Stars in the night season communicate the fulnesse of the Sunne to the aire and inhabitants of the earth the Ministers as Starres in the right hand of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse communicate to the soules of men the fulnesse of Christ Jesus in the night of this world we are all strangers to Christ Jesus without the Lords Ministers Christ is hidden from that people which enjoy not the ministery of the Gospell Gods Ministers by their labours communicate the knowledge of Christ as the Embassador communicates the knowledge of the King and of his mind God saith the Apostle who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined into our hearts to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus God is knowne in and through Christ as a man is knowne in and by his face We know an earthly Father in the face of his Sonne begotten by him we know God as a father of mercies only and through the face of Christ Jesus we see the face of man in a glasse in the Gospell in the labours of Gods Ministers we behold as in a glasse the face of Christ Jesus Christ is a storehouse in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome The Ministers have the ministeriall key of knowledge to open Christ unto the people Christ is a living fountaine a well of salvation a well sealed and shut up in the Scriptures Jacob rowled away the stone from the mouth of the well and gave Labans flocke water to drinke the Minister rowles away the stone removes the obscurity of the Scripture opens and interprets it and makes the people drinke of Christ the true and everliving fountaine the Ministers communicate the faith of Christ as Gods instruments the worke of faith in men the man of God by his prayer restored Jeroboams withered hand the Minister by his preaching and prayer restores the hand of faith in the heart of man formerly withered dryed up and of no use Faith commeth by hearing Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye beleeved even as the Lord gave to every man The Ministers communicate the life of Christ to men Christ by his corporall voice called Lazarus out of his grave by his Evangelicall voice by his word in the mouth of his Ministers he cals the soules of men out of the grave of sinne the dead in sinne heare the voice of the Sonne of God in the Gospell and they that heare live The ministery of the Gospell is the instrument of the soules vivification a meanes of Christs living in them that are Gods children the Ministers communicate the love of Christ Christ gives his love to the soule of man in the ministery of his word Isaac gave the pledges of his love to Rebeckah by Eleazar his father Abrahams servant Christ gives the pledges of his love to his Spouse the Church by the Ministers God his fathers servants by them he woeth and espouseth them unto himselfe and in the banquetting house of his ordinances his banner over them is love the Ministers communicate the peace of Christ the Embassador speaks words of peace from the King and communicates the Kings peace unto the people the Minister the Embassador of Christ the Prince of peace preacheth peace by Iesus Christ to the soules of men The Lord hath created ordained and appointed the fruit of his lips to be peace to them that are nigh and to them that are afar off Christ feeding the multitude corporally distributed bread unto them by his Disciples Christ feeding the soules of men spiritually with himselfe the true bread of life come downe from heaven communicates himselfe to men by the labours of his Ministers Abraham by the hands of his servants ministred jewels and bracelets to Rebeckah God by his Ministers communicates many spiritual and heavenly jewels even the whole treasury of Christ Jesus to his faithfull Church and servants whom he joynes in wedlocke with his sonne Manifold sweet and gracious are Gods dispensations of his Sonne by the labours of his Ministers Christ in and by the ministery of the Gospell is made very conspicuous and glorious in the eyes of the people very great is their blessednesse who have Christ communicated to them by the labours of Gods Ministers 2. In regard of the evils from which God delivers man by the labours of his Ministers God delivered the woman of Shunems sonne from bodily death by the ministery of the Prophet the Lord delivers the soule of man from spirituall death from being dead in sinnes by the labour of his Ministers the ministery of the Gospell is the instrumentall cause of the first resurrection the word is termed a word of life declaratively revealing life and operatively as an instrument working life God delivered Paul from his bodily blindnesse by the hands of Ananias he delivers man from spirituall blindnesse by the doctrine of his messengers by their instruction he opens their eyes and turnes them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God The Lord delivered Peter from Herods prison by the ministery of the Angell He delivers man from Satans prison and bondage by the worke of his Ministers by this as by a warlike weapon he casts downe the holds of sinne Satan fals like lightening from heaven and the soules of men partake of spirituall freedome as Goliah fell before David with a stone out of Davids sling so doth Satan before the Minister of the Lord with the word of God out of their mouth God delivered Naaman from his leprosie in Iordan and the impotent from their infirmities in Bethesda The Lord in and by the Gospell sanctifies the soules of his children this washeth away their uncleannesse this heales their infirmities this makes them new creatures Christ by his voice appeased the stormy tempest and gave a calme to his Disciples Christ by his Gospell appeaseth the tempestuous and perplexed consciences of his servants and brings them into a haven of spirituall peace and quietnesse He makes his Ministers as an Angell of God and one of a thousand to the afflicted soule comming like Noahs Dove with an Olive branch quieting him that is tossed upon the deluge of trouble turning his perplexity into peace his feare into confidence and his sorrow into sweet rejoycings God abundantly declares his dispensation of blessings by his Ministers through the removall of evils by their labours The Gospell is the choisest instrument averting evill foule and shamefull perplexing and mortall are the plagues and miseries resting upon them that neither enjoy nor regard the labours of Gods Ministers 3. In regard of the blessed state and condition whereinto God puts man by the labours of his Ministers The estate of man under the Gospell making a true use of the doctrines and instructions of Gods messengers is an estate of blessings The blessing
warmth and heavenly heate which man hath within him Heate is an evidence of life Christ warmes the soule where he lives they that have Christ living in them are not like David in another case having many cloathes and no heate much meanes of grace and no spirituall warmth they are not like Hoseah's Cake halfe baked nor like the Laodicean Angell neither hot nor cold but as the flesh of the Shunamites childe waxed warme when the Prophet spread himselfe upon him Thus their hearts in whom Christ liveth are heated and warmed by the labour of the Prophet by the Ministers opening and applying the word of life unto them their hearts burne within them with indignation against sinne with love to God and with zeale for God The word is like fire in their bones the whole man is set in a holy flame they are baptized with the Holy-Ghost and with fire The Holy-Ghost like fire enlightening and purging their soules and warming them with holy and fervent love making them fervent in prayer and burning in spirit serving the Lord. All the duties they performe have a sacred fire mixed with them a holy heate put into them as the sacrifice under the Law was offâ—red up with fire Thus their whole service is no dead carkasse without fire but a burnt offering unto the Lord they doe all in love to God and in zeale for God holy men like Eliah in their hearing prayer meditation are carried in a fiery chariot their religious exercises kindle a fire in them which burnes up their corruption like stubble purifies their soules like silver and puts their heart into a very sweet and gracious temper lukewarmnesse is farre from them that are enlivened by Christ Jesus Man 's deadnesse in the duties of godlinesse argues mans alienation from the life of Christ Man 's zeale for Christ is proportionable to the measure of life received from Christ he doth in vaine assume the name of a Christian who joynes not zeale to his profession For as to him that desired to know what manner of man Basill was there was presented in a dreame a pillar of fire with this Motto talis est Basilius such a one is Basill and such in deed in some measure may be the Motto of every true Christian because he that is enlivened by Christ and hath his whole dependance upon Christ and graciously filled by Christs ministrations he must of necessity have his thoughts taken up with Christ and his heart burning with zeale for Christ 9. By the price which man doth put upon Christ Life is valued at a high rate above all the residue of mans temporall possessions The Devill could say skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Christ to them in whom he lives is more deare then temporall life he is the choisest of all their possessions as the people esteemed David so they esteeme Christ better then all their thousands whether honours riches liberty life or whatsoever else he is to them in respect of all things else as the Apple Tree among the Trees of the wood as the Prince among the beggars as the Sunne among the gloe-wormes as the jewell among the drosse Man that hath Christ living in him so prizeth him that he will sell all to enjoy him as the Merchant did for the precious pearle he will leave all to keep communion with him as the bride to keep her fellowship with the bridegroome Christ is to his apprehension the fairest of ten thousand the Paradise wherein he is delighted the crowne with which he is honoured and the fountaine in whom his soule finds all satisfaction 10. By mans care to keepe Christ Man is very carefull to preserve his life he contendeth much to maintaine this he will part with any thing rather then with his life In like manner a man that hath Christ living in him is very carefull to keep Christ he will endure any hardnesse rather thâ—n be deprived of Christ he will lose his goods his credit his liberty and his life rather then lose Christ because Christ is the life of his life Christ is the rocke on whom he builds the root by whom he lives the royall Roabe with which he is cloathed the precious pearle in which lies all his riches the Paradise wherein grow all his comforts the friend in whom he chiefly delighteth and the husband with whom his soule is joyned in everlasting wedlocke and therefore his greatest care is to keep Christ he layes hold on Christ as the woman of Shunem upon the Prophet and will not be thrust away as Joah on the Hornes of the Altar and will rather dye then leave his holdfast on Christ he resolves to be with Christ as Ittai with David whether in life or in death whatsoever be his estate Nothing is sweet and deare to him as Christ is and therefore strives by prayer hearing conference meditation holy and humble walking and the use of all holy meanes to keep Christ neither losse nor gaine threatnings nor perswasions peace nor trouble life nor death can worke him to a desertion of Christ And in these particulars as in so many lively characters may we discerne the living of Christ in us CHAP. XXVII AS Christ lives in all Gods children so let all that professe Christ and call God Father see and discerne Christ living in them This is the crowne and comfort of a Christian to have Christ living in him and without this he hath but the naked and empty name of a Christian like an Idoll that hath the name of a man and is no man a name that he lives and yet is dead Feele Christ therefore living in your understanding by prizing the knowledge of Christ above all learning by determining to know nothing in comparison of knowing Christ and him crucified by learning Christ as the truth is in him being filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding Feele Christ living in your will in making your will free to chuse and embrace him and the things of God to intend and will him and the glory of God above every thing making his will the rule of your will and fashioning and framing you to be a willing people in and about his worke and service Feele him living in your imaginations by thinking upon him with more frequency and delight then of any other thing by having more high honourable and sweeter apprehensions of Christ then of all the creatures Feele Christ living in your affections by being rooted in Christ by a lively faith as a Tree in the Earth by fearing Christ above all earthly powers as the Subject his Soveraigne above all Civill Rulers by loving him as the Bride the Bridegroome above all other persons by rejoycing in him as the rich man in his jewell above all the residue of his Substance Feele him living in your members by circumcising and preparing your eares to heare with meeknesse
and sinke of the foulest and basest misery The man in the parable fell among theeves which stripped him of his rayment and wounded him leaving him halfe dead Man is fallen among three great theeves the Devill sinne and the world and these have stripped man of all his spirituall rayment these have taken all grace and holinesse from man which once covered him like a rich and costly garment and they have also wounded and left man halfe dead in his very naturall abilities The fall of man hath totally stript him of all grace and holinesse and also given a mortall wound to his morall and naturall faculties Hee that abides not with God at Jerusalem makes himselfe a prey to sinne the Devill and the world There came a Priest and a Levite passing by and looking upon the man thus stript and wounded but neither of them had compassion upon him neither of them ministred any consolation nor lent an assisting hand unto him Neither the Priest nor the Levite neither the Morall nor Ceremoniall Law can deliver sinfull man from Satans bondage nor heale his wounded conscience neither the works of the one nor the Rites and Ceremonies of the other can restore man to his originall happinesse nor justifie him in Gods presence Mans best abilities and all-humane devises are miserable comforters to sinfull and perplexed soules in their anguish Though the Priest and the Levite had no compassion upon him yet there came a Samaritan which had compassion upon him though the Law shew no pitty nor minister no comfort to wounded soules and afflicted consciences yet the Lord Jesus communicates both great and sweet mercies to broken hearted sinners The Samaritane a man from whom this distressed man could not expect any mercy had compassion upon him and helped him Christ is become the Authour of mans comfort and salvation beyond all humane and Angelical thought conceit or imagination the wisedome worke and love of God in providing a Saviour for distressed sinners was farre above the reach and comprehension of all creatures The Samaritan bound up this poore mans wound and poured in wine and oyle the Lord Jesus binds up the broken-hearted and gives the oyle of joy for mourning to them whose soules are truly humbled the Samaritan set the man upon his owne beast Christ communicates his owne honour to the penitent and broken-hearted sinner sinne is the cause of mans dejection Christ is the Authour of mans exaltation the Samaritan brought this distressed man to an Inne and tooke care for him gave two pence to the Hoast charged him to take care of him and promised payment of whatsoever he should spend more The Lord Jesus brings perplexed soules to God as to their spirituall Hoast and to the ministery of the Gospell as to an Inne full of spirituall provision gives his Ministers the two Testaments the Law and the Gospell out of them to minister to the soules of his people and chargeth them as the ministeriall Hoast of poore and perplexed soules to make all necessary and plentifull provision and in the end by his merits his active and passive obedience his two great pence he dischargeth the debt of all penitent and beleeving sinners The whole of a sinfull and grieved soules happinesse flowes from the Lord Jesus all the supply of mans want and emptinesse is derived from Christs super-abundant fulnesse All the myrrh and odours and instruments of Hesters purification and all her rich and costly apparell were given her out of the Kings house and the royall crowne was put upon her head by the Kings hand All the purity and perfection all the righteousnesse and justification all the dignity and excellency of a holy and gracious soule is drawne from Christ the spirituall and heavenly King All mans holy and heavenly excellencies are borrowed from the Lord Jesus Man is an empty cisterne and hath all his fulnesse from Christ the true and everliving fountaine Christ is the root by whom he is sustained the spring by whom he is filled the Sun by which he is enlightened the garment wherewith he is covered the crowne with which he is honoured the head by which he is guided the eye by which he seeth the hand by which he worketh the foot by which he walketh yea the very soule by which he liveth Whatsoever goodnesse or excellency is in a Christian it is Christs and not his owne his very life is nothing but the living of Christ in him he must say with Paul Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me The words are a declaration of a Christians life Christ living in beleeving man and man living unto Christ The Apostle setting forth how he was dead to the Law that he might live to God tels us that he was crucified together with Christ Christ being crucified for us and we being by faith ingrafted into him doe dye to sinne and mortifie our earthly members which are upon earth the death of the Lord Jesus is the death of sinne in all beleeving Christians they live no more as formerly they did they have Christ now living in them and communicating himselfe unto them He that hath not experience of Christs living in him in the way and worke of sanctification presumes in vaine of being saved by his death and suffering no man knowes the benefit of Christs death but he that feeles the vertue of Christs life Man hath no further assurance of Christs dying for him then as he feeles Christ living in him He that knowes the power of Christs death in the mortification of his lusts knowes also the vertue of Christs life in the quickning of his soule and can say with Paul now I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me In the words not to trouble you with many particulars we have two generall things proposed 1. Christian abnegation I live yet not I. 2. Holy and gracious vivification but Christ liveth in me In the abnegation we have 1. the Subiect I Paul the Apostle a man chosen and called of God a man filled and furnished with the fulnesse of Christ and in and under him is understood all beleeving Christians Such alone as are truly sanctified and gracious people are the compleat and proper Subiect of that life which is heavenly and spirituall Onely the living body is the seat and subject of the soule and that man alone that is spiritually quickned hath Christ residing and dwelling in him communicating holy and heavenly life to him 2. Here is the Predicate or thing affirmed Life and that is two wayes proposed 1. affirmatively I live 2. Negatively yet not I. First affirmatively I live I lived once under the Law which made me a persecutor of the Church of God convinced me of sinne wrought in me all manner of concupisence and slew me and I then found my selfe to be dead in sinne but now I have embraced Christ and am crucified with him now I am no more the man I was but now
counsellor and instructer Self-denyall maketh such a one to become a foole by reputing his owne wisedome ignorance his owne knowledge foolishnesse by rejecting his owne understanding as an empty lamp wherein is no light by distrusting his owne reason as a blind guide by resigning himselfe wholly unto Christ as a scholler to the teacher to be taught by him by depending solely upon Christ as a traveller upon the guide to be directed by Christ by placing all his wisedome in being teachable and obedient to Christs doctrine Man must be emptied of his owne reason that will be filled with Christs wisedome he must renounce his owne will that will have the will of God to rule over him he that denies himselfe makes Christs wisedome his wisedome to guide him and Christs will the rule of his owne will to sway and command him 2. Cessation from mans owne selfe He that denyes himselfe ceaseth from himselfe he ceaseth from his owne wisedome from his opinion of it from his subjection under it from his being guided by it he ceaseth from his owne will from the sinfull bent and inclination of it from the carnall objects which it chuseth and from the corrupt dictates which it prescribeth he desires not the doing of his owne but of Gods will as a servant ceaseth from his owne and doth his Masters will he is borne of God and the motion and inclination of his will is towards God as the motion of the rivers is towards the Sea the Law of God is in his heart by knowledge and understanding by meditation and affection by inscription and dominion and he delights to doe the will of the Lord he ceaseth from his owne imaginations his thoughts are not high thoughts carnall thoughts worldly thoughts vaine thoughts but his thoughts are holy thoughts of God low thoughts of himselfe hatefull thoughts of sinne joyfull thoughts of Christ and sweet and pleasant thoughts of the word of God sleight and weake thoughts of the world The meditation of the Lord is sweet unto him and the Law of the Lord is his meditation all the day long he ceaseth from his owne affections he hath crucified the flesh with the affections thereof he doth not trust in himselfe but in the Lord he is no self-lover but an unfained lover of the Lord Jesus he doth not rejoyce in himselfe but in Christ he ceaseth from his owne pleasure he doth not live in pleasures making provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof he is no lover no follower of corrupt and carnall pleasures he chuseth rather to endure affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sin for a season sinfull pleasures are more bitter and distastefull then any affliction to the soule which hath attained Christian self-denyall he ceaseth from his owne applause among men he is not desirous of vaine glory he is not affected and tickled with the sounding of the trumpet of mens praises he seeketh not the praise which comes from men but that which comes from God The more perfection man attaines in this gracious worke of selfe-denyall the lesse he regards mans commendation He that denyes himselfe reputes the testimony and approbation of God to be honour enough he ceaseth from his owne profit he seeks not his owne things but the things which are Christs He that denyes himselfe reputes it his choisest riches to glorifie Christ by his service he esteemes these labours of his most profitable which prove most advantagious and beneficiall to Gods Church and children not seeking his owne profit but the Prophet of many that they may be saved He that denyes himselfe is well pleased to be temporally poore that he may thereby make others spiritually rich A humble and gracious man reputes it a greater gaine to gaine a soule to God then to gaine the fulnesse of the world to himselfe Lastly he ceaseth from his owne works from his owne carnall and sinfull works from his owne proud and ambitious works from his owne greedy and covetous works he ceaseth from these as a traveller from a false path as Israel ceased from Pharaohs worke so doth he from the works of sinne Satan and the world he is no longer their servant he that denyes himselfe serves not himselfe but the Lord Christ is his high and great Master him he serves and to his honour he referres all his service The glorifying of the Lord Jesus is the supreame end of a good mans undertakings and the crowne of a true Christians labours 3 Full free and ready application of mans selfe to Christ He that denyes himselfe resigneth himselfe wholly into the hands of Christ as a scholler to the teacher to learne of Christ as a traveller to the guide to be directed by Christ as a servant to the Master to worke and serve for Christ as a souldier to the Generall to fight for Christ as a subiect to the King to receive Christs lawes and seeke Christs honour as a bride to the bridegroome to dwell with Christ to love and delight himselfe in Christ He that hath suffered in the flesh saith Saint Peter by mortification of his lusts by abnegation and denyall of himselfe he hath ceased from sinne from the life and power of sinne from the love and pleasure of sinne and from the trade and practise of sinne as a man that hath suffered death in the flesh ceaseth from his former life love pleasure and worke and he thus ceaseth from sinne that he may no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God he is no longer conformable to the sinfull example of men a follower of the lusts of men a servant of corruption but being crucified to these he lives to the will of God receiving all direction from it every way obsequious to it wholly applying himselfe to this one thing even to please God Self-denyall takes a man off from himselfe and the world and puts him wholly under God and sets him fully and effectually upon the worke of God This is sometimes termed a yeelding up of our selves to God as a sacrifice to be wholly spent in the Lords service sometimes giving of our selves to the Lord as a wife gives her selfe to the husband and sometimes a living unto Christ and a bringing forth of fruit unto the Lord and all this is to expresse their full application of themselves unto Christ who truly deny themselves and this is that which Christ cals a following of him and makes it a concomitant of self-denyall to follow him in his doctrine as a Disciiple in his precepts as a servant in his promises as a beleever in his sufferings as an imitator Self-denyall makes a man embrace Christ as the Pilate to guide him as the King to command him as the rocke to sustaine him and only fountaine to minister all fulnesse to him and causes a man
good that riches honours pleasures are much to be desired and that the fulfilling of their owne lusts is very pleasant and therefore they bow downe the shoulders to beare the commands and injunctions of the creature and all the impositions of the flesh and become servants unto tribute To these they pay the tribute of distracting thoughts of tormenting cares of carnall confidence of inordinate love and of hard service and base servitude worshipping and serving as the Apostle saith the creature more then the Creator And for this cause Saint Paul stileth covetous self-seekers Idolaters because their self-seeking doth alienate them from God and drawes that love and confidence joy and delight which they should place in God to the creature and that service which they should imploy for God and that subjection which they should yeeld to God they bestow about and yeeld unto the creature and their owne lusts And as they are Idolaters for their prostration of themselves to the creature and their owne corrupt affections so they are Idols For the exalting of themselues above God minding intending and seeking themselves and not God they adore and serve themselves and not the Lord his s servants yee are saith Saint Paul to whom ye obey Self-seekers obey not God but themselves they conforme not themselves to the rules of Gods word but to the dictates of their owne hearts they propose not the glory of God but their owne ends and therefore they serve and adore themselves and not God Self-seeking excludes the soule of man from all communion with the true God and carries it to the world as to a false God and so proves a double abomination in the sight of God 10. Self-seeking is ever attended with self-loosing He that seekes himself and not Christ loseth both himself and Christ He that seeks himselfe takes a false rule to direct him erreth in his seeking and therefore loseth in stead of finding He builds his worke upon a false foundation and therefore sinks in stead of standing like the house built upon the sand in the Parable He puts himselfe out of Gods service and therefore misseth his great Lord and Masters wages He levels all his arrowes to a false marke and therefore like an Archer that shoots below the marke he shoots in vaine He leaves out God God is not in his thoughts he takes not God with him he takes not Gods counsell to guide him Gods power to assist him Gods blessing to make his undertaking prosperous and successefull and therefore in stead of a blessing the curse attends and waits upon him He intends not God but himselfe and therefore God leaves him to himselfe to prove the Author and workman of his owne ruine Present self-seekers and self-gainers prove in the event the greatest self-losers The last end and issue never answers the expectation of self-seekers their labour like the labour of the Ostritch is in vaine The Ostritch leaveth her egges in the dust the foot crusheth them and the wilde beast breaketh them Self-seekers lay all their labours in the dust all their care desire all their industry and endeavour is about the things which are here below they lay all their egges in the dust and all their labours at last are crusht and brought to naught Rahel had hard labour but the birth of her belly proved the death of her body Self-seekers have hard labour they labour like a woman in travell but their birth proves their death their gaine turnes to their losse their pleasure to their torment their honour to their shame Against such the Lord denounceth woe in stead of joy shame in stead of glory and desolation in stead of exaltation Woe saith the Lord to him that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evill Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Woe to him that buildeth a Towne with bloud and stablisheth a City by iniquity Behold is it not of the Lord of Hoasts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Very great and shamefull are the losses which wait on self-seekers their riches proves their poverty their refuge becomes their ruine and their exaltation their shamefull downfall Very great is that mans unhappinesse who in the prophane neglect of God and Christ Jesus labours to fill and furnish himselfe with earthly abilities Self-seekers build on false promises and feed themselves with deceitfull expectations The Lord turnes their imaginary calme into a tempestuous storme their devised paradise into a troublesome wildernesse and their intended crowne into reall shame The last event of their undertaking doth ever crosse their first intention that which is unlawfully sought and gotten proveth the instrument of mans great discomfort and trouble He that labours for himselfe and not for God and Christ Jesus is vaine in his labours like him that builds on the sand his house sinketh as fast as he erects it Like him that weaves a piece of cloth in or over the fire the fire burnes it as fast as he weaves it Losse vexation shame and ruine is the recompence and portion of self-seeking The estate of him that hath nothing is farre more pleasant blessed and comfortable then of him that hath a great abundance by self-seeking Of such the Lord saith by the Prophet declaring the vanity perill and perniciousnesse of their labours they have sowne the wind they have laboured in vaine as he that casteth forth an empty hand strives to sow but sowes not and they shall reape the whirlewinde their harvest the fruit of their labours shall be more troublesome then their first undertakings they that will be rich saith the Apostle they whose bent and inclination is to themselves and to the world who chiefly mind themselves and things earthly fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Most wretched and uncomfortable is the gaine of self-seeking Satan hath great advantage against them they expose themselves to many temptations they lay themselves open to his arrowes to wound them the world like a snare intangles them their lusts grow strong within them and get Lordship over them and they make shipwracke of soule and body splitting the ship of their soules upon the rocke of worldly riches and what they supposed should have been a staffe to sustaine them becomes a burthen oppressing them and what they thought would have been a spring refreshing them becomes a Sea swallowing and utterly consuming them There is no other cause of self-seeking but inbondagement to Satan inthralment to the world servitude to corruption separation from God self-condemnation from mans owne conscience
empty of God a stranger to God an enemy against God Christ is the Jacobs ladder by whom God cometh unto man and man ascendeth unto God God is knowne as a Father of love God is beleeved in as a king of mercies God is felt and tasted as the fountaine of grace and goodnesse only in and thorough Christ Jesus He that knowes not Christ working the life of grace and holines in him is under the death of sin and hath no cleare knowledge no comfortable remembrance no blessed taste and feeling no honourable and soul-ravishing apprehensions of God no delight in God no comfortable communion with God we discerne and apprehend God loving mercifull and gracious onely in and thorough Christ working in us the life of true holinesse mans thoughts of God are more or lesse joyous and delightfull according to the measure of Christs working within him CHAP. XIX THe second thing in these words is an agent or Author and that is Christ Christ liveth in his Saints he is the worker of this life the life of Gods children hath a very honourable originall it is not from a naturall but from a spirituall seed the life of nature is farre inferiour to the life of grace Life communicated by earthly Parents is an unworthy life in respect of that life which Christ doth minister unto us a life which goes not by generation but by regeneration a life communicable by no creature dispenced only by him who lives of himselfe and gives life to others at his pleasure according to S. Pauls open profession that Christ lived in him was the authour of the life of grace to him shewing us That Christ is the Authour of spirituall life to all Gods children he raised the body of Lazarus to a bodily life he rayseth our soules to a spirituall life he quickens whom he will he hath power to quicken all his will is to quicken only some when he was on earth he could have raysed all the dead to life yet he raysed but only a few thus now he hath power to quicken all men to a spirituall life but his will is to quicken only some such as God the Father hath chosen to salvation Christ saith S. John hath power over all flesh that he should give life to as many as God the Father hath given him all that partake of the life of grace derive and borrow the same from Christ who is the way leading the truth enlightning and the life quickning unto life everlasting and the Apostle saith our life is hid with Christ in God as the life of the branch is hid in the root and Christ is called our life by S. Paul and our life or the authour of spirituall life he is in us by way of Revelation he opens and shewes the way to life without Christ we are all in darknesse and the shadow of death and no man knows the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reveale him Our life he likewise is by way of meritorious impetration he hath purchased life for us Our life by way of originall the life of grace is originally in Christ and from him communicated unto us Our life by way of opeâ—ation he quickneth us by the powerfull worke of his Spirit And our life by way of conjunction he unites himselfe communicates himselfe and all his benefits to us as the Prophet applyed himselfe to the woman of Shunems sonne and raysed him to life And that Christ is the Authour of spirituall life to Gods children is apparent 1. By mans alienation and estrangement from the life of grace without Christ the branch without the root the body without the soule hath no life man without Christ is a withered branch a dead carcasse dead in sinnes and trespasses twice dead and plucked up by the roots and it is in Christs hand alone to quicken him Lord said Peter to our Saviour whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life the word revealing promising and working life in all that are ordained unto life 2 By Christs ordination and appointment to minister all things to Gods chosen the fullnesse of light is dispenced to the ayre by the Sun fulnesse of water is dispenced by the Sea unto the earth the fulnesse of Aegypt was dispenced to the people by Joseph the fulnesse of God is dispenced to the soules of men by Christ Christ is the Sunne by whom they are enlightned the root by whom they are enlivened the Store-house by whom they are enriched the fountaine by whom they are replenished they are blessed with all spirituall blessings in Christ God convayes all in mercy unto man thorough Christ nothing proves a blessing unto man but what he hath by vertue of his conjunction with Christ there is no relation of love and peace betweene God and the soule of man but only in and through Christ Jacob and his sonnes found favour with Pharaoh only for Josephs sake Christ is the only Medium of mans favor and acceptance with God he alone is made of God to be wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption unto man God hath put the very whole of mans happinesse in Christ Jesus 3. By the insufficiency of any created power to minister the life of grace to man this is above the power of men and Angels the dispensation of life is peculiar to him that is Lord of life the industry of man is used indeed as an instrument of spirituall vivification but the efficacy is from Christ to this worke all created strength without Christ is like the strength of Aegypt in another case to set still the diseased woman in the Gospell spent all her substance upon the Physitians and yet there was no healing man may spend all his time and substance upon the creature and the creature may spend all its ability about man and yet when all is done without Christ there will be no spirituall quickning Am I a God said the King of Israel to Naaman to kill and to make alive that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosie Thus may the holiest Saint and most glorious Angell say Am I a God to kill and to make alive to kill sin and to enliven the soul that man should looke to me for spirituall vivification the sufficiency of the choysest creatures is a borrowed sufficiency derived from Christ and the efficacy and working thereof is wholy dependant upon Christ 4. By the dignity and excellency of spirituall life a life of that noblenes and eminency that none but Christ who is life it self can communicate it a seed which none but Christ can sow a tree which none but Christ the great Husbandman of the soule can plant the life of grace ariseth from a principle farre more noble then the life of nature Saul was head and shoulders above the residue of the people the life of grace is head and shoulders very high and farre above the life
doubtlesse that man never felt the power of Christ in his conversion that dreames of a power in himselfe to convert and change himselfe Presumption of self-goodnesse invincibly argues the absence of all saving goodnesse The diseased came either by their owne strength or by the help of others to Bethesda but when the foot was in the poole if the Angell did not move the waters there was no healing Man may come to the ministery of the word by his owne strength and by the perswasion of others but when he is come and heares the word there is no healing unlesse Christ worke mightily with the Gospell For Paul plants and Apollo waters but God giveth the increase Is Christ the Author and worker of spirituall life Then we must addresse our selves to Christ that Christ may quicken and enliven us Whiles we stand aloofe off and continue strangers to Christ we are all dead men dead spiritually while we live corporally alienated from the life of God while we enjoy the life of men continuing strangers to Christ we are all dead in sinne and as the dead know not any thing no more doe we savingly and comfortably know any thing of God of Christ of his word or of the Spirit of grace we are in darknesse like the dead we are blinde and groape at the noone day as in the midnight As the dead have no feeling of the disease which killed them of the burthen of earth cast upon them no more have we of the sinne which wounds us and hastens the second death upon us we are as Saint Paul said past feeling As the dead have no vigor no strength no motion no more have we any power disposition or inclination to any thing holy and savingly good in the sight of God As the dead are an uncomfortable spectacle and cast an evill savour so are we very unsavoury in Gods nosthrils an abomination in the eyes of God As the dead have no claime nor title to any thing their interest in what they once enjoyed is lost Thus we have no title to Christ no interest in Gods Covenant of grace and as the dead putrifie and rot more and more so we grow worse and worse as long as we continue without Christ O therefore let us come to Christ that he may enliven us as he raised Lazarus the Widowes sonne and the Rulers daughter Let us come to Christ to raise our soules as the woman of Shunem came to the Prophet to raise her dead sonne she made haste to the Prophet we must come speedily unto Christ in the dayes of our youth before we have continued long under the death and dominion of sinne the woman of Shunem came humbly to the Prophet she cast her selfe downe at the feet of the Prophet We must come to Christ in great humility humbling our selves before him having our hearts full of sorrow for our sinne earnestly petitioning the vivification of our soules The woman of Shunem laid hold upon the Prophets feet and would not let him goe untill he went with her and raised her sonne Thus must we lay hold on Christ carry him with us bring him home into the house of our hearts that Christ may quicken us to the life of grace here and to the life of glory hereafter This likewise discovers to us what all our works and services are as long as we are without Christ Christ is the Author and worker of spirituall life and while we are without Christ we are without spirituall life and where is no life there is no action no motion where is no life of grace there is no moving no stirring in the wayes of godlinesse All the workes of naturall men how specious soever in outward appearance yet they are as the Scripture termes them but dead workes their hearing praying receiving of the Sacrament and other duties of righteousnesse done by them are works without life For 1. they proceed not from an inward Principle of spirituall life all their motions in and about the duties of godlinesse like the motions of Clockes and Watches proceed not from life but from art from the feare of hell from the apprehension of death from the sence of affliction from the desire of the applause and favour of men from the hope of reaping the harvest of some worldly benefit and therefore as the clocke ceaseth his motion when the Spring is downe so doe these men usually cease their motion in the wayes of godlinesse when the outward loadstone which drew them is taken away as yron having no principle of life within it stops it's motion when the loadstone is removed then they are at a stay then they goe backe 2. Their services if we consider the nature of them they are but morall and ecclesiasticall services no spirituall services They have as the Apostle saith a forme of godlinesse but they deny the power of it As a dead man hath the forme and lineaments of a living man but not the power and vivacity of a living man their works for the matter of them may be morally and ecclesiastically good but not spiritually good their coine their service as Jeremy termes it is reprobate silver Reprobate silver may have the stamp colour and similitude of true coine and yet is base mettall A naturall mans duties of service and obedience to God may have the similitude and colour of a spirituall mans service but when they are tryed they are found to be counterfeit abominable in the sight of God how beautifull soever in the eyes of men Swines bloud is of as cleare and perfect colour to the eye as sheeps bloud yet it is of another nature and to offer Swines bloud under the Law was an abomination Thus the service of a carnall man may have the outward colour of a regenerate mans service and be as pure and perfect in the outward appearance as the service of the holiest persons and yet it is of another nature and a very abomination in the sight of God 3. Their services if you looke upon the adjunct of them are cold services coldnesse is a Symptome of death when a man is dead the whole man is cold the works of a naturall and carnall man are cold they have no spirituall life no heavenly warmth no vivacity and holy quicknesse in them It is said of David that he had many cloathes yet he got no heate Thus carnall men have all the ordinances of God all meanes to warme their soules and yet they continue cold as a dead body under many cloathes they may performe many religious duties and yet have no heate no warmth in them At the best they are but like Ephraims cake halfe baked like luke-warme meat such as is offensive to the stomacke and therefore Christ threatens to spew them out of his mouth they have nothing of the Spirit of God within them whose working is likened unto fire making men fervent in Prayer causing their hearts
Shunems sonne that was dead He lay upon the childe and his mouth upon the childes mouth and his eyes upon the childes eyes and his hands upon the childes hands he stretched himselfe upon the childe and the flesh of the childe waxed warme the childe neesed and opened his eyes Christ applyeth himselfe and his benefits to the understandings of men to the soules and consciences of men and their cold hearts are warmed their blind eyes are opened their soules are enlivened and Christ lives within them raising them from the death of sinne and restoring them to the life of God from which they are alienated by sinne therefore Saint John saith He that hath not the Sonne hath not life He that hath not the Son graciously possessing him spiritually quickning him powerfully working upon him and causing a holy change in him he hath not life the life of God that holy and gracious life which God through Christ communicates to the soules of his servants but he that hath the Sonne he that beleeveth in the Sonne is united to the Sonne and hath the Sonne living in him he hath life he is spiritually quickened and enlivened And God saith the Apostle hath given us eternall life and this life is in his Sonne God hath placed this and the fulnesse of all divine and heavenly good things in his Sonne he dispenseth all these by the Sonne that no man may live before him without the Sonne living in him and the Sonne is called Life having in himselfe the fulnesse of all life having the power of life and death being the Authour and the root of life in all them that live the life of grace no man comming to the Father receiving life from the Father finding grace and favour with the Father but in and through the Sonne who is to us the Way the Truth and the Life the way by whom we walk the truth by whom we are guided and the life by whom we are quickned called by Saint Paul our life because we live not the life of grace of our selves but by Christ It is a life which ariseth not from our flesh but is derived to us from Christ Christ liveth in us begetteth preserveth and perfecteth this life in all beleevers and for this end Christ came that all the chosen of God might have life and that they might have it more abundantly Ministring not onely an inchoation but a daily increase of the life of grace untill they come to the life of glory and Christ is termed eternall life having life eternall in himselfe working life eternall and living for ever in us we enjoying the true and eternall God in and through Christ And Christ liveth in all them that are the children of God 1. By way of Originall The life of grace is originally from Christ Christ being not only the Author of this life with the Father and the Holy-Ghost but also the root of this life in us living in us as the root liveth in the branches as the parent liveth in the childe therefore Christ is called the vine and we the branches As the life of the branches is originally in the vine so is our life originally in Christ and as the branches live by the vine living in them so we live by Christ living in us And the Apostle termeth the second Adam which is Christ a quickning spirit For as the life of the body of man is originally from the soule the soule quickning and living in the body so the life of grace is originally from Christ Christ spiritually quickening and living in all beleevers and as the body without the spirit is dead so is man without Christ spiritually dead in sins 2. By way of Coniunction Christ liveth in vs by being united to us and made one with us The stocke liveth in the graft by union with the graft we being taken out of the wilde Olive separated from our naturall and corrupt estate called and gathered home to Christ and grafted in the true Olive we live in him and he lives in us If ye abide in me and I in you ye shall bring forth much fruit saith Christ If ye be united unto me and I united unto you then you shall live and be very fruitfull By being built upon Christ the living stone they become lively stones 3. By way of influence infusion and transmission The heavens by an influence into the earth doe quicken and enliven the earth and make all the seeds and roots hidden in the earth to revive and put themselves forth to sprout and flourish there is an influence going forth from the Sun of righteousnesse into the soules of men reviving and quickning them and making them of dead to become living of barren to become fruitfull To you saith the Lord shall the Sun of Righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings and ye shall goe forth and grow up as the calves of the stall There is an influence goeth forth from the skill seated in the mind and strength seated in the hand of the Artificer which passeth upon the worke whereby he moulds and fashions it and sets a stamp upon it according to his pleasure Thus there is a heavenly influence a holy vertue and power comming from Christ and his Spirit that new moulds and fashions that mightily quickens and enlivens the soule of man by which Christ sets his owne Image upon man and this is called the power of Christs Resurrection That I may know him saith Paul and the power of his Resurrection that I may know Christ and be made partakers of the good things which come by Christ that I may know him as a Prophet instructing me as a Priest sanctifying me as a King reigning spiritually within me and that I may know the power of his Resurrection in the vivification of my soule in the abolition of my sinne in the taking away of the guilt of my transgression in the acquisition of righteousnesse and in the restoring of me to the assured hope of future glory and immortality There is a virtue flowes from the Resurrection of Christs body from the grave to the resurrection of the soules of men from the death of sinne As Christ was raised from the death by the glory of the Father even so should we walke in newnesse of life saith the Apostle and this influence of Christ into the soule of man is called the exceeding greatnesse of his power an exceeding great power for the omnipotency of the Agent for the mightinesse of the Devill sinne death and the world who are overcome by it for the greatnesse of the holy and gracious change wrought thereby in the soules of men changing the whole frame of the hearts of men from death to life from darknesse to light from bondage to liberty from uncleannesse to holinesse from earthlinesse to heavenlinesse and by this powerfull and mighty influence doth Christ live in
Master they goe astray from Christ like wandering sheepe from their Shepheard and harlots from their husband they goe astray from the way of God like erring travellers and blinde men from their path the whole way and walke of carnall persons is a sinfull aberration from God and Christ Jesus Reigning profanenesse dissolves all communion betweene Christ and the soule of man If any man walke in darknesse and say that hee hath fellowship with Christ that man is a lyar and there is no truth in him and the Apostle testifies of such that they are a farre off farre from the life of Christ as the dead are farre from the life of nature farre from the knowledge of Christ as the blind is farre from the sight of the Sun farre from spirituall union with Christ by faith as a branch cut off is farre from naturall conjunction with the vine farre from the love of Christ as a harlot is farre from the love of her husband farre from the fulnesse of Christ as a dead member is farre from the fulnesse of the head farre from the feare and obedience of Christ as a disobedient servant is farre from the feare of his Master and far from the sweet and blessed presence of Christ as exiled Absolom was farre from the presence of his Father Davids face Very great and unhappy is the distance between Christ and all carnall persons Of such therefore the Apostle pronounceth that they are aliens and enemies by their evill works not onely aliens but also enemies The very whole of corrupt and carnall persons is an opposition against God and the Lord Jesus The gate of their hearts is â—hut against Christ their whole way a very contradiction of Christ CHAP. II. Laying downe foure grounds of carnall Mans Alienation from Christ THe Alienation of corrupt and sinfull men from Christ is very apparant and manifest 1. In regard of corrupt and carnall mans plenary and totall subiection under sinne The Scripture saith Paul hath concluded all under sinne All men and all the services of men in their unregenerate estate are concluded demonstrated and determined by the Scripture to be under sinne under the plenary possession of sinne as a house is under the possession of the dweller The whole house and all the roomes thereof are possessed and ordered by the dweller the whole of a corrupt and carnall man all the faculties of his soule and all the members of his body are possessed and ordered by sinne under the dominion of sinne as a servant under the dominion of his Lord and a dead man under the dominion of death therefore stiled the servants of corruption and dead in sinnes and trespasses Under the captivity of sinne as a slave under the command of the Conquerour as voluntary slaves borne under the bondage of corruption ignorant of and despising Christian freedome Under the love of sinne as an Adulterer is under the love of the harlot The young man in Salomon was under the power of the whorish woman she caused him to yeeld with her faire speech and forced him with the flattering of her lips and he went after her as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a foole to the correction of the stocks The corrupt and vicious man is under the power of his lusts he yeeldeth to them is led by them followes after them and fulfils the will of his flesh as an Adulterer the will of the harlot and also under the guilt and condemnation of sinne as a guilty convicted and condemned malefactor is under the sentence of the Law to dye and carnall man being thus under sinne he cannot be under Christ fulnesse of subjection under sinne annihilates Christs gracious dominion in the soule of man The more man applyes himselfe to his lust the more he is estranged from Christ He that is the friend and servant of sinne is an enemy and opposer of Christ The fulnesse of sinne leaves no roome for Christ in the heart of meere naturall and corrupt man 2. In regard of carnall mans uncapablenesse of Christ The kingdome of Israel was uncapable of David untill Saul and his house was deposed The soule of man is uncapable of Christ untill sinne is deposed There is no setting up of Christ and his Kingdome as long as sinne doth beare dominion Alexander told Darius that the world was uncapable of two Sunnes and Asia could not endure two Kings Christ will not divide his Kingdome with mans corruption the soule is not at once capable of the Kingdome and dominion of Christ and of sinne If the one reigne the other must fall there is no competition between Christ and an unregenerate heart The Fort of Sion was uncapable of David untill the blind and lame were removed The heart of man is a Fort uncapable of Christ untill the blindnesse of the understanding and the lamenesse of the affections are removed and taken away Such is the blindnesse of carnall mans understanding that he is uncapable of the knowledge of Christ as the blinde eye is uncapable of the Sun The light saith the Evangelist shineth in the darknesse and the darkenesse comprehendeth it not The Egyptians darknesse was so thicke that it comprehended not the light which shined thereupon Such is the darkenesse of unregenerate mans understanding that it comprehends not the Sun of Righteousnesse shining in the Gospell The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The carnall mans heart is so wedded to the world and his lusts that as a woman joyned in wedlocke is uncapable of a second husband untill her former husband is dead so is man uncapable of Christ he cannot receive Christ as the husband of his soule untill his lusts are mortified and put to death Such is the infidelity of corrupt man that as Ieroboam could make no use of his withered hand he could neither put it forth nor pull it in no more can carnall man make any use of faith he cannot put it forth to the receiving and embracing of Christ and because of unbeliefe when Christ came among his owne his owne received him not and such is their death in sinne that as the dead are uncapable of the voice of the living they heare it not of the society of the living they rejoyce not in it and of all feasts and provision made for them by the living they feed not upon it Thus are they uncapable of Christ they cannot heare him speake to them in the Gospell they have no communion nor fellowship with him they feed not upon him He is a hidden Manna of whom they taste not and a sealed Well of whom they drinke not There is no sutablenesse betweene their soules and Christ all his Ordinances are unto them as an empty vessell they savingly partake of nothing of Christ in
the Israelites rejoyced in the Arke not in the Lord and vaine men rejoyce in man in the presence of man in the ability favour power and helpe of man and not in Christ Thus among the men of Corinth One said J am of Paul and another I am of Apollo looking with a humane eye upon and glorying after a carnall manner in those holy Messengers of God even idolizing and abusing the appointed instruments of their salvation robbing Christ of his glory by an inordinate dependance upon and glorying in the Messengers of Christ ascribing that to them which was proper unto Christ exalting them into the very roome of Christ so glorying in them that Christ was not glorious in their apprehension the carnall overvaluing of the instruments is a shamefull undervaluing of the Lord Jesus Hee that doth not according to the expression of the Prophet cease from man from the wisdome and counsell devise and invention art and ability of man sees little or nothing of Christ hath no comfort nor joy in Christ he that doth not cease from dependance upon man from glorying and pleasing himselfe in man from resting upon the authority of man in matter of spirituall instruction is very ignorant of Christ a meere stranger to Christ Christ ever proves uncomfortable to them whose rejoycings are in man 4. There is a fullnesse of the world which argueth an emptinesse of Christ in the soule of man The Inne where Christ was borne was so full of guests that there was no roome for Christ but in a manger a dishonourable lodging for such a glorious guest in the heart which is filled with the world there is no roome for Christ Worldly minded men give a very unworthy entertainment unto Christ the world so blinds them that they cannot discerne the beauty worth and excellency of Christ any more then an eye full of dust can discerne the brightnesse and beauty of the Sunne they see no comelinesse in Christ for which they should desire him this so fils their hearts that they are uncapable of spirituall instruction as thorns and bryars make the field uncapable of seed this beares such authority and dominion within them that they cannot vaile and bow to Christ they cannot take Christs yoake upon them they cannot set themselves about Christs worke any more then a servant can put himselfe from his Masters service into another mans worke No man saith Christ can serve two Masters no man can be the servant of God and Mammon this so alienates the heart of a man from Christ drawes the soule of man into such spirituall fornication that man can no more love Christ then a harlot can love her husband for if any man saith Saint John love the world the love of the Father is not in that man And the love of the world saith St. James is enmity with God This doth so take up the thought care study delight strength labour time and the very whole of man and doth so fetter and bind him fasten and encline him to things here below that with the invited guests in the Parable he cannot come to Christ he cannot imbrace Christ he cannot attend on Christ he cannot marry his soule to Christ this doth so distemper their palates that they cannot relish Christ The flesh-pots of Aegypt were so savoury to the Israelites that they could not long relish their Manna Christ is a distastfull dish where the world is a sweet feast this fils the heart of man with dishonourable thoughts of Christ The over-prizing of the world is the under-prizing of Christ Hee can never apprehend Christ as all in all that doth not apprehend the world as nothing the young mans over-prizing the world caused his departure from Christ the lovers of the world are very inconstant in their following of Christ if Christ and the world will not stand together Christ is soone forsaken the world alone hath their attendance service and affection So that Christ hath no spirituall and gracious being where the world hath such full possession And these foure sorts of fulnesse in man are so many cleare demonstrations of Christs estrangement from man 5. By mans spirituall emptinesse He that is empty of Christ is without Christ the Cisterne which is empty of water is without the fountaine hee that is empty of grace is without Christ the authour and fountain of grace he that is without the life of Christ who hath not Christ living in him as the root in the branches graciously enlivening him as the soule doth naturally enliven the body endowing him with spirituall principles of holy and gracious life enabling him like a living man to feele his sin as a living man his disease to rise up from the world as a living man ariseth from the Earth to feed upon the Ordinances of God as a living man upon the food which is set before him to walke in the wayes of God as a living man doth move and walke in an earthly way to follow Christ in attending his Ordinances in beleeving his Promises in obeying his precepts as Lazarus followed Christ when he had raised him from death to life he that hath not Christ thus living in him thus framing and disposing him to live to God to consecrate himselfe to Gods service to conforme himselfe to Gods precepts to intend God and his glory To live as the Apostle saith godly in Christ Jesus in Christ enlivenining him and according to Christs prescription He that doth not thus live is without Christ 2. He that is empty of the knowledge of Christ is without Christ the eye which is empty of the light of the Sun is without the Sun the soule which is empty of spirituall and heavenly light is without the Sun of Righteousnesse he that doth not know Christ as a Prophet instructing him and making him wise unto salvation as a Priest sanctifying and purging him from his corruption as a King bearing spirituall dominion within him bringing his whole man into a holy and humble subjection he that doth not know the death of Christ in the crucifying of his affections the resurrection of Christ in the rising of his soule to seeke the things which are above the power of Christ in working his heart from obstinacy and hardnesse from captivity and bondage from pride and haughtinesse to softnesse and tendernesse to liberty and freedome and to humility and meeknesse He that doth not know the beauties of Christ ravishing his soule with joy and delight in him the love of Christ in being espoused to Christ the worth and excellency of Christ in accounting all but dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and the fullnesse of Christ in feeling and finding all contentation in Christ he that doth not thus know Christ is without Christ in Christ are hidden all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom and he that hath Christ is full of spirituall knowledge as
the Sea of waters 3. He that is empty of the power of Christ is without Christ When the body is empty of the power of the soule the soule is departed from it become a stranger to it thus when man is altogether empty of the spirituall and heavenly power of Christ then is man without Christ a meere stranger to Christ all they that are partakers of Christ have experience of the power of Christ in casting downe the strong and mighty holds of sin in their soules in humbling their hearts in bringing the thoughts of their hearts into the obedience of Christ in overcomming and casting Satâ—n out of their hearts in sanctifying and cleansing their soules in perswading them to beleeve and lay hold upon the promise of life in pacifying and quieting their perplexed consciences in making them able to endure afflictions and in causing them to grow and encrease in all heavenly graces He therefore that hath not experience of this power of Christ in the casting down of the holds of sinne as Israel had experience of the power of the Lord in casting down the wals of Jericho at the blowing of the trumpets he that feeles not this power of Christ in making him victorious over Satan as the man in the Gospell had experience of Christs power in casting the uncleane spirit out of him He that doth not discerne Christ powerfull in sanctifying him as Naaman disâ—rned the vertue of Jordan in purging his Leprosie from him and the lame man discerned the power of the Angell in Bethesda healing him He that knowes not the efficacy of Christ in perswading him to beleeve in reconciling him to God as Josephs brethren discerned the esticacy of his Intercession with the King of Aegypt for them Hee that perceives not Christ pacifying his troubled spirit binding up his broken heart and healing his wounded conscience as the Disciples felt the power of Christ calming the stormy tempest and the wounded man in the Parable felt the Samaritan powring wine and oyle into his wounds and binding up the same He that discerns not Christ strengthning and sustaining him in temptations and tryals as the Arke bare up Noah in the deluge he that feeles not Christ comming downe upon his soule like raine upon the mowen grasse and as showers that water the Earth making him fruitfull in every good gift and grace he that is empty of these powerfull and mighty ministrations of Christ is without Christ under the power of his corruption in his naturall and carnall condition 4. He that is empty of the Liberty which Christ ministreth is without Christ he that doth not feele Christ freeing him from the death of sin as the woman of Shunems son felt the Prophet freeing him from bodily death his flesh waxing warme and his eyes opening freeing him from the thraldome and imbondagement of sin as Peter felt the Angell freeing him from his fetters and Herods prison freeing him from the servitude of the world as Israel discerned Moses freeing them from the servitude of Aegypt freeing their understandings from ignorance as the Sun freeth the ayre from darknesse freeing their wils from perversenesse their thoughts from vanity and their aâ—fections from coldnesse and deadnesse as the fire freeth the house from cold and filleth it with heat making the whole man free to know beleeve love and rejoyce in God as the cleare eye is free to see the Brides heart is free to love the Bridegroome and the Sun free to run the race which is set him Hee that is a stranger to this freedome remaining a captive under the power of his lusts and the world is farre from Christ an empty house in whom Christ hath no dwelling 5. He that is empty of the love of Christ is without Christ He that doth not discerne the love of Christ as the Bride discernes the love of the Bridegroome Hee that perceives not Christ kissing him with the kisses of his mouth it is the Churches expression in Salomons Song applying the doctrines of his Love Mercy and Peace to his conscience making him sensible of his love in the use of his Ordinances as the Bridegroomâ— makes the Bride sensible of his love in his banquetting house making him joyfull in the House of Prayer inabling him to pray with confidence returning a gracious answer to his holy and humble petitions He that perceives not the love of Christ in the cleare and comfortable revelation of his secrets to his understanding in his holy and sanctified working upon his soule in sealing up the pardon and forgivenesse of his sin in the free and plentifull communication of himselfe his gifts graces and benefits unto his heart in the sanctifying and sweetning of all his tryals in making all to worke for the best unto him in giving him water out of the rocke meat out of the eater and sweet out of the sowre He that is thus empty of the love of Christ is without Christ Where Christ is there his love is and his love is not idle but operative manifesting it selfe in the divâ—ne and heavenly fruits and effects thereof to the soule And thus by these marks and characters mans being without Christ mans abiding in his corrupt estate and carnall condition is plainly discernable CHAP. VI. Exhorting to come out of our naturall and corrupt estate 5. THe consideration of mans misery in being without Christ in continuing still in his corrupt and wreched estate should set every man on worke with all diligence with all assiduity and carefullnesse to labour his deliverance and freedome out of that condition the estate of corruption is of all estates the most miserable better live in any servitude misery poverty disgrace or trouble then under the power of sin without Christ better live in ignominy without honour in prison without freedome in hatred without the love of man in poverty without riches in exilement without humane fellowship in famine without bread in darknesse without light in trouble without peace in paine without ease enjoying Christ then to live in all the fullnesse of the world under the dominion of corruption without the Lord Jesus Therefore out of this estate doth the Lord call us Turne you even unto me saith the Lord with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rent your hearts and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God Turne from your sin as a Traveller from his wandring path and walke in the wayes of God turne from the service of sin as Rebels from the service of a forrain Prince and serve the Lord your great and highest Soveraigne turne from the love of sin as a Harlot from the love of strangers and love the Lord Jesus your spirituall Bridegroome with all your hearts with all your souls and with all your might This is the labour of all Gods Ministers the fruit and honour of all their
are like Nebuchadnezzars Image and it will be with them as with Nebuchadnezzars Image at last his Image had a head of gold but feet of clay and the stone hewne out of the mountaines without hands brake it in peeces Such men have a golden profession but an earthly and uncleane conversation and Christ at last will dash them in pieces as an iron rod a Potters vessell As Christ cursed the Fig-tree which had leaves and no fruit so will he curse them that have the leaves of Christian profession but want the fruit of a good conversation a barren profession doth but aggravate the condemnation of a Christian 3. Some build their hopes upon their elymosynary duties and works of charity because they are bountifull to the poore they hope they shall be saved they trust in their good works and hope to purchase heaven by their beneficence excluding Christs merits As the builders of old by raising a Tower thought to preserve themselves from an after deluge and scale the wals of Heaven but as their hopes perished God confounding their worke so will the hopes of these mercinary and proud workers their best works without Christ will bring confusion instead of salvation upon them The sword in which Goliah trusted cut off his head whatsoever a man doth rest upon besides Christ he is confounded by that wherein he trusteth It may seeme strange and yet is very true that many mens good works prove more prejudiciall to them then their evill works their bad works prove an occasion of humiliation to them and drive them wholly out of themselves unto Christ their good works puffe them up and make them stay in themselves and never come to Christ and such men as have no better foundation then their works of charity to build upon the Apostle will tell them that a man may give all his goods to the poore and yet be nothing 4. Some build their hopes upon their not being so bad as the worst they compare themselves with such as are worse then themselves and thereupon conclude they are in a good estate this is as if a man having many ulcers should yet perswade himselfe he is very beautifull because he is not as leprous as Gehezi was As if a man guilty of many small felonies should perswade himselfe the Judge will save him because he is not so notorious a malefactor as Barabbas was or as if a man indebted an hundred pounds more then he is worth should perswade himselfe he is rich because he is not indebted so many thousand pounds as some others are This was the deceit and false flattery of the Pharisee I thanke God saith he I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or as this Publicane Men dye not all of one sicknesse some have more pestilentiall diseases then others yet all dye the wages of all sinne is death It is not he who is not so bad as others but he that is a new Creature in Christ that bath assured hope of life and peace to them that are in Christ there is no condemnation who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit 5. Some build their hopes upon the mercies of God and merit of Christ presuming they may be securely sinfull because God is mercifull and that they may still run on upon Gods scoare because Christ hath given himselfe a ransome and thus they turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and harden themselves by those mercies which should leade them to repentance turning their physicke into poyson and the meanes of their freedome into chaines and fetters to tye them the faster in their thraldome and what is this but as if a man should tumble himselfe in the mire and durt because there is water enough in a Well to wash him yet a sealed deep Well whereof he hath no bucket to draw Or as if a man should give himselfe many mortall wounds because there is a Surgeon that can cure him of whose help he hath yet no promise Gods mercies and Christs merits minister pardon and peace to such alone as turne from iniquity and walke in the wayes of peace All mercies prove curses which lead not the soule to God and Jesus Christ The meditation of Gods mercy can never truly comfort thee unlesse it humble thee Benhadads servants hearing that the Kings of Israel were mercifull Kings came not before Ahab with their bowes bent and swords drawne but with roapes about their necks and sackcloth about their loynes He that comes to God in the confidence of his mercies must lay aside the weapons of his sinne and come with teares in his eyes and godly sorrow in his heart because there is mercy with the Lord that he may be feared not to encourage man to continue wicked not knowing as S. Paul saith that the goodnesse of God ought to leade thee to repentance but after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up against thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God 6. Some build their hopes upon their Humiliations and Repentance they have beene in affliction of conscience they have beene humbled for their sinnes and have beene many dayes in great anguish of spirit and in this they rest here they stay and hope by this to be saved thus the people in the Prophet We say ye have fasted and we have afflicted our soule and for this they thought to be heard and accepted of the Lord but there is a legall as well as an Evangelicall repentance a sorrow arising from feare and not from love from the apprehension of Hell and not of Heaven from the sence of wrath and not from the working of love from the feeling of terrours and not from the hatred of sinne a sorrow of slaves and not of sonnes a sorrow which worketh unto death and not a sorrow which worketh Repentance to Salvation a man may with Caine cry out of the greatnesse of his iniquity and his sorrow sinke him even as low as Hell hee may with Ahab put on sack-cloth and walk humbly many dayes he may with Pharaoh in his anguish send for the Minister of the Lord and acknowledge his sinne and intreat the prayer of Gods servants on this he may build his hopes and deceive himselfe that repentance which doth not supple and soften and change the heart is little worth the Lord smote the Rocke and waters gushed out yet it continued a Rocke God smites the heart of many a man with perplexing and terrifying stroakes to the drawing of many teares and yet it continueth a hard and stony heart that sorrow which workes not the mortification of sinne gives no assurance of the remission of sinne Is it such a fast saith the Lord that I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soule is it to bow downe his head as a bull-rush and to spread sack-cloth and ashes under him wilt thou call this