does trouble you with Temptations and Corruptions you that are Believers he shall not rob you of your comfort because you live on Christ Fourthly Death shall not rob you of your comfort If Christ is yours Death in and through Christ is conquered If a Lion or Bear did lie dead in the street every little Boy would be ready to stand on them and make nothing of them but if they were alive they would be afraid of them and not dare to come near them So Death being conquered by Christ the Sting being taken away the weakest Believer in Christ may insult over Death Death comes peaceably to tell you God would have you come home to your Mansions of Glory But a carnal Man out of Christ Death undoes him he may cry out I am undone lost and damned for ever I shall never breath on Earth more I shall never hear a Sermon I shall never have an Offer of Christ more I am going to everlasting Destruction But to a Believer the Sting is taken out Sin was the Instrument that brought Death into the World and the Death of Christ is the Death of sin A Believer when he dies may say I shall change my Life for a better it doth not rob him of his Joy Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. When Christ who is your Life shall appear you shall also appear with him I am going to live a better Life I am going to live with him that I live to Death is conquered to a Believer it cannot rob you First It cannot rob you of your Joy for you are going to a better Life A Believer may say I am going where I shall never grieve God more where I shall never cry more Why hidest thou thy Face I am going to that Christ I live to my very Heart longs for him whose Presence I shall e're long enjoy You are but going out of the lower Room into the upper you are but going from the Church Militant below to the Church Triumphant above you are going up to him that came down to you That Life is safest that Death cannot rob us of O what a lamentable Outcry will there be with many at their Death There would be more Outcries with Sinners than there are when Death comes but that the Devil stupifies them that they do not cry out till they are in Hell But if Men were set on the brink of Hell and could see the misery they are going to Christ not being theirs O what a dreadful Outcry would there be But now a Soul in Christ may challenge Death O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory O Death what hast thou against me Christ hath took away thy Sting O you that have Christ your Life how sweet should every Sermon be How sweet should every Sabbath be How sweet should every Word be Methinks your Souls should be bound up in Love Grace Glory and the Comforts and Blessings of the Covenant of Grace and when Death approaches you should think of Christs sweet Words to you Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. O what a joyful Day will the day of Death be to a Believer Secondly Death cannot take away the comfort of a Believers Company We are sorry to leave our Relations and Friends and Company that we delight in here but never was your Heart so taken up with Delight in the Saints in the best Frame that ever you were in to the thousandth part to what you will be in Glory But the Wicked will be rob'd of the comfort of their Company they will then curse the Day that ever they saw each others Face but the Saints will meet all the glorious Saints Patriarchs and Prophets God is yours Christ is yours and you will come to a glorious Assembly the Company that you delighted in on Earth you will come to after Death Heb. 12.22 23. But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect What a glorious company are these O how many glorious Suns will you see in one day The very first moment you enter into Glory what a glorious sight will you see O how will you admire that blessed Face that was spit on for you O how will you admire those blessed Wounds in his Arms Legs Side and Heart that was made for your healing Satan cannot rob you of your company you loved the People of God on Earth and you are going to them So the Apostle comforts the Thessalonians that at the Death of their Relations they should not complain 1 Thes 4.13 14. But I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that they sorrow not even as others that have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Do not you fear Death shall not rob you of your company Christ will bring them with him For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. Death cannot rob you of your glorious Company the glorious Saints that are gone to Heaven before and they that remain behind You shall never lose one Friend by Death Thirdly Death cannot rob the Believer of his Life for his Life is hid with Christ when Death comes they do but sleep that Immortal Soul that God breathed into the Body that is now living that goes immediately into Immortal Glory Death does but enlarge it and set it in that place where it will never be confined to a sinful Body The Saints will never cry out with David Ps 102.2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble But the time will then come that all his Fetters will be knockt off and he will then indeed come to know that Life that he hath long wished for So that Death cannot rob them of their Life they do but fetch a Nap in the Grave till Christ comes and calls for them If we would live for ever let us live Christ now if we would not have Death kill us let us kill sin now Rom. 6.23 For the wages of sin is Death but the gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that there is eternal Life laid up in Christ Dying it is but a going out of your dark Chambers here below to that Glory above where you will have no need of a Candle or the Sun for God and the Lamb are the Light of that place there the Saints shall never cry out O my Heart or O my Head but shall be taken up in the Arms of the Lord of Glory When Christ appears who is our Life What then we shall appear with
proud they would fain be doing something rather than 〈◊〉 to Christ they would fain be trading for goodly Pearls As if a Man that was adry should be going through a Field where there was much Water that was pure and clean and the Man should say I shall dirty my Cloths to come at it and in the clear Water my Face will be seen and therefore I will rather drink of some muddy dirty Water that I may not see my Face So it is with poor Sinners they would fain drink the Kennel-Water of their own Duties for they are afraid to come to Christ for fear of seeing their own Faces for fear of seeing themselves undone and miserable and therefore the Soul cries out Will God look on me Will so righteous a God entertain me If I were better if I could but get my Heart to break and could have my Heart inlarged I would come to Christ but shall I a filthy Sinner think to have Grace and Righteousness Thus poor Sinners would be trading with their own Coin and with their own Duties they are very unwilling that all their own Duties should be cast down but saith Paul That I counted to be gain I found loss for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ O let me be found in Christ now let me put off my own Rags now let me live on nothing of my own but on Christ Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God And in Rom. 9. They were prone to their own Righteousness and would not come to Christ for Righteousness in Vers 31 32. But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone They stumble they could not lay down all their own Works all their own Righteousness In point of Justification they stumbled at the Righteousness of Faith they would be justified by the Deeds of the Law which justifie no Man but condemn every Man All Sinners are proud and poor they would not be beholding to Christ for all They would apprehend some worthyness in themselves to be accepted of God Secondly Sinners are very poor and very ignorant they think to get out of debt some other way than by Christ or by the help of Christ they are like a poor man that is in debt he trades and thinks to get out of debt but the business is so carried that he runs further in debt so one comes to him and tells him you do not get at all out of debt by your trading pray consider how poor you are and rest no longer on your own trading to bring you out of debt but if you will come along with me I will bring you to one will pay all your debts for you The glorious Gospel that reveals the Lord Jesus Christ calls Sinners to accept of him as poor miserable undone Sinners who are deeply indebted to God acquaints them that Jesus Christ hath paid a full price for them to set them free John 8.36 The Son shall make you free then shall you be free indeed Yet poor Sinners they think they have something to trade with they think if they could but pray more or remember Sermons more they should get out of God's Debt but they take a wrong course for all that they can do they do but run further into debt by all that you can do you will never get out of debt if you have not a Righteousness in Christ you will never be accepted of God you must lay down all your own and as a poor Sinner lay hold on Christ as the Merchant-man sells all the goodly Pearls to buy this Pearl of Price Well might Paul say I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me I live upon him to him I live in him I was so poor I could never get out of debt by all that I could do therefore I desire to be found in Christ alone Many are complaining they cannot do this or that as if they would get out of debt by their own Works but now Christ is rich enough to make up all your losses When a Man hath one to repair and make up all his Losses he may well depend on him Rom. 5. from 15th Verse to the end But not as the offence so also is the free gift For if through the offence of one many be dead much more by the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the Judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Justification of Life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made Righteous Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound That as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Here you see whatever the Offence of Unrighteousness and Sin and Condemnation is there is Life and Righteousness by Jesus Christ to make up the breach All that lay hold on Christ shall have Righteousness and Life by him For as Sin and Death reigned in Adam so Life and Righteousness reigns in Christ and is imputed to the Sinner by him so that Christ is rich enough to make up all Losses Alas It is not in our selves to do this In the first Adam there is Death and Condemnation and Unrighteousness and Guilt and Wrath here now must be one to satisfie here must be one to bring in Righteousness and Life and Grace and that more than sin but where is that Man that hath Righteousness and Grace abounds more than Sin Man cannot do this himself he must have one that hath an All-sufficient Righteousness and infinite Grace that may present him to the Father to be accepted that the Grace of God the Gift of Life and Righteousness may overcome and wrap up the poor Sinner wholly in it that he may be without spot or wrinkle If it be so that in Christ you shall have all your Losses made up and repaired should you not live on Christ for all you want are you sinful Christ is Righteous are you dead in Sin Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light have you sinned to a great height Christ's Merit is
above all your Sin where Sin hath abounded Grace doth much more abound where Sin hath abounded there is a superabounding Grace superabounding Righteousness and superabounding Life Adam received the Promise of the Woman's Seed before he had done any Work or Sacrifice to the end that God's Truth might stand fast namely that we are justified before God altogether without Works and do obtain Forgiveness of Sins meerly by Grace who so were able to believe this well and stedfastly the same were a Doctor above all the Doctors in the World said Luther Again All Hereticks have failed in this point that they do not rightily understand nor know the Article of Justification how we are justified before God for if that were lost then manifold errors of necessity would ensue O then how rich is Christ How rich in Merit to pay God all that is due to him from the Sinner O saith one I am a great Sinner saith another I have great Imperfections in my Duties I am so carnal so dead so wandering so indifferent I am afraid to come to God I am so sinful Why poor Soul here is a Christ for you to live upon here is Righteousnes for Sin Life for Death Pardon for Condemnation Then go to Christ lay hold of him by Faith as given of God to you and then you will say with Paul For me to live is Christ Secondly As Christ is rich enough to repair all your Losses So you are inricht with all the Treasure of Christ 1 Cor. 3. ult For all is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods As if he should say have you a Christ with God Is your Christ God's Son and is he Heir of all things Then all is yours Paul and Apollos and Cephas are all yours all the Ministers of Christ are sent for the good of the Redeemed ones all that are Christs Then the Saint may say Is all mine Is Life mine Yes Life is yours for while you live you shall live a sanctified Life Well but is Death mine many are afraid to die Yes Death is yours Death is made your Friend Death is conquered in Christ and when Death comes you need not be afraid to entertain your Lord's Messenger that he sends to fetch you home to his Glory Death is sent to fetch you out of your Houses of Clay to meet your Redeemer and sit on the Throne with him and to enjoy your Lord in Glory Saith the Believer But how comes all this to be mine Why your are Christ's and Christ is Gods All things are yours the Crowns above the Thrones above the Saints above the Angels above Fulness of Joy above Rivers of Pleasure above and how comes all this to be yours in Christ Because Christ is Gods and God hath possessed him with all things and made him Heir of all things therefore he enriches his Members with all things Then well may a Saint desire neither Life nor any thing in Life any futher than he enjoys Christ Thirdly As Christ repairs all your Losses and as you are enriched with the Treasures of Christ so he enriches your Souls also As you have Riches above and Riches below so he enriches you within When a Soul knows Christ what a glorious Knowledge of the things above comes into the Soul He enriches your poor dark beggerly Understandings for while a Man is ignorant of Christ what poor low things does he study and seek after but when a Soul comes to have Christ revealed to him then the Soul comes to aspire and inquire after God and Christ and the things above he enlightens the Understanding that before did lead on the Affections to grasp after a little vain Pleasures and Honors and Profits in this World and now causes the Soul to pursue after higher things then he enriches the Will I will make them a willing people in the day of my Power Psal 110.3 It is a glorious thing to have the Will subdued the Will renewed to have a perverse stubborn Will now to serve in the Beauties of Holiness Secondly he enriches the Affections with Joy and Peace and Delight O what a Glory is it to have the Affections raised up the Heart set on things above on Jesus Christ the Soul is seeking after Glory the Heart is seeking after Heavenly things When Jesus Christ comes he enriches all the Affections of the Soul The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Christ is so rich a Pearl such Riches in him that he sets open Doors to all that come whoever come shall find welcome there is enough in him for the Sinner to live upon while he lives here and to all Eternity Thirdly Christ is an Heart-chearing Pearl O saith the Soul could I but have Christ for mine enjoy Christ how would my Heart rejoyce Now when Christ shines with a glimps of his Righteousness into the Soul O saith the Soul that I could enjoy more of this Christ more of his Grace of his Love Saith the Spouse He brought me into the Banqueting-House and his Banner over me was Love Cant. 2.4 Banners of Love O what a chearful Feast I have now I think all the Afflictions and Temptations I have in the World can never cast me down the Heart is cheared What is Christ mine What is God mine Is Grace mine and Righteousness mine and Glory mine This is an Heart-chearing Pearl O it is such a Pearl drink it in all your Potions and bring Christ in every Duty Then a Soul may take comfort and reason thus with himself though I am dead in Duty Christ lives though I am sinful Christ is righteous though my Corruptions abound Christ's Grace doth much more abound Take Christ in every Portion and in all Duties let Christ be there still I have set the Lord always before me saith David so should you set Christ always before you and when Satan or Conscience accuses set Christ before you as your perfect Righteousness Saith the Plalmist Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Verse 9. Therefore my Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth my Flesh also shall rest in hope Verse 10. For thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption If Christ shall be raised up to Glory then I will live in hope of being raised up to Glory with him The Psalmist speaks Prophetically of Christ Neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption Now saith the Believer if Christ conquers Death and Hell and did not see Corruption I may well rejoyce for I set the Lord always before me and whatever he enjoys I shall have a glorious share in Fourthly He is an Everlasting Pearl Many have rich Pearls live on them and spend them but live on Christ as long as you will you will never waste Christ's Stock All the Sinners that ever came to the Gate of Mercy and have been supplied with Mercy ever
again she knew not When Jesus told her that her Brother should live saith she Lord he hath been dead four days it seemed an impossibility that he should rise again yet before she believed the Resurrection of the Dead Was it a greater impossibility to raise him up when no part of him was diminished than to raise him up at the last day Saith Christ I am the Life I will raise him up at the last day and am not I able to raise up thy Brother that hath been dead but four days So should a Believer say within himself under his Doubts and Fears Did the Lord convert me bring me out of a state of Sin and Misery quicken me when I was dead and will he not give me Life Can he raise up Lazarus when dead four days and cannot he raise up my dead Heart Saith Christ I am the Life I am the Original of Life I am the first that gives Life all are dead Sinners till I come to quicken them till I come to bring Life to your Souls Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die for I am the Principle of their Life as I gave them Life at first so do I also continue their Life they shall never die When Death comes the Immortal Soul is alive it is but the Body that is gone to the Dust that will be raised up again that will be a glorious Body for the Soul to live with in Eternal Glory What an exceeding Joy is it then for a Believer that Christ is the Vital Fountain of his Life Though Death be at the very door it shall never come into the Soul Though there may be a Separation for a time the Soul is with Christ and the Body united to Christ that the Believer may be rather said to sleep than die The root of his Comforts are alive There may be a Death on a Believers outward Mercies and Comforts yet it shall never come into his Soul As we see the Trees in the Winter seem to be dead so the Believer they may fear the Death of their Comforts or Graces though they may have the Withdrawings of God's Presence yet as the Trees in Spring they revive and sprout forth so shall they revive and Death shall not enter into their Souls Saith Paul Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death I thank God for the Victory through Christ There is Death in my self but Christ gives me Victory he removes it he carries it away though it be at the Door it shall never come in at the Door if there be deadness upon the Heart Christ is Life to my Soul if there be Corruptions strong and great Christ is the Fountain of Life to innoble me to outgrow all As we may say of young Children that are weak and infirm they will out-grow their Weaknesses So a Child in Christ will outgrow his Infirmities they will outgrow their Corruptions and inward Weakness they shall have Victory over them they shall be Conquerors at the last Christ being the vital Fountain of Life a Believer must needs live a growing flourishing Life the Lord Christ doth water them at the Root Psal 1. The godly man is like a Tree planted by a River of Water which withereth not but bringeth forth Fruit in due season because there is a vital Fountain there is Life at the Root Isaiah 41.18 The Prophet speaking of Christ's being Life to his Church he is said to be Rivers of water in high places Were not Christ Rivers of Water the Saints would be dry at root but he is Rivers of Waters in a dry place Small Rivers may flow from a Fountain that may be stopt Mr. Robinson's Christ all in all but Christ is the ever-flowing Fountain that none can stop Other Rivers may be stopt in time of Drought but nothing shall stop the Grace of Christ Cold Weather may freez up Rivers but the coldest deadest Heart that is shall not freez up Christ's Grace he will be Rivers of Water in dry places Other Rivers may dry of themselves but all our Unworthiness shall not bar Christ's Grace from the Soul Christ is set forth excellently by that Rock our Fathers drank of and the Rock followed them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 20.4 How did the Rock follow them The Water that was in the Rock followed them by some Channels or little Rivers in the Wilderness So doth the Lord Jesus Christ his poor bewildered people he not only is ready to give them Grace but follows them with Grace and follows them with Mercy Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my Life Psal 23.6 Alas if we should stand by the Rock never so long could we by smiting cause the water to gush forth But this Water is so free that it flows to the Believer Christ follows the Believer with his Grace follows them with his comforts follows them with supports follows them with new refreshments If this Rock did not follow us it would be long enough before we should go to this Rock Christ follows the Soul with Divine Grace as the Soul stands in need of it The Rock smitten by Moses supplied the Israelites and Christ smitten by the Curse of the Law supplies the Church not with Earthly Water but with Heavenly Rivers of Grace and Comfort following Believers not for a time but indeficiently and for ever Christ told the Woman of Samaria He that drinketh of this water it shall be a Well of water springing up unto eternal Life I am the resurrection from the dead the Resurrection from the Death of Sin and also the Life of the Soul to live in and upon Christ He that believes in me shall never die no Death shall lay hold on him to ruine him nor separate him from God and though Death come on the Body he is said never to die because he shall live for ever Therefore the Saint in Christ every day he lives he is living so upon Christ that he is daily getting on his way to Glory and is nearer to Heaven and Happiness Christ saith Because I live ye shall live also If the root die the branches must needs die but the root cannot die and the branches shall not die while the root lives the branches shall not die Therefore in John 15. he saith That he is the Vine and the Believer is the Branch that is the reason the Soul that lives in Christ and one in Christ must needs live a flourishing and increasing Life because Christ is the vital Fountain of Life to keep the Soul of a Believer flourishing and green at root it shall not be like the Barren Hypocrite or barren Apostate Secondly Christ is said to come down as Rain upon his Church and People to keep them watered to keep them fresh and flourishing Now you must note there must be a good root a living root or otherwise all the rain that is will do no good to the Soul Col. 1.19 It pleased the
that can never be healed by all his Works It must be Christ that must redeem his immortal Soul When Adam had sinned God said Thou shalt die that is in dying thou shalt die a double Death while he lived he lived a dying Life To live Christ it is a suitable Life a precious Christ for a precious Soul is suitable For First The Redemption of the Soul is precious they are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace Now this Redemption becomes not the Soul till a Soul lives on Christ but this Redemption is suitable to a Soul under the wrath of God under sin and under Guilt Secondly Pardoning Grace is very precious And it is in Christ alone that the Soul can be pardoned Pardon is a precious Jewel to an immortal Soul It is only living by Christ laying hold on Christ that this pardoning Grace is conveyed to the Soul Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven him whose iniquity is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Rom. 8.32 Psal 1.2 An immortal Soul is precious in its being yet for want of a pardon is miserable to all Eternity because of its precious Excellency and Nature that wants the highest perfection to live upon him alone and not having him to be their Life their Death is more miserable than any Creature because other Creatures when they die there is an end of their Misery If a Man be condemned to die that is a Malefactor if under the sense of his miserable end looks upon himself better never to have been born better never to have lived on Earth than to make such an end A Soul out of Christ is the most miserable Creature that can be for the excellency of the immortal Soul is cast down to the greatest misery because it wants that which alone is the Soul's cure and happiness Thirdly Christ is suitable to the Soul in that there is a righteousness suitable to cover the Soul All the Gold and Silver and Jewels in the World will not be of any account to an immortal Soul when it stands naked before God But Christ's Righteousness is a precious Garment that cloaths the Soul that is naked in sin Buy of me white raiment thou art poor miserable and naked but I counsel you to buy of me Gold tried in the Fire that thou mayest be rich and white Raiment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear Here is a cloathing for the Soul or else it will remain naked for ever and have nothing to keep off the Wrath of God When a Soul is convinced and awakened and affected with the Love of Christ when the Beams of his Divine Love and Grace break into the Soul embracing Christ what a quick sight and sense hath a Soul of Divine Comforts and Blessings And on the other hand what a quick sight and sense hath a Soul of the Wrath of God that is awakened under the sense of its Guilt and Misery Many have stifled their Conviction being swallowed up in Sensuality and are apt to forget the awakenings of Conscience by reason of the hardness of their Hearts and blindness of their Minds but when God comes to awaken them thoroughly that ye shall not sleep again then the Soul hath a deep sense of the Wrath of God If we could have spoken with Judas before he hanged himself he would have told you he had Hell begun here If you could have spoke with Cain he would tell you he found the Terrors of Hell while here on Earth Were we to speak to despairing Souls yet out of Hell they will tell you their Souls are naked to Divine Vengeance apply to them what Comforts you will there is nothing will do them good without an Application of Christ to their Souls and as they are awakened here so they will feel another Day what they now fear Psal 90.11 What is suitable to the Soul but Christ Have not many gone with all their Gifts and Parts and Duties to Hell What will serve this Immortal Soul but the Robes of Christ's Righteousness That alone will save from the Wrath of God and will alone bring the Soul in the favour and love of God Therefore to know and behold Christ is the only suitable good for an Immortal Soul We say when we see a Man raised from sickness or Death by the use of means How happy it was he was directed to that means or Physician Ah! but thrice happy yea a thousand times happy yea everlastingly happy art thou if thou art directed to know Christ for his is the only Righteousness that can cloath you to stand in God's Presence and be saved from the Wrath to come Then further as there is in Christ's precious Pardon and precious Righteousness to cover the Soul So there is precious Peace suitable When a Man hath not Peace with God he is a miserable wretched Man For a Man to be followed up and down where-ever he goes with the Wrath of a sin-revenging God that he cannot come to God But whereever he goes he is afraid Divine Vengeance will seize him What a dreadful state is it Fifthly To have Christ our Life is suitable because Christ lives for ever and your Soul lives for ever and you must have something to uphold them for ever All the Saints in Heaven though they live for ever and all the Angels though they live for ever they cannot help you if you have not Christ for yours If Christ who is at God's right Hand is not your Life where will your immortal Souls sink How happy is it to be provided for an Immortal Life Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Psal 45.6 The Soul liveth for ever and therefore a short good Mr. Murcot on the Parable of the ten Virgins tho never so full is not commensurate to it There must be certitudo aeternae fruitionis There must be a never-dying Life and that must be a Life wrapt up in Christ Your Life is hid with Christ in God e're long you will all go out of this World and must appear before God and if you have not Christ for your Life what will you do What a Folly is it to make any thing your Hope below Christ be it Riches or Honours or Duties alas these will all fail you Saith John the Baptist I live a decreasing Life He must increase but I must decrease John 3.20 but he is yesterday and to day the same for ever but all other things will wither and die Therefore how good is it to live in Christ Take a Soul naked out of the Body and shew it all the Riches and Honours and Blessings of the World Alas they can
fuerim omnes si potuissem occidere I was so great a Saint in my own esteem that I was ready to slay all if I could and this he did out of a blind Zeal The Pride of Men's Hearts together with their blind Zeal cause persons to exalt themselves and strive to make the Doctrin and Life of others odious to the People altho they are such as God has given his Vrim and Thummim to While Persons are contending about Words and distracting their Hearers with things that concern not their Salvation and endeavouring to beget a Prejudice in their Hearts against Godly Ministers they in the mean time neglect to preach down Heresies and false Doctrins that strike at the Principles of Faith and welfare of immortal Souls Surely all those that are begotten from the Dead unto a lively hope by Christ Jesus will love all those that are made partakers of the same Life and will not cease daily to mourn for their Deficiency therein 6 Infer Is Christ a Believers Life and such a Life as you have heard then what a miserable state is a Christless Soul in A state of Darkness while they live a state of misery when they die the Cup of Wrath without mixture eternal misery will be the portion of the wicked Oh what a state of blindness and darkness do they live on Earth And what a state of misery will they be in in the other World But you may say How shall I know that Christ is mine I shall lay down a few Characters but I shall First Shew who they are that have not Christ for their Life Secondly Who they are that have Christ for their Life I shall begin with the Negative First That Soul that was never sick unto Death for Christ never yet had Christ for its Life that Soul that never saw himself undone without Christ that Soul never made Christ his Life They that never groan under the body of Sin and Death that never cried out Wo is me I am undone what shall I do to be saved they are dead in Trespasses and Sins They that never saw the Sentence of Death in themselves never made Christ their Life 2 Cor. 1.9 But we had the Sentence of Death in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead When a Soul comes to say Alass I have gone as far as I can but I cannot get peace nor comfort by all I do therefore I must lie down and perish if I have not Christ to be mine I have nothing of my own to cover me I shall be naked if I have not his Blood to wash me I shall die in my sins If you believe not in me saith Christ you shall die in your sins Better die on a Dunghil better die in a Prison better die in a Fiery Furnace in Christ than in a Palace out of him But what remedy shall there be to save us from our sins Why Christ doth not set them to work for Life but to believe in him who is the believing Sinners Life Let a Legalist or Formalist they that never were pained at the Heart with a sense of their undon state they that have not Christ for their life what a deal of difference is between a Believer and them as much as thereis between a person that is sick and another that is dead He that is dead if he be laid on the ground there is all quiet and lay a Weight on him he is quiet but go and lay your Ear at the sick Man's Bed and there is groaning and crying O my Head O my Heart What is it you want I want Breath I want a Physician I want Life We preach Christ to you poor sinners What is the reason You do not groan for this Christ Why You are dead in your sins You go away and it may be some particular things we tell you of you can repeat them when you go home Some particular Duties you perform but are your Souls awakened Do you groan for Christ Do you go home pained at the Heart Was Christ ever your Life Do you cry out I am dead and undon without Christ be my Life If you were sick at Heart and were pained for Christ we should hear of you It may be you go to hear as your fancy leads you but not with a sense of your wants You fancy somtimes this Man sometimes that Man but were your Souls ever sick for Christ Did your Hearts ever break within you Did your Souls ever mourn in secret Lord give me a Christ I am afraid of this little number many that are dead that Christ was never your Life When persons are in a Swound put Spirits or any thing into their Nose they do not mind it but when they come to themselves they cry out I am sick O give me something Saith our blessed Lord Jesus John 5.25 Verily Verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live When Christ comes with an effectual Call by his Spirit to the Heart in his Word it raises up the dead Man If there be a whole Family dead there is not one Groan heard but if one that is alive be sick or in pain he fills the place with Groans Talk of any thing rather than Christ any preaching is for some Men rather than Christ that is foolishness to some Ay but Soul whether thou wilt have Christ or no we must preach Christ and then we can give up our account with Joy It is the whole Work of a Minister to preach Christ whatever Duties are Spiritual they all flow from Christ but where Christ is not dwelling in the Soul all they perform is dead and formal Silent Professor quiet Professor quiet with outward Duties with a Form of Religion and so rest until you are undone If once God calls you and awakens you by the effectual working of his Spirit then your Souls will cry out O give me a Christ If I have not the Blood of Christ I am undone If I have not the Righteousness of Christ I am undone If I have not the Spirit of Christ I am none of his And whose are you then The Devils Rom. 8.9 Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his There is no middle state you are the Devils that are not Christs you are dead in sin under Bondage if you have not the Spirit of Christ Be what you will a Professor a Person in Communion or out of Communion be rich or poor a person of Gifts a person that can hear read and pray if you have not the Spirit of Christ you are none of his When the dead persons were raised up by Christ something was called for them to eat O saith the Soul when he is awakened by Grace give me a Christ or I perish O that I had a Cordial of his Blood I want his Blood I want his Righteousness his
is to be under the means of Grace Tho many come but to take a Nap as Bishop Latimer saith God may catch thee napping The Lord may speak to thy Soul This day I will be thy Salvation O what joyful News would it be to a poor dead carnal sinner If the Lord should this day speak to thee and say Sinner I am thy Salvation And he came down and received him joyfully he was the best Guest that ever he entertained If you had asked Zaccheus a little before when he sat at the Receipt of Custom whether he would have parted with any thing for Christ he would not have hearkned to you now all shall go for a Christ now saith he Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor I will take Vengeance on my Iniquity and if I have taken any thing from any Man by false Accusation I restore him four-fold He came down and received him joyfully Thou art welcom to me if I had a thousand Worlds I could part with them all for Christ Be sure wait at Wisdoms Gate you may hear Christs Voice saying I am become thy Salvation Fifthly When you are waiting O send up Cries as the poor blind Men did when they heard that Christ was coming You have heard Christ preacht this day can you be still and not send up one Prayer and Cry to Christ Lord come into my Soul Will you go home with your cold Prayers and cold Hearts and cold Affections and shall Christ stand aloof off and you stand afar from Christ Mat. 20.30 And behold two blind setting by the way side when they heard that Jesus passed by cryed out saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David and the multitude rebuked them So a Soul may say I have a multitude within me bids me hold my Peace I have a multitude of unbelieving Thoughts tell me it is too late for me to come to Christ now I have a multitude of Thoughts Christ will not have mercy on me I have a multitude of Temptations never to pray more I have a multitude rebuking my Soul but the more the multitude rebuke me the more I will cry to Christ the more my unbelieving Heart cries Christ will not save thee the more I will cry to Christ to save me the more my Temptations bid me I should not pray I will pray the more when the Devil tells me it is in vain to seek for Mercy I will seek the more earnestly And they cryed Have mercy on us it was mercy they wanted Saith the Soul Unbelief tells me Christ will not look on such a Sinner as I am and my Heart tells me I am so vile there is no hope for me but I will cry the more Have mercy Lord help me I will tell the Lord I have need of a Christ I must have him or I am undone The more Temptations beset me the more Unbelief besets me the more I will cry to Christ to remove it the more I am tempted the more I will pray the more I will cry the faster I will cleave to Christ Sinners send up Cries to Heaven for Christ and Grace that your Souls may live and not die How would the Devil Baffle poor ignorant Souls out of all He would baffle them out of Duties and Ordinances and Sabbaths But a Believer will not be baffled by him and though the Devil and the World and his own Heart oppose him he saith I will make my Prayer to the God of my Life let them say what they will I will cry to Christ for Life And O you that are Strangers to Christ and are convinced of your undone condition beg of them that have an Interest in Christ to cry for you O you that have Christ consider what a safe a blessed a comfortable Life you live You that are yet Strangers what will you do when you come to die if Christ is not your Life Therefore let me beg of you to set your resolution to cry to the Lord and resolve that you will not be put off without Jesus Christ that you may not die in your sins and so perish for ever for the Wages of Sin is eternal Death but the Gift of God is eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ ERRATA Christian Reader Notwithstanding the Care that hath been taken to prevent Errors yet upon a farther perusal of this Tract I have found many have escaped the Press I hope what I have marked you will mind and what I have overlooked if you find them you will candidly pass thenn over minding the Sense and not charge the Author with the Printer's Faults PAge 13. line 24. for is he read would he be p. 29. l. 4. for his Jewels r. her Jewels p. 25. l. 10. for enjoys r. desires to enjoy p. 96. l. 5 6. for a Child in Christ r. Children of God for his r. their p. 249. l. 4 for to be r. is it to be p. 251. l. 14 for speak r. speak of p. 258. l. 9 for lives on r. lives Christ p. 260. l. 22. for the glorious the Mystery r. the glorious Mystery p. 262. l. 28. for a Soul r. Saints p. 263. l. 9. for Soul r. Souls p. 175. l. 17. for in thee r. in FINIS Books Sold by William Marshal at the Bible in Newgate Street Dr. Owen 's Books THE True Nature of a Gospel-Church and its Government wherein these following Particulars are distinctly handled I. The Subject-matter of the Church II. The formal Cause of a particular Church III. Of the Polity Rule or Discipline of the Church in general IV. The Overseers of the Church V. The Duty of Pastors of Churches VI. The Office of Teachers in the Church VII Of the Rule of the Church or Ruling Elders VIII The Nature of Church-Polity or Rule with the Duty of Elders IX Of Deacons X. Of Excommunication XI Of the Communion of Churches Printed in large 4o. Price bound 3 s. Another Book of the same Authors lately Printed left in Manuscript Entituled A Treatise of the Dominion of Sin and Grace wherein Sins Reign is discovered in whom it is and in whom it is not how the Law supports it and how Grace is deliver'd from it by seating its Dominion in the Heart Price bound 1 s. Another Book of the Doctors lately published Entituled A brief and impartial Account
But the Glory and Homage which is peculiarly due unto God he will not give unto another Isa 42.8 48.11 For what else do we by performing Divine Honour to any but own and acknowledge such to be God unto whom we thereby ascribe Divine Excellencies with respect whereunto we yield that peculiar Reverence which is due to God alone as such And seeing he dwelleth in the Light which none can approach unto 1 Tim. 6.16 is infinite invisible and incomprehensible in his Being it hath pleased God to condescend to give forth such a Representation of himself and such evident discoveries of his Divine Excellencies as might be a meet Object of Divine Honour and worthy to receive the Homage due from Creatures unto their Creator This was the Shekinahâ— or Divine Presence of old evidencing it self by Divine Operations Hence Jacob saith of it Gen. 28.16 17. Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and he said How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God and this is the Gate of Heaven The Egyptians said of the Plague of Lice Exod. 8.19 that it was the Finger of God This Divine Presence in the burning Bush obliged Moses to pull off his Shoes Exod. 3.5 and Joshua to the like act of Reverence Josh 5.14 15. unto the Lord as Prince of the Lords Host unto this Glory of God as discovering it self at the door of the Tabernacle in a Cloud Exod. 33.10 The people bowed their Heads and worshiped This Divine Presence of God dwelling between the Cherubims and filling the Temple 1 King 8.10 11 12 13 27 28 29 30. obliged Israel to Worship towards that Holy Place there being discovered the Tekmeria or evident Marks of the Divine Glory and to pay the same Respect to any other place or to that place now God is not there is Idolatry Deut. 16.5 6. 12.13 14. 1 King 12.28 29 30. Now proportionably unto that degree and measure of the Discovery which God is pleased to make of himself to his Church As to the Obscurity or Clearness of it such is the Glory or Defect of these Dispensations 2 Cor. 3.9 10 11 14 18. Heb. 1.1 In this respect therefore it is that the Dispensation of the Gospel is so far excelling the Glory of all former times in that by the Incarnation and Exhibition of Jesus Christ God is manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 is most clearly fully and gloriously revealed in the person of Christ No Man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son that dwelleth in the Bosom of the Father he hath declared him John 1.18 He was declared to be the Son of God with Power by the Resurrection from the Dead Rom. 1.4 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake unto our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds who being the Brightness of his Glory and the Character or express Image of his Person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 1.1 2 3. Who thought it not robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 Seeing it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge being hid in him Col. 2.3 And the infinite eternal unchangeable Excellencies of God in his Counsel of Peace his Love Grace and Mercy to lost Sinners being revealed by him and represented in him 1 John 3.16 1 John 4.8 9 10. By him is Glory brought to God in the highest on Earth Peace and good will towards Men Luke 2.14 Hence it is that all Idolatry is now more inexcusable than ever Men being not now left to grope in the dark since Christ is come a Light into the World John 3.19 John 15.22.24 Acts 17.30 31. So that we may conclude as this living to him is an Act of Divine Honour That he is worthy of it and we may say Rev. 1.5 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen And Rev. 5.12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Wisdom and Riches and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing John 5.23 That all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father Secondly Another Respect on the Account whereof this Living to Christ here pressed appeareth reasonable is as it is an expression of the greatest Love and highest Esteem of him to whom we live and this he is most worthy of being incomparably lovely in himself and having loved us with an infinite and everlasting Love who hath died for us while we were Enemies and Sinners and washed us from our sins in his Blood And Thirdly As this living to Christ is a Resignation of our selves unto the disposal of another He is most worthy of it who hath redeemed us with the price of his precious Blood therefore ought we to honour him with our Lives seeing we are not our own but his purchased People So that to live to Christ in the constant performance of Divine Honour to him in the highest Expressions of the greatest Love unto him and in the fullest resignation of our selves unto this Jesus our dear Redeemer is entirely his due and no more than our reasonable Service Secondly As it is in reason due to Christ so it is most necessary for us This being the Fruit God expects at our hands for this great Cost he hath been put unto for our Redemption from Wrath to come 2 Tit. 14. Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of Good Works Rom. 14.8 9. To this end Christ both died and arose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Therefore saith the Apostle None of us liveth to himself but whether we live we live to the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords The like we have in the Text whereon the following Discourse is raised Phil. 1.20 21. His earnest expectation and hope was that Christ should be magnified in his Body whether it be by Life or by Death for saith he to me to live is Christ and to die is gain that is saith Piscator in Loc. Vita mea est occupaâ—a in promovenda Gloria Christi my Life is employed in promoting the Glory of Christ Indeed the Syriack Erasmus Beza and others render this 21st Verse otherwise yet all allow this matter to be thus stated in the Verse before it nay the whole current of Scripture manifesteth this to be the great Testimony
and true Knowledg of Christ what a poor miserable Wretch will he appear to be in a dying hour Alas how poor and low a thing is health strength riches parts and gifts if we are ignorant of Christ Fourthly Consider what a blessed Life they live that live in Christ and upon Christ What a blessed Life it is to live to Christ There is no Life like it and that is a Believers Life Fifthly Consider and this hath been much my Meditation How terrible would the thoughts of our life past be when we come to dye since our best actions have been mixt with sin were it not for this glorious Name the Lord hath revealed to sinners the Lord our Righteousness All the names of God would be astonishing to poor sinners were it not for this to know the Lord a righteous God That would be a terrible name Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O Lord but the Lord our Righteousness poor sinners Righteousness this Righteousness is made mine This makes the thought and name of Christ sweet to a poor sinner Sixthly Consider there is no dying comfortably if we have not lived on Christ If we have not lived to glorifie Christ all things we have enjoyed will leave us wretched poor and miserable Seventhly Consider all our Reading Praying Ordinances will be but like withered Leaves if they are not kept green and flourishing in Christ our Life Eightly All the actions of our Life that are good are all in and from and through Christ that glorious Vine that bears the Branches and causeth them to be fruitful In the Verse before the Text you find the Apostle resigning himself up wholly to Jesus Christ According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Saith he I have resigned up my self I am not afraid of death neither am I careful for this life Whatever God will do with me so I may but glorifie him I am not careful about this body whether I live longer here or whether I lay it down in the dust Paul as it were stands a Tip-toe saith Mr. Trap to see which way he may glorifie Christ I am ready to dye it will be for my profit it will be best for me to go to Glory I am sure it is best for me to go home to my dear Lord there to sit with him on the Throne and receive the Crown of Immortal Life and Glory but for you it is best to continue here Let his name be exalted and his Glory made more known to his Church however he deal with me I am not careful in any thing neither am I ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death that is it I live for that is it I dye for I would live that I might glorifie him I would dye that I may enjoy his Glory But which way his Glory may be most exalted that way have I resigned up my self to the Lord Jesus to dispose of me which way he pleaseth so his Name may be magnified in Life or Death I desire nothing more than the exalting of Christ in all The matter contained in the words of my Text is of as high Concernment and of as great a Consequence as the Soul of man can be taken up with and indeed so great that all things in the World are but Trifles in comparison to it What was the sum of the Apostles desire and business of his Life to serve and enjoy the Lord Christ ought to be the business of every one that will be everlastingly happy This Life only can bring true Peace Treasures Pleasures Wisdom Grace Glory to the Immortal Soul of Man Whether we read the words actively or passively of his receiving Life from Christ or acting for Christ in his Life it plainly appears in either sense That Christ is the Sum and Substance of a Christians Life If the Apostles meaning was That Christ was Life to him or that he would live to Christ in either sense Christ is a Believers Life Some do expound it efficiently others objectively I think the meaning of the words may not be mis-placed if both be understood for Christ is that inexhaustible Fountain and Treasury of Grace that a Believer receives his Grace and Holiness from to act for Christ We cannot move toward Christ but as we are moved by Christ we must have our Life from Christ before we can live to Christ he is the Fountain from whence the Believer hath his Life the Sun from whence he hath his Light and Glory the full Treasure of Grace from whence a Believer receives a holy heart and life He that is the Image of the Invisible God renews them by his Grace in that Image he purgeth Conscience with his Blood to serve the living God the Lord Jesus being formed upon the heart the desires and delights of the heart are changed the bent and byass of the heart is carried after Christ it is Christ must kindle the holy Fire upon the Altar of the heart before the Believer can act from a true Zeal for God So whether the words be taken disjunctively from the Verse before That he would magnifie Christ because he had received his Life and Salvation from Christ He would magnifie the efficient cause of his Life whom he was united to Or whether conjunctively He would live to glorifie Christ as he had resolved in the Verse before in either sense this is plain The Apostles heart was wrapt up in Christ more than any thing in this World There are many precious Truths to be suckt out of this blessed portion of Scripture But I shall only through Gods assistance draw from the words this point of Doctrin That a true Believer desires not Life nor the things of Life whatever they are no further than he may glorifie and enjoy Christ in them Or thus The Aims and End of a Believer in Life or Death is to glorifie the Lord Jesus Christ Or Christ a Christians Life I. By way of Explication wherein Christ is a Believers Life or how a Believer is thus wrapt up in Christ II. Shew the Reasons why they are so III. Apply the whole There are four things wherein a person is chiefly concerned as to Life First His dependency upon his Life Ask a Man to do any thing yes saith he if I am alive or in health Secondly In our natural Actions If a Man eat drink put on Cloths take Physick Food or any thing it is that he may live Thirdly Take Life for the Comforts of Life A Man's Life is a burthen to him when his Comforts are gone a Believers Life is a burden to him when he does not injoy Christ Fourthly For the Aim and End of Life Persons that are tractable and industrious
desire to live here to be uselful in their places they serve their Generation so a Believer desires to live for this end to serve the Lord Jesus and to glorifie his Holy Name First To take the dependance upon Life James corrects the manners of them that said I will go into the City and buy and sell they should have said if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that So a Believer living depending on Christ saith he in my self I am a poor dead Sinner I am dead to my self and in my self but I depend on Christ for Life I depend on Christ for Wisdom for Righteousness for Sanctification for renewed Strength I live upon him for all For I am dead I am dead to the Law I have no Action to meet the Law with nor the Law hath no Action against me I am dead to Sin as to the Life of it and to its condemning Power and to its Malignity and Guilt and I am dead to the World I depend on Christ saith the Apostle that Christ might be all in all Alass what can I do all my Suits are ended in Law it is Life we depend on for the enjoyment of our Friends Oh it is Christ for all saith the Apostle ye are dead what then your life is hid with Christ in God Colos 3.3 Ye are dead ye are crucified with Christ dead to your own Righteousness An Unbeliever what ever good he doth exalts himself and his own Righteousness but what good a Believer doth is to have Christ and his Righteousness exalted he saith no more I but Christ but one ignorant of Christ sets the crown of all he doth upon his own Head I fast I pray I give Tithes saith the Pharisee but when a Soul knows Christ No more I saith he you are dead but your life is hid with Christ in God what then when Christ our Life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory The Believer is wrapt up in Christ living wrapt up in Christ dying if it were possible a Believer could be separated from Christ he would be lost and undone for ever what a poor sinful naked Creature is he No saith the Apostle you are dead and where is my Life safe enough in Christ my Life is hid with God in Christ When shall my Life appear Why when Christ who is our Life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory The Saint lives upon Christ when he dies he dies in Christ when raised up is raised up by Christ clothed with Christ's Righteousness when Christ who is our Life shall appear c. A Saint cannot be separated from Christ but shall appear with and in Christ all the Formalists Legalists and Moralists in the World shall appear at the Great Day but it is without Christ you know a Man cannot speak act nor do any thing when his Life is gone So saith the Apostle As you are dead to the Law dead to Sin and dead to the World so you are dead to your own Righteousness when Christ who is our Life shall appear we shall appear with him in Glory you shall not go one step further than Christ goes you are Members of his Body My Friends there is a great difference between a Man hearing and praying and knowing Christ only by reading and a Saint living upon Christ in every Duty in every Affliction living upon him in Life living upon him in Death saith our Blessed Lord John 6.9 Your Fathers eat Manna in the Wilderness and are dead they depended on the Manna for life but he that eats this Bread shall live for ever as if he had said you that depend on any thing below me shall die When persons live on any thing below Christ they have dead Souls living and damned Souls dying If any depend on me as the living and immortal Food of their Souls they shall live for ever your Fathers eat Manna and are dead Ordinances perish with us Duties perish with us and all below Christ will perish the Believers All is to have Christ in them Jesus Christ the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven I am the living Bread that came down from Heaven if any eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and this Bread the Spirit of the Lord in the Word reveals to the Soul and the believing Soul lives by it for ever it is the Spirit of Christ that reveals and applies to the believing Soul the Righteousness Grace and Bloud of Christ to justifie and cleanse them from all Unrighteousness and makes known to them that their Name is written in the Book of Life the knowledge of which doth draw forth a Believer's Heart to depend upon Christ for daily Strength to exercise Grace in every condition Saith the Apostle Phil. 4.12 I can do all things Paul you are a brave man indeed what can you do I can do all things I know how to want and how to abound you hear me speak what I can do pray don't mistake me I depend on Christ for it I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me The Believer lives through Christ You may see a natural Man praying a natural Man hearing or performing a duty but this Man depends on his own strength and on duty and you may see a Believer in Duty and it may be the natural Man hath greater parts and finer expressions than the Believer but the Believer lives on Christ for all and the other on himself Saith the Believer I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me he would have Christ in all he would have Christ foremost in all so that a Believer is girt with the Strength of Christ Persons may preach others may hear pray discourse we may have fine Matter curious Divinity wrapt up but if Jesus Christ is not preached to poor Souls and depended upon it is all nothing what can this poor Creature do when he comes to die and look Death in the Face that strong Champion that King of Terrors he cannot see him but in great horror and fear A formal Christian that strives to speak fine words have fine expressions learn something by rote they can dispute of Religion therefore think they are brave Christians but comes a Temptation or a Tryal on them they know not how to go through the Battle But take a real Christian that is meaner in expressions that lives on Christ and is girt about with the strength of Christ how does he go through the Battel 1 Sam. 17. What Armor was there put on to go out against that mighty Champion That which girt him with Strength was the glorious Name of the Lord the Men of Israel though Men of War were afraid but comes David without Armour and he would encounter him Vers 45. Then said David to the Philistine Thou comest to me with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Shield but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts
since the Draw-bridge of Mercy hath been let down never diminished or lessened Christ's Mercy No he is an Everlasting Pearl for he that believes in Christ shall have Everlasting Life God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to die that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting Life John 3.16 There you see is a Pearl that will last you for ever when Friends fail you and the World fails you he will not fail you For he that believes shall never perish but have everlasting Life Fifthly He is a most glorious Pearl If ever you would live a glorious Life live on Christ who is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory We see his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth He is a glorious Pearl therefore see to it in all you enjoy let Christ be the prime principal thing to be the all in all and more than all in every thing you enjoy The 8th reason A Believer desires not Life nor nothing in Life no further than he enjoys Christ for he knows that Christ is better than Life Psal 63. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my Flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy power and thy Glory as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy Name Thou shalt be the Object of my Worship thee alone will I trust in thee alone will I rest on because thy loving-kindness is better than life thy Grace and Mercy and Love in Christ is better than Life God is very gracious to give us our Lives he did not owe us one moment of time When we came into the World he might immediately have sent us to our Graves First God's love in giving of Christ is better than Life How gracious is God to preserve us hitherto But what an Act of Grace to give Christ when poor Sinners lay weltering in their Blood for the love of God to pity them and look on them and bestow Christ upon them Secondly Christ is better than Life because of the Wonder of God's Love the Love of God in giving Christ is more wonderful and admirable than Life it self This is a wonder of Mercy but the wonder of God's love in giving Christ that is a greater wonder O the Heighth O the Depth O the Length and Breadth of the Love of God in giving Jesus Christ O the riches of his Grace His love is past finding out In giving Jesus Christ there is height of Love depth of Love length of Love bredth of Love it is higher than Heaven Though our sins have reached to Heaven yet Christ's Love is higher than our sins it is deeper than Hell Hell shall never prevail all the Plots of Hell shall never prevail against a Believer Then as to the breadth of it Spread our Thoughts as far as we can we can never reach the Love of Christ to poor Sinners it passeth knowledg Then as to the length of it It is longer than Time for it is everlasting Thirdly It is better than Life if we consider the Bounties of it How bountiful is God to give us means and mercies in our life But Jesus Christ is better than all better than Silver or Gold or all things that can be desired who with him can compare Fourthly He is better than Life in regard of the Delights of Life though we may enjoy all Comforts and Mercies of this Life if we have not Peace with God what good will they do us A wounded Spirit who can bear Who can stand against a sin-revenging God Then is not Christ better than Life Next Christ is better than Life if we consider that the Believer will never be separated from Christ But as for our Life though we live a while e're long we must lay down our Lives we must all e're long away to the House appointed for all living But now as for Jesus Christ where there is Union with him and the Soul lives to him and upon him there is neither Life nor Death things present nor things to come shall separate a Believer from Christ Rom. 8.39 Neither height nor depth nor any thing shall be able to separate him from Christ Ninthly A Believer is well acquainted what it is to be without Christ and know what it is to have Christ For me to live is Christ as if he should say I knew what it was once to live without him to trust to my own Works to live on any thing without him I knew once what it was to be without Faith and without God and without true Hope and without true Joy and without true Consolation now I know what a wonderful Change there is in me and what a wonderful difference there is between my living in Christ and my living without Christ before if I had any hope it was false if I had any Comfort it was perishing But now my hopes are built on another Foundation and all my Comforts spring from another Fountain Oh I would not live one day without Christ I would not have one Mercy or Duty without him While I lived without Christ it was all lost time I lived on Vanity and Folly now I have many a weeping Eye and sighing Heart for those things I once took delight in O my Vanities my lost days O that I knew Christ no sooner O that I got not acquaintance with him before First The Believer will tell you all the days of his Life before he knew Christ were spent in Folly and Vanity O the time that is run out in Vanity O let me not live in any Comfort or Enjoyment where I do not enjoy Christ O saith the Soul the difference that is between the Joy I have in Christ and the foolish mad Pleasures I enjoyed when I lived out of Christ Now Lord let me not live but to glorifie thee Lord I would be with thee and glorifie thee in all let Christ be all in all to me What weeping Eyes and wounded Hearts will Sinners have that live without Christ when once they come to know Christ that they lived so long without him O how ready are poor Sinners to think we do them much Wrong in wooing them to come to Christ and accept of him But poor Sinner when thou comest to know Christ thou wilt then with a weeping Eye and Heart cry out O let me not live but to Christ A Believer will say It is high time for me to awake and to be serious and earnest in seeking Jesus Christ Many are turned from vain Sinners to foolish Professors but take a true honest-hearted Believer and ask him what would you have O that I may enjoy Christ saith he What would you have in every Duty What would you have
in Ordinances O let me have Christ or else they will be poor empty Wells without Water Clouds without Rain to my Soul Secondly He will tell you it was not only vain and foolish but altogether unprofitable Saith the Apostle What I counted gain I found loss What will it profit a man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Mat. 16.26 Saith the Apostle What I counted gain I found loss Alas What Profit shall I have of my Education and Learning I thought once I was as happy as another and a little Duty would make me happy for ever but I see without Christ I am undone for ever I thought if I gave God something of his due if I did some Duties and was something beyond the vain World I should be happy but I see nothing will do or can profit me without Christ for without I live in Christ I cannot enjoy Christ I cannot enjoy Grace in Christ Righteousness in Christ Faith in Christ Thirdly I see all my Duties are poor worthless things out of Christ I thought to have prayed my way to Heaven but I see all my Duties are Dross and Dung let me not meet one of them without Christ I had lost my Prayers and my Soul had not I been shipt in Christ had I not had Christ to be my all and in all I see all would have been unprofitable if I had not had Christ Prayers Sabbaths Hearing What is all my Hearing if I have not Christ So also the Supper of the Lord and other Duties what would they be to me without Christ they would be as whited Sepulchers which within are full of dead Mens Bones and all Vncleanness Mat. 23.27 O how miserable was I before I knew Christ and lived to Christ Nay saith a Believer I cannot tell you how wretched I was but I can tell you three things First I had been unprofitable I had never brought forth fruit to God Secondly Uncomfortable in Life and Death and unto all Eternity Thirdly I had been wretched and miserable O then Come to me I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul Psal 66.16 Tenthly A Believer desires neither Means nor Mercies nor Comforts but what he may enjoy Christ in because a Believer hath experienced how sweet the Life of a Believer is O taste and see that the Lord is good Psal 34.8 9. O taste and see how precious Christ is how rich in Mercy how wonderful in Love O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him I will tell you what Christ hath done for me I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me I have experienced it O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him that liveth upon him So in 1 Pet. 2.2 3 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious O saith the Soul I desire I may live upon Christ upon the Promises of Christ upon the Love of Christ What if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious Then let Christ be one at my Table one in my Prayers one in every Ordinance one where ever I am What have I tasted That the Lord is gracious that is the best Sawce to my Meat the best Comfort to my Soul O I have tasted What have you tasted That the Lord is gracious I experience I know what he is he is the chief of ten thousand I cannot live without him I cannot enjoy any Mercy or any Comfort without him Saith the Soul What is this Friend This is not Christ and what is this Ordinance This is not Christ What can I take Comfort in if I have not Christ The Saints can experience how precious Christ is to them that believe he is precious Mary came to the Sepulchre there was the place where her Lord lay there were the Grave-Cloths the Sepulcher but her Lord was gone where have you laid my Lord There Mary stands weeping I cannot live withou Christ So a Soul comes to an Ordinance Here is the Tomb Here is the Grave Cloths but where have they laid my Lord What comfort is this or that What is a Sabbath What is a Sermon What is a Sacrament What are Means and Mercies without Christ Where have you laid my Lord Why do you know him Yes saith the Soul he is the Chief of ten thousand I heard him speak to me my Sister my Spouse and I have felt the sounding of my Bowels toward him he hath moved my Heart and I cannot be satisfied without him I am sick unto Death if I do not enjoy Christ Thus the Soul experiences what Christ is he is the Chief of ten thousand Why he hath done more than ten thousand Worlds could have done What is he I have tasted that he is gracious I have experienced the Bowels of his Mercies the Wonders of his Grace therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 116. I belived therefore have I spoken Vers 5. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful 6. The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me Saith the poor Soul I was as low as the Gates of Hell I was as one without hope till Christ raised me up Christ was my helper God laid help on one that was mighty what then Now will I live upon this God Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee For thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine Eyes from Tears and my Feet from falling Thou hast delivered my Soul from Eternal Death mine Eyes from Tears of Sorrow which I had while they said Where is my God My Feet from falling into Sin I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living I will live upon the Lord to the Lord in the Land of the Living I believed therefore have I spoken what I set forth of the Wonders of the Lord that have I experienced And saith the Apostle 1 John 1.3 These things write we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ and we would have you live as we do live on Christ as we do O saith the Believer that all persons did but know Christ and live upon Christ We write unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us for truly our ends and aims are that you may live as noble lives as we do and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ It is God in Christ that we live upon and have Communion with O the Soul that experiences what it is to live on Christ desires in all things to enjoy Christ The Spouse would not step a foot without him Come my Beloved let us go forth into
Field let us lodge in the Villages let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish Ah you that have experience of Christ methinks it should be your voice always on your Beds and in your walking Come let us go come my Beloved and wake with with me come and watch over me Come my Beloved let us go forth into the Field let us lodge in the Villages the Spouse knows the Sweetness of his Company the Excellency of his Presence the Glory of his Holiness Without Christ what would a Sermon or a Sabbath be What though I could lay up Silver like Dust if I could heap up Gold like Pibble Stones if I could gain all the Riches of the World what is it all without Christ But the Believer knows what it is to enjoy Christ and live in Christ and therefore cries O let him be with me in all I do in all my Undertakings Lord my Soul waiteth and Watches for thee Psal 130.6 My Soul watches for thee more than they that watch for the morning As a Man that is in sorrow all Night he longs for the break of the day Saith the Psalmist My Soul doth wait for the Lord. I am not an out-side Professor my Soul is engaged in the Work I wait for the Lord more than they that watch for the Morning What stirs up the good Man to this earnest longing for God Oh he had the experience of the sweet Comforts he had found in Communion with the Lord That Soul must needs be dead and careless in seeking the Lord that experiences not what it is to enjoy the Lord in Duties and Ordinances O that it might please God to convince all you that hear me this day that have been formal careless Professors Had you ever had a taste of Christ you could not be content to go on so cold and careless as most of you do in your Profession The 11th Reason or Ground is this A Believer knows it to be a glorious Life We are changed from Glory to Glory into the same Image Now the Believer knows it to be a glorious Life because he hath received and doth expect great things from Christ Saith the Soul I will live upon Christ for I have received great things from Christ First I have received the Pardon of my Sins from him I was under the Wrath of God but now I have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace Eph. 1.7 I am a pardoned Soul I am saved from Wrath by him even that Jesus that saves from wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 Secondly I have received Justification by him a Righteousness to stand before God being justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 Thirdly I received Sanctification from him Acts 26.28 Who were sanctified through faith in Christ Jesus Fourthly I have received Consolation from Christ and then I expect great things to come I expect when this poor earthly Tabernacle is laid down for Christ to raise me not only to raise my Body out of the Grave but to change my vile body and fashion it like unto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 I do expect to see my Lord coming with his glorious Train when the last Trump shall blow awaking me out of my sleep and raising up my dust at the last day John 6.44 I expect at Christs appearing a great Glory Tit. 2.13 14. Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Saith the Believer I live upon Christ because I expect great things from Christ when Christ comes I have a blessed hope I desire he may be my Life all in my Life I look for great things when Christ comes it is a blessed Hope that I have When will you have your Hopes accomplished at the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Why do you expect such great things I will tell you Because he gave himself for me and redeemed me You that have low Thoughts of Christ can you expect great things from Christ Can you say even Amen so come Lord Jesus you that seldom invite him into your Closets now Can you expect his coming will be joyful to you Will you not rather say Let not thy Chariot Wheels make such speed for I am not ready What is he a coming Have you a blessed hope in him If one of you should go to many and say Do you hope for Christs coming They would say Yes but have a care for many have a cursed hope a vain hope and a bad hope a Devilish hope I fear When Christ comes many will be dreadfully mistaken What can you expect at Christs coming when you do not desire Christ here A little thing takes their Hearts off from Christ their Hearts are more set on other things than Christ they have not invited Christ nor have a blessed hope in Christ But all you Saints that have made Christ your Life will have a blessed hope in Christ at Death You that can speak with comfort you desire not Life nor any means nor mercies but what you enjoy Christ in them You will have a blessed Hope when the glorious Trump is sounded before him you will say What is that the Voice of my Lord Is this Trump for me must I awake be raised up be glorified with my Lord go in with the glorious Church Triumphant and set upon the Throne with them But for the poor careless lifeless legal formal Professor the dead-hearted and trifling Professor Christ's coming will be a dreadful appearing to you What is Christ's appearing when I have not made him my Life I have not lived upon him I have not lived to him I am at a distance from him I am a Stranger to him O see how furious are his Chariot Wheels Is that him in Flames of Fire that makes the Mountains tremble O my Heart how canst thou but shake at the sight of him But the Saint he rejoyces and he hopes and waits for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ O Saint have you but little here but short hints here but little comfort here The great comfort is That you make Christ your Life that you live on Christ and though you do enjoy but little now I tell you there is great things for you when Christ appears looking for that glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour who gave himself for me O saith a Believer I long to see that Face that was spit upon for me I long to see that Glorious Body that was pierced for me that glorious Head that was Crowned with Thorns for me those Hands and Feet that were nailed to the Cross for me It will be a blessed a glorious hope the Lord Jesus's appearing Oh I long to see him I expect glorious things I expect a
Father that in him should all fulness dwell as he is the vital Fountain from whence their Life is derived so is he manifesting his Grace to them and so is said to come down as Rain on them in Psal 72. This Psalm was penned when David was on his Death Bed and he orders Solomon to be Crowned he speaks of Solomon Give the King thy Judgment O Lord and thy Righteousness unto the Kings Son And then he speaks Prophetically of Christ and of his Kingdom He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgment the mountains shall bring peace to the people and the little hills by righteousness He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressor They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and Moon endure throughout all generations Now that cannot be spoke of Solomon that must be of Christ Then Verse 6. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass and as showers that water the earth in his days shall righteousness flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth Speaking of the Prosperity and Glory of Christ's Kingdom under the Gospel He shall come down as rain While there is Rain from Heaven there will be Fruits on the Earth while Christ is Rain to a Believer he shall never die though there may be some Limitations and some restraints in his exercise of Grace yet he shall not die First Christ came down in his Incarnation when he came to take our Nature upon him he descended from the Bosom of his Father Mr. Robinson's Christ all in all descended from the Crown to the Cradle from the Glory of his Father to the Manger from Angels and Glorified Saints to converse with poor Man Secondly he came to live here an humble and debased Life he came here to bare our Infirmities and to take our Sicknesses Thirdly He came down very low when the blessed Lord of Glory came to the Cross when he that was the Fountain of all Life must die the cursed Death of the Cross Fourthly He comes down in descending into the Hearts of his People by his Holy Spirit in the Revelation of his Divine Grace he comes down when he reveals from Heaven his blessed Grace and Consolation to his People The River of Life that is above drops down many sweet drops into the Soul When a Believer is gasping and thinking I will hear this Sermon and die will God ever speak peace or comfort As the Woman she would bake her Cake eat it and die but when that was gone she had a supply The Believer is ready under Doubts and Fears to say Hath God forgot to be gracious but he hath a supply from that River that comes from the Throne of God Rev. 21.1 And he shewed me a pure River of water of Life clear as Crystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. He shewed me a pure River there is in Christ no Impurity he is the Lamb of God without spot what he gives to his People are pure Mercies choice Mercies pure Blessings when we drink of other Streams they are mixed with Mud all your Comforts below Mr. Durham on the Revelations yea all Ordinances and Duties are mixed with Corruption but Christ is the pure River it is a River no small Brook but a River running and always running flowing and always flowing giving and always giving It is not only a River flowing but Waters of Life to the Soul that lives on Christ Those that drink of this Water of Life shall never die He that desires to drink of these Waters of Life that thirsts for them cannot but live they are as clear as Crystal That is an Emblem of the Saints Life a Life of Grace and Life of Glory Here we have these Waters in Ordinances through Pipes here we see them through a Glass but there you will see them Face to Face there the Saints shall solace themselves as Celestial Fishes in that pure River In Ordinances we have some sweet drops and streams Psal 46. the Church being under trouble speaks of her help in God Though the Earth be removed that is though there is a change of times and revolution of things though the Mountains be carried into the Sea we will not fear So though we have many Temptations many Troubles though we have many Discouragements we will not fear though the Waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof There is a River the Streams whereof make glad the City of God This shews forth in the letter the Tabernacle where the Presence of God was and his Glory appeared Though we have swelling Waves great Temptations great Troubles yet we have a Stream that makes glad the City of God for God is in the midst of her He was in the midst of Jerusalem that was called the City of the great King Psal 48.1 2. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the Mountain of his Holiness Beautiful for situation the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion on the sides of the North the City of the great King So that the City of Jerusalem where the King of Glory had his Dwelling-place where he met his People between the Cherubims and the Mercy-seat God did dwell in the Tabernacle in Jerusalem but Christ is the glorious Temple wherein the Godhead dwells being in the midst of his Church by a Divine Union is their Life in the midst of their Troubles Here are sweet Streams that flow from him There is a River and this River is in the midst of her Christ is in the midst of his Church watering of his Church giving new Streams to it daily that makes Glad the Heart of his People How does Rain rejoyce the Heart of the Husbandman in a dry time when it comes unexpected So a Believer receives the Streams of Comfort unexpected under the Ordinances An Experimental Believer longs to be under the Enjoyments of all Ordinances and would be hindred from none though the Heart may be back ward to Duty A poor Believer will cry to the Lord in secret Lord let not this wicked Heart hinder me it may be I may have a Stream from Christ that may refresh my thirsty Soul and make it glad for Christ is in the midst of his People and my Soul desires to enjoy him my Soul desires to live upon him There is a River makes glad the City of God the Church of God And why may not my Soul receive Comfort Thus Jesus Christ comes as Rain from Heaven to make Glad the City of God Though there are swelling Waves of Temptation and Trouble there are Streams that make glad this City The Wrath of God is made known from Heaven to Unbelievers and his Love is made known from Heaven to Believers though indeed the Believer may not always have
call you to Mount Sinai he doth not speak with Terror and Horror but he comes to sing a glorious Song of Redemption that is red Wine to poor undone sinners and to poor doubting Saints But I tell you we may sing and preach till we come to the Grave and not one Soul be converted and brought home to God except the Spirit of the Lord come and work with us For I durst speak it if I could but have acquaintance with you to know your Minds there is not any one of you that will draw near to God while you think God is an Eneâ—y unto you but if any thing draws 〈◊〉 to God it must be the Song of red Wine Redemption through the Blood of Christ And then as for the drooping Saint he is afraid to come before God while he is under his Fear and Trouble then what shall I do Lord Take hold of my strength that is on Christ and be at peace with me The Spirit of the Lord reveals to the Soul a reconciled God that God is at peace with them and hath pardoned all their sins But before the Soul cries What am I an unpardoned Soul I am afraid I shall meet my sins that they will stare me in the face another day O that I did but know that Christ was mine That my sins were forgiven me That I had but the Love of God in Christ I have been looking saith the Soul when God will come and say Thy sins are forgiven thee David Psal 32. was greatly troubled he said The Lord's Hand lay day and night heavy upon him And how is it now I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin I found great Comfort I had a sweet shower Christ came down as Rain upon my Soul God revealed his pardoning Grace I said I will confess my Transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my sin What was David's sin never forgiven before Yes all his Transgressions were done away and his Soul was pure in the sight of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ But David had doubts on his Soul Fear on his Soul he had a Summers Drought would I had a shower of Mercy I confess I am a poor wretched Creature I am a vile sinner I will now look to the Lord and he did not look in vain Are not Believers sins pardoned Yes they shall never be remembred more But the Believer doth not know this always and when he does not know it he begins to cry out Is thy Mercy clear gone But then he calls to mind this is my Infirmity Then he cries to the Lord and in comes pardoning Mercy Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee O what a refreshing shower is this It is this I have looked for longed for waited for Then next saith the Soul I desire nothing more than to enjoy Christ yet I am so unrighteous I question whether his Righteousness be mine Now comes the Lord by his Spirit and reveals to the Soul that it hath a righteousness to stand before the Lord in Now the Soul can say The Lord my Righteousness Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption he is made of God to me O now he is made the Lord my righteousness How shall I know this The Spirit of the Lord reveals this to the Saints in the Gospel of Jesus Christ Now I can go boldly to God and ask mercy boldly of God Psal â—26 4 Turn again our Captivity O Lord as the Streams in the South As the Streams in the South refresh the dry and barren ground so does the Righteousness of Christ revealed comfort my Soul How barren was I in Duty I was afraid to come to God I was afraid whether my Wandrings would not cause God to turn me out of his Presence but God hath prepared Christ to be my righteousness therefore in him I come without Spot Indeed when I am out of frame it is without Comfort to my self but I have always Righteousness before God I have always boldness to the Throne of Grace through Christ Many Prayers that have been made when I was out of Frame have been no small Trouble to my Soul but when it was revealed to me that Christ was my Righteousness that he was made sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 that is tho Christ was a Man without sin in himself yet our sin was imputed to him and he was by God reckoned as a sinner and then he kills him putting our Curse upon him so that to us that are free Christ was made so that God looks on us as if we had performed perfect Righteousness Dr. Preston on Rom. 1.17 and when that is done he saves us You that have lived and not made Christ your Righteousness you will want a Righteousness when you come to die But they that have made Christ their Righteousness though their sins be as heaps of Sand yet through the Righteousness of Christ you will stand as spotless before God as if you had never sinned Now how do you know this to be your Righteousness Why the Spirit of God reveals this to your Souls and you can as boldly call him the Lord your Righteousness as you can call your House and Land or any thing you enjoy your own If you go to God in Christ whatever is needful for you you shall as surely have it as if you had it already Then next the Spirit of Christ flowing from the Heart of a Believer gives the Believer sweet Communion with God The Soul thinks it is at a distance from God the Spirit comes down in a sweet shower and brings it near to God O saith the Soul that I could but enter within the Vail to have Communion with God! But methinks God and I stand at a distance he is in Heaven and I am as it were in Hell I am as one forgotten though I lay claim to him as my God I would have the Knowledge of him that he is my God and God of my Salvation Psal 88. O God of my Salvation let my Prayer come before thee incline thine ear to my Cry for my Soul is full of trouble Sometimes a Believer is full of Trouble And what is the next And my Life draweth nigh unto the Grave I am counted with them that go down into the Pit That is dreadful when the fear of Death and of Hell meet together I am as a Man that hath no strength to believe yet I have some glimmerings that thou art the God of my Salvation But Death and Hell is approaching to me in my apprehension wilt thou shew Wonders to the dead shall the dead live Is it not possible I should live Shall I have a Shower of
had strength to hope and I had strength to live upon Christ for all Have you not experienced this that you have come weak to an Ordinance yet have found strength as one that hath drank new Wine Therefore the Lord is pleased to give you strength that you may go from Duty to Duty from Mercy to Mercy from Peace to Peace O you that wait on Christ in a way of dependence for new Revivings and new Manifestations to your Souls what Comfort will it be to you tho you have but little strength to go from strength to strength The Lord hath promised it Psal 84. They shall go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Sion This was spoken of the willing Israelites many tarried at home to worship Jeroboam's Gods they would not come to Jerusalem the Journey was too far and the cost and pains too much they would rather serve the Calves that Jeroboam had set up But the Godly Israelites went to Jerusalem and what did the Lord do for them See vers 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them whose Heart is found believing and waiting for Christ whose Heart is united to Christ and found waiting in his appointments What then They go from strength to strength every one of them in Sion appeareth before God not one shall faint by the way every one shall appear before God in Sion if they have never so far to go as sure as if they had but a Mile to go So it is in this day of our Gospel-worship in our waiting on Christ in the means the Soul saith I have many Duties on my Hand to perform and I do not know how to do them but if your Soul desires to believe in Christ to live in Christ to rowl upon Christ to wait on him in his Ordinances you shall go from strength to strength you shall every one come to Glory though you go through the Vally of Bacha tho you have dark places and barren places you shall have Wells of Salvation and they shall refresh your Souls Christ will be dropping his Comforts and Grace that you shall be filled with Comfort you shall go from strength to strength till you appear before God Again As for your Strength so for your Victory and Conquest over Corruption Have not you found in your waiting that the Life of Christ hath been manifest in the Death of your Corruptions in your Conquest that when you have cried out O wretched Man or Woman O how unfit to wait on Christ O how dark and dead am I Yet have not you through the Grace of Christ found the Life of Christ made manifest that you have gone away conquering and Victorious Though you do desire to live upon Christ yet you are not brim full of him at once but do receive your Joy and Comfort from him drop by drop that you may live on Christ in the way of his Appointments Thirdly The third Reason is that your Souls shall not be filled as you desire but drop by drop because we are not able to bear much of God's Glory at once we shall be over-set with the Feast if it be too much we are not able to drink much of this new Wine it is a Joy unspeakable and full of Glory therefore the Saints are called to enter into the Joy of their Lord because this Glory is unspeakable and cannot enter into them as good Mr. Whelch when he was in Prayer and Communion with God Hold Lord saith he it is enough So the Spouse complains of being sick of Love not for an absent Christ but for the great Enjoyment Cant. 2.4 He brought me into his banqueting House and his Banner over me was Love What then Stay me mith Flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of Love But in the 5th Chapter she was sick of Love for an absent Christ for a withdrawn Christ not absent in Union then she could not be sick of Love nor for Communion but over-set with manifestations not in that manner as she enjoyed when she sat under his Shadow in the third Chapter that she tasted his Fruit to be sweet for then she had it by degrees but here in more abundant manner vers 3. As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat under his shadow with great delight and his Fruit was sweet to my taste While the Fruit drops from the Tree the Spouse could eat it taste it relish it and that with delight and was not over-set with it but she wants more Communion He brought me into his Banqueting-House to the Love-Feast there his Banner over me was Love First You see a Believer in a state of Grace cannot move one Foot till Christ move him how much less can a Soul that is in a state of Sin move after Christ Christ brings a Soul on from lesser to greater enjoyments from lesser to greater manifestations he brought me into his banqueting house where it was sweet to sit where I had an Apple a drop of his Love a taste of his Grace But he brought me I could not get thither of my self he brought me to his banqueting house what Sauce to the Feast His Banner over me was Love What would have been the Banquet without the Banner of Love His Banner over me was Love What then I was made so much of filled with such joy such comfort filled with such assurance filled with such delight that she was fain to cry out Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples my narrow Vessel will not hold it I must have new strength Stay me with Flagons new Wine that is the thing containing for the thing contained in it By Flagons is meant the Wine contained in the Flagons as we speak in the Lord's Supper We say this Cup is the New Testament in his Blood that is the Wine in the Cup. So here the Spouse Stay me with Flagons I have such a Love Feast I want Flagons of Wine to strengthen me yea and let me have some of the Apples too that before dropt from the Tree I am sick of Love Do you not wish sometimes O that I were filled with Christ O that I could praise him love him behold his Face and enjoy him as they do above Could our poor weak Vessels bear this No. When the Lord passed by Moses was to lie in the Clefts of the Rock and John fell down before him therefore he gives drop by drop that we might not have our Hearts over-set but with an Appetite long for more of him But for the full manifestation of him that is reserved for you in Glory where you will have strength for Vision and where you will have support for Fruition there you will have your fill of him when he brings you to the Throne of his Glory Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased not to come down with those full Streams and pour
Stall Vnto you that fear my Name First You have the Persons that enjoy this great Priviledge those that fear the Lord to wit Believers distinguished from all others Secondly The Author of this Glory the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly The Mercy they shall receive from him He shall arise with healing under his Wings upon such as fear his Name This general Mercy hath three glorious Manifestations First He rises with healing under his Wings Christ makes healthful Souls the Believer hath an healthful Soul Secondly Here is Liberty to the Soul they shall go forth one that knows not Christ is in Bondage but they shall go forth Thirdly Here is their growth they shall grow up as Calves of the Stall them that fear the Lord the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing under his Wings Though the Believer sometimes may have his doubting Fits his Dispondency many times yet the Sun of Righteousness will not let him perish for want of Healing he will rise with healing under his Wings First The Lord Jesus Christ heals the Souls of Believers with his Spirit when he pours out his Spirit into their Souls comfort ye comfort ye my People I will send the Comforter to you To a poor doubting drooping desponding Believer the Lord Jesus Christ rises with healing under his Wings he sends him a Divine Cordial from Heaven he sends a drop from his own Heart the Spirit of God comes and heals the Soul When the Disciples were under Trouble the Holy Ghost is promised I will send you the Comforter Though it is a dark Day though you think you shall never bear your Burden yet I will send the Holy Ghost that shall be a Comforter that shall lead you in all Truth that shall be better than my Presence So when the poor Spouse her very Bowels were turned within her very Heart was broken I opened to my Beloved and he was gone my Soul fainted my Heart melted What then Did he leave any thing behind him Yes He left Myrrh upon the handle of the Lock he did not only leave a Lock and Key he did not leave an Heart without Faith nor an Heart without some Peace nor an Heart without Joy nor an Heart without Comfort A Soul that is under the Law when he hath done a Duty is dead and hard still but the Lord Jesus Christ leaves Myrrh upon the handle of the Lock though he was gone and left her wounded he left her Balsam to heal her Whenever the Lord Jesus Christ leaves his People he leaves Myrrh behind him Cant. 5.4 My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him First Christ heals with his Spirit Secondly Christ heals with his Merits When a Believer is under Trouble and Fear then this precious Blood of Christ comes fresh to them and is applied to them they overcame by the blood of the Lamb. When a poor oul goes mourning wishing longing O that I knew that Christ were mine Then Christ comes with his glorious Merit with his precious Blood he comes and heals the Soul comes and applies that Blood in whom we have redemption through his blood the remission of sin Ephes 1.7 Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ heals the Soul with his Righteousness When a Soul finds it self in a naked condition as it were it cannot draw nigh to God it cannot look up to God it cannot speak chearfully of God nor thank God for the riches of Redemption fearing Christ is none of theirs then the Lord Jesus Christ reveals his Grace and Redemption and then the Soul saith The Lord my righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ heals all the Faculties of the Soul First He heals the Understanding Though the Believer hath true knowledge of Christ yet he may be in the dark when he stands behind the Wall the Believer cannot see him The Lord Jesus Christ is pleased by his holy Spirit to enlighten the Understanding to see how glorious and beautiful this Sun of Righteousness is The Sun is the Glory of the World so Christ is the Glory of the Soul As the Sun is Speculum Mundi so Christ is Speculum Animae all the Spiritual Light that the Soul enjoys comes in and through Christ Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of light in thy light we shall see light so that I say this glorious Sun of Righteousness heals the Understanding he opens the blind Eyes and leads the blind in a way they know not The glorious Gospel is the Chariot that the Sun of Righteousness rides in that brings immortal Life to light through the Gospel But what would be the Gospel without the Sun of Righteousness 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished Death and hath brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel What would a Gospel be without a Christ It would be as a Box without a Pearl it would be as a Glass without Quick-silver Nay a poor Soul would have no Eyes to see this Glass were it not that Christ shines into the Soul Before Christ comes every Soul is shut up as in a dark Dungeon and can see nothing But when this glorious Sun doth shine with his glorious Beams on the Soul how does the Soul see his Beauty and excellency Then it may be said that the Light of the Lord is risen upon them Isa 60.1 Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is revealed When a poor doubting Believer hath the revelation of this Sun of Righteousness when he shines on the Soul with the Divine Beams of his Grace with the Divine Beams of his Love with the Divine Beams of Comfort with Divine Beams of Peace this Sun of Righteousness is united unto a Believer We cant have a dark World while we have the Sun our Horizon cannot be dark while we have the glorious Sun in it so Christ is in the Believer the hope of Glory and they live in Christ and Christ lives in them But does he always shine alike in them No The Sun doth not always shine alike though it is the same one day as another yet sometimes the Clouds keep it from us but yet they are enlightned with it Take notice of this you can never be thriving Souls while you are ignorant Souls But a Believer though he complains of Ignorance hath such Knowledge that he can say I desire none but Christ none in comparison of Christ The Soul can say I desire nothing but Christ and if you ask me what I I would have I would tell you Christ Above all If you ask me How came you to know this glorious Lord He shined on my Understanding in the glorious Glass of the Gospel changing my Soul into the same Image 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory When a Soul comes to see
Soul to draw out its Love to Christ then the Soul sees its own unworthiness then a Soul loves Christ really when he sees Christ loved him unworthy How unworthy is my Soul of his Love This was Paul's Cry and so it is every Believers and the more Christ shines on your Soul the more do you see your unworthiness of his Love and Grace and the Soul cries out Lord hast thou passed by all my unworthiness crown'd me with Love enriched me with Love and shall I have my fill of Love O what Love is this Fourthly The Soul finds it a Love that passes Eph. 3.14 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Truly saith the Soul I cannot tell you wherefore Christ loved me nor I cannot tell you the Depths of his Love but this I can tell I shall ever shine in the Ocean of his Love to all Eternity The more they meditate the more they consider the more they think of it the more they wonder what was from Eternity in the Breast of God that was manifested in time in giving Christ If you ask me to tell you from whence it comes it was from Eternity Secondly The Sun of Righteousness with his glorious Beams heals the affection in giving the Soul an humble and contrite Heart Many think when they are not shooting up they are not growing but there may be a taking Root though not a shooting up the golden Mines are not seen above the Earth they lie low By the Influence of the Sun the Seed takes root in the Earth and springs up Thus it is with the Sun of Righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ in changing the Heart of a Believer when he is increasing in the inner Man not shooting forth not growing in the apppearance yet he takes Root is growing in Humility When once the Lord Jesus Christ comes with his Grace and shines into the Soul it humbles the Soul and makes it low in its own Eyes and then the Soul sees its self wanting in Grace wanting in Love wanting in Enlargements and Delights but it grows humble When Christ appears the Soul sees its own Deformity the Soul thinks it is decaying in Grace when it is not acting those Graces as we may say above ground The Fruit-Trees do not bear Fruit all the Year yet are alive all the Year So I say to the Believer it is the surest way of Growth when they grow in Humility When a Soul comes to see Christ the more he shines with the Divine Lustre of his Grace and Righteousness the more the Soul is contrite Saith Paul When the Law came sin revived and I died Paul was it the Law in the Letter that shewed you your sin then why does it not teach those poor Creatures that read it and have it read to them No but it was the Power of Christ in the Law the Spirit of the Law of Life in Christ that shined into his Heart and brought home the Law to him to be a condemning Judge on the Bench to give the Sentence of Death that Christ might be there to be the Object of Life and Salvation to his Soul Saith he Sin revived and I died Persons will strain what they can to keep an even reckoning with the Law by doing some outward Duties Such as the Lord Jesus hath not risen upon they are yet in Darkness Children of the Night they walk at uncertainty they know not whether they go Alas many a poor Soul thinketh he is as sure to go to Heaven as he is to die when he is in the very Road to Hell only some go in the broad trodden Path open profane impudent sinners some steal thither behind the Hedg they are going to Hell but in a closer walk hidden from others and from many that are said to be Children of the Kingdom Mr. Murcot on Mal. 4.2 that are Strangers in Heart to an inward Revelation of Jesus Christ But when Christ comes to the Soul he comes to the inward part then the Soul is unhorsed of it self and laid low before the Lord. It was the Saying of an Holy Divine We may sooner call twenty from Profaneness than one from his own Righteousness For saith he sin is a feverish Distemper to the Soul and when the Man hath sinned he knows he is out of order But for a Man 's own Righteousness it is so born and bred with him that he makes it his grand Idol till Christ appears to the Soul with Divine Beams of his Righteousness and Grace this lays a Soul low and humble before the Lord and makes a poor Soul behold its own Ignorance Saith the Soul I am foolish but Christ is my Wisdom I cannot manage my Salvation nor I cannot chuse aright but Christ is my Wisdom to chuse for me Thus a Soul is humbled under its own Ignorance he beholds Christ that glorious Sun that gives Light to see his Fathers Face and to have all the glorious Will of God revealed to the Soul in him The Sun is the Glory of the Heavens but one Star differs from another Star in Glory but there is none like the Glory of the Sun O the Lord hath put the Excellence of Glory on the Lord Jesus He is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shining forth of his Fathers Glory He speaks here of Christ as Incarnate As the Glory of God did shine in the Face of Moses so that the People could not behold so now the Glory of the Lord shineth in the Face of Jesus Christ as the Apostle hath it so that we cannot behold it it dazles our Eyes stedfastly to hold his Glory as it doth to behold the Sun in its Glory Here is the Glory of his Grace the Glory of his Wisdom of his Mercy of his Power and all in Christ he is the Glory as it were of Divine Attributes they all shine forth in him each with his peculiar Glory The Temple the Glory of the Lord filled it so that they could not stand to Minister before him sometimes So Brethren now the Lord hath placed us in Jesus Christ he hath filled him with his Glory Therefore saith the Prophet The Glory of the Lord is risen on thee Isa 60.3 Mr. Murcot that is Christ manifested to thee Secondly The Soul sees its self unrighteous therefore it is humbled under its sinfulness till Christ is made its Righteousneses Thirdly The Soul sees its self cloathed with Rags like a Man that works hard yet cannot cloath himself with any thing but Rags Saith a Soul notwithstanding all that I have done I have not a Righteousness to cloath me to stand with before God But Christ is my Robe of Righteousness therefore when the Soul is humbled when he does not grow in enlargements yet he grows numble under the sense of his own Unworthiness and of Christ's Excellency Many Trees are planted in shady places that grow up tall tho they bear no Fruit. When a Soul knows not Christ there may be some
rational Soul But the Soul hath new Qualities being changed by Christ dwelling in the Soul they are changed in their Understandings their Affections their Wills It may be compared to Iron put into the Fire while Iron remains red hot and the Fire is in it if you beat the Iron to pieces you cannot separate it from the Fire knock but the least piece of Iron Fire is in every piece yet the Iron is not the Fire nor the Fire the Iron yet the Iron is in the likeness of Fire So the Soul is not so changed into the Image of Christ as not to retain its own natural Faculties but by reason of Christ dwelling in it is changed in its Qualities from Evil to good So there is the Glory of Christ appearing in all the Actions of a Christian tho' they have many Infirmities yet all that they principally design is the Glory of God When Fire is in the Iron you cannot separate it you cannot say that Iron is without Fire nor Fire without Iron So in this Life you may see a Saint hath many Imperfections but yet Christ is in him swaying his Heart and Life with the Scepter of his Righteousness Though there are the same Faculties yet the Qualities are all made new So though there is corruption in Prayer and weakness in Faith and weakness in Love yet there is true Love and true Faith Repentance there is something seen of Christ in all his Infirmities 2 Cor. 6.18 We are changed from Glory to Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Lord the Spirit or the Spirit of the Lord. Dr. Owen on the Spirit in every Faculty of the Soul What a glorious change to be changed into the Image of Christ The Beams of the Sun have several effects some things it withers some things it revives The Gospel of Christ and the goodness of God that melt the Heart of a Saint hardens the Heart of an impenitent Sinner but the Soul that hath Union with Christ that Christ is his Life the Love of Christ conforms the Soul to Christ There is the meekness of Christ though not in Perfection there is the Love of Christ the Humility of Christ though not in perfection the self-denyal of Christ there is the Patience of Christ though not in perfection but through Christ you are pardoned The Soul that is changed into the Glory of Christ hath natural corruption natural backwardness but Christ being their perfect Head and spotless Righteousness they are pure and lovely in God's Eye Jesus Christ God Man hath all the glorious Idea's of God's Image and Grace shining in him as in a Glass he reflects the same in and by the Glass of the Gospel in the Hearts of Believers who by Faith contemplating are by the efficacious working of the Spirit of Grace transformed into the same glorious Image even from Glory to Glory from one degree of glorious Grace unto another Thus the believing Soul by Faith contemplating the Wisdom Meekness Patience Kindness Justice c. of God shining in Christ is by the effectual concurrence of the Spirit of Christ transformed into a wise meek patient kind and just Spirit Faith by contemplating the Glory of God in Christ brings into the Soul Spiritual Ideas of the same glorious Image a Divine Light and Life bearing some resemblance to the Life of God or Divine Nature so that Christ the essential Glass of God hath not only a manifestative Mr. Gale's Treatise of the Saints Amity with Christ but also transformative changing Glory shining in them Beloved have you not all immortal Souls What would you have your Souls be like when you come to die Would you have them like the Devil Would you have the Pride and Envy of Hell the Covetousness of Hell Or would you have the Image of Christ stamped on you that you may live Christ and lead an humble Life a meek Life a self-denying Life an holy Godly Life What likeness would you have your Souls appear in out of your Body Whose Image and Stamp would you have them bear Most Men live to themselves and make provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof And some live to be revenged of others to get the World of their side The Lusts Persons seek to fulfil are innumerable to speak but how would you have your Souls appear What condition would you have them in Would you have them in Christ O then beg Christ may be your Life Beg you may be changed from Glory to Glory into his Image every day of a Believers Life he is going from Glory to Glory Poor wretched ignorant Professors What do you think will become of you e're long if Christ is not your Life Eternal Death will be your Portion You see many Imperfections in a Believer yet he is perfect in Christ being changed into the Image and Glory of Christ A Believer all his works are works of Grace all his walking walks of Grace all his Actions Actions of Grace and in all that he doth there is a Glory on it through Christ his glorious Lord. They that live on external Duties they will give you the hearing of a Sermon and away they seek not to know Christ but they will be found as dreadfully miserable as the Turk or Heathen that never heard of Christ for notwithstanding their Profession they are swallowed up in the World Take a covetous Man his Heart is on this World Take a gluttonous Man his Heart is set to make his Belly his God Take a Man that lives on Christ his Heart is knit there he cleaves to the Lord with full purpose of Heart Thirdly It is a glorious Life because you have the hope of Glory You never will have the hope of Glory till you have Christ living in you Christ in you the hope of Glory 1 Tim. 1.1 If a person be without Christ he is without all true hope of Salvation there is neither hope of the Glory of God nor rejoycing in the Hope while a person is without Christ What have you hope of Glory But have you a good Hope If you come to live Christ then you have a good hope if you have Christ in you then as sure as Christ is in you you shall come to Glory Who is in you Who lives in you We know our next Neighbour we know our familiar Friend or Acquaintance Who do you converse with Who is your near Neighbour Christ or the World Christ or vain Thoughts Christ or Carnality Is Christ in you If Christ is in you then he reigns in you and you converse most with him What is your daily Food your Livelyhood Mistake me not I would not have you neglect your daily Calling I hope you understand me better But what do you make the chief of your Aims and Ends What takes up your Heart most Does the Love of Christ the Mercy of Christ the Peace of Christ affect you most If so I tell you you live a glorious Life
Grace we enjoy You that live Christ though you go mourning from a Sermon this may encourage you to wait for the Blessing of the means of Grace It may be a Soul may object and say I am a poor sorrowful Soul am I blessed Soul thou art blessed Blessed are they that mourn The contrite Heart is an acceptable Sacrifice to God Blessed are they that mourn This is your case sometimes you mourn at other times you rejoyce in God and joy in the God of your Salvation You are rich in Blessings all Sermons that you hear do your Souls good and all Ordinances do your Souls good you are blessed when you are humbled when you mourn when you thirst as well as when you rejoyce These are Spiritual Blessings in Christ O Christless Soul till you know Christ there is not one of these belongs to you O Sinners you have innumerable Curses hang over your Heads that are out of Christ you have a Book 〈◊〉 of Wo and Lamentation written without and within Ezek. 9.10 Many sorrows are to the wicked but he that trusteth to the Lord mercy compasseth him about Psal 32 10. Innumerable are the Blessings that Believers are compassed about with When you come to an Ordinance and think you do not meet with God you complain and go away mourning you are blessed if you go away in the dark you are blessed How so I blessed that cannot see Christ Yes blessed are they that trust in him and stay themselves upon him though they walk in Darkness and see no Light O what a rich Soul art thou that livest this Life of Faith You are blessed in all Ordinances all Opportunities I tell you whatever comes God will bless his people God's Providence is to all the World he takes care of the whole Creation he is wonderful in Goodness and Mercy yet as a rich Man that gives to many yet in an especial manner saith he I must remember my Children at home my dying Child my weak Child this Child that Child every Child So God gives liberally to all but gives his special Blessings to his Children his choice Blessings are reserved for his redeemed ones O what a rich Life it is to live Christ The Saint is rich in Faith rich in Love rich in Peace rich in all Blessings Then the Soul admires What am I blessed in every condition What with all spiritual Blessings O Lord not long ago I was crying out Sure God hath forsaken me But this was your infirmity and sin But is not Christ more precious to you than ever Do not you long for Christ thirst for Christ Then you are blessed Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Under Darkness under Temptation under every Affliction you are blessed and every Sermon and every Sacrament and every Ordinance you have you are blessed though you cannot rejoyce in God in all yet you are blessed in all though you go away hanging down your Head O I have not met with God! I tell you you are blessed For it is said Blessed are they that mourn and Blessed are the poor in Spirit Fourthly You are enriched with the Love of God I do not know what you can have more to enrich you If the love of God doth not make you rich I am sure nothing can and you can never be rich if you have not the love of God and be sure God loves you if you know Christ he looks on you in Christ loves you in Christ delights in you in Christ John 16.27 For the Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God God's favour maketh rich those whom God favours he hath grace that heals his Soul which is that that makes his Happiness and is that which is the inward fashioning of every Man's apprehension that makes him happy that brings comfort to him Pray mind the Lord Jesus speaks with an Emphasis for the Father himself loveth you You have my Father's love a choice Love indeed And how comes this Love about because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God because you have believed in me and made me your life God loves you What God love me I confess it would make a Christian go comfortably through all the Tryals in the World the very ardency and application of that the Heart of God is the Ocean the first rise of all Love to the Creature Christ is the Spring that first receives from him Dr. Crisp and then through him all Love is diffused to the Creature God loves me for the Father himself loveth you What God love me I pray how comes it about because you have loved me and believed that I came out from God You have made me your Life you have Faith in me and now God loves you God never loved you whatever you did without Christ God abhors all out of Christ God elected you all in Christ chuses you all in Christ pardons you all in Christ and then Oh what Immense Love is this God loves you in Christ O unspeakable Love O infinite Love this Love is Love that passes Knowledge Love that passes Bounds O highth and depth of Love you that live in Christ and believe in Christ are rich Souls We use to say when we see Men thrive and prosper in the World This will be a rich Man And what may you say of the Saints O they will be rich indeed they will have a rich portion because they believe that Christ came out from God O Soul hast thou with thy Heart chose Christ with thy Heart lived to Christ with thy Heart wrapt up thy self in Christ is it the out-cry of thy Soul none but Christ none but Christ thou art a rich Soul for thou art already possest of the presence of God it will be thy portion to live in the House of God for ever For Brethren to dwell together in love and unity how sweet is it O the harmony of it but what a divine Harmony is there in that Soul where the Love of God dwells Turn about your Thoughts turn about your Ears Hear I beseech you for Christ's sake accept of Christ that you may have God's love God indeed loved the Elect with Everlasting Love in Christ but God's Love is not manifested to you until you believe in Christ then all the things of this life are yours there are many things which we cannot reach here the price is too great Is not that rare which costs dear there is not a bit of Bread you have you that are Saints but it cost the Bloud of Christ all your Mercies are in a way of redemption all is yours Paul and Apollos and Cephas and life and death and things present and things to come for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods May it not be said of them that know not Christ Nothing is theirs Is not the Minister yours as well as others Is
not your Bread yours and your Meat yours and your Drink yours and Cloaths yours No Soul they are borrowed Mercies stoln Mercies and you will be damned for them without Christ has paid for them for you but the Soul that loves Christ his Mercies are all bought the Ministers of Christ those Ambassadors of Peace are all yours in Christ Paul is yours Apollos is yours and Life and Death is yours You that art out of Christ it makes my Heart tremble to consider that your Mercies are all to be payed for to be reckoned for and you that are in Christ you may leap and rejoyce at a drop of cold water and a bit of bread O! it is a rich Mercy it is bought with the Bloud of Christ and then at last you will be inriched you will sit like Kings in Glory with your Lord and Redeemer for ever and ever Fifthly It is a happy life because it is a Soul-satisfying life the Soul cannot be satisfied with any thing below Christ whatever a person does enjoy whatever a person does in a way of duty he cannot be satisfied if he hath not Christ Take who you will whether they be Formalists or Legalists whether Moral men or Profane men whether Rich men or Poor men or Professors that have not made Christ their Life they will tell you they want satisfaction there is a complaint of this thing or that thing wanting to give contentment if they have Golden duties if they do not bring the Water of life they cannot satisfie their Souls but this life of living upon Christ doth satisfie the Soul I shall shew in these following Particulars The Lord will satisfie her Poor with Bread the poorest Man that lives upon Christ lives more plentifully than the richest Man that knows not Christ Psalm 132.5 I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her Poor with Bread Who is the Poor the Poor is a longing person a craving person the poor desire something they stand in need of saith the Lord I will bless Sion's provision it is a great Mercy to have our provision blessed we may be fed high and yet not have healthy bodies Many may fare high in means of Grace but not having a Blessing with it they do not prosper Many have been long under the means of Grace and yet do not thrive nor grow in Grace saith God I will satisfie her poor with bread The Poor are craving and desiring and longing so the longing Soul in Christ shall be satisfied they shall not want the Prophet Isaiah speaks of spending their Money for that which is not bread which will not satisfie but the Lord Jesus satisfies the Soul fills up the Desires whatsoever they be Take one which is under the Law and hath the greatest Gifts and Parts but is a stranger to Christ and one that is the poorest in gifts and parts yet in Christ he hath more satisfaction than the other with all his great Gifts and Parts the poorest and meanest in Grace that is in Christ lives a higher life than the richest in Gifts and Parts or in worldly things that does not know Christ so that it is a satisfying life to live Christ Here is enough for this present life enough for hereafter there is enough in Christ to fill up all the Faculties of the Soul John 6.35 I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger he that believeth on me shall never thirst Coming and Believing is the same he that comes or believes in me shall never hunger What doth not a Soul in Christ hunger doth he not long for Christ yes but as he hungers and thirsts for Christ he shall be filled his wants shall be supplied we say in our outward things Money answers all things but Money will not satisfie the Soul But saith Christ he that comes to me I will satisfie all his desires he shall have Contentment Supplies Satisfaction he shall want nothing I am the bread of life I will satisfie his hunger I am the water of life he that comes to me shall never thirst they shall never cry I perish for hunger or I perish for thirst The Prodigal when he came to his Fathers house he did hunger but he had bread to satisfie his hunger A Soul believing in Christ making Christ his life there is enough in Christ to â—â—ll up all the desires of the Soul and to heal all the Wounds of the contrite Heart Whatever the Soul desires in Christ are Eternal Springs to fill up the Soul every thing that is below Christ is too empty to satisfie an Immortal Soul they are not Springs they are but Cisterns take Ordinances take away Christ what can the Ordinances do will not the Soul wither immediately Ordinances are but Cisterns and not Springs the Psalmist saith All my Springs are in thee Psal 87.7 Doth a Soul desire to love God hath the Soul a desire to be satisfied with Love with Beauty with the Glory of Christ there are divine Springs from Christ who is an overflowing and ever-flowing Fountain to the Souls of Believers to satisfie all their desires So that a Believer let him desire as much as he will he shall have his desires satisfied Psal 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness The longing Soul shall not miss of being filled with Wisdom in Christ with Redemption in Christ with Sanctification with Salvation Let the Soul crave for Holiness there is enough in Christ to fill it let it crave for Love there is enough in Christ let it crave for Peace and Joy there is enough in Christ to fill it Christ being such an inexhaustible Fountain is still flowing into the Soul to give it daily satisfaction the Soul may weary it self in other things and not be the better Believers that can but experience the least true Longings after Jesus Christ tho with a weak Faith need not doubt but that they have true Faith and shall not miss of a true and full satisfaction A weak Faith shews it self by this Grace of God namely an unfeigned Desire not only of Salvation for that the Wicked and Graceless Man may have but of Reconciliation with God in Christ This is a sure sign of Faith in every touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the Elect. Perkins on the Creed What a Mercy and Blessing it is to have the least true Desires after Jesus Christ since such Souls are assured in Gods Word that their longing Souls shall be satisfied Saith Holy Bernard He that Thirsts let him Thirst more and he that Desires let him Desire more abundantly because so much as he can Desire so much he shall Receive Persons will be weary of their Pleasures weary of their Treasures and weary of their Duties that Soul which hath made Christ his rest hath the truest satisfaction when a Soul comes to know Christ it may say with the
me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest But how Shall I come Lord may a poor sinner say Says Christ No man can come to me except the Father draw him I must first come by my â—pirit to the sinner before he can come to me by Faith But saith a poor Soul I cannot lay hold of Christ I cannot believe nor I cannot make Christ my Life I am a poor undone sinner but if Christ comes to you and takes you by the Arm as he did Ephraim Hos 11.3 cannot you go along with him If he comes and gives you an hand of Faith and takes hold of you can you not follow him This fruitful Tree of Life bends down with his Fruit that sinners may lay hold on him If the Husbandman expects to have Corn he must sow it if a Man would have a fine Garden he must plant it for the ground naturally brings forth nothing but Briers and Thorns The Ground was cursed when Adam had sinned and every Heart is cursed and all the sinner can bring forth by Nature is cursed Fruit there may be something like Grace something like Faith but no true saving Faith as there may be Field-herbs like Garden-herbs and many other things alike that are not the same natural Gifts may shew like Grace But by natural Reason there is never a Man nor Woman do the most they can that can lay hold of Christ till Christ comes and lays hold of them There is nothing in our Hearts but Briers and Thorns we cannot believe but when Christ comes and works Faith in our Hearts then we lay hold on Christ then we are safe for ever When you are got into Christ all Storms whatsoever cannot hurt you you are safe So the Lord Jesus speaks Prov. 8.35 For whosoever findeth me findeth Life Whoever is a stranger to Christ is under the power of Death the sentence of Death and Condemnation but whoever findeth me findeth Life What then They shall obtain Favour of the Lord. In the Favour of a King or great Man they say is safety but that is not true always nor very often but they are certainly for ever safe that enjoy the favour of God You must find Christ before you know the favour of God God's favour is manifest in Christ when he shews kindness it is in Christ whosoever finds Christ shall have God's favour Psal 68.18 He hath received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that God may dwell among them If you would have the favour of God seek after Christ in this Temple the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily and when you come to live in Christ God lives in you he comes and takes up his abode with you Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men What Men The Rebellious What encouragement is here for rebellious sinners to come to Christ O sinner come Christ hath received Gifts for you To what end That God may dwell among you Christ hath received enough to make you lovely in the sight of the Father for ever How should Saints also be encouraged by this under all their Infirmities and Troubles If you had all the comforts of a present Life and had not the favour of God you would be undone for ever He that finds Christ finds Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord God will dwell among such As Christ by Death made way for the Soul to come to God so by the Revelation of his Grace a Soul comes to taste of the Love of God When a Soul comes to know Christ then the favour of God shines on him and is not this a safe Life O Christless Soul that lives but not in Christ that knows many things but not Christ that performs Duties but not by Faith in Christ you are never safe you do not know how soon your slaughter-day will come and it will be eternal You that have not Christ for your Sacrifice you must be the Sacrifice for ever The Lamb of God was offered up once for all but if he be not your Sacrifice your Souls must be a Sacrifice in Hell for ever But you that live Christ live an happy Life for it is a safe Life As Abigail spake to David when she met him the greatest comfort that she brought to him was That his Life should be bound up in the Life of his Lord 1 Sam. 25.28 29. I pray thee forgive the trespass of thine handmaid for the Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure House because my Lord fighteth the Battels of the Lord and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days Yet a man is risen to pursue thee and to seek thy Soul Saith she Here is a mighty Man risen to pursue thy Life but though he is risen up against thee thou shalt be sure to be safe Why What is the reason The Soul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of Life with the Lord thy God Whatever pursues a Soul in Christ shall never hurt him All Temptations and Troubles and Accusations that pursue the Soul shall not hurt it Saith she A Man is risen to pursue thy Life but however the Soul of my Lord is bound up in the bundle of Life with the Lord thy God Friends you are never safe till your Souls are bound up in the bundle of Life with Christ till you come to take Christ lay hold on him as your own you are never safe you have Pursuers A man is risen up to pursue the life of my Lord But one poor Christian is pursued with Temptation another with strong Corruption another with strong Fears and Terrors another with great Desertion but Christians never fear your Life is bound up in the bundle of Life the Life of Righteousness the Life of Grace the Life of Comfort the Life of Glory The Soul that believes in Christ is so bound up in him that the Devil cannot reach him Temptation cannot harm him sin cannot undo him Trouble cannot overcome him O what a Life is a Believers Life I am not speaking of a Professors Life only not one that performs Duty but one that lives on Christ For me to live is Christ O it is the safest of Lives Whatever you have done you will never be safe whatever you have professed you will never be safe till you are bound up with Christ There is nothing you can do in outward Duty but the Devil will have more to say against you than you have to say for your selves There is no fear O Saint whatever comes against thee if thou art in Christ Therefore consider it every one of you as you would appear at the Great Day and your Faces not be ashamed pray see that Christ be yours pray see that you can produce the Seals and Witness of the Spirit of God that you are Believers or all your Profession will leave you miserable To live Christ is a safe Life John
14.19 saith Christ Because of him you shall live also He lives and you shall live he is in Glory and you shall be in Glory he is on the Throne and you shall be on the Throne he is beloved of the Father and you are beloved of the Father Believing in Christ is a safe way no way safe but by believing in Christ There is a poor Christian in Troubles and Trials but he is happy his Life is bound up in his Lords Life which is the Life of Lives When Jacob was in his Journey to Padan Aram when he came to lie down at night he had but an hard Pillow Indeed many times it is hardest with the outward Man when it is best with the inward Man He had a stone for his Pillow but a cordial for his Soul A Ladder that reached from Heaven to Earth This Ladder hath six glorious Rounds that make a Believer to ascend up to the enjoyment of God his Birth his Life and Doctrin his Death and Resurrection his Ascension and Intercession Christ is that Ladder that reacheth from Heaven to Earth the Saints Salvation is begun carried on and finished in and through and by him he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith we are elected in him Ephes 1.1 Christ is Principium Caput Electionis he is the first Elect in whom and for whom all other are elected God elected Christ to be Head of the Body all the Members chosen in him he is made All to the believing Soul from first to last he is made of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 It was a Figurative Discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ whose Deity and Humanity was set forth by this Ladder This Ladder may be considered either 1. Literally and so it is represented to Jacob the Providence of God who tho he dwells in Heaven extends his Care and Government to the Earth and particularly makes use of the Angels as ministring Spirits for the good of his people and these Angels do not appear idle or standing still but always in motion either ascending to God to receive his Commands or descending to Earth for the execution of them which was a most seasonable Vision for Jacob in his sad and sorrowful condition that though he was forsaken and persecuted by Men and forced to flie away secretly for fear of his Life yet he neither was nor should be neglected or forsaken of God in his whole Journey Or Mystically and so it represents Jesus Chist by whom Heaven and Earth are united who is called the way to Heaven which this Ladder was who as the Head of Angels Mr. Pool's Annotations is perpetually sending them forth either to God or from God to minister to the Heirs of Salvation And he dreamed a Dream and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached up to Heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending Gen. 28.11 And he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night It is best tarrying though night when Christ is present because the Sun was set When outward Comforts go down and Christ arises it is a blessed change And he took of the stones of the place and put them for his Pillows It is a blessed Lodging where Christ is And lay down in that place to sleep Well may a Soul sleep quiet when Christ is present with him And he dreamed a Dream and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached to Heaven This must be Jesus Christ figuratively For First His Protection was ready though this was but a Dream God did visit his People in Dreams of old before Christ was manifest in the Flesh Jesus Christ whose Humanity was set forth who humbled himself to the Death of the Cross he came from Heaven to Earth he was truly God truly Man And behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Still there are always ministring Spirits about the Heirs of Salvation still they keep the Rounds of the Ladder they are ready to serve God if they are sent a thousand Miles yea Millions of Miles to minister to the Saints shewing still only that a Soul in Christ hath protection and Guardian Angels to attend upon him he hath the Chariots of God to accompany him Psal 68.17 O Believer what are you Christ's And have you so many Angels waiting on you daily Where is your thankfulness Where is your Heart-love to God Psal 34. The Angel of the Lord encamps round about those that fear him Have you Angels waiting and attending on you Angels ascending and descending for your Good you are in a safe condition Believing Souls have you not found this Ladder many times when you have been in Trouble and under Desertion have you not found your Hearts hard your Comforts dead your Souls cast down have not you found Jesus Christ the Ladder by which you have ascended up to the Father Hath he not brought you out of that Wilderness condition Whosoever thou art that fearest the Lord be of good courage take thou no care neither be faint-hearted nor make any doubt of the Angels waking watching and Protection for most certainly they are about and by thee and do carry thee upon their hands But how or in what manner Take thou no care God saith it Luther therefore it must be sure and certain Although now adays they appear not visibly nor afford such outward help yet are these Heavenly Messengers employed for the safeguard and benefit of the Saints As Embroidered Cherubims environed the Tabernacle Ainsworth so do those Heavenly Soldiers guard God's true Tabernacle the Church Cant. 3.6 Who is this that comes out of the Wilderness Who is this From whence doth she come From the Wilderness a Wilderness of Trials Temptations and Desertions she turns her Back on them and her Face on Christ And how doth she come She ascends like Pillars of smoke What Incense hath she She hath perfumed Incense Myrrh and Frankincense with all Powders of the Merchant with the sweet savour of Christ with the Righteousness of Christ It ascends being drawn up by the Spirit of God it is perfumed having Christ's Righteousness No Powder of the Merchant can be sweeter than the Prayers of a Saint to God in Christ but they would not ascend if it were not for the Spirit of God While Persons employ their Gifts and Parts out of Christ they descend though they do perform Duty in the exactest manner yet there is Evil enough in them for God to abhor it they are as smoak in the Nostrils of a pure God But when they are perfumed by Jesus Christ they are a sweet savour Therefore be not afraid of those weak Prayers smoky Prayers they are perfumed with Christs Righteousness It may be the poor Soul complains I have been at Prayer but I have prayed with such wandrings and such deadness and such coldness that I fear God will abhor me But
him in Glory Col. 3.3 4. For ye are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in Glory The Saints if they consider need not be so afraid at the approaching of Death for it will be the real happiness of their Souls for then you shall enjoy that perfect Communion and Blessedness that you long for here on this side the Grave We are willing to have rest but are loath to go to bed we are willing to be released of our sins and troubles but we are unwilling to die and we shall never be wholly freed from them till then How lingring are we as if our Desires were that Christ's Chariot-wheels should stay a little longer But sure were the Joy of this glorious Life more cleared up to us we should long to put off our Mortality and to put on Immortality 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4. You that have Christ for your Life are very safe Death shall rob you of nothing for the Apostle saith For him to live is Christ and to die is gain Death does but take away that clod that we carry about us that we may see the Sun of Righteousness more glorious and enjoy him more perfectly in immortal Life and Glory Death robs most but shall not rob the Believer you shall but make an exchange of Heaven for Earth Glory for your Shame Joy for Sorrow for your crying and weeping here praise and Hallelujahs above Fourthly Death shall not rob you of your Treasure Indeed the Damned live but it is a miserable Life living Death in everlasting chains When Death comes the Treasure of the Saint is perfectly enjoyed What they had an earnest of before now they have in possession now they shall put on the glorious Robe and the Royal Crown on their Head they shall put on the Crown of Glory and of Righteousness Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness O what a laying up is here When the Apostle was ready to be offered up saith he I am ready to be offered up but I shall lose nothing by it for I cannot have my Crown till I die 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all that love his appearing I am ready to go I do not repent my going I know very well the time of my departure is at hand But what then Though it be I have fought the good fight I have kept the Faith I have lived Christ I have made him the hope of my Life and now I shall receive my Crown I have been in Troubles and Trials and in my Lords Battles but now I am going to receive a Crown of Righteousness Why so Had Paul deserved it by his Works No but as God is a righteous God and had promised Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day I shall have it when I am offered up when I am put to Death and then shall I wear a Crown an Immortal Crown on my Head for ever and this is not only for me but for all that love his appearing they must needs love his appearing that have him for their Life O the glorious Crowns that the Saints shall be crown'd with at that day a Crown of Life that never withers Here our Comforts wither while we hold them in our Hand they wither like a Beautiful Flower in the Morning it holds up its Head but by Evening it is withered A Crown of Glory that never fades away O what treasures will the Saints have when Death comes that have made Christ their Life The Worldling will lose his Treasure the Hypocrite will lose his hope he will never hope more Job 27.8 For what is the hopes of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul Tho he hath gained applause of Men he shall lose it Dan. 12.3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever What is the Hope of a Hypocrite of a Christless Soul when he hath breathed his Last when his Soul sits quivering on his Lips Alas I have made a Profession of Religion I thought I had something laid up but all is lost for ever O that I should hope in vain and now the end of my hope is come and not the Salvation but Damnation of my Soul Though I have done many things and made a clutter in the World and eat and drunk in Christ's Presence it is all in vain that I have hoped my strength and my hope is perished for ever and then all his Peace is lost No Peace saith my God to the wicked Then the Storm of Divine Vengeance will come and awaken the false hope of the Hypocrite then the Worldling will lose all his Riches The Young Man was sorrowful to leave all and follow Christ Persons are afraid to do any thing for Religion for fear of wanting But whether the Young Man will part with all to follow Christ or no he must leave all at Death Death does spoil them of all their Treasure But it is not so with the Saint The poor Christless Soul may say when he considers his state Whatever I have e're long it will be taken from me if I have treasured up the Worlds Goods and have not made Christ my Life I am like for ever to be undone to use this World to God's Glory will be our Mercy but to over-love it it will be our undoing but Death to the Saint will be the year of Jubile they shall have double for all their Trials Troubles and Sorrows when Death comes they shall have all restored to them whatever they have lost for Christ it will be gain then they have laid up for themselves a good Foundation for time to come as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the times to come that they may lay hold on eternal Life A good Foundation against the time to come the Saints have their Treasure in store when they go hence Mat. 6.20 Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where Thieves do not break through nor steal In Heaven there his Heart was there his Hope was there his Desire was there his Longing was and now he comes to die his Treasure is
safe for him then a Saint while he lives he need not fear Death he lives a certain Life Secondly He may live comfortably First He may live certainly on comforts I am Christ's and I know nothing shall pluck me from Christ I am perswaded What are you perswaded of Paul I am perswaded that neither Life nor Death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. May not some Temptation some Corruption over-set you No saith he they shall not I shall be a Conqueror through Christ nothing shall separate me from him I am perswaded Death shall not if I live I live Christ if I die I shall live with Christ Nor Angels Good Angels will not if they would they should not nor bad Angels shall not nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present Buffitings Reproaches Scornings Imprisonment Sufferings what if you go through all this and are not separate from Christ Yet is there not something to come Do you not fear Death and Judgment that will be a Terror to most of the Sons and Daughters of Men. Whatever comes I still am Christs neither height nor depth shall separate me from Christ Let mine Iniquities reach up as high as Heaven the righteousness of Christ is still higher Nor Depths It shall not swallow a Believer up he is held safe in the everlasting Arms of infallible Grace and Mercy What a certain Life does a Saint live that is sure never to be separated from Christ things present cannot do it nor things to come shall not What a blessed Life an happy Life a safe Life is this O poor Christless Soul how uncertain dost thou live You are not sure of abiding here one moment The World is like an handful of Sand running through your Fingers like the Air that you breath in that you cannot hold a moment in your Fist But the Believer hath a certainty he can assure himself he shall never be poor and miserable nor deprived of true Happiness but shall be safe for ever in the Hands of Christ As for this World it is uncertain how long we shall enjoy Life Liberty or any Mercy we know not But the best Counsel I can give you is to get Christ and then you will be safe Things may have a good Aspect one day and another day as bad but yet in Christ you are safe for ever in Life in Death and to all Eternity Here you are certain of nothing Favour of Men or high or low rich or poor is unconstant the Wheel turns in a moment But if you have Christ you have a certain Life O how comfortably may a Saint live in all troubles and changes whatsoever that hath Christ for his Life We use to say It is an ill Wind blows no body good But I say let the Wind blow as ill as it will it blows the Saint always good that the Soul may say Let what will come I live well We may compare a Saint that is troubled for outward things to a Man that hath an Orchard full of Trees laden with Fruit but because the Wind has blown off the Leaves sits down and weeps If one should ask What do you weep for Why my Apple-tree Leaves are gone Why you have your Apples have you not Yes then what a foolish Man are you to weep for a few Leaves that might hinder both sight and ripening of your Fruit The comforts of this World are but Leaves Why do you weep for the Leaves while you have the Fruit Glorious Promises Glorious Peace Glorious Pardon Riches of Grace Hope of Glory and set down to weep or be cast down for the Loss of a few worldly comforts And the truth of it is so narrow are our Spirits so unbelieving are our Hearts that we many times weep for Losses here as if we had no better Portion What weeping while the Boughs hang full of Fruit What weep while your Souls have the glorious Promises and glorious Peace and glorious Pardon and a glorious Christ and hopes of Life Eternal through him Will you weep for a few outward Losses and Crosses while your Souls are filled with Fruit While your Souls are as Trees bringing forth Twins This is much to be lamented that the Saints do thus mourn for outward comforts let the Wind blow which way it will it cannot take away your Life You may eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Life in the midst of Paradice that you may leave your Drops below and come to the full Fountains above If a Man hath enough he may afford to lose a little Saith the Psalmist I have a goodly Heritage the Lord is my Portion Psal 16.5 6. The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly Heritage While Christ is my Life my Glory my Portion I have a goodly Portion May be the Winds may arise Storms of Affliction Storms of Trouble the Lord knows what may be but make sure of Christ let the Wind blow what way it will it can but blow off the Leaves it cannot take away the Fruit. The Church saith in Lam. 3.24 The Lord was her portion she would hope in him Is it so that a Believers Life is bound up in Christ There is a great deal of difference between a Believer and another Man at Death What are the thoughts of a carnal Man at Death What if they were known to the Standers-by My Life is done and my Misery is come O that I were to live in the World and never die But what is a Believers thought O saith he that my Heart may be setled on Christ that I may know Christ to be my Life and God mine I would bless his Name for ever There is a difference between a moral Man and a Believer How is it I have lived honestly I have done no body any harm God deal with me as I have done with others Now a Believer will discourse of things in another manner I have nothing in my self I am sin and sinful but Christ is my Life therefore I desire not to stand in one of my good Works in Judgment but wrap up my self wholly in Christs Righteousness Come to a Legal Man one under the Law O I would pray more fast more if I were to live longer Thus he would do a great deal of Work in a little time not considering if he lives longer he carries the same Heart about him But a Believer saith If I am to live it shall be by Faith I would believe more know Christ more I would live upon Christ more and when I die I would die in him and be found in him at the great day 3 Infer Is it so that a Believer's Life is bound up in Christ What boundless Love was
this in God to poor Sinners that he unbosoms himself to them that he should give Christ to be their Life When they were carnal wicked and sinful that then Jesus Christ should be revealed unto them that the Lord should bestow on dead Sinners such a precious Life who were by Nature poor dead heavy Lumps of Hell What infinite surpassing Love is this that should give such a Life to raise up Lumps of Hell to Heavenly Glory Christ cloathed himself with Human Flesh and Blood that so he might become an Infinit Mass and boundless Sea of visible speaking breathing weeping bleeding living dying Grace All the glorified Saints and Angels are but living Monuments and ever-living Tenants of this Free Grace this Grace of Christ perfumeth Heaven and Earth All the Grace which God doth or can put forth for the Salvation of Sinners is laid up and exhibited by Christ he has broad and strong Shoulders which can bear to Heaven the most heavy Lumps of Hell There is more Force and Omnipotence in Christ's Infirmity and Sufferings than in all the strength and efficacy of Men and Angels There is more Life in Christs Death more Riches in his Poverty more Victory in his hanging on the Cross than in all the World besides yea Christ's very Sighs Tears Sweat Stripes Reproaches and Faintings have a Sovereign Efficacy in them for the procuring and conferring Grace on his redeemed ones Thence we receive of Christs Fulness Grace for Grace Look as the Child receiveth from his Parent Limb for Limb Member for Member as the Sons of Adam receive all of his Fulness Sin for Sin Lust for Lust so Christs regenerated ones receive of his Fulness Grace for Grace there is not any Grace in the Heart of Christ but his Members have an Impartment and Resemblance thereof Now this infinite Plenitude of Grace in Christ which renders him so glorious proceeds originally from the Election of God the Father for all the Treasures of Grace are originally lodged in the Sovereign good pleasure or Heart of God the Father who has ordained Christ as Mediator through whom all are to be conveighed to the Elect. This ought greatly to be remarked or heeded by the Friends of Christ that albeit the Divine Essence and Sovereign Will of God be the Original Fountain of all Grace yet he has determin'd that not one drop of this Grace shall be derived unto Sinners but through Christ a Mediator This is the gret Mystery of the Gospel the great Wonder of Heaven and Earth that the blessed God who is the Fountain of all Grace Mr. Gale of the Saints Amity with God in Christ should so far condescend to Sinners as to assume Human Nature and to make it a Receptacle and Vehicle to convey all Grace unto them 4 Infer Is Christ a Believers Life and such a Life as hath been discoursed How should Believers be endeared to Jesus Christ What a thriving happy blessed glorious surpassing Life do Believers live It is natural to Persons to love their Lives more than all Enjoyments What Cost and Pains will Persons be at to preserve their natural Lives but what are all the Lives that have been since Adam to the end of the World if compared with Christ who is a Believers Life all their present and future Blessings are bound up in this Life What cause hath every every Believer to mourn that they love Christ so little that hath loved them so much His Love to them passeth Knowledge the Depths of it can never be fathomed With what purpose of Heart should every Believer cleave to Christ Christ loved with his whole Heart as it doth appear by what he hath suffered for his redeemed ones Methinks I should hear a Believer say with Peter Lord thou knowest I love thee It is much to be lamented Christ hath many professed Friends but few real Lovers as a Learned Author saith Multi osculantur Christum pauci vero amant Many kiss Christ but few love him Many do as Orpha did to her Mother Naomi Kiss and take their leave And many with Judas Kiss and betray But Oh with what an hearty and fervent Love should every Believer love Christ 5 Infer Is Christ a Believers Life Then what Life should there be in a Believers Love towards each other They that are bound up in the same bundle of Life should be bound up in a bundle of Love How can our Love be hid from them in whom we see the Love of Christ appear How can those pretend to be made partakers of the Life of Christ that are Strangers to the Love of Christ Rivers of Waters ran down David's Eyes because Men kept not God's Law Have we not cause in our days to shed a Flood of Tears that Christians break Christ's new Commandment who hath commanded his Disciples to love one another There are many that pretend to be passed from Death to Life but few there are that love the Brethren Are not many so bound up in their own Opinion as if their whole Salvation lay therein laying such weight and stress thereon as if none could be saved but them that jump in with them in their Opinion while it may be all the while they are grosly mistaken But if their Form and way of Worship be right they mistake the Mark that rest there for Salvation How do such despise Persons holier and sounder in the Principles of Religion than themselves and while they profess themselves to be Christians of the highest Rank they deny an Article of our Christian Faith that all that own themselves Christians profess to believe viz. the Communion of Saints denying Fellowship with them that have Fellowship with the Father and his Son Christ Jesus such as are bound up in 〈◊〉 things as Tith of Mint Annis and Cummin neglect the weightier matters Judgment Mercy and Faith not but that it is good to be zealous for every Truth of Christ but not to let our Zeal run out more in the Form than the Power of Godliness as the Pharisees of old did Where Love is wanting the life and power of Godliness is absent from such Persons If Love to the Brethren is a mark of Grace I believe many that account themselves very good Christians fail of that mark except none are their Brethren but those of their own Opinion then Papists and Quakers and all such Persons that hold together in a cursed Unity to uphold damnable Heresies may be said to love the Brethren as well as such for they love not for Christ's sake nor as they bare the Image of God but for Opinions sake They that love the Brethren that love such as have the Lord Jesus formed upon their Hearts will love every person that is sound in the Faith and holy in Life though he differ in Judgment in some outward Forms Persons being great in their own Eyes makes them look so loftily upon their Brethren as Luther saith of himself Tantus eram sanctus ut purissimus
of this Life If a Man be sick unto Death as he thinks bring him tidings of Life it is the best News he can hear of bring him Tidings that his Will is made his Estate is setled very well but how is it with you I am a dead Man O Sir but I have brought one with me that saith he can certainly cure you This is the best News saith he that you have brought me So is Jesus Christ come to save poor Sinners of whom I am the chief saith a poor Soul This is a Saying worthy of all Acceptation They that do not prize the Gospel and find it the sweetest thing in the World yet have not Christ for their Life There is that in Nature that persons must be doing something that they may obtain Blessedness The Israelites stript themselves for to make them a God So do formal Professers they will be at much Cost and Charge for an outward Profession and then fall down and adore their own Doing but to prize this Gospel that brings them News of a Redeemer it is very rare to find one among many But now the Soul that longs for Christ is sick for Christ rejoyces to hear these glad Tidings Saith Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief It is the best News that ever I heard If the Gospel is not joyful News to you if it doth not affect you you never had Christ When a Soul comes to close with Christ he saith And is there hope for me and did Christ die for me And did Christ come to be Life for me O welcom News the best that ever I heard in my Life 2 Tim. 1.10 But now is made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished Death and brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel Life is brought through the Gospel What Life Immortal Life Immortal Grace Immortal Salvation to a poor undone Sinner If this Gospel is not prized but as a thing indifferent as many make their calling and business their main end but the Gospel is a thing they can best spare Such never made Christ their Life In ver 9. the Apostle saith Christ hath called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ before the World began who hath abolished Death The Death of immortal Souls under the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God Christ takes Death away And what hath he brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel Were you but sensible of the Worth of this Life how would you love the Wells of Salvation from whence is drawn the Waters of Life Love the Pot that holds the Manna that preserves this Life Love the Messenger that brings you Tidings You shall live and not die How would a condemned Malefactor love that Person that should bring him a â—ardon yea the Messenger that should bring him News of it So it is with the condemned Sinner the Sentence is pass'd He that believes not is Damned O what Joy is it to hear of Salvation by Christ when the Sinner hath a sense of his misery This immortal Life comes through the Gospel When a Sermon of Christ is preached News from Heaven is brought to Sinners and what News is it O that there is mercy and pardon for poor Sinners Saith the believing Soul shall my Soul live is Christ become my Salvation O what blessed Gospel is this What precious News is this Now Soul do you look on the Gospel glad Tidings and the Feet of them that bring it beautiful if not be sure Christ is not your Life Fourthly They never had Christ for their Life that live in themselves that centre in themselves on themselves and not above themselves As thus Take a dead Man and wrap him up in Silk and Silver with the best Perfumes you can it centres all in Putrifaction Rottenness and Death all the sweet Smells and Perfumes will not keep him from corruption But take a living Man he lives on something to preserve Life It would be improper to say a Man lives on nothing a living Man must have something to subsist with A dead sinner centres in himself what Duty he performs he takes to be his Life But a Soul in Christ lives on Christ and not on his Performances tho he performs Duty So much for the Negative now follows the Affirmative What are the Characters of them that have Christ their Life First If Christ is your Life you will love the Word of God and look upon it to be very precious that hath been the means of begetting and nourishing this Life in you As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may go thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious you will love the Food that the Lord gives you The Prodigal when he returned home to his Fathers House then he thought his Food precious The Word of Christ is that which is very precious to the Soul if you do not taste that the Lord is gracious you can never fall in love with Christ There may be some Convictions under the Word but they will wear off again there may be something that may delight but Souls that Christ is their Life they come to relish the inward sweetness and power of the Word of Christ if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious First They will long for it Secondly They will make it their Meat and Drink First They will long for it If a Child be crying for the Breast if you give it a Rattle or any other thing it will not please it or still it without the Breast It is not any thing of this World nor the Glory of it will still a Believer without Christ Psal 84. See how the Psalmist praises the Courts of God how lovely it is One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of God than to dwell in the Tents of wickedness Why would you be a Door-keeper in the House of God Truly there Beggars fare well Hungry Souls would be first in and last out they would be served more than once Saith a longing Soul I would not have a Word drop before I come that I may lose nothing I would be one of the first in and last out I would not have a Word drop nor a Crum fall I would hear all that is spoken of Christ How sweet is every Word of Christ The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul More are they to be desired than 〈…〉 than much fine Gold sweeter than the 〈◊〉 the Honey-comb Ps 19. And 〈…〉 prize thy Word more than my 〈◊〉 Food Soul thou that longest for the Word of Christ certainly thou art alive in Christ Surely thou that longest for the
Promises they shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and live It is called a Vivification We are by Nature dead in Trespasses and Sins in our deliverance from them we are said to be quickened Eph. 5.5 Though dead we hear the voice of the Son of God and live being made alive unto God through Jesus Christ Rom. 6.11 Now no such Works can he wrought in us but by an effectual Communication of a Principle of Spiritual Life and nothing will deliver us Some think to evade the power of this Argument by saying that all these Expressions are metaphorical and arguing from them are but fulsom Metaphors and it is well if the whole Gospel be not a Metaphor to them But if there be not an Impotency in us by Nature unto all Acts of Spiritual Life like that which is in a dead Man unto the Act of Life natural if there be not a like power of God required unto our Deliverance from their condition and they work in us a Principle of Spiritual Obedience as it is required unto the raising of him that is dead They may as well say that the Scripture speaks not truly as that it speaks metaphorically and that the almighty Power the exceeding Greatness of God's Power that is put forth are exercised herein Eph. 1.18 Col. 2.12 13. 2 Thess 1.11 2 Pet. 1.3 And what do these Men intend by this quickning this raising from the Dead by the power of God A perswasion of our minds by rational motives taken from the Word and the things contained in it But was there ever heard of such a monstrous Expression If there be nothing else in it what could the Holy Writers intend by calling such a Work as this a quickning of them who were dead in trespasses and sins through the mighty power of God unless it were by a noise and insignificant Words to draw us off from a right understanding of what is intended Dr. Owen on the Spirit p. 279. Sect. 49. and it is well if some are not of that mind Do you hear the Voice of Christ continually in the Word preached but you must hear another Voice or you are undone for ever If the Voice of the Ministration of the Word without the Power of the Spirit would awaken Men there would be fewer in Hell and more in Heaven than there are This is the external means but yet there must be the pouring out of the Spirit or else this will do no good And here I shall shew how the Spirit of God works on the Heart First The Spirit of God works effectually that is the Voice of the Son of God How long may we preach the Resurrection of the Dead to a dead Man before he rises but that Resurrection that is preached when Christ comes with the Sound of the Trumpet and saith Ye dead arise presently the Dead arise We may come and sound the Trumpet in the Ears of Sinners but they will not hearken till Christ come by the effectual working of his Holy Spirit then it works indeed Acts 16.14 speaking of Lydia whose Heart the Lord opened and then she attended to the things of the Kingdom of God And a certain Woman named Lydia a Seller of Purple of the City Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose Heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things that were spoken of Paul She attended as one whose Heart was opened and was sick for Christ and rejoyced to hear Christ preached Secondly The Spirit of God comes and perswades the Heart to close with Christ Saith a sick person I am perswaded if I could but have such a Physician I should be cured healed of my sickness So poor Souls lie complaining but not in Despair they are sick unto Death but yet shall not die they see themselves lost without Christ yet shall not die for want of Christ The Spirit perswades them to embrace Christ John 6.45 It is written they shall be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learn'd of the Father cometh unto me It is written in the Prophet they shall be all taught of God Is this to leave off all teaching No they shall be all taught of God How Why God shall teach them by the Power of his Spirit in the Word And how then Every Man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me God teacheth them by the World and the Spirit perswades them there is Life in Christ The Soul is perswaded to close with Christ for the Soul that is sick for Christ shall never die Saith Christ He that believeth on me shall never die But the sick Sinner is perswaded that Christ can heal him and will heal him he groans but not in Despair he sighs but not as a Person that is out of hopes but does believe that Jesus Christ will be his Salvation and is his Life he shall hear the Voice of the Son of God The preaching of the Word is the means but it must be the Spirit of God that must work and make it effectual and then the Soul makes no delay no consideration of this or that but closes with Jesus Christ as a dying person closes with a Medicine that may cure him Thirdly The Voice of Christ is a Voice that engrafts it self with power in the Heart The Apostle saith Jam. 1.21 Receive with meekness the engraffed word which is able to save your Souls They are peswaded that Jesus Christ is their Life the Promises of Christ are become theirs though they are sick of Love to Christ they shall not die for want of Christ Ask Believers what it is they want they will tell you they want more strength from Christ more knowledge of Christ more Communion with Christ Now they that have not had these Symptoms of Life lie yet in the Grave of sin and the Worm of Conscience feeds on them and they feel it not Millions feel not the Worm of Conscience till they come to Hell Saith Christ I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The whole need no Physician but they that are sick The Second Character of such that never made Christ their Lise are those that never see themselves poor and undone without Christ Thou sayest thou art high and increased in Goods and hast need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3.17 What without Christ and not cry out thou art poor miserable and undone They that never see themselves poor miserable and undone are yet without Christ What without Christ and well enough What hath enrich'd you Need of nothing What are you well enough without Christ Thou sayest I am encreased What can you patch up with any Duties with any Hopes with any thing below Christ But saith Christ thou art poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked 3ly They never made Christ their Life that never prized that glorious Gospel that brings them Tidings