ac si in omnibus deliquisset 4. There is no escaping this curse of the law when we have offended in any one point but by Jesus Christ All the good works we can do in conformity to the law will not exempt us from it but do leave us under this curse Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse The only escaping from the curse of the law is by Christ Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us And therefore there is no resting for any man in the law or in his own righteousness no hope that any man should attain righteousness and life by the law But if we would have that righteousness whereby we may be accepted in the sight of God and would have Eternal Life we must seek for both in Christ and if we close with Christ we shall in him have righteousness and life Another great hinderance of closing with Christ is this present evil world A worldly Spirit hinders our closing with Christ several ways 1. Because when mens hearts are set upon the Profits and Honours and Pleasures of the World they make light of Christ and prefer these things above Christ This is evident from the parable of the King that made a Marriage for his Son which was neglected by those that had their hearts set on the World Mat. 22.5 They made light of it and went their ways one to his Farm another to his Merchandize Many mens heads and hearts are so full of the World that they make light of the offers of Christ and Salvation by Christ 2. Some persons are at such ease in their Worldly enjoyments and are so well satisfied with the World that they find no need of Christ and Salvation by Christ and desire no other Heaven but what they have here on the Earth and to such men their prosperity proves their ruin Prov. 1.32 The prosperity of fools shall destroy them To such as these may be applyed the wo. Luk. 6.24 Wo unto you that are rich for ye have received your Consolation 3. The love of the honours and pleasures and profits of the World keepeth men from embracing Christ because there are several duties in Christianity which cannot be performed but they will expose us to reproaches and losses and hardship and hatred in the World Joh. 5.44 How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Now no worldly thing either the honours or pleasures or profits of the World should keep us from a sincere and hearty closing with Jesus Christ and that upon these grounds 1. It is infinitely better to enjoy Christ than to enjoy all the honours all the pleasures all the profits all the goodly things in the World as will appear several ways 1. The good things of this World can be enjoyed no longer than a man lives in this World They may be taken away before we dye but the term of life is the longest time of their enjoyment They may be taken away by Fire by Oppressors by Forreign Enemies that may strip us as naked as in the day we were born Yea if God do not continue them with us by his Providence they would of themselves flee away swiftly from us and come at us no more Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not For riches certainly make themselves wings they flee away as an eagle towards Heaven He doth not say wilt thou set thy heart but wilt thou set thine eyes The riches of the world in comparison of the Riches of Christ are so far from deserving our hearts that they are not worth the looking after with our eyes He calls them things that are not that is are not what men think them to be are not abiding they are gone in the twinkling of an eye He adds farther that 't is certain riches are most uncertainly for certainly they make unto themselves wings and flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven But if they be not taken away if they do not flee away in the time of life it is most certain we must leave them all behind us when we dye 1 Tim. 6.7 For we brought nothing into the World and it is certain that we can carry nothing out But if we embrace Christ Christ and his benefits shall be ours for ever This God is our God for ever and ever Psal 48.14 He will not only stick to us and bless us as long as we live but he will give us all the good things of Heaven for an Everlasting Possession Joh. 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath Everlasting Life 2. All the things of this World while they are enjoyed are poor vain empty things that can't give any true satisfaction to the Soul but create more vexation of Spirit than they give comfort Eccl. 2.17 All is vanity and vexation of Spirit The words are few but of large extent All Worldly Enjoyments Riches Honours Pleasures all are vanity empty things uncertain things and all are vexation of Spirit A poor man that goeth to his day labour hath more comfortable Nights and Days than many Rich men that have abundance of the World Eccl. 5.12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet but the abundance of the Rich will not suffer him to sleep Abundance of the VVorld rather causeth disquietment than comfort But now such as embrace Christ have solid and Soul satisfying comforts in Christ Psal 13.5 6. My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches The night is a solitary and uncomfortable time yet in the night watches there are Soul satisfying comforts to be had in Christ Such as embrace Christ by Faith have in him and from him joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 3. A man may possess much of the world and yet be miserable here Jam. 5.1 and be miserable in the other world to all Eternity Luk. 16.22 23. The rich man dyed and was buried and in Hell he lift up his eyes being in torment while he lived he was cloathed in Purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day ver 19. but as soon as he was dead he went to Hell and was tormented in flaming Fire and could not get so much as a drop of water to cool his Tongue But they that get possession of Christ and trust in Christ are in a blessed condition whilst they live and shall be in a most blessed condition for ever in the World to come Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that trust in him All that accept of Christ for their Lord and Saviour and are obedient to him shall be saved with an Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 2. The surest and best way to get the good things of this World at least
be best for you to give your self to Christ or to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and to pursue this present World For if it be our own choice then it is most likely that we shall stick and cleave to Christ Psal 119.30 31. I have chosen the way of truth I have stuck unto thy Testimonies As in giving Alms to the poor we should give freely willingly chearfully not grudgingly or out of necessity because we can't avoid giving something 2 Cor. 9.7 Every man according as he proposeth in his heart so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a chearfull giver So much more in giving our selves to Christ we should not give our selves to Christ grudgingly or out of necessity but out of choice because it is best for us to be Christs willingly and chearfully for in this as well as in other cases God loveth a chearfull giver 4. Engage your selves to Christ by Covenant to be his wholly his only his his for ever It is said of Jehojada 2 King 11.17 Jehojada made a Covenant between the Lord and the King and the People that they should be the Lords people So should we make a covenant with Christ that we will be his people and that we will be his for ever We should joyn our selves to Christ by covenant and this covenant should be an everlasting covenant Jer. 50.5 Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten We should engage our selves to Christ to be wholly his 2 Chron. 15.18 And they entered into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul And to be only his Psal 62.5 My Soul wait thou only upon God Mat. 4.10 Him only shalt thou serve This engaging our selves to Christ by covenant is very acceptable to God and beneficial to our selves It is so acceptable to God that it is a means of turning away his wrath when his anger is kindled against us 2 Chron. 29.10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel that his fierce wrath may turn away from us And it is very beneficial to our selves many ways I will instance only in two 1. It will more strongly oblige us to adhere to Christ when we have obliged our selves to be his in an everlasting covenant 2. It will be a good evidence and testimony that Christ is ours and we are his when we find that we have chosen him for our Lord and obliged our selves to him to be his by covenant Psal 119.30 94. I have chosen the way of truth I am thine Psal 16.2 O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord. Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord When they made covenants to be the Lords People sometimes they that entered into covenant subscribed their hands to their covenants Neh. 9.38 7. If we would be made partakers of Christ and his saving benefits after we have received Christ as God offers him in the Gospel and have given up our selves to Christ to be his we must continue and abide with him all the days of our lives we must continue in his word and in his ways we must continue believing in loving and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ and walking in his ways For if we abide in the Doctrine of Christ if we continue to believe in love serve and obey Christ he will own us for his and we shall assuredly be made pertakers of Christ and all his saving benefits To assure us of this let us consult such Scriptures as these Joh. 2d Epist ver 9. He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son Joh. 8.30 31. As he spake these words many believed on him Then said Jesus to those Jews that believed on him if ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed Heb. 3.14 For we are made pertakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end That is if after we have begun to believe we continue stedfast in the Faith of Christ to the end of our days we shall certainly be partakers of Christ And because it is a difficult thing to abide with Christ and continue walking in his ways when troubles and persecutions arise for the Gospels sake I will give you some encouragements to continue with Christ in an hour of temptation 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ will greatly reward our fidelity in continuing with him in his temptations and will assuredly give us eternal life Luk. 22.28 29 30. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations c. Our Lord Jesus Christ observeth who they are that reject him and who they are that continue with him in his temptations and he takes it very kindly from us when we continue with him in an hour of temptation He speaks it to his Disciples commendation Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations And see how he rewards their fidelity in adhering to him in a time of trouble He promiseth to give them no less reward than a Kingdom I appoint unto you a Kingdom And in that Kingdom they shall have joy unspeakable and full of glory and Royal dignity That ye may eat and drink at my Table It is a great honour to set with the King at his Table that we shall not only set at the Table where Angels sit but at Christs Table Not that there is eating and drinking in a proper sense in Heaven but in as much as there is delight in eating and drinking Isa 55.2 Eat that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in fatness especially what is set on Kings Tables by these expressions is hinted to us that such shall enter into the joy of their Lord. And besides their unspeakable joys they shall have royal dignity conferred on them and sit on Thrones See some other Scriptures to this purpose Mat. 24.13 But he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved In the foregoing verses the Lord Jesus foretells great National calamities Wars and Pestilences and Famine ver 7. And great persecutions against his Members ver 9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all Nations for my names sake And then tells us that when suffering days come many will be offended and prove treacherous ver 10. But to encourage us to continue faithfull to the death he assureth us that whosoever endureth to the end of his life in times of trouble and persevereth in Faith and Holiness the same shall be saved But he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved And if we may but obtain the Salvation of our Souls whatever we loose whatever we suffer for the obtaining the crown of glory we shall be happy for ever
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
themselves to Christ and abide with Christ shall be made fruitfull in Grace and good works consonant to that promise Joh. 15.5 He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Now taking this shadow to be meant of Christ then it is a gracious promise to such as betake themselves to Christ that they shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine How is that The Corn lyeth buried under ground for a while and seems to be lost And after it appears it meets with cold winds and frost and draught that makes it hang the head turn yellow look in a decaying manner yet through the warm Sun and Dew of Heaven it reviveth again So 't is with them that dwell under Christ's shadow though they meet with many Pull-backs and that which was springing up seems to wither and decline yet they shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine The pruning and cutting the Vine makes the Vine become the more fruitfull and so it intimates a growth under afflictions In the Winter the Vine looks like a dead stick hath no Beauty nor Savour in it but in the Spring it puts forth and flourisheth abundantly Vines give a pleasant smell and bring forth pleasant fruit Cant. 2.13 The Vines with the tender Grape give a good smell And the Fruit of the Vine is sweet and pleasant fruit I might mention more promises of growth in Grace As Psal 92.12 Job 17.9 Now by virtue of these and such like promises when we find a decay of Grace we may rest upon God that he will come in with fresh supplies of Grace Psal 92.10 I shall be anointed with fresh Oyl David was sometimes sensible of great decays in Spiritual Estate as when he complains my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer yet then he did rest upon God for fresh supplies of Grace and Comfort which may be the meaning of those words I shall be anointed with fresh Oyl For the Graces of the Spirit are called an unction or an anointing 1 Joh. 2.20 29. Ye have an unction from the Holy one The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you The Graces and Comforts of the Spirit are compared to Oyl Psal 45.7 Thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness Mat. 25.3 They that were foolish took their Vessels and took no Oyl with them When God pours out his Spirit upon us then he is said to anoint us Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me Fresh Oyl may signifie renewed supplies of the Spirit of Grace The restoring a Consumptive person that was wasted to skin and bone is called fresh Flesh Job 33.21 25. So the renewed supplies of Grace and Comfort given to a decayed soul may be called an anointing him with fresh Oyl Sect. 5. There is comfort in Christ for such as are poor in Spirit and full of want and mourn under their Spiritual Poverty Such as are in a poor condition as to Spirituals full of wants when they reflect upon their poverty and emptyness it causeth forrow and trouble of Spirit Psal 69.29 I am poor and sorrowfull Psal 119.22 I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me Now there is comfort in Christ for such as are poor in respect of their Spiritual Estate and are full of wants and are in a troubled condition because they find themselves to be so poor and full of wants And that on these grounds 1. There is a fullness in Christ of all those Graces and all those good things which we find wanting in our selves Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell And that fullness which dwelt in Christ was for our sakes that out of his fullness he might Communicate to us Grace answerable to those Graces which are in him Joh. 1.16 And of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace The gifts which Christ received he did not receive to keep them to himself or to bestow them on the Angels but to give them to the sons of men Psal 68.18 Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them These gifts which Christ received for men include gifts of Grace as well as other gifts as namely the gifts of the Holy Ghost the gift of Faith and Love c. For the Psalmist speaks of such gifts as do make us meet to have the Lord dwell with them Now the Lord dwelleth in us by his Spirit 1 Joh. 4.13 and by Faith Eph. 3.17 and by Love 1 Joh. 4.16 2. All those good things which we find wanting in our selves we have them in Christ they are ours in him Though this seem strange yet 't is true that we should have that which we want we have those things in Christ which we find wanting in our selves In him we have righteousness and strength when we feel weakness in our selves Isa 45.24 In him we have wisdom sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 we are blessed with all spiritual blessings even while we complain of our want of them we are blessed with them all in Christ though we have not the actual enjoyment of them Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ The poorest Christian hath all things in Christ 3. In the Lord 's own time which is the best time you shall have a full and rich supply of all your needs both for Body and Soul Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus 4. Though we are poor and low and full of wants yet we are accepted of God in Christ and he thinks thoughts of love and mercy and peace towards us Psal 40.17 But I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me 5. Those Christians that are poor in Spirit and full of wants are in a blessed condition for they are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and as soon as they come to Heaven their wants shall be so fully supplyed that they shall never want any thing to Eternity Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven 6. The poorest Christian that is poorest in Spirituals hath what God in his infinite wisdom seeth to be best for him and hath better things than the richest man in the World for he hath God for his portion Lam. 3.24 And the Lord is the best portion in Heaven and Earth Psal 73.25 26. Sect. 6. There is comfort in Christ for such as mourn under deadness and want of quickning influences Spiritual deadness is a great trouble to gracious souls when the Apostle Paul felt the body of Death it made him bemoan his wretched condition that he should be under so much deadnss Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body