogether in the wayes of holinesse doing of duty in a newnesse of life is all its delight and why because this is the readiest way to grow up in holinesse and to become more and more like to Christ whom he desires above all for this very purpose that he might be perfect in holinesse Lastly take a scantling of your Humiliations Fastings and Prayers and thereby you may judge of your selves concerning your estimation of Christ for holinesse we have fasted and prayed often humbled our selves publikely and privately many times once a moneth at the least for the space of three yeers almost but let us try wherefore we have been so often in humiliation fasting and prayer what hath been the first wheel that hath moved therein Have we sought Christ for our Sanctification in all our Fast-dayes what bottome hath our sorrow stood upon no other ground but the sense of God's wrath a feare of that great judgement of the sword destruction here and damnation hereafter truly if our humiliation hath sprung from no other cause then this we have not prized Christ above