Christs sake we are weak we are despised Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place we are made as the filth of the VVorld and are the off scouring of all things unto this day Now although the Apostle Paul met with abundance of afflictions and persecutions he was exceeding joyful in all his tribulations and as full of comfort as his heart could hold 2 Cor. 7.4 I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation And whence was it that the Apostle Paul had such exceeding joy in all his tribulations It was in Christ and from Christ as he himself tells us Phil. 3.3 VVe rejoyce in Christ Jesus Rom. 5.11 VVe joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ The Virgin Mary who was the Mother of Christ met with sore afflictions which pierced her as if she had a Sword run into her very Soul Luke 2.35 Yea a sword shall pierce through thine own Soul also Some understand this as a foretelling that she should suffer Death for Christ and be slain with the Sword others understood the words Metaphorically that she should be exposed to such sharp trials that should pierce her as if she had a Sword run into her for reproaches and many other afflictions are like the piercings of a Sword Psal 42.10 As with a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me where is thy God Prov. 12.18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a Sword And the Virgin Mary's Consolation under all her afflictions was her interest in Christ her interest in him not so much as he was the Son of her Womb as the Son of God and the Saviour of her Soul Luke 1.47 48. And Mary said my Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour David found great Consolation in his interest in Christ and in God under all his troubles and sorrows of which I might give many instances but shall only mention that distress he was in at Ziglag 1 Sam. 30.6 David was greatly distressed But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Observe here the greatness of Davids distress Ziglag his City of refuge was invaded by the Amalekites smitten and burnt with Fire ver 1. Davids Wives and the Wives and Children of the men that were with him were taken Captives and carried away by the enemies ver 2.3 All their Flocks also and their Herds were carried away in a Triumphing manner saying This is Davids spoil ver 20. Davids distress was so great That David and the People that were with him lift up their voice and wept till they had no more power to weep ver 4. And which added to his sorrows was this that he was now in danger of loosing and that by the hands of those that had fought for him to save his Life they were so enraged against David that they spake of stoning him to Death and that was an aggravation of his affliction that besides his other losses he was now like to loose his Life and that in a violent way and that by the hand of his Friends And David was greatly distressed for the People spake of stoning him ver 6. And what was his comfort and encouragement in this distress it was his interest in God But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God And how doth the Lord become our God it is in and through Jesus Christ that he becomes our God 2 Cor. 5.19 That we may not only Triumph over all the troubles of this Life but even over Death it self by virtue of our interest in Christ is evident from 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory the sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thuaks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ He speaks in a Triumphing manner as having no dread of Death but having overcome the fear of Death and the Grave O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory As if he should have said we are not afraid of thee O Death or thee O Grave thou hast lost thy sting O Death and thy victory O Grave And what is the ground of this Triumph over Death how came we by this victory this Triumph is grounded upon an interest in Christ this victory is given us of God through Christ as he is made ours Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Sect. 2. What is meant by an interest in Christ How Christ becomes ours How we become Christs There is a special saving interest in Christ as our Redeemer which is when a man is made a partaker of Christ united to Christ and hath a real and actual right to all the saving benefits of Christ Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ How Christ becomes ours 1. By the Fathers giving him to be a propitiation for our sins and Christs giving himself to die for our sins Joh. 3.16 2. By an effectual calling 1 Cor. 1.9 3. By our recieving him Joh. 1.12 4. By our entring into Covenant with God Isa 55.3 How do we become Christs 1. By Donation of the Father Joh. 17.6 2. By Redemption 1 Cor. 6.19 20. 3. By the Spirits causing and enabling us to give our selves to him 2 Cor. 8.5 4. By virtue of the Covenant Ezek. 16.8 See the matters of this Section in a Book of this Author Entituled Consolation in Life and Death Sect. 3. Several grounds of Consolation against the troubles of Lsfe and the fears and terrors of Death arising from an interest in Christ 1. Jesus Christ hath fully perfectly and for ever reconciled unto God all that are his Col. 1.19 20. 2. Jesus Christ hath obtained for all that are his a free full perpetual pardon of all their sins 1 Cor. 15.3 1 Joh. 3.5 Joh. 1.29 These and many other grounds may be seen largely handled in the said Treatise by this Author Entituled Consolation in Life and Death Motives to examine our selves whether we have a saving interest in Jesus Christ If it be so that interest in Christ is a ground of strong Consolation under all the troubles of this Life and against the fears and terrors of Death then let us examine our selves whether we have a saving interest in Jesus Christ whether we have an actual right to and a propriety in Christ and his saving benefits can we say that Christ is ours and that we are his and can we say this upon good grounds Have we Evidences satisfactory and sure evidences out of Gods word that Christ is ours and we are his I shall here propose some motives to stir us up to examine our selves about our interest in Christ And then mention some sure evidences of a saving interest in Christ by which we may examine and prove our selves whether we have a real saving
no A. 1. By the illumination of our minds and understandings to know Christ and the free grace of God and those things which God hath freely given us for Christs sake By the light of nature we have some notions of good and evil of the punishment due to sin and a reward of Righteousness but the knowledge of Christ and the free grace of God and the mysteries of our Salvation proceedeth only from the Spirit of God Eph. 1.17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him Matth. 16.16 17. Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Flesh and Blood that is all that man can attain to by his own wisdom and understanding without the help of the Spirit of God will not bring a man to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ And as we can't attain the knowledge of Christ so neither of the free grace of God but by the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 2.11 12. The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God And the like may be said of the mysteries of our Salvation we do not know the way and means by which we should get to Heaven till the Spirit of God gives us the knowledge of the mysteries of the K. of Heaven Mat. 13.11 It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given But seeing some men are enlightned by the word and Spirit of God that have no saving knowledge it will not be amiss to shew how we may know saving illumination from that illumination which is found in those that perish 1. The saving knowledge of Christ is accompanied with Faith in Christ When a man hath such a knowledge of Christ as causeth him to believe in Christ he is then made wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Though a man have never such a great measure of knowledge of the holy Scriptures yet if he remain without Faith in Christ Jesus he is not wise unto Salvation 2. Saving knowledge causeth a man to do those things which we know to be the will of God If our knowledge be accompanied with obedience we need not doubt but it is saving knowledge for such as know and do the will of God shall be Everlastingly happy John 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Mat. 7.22 3. Saving knowledge maketh a man to be pure and peaceable and mercifull and to be easy to be entreated to do good to others and to be without partiality and hypocrisie Jam. 3.17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie 2. We may know that we have the Spirit of Christ by those convictions which the Spirit works in the Consciences of those to whom he is given I will give instance in these two convictions of sin and convictions of Righteousness Joh. 16.7 8. When he is come he will reprove or as it is in the Margent convince the world of sin and of righteousness and judgment We may know that Christ hath sent his Spirit into our hearts by the convictions of sin and of righteousness and of judgment I shall speak only to the two first Where God giveth the Spirit of Christ he convinceth of sin But seeing natural Conscience may convince of sin as well as the Spirit of Christ how may we distinguish the convictions of the Spirit from the convictions of natural Conscience A. 1. Natural Conscience may convince of sins against the Law as Unrighteousness intemperance lying uncleanness c. But the Spirit convinceth of sins against the Gospel as not believing in Christ not loving Christ c. Joh. 16.8 9. He will reprove the world of sin of sin because they believe not in me Such as have the Spirit of Christ are troubled for and mourn over their unbelief as well as their sins against the Law Mark 9.24 The Father of the child cryed out and said with tears Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief 2. The Spirit of God convinceth a man of his evil heart and evil nature as well as of his evil actions Natural Conscience may convince a man of sinfull actions but doth not shew a man the evil root whence these proceed But the Spirit of God sheweth a man the plague of his heart and teacheth him to bemoan his Original as well as his Actual sin Psal 54.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me The Spirit of God sheweth a man his sinfull corrupt and wicked heart as well as his sinful life Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it The Spirit of God teacheth a man to bewail the body of Sin and Death as well as the acts of sin Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death 3. When the Spirit convinceth a man of his sins he leadeth him to Christ and teacheth him to seek remission of his sins from the blood of Christ Psal 51.7 Purge me with hyssope and I shall be clean Hyssope was dipped in the blood of the Sacrifice and sprinkled upon the persons and things that were to be cleansed a Type of our being cleansed by the Blood of Christ 'T is as if he should have said Lord apply thy Sons Blood to my Soul and then I shall be cleansed from my sins So the Apostle when distressed with the sense of sin fetcheth his Consolation from Christ Jesus Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But the convictions of natural Conscience either make a man desperate as we see in Judas who hanged himself or wear off by diverting to the pleasures and businesses of the world Saul when under trouble was quieted by Musick or else Conscience is eased by the doing some good works and doth fetch its ease from Christ And as the Spirit convinceth those to whom it is given of Sin so of Righteousness also Now where the Spirit convinceth of Righteousness he doth these things 1. He shews a man the imperfection of his own Righteousness that all the works of Righteousness which ever he did or is able to do are full of imperfections and so takes him off from resting in his
frequency of our thoughts No thoughts are so pleasing and sweet as thoughts of God and Spiritual things to a man that minds the things of the Spirit Psal 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet 2. By the ardency of our endeavours Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired and that will I seek after What is most desired will be most sought after 4. We may know that we have an interest in Christ if we be new creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Nothing that any man hath or doth no priviledges no excellencies will avail a man any thing to the obtaining of Salvation by Jesus Christ unless he be a new creature Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature Circumcision was a priviledge of the Jews an Ordinance of God a Seal of the Covenant a profitable Ordinance Rom. 3.1 2. What profit is there of Circumcision much every way It was a painful Ordidinance They were sore several days after they were Circumcised yet Circumcision did not avail any to Salvation but such as were new Creatures Uncircumcision was the badge of the Gentiles who sought after Wisdom yet no wisdom no excellencies that were found in any of the Gentiles would avail them to Salvation if they were not new creatures But here some may say How shall we know whether we be new creatures Ans 1. By our loathing the lusts and deeds of the old man that is by our loathing our sins and loathing our selves for our sins For it is an evident sign that God hath given a man a new heart and a new spirit when there membrance of his sins maketh him to loath himself Ezek. 36.26 31. A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations And for confirmation of this that self loathing and loathing of our sins is an evidence of the renewing grace of God we may take notice that unregenerate men are full of self love 2 Tim. 3.2 Men shall be lovers of their own selves And they may leave some of their sins but they do not loath them The Psalmist speaking of a graceless person saith of him Psal 36.4 He abhorreth not evil If any ask How shall we know whether we loath our sins and loath our selves for our sins I Answer 1. A man that loatheth himself for his sins looketh upon himself as a vile and loathsom creature and blusheth and is ashamed of himself when he cometh into the presence of God Job 40.4 compared with Job 46.6 Behold I am vile wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job who abhorred himself looked upon himself as a vile creature and repented in dust and ashes abased himself before God as more vile then the dust Ezra blushed and was ashamed to lift up his face to God Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God for our iniquities are encreased over our head and our trespass is grown up to the heavens 2. When a man loathes his sins they are burthensom and troublesom to him Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over mine head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me He would fain be freed from his sins We flee as farr as we can from things and persons which we abhorr Job 30.10 They abhorr me they flee far from me A man that loaths his sins would not live in his sins though he should not be punished for them As 't is with a man that loatheth his Life he would fain be rid of it he would not live alwaies Job 7.15 16. My Soul chuseth strangling and death rather than Life I loath it I would not live alway So it is with a man in respect of his sins his Soul chooseth the Death rather than the Life of his sins and if he might have an indulgence to continue in his sins without being cast into Hell for them yet he would not live always in them 2. A new creature is an humble creature one that hath very poor and mean and low thoughts of himself When God makes a man a new creature he takes down the pride of his heart and makes him an humble and lowly Spirit Whatever gifts and excellencies God hath bestowed upon him whatever services and sufferings he hath gone through he looks upon himself as a poor inconsiderable creature of no worth or value 2 Cor. 12.11 In nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles though I am nothing The Apostles had great gifts they could speak all Languages could work Miracles were filled with the holy Ghost did great service for God went through great sufferings and the Apostle Paul did not in any thing come behind the very chiefest of the Apostles yet under all his endowments he esteemed himself to be nothing See some instances of the humility of those that are new creatures 1. They have meaner thoughts of themselves than they have of any other men Prov. 30.2 Surely I am more brutish than any man Eph. 3.8 Less than the least of all Saints 1 Tim. 1.15 To save sinners of whom I am chief They follow the counsel of the Apostle Phil. 2.3 In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves For they are privy to more of their own sins than they are to any other mans upon the face of the earth They know more of their own hearts than they do of other mens 2. They have meaner thoughts of themselves then they have of the other creatures and therefore they liken themselves not to the Sun or Stars but to the meanest of all the creatures as worms fleas dead dogs and the like Psal 22.6 I am a worm and no man a reproach of men 2 Sam. 24.14 After whom is the King of Israel come out after whom dost thou persue After a dead dog after a Flea 3. They have such mean thoughts of themselves that they judge themselves to be unworthy of the very least of all Gods mercies Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy servant And they look upon themselves as worthy of the greatest of Gods judgments even to be confounded and destroyed for ever Dan. 9.7 O Lord Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces as at this day They look upon it as infinite mercy that they are out of hell Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed That they that are of an humble Spirit are new creatures appeareth hence because God dwelleth with the humble Isa 57.15 And saveth the humble Job 22.29 He shall save the humble person But
Lords because he had sought his Precepts Psal 119.94 I am thine save me for I have sought thy Precepts Now when may we be said to have sought Gods Precepts A. 1. When we are desirous to know the Commandments of God in order to doing them and therefore when any doubtfull cases occurr we will do nothing rashly till we have considered whither it be agreeable to the Commandments of God and when we can't find out what the Lord hath commanded in this or the other thing we go to God to discover his will to us Psal 119.12 19. Teach me thy Statutes hide not thy Commandements from me When we thus seek to God to teach and reveal his will to us we may be said to seek his Precepts 2. We seek Gods Precepts when we seek to him for grace to keep his Precepts and say with David Psal 119.5 Oh that my ways were directed that I could keep thy Precepts Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will 3. It is an argument that we love Christ and so consequently that we have an interest in him when we set his Commandements before us as our rule and walk after them though we be not able to walk up to them 2 Ep. Joh. 6. And this is love that we walk after his Commandements 4. Though you can't obey Christ perfectly yet are you not willing and desirous to obey Christ better even to obey him in all things It is an argument that a man hath a good Conscience and is in a good estate when he is willing in all things to live Honestly Heb. 13.18 We trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly 5. If our obedience be sincere though it be imperfect obedience it is a sign that we have a saving interest in Christ and are his peculiar people Exod. 19.5 Now therefore if ye will obey my voice in deed then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people Grace that is the love of God and all those blessings which he is wont to give out of his love and free grace to the Children of men shall be unto all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity although they do not love him in perfection Eph. 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Grace be with all them that is shall be with them and continue with them for ever See more in the last Chapter of this Treatise CHAP. II. Of the Grounds of Consolation under natural troubles and desolations IF Interest in Christ be a ground of Consolation under all the troubles of this Life then let us seek comfort in Christ and from Christ under national troubles when ruin and desolation is coming upon the Nations either by Forreign Invasion or by Tumults Insurrections or Massacres at home when dreadful judgments as the Sword Pestilence or Famine are upon us in the worst times imaginable there is comfort to be had in Christ as you may see from such Scriptures as these Mich. 5.5 And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into the Land The man spoken of here is the man Christ Jesus who being the Son of God became man for our sakes That the Prophet is here treating of Christ who was to be born at Bethlehem is evident from ver 2. And because what is said of this man that he shall be the peace is applyed to Christ Eph. 2.14 For he is our peace Now it is said of our Lord Jesus that he shall be the peace when a Forreign Enemy should invade the Land namely when the Assyrian should come into the land And what manner of People were these Assyrians The Assyrians were Idolaters 2 Chron. 28.23 And Idolaters are bitter enemies to the Worshippers of the true God They were great enemies to Israel and came with open mouth to devour the Israelites Isa 9.12 The Assyrians were the rod of Gods anger and the staff of his indignation who was sent by God to tread down a sinful people like mire in the streets Isa 10.5 6. Yet Christ was the peace of his people in such a dismal and bloody day when the Assyrian was sent into the land to tread down all ranks and degrees of men like mire in the streets Another Scripture that shews us there is comfort to be had in Christ in times of greatest confusion when all places and persons are in an uproar and all things are turned upside down and there is no peace to be had either at sea or land We have Psal 46.4 There is a River the Streams whereof make glad the City of God For opening this Scripture let us consider This River may signifie the Lord Jesus Christ For it is said of him Isa 32.2 He shall be as Rivers of water in a dry place Is is frequent with the Scriptures to set out Christ by a Fountain and Rivers of Waters As Isa 33.21 The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad Rivers Zach. 13.1 In that day there shall be a Fountain opened Jer. 2.14 They have forsaken me the Fountain of Living VVaters All the gladness of the City of God comes from this River namely from Christ the consolation of Israel The streams that issue from this River are the benefits that we have from Christ as pardon of sin reconciliation with God hope of eternal life and the like and all those good things which God for Christs sake giveth to us and doth for us The fruits and benefits which we have by the death and intercession of Christ are a great refreshing to the people of God in their greatest troubles When the Spouse of Christ was under the scorching heat of persecution She found great delight and sweetness in meditating on those benefits she had by Christ Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast The benefits we have by Christ comprehends all those great things which the Lord hath been wont to do for his People in all ages which puts great gladness into their hearts Psal 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad The City of God which is made glad by the streams of this River are the people of God in all ages and all places of the world Now let us see what dismal times are pointed at what great calamities are mentioned in this Psalm under all which the City of God is made glad by the streams that issue from this River 1. He supposeth such times wherein the earth should be removed and carried into the midst of the Sea ver 2. which signifieth the utter and irrecoverable destruction of mighty Kingdoms for its usual with the Scripture to set out States and Kingdoms by Mountains and the destruction and desolation of Kingdoms by removing the earth and removing the mountains Isa 24.1 3 19 20. Jer. 51.25 The removing these mountains into the midst of the Sea may signifie their
Captain of our Salvation and comfort us under all our troubles I shall farther prove this that there is comfort to be had in Christ in our Soul troubles by giving instance in several soul troubles and shew that there is comfort under all of them to be had in Christ Sect. 1. Comfort to be had in Christ against indwelling corruption In Regenerate persons there are remainders of Original Corruption The Apostle Paul complained of the indwelling of sin Rom. 7.17 Sin that dwelleth in me And he did not only find sin dwelling in him but warring against the law of his mind and leading him captive to the law of sin which was a very great trouble and burden to him ver 23.24 And what was Paul's comfort against the indwelling warring and captivating power of sin It was Christ Jesus Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. I will shew what comfort there is in Christ against the remainders of Original Corruption 1. Christ's blood is a Fountain set open on purpose for washing away the Fountain of sin and uncleanness that is in and issueth forth out of our hearts Zech. 13.1 In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness This Fountain is the blood of Christ 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sins There is no other Fountain under Heaven set open for the cleansing away of sin but the blood of Christ which is compared to a Fountain because of its sufficiency to supply all commers and the continual efficacy the Fountain runs night and day continually The day wherein this Fountain is set open is the day and time of the Gospel For under the law it was covered over with divers Types and Ceremonies it was vailed with the Ceremonies but now that vail that covering is done away It was a Fountain sealed and concealed from the Gentiles but now 't is a Fountain opened to the Jews and Gentiles for though only the house of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem are named yet the Gentiles are included in this promise for they are of the same body and fellow-heirs with the Jews of the promises of God Eph. 3.6 Observe farther for what end this Fountain is set open that is for sin and for uncleanness that is to wash away all sorts and all manner of sins our Original and Actual sins the uncleanness of our hearts and lives It may amaze us when we see and consider what a Fountain of sin and uncleanness is in our hearts but it may greatly comfort us when we consider that Christ's blood is a Fountain set open on purpose to wash away sin and uncleanness 2. Though sin doth and will dwell in us as long as we live yet this may comfort us it shall not have the dominion over us Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you because ye are not under the Law but under Grace For our Lord Jesus Christ hath by his death obtained deliverance from the reigning power of indwelling corruption so that though sin remain in us it shall not reign over us we shall not be the servants of sin Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is Crucisied with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin And therefore though we find sin not only dwelling in us but warring against the law of our minds and sometimes prevailing over us and leading us captive yet we should believe that God for Christ's sake will both pardon and subdue our sins Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me as for our Transgressions thou shalt purge them away The purging away of sin implyes both the pardoning our sins by the blood of Christ Psal 51.7 Heb. 1.3 Heb. 9.22 and the mortification of sin or purging sin out of our hearts and conversations 2 Tim. 2.21 Isa 4.4 and 27.9 Now David did rest upon God for the purging away his Transgressions even when he found iniquities prevailing that is he did trust in God that for Christ's sake he would both pardon and subdue his sin 3. As it is a ground of trouble that sin dwelleth in us so it is a ground of great comfort that we have the Spirit of Christ to dwell in us as a Fountain of grace and holiness and that this Spirit of grace shall dwell in us for ever and as a Well of water springing up to Everlasting Life 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you And this Spirit of Christ which is given to us to dwell in our hearts shall dwell and abide with us for ever Joh. 14.16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth he dwelleth in you and shall be in you And he dwelleth in us as a Fountain of Grace and Holiness or as a VVell of water springing up to Everlasting Life Joh. 4.14 The water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up into Everlasting Life 4. Though sin dwell in those that are in the Members of Christ yet it shall not be imputed to them unto their Condemnation Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit He doth not say there is no sin in them that are in Christ Jesus but though their be sin in them there is no condemnation to them ver 34 Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed Christs death hath made satisfaction for our sins and therefore such as are in Christ shall not come into Condemnation but are passed from death to life Sect. 2. Comfort in Christ for lapsed Christians that have fallen into heinous sins that have wounded their Conscience and broke their Peace Besides the great trouble that ariseth to the Servants of Christ from indwelling corruption they may through the Temptations of Satan and their own weakness and want of watchfullness fall into actual Transgressions of a very heinous nature that may break their Peace and wound their Consciences as Peter who denyed Christ and curse and swore he did not know the man which caused him when he came to himself to weep bitterly And David committed such heinous sins in the matter of Vriah and Bathsheba that caused such anguish of Spirit as if all his bones had been broken and therefore being in a joyless condition as full of anguish as a man that hath broken bones he prays thus to God Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Now though this be matter of deep Humiliation for Christians to fall into heinous sins yet it is not a desperate case
of this death That our comforter against spiritual deadness is in Christ the following words shew I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Though there be cause of mourning when we look into our own dead hearts yet there is cause of thanksgiving and rejoycing when we look up to God in Christ And that on these grounds 1. The end of Christs assuming our nature and suffering death for our sins was to give us life not only eternal life hereafter but spiritual life here and that in a plentifull measure Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world 2. Though there be in us much deadness yet in Christ and with Christ there is a fountain of life Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light As it is with Fountains of water there is water to be had at all times and for all comers in the Fountain So it is with the Fountain of life there is life to be had constanly freely a sufficiency of life for all comers at all times to be had from this Fountain of life 3. The Lord hath given us many gracious and comfortable promises to encourage us to hope in him for quickning grace at such times as we find our selves under deadness as Joh. 11.25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live Joh. 6.57 He that eateth me even he shall live by me Psal 69.32 Your heart shall live that seek God Psal 22. They shall praise the Lord that seek him your heart shall live for ever Amos 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel seek ye me and ye shall live We see here that Spiritual and Eternal Life is promised to such as seek the Lord These promises may be a great comfort to us under our deadness 4. Jesus Christ hath provided us excellent helps against our deadness I will instance in two helps 1. His word that hath a quickning influence in it Psal 119.50 Thy word hath quickned me And ver 93. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me And as the Precepts so the promises of the word have a quickning virtue in them We may say of the promises with Hezekiah Isa 38.16 O Lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my Spirit 2. His spirit is an excellent help against deadness Joh. 6.63 It is the spirit that quickneth The spirit of Christ is the spirit of life and this quickning spirit shall be given to those that ask it of God Luk. 11.13 5. When Christ who is our life shall appear we shall appear with him in glory and when we appear with Christ in glory we shall ive with him for evermore and shall never any more be troubled with deadness but shall be freed from the body of sin and death for ever Col. 3.3 4. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Your Life is hid with Christ in God It may be understood of the life of Grace here and the life of Glory hereafter Our life of Grace is hid not only from the eyes of the VVorld but at sometimes and in part from themselves As Davenant observs Ex parte quoad quos sanctos quippe qui vitam hanc sentiant in se esse valdè infirmam obscuram dubiam obtentationes diaeboli carnis Yet the weakness of our Spiritual Life the deadness that is mixed with the life of grace shall not hinder our appearing with Christ in and if we appear with him in glory all our deadness and imperfections shall be done away for ever Sect. 7. There is comfort in Christ for such as are troubled for the weakness and imperfections of their services Many Christians finding their service they do for God and their Generations attended with very great weakness and many imperfections are much troubled and discouraged thereby But to such as go under this burden there is comfort to be had in Christ and that in these respects 1. Our persons and services are accepted of God not for the worthyness that is either in our persons or services but for the sake and upon the account of Jesus Christ Eph. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the beloved And as our persons are accepted in Christ so are our services also 1 Pet 2.5 To offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ If any say how can imperfect services that have sin mixed with them be accepted of God I answer by the merits of Christ the imperfections and sins that are mingled with those holy services which we perform to God are done away and the services rendered acceptable to God Exod. 28.38 And it shall be upon Aarons Forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel which the children of Israel shall hollow in all their holy gifts and it shall be alwayes on his Forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. Aaron was a Type of Christ our great High Priest The Plate on his Forehead that had graven on it Holiness to the Lord was a Type of the merits of Christ who is the Lord our Righteousness As Aaron bare away the iniquities of the holy things Typically which being done they were accepted of God So Christ doth really and truly bear away the sins of all services and thereby they are accepted of God 2. Though our services have much weakness and many imperfections in them yet if they be performed with Upright hearts God will accept them 1 Chron. 29.17 I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in Vprightness As little done by an Upright man is more acceptable to God than great services done by wicked men Pro. 15.8 The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the Prayer of the Vpright is his delight 3. VVould you serve God and your Generation in a better manner if you were able and is it your burden that you can serve God no better then know for your comfort that God through Christ will accept of your willing mind though you have not such abilities to serve him as others have or as you your selves desire to have 2 Cor. 8.12 If there he first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. It is a great comfort to those that mourn over their imperfections that how imperfect soever they are in themselves they are compleat in Christ Col.
THE BEST INTEREST Or a TREATISE Of a SAVING Interest in CHRIST Wherein is Shewed How a Man may know that he hath a saving Interest in Christ How they that have not yet an Interest in Christ may get a saving Interest in him How they that have an Interest in Christ may improve it for their Consolation under Personal and National Calamities and Persecutions of the Church How such as have an Interest in Christ may find Comfort in Christ under all Spiritual Troubles With several other Practical Cases By OWEN STOCKTON Late Minister of Jesus Christ at Colchester in Essex COR. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates London Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1682. The Epistle Dedicatory To the worthily Honoured John Clarke Of Bury in Suffolk Esquire SIR PRopriety in Enjoyments adds a great Excellency to them unto us and the more the better they be in themselves Jesus Christ is the best of Enjoyments he is the gift of God such as he cannot vouchsafe a greater an unspeakable gift and therefore Interest in him is the best Interest To obtain that to have God and Christ ours is to have the great the principal blessing of the New Covenant ours grounded assurance thereof is not unfitly called by some a Heaven upon Earth and to promote this having two heavens is the design of this ensuing Treatise of which that Laborious and faithful Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Owen Stockton is the Author The first part being directed to your self entituled Consolation in Life and Death I should offer an injury and not testifie my due Respects if I should not present this second and principal part also to you Entituled The Best Interest I here present it and doubt not but both will find favourable Acceptation with you If the Lord hath indulged clear Evidences of his Love and of your own Interest in Christ yet you will be glad to have this Confirmation thereof and that others even every Believer may have such a knowledge of it as to be able groundedly to say My Beloved is mine and I am his You know how disconsolate many real Christians are and how mournfully they walk every day under their unbelieving Doubtings and Questionings concerning it they are afraid to draw up that Conclusion and hereby they are greatly obstructed in their Duty towards God which is not hindred but promoted by a clear sight of propriety in him Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God what then early will I seek thee The most ardent seekings and thirstings after God issue and spring from a Soul 's being able to say my God Some in this particular are too like Scepticks though in other matters they are not alwayes doubting and complaining of their own Conditions ever enquiring how they may know their own estate and never determining or not duly Those that sit in such thick darkness that they can see no light they are concerned to trust in the Name of the Lord Isa 50.10 i. e. to trust in him as the Lord God Gracious and Merciful forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34.5 6 7 when they can draw up no Conclusion that Christ is theirs and they his and that their sins are pardoned yet they are to trust in that Name that he may be theirs and that their sins may be pardoned thus they may put the great question out of doubt by seeking more to get interest than to know it Others confidently yet ungroundedly conclude that Christ is theirs without seeking a real interest in him all which may be helped here That this Treatise may be blessed to your self and to all under whose eye it may come for its proper end shall be the prayer of Honoured Sir Your Servant in the Gospel Sam. Petto Nov. 2. 1681. Errata PAge 11. l. 30 dele at p. 20. l. 28. r. singing p. 23. l. 27. r. our p. 33 l 13 waters l. 17 dele is p 35. l. 14. after you add rest p. 46. l. 16. r. doubtful p. 52. l. 11. dele of p. 64. l. 1. r. to glorify p. 75. l. 19. dele he p. 92. l. 20. r. he delivers p. 106. l. 10. dele to p. 110. l 1. r national p. 117. l. 24. r. national p. 131. l. 20. r. As p. 135. l. 5. r. at p. 145 l. 10. dele â—ve p. 158. l. 12. read in the morning p. 176. l. 2. r. we p 200 l 16 r themselves p 214 l 14 dele and. p 215 l 12 r thou p 217 l 1 dele one p 225 l 17 r give p 242 l 8 r at all p 255 l 12 r World p 16â— l 4 r his life l biâ— l 15 r leave p 263 l 9 r Friends p 264 l 10 r my p 270 l 17 after saving add interest p 273 l 6 after but add they p 274 l 27 r upon p 289 l 2 r one p 29â— l â— 17 add down â—â— adds p 293 l 2 r this Ib. l 31 r as Ib l 31 r of Ib l 32 dele for â—â— r p 298 l 18 add vvould p 306 l 13 dele it p 309 l 24 dele the. p 322 l 12 r uncertain p 325 l 17 r it is a p 327 l â— r feasts p 333 l 32 r backslidden p 364 l 8. r. drought THE BEST INTEREST Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his CHAP. I. Containing the Doctrine and Evidences of saving Interest in Christ. IT is said of our Lord Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 Thy name is as Oyntment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Among the several names given to Christ to render him amiable and desireable to the Children of Men this is none of the meanest that he is stiled The Consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 The hearing and believing that may cause us to love him and long after him on several accounts For 1. Comfort is greatly desired and sought after by all men we are all ready to pray with David Psal 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness Psal 86.4 Rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant We are so desirous of comfort that if it be with-held from us but a little while we scarce know how to bear the want of it but our Souls are ready to faint within us Psal 119.82 Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me And if God grant us our desire in giving us comfort we rejoyce greatly and look upon our selves obliged to bless and praise God Act. 15.31 They rejoyced for the Consolation Isa 12.1 O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortedst me 2. And as all men desire so they have great need of comfort both in respect of the manifold troubles that they are exposed to while they live and the sorrows and terrors they are liable to when they dye The
best of men such as live holy and righteous lives do meet with many and great afflictions and troubles Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the Righteous Yea it is the lot of some eminent servants of God to have their whole life spent in grief and sorrow Psal 31.10 My Life is spent with grief and my Years with sighing And David was a man of eminent Piety yet we Read of him that when he was under the apprehensions of Death he was under Trouble and Sorrow Psal 116.3 The Sorrows of Death compassed me and the Pains of Hell took hold upon me I found Trouble and Sorrow And as he met with Sorrows so also with Horror and Terrors and that to such a degree as that he was even overwhelmed thereby Psal 55.4 5. My Heart is sore pained within me and the Terrors of Death are fallen upon me Fearfulness and Trembling are come upon me and Horror hath overwhelmed me 3. There is abundance and there is a sufficiency of Consolation to be had in Christ and from Christ under all the Troubles that we are liable to while we live and all the Terrors and Sorrows of Death There is not only Consolation but abundance of Consolation to be had in Christ and that when we meet with abundance of Troubles in the World 2 Cor. 1.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ There is such abundant Consolation to be had in Christ that a Christian may through Christ Jesus not only be of good comfort but he may at all times both Living and Dying Triumph in and through Christ Jesus whatsoever Troubles and Distresses he be exercised withall 2 Cor. 2.14 Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to Triumph in Christ Let it be considered what great troubles the Apostle Paul went through He gives us an account of his sufferings 2 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26 27. In stripes above measure in Prisons more frequent in Deaths oft c. His Troubles and Persecutions were so great and sharp that he went continually in danger of his Life 2 Cor. 4.9.11 We are troubled on every side We which live are always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake Yet under all his Troubles he was enabled always to Triumph in Christ and Triumphing is the highest expression of joy Sect. 1. Interest in Christ is a ground of comfort under all the Troubles of Life and against the Sorrows and Terrors of Death An instance of fetching comfort from Christ the Consolation of Israel under the Troubles and Sorrows both of Life and Death we have in this Text considered in its Coherence with the Context For opening whereof consider these three things 1. The Distresses of the Spouse set forth in this and the foregoing Chapter To pass over her inward troubles set forth by her being sick of love Ch. 2.5 She met with anger and much hard usage from her Mothers Children that is from those that professed the same Faith with her self Ch. 1. ver 6. My Mothers Children were angry with me they made me the Keeper of the Vineyards Keeping the Vineyards was servile laborious work which they used to employ the baser sort of People and Strangers in Isa 61.5 The Sons of the alien shall be your Plowmen and your Vine-dressers It was a burdensome as well as an ignominious employment to work in Vineyards in those hot Countries The Labourers that were sent to work in the Vineyard complained that they had born the burden and the heat of the day Math. 20.1 12 So that when the Spouse of Christ saith they made me the Keeper of the Vineyard it implyeth that her Mothers Children laid heavy burdens upon her dealt hardly and ignominiously with her exposed her to reproach and other sufferings She was greatly distressed by her Persecutions which she endured which scorched like the Sun when it shined at noon day and made her black in the eye of the World Chap. 1.7 I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me Persecutions arising for the word are set out by the scorching of the Sun As we may see in the parable of the seed that fell on the stony ground which having no Root withered away when the Sun was up and scorched it Mat. 13.5 6. Some set on stony places where they had not much Earth And when the Sun was up they were scorched and because they had no Root they withered away This rising and scorching of the Sun the Lord Jesus interpreteth to be rising of Tribulation and Persecution for the words sake ver 20.21 For when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended The Sun looking upon her that is her Persecutions had made her black I am black what doth this blackness imply 1. Her inward sorrow and pain of heart and distress of mind arising from her troubles and persecution For great grief and sorrow is frequently expressed by blackness Job 30.27 28 29 30. My Bowels boyled and rested not the days of affliction prevented me I went mourning without the Sun My skin is black upon me Nah. 2.10 The heart melteth and the knees smite together and much pain is in all the Loyns and the faces of them all gather blackness The Prophet sets out his great grief and astonishment of mind by his being black Jer. 8.21 I am black astonishment hath taken hold on me 2. Her being exposed to scorn and contempt and derision by reason of her manifold sufferings and miseries Look not upon me because I am black That is look not upon me with a scornful eye in a way of derision and contempt It is the lot of the people of God sometimes to be made gazing stocks to the World Heb. 10.33 Ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions This Jobs portion when he was under great sorrows his Friends looked upon him with a scornful eye and scoffed at him Job 16.20 My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out tears unto God The Churches distressed condition is farther set forth in her being resembled to a Lilly among Thorns Cant. 2.2 As the Lilly among Thorns so is my love among Thorns That is 1. She was compassed with sharp and grievous afflictions which pierced her as if she had had so many Thorns run into her Flesh Sharp afflictions are set out by Thorns Hos 2.6 I will hedge up her way with Thorns 2. She was beset about with cruel adversaries that vexed and tortured her as if she had so many Thorns running into her side or eyes It is usual to set out the adversaries of the Church by Thorns 2 Sam. 23.6 But the Sons of Belial shall be all of them as Thorns Now those adversaries of the Church are likened to Thorns 1. Who are continually vexing and troubling the People of God Num. 33.55 The inhabitants of the Land shall be pricks in your eyes and Thorns in your sides and shall vex you in the Land
wherein ye dwell Ezek. 28 24. And there shall be no more a pricking brier to any of the house of Israel nor any grieving Thorn 2. Those enemies of the Church are likened to Thorns that would rend and tear the People of God in pieces if the Lord should let them have their will of them Thorns are of a rending tearing nature Judg. 8.7 I will tear your Flesh with Thorns of the Wilderness Such kind of Thorns are the enemies of the Church they would even rend and tear the Servants of God in pieces if the Lord should not deliver them out of their hands Psal 7.1 2. Save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me least he tear my Soul like a Lion renting it in pieces while there is none to deliver Ps 35.15 The abjects gathered themselves together and I knew it not they did tear me and ceased not Another expression of the Churches distresses we have Chap. 2.15 Take us the Foxes the little Foxes that spoil the Vines She was molested with Foxes that spoyled the Vines And what were these Foxes 1. False Prophets that corrupted the Doctrine and Worship of the Church Ezek. 13.4 O Israel thy Prophets are like Foxes in the desert He doth not speak of the true but of the false Prophets when he saith thy Prophets are like Foxes 2. The Foxes signifie subtle and bloody Persecutors who seek to shed the Blood of the Saints and make havock of the Church Luk. 13.31 32. Herod will kill thee and he said unto them go ye tell that Fox Herod is called a Fox because he sought by subtlety to kill Christ These Foxes the Spouse speaks of did spoil the Vines such a Fox was Saul before his Conversion Act 8.3 As for Saul he made havock of the Church entering into every house and haling men and women he committed them to prison 2. The Spouse of Christ being in this distressed and persecuted condition prayeth to Christ to teach and tell her with what comforts he is wont to refresh and support his people under their sorest and hottest persecutions Chap. 1.7 Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon The noon is the hottest time of the day signifieth the hottest persecutions when the rage of Persecutors is at the heighth then it is worthy our enquiry where or how Christ comforts and supports his persecuted Flock His making his Flock to rest at noon signifieth the inward and spiritual comforts and refreshments that Christ giveth his People in their greatest troubles Mat. 11.28 29. Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls That rest which Christ gives his Flock when they labour under Troubles and Temptations is rest for their Souls And as the Spouse enquireth where and how Christ maketh his Flock to rest at Noon so in her distressed condition she cryeth out for comfort and support Stay me comfort me Ch. 2.5 Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love This being sick of love implyeth 1. The deferring of those spiritual comforts and supports that she prayed hoped and waited for Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick 2. Her being ready to faint for want of the presence of Christ and the comforts of his Spirit Sickness is attended with faintness Dan. 8.27 I Daniel fainted and was sick Such as are sick of love are oft times in a fainting condition Psal 119.81 My Soul fainteth for thy Salvation but I hope in thy word 3. Her restless condition for want of the enjoyment of Christ Sick persons are very restless when Job was sick he was restless and full of tossings to and fro what Solomon saith concerning a person whom God exerciseth with many sorrows Eccl. 2.23 His heart taketh not rest in the night The same may be said of one sick of love his heart takeeth not rest either in the night or the day but is very unquiet as long as Christ hideth himself Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled 3. We may consider the grounds of the Spouses Consolations under these Troubles and the hazard and danger of Death and her inward Troubles occasioned by her being sick of love I will only mention these two 1. Her Interest in Christ When she was in her greatest dangers and distresses and wanted the presence of Christ she quieted comforted and encouraged her self with this that she had an Interest in Christ My beloved is mine and I am his 2. She found great Consolation from her participation of the benefits of Christ ver 3. I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his Fruit was sweet to my tast From the Spouses supporting and comforting her self under her afflictions and persecutions when she was in danger of her Life with the consideration of her interest in Christ we may infer this Doctrine which shall be the subject of my ensuing discourse Doct. Interest in Christ is a ground of strong Consolation under all the troubles and persecutions of this Life and the dangers and approaches of Death When the Sun of persecution is risen upon us and scorcheth vehemently when we are become black when our Mothers Children are angry with us and deal hardly with us when 't is Noon the hottest time of persecution when we are as a Lilly among Thorns compassed about on every side with sharp afflictions in the midst of adversaries that are ready to rend and tear us in pieces when we are sick and faint because our hope is deferred and Christ absents himself from us when the Foxes are come out of their holes that spoil the Vines that thirst after the blood of the Saints at then if we can say My beloved is mine and I am his we have cause to be of good chear for interest in Christ is a ground of strong Consolation under all the troubles of this Life how many and how great soever and against the fears and terrors of Death and this I shall prove by several instances The Apostle Paul was a man that went through abundance of troubles and persecutions as was shewen in part before and I shall now farther shew you He could go to no place but he expected either to be put in Prison or to meet with some other affliction Act. 20.23 The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me He was troubled and persecuted every where and went in continual danger of his Life 2 Cor. 4.8 9 11. We are troubled on every side we are perplexed persecuted cast down but not destroyed VVe are always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake Another account of his sufferings we have 1 Cor. 4.9 10 11 12.13 I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as appointed unto Death For we are made a spectacle to the VVorld and to Angels and to Men we are fools for
when enlightned by the word and Spirit of God are able to discern and to give a judgment of our estate towards God and of the most inward workings both of Sin and Grace Pro. 20.27 The Spirit of a man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the Belly By the inward parts of the Belly we may undestand all the secrets of the heart the inclinations dispositions and motions of the heart both to good and evil These are all searched out and discovered by the Spirit of a man which is as the Candle of the Lord but to effect this searching of our inward parts this Candle of the Lord must be lighted by the Word and the Spirit of the Lord for till that be done it gives such a dim and uncertain light that we can discern but little of our own state Therefore besides Communing with our own hearts and making use of our own Spirits we must make use of the Word of God that we may discern the state of our own Souls towards God Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple ver 105. Thy word is a Lamp to my feet and a light to my path There are plain and clear Characters laid down in the Scriptures of such as are Christs the knowledge of these which I shall mention in the next Section are requisite for us to examine our selves by And besides making use of our own Spirits and having recourse to the light of Gods word it is needful that we should implore the illumination and assistance of the Holy Spirit because it is his enlightning our minds that gives us light Psal 36.9 In thy light shall we see light Job 32.8 But there is a Spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding The eyes of our underderstandings are shut till the Spirit of God doth open them Eph. 1.17 18. And as we need the Spirit to enlighten our understandings so also to witness to and with our Spirits or being the Children of God Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Evidences of a saving interest in Christ. Seeing the knowledge of our interest in Christ tendeth so much to our Consolation both against all the troubles of this Life and the terrors of Death and seeing this knowledge is obtained by examining our selves by those Characters that the Scriptures give of those that are Christs I shall lay down several Characters out of the Scriptures of such as have a saving interest in Christ those that I shall mention and explain are these 1. Effectual calling 2. Recieving Christ as he is offered in the Gospel 3. They that are Christs have the Spirit of Christ given to them 4. They that are Christs are new Creatures 5. They that are Christs have Crucified the Flesh with the lusts and affections 6. They that are Christs do love Christ and prefer Christ above all things and persons in the World 7. They that are Christs live to Christ and dye to him 1. They that are effectually called are Christs and Christ with all his benefits are theirs 1 Cor. 1.26 compared with 1 Cor. 3.23 Ye see your calling Brethren ye are Christs Whom doth the Apostle mean when he saith ye are Christs he meaneth such as are effectually called And speaking of those that were called he tells them that God had united them to Christ and made them partakers of the benefits of Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.26 30. Ye see your calling Brethren Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Eternal Life and all other saving benefits of Christ are promised to them that are effectually called Heb. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Covenant they which were called might recieve the promise of the eternal inheritance But Eternal Life and the saving benefits of Christ are given only to such as have an interest in Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life Now we may know that we are effectually called these ways 1. When the Lord calls a sinner effectually he calls him out of darkness into light whereas the mind and understanding was before full of ignorance and blindness the Lord enlightens the mind with saving knowledge when he calls a sinner effectually it is 1 Pet. 2.9 That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light Now in this work of illumination we may consider these 3 or 4 things 1. God calls a man to see his sinful miserable undone estate by nature Jer. 2.19 Know and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts And his inability to help or recover himself out of his sinful and miserable estate Joh 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing 2. God calls a man to see and to know that remission of sins and Salvation is to be had in Christ and no where else but in and from Christ Jesus Act. 13.38 Through this man is preached unto you remission of sins Luke 19.10 The Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost There is Salvation for lost man to be had in Christ and in none but him Act. 4.12 Neither is their Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved As the Lord gives us to understand that we have destroyed and undone our selves so also he causeth us to know that there is help for such as are in a perishing condition and also where this help is to be found namely in himself through Christ Hos 13.9 O If del thou hast destroved thy self but in me is thy help Thus is a material branch of saving illumination the giving as the knowledge of God and Christ 1 Cor. 4.6 Joh. 17.3 3 The Lord enlightens his People to see and to know which way they should obtain Salvation from Christ out of their sinful and miserable condition namely by Faith and Repentance For after a man is enlightned to see his lost estate then he is at a loss to know what he should do to be saved and the Lord shews him that Salvation is obtained by Christ through Faith and Repentance Act. 16.30 31. Sirs what must I do to be saved And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions and so iniquity shall not be your rutine 4. Where there is saving illumination the instruction the Lord gives is like that spoken of by the Prophet
may know that we are effectually called unto holiness when we adhere to the wayes of God in difficult and troublesom times when no persecutions no troubles will make us forsake the wayes of God and turn aside to crooked paths Psal 44.17 18. All this is come upon us that is all the forementioned troubles yet we have not forgotten thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Psal 119.109 110. My soul is continually in my hands yet do I not forget thy Law The wicked have laid a snare for me yet I erred not from thy Precepts 4. When God calls a man to Holiness he enclines his heart to be holy not only in some but in all things Holy in Body and in Spirit Holy in his Discourse and Holy in all manner of Conversation They that are Effectually called unto Holiness are like the Unmarried VVoman spoken of by the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.34 The Vnmarried Woman careth for the things of the Lord that she may be Holy both in Body and in Spirit This is the care of Gods called ones they care for the things of the Lord that they may be Holy in Body and in Spirit They are also careful to be Holy in their Discourse remembring that Exhortation of the Apostle Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister Grace unto the Hearers They are also carefull to be Holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation V. VVhen God calls a sinner Effectually he calls him to lay hold of Eternal Life he calls him unto the participation of his Heavenly and Glorious Kingdom 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all Grace who hath called us into his Eternal Glory by Iesus Christ. 1 Thes 2.12 That ye walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory 2 Thes 2.14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold on Eternal Life whereunto thou art called As it was with the carnal Jews they despised the Land of Canaan though it was a most pleasant and delightfull Land and would rather have enjoyed the Flesh-pots of Egypt than to go through difficulties to possess the Land of Canaan Psal 106.24 Yea they despised the pleasant Land So it is with carnal Christians before God calls them Effectually they despise they neglect Eternal Life they prefer this transitory vain VVorld before the Kingdom of Heaven As prophane Esau despised his Birth-right and sold it for a Morsel of Meat so do prophane men despise the means of Grace and Salvation and part with the Kingdom of Heaven for as inconsiderable things as a Morsel of Meat But when God calls a man effectually then Heaven and Heavenly things are the chief things he seeks after Now we may know whether God hath called us to lay hold on eternal life these ways 1. VVhen God calls a man to obtain eternal life and Salvation he gives hm the knowledge and belief of the truth reality and transcendant excellency of the Kingdom of Heaven that it infinitely surpasseth all the good things of this vain and transitory world 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens And as the truth of the Heavenly Kingdom is believed so it is esteemed and preferred above all things in this World Heb. 11.16 But now they desire a better country that is an Heavenly This World is a miserable world but Heaven is looked upon as a most blessed and glorious place by those that are Effectually called Tit. 2.13 Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour In Heaven they expect such things as eye never saw the ear never heard and better and greater things than the heart of man can concieve 1 Cor. 2.9 2. When God calls a sinner to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ he stirs up in his heart an earnest desire after Salvation and causeth him to make it his great care and main business to get to Heaven The great enquiry of such an one is what he should do to be saved and how he may get eternal life Act. 16.30 Sirs what must I do to be saved Matth. 19.16 And behold one came unto him and said good master what good thing shall I do that I may have Eternal Life And they enquire diligently after the way to life so they make it their main and chief care to get to heaven according to that command of Christ Mat. 6.33 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness And that of the Apostle Phil. 2.12 Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling 3. When God calls a man to obtain Salvation he discovers to him the way to Life and Salvation and bows his heart to walk in the path of life Psal 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of Life He sheweth them that Eternal Life and Salvation is to be had in Christ and no where else but in Christ 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Act. 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is no other name given under Heaven whereby men may be saved And he sheweth them that they that would have Salvation by Christ must believe in him and obey him and persevere in the Faith of Christ and in their obedience of the Gospel to the end of their lives Act. 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Heb. 5.9 And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithfull unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life 4. When God calls a man to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ he leaveth such impressions of the glory and excellency of the Kingdom of Heaven that he presseth more earnestly after the Kingdom of Heaven than he doth after any thing in this world Phil. 3.13.14 This one thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus It was the main thing the Apostle aimed at strove and contended for pressed after the obtaining the Crown of Glory and being found in that way that leadeth to life No oppositions from the world can beat off one effectually called from seeking eternal life but he uses an holy violence and doth as it were take it by force Matth. 11.12 From the dayes of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the
of grace ver 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you because ye are not under the Law but under Grace Now the dominion of sin may be taken away though sin be not wholly dead in the soul As it was with those beasts spoken of Dan. 7.12 Their dominion was taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time So the dominion of sin may be taken away in that soul where the life of it is prolonged for a little season But here some may say How may we know whether sin reigns in us or whether the dominion of sin be taken away I Answer When we yield willing obedience to the motions and dictates of sin then sin reigns in us Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof and ver 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness When it is a mans usual course to yield ready obedience to the motions and sollicitations of sin it is a plain case sin reigns in such a man and he is the servant of sin As it is an argument that a man is in Authority when his commands are obeyed Matth. 8.9 I am a man under authority having souldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doth it So it is an argument that sin is in authority when the motions of sin are are obeyed when we go and come and do as we are moved and enclined by the lusts of our own hearts But where the motions and lusts of the flesh are resisted striven against suppressed there sin is not in dominion though it may still abide and dwell in us 6. If our doubtings of our interest in Christ arise from hence that we fear we have not Crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof let us set our selves more vigorously about this work to Mortifie and Crucifie the lusts and affections of the flesh and to that end let us make use of these helps 1. Let us walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh There will be lustings of the Flesh against the Spirit as long as we live in this world but if we walk in the Spirit we shall be thereby kept from the fulfilling of the lust of the flesh 2. Put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it that will be a means to mortifie the corruption of your natures Rom. 13.14 Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof 3. Meditate on the passion and sufferings of Christ and rest upon Christ for the grace that he hath purchased by his death to mortifie the flesh with the lusts and affections Gal. 6.14 Rom. 6.6 Tit. 2.14 4. Apply the promises which are effectual means to purge out our corrupt natures and to make us partakers of the divine nature and to help us to escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust Promises of renewing our natures and purging out the corruption of our hearts you may see Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God shall Circumcise thine heart 6. Loving Christ above all things is a certain evidence of a saving interest in Christ If we can say of Christ with the Spouse he is my Beloved or as the Dutch render it my best Beloved then we may say he is mine and I am his It was the Spouses sincere love to Christ that caused her to say with confidence that Christ was hers and she was his My Beloved is mine and I am his As we may know that we are passed from Death to Life by our love to the Members of Christ 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the brethren So we may also know our translation into a state of life by our love to Jesus Christ and may say we know we are passed from Death to Life because we love the Lord Jesus Christ That a sincere love to Christ which is a loving Christ above all things is a sure evidence of a saving interest in Christ will appear hence because eternal life and all manner of blessings are promised to those that love Christ in sincerity Jam. 2.5 Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Eph. 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity But as for those that love any things or persons more than they love Jesus Christ though the dearest friends they have in all the world they shall not be owned of Christ for his Mat. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me See also Luk. 14.26 But how shall we know whether we love Christ above all Things and Persons in the World A. 1. By our valuing esteeming and preferring Christ above all things in the World What we love most that we esteem and value most 1 Thes 5.11 Esteem them very highly in love Now we may know that we have the highest esteem for Christ of all things and persons in the World 1. When we will part with any thing rather than part with Christ when we are willing to suffer the loss of any thing yea of all things so that we may win Christ Mat. 13.45 46. The wise Merchant shewed that he esteemed the Pearl that he had found to be of great price when he sold all that he had to purchase it Phil. 3.8 The Apostle Paul shewed his preferring Christ above all by his suffering the loss of all things for Christ and this turned to him for a Testimony that Christ was his yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things 2. When all other things are counted but as dross and dung in comparison of Christ Phil. 3.8 For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ When other things are undervalued and
and conversing with Angels did not could not satisfie her as long as she wanted Christ 7. We may know that we are Christs when we make it our great care to live and dye to the Lord. For they are most certainly the Lords that live and dye to the Lord. Rom. 14.7 8. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dyeth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords But when may we be said to live unto the Lord and to dye unto the Lord. A. 1. VVhen we do not live according to our own minds and our own wills but we frame our lives by the will of God revealed in his word 1 Pet. 4.2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God They that live according to the will of God have no cause to doubt their interest in Christ For Christ owns loves and reckons upon them as his Brethren Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Now we may discern that we live according to the will of God these ways 1. VVhen we are careful to know and find out the will of God They that live according to the will of God observe that command of Christ Eph. 5.17 Be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is And if they be in doubt which way to steer their course they are careful to find out the will of God they do not consult so much what will be for their profit what their own inclinations lead them to what others would have them to do but what God would have them to do Act. 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do And they are unwilling to engage in any business of moment till they have consulted the mind of God and found out what is his will They say to God as the Apostle did to Philemon Phil. 2.14 VVithout thy mind I would do nothing 2. VVhen we can and do resign up our wills to the will of God in cases of greatest moment and highest concernment when we deny our own wills and prefer the will of God before our own then we live according to the will of God Luk. 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thy will be done Our Lord Jesus was very earnest to have the cup removed and therefore prayed that if it were possible it might pass from him and it was a case of the greatest moment yet he resigned up his will to the will of God 3. Then we live according to the will of God when we make the will of God the rule and the ground of our actions By making the will of God the rule of our actions I mean this when we are carefull to do nothing but what is agreable to the will of God and shun those things that are contrary to his will By making the will of God the ground of our actions I mean this when we do this or that because it is the will of God We find David in all that service he did for his Generation had respect to the will of God Act. 13.36 David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep The Apostle Paul in the exercise of his Calling and Ministerial work as he was an Apostle had respect to the will of God 2 Tim. 1 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God 2. Then we live unto the Lord when we do not live unto our selves and seek and carry on our own ends but seek the honour and pleasing and enjoying God 2 Cor. 5.15 He dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them They that live to the Lord do not in some one particular action seek the glory of God but they resolve by the help of Gods grace to shew forth his praise and seek his glory as long as they live Psal 146.2 VVhile I live I will praise the Lord I will sing praises unto my God while I have any Being 3. Then we live to the Lord when the great end why we desire life and the main design that we drive on in the whole course of our lives is to service for Christ in our Generation and to be fitted to live with Christ in Heaven This was the end the Apostle desired to live and the great design he drove on to do service for Christ Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ And the main thing the Psalmist had in his eye Psal 118.17 I shall not dye but live and declare the works of God And Learned VVhitaker upon his death-bed when he was told that Death was approaching replyed Vitam non expeto nisi ad promovendum honorem Dei ecclesiae inserviendum I do not desire life but for the promoting the glory of God and to be serviceable to his Church 4. Then we live and dye to the Lord when we are willing to be at the disposal of God for Life and Death both for the time manner and all other circumstances both of life and death When we are willing to live any kind of life that God shall call us to though it be a poor afflicted distressed life and when we are contented to dye such a death and at such a time as God shall call us to dye though it be a violent a painful a shameful death When a man is willing to lay down his life for Christ that is a good evidence that he liveth and dyeth to the Lord. Joh. 13.37 I will lay down my Life for thy sake Act. 24.13 I am ready not to be bound only but to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Doubts about a saving interest in Christ answered Having laid down several evidences of a saving interest in Christ I shall now resolve some doubts that hinder weaker Christians from being satisfied in their minds about their interest in Christ §. Imperfection in our obedience is consistent with a saving interst in Christ Obj. I hope Christ is mine and I am his but yet I have doubts and fears in this case because I come so short in my obedience to Christ May Christ be ours and yet the obedience that we yield be but imperfect obedience A. 1. Obeying Christ is a sure evidence of a saving interest in Christ for he is the Author not only of Temporal but Eternal Salvation not only to some but to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him 2. Though you come short in your obeying the Precepts of Christ yet can't you say you have sought his Precepts David concludes that he was the
paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies 5. The Lord hath wise and holy ends in the changes and desolations that he makes in the earth And the consideration of the Holiness and Wisdom of God in all his works may be a stay to our minds when he over-turns Kingdoms and Nations Psal 30.4 Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness Dan. 2.20.21 Blessed be the name of God for ever and for ever for wisdom and might are his and he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth Kings and he setteth up Kings 2. That special care which the Lord taketh of all his people at all times is a ground of great comfort in times of danger and Publick calamities The Lord taketh a special care of all his people at all times and this may quiet their minds and free them from perplexing fears and cares in times of greatest danger and distress 1 Pet 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you The persons to whom this Epistle was written were in great distress they were scattered abroad into several Countries Chap. 1.2 To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bythinia They were in heaviness through the manifold temptations they met with in their persecuted scattered condition ver 6. They were under great and sore afflictions not onely the hand but the mighty hand of God was upon them Ch. 5.6 yet in this scattered condition when they were in heaviness through manifold temptations when they were under the mighty hand of God the Apostle comforts them with this that they had a God that took care of them and therefore they needed not to perplex and disquiet their minds with any kind of cares but may cast them all upon God Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you That we may be the more comforted in time of danger by the care that the Lord taketh of us let us consider what manner of care it is wherewith the Lord careth for us 1. It is a special care which the Lord taketh of his people There is a common care which he taketh of all his creatures He feedeth the fowls of the Air he clotheth the grass of the field he satisfieth the desire of every living thing he preserveth man and beast But the care which God taketh of the children of men is far greater than what he takes of the beasts of the birds or any other creatures in this world The care that God hath of the sons of men so far exceeds his care of other creatures that it seems as no care compared with that care which he takes for mankind 1 Cor. 9.9 10. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn Doth God take care for oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written And as God takes care of men above all other creatures so he takes a more special care of his own people than he doth of all other men They are to him as the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 Het hat toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye They are his jewels Mal. 3.17 They shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him They are his peculiar treasure Exod. 19.5 Ye shall be unto me a peculiar treasure above all people for all the earth is mine They are his portion Deut. 32.9 The Lords portion is his people How careful are men of their portion their peculiar treasure their jewels the apple of their eye so and much more careful is the Lord of his people They are his children Gal. 3.26 And in times of danger men are very solicitous for their children The first question that David put to both those messengers that came with tydings from the battel was concerning the safety of his child Is the young man Absalom safe 2 Sam. 18.29 32. 2. It is a particular care The Lord doth not onely take care of his people in general but of every one of them in particular and of every thing that belongeth to them When God is destroying wicked men he taketh care for the preservation of every one of his people Psal 145.20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him but all the wicked will he destroy In times of greatest calamity when he breaks a kingdom in pieces and scatters the inhabitants thereof into all parts of the world he will take care of every one of the members of Christ even the least and meanest and most shiftless of all his servants Amos 9.9 For lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations like as corn is sifted in a sive yet shall not the least grain fall to the ground Say not in thy heart God hath so many to take care of he may forget me or I am such a mean creature he will not regard me For it is all one with God to take care of many as few and he takes care of the lowest as well as the highest Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet he hath respect unto the lowly There are a great company of Sparrows and they are birds of but small value yet not one of the Sparrows is forgotten of God Luk. 12.6.7 Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God Fear not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows In the 4th verse Christ saith to them Be not afraid of them that kill the body And gives two arguments to disswade them from fearing them that can only kill the body First that is the worst they can do after that they have no more that they can do And the other is they can't do this but by the permission of God for he that watcheth over every Sparrow doth much more watch over every man who is of more value than many Sparrows There are many devices to take away the lives of the Sparrows as Nets Snares Fowling-pieces c. besides the danger they are in by the greater birds who pray upon the lesser ones yet not one Sparrow is killed but by the providence of God Mat. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father Though we have many that lye in wait to take away our lives and the instruments of Death are prepared for us yet not one man woman or child shall fall to the ground and be cut off from the land of the living without our Heavenly Fathers appointment And as the Lord taketh a particular care of every Member of Christ so also of all the affairs and concernments of all the Members of Christ He sets the hedge of his providence not only about their persons but about all that
also come upon them to lay down their lives for Christ 2. The knowledge and belief of Gods infinite everlasting and unchangable love to us in Christ Jesus and of Christs love in laying down his Life for us will carry us chearfully through our greatest persecutions and make us to triumph over all manner of persecutions even at such a time as we are killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter As we may see it excellently set out Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Let us take notice in this Scripture of these things 1. The love of Christ and the love of God in Christ towards his people is so fixed so firm so unchangeable that no manner of troubles or persecutions no creature in Heaven or Earth is or shall be able to separate them from the love of Christ and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus that is which is grounded upon the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ 2. The apprehension and perswasion of Gods love to our Souls in Christ Jesus and the immutability of this love will help us to overcome and triumph over all manner of troubles and persecutions Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus In all these things that is all the forementioned tribulations and persecutions though we be flain by the Sword or are starved to Death by Famine we are conquerors yea more than conquerors and how not by our own strength but through him that loved us and how doth he give us the victory By giving us a firm perswasion of the unchangeable love of God in Christ For I am perswaded 3. Observe the time and season when the servants of Christ are made to triumph as conquerors over all their troubles and that is when it is noon day in respect of their persecutions when 't is the hottest time of persecution when they are not only deprived of their goods thrust into prisons but killed killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter And let us see what is implyed in these expressions 1. It is to be all the day long in hazard and danger of death When it is with us as it was with Hezekiah in his sickness Isa 38.13 So 't is with us in respect of our persecutors we reckon in the night they may come upon us before the morning and the morning may come before the night and rend and tear us in pieces or when 't is with us as it was with David Psal 119.109 My Soul is continually in my hand then we may be said to be killed all the day long 2. When we are put to a lingring death that it may be the more painfull that we are as it were all the day long in a dying condition this some persecutors endeavoured ut sentiant se mori then we may be said to be killed all the day long 3. When persecutors make no more of killing us than they do of killing sheep when the Saints are killed in abundance that it is a time of much blood-shed yea when they joy in the death of Gods Servants Isa 22.13 They are counted as Sheep for the slaughter Now the knowledge and belief of the love of Christ will help us to go through all persecutions chearfully several ways 1. As it leads to the filling our Souls with the graces and comforts of the Spirit of God Eph. 3.19 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God The more we are filled with the graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost the stronger we shall be to suffer for Christ for the joy of the Lord is our strength 2. As it draws out our love to Christ 1 Joh. 3.16 17. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us Herein is our love made perfect And the more we love Christ the stronger we shall be to suffer for Christ Cant. 8.6 7. Love is strong as death Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it 3. Get and keep a lively hope of eternal life and glory for this will be a wonderfull support to you in your greatest persecutions This caused our Lord Jesus to endure the pain and the shame of the Cross with much chearfulness Heb. 12.2 Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the Right hand of the Throne of God The having the joys of Heaven in his thoughts caused him to endure the pain and make light of the shame of the cross This caused the Apostles to glory and triumph in the midst of their troubles Rom. 5.2 3. And rejoyce in hope of the glory of God And not only so but we glory in Tribulations also The respect which Moses had to the recompence of reward in the other World carryed him with chearfulness through his great sufferings Heb. 11.24 25 26. The hope of Salvation is by the Apostles called an helmet 1 Thes 5.8 Putting on the breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an helmet the hope of Salvation The helmet preserves the head in safety as long as we keep on this helmet as long as we keep our hope of Salvation we are in a safe condition 4. If you would go chearfully through all your persecutions get and exercise the graces of Faith and Patience for they are of singular use in an evil day Rev. 13.7 10. And it was given to him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints When the beast maketh war with the Saints and overcomes them that is God permits him to kill and slay as Conquerors those that they have overcome then is a time when there is great need great use of Faith and Patience I shall speak distinctly to both these graces 1. Get and exercise Faith Faith is the most usefull most necessary piece of the Spiritual Armour in an evil day and therefore we are called upon above all to take the shield of Faith because thereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one Eph. 6.16 Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Fiery darts are
the most dangerous most destructive temptations and containeth both inward lusts whereby the heart is as it were set on fire and fiery tryals which are sharpest to the outward man now these are all quenched by the shield of Faith Let me shew you how you should use this shield how you should exercise your Faith when you meet with fiery tryals 1. Have Faith in Gods presence believe that God is and will be with you according to his promise when you pass through the fire and through the waters Isa 43.2 For Faith in Gods presence will carry us comfortably through our greatest tryals Act. 2.25.26 I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is at my right hand that I should not be moved therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad To confirm your Faith that you shall have Gods presence with you in your persecutions see such Scriptures as these 2 Cor. 4.9 Persecuted but not forsaken Jer. 20.11 Joh. 16.32 2 Tim. 4.17 18. 2. Have Faith in Gods assistance Believe that God according to his promise for Christs sake will help strengthen and uphold you Isa 41.10 The believing that we shall have Gods help will put great courage into our Souls Isa 50.7 For the Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed 3. Have Faith in that glorious and unspeakable recompence of reward which God will give you if you continue faithfull unto the death in a suffering day Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a crown of Life 2 Tim. 2.11 12. It is a faithfull saying If we suffer we shall also reign with him The believing and looking at our eternal glory which we shall have after we have suffered for Christ will keep us from fainting under the Cross 2 Cor. 4.16 18. For which cause we faint not while we look at the things which are not seen which are Eternal 2. As you should get and exercise Faith so you should exercise patience also For patience is a very usefull and necessary grace in times of persecution Heb. 10.32 36. Ye endured a great sight of afflictions ye have need of patience Luk. 21.12 19. They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prisons being brought before Kings and Rulers for my names sake In your patience possess ye your Souls If any say it is true Patience is needfull and usefull in a suffering day But how shall we attain to patience in times of great persecution A. 1. Consider the patience of our Lord Jesus Christ in all his sufferings that will learn us patience in all our distresses Heb. 12.1 2 3. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking to Jesus Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself least ye be wearied and faint in your minds The looking to Jesus and considering the dignity of his person the greatness of his sufferings and the patience with which he endured the pain and the shame of the Cross and the contradiction of sinners against himself will help us to run our race with Patience and keep us from being wearied and fainting in our minds An instance of the patience of Christ under his sufferings which all things considered were greater than the sufferings of any of the Martyrs We have Isa 53.7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth And as the example of Christ so also the example of the Prophets and other Saints and Servants of God may cause us to be patient under our persecutions It hath been the lot of the best men that ever lived even of the Prophets to be persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5.12 So persecuted they the Prophets Luk. 13.34 O Jerusalem Jerusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee Jam. 5.10 Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and patience 2. Consider the desert of sin They which suffer most in this Life suffer far less than their sins deserve How great were Jobs afflictions of all sorts yet they were less than his sins Job 11.6 Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth Ezra 9.14 compared with Lam. 1.12 No sorrows like what the Jews met with yet were they punished less than their sins deserved This should silence all complaints Lam. 3.39 Our sins have deserved the Torments of Hell Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death The second as well as the first death Shall we not patiently suffer any Torments in this Life for Righteousness sake seeing our sins have deserved the Torments of Hell for ever 5. The blood of Christ and the word of God and preferring the glory of God above our lives are great helps to a chearfull bearing and overcoming all persecutions When the Dragon makes war with the Saints we may see by what means they overcome him Rev. 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Here are 3 means by which they overcame the accuser of the brethren 1. By the blood of the Lamb that is by the blood of Christ who is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world Now the blood of Christ helps us to overcome 1. As it justifieth us and takes away all our guilt and reconciles us to God Rom. 5.9 10. Joh. 1.7 For when sin is pardoned there is comfort in the greatest sufferings Mat. 9.2 And when God is reconciled there is a Triumphing over all enemies Rom. 8.31 2. As it hath purchased for us victory over all the adversaries of our Salvation Col. 2.15 3. As it gives us solid grounds to hope with boldness to enter into Eternal Life Heb. 10.19 4. As he hath left us an example to suffer for him who suffered for us 1 Pet. 2.21 1 Pet. 4.1 2. By the word of their Testimony that is the word of God which they had owned professed gave Testimony unto in the worst of times Now the word helps us to overcome 1. As it comforts us in all our conflicts Psal 119.49 50 94 161 162. 2. As it reveals and promiseth glorious rewards to them that overcome Rev. Ch. 2. Ch. 3. Ch. 21.7 CHAP. III. An Exhortation to such as are in a Christless condition to seek after an interest in Christ Directions Motives and Helps in order to the getting an Interest in Christ Hinderances removed SEeing it is thus that an interest in Christ is a ground of strong Consolation under
all the troubles of this Life and the terrors of Death then let all those that are yet in a Christless condition seek after an interest in Christ and those that are in doubt whether they have an interest in Christ make sure work in this thing that they get Christ for theirs and that they become his What Solomon saith of Wisdom Prov. 4.7 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy gettings get Vnderstanding That may I say concerning Jesus Christ who is stiled the Wisdom of God Christ is the principal thing therefore get Christ yea with all thy gettings get an interest in Jesus Christ The main the principal thing that we have to seek after that we should employ our thoughts and our time in is not how we should get the World the Riches or Honours of the World but how we should get Christ and the Salvation of our Souls by Christ and therefore we should be more sollicitous to get Christ than we are to get any thing in this World we are all desirous of comfort while we live in an evil and troublesome World and we are desirous of comfort when we dye why then are we so cold and remiss and in seeking after Christ The ready way yea the only way to live and dye comfortably is to get an interest in Christ the Consolation of Israel For true and solid comfort is to be had only in and through Christ To render this Exhortation more effectual I shall 1. Shew you how and in what manner you should seek to get your Souls made pertakers of Christ 2. Lay down some motives to stir you to a speedy diligent constant seeking after Christ 3. Propose some means and helps to your obtaining a saving interest in Christ 4. Remove several hinderances of our getting an interest in Christ Sect. 1. How and in what manner we are to seek after an interest in Christ I. Seek early and speedily after an interest in Christ Put not off this work one day Heb. 3.7 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice It is the counsel of the Holy Ghost that we should not defer seeking embracing obeying Christ one day Hear his voice That is come to him believe in him obey him close with him When we are in distress we would have Christ make hast to help us Psal 70.5 I am poor and needy make hast unto me O God O Lord make no tarrying And shall not we make hast to get unto him and make no tarrying We should stir up our selves to seek early after Christ Psal 58.8 Awake up my glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early David here stirs up himself to an early and lively blessing God so should we to an early seeking Christ Awake O my Soul and all that is within me I my self will awake early and seek early after Christ and we should stir up one another Zech. 8.21 To stir us up to an early and speedy seeking Christ Consider 1. The saving and losing of our immortal Souls dependeth on our having or not having Christ He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life And where natural Life is concerned we make hast to preserve it When Lot was in danger of being consumed in the flames of Sodom he ran he fled he made no tarrying any where till he was got to Zoar. Gen. 19.17 Escape for thy life look not behind thee neither stay thou in all the plain escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed Eternal Life is of greater concernment than natural Life and therefore more care should be taken to preserve Eternal than Temporal Life we shall be cast into Hell flames if we get not Christ before we dye and therefore we had need run ye flee and not tarry any where till we are got to Christ When the Shunamite went to the Prophet on the behalf of her dead Child she made great hast to get to him and said to her serve on 2 King 4.24 Drive and go forward slack not thy pace riding for me except I bid thee Thou hast a business of greater concernment to go to Christ about than this woman had to go to the Prophet she had a dead Son and thou hast a Soul dead in sins and trespasses and therefore make hast go forward slack not thy pace till thou hast gotten to Christ and Christ hath given thee Life 2. The time of Life is the only time for seeking and getting Christ and Salvation by Christ There is no getting Christ no working out thy Salvation after thou art dead Eccl. 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest And therefore as the Nobleman said to Christ Joh 4.49 Sir come down e're my child dye So should we say to God Lord give us Christ e're we dye The time of Life being the only time for getting an interest in Christ we had not need defer this work no not so much as one day Jam. 4.14 Ye know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your Life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away The stoutest and strongest men are but grass Isa 40.5 All flesh is grass And what is the condition of the grass it is fresh in the morning cut down and withered before night Psal 90.6 In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up in the evening it is cut down and withered The grass is growing in the field one day and burning in the oven the next day Mat. 6.30 The grass to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven Such is the condition of all flesh like grass A man may be in good health in a flourishing condition in the morning and be dead and withered in the evening He may be full of mirth and jollity one day and be burning in Hell the next Therefore defer not the seeking after Christ and your Souls Salvation one day 3. Such as seek Christ early have a promise that they shall find him Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and shose that seek me early shall find me A promise that we shall find Christ is great encouragement yea good assurance that our labour shall not be in vain who would not seek a bag of Gold if he were sure he should find it We have a sure word of promise that if we seek Christ early we shall find him And to find Christ is better than to find an house full of Gold better than to find all the Silver and Gold in the world 4. Seeking after Christ and Salvation by Christ is work that the great God who is King of Kings hath given us to do And as David said in another case 1 Sam. 21.8 The Kings business required hast So may I say here This business being the Kings business it
To such as are ready to give over seeking after Christ I shall give these two encouragements to continue seeking after Christ 1. If you continue seeking after Christ and do seek him with our whole hearts we shall assuredly enjoy him 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee Believe this promise of God that if thou dost seek him he will be found of thee and go on in the strength of this promise to seek in hope that thou shalt find the Lord. Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord By knowing here is meant such a knowledge as is accompanied with the enjoyment of God as the following words imply He will come unto us Jer. 29.13 And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. It will not be long before you find Christ if you go on to seek him Though you do not find him for the present yet you shall find him in a little while in his own due time Cant. 3 1 4. By night on my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth and I found him not It was but a little and I found him whom my Soul loveth Isa 54.7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee § Motives to get a saving interest in Christ Most persons that live under the Gospel make light of Christ and neglect that great Salvation which he hath purchased with his blood and prefer their worldly concernments before seeking after Christ Mat. 22.5 They made light of it and went their way one to his farm another to his Merchandize Our Lord Jesus Christ offers Salvation to lost sinners he doth as it were stretch out his hands to them and offer them his help to save their Souls but scarce any man regards the offers of grace and mercy that he makes to them Prov. 1.24 I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded This stretching forth the hand implyeth the offers of Salvation that Christ maketh in the Gospel to perishing Sinners When Peter was in a boysterous Sea and was afraid of being drowned and began to sink he cryed out to Christ Lord save me And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him Mat. 14.30 31. Christless sinners are in a more dangerous condition than Peter was they are ready to sink down into Hell sentence is passed upon them by the great God The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 And Christ stretcheth forth his hand and offers to save them but most men are so stupified in their sins and so busied in this present world that they regard not the offers of Salvation made to them by Jesus Christ And therefore there is need of motives to stir men up to seek after an interest in Christ and to embrace that Salvation which is offered to them by Jesus Christ 1. Motive The excellency of Christ should stir us up to get an interest in him For we covet things that are excellent and there is nothing so excellent as Jesus Christ All the excellent things in the world are but loss and dross and dung compared with Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Silver and Gold Jewels and Precious Stones and whatever a man can desire are not worthy to be compared with Christ Prov. 8.11 For Wisdom is better than Rubies and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it And as Christ is more excellent than all things so than all persons in the world The wisest the holyest the best the greatest men that ever lived are not worthy to be compared with Christ Cant. 5.10 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten Thousand White and Red well mixed make a beautiful countenance white may signifie the holiness of his Life ruddy his bloody passion His holy life and his bloody death render him amiable to his people If Ten Thousand of the most excellent persons that ever lived were set by Christ he would be the chiefest of them all Among all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings of the Earth there are none to be compared to our Lord Jesus Christ Psal 89.6 Who in Heaven can be compared unto the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord. There are all the excellencies of the Godhead in our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And the excellencies that are in the Godhead are unspeakable and unconceivable Seeing then there is a greater excellency in Christ than in all the whole world we should labour more to get Christ than we did to get any thing in this world 2. Get Christ for yours and you shall get unsearchable Riches For there are unsearchable Riches in Christ Eph. 3.8 That I should preach among you the unsearchable Riches of Christ The Apostle had studied preached and enjoyed Christ many years and yet could not express or understand all the Riches that were treasured up in Christ but calls his Riches unsearchable Riches By these Riches of Christ which he calls unsearchable understand those benefits we have by Christ As Vatablus and others immensa Christi benefitia the incomprehensible benefits of Christ And though we can't search out all the Riches that are in Christ and that we have by Christ though we cannot fully comprehend in this life all the benefits we have by Christ I will briefly instance in some of these unspeakable benefits which we shall get if we get an interest in Christ 1. Get Christ and you shall get into the love and favour of God Prov. 8.35 Whoso findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. And the favour of God is an unspeakable blessing better than all things in this world For a man prefers his Life above all that he hath in the world Job 2.4 All that a man hath he will give for his Life But the favour of God is better than a mans Life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than Life 2. Get Christ and you shall get the pardon of all your sins Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his grace Though we be guilty of Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of sins if we get Christ for ours his Blood will cleanse us from them all 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. Get Christ and you shall get an interest in all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen And it is by and through Christ that we are pertakers of the promises Eph. 3.6 That the Gentiles should
as were teachers of that Church and amongst these were some that had not their knowledge that they were poor miserable wretched and naked but thought themselves in a good estate to be rich increased in goods and to want nothing We see the deceit of a mans heart how he may be blinded how he may delude and flatter himself in thinking he needeth nothing when he wanteth all things If any say How may we get a sight and sence of our sinfull and miserable estate out of Christ A. 1. Hear and apply to your selves what the Scripture saith concerning the sinfulness of a mans heart and life as long as he remaineth in a Christless condition Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it The heart is not only wicked but desperately wicked so desperately wicked that it is above our understandings to know or conceive all that wickedness that is in our hearts The heart is as full of evil as it can hold yea of the worst sorts of sins that if God should let a man alone he would carry himself like a mad man regarding neither the Laws of God nor men Eccl. 9 3. The heart of the Sons of men is full of evil yea madness is in their hearts while they live and after that they go to the dead What worse sin then enmity against God and his holy Laws and Commandments yet this enmity against God is in the hearts of all men till God circumciseth our hearts to love and obey him Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be The heart is so vile and sinfull that it is continually sinning against God either by evil desires or evil thoughts and imaginations Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil and that continually It is enough to amaze a man when he heareth what God who knoweth the sinfulness of our hearts better than we our selves saith of the sinfulness of our hearts we may wonder that he lets us live upon the earth and doth not send us down to the Devils in Hell Oh what need have we of Christ to mediate for us and take away our sins Besides the sinfulness of our hearts let us hear what the Scripture saith of the sinfulness of our lives and conversations While a man remains in a Christless condition every thing that a man doth is defiled with sin Hag. 2.13 14. If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these shall it be unclean and the Priest answered and said it shall be unclean Then answered Haggai and said so is this people and so is this nation before me saith the Lord and so is every work of their hands and that which they offer there is unclean An unclean sinner defileth every thing he hath to do with every work of his hands is unclean and that which he offers to God is unclean Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sin The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only all men but all things of all men all their thoughts words and actions all are concluded under sin that is God in the holy Scriptures declareth all men and all things of all men before they come to Christ to be sinful Tit. 1.15 Vnto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their Mind and Conscience is defiled If one sin cast Adam out of Paradise if one sin cast the Angels out of Heaven and of Angels made them Divels what a woful condition are they in that have done nothing else since they were born and can do nothing else but sin against God When we consider our sinful and polluted estate we may set down and bemoan our selves and say as Job Behold I am vile Job 40.4 And to loath and abhor our selves in our own sight and in the sight of the Lord. 2. Hear and apply to thy self what the Scripture saith concerning the misery of all those that are in a Christless condition As 1. They are under the wrath and curse of God Eph. 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath even as others All men by nature one as well as another are the children of wrath And as long as they abide in a natural unbelieving Christless condition they abide under the wrath of God Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth on him Now this is a most dreadful condition to be under the wrath of God The wrath of an earthly King is as a messenger of death Prov. 16.14 And a messenger of death will set a man weeping sorely Isa 38.1 2. Hezekiah wept sore when Isaiah came with a message of death to him It is like the roaring of a Lion Prov. 19.12 And when the Lion roars all the beasts of the Forrests tremble Amos 3.8 The Lion hath roared who will not fear If the wrath of an earthly King be so dreadfull how dreadfull is the wrath of the great God who is King of Kings Gods anger is unconceivable we cannot understand the power and dreadfull effects of his wrath Psal 90.11 And it is intolerable Nah. 1.6 Who can stand before his indignation 2. They are under a sentence of eternal condemnation Rom. 5.18 By the offence of one man judgment came upon all men to condemnation And this sentence of condemnation abideth upon a man as long as he abideth in unbelief Joh. 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already Now eternal condemnation is far more dreadfull than any troubles that any man ever met with in this world Job 10.1 2. When Job was in great bitterness of Spirit and was weary of his Life he dreaded condemnation more than all his sorrows I am weary of my Life I will speak in the bitterness of my Soul I will say unto God do not condemn me The thoughts and apprehensions of eternal misery make the hardest hearted sinners in the world to fear and tremble Of all sinners such as live under and resist the means of grace are the hardest hearted sinners and such as make a profession of Religion and are but Hypocrites have very hard hearts and seared Consciences yet the sinners in Zion and the hypocrites tremble at the thoughts of everlasting burnings Isa 33.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfullness hath surprized the hypocrites who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings 2. Understand and believe that there is Salvation from your sin and misery to be had in Jesus Christ and by no other way or means whatever but by Christ There is Salvation to be had in Christ for sinfull lost undone creatures yea even for the chiefest and most miserable sinners in the whole world 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy
all that he hath and let the Stranger spoil his labour Job was the Richest man in all the East and yet had all his estate taken from him in one day And can't God do the like by us Now it is better to suffer the loss of all we have for Christ than to suffer loss by Gods judgments for there is no reward of such losses And as God can take our estates when he pleaseth so he can curse them to us if we refuse to part with them for Christ He can make our Table to become our Snare Rom. 11.9 And our Riches prove hurtfull to us Eccles 5.13 And prosperity to be our ruine Prov. 1.32 And we had better suffer the loss of our Estates than to have them cursed to us 4. Death will take away all that we have from us 1 Tim. 6.7 For we brought nothing into this World and it is certain we can carry nothing out And why shall we not part with all for Christ when we must part with all we have at Death what we part with for Christ shall be recompenced to us an hundred fold in this Life besides Life Everlasting in the other VVorld But we have no reward for what Death takes from us But here may be 2 pleas why men would rather part with all at Death than part with all they have for Christ 1. VVe shall have no need of these things when we dye and therefore we are willing to part with them when we dye but we shall have need of them while we live and therefore we can't tell how to part with them for Christ A. 1. If you part with all that you have in this VVorld you do not part with the providential care and the promise of God You have a Father in Heaven that knoweth all your wants Mat. 6.32 Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things And as he knoweth all your needs so he hath promised to supply them all Phil. 4.19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in Glory by Jesus Christ 2. It argues little love to Christ if we will part with nothing for Christ but what is useless and superfluous what we shall have no more need of we will do as much and more then this for one another But some may reply again What Death takes from us it leaves to our Children but what we part with for Christ is gone from us and from our Children for ever and therefore we can better part with all we have to Death than to Christ I answer 1. We may design our Estates for our Children when we die but we can't tell whither they shall enjoy them We know not how the providence of God will dispose of what we leave behind us when we are gone out of the World Luk. 12.20 God said unto him thou fool this night thy Soul shall be required of thee Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided 2. Suppose all we have should be taken from us and our Children we must prefer Christ above our selves and love Christ more than Son or Daughter or else we are not worthy of him Mat. 10.37 3. Sufferers for Christ that part with all they have for Christ leave their Children a better Inheritance than Houses or Lands they leave them the blessing of God God blesseth the Children of righteous men for what they part with to the poor Ps 37.26 He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed How much more will he bless our seed and return to them what we part with for Christ 5. If we do suffer the loss of all things for Christ it is no more than what others and they better than we are have done before us Matth. 19.27 Peter said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore Phil. 3.8 For whom I have suffered the loss of all things 6 If we should suffer the loss of all things for Christ we may live as well as holily as chearfully as comfortably as we did when we had all those things that we have parted with for Christ When the Apostle Paul had suffered the loss of all things he was as contented as cheerful as if he had possessed all the word 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet always rejoycing as having nothing and yet possessing all things Neither the preservation nor the comfort of a mans life lyeth in the abundance of those things which he doth enjoy but in the providence and promise of God Luk. 12.15 A mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth When David was persecuted by Saul and forced to flee into the Wilderness and hide himself in the Dens and Caves of the Earth and had nothing to live upon but the providence and the promise of God he found as great comfort in Gods promises as if he had enjoyed great riches Psal 119.161 162. Princes have persecuted me without a cause I rejoyce in thy word as one that findeth great spoyl They that have suffered the loss of all things have Gods providence and his promise for their security of providing them a livelihood Ps 111.5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant It is God's Covenant to give meat that is all things needful for the bodies of his people as well as grace for their Souls Isa 33.16 He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him and his waters shall be sure And what better security can we desire for a livelihood than the providence and promise of God How sweetly do the Birds sing yet they have no barns they know not one hour where they shall have provision the next Matth. 6.26 They have nothing but what the providence of God giveth them Ps 104.28 That thou givest them they gather thou openest thy hand they are filled with good And may not a Christian who hath a more excellent Spirit than the Birds be as cheerful as the Birds though he knoweth not one day where he shall have provision the next though he hath nothing to live on but the promise and providence of God 2. Though we should suffer the loss of all things yet we may live cheerfully because we have a rich God for our Father who hath promised never to leave nor forsake us Heb. 13.5 and that he wil supply all our need according to his riches in glory Phil. 4.19 Though a Child hath nothing yet if he hath a rich Father that hath promised to take the care of him and to supply all his needs so as he shall lack nothing he rests satisfied in his Fathers provision The Lord is a rich God Ps 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Ps 50.10 11. Every beast of the Forrest is mine and the Cattle upon a thousand hills I know
some time vve must never expect to have any comfort of our Lives after vve have refused to die for Christ 3. If we refuse to lay down our lives for Christ he can make our lives such a burden to us that we shall count it a great mercy to be rid of them The Lord can lay such troubles upon us that we shall be burdens to our selves and long exceedingly to be in our Graves Job speaks of some men that are in such misery that they seek for Death as for hid Treasures and rejoyce exceedingly when God will take away their lives Job 3.20 21 22. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in Soul which long for Death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can find a grave Yea it was Job's own condition to be a burden to himself Job 7.20 Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so as I am a burden to my self He vvas in so much misery that he prayed earnestly to God that he might die Job 6.8 9. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let lose his hand and cut me off He vvas in such distress that Life vvas loathsome to him and if it had been lavvful he would have strangled himself Job 7.15 16. My Soul chooseth strangling and death rather than life I loath it I would not live alway And vvho can tell but God may lay as heavy affliction upon us if vve refuse to die for Christ as he did to his Servant Job who was an upright man that feared God and eschewed evil Who can tell but God may deal with us as he did with Pashur Jer. 20.4 I will make thee a terrour to thy self and to all thy Friends Now is it not better to die for Christ than to live in such misery as to be a burden to our selves and to be a terrour to our selves and all our Frinds 4. If we will not lose our lives for Christ we shall lose that which is the life of our lives yea that which is better than life What is that which is the life of our lives and which is better than our lives I answer The love and favour of God Ps 30.5 In his favour is life Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life Now if we draw back from Christ in a suffering day because we are not willing to lay down our lives for him we shall lose the love and favour of God Rebeccah was so concerned for Jacob that if he miscarried in his match she thought she should be weary of her life and her life would do her no good Gen. 27.46 I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a Wife of the Daughters of Heth such as these which are the Daughters of the Land what good shall my life do me If the miscarriage of a Child in a match will make us weary of our lives what will the loss of the love and favour of God which is the fountain of all mercies May not such say I am weary of my life what good will my life do me seeing God hath taken away his loving kindness from me 5. Our Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life forus 1 John 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us His Enemies could not have taken his life from him if he had not been willing of himself to lay it down and his laying down his life was upon our account and for our sakes Joh. 10.15 18. I lay down my life for the sheep No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self And what the Israelites said of David 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us The same may be said of Christ he is worth ten thousand of us yea more worth than all the men that ever lived more worth than all the Angels of Heaven yet he laid down his life for us And shall we that are his Servants poor worms stick at the laying down our lives for him 6. It is a blessed thing to dye for Christ Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. The dead which die in the Lord and which die for the Lord are in a most blessed condition There is a peculiar honour promised to those that suffer Martyrdom for Christ Rev. 20.4 It may be some will say I could be willing to dye for Christ so I might dye an easy death but I can't tell how to endure such tortures and pains as some have met with for Christ I can't tell how to undergo burning at a Stake or how to bear tormenting pains A. It is true that tormenting pains are hard to be born yet we must be willing to undergo any kind of tortures for Christ not only to dye but to submit to the most painfull death if God shall call us to it and to perswade us to be willing to undergo torments for Christ Let us consider 1. Our Lord Jesus did not only dye for us but he suffered a most painfull shamefull accursed Death of the Cross for us Phil. 2.8 He humbled himself and became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross What Death is more painfull than the Death of the Cross Our Lord Jesus was in such extremity of pain when he hung upon the Cross that he was like a man that had all his Bones out of joynt his heart melted like wax that is brought to the fire his strength and the moisture of his body was dryed up like a Potsheard his tongue cleaved to his Jaws as we may see Psal 22.14 15. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels My strength is dryed up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaveth unto my jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of death That this relates to Christs sufferings on the Cross is evident from the last clause his bones were out of joynt his heart melted like wax c. when when he was upon the Cross Thou hast brought me into the dust of Death And from several other passages in the Psalm which relate to Christs sufferings on the Cross As ver 1.7 8 16 17. And besides that anguish which our Lord Jesus felt upon the Cross when he was in the Garden he was in such an agony as made him sweat drops of blood Luk. 22.24 Now seeing our Lord Jesus Christ endured such torments and pains for us seeing he suffered the painfull shamefull accursed Death of the Cross for us Shall not we be willing to suffer any shamefull or painfull Death for him Seeing he bore the wrath of God for us shall not we be willing to bear the
wrath of our Persecutors for his sake 2. If we refuse a painfull and tormenting Death for Christ God can inflict worse pains upon us for our sins than men can inflict upon us for our fidelity to Christ For 1. God can send racking and tormenting pains into our bones and bodies that shall be more grievous to us than any men can lay upon us Rev. 16 10 11. They gnawed their Tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores These are worse pains then the pains of Martyrs for they have gone singing to the Stake and have glorified God in the fires but these sinners selt such anguish as made them gnaw their own Tongues and to blaspheme the God of Heaven We find greater disquietness in David through the pains he felt in his sickness than many of the Martyrs expressed in the Flames Psal 38.6 8. I go mourning all the day long I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart 2. God can wound our Spirits and the pains of the Soul when that is wounded are far greater then all the pains that can come upon the body Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of a man will sustein his infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear When God inflicts his terrours upon the Soul they are so insupportable that many times they cause men to fall into destruction Psal 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted 3. If for fear of being tormented we forsake or deny Christ God can inflict on us the torments of Hell And all the torments that man can inflict are but Flea-bites compared to the torments of Hell We should fear offending God who hath power to cast us into Hell more than we should fear all the men of the World For the worst that they can do is to kill the body and after that is done they can do us no further hurt Luk. 12.4 5. And I say unto you my Friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him 3. We are willing to endure great pain for the preservation of our Temporal Life We are willing to let the Chirurgeon cut and lanch our Flesh yea to cut Legs and Arms or other Members when the whole body is in danger to perish And shall we be unwilling to go through a painfull Death for the obtaining Eternal Life Though the pains of Martyrdom are sharp yet they are but short and the joy that follows those short pains is Eternal and unspeakable What are a few Minutes of pain to an Eternity of Joy and Glory 4. The more torture and pain we endure for Christ here the greater glory we shall have in Heaven for ever hereafter Heb. 11.35 Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection The more we are tortured the more glorious shall we be at the Resurrection for we shall have a full recompence for all our sufferings as well as our services 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 5. They that have been far better than me even such as the World hath been unworthy of them have gone through great torments for Christ Heb. 11.37 38. They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandered about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the World was not worthy How many Martyrs in all ages men of eminent piety have laid down their lives for Christ and endured all kind of torments cheerfully And why shall we then think much to endure a painfull and tormenting Death for Christ 6. The Lord will uphold us by his Divine power under all the pains and torments that we shall undergo for Christ If we were to go alone through fiery tryals we might be afraid lest we should sink and not be able to bear them But seeing God will be with us and strengthen and uphold us when we are to pass through fiery Tryals this may dispel all our fears and make us go willingly through any sufferings for Christ Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the Right-hand of my Righteousness Isa 43.1 2. Fear not thou art mine when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the Fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee God will proportion our strength to our troubles and when we meet with days of great trouble he will give in great strength Deut. 33.25 And as thy days so shall thy strength he And that weaker Christians may not be dismayed when they see great troubles coming he hath engaged his faithfullness that he will not suffer them to be tryed above their strength 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 3d. Hinderance of a saving in Christ is unwillingness to leave our sins either from the delight we have in them or some profit we have by them The hearts of Unregenerate men cleave fast to their sins and are exceeding unwilling to part with them Jer. 8.5 They hold fast Deceit they refuse to return Let me shew some instances of this how men love and cleave to their sins and how unwilling they are to part with them 1. Many men love their sins as they love their lives they will as soon part with their lives as part with their sins Ezek. 7.13 Neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his Life It is rendered in the Margent whose Life is in his iniquity That is who love their iniquities as they love their lives yea they love their sins above their lives for though God tell them if they live after the flesh they shall dye but if through the Spirit they mortifie the deeds of the body they shall live yet they choose to go on in their sins and dye rather than to turn and live 2. Many men do so cleave to their sins that no commands no threatnings no promises of God will prevail with men to leave their sins The Lord sent often by his Prophets to the Jews to command them to turn from their sins yet they would not leave their evil ways Jer. 25.4 5 7. The Lord hath sent unto you all his Servants the Prophets They said turn ye again every one from his evil way and
to the observation of the Commandments of God All these things have I kept from my youth up Yet this young man had one thing that lay nearer his heart than Christ and that was the love of the world Mark 10.21 One thing thou lackest go sell whatsoever thou hast And when Christ put him on the Tryal he chose rather to part with Christ than with his possession though it was some grief to him to part with Christ yet he went away from him rather than he would part with his possessions Matth. 19.22 When the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions 3. There is no person nothing in the whole world that deserves so much of our love as Christ It is most equitable and reasonable that we should love Christ above our dearest Relations above all things and persons whatsoever On several accounts I will name two or three 1. None ever shewed such love to us as Christ hath done The love of Father and Mother and the dearest Friends we have in all the world is short of the love of Christ The The greatest love that man can shew is to die for his Friend John 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his Friends This love Christ hath shewn to us he layd down his life for us yea greater than this for he did not lay his Life for us when we were Friends but when we were Enemies Rom. 5.10 When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son All earthly similitudes as the love of an Huband to his Wife the love of Parents to their Children the love of a man to his Friend are too short to set out Christ's love to us and therefore he fetcheth a comparison from Heaven and likens his love to us as his Fathers love to him Joh. 15.9 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you As Christ's love is greater to us than the love of any man in the world so it is of longer continuance Our Parents love was not towards us till we had our beings and ceaseth when we go to our Grave for though there be grief and sorrow for a season at our Death yet in process of time dead men are forgotten both by them that loved and hated and envied them Eccl. 9.5 6. The memory of them is forgotten Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished But Christ's love to us is Everlasting It was towards us before we had our beings even from Everlasting and will be towards us when we shall cease to be in this world even unto Everlasting Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love Now Christ having loved us more than any man ever loved us it is but reason that we should love him above all 2. Jesus Christ is more amiable than any other persons or things in the World He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 This can't be said of any Creatures since the fall of man that they are altogether lovely for there is something of unloveliness in them Whatsoever there is in any Creatures that may attract our love it is eminently and transcendently in Christ As for Instance Is our love drawn by others love to us Love will beget love in all sorts of men Luk. 6.32 Sinners love those that love them Never any man shewed such love to us as Christ hath done as proved before Doth beauty draw our love it is said of Christ Thou art fairer than the Children of men Ps 45.2 There are all excellencies and perfections to be found in Christ Is our love drawn by beneficence and bounty Thus doth great things with most men Prov. 19.5 Every man is a Friend to him that giveth gifts None ever gave us such gifts as Christ hath given to us none hath been so bountiful and beneficial to us as Christ Jesus Is it propriety that ingageth our affections A man loveth his own Children above other Children and his own things above other things John 15.19 The World loves his own There is nothing so much our own in this VVorld as Christ is if we be true Christians He is our own Lord and our own Master he hath given himself for us and given himself to us He is ours by an Everlasting Covenant we are united to him he is our Head and we are Members of his body and he dwelleth in us by his Spirit And we are more his than we are our own or any other mans He made us and he redeemed us and bought us with a price and hath betrothed us to himself 3. We are under greater Obligations and Ingagements to love Christ than we are to love our Parents or any other Relations or dearest Friends in the world For none ever did or suffered such great things for us of Christ hath done He hath reconciled us to God He hath obtained for us the pardon of all our sins he hath saved us from the torments as Hell he hath purchased an Everlasting for our Inheritance in the other VVorld he hath made us Kings and Priests to our God He appeareth in the presence of God for us and is continually making intercession for us The benefits we have by Christ are innumerable It is said of David 1 Sam. 18.16 All Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them Christ the Son of David doth more than this for us he sticks closer to us than David did to Israel he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee How ought we then to love Christ for this and not only for this but all the benefits we have by him which are far greater than we have by any man in the the World 4. It is most equitable and reasonable that we should in all things give Christ the preheminence and prefer him above and before all things in the world and that on these accounts 1. It is the will and good pleasure of God the Father that his Son Jesus Christ should be preferred by us above all things in the world and therefore he hath made him head of the Church Col. 1.18 And he is the head of the Body the Church that in all things he might have the preeminence 2. Jesus Christ is better than all things and therefore to be preferred above and before them Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist He is above all the Angels of Heaven who are his Servants and worship and adore him 1 Pet. 3.22 Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him He is better than all things in the VVorld All that is in the world is but dross and dung compared with Christ Phil. 3.8 And therfore we may say with David Ps 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is
him to have his Righteousness imputed to them Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God That resting on our own Righteousness or hoping to attain Righteousness and Life from the works of the law is an hinderance to our being made partakers of Christ We may see from Rom. 7 4. Ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him that is raised from the dead By being dead to the law we may understand dead to it as it is a Covenant of life not as a rule of life dead to the law in reference to our hope and expectation of life from the works of the law but not dead to the law in reference to our obedience and conformity to the law And this being dead to the law as a Covenant of life preceedeth our being Married to Christ Such as are Married to the law and expect Righteousness and Life from the law they are not Married to Christ Now we are said to be dead to the law by the Body of Christ that is by that death which he suffered for us in his Body Both as his Death hath purchased for us deliverance from the First Covenant and the establishment of a new Covenant and also it plainly declares that Righteousness is not possible to be had from the law for then he needed not to have dyed to have brought in another way of Righteousness Gal. 2.21 If Righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain If any say how may we be taken off from resting in the law from hoping to attain Righteousness and Life by our own works done in obedience and conformity to the law of God and be brought to see an absolute necessity of going to Christ for Righteousness and Life A. 1. Let us see and consider that it is utterly impossible for any man in this fallen estate to attain unto that perfection of Righteousness and Obedience to the law of God as to be justified and saved thereby Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Gal. 3.11 12. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by Faith and the law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them That no man can attain such a Righteousness from his observing the law as shall justifie and save him Is evident these ways 1. The law requireth personal perfect constant obedience in all things else it pronounceth a curse against us Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them Now no man since the fall of Adam Christ only excepted ever did or could continue in all things required in the law without transgressing any command thereof at any time Joh. 7.19 Did not Moses give you the law yet none of you keepeth the law And least any should say Christ meaneth the carnal Jews only when he saith none of you keepeth the law We may see from other Scriptures that the holyest men upon earth cannot keep the law of God without transgressing against it at any time Eccl. 7.20 For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not 1 King 8.36 There is no man that sinneth not 2. If any man could have obtained Righteousness and Life by the law then there had been no need of Christs laying down his life for us Gal. 2.21 If Righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain And such as go about to seek for Justification by the works of the law do make Christs obedience and his suffering death to be useless Gal. 5.4 Christ is become of no effect to you whosoever of you are justified by the law ye are fallen from grace 3. God hath made a new Covenant to give us Life and Righteousness through believing in his Son Joh. 3.16 Rom. 3.21 22. And there had been no need of a new Covenant of a new way to obtain Righteousness and Life if Righteousness and Life could have been obtained by the law For if it had been possible for fallen man to have had Righteousness and Life by the law fallen man should have been saved by a Covenant of works as well as Adam in innocency Gal 3.21 Is the law then against the promises of God God forbid for if there had been a law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the law 4. None that ever sought after Righteousness and Life by the works of the law have been able to attain thereunto Rom. 9.31 32. 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 It may be some will think the reason why Israel could not attain to the Righteousness of the law was because they were not zealous followers after Righteousness but were cold and luke-warm but that is a mistake for many of them were zealous in observing the law Act. 22.3 I was zealous towards God as ye all are this day Act. 21.20 Or it may be some will think that the reason why they could not attain to Righteousness though they followed after it was because they rested in an External Righteousness and did not seek after Internal Righteousness the Righteousness of the heart but this was not the cause for though many of them did rest in External Righteousness yet others of them did look after an Internal Righteousness they knew that God called for the heart Prov. 22.26 When they fasted they did not only afflict their bodies but their Souls also for their sins Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted wherefore have we afflicted our Soul They were sollicitous to have the sins of their Souls pardoned as well as their sinfull actions Mich. 6.6 7. Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord Shall I give my first born for my Transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my Soul But the true reason why Israel that followed after Righteousness could not attain unto Righteousness was because they sought not after that Righteousness which is by Faith but sought it by the works of the law Rom. 9.31 32. 2. We mistake God's end in giving the law when we seek for Righteousness and Life by the works of the law For the law was not given us to be a Covenant of life that is for this end that we should expect Righteousness and Life by the works of the law As appears 1. Because God had setled another way of justifying and saving sinners namely by Faith in Christ long before the giving of the law and did confirm this way Salvation through Faith in Christ by an Everlasting Covenant made