For the Lord is not slack concerning his Promises as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance Why in Christ Jesus God he is patient and God he glorifies his Patience that he might be known to be gracious Fifthly The Love and Goodness of God out of Christ is not relieving for 't is at an end The Soul may think well his love is at an end he hath no more love for me I am his enemy Man when he had sinned must turn out of Paradise he must pack away and be gone See my face no more says God But now in Christ Jesus is the Love of God revealed and the Goodness and Mercy of God revealed Sixthly The Immensity and Benignity of God out of Christ is not relieving What though God may give thee a considerable portion in the world he may fill thine hands with wealth and thy house with treasure and fill thy chest with store But all this is given in anger and displeasure there is nothing of love in it and thy fulness is but fitting thee for the slaughter There is the Curse of God upon all thy store and plenty this will not at all avail thee But now in Christ Jesus the Immensity and Benignity of God is reconciled and how doth it speak out love and grace God is an Immense God and he gives out according to his own Immensity And what then are the gifts of his Love and Grace they are such as cannot be weighed they are such as cannot be measured there is a height and depth and length and breadth in all his goodness that cannot be fathomed And all this he is to the Soul through Christ And Seventhly If you consider his Eternity out of Christ it is no way relieving That God is my enemy says the Soul and is an everlasting God he will be my enemy for ever and all that is in God will be engaged against me for ever his Justice his Wisdom and his Power and all his Attributes will be engaged against me for ever But now in Christ Jesus the Eternity of God is matter of great comfort to thee because he is an Eternal God being thy God he will be thy God for ever thy dwelling place for ever and thy portion for ever he will never depart from thee he will never leave thee he will never cease to be what he hath promised to be because he is an everlasting God and thus you may run over all the Attributes of God the glory and the fulness of them is exhibited and unfolded published and revealed by Christ Jesus unto us and hence it is that in Scripture ordinarily there is no great mention made of the mercy and kindness of God to sinners but through and with respect to Christ Jesus Eph. 1.3 Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And hence is it said that we with open face behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2. Cor. 3.8 and 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and hence is it that Jesus Christ is said to be the brightness of the Fathers glory and the express image of his Person Heb. 1.3 So as here is another thing that is an abiding ground of joy and rejoycing for us in Christ Jesus he is the exhibiter revealer and unfolder of the fulness of all the blessed and glorious properties of Gods nature in a salvation way hence when God comes to enter into Covenant with a believer he doth not enter into Covenant with him absolutely but in and through Christ Jesus and hence is it that all the promises of the Covenant that are Gods gifts of grace to us they are yea and Amen in Christ Jesus now do but consider this you may see that Christ is one your Souls may take comfort in consider the glory of his Person as he is Mediator and consider the graciousness of his nature as he is full of love and consider how he is the exhibiter and unfolder of the fulness of all the blessed and glorious Attributes of God in a saving way And whatsoever discouragement Christian thou hast here below look up to Jesus and thou mayest see encouragement have you men that are engaged against you look up to Jesus and you may see God in him engaged to be your God Gods power engaged for you Gods mercy Gods name and Gods glory all engaged for you Thus as to the first particular what Jesus Christ is 2. We shall now proceed to speak something to the second and that is what this Jesus hath you have seen what he is we will now consider what he hath and there are but two things that I shall glance upon under this head that may be relieving to us in our looking up to Jesus 1. He hath an irresistible power 2. He hath an unexhaustible treasure 1. Jesus in whom we should rejoyce at all times hath an irresistible power A power over all flesh over all Creatures over good Angels and over bad Angels a power over men a power over every creature in the whole Creation of God Col. 2.1 Ye are compleat in him which is the head of all principalities and powers and Mat. 28.18 All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Jesus Christ hath an absolute dominion over all Creatures as he is God and this is a dominion that he received not by gift from the Father but he hath it from the right of Creation as he is with the Father God over all blessed for evermore But there is a delegated power as I may so say a power that is committed to Christ Jesus by special grant from the Father as he is Mediator over the whole Creation of God Eph. 1.21 22. Far above all principalities and powers and might and dominions and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church Now Phil. 2.9 10 11. there you may see that he received this power from God Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name c. and 1 Cor. 15.27 For he hath put all things under his feet and Psal 8.6 Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thine bands Christ hath an universal power as Mediator over the whole Creation of God Now that which is for thy comfort in it is in that this power is imployed and improved 1. For the overcoming of all thine enemies And 2. For the over-ruling and filling up of all thy wants 1. This great and universal power that Christ hath received over all creatures is improved and imployed
thy friend is not this a brother born for adversity look amongst all thy friends upon earth hast thou such a one look into Heaven are any of the Angels able to do for thee as Jesus can Who is there in Heaven or Earth that thy Soul can desire in comparison with Jesus he is glorious in his person and he is gracious in his nature 3. Jesus is the exhibiter revealer and unfolder of all the fulness of the blessed and glorious Attributes of God in a salvation way God is thy God in and through Jesus Christ and not otherwise God absolutely in himself dwells in light unaccessable and is a consuming fire we cannot make an approach to God as he is absolutely considered and live but now in and through Jesus Christ God he is a God that may be spoken withal and all his attributes and the properties of his nature are savingly enjoyable There is a great deal of the glory of God that was discovered in the works of Creation there was the glory of his wisdom and the glory of his power of his goodness and of his soveraignty these were discovered in the works of Creation but as so exhibited they afre not saving neither do they afford soul-saving relief to us absolutely considered in that primary exhibition that was made of them in the works of Creation but now in and through Jesus Christ there all the attributes of God they are saving all the attributes of God they are comfortable and refreshing Adam when he was out of Christ could not think of God but it was a terrour to him therefore as soon as ever he had sinned fear entered into his Spirit and he hid himself why saies the Lord to Adam what is the matter O! saies he I was afraid and I hid my self Why so O to consider the greatness of God and the wisdom of God that was discovered in the Creation and the power of God that was discovered in the Creation and the soveraignty and dominion of God that was discovered in the Creation and to think that he had no interest in this God that he had provoked and grieved him this was a terrour to him and saies Adam Lord I was afraid and I hid my self ay and all the attributes of God are enough to strike terrour into the Soul that hath no interest in Jesus considered out of Jesus and they are not relieving But now in and through Jesus all Gods attributes they are reconciled to and engaged for the believer and he may see that which may comfort him and that which may satisfy him 1 Cor. 1.24 But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God as if he had said all the power of God that is saving it is in and through Christ Jesus and all the wisdom of God that is saving is in and through Christ Jesus therefore in him it is said are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 Now do but consider the attributes of God apart and you will find that they are no way relieving out of Christ but in Christ they are full of Grace and they are all exhibited and revealed through him as saving 1. As to the Justice of God Why the justice of God out of Christ it is terrible to consider that God is a most exact severe righteous God that will give every one their due and will mete out a portion to every one according to his desert This is most terrible to consider God out of Christ what may we expect but as Ps 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup This will be the portion of all those that God hath to do withal out of Christ But now in Christ Jesus this attribute is attoned and all that wrath and that justice and that vengeance had to execute is poured out upon Christ Jesus justice dealt with the Lord Jesus in its utmost severity and received satisfaction in him and from him so as now saies the Apostle in 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins c. and so Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Why justice hath nothing to say against thee but it speaks all for thee because God is a righteous God therefore he will love thee and therefore he will bless thee with all blessings because he hath received full satisfaction from Jesus Christ thy surety 2. Consider secondly the power of God out of Christ and it is enough to fill thy heart with terrour Ezek. 26.14 Can thy heart endure or can thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee saith the Lord c. Hast thou a strength to grapple with me or canst thou set thy foot against me no verily what are all the nations of the earth they are less then a crawling worm before the foot of the great God thou canst not stand before it But now in Christ Jesus this Attribute is attoned too and the mighty power of God is engaged to carry on and to mannage a salvation design in thee Therefore saies the Apostle Eph. 1.19 That ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power So as let the power of God be never so great it is a power engaged for thee to manage and carry on salvation work in thee whatever be the opposings that it meet with either from thy own heart or from others Thirdly If you consider the Attribute of God's Wisdom It is not relieving out of Christ That God is so infinitely wise and so deep the Soul may think all this is against me and what is he now doing but contriving new torments and new Hells that are more fierce and exquisite for me and surely there will be no end of these torments But now in Christ Jesus the Wisdom of God is imployed in such a design of Salvation that the Angels are said to pry into it they are astonished at the design that is brought to light by the Wisdom of God Fourthly If you consider the Patience of God out of Christ it is no way relieving For what will it advantage a Soul that God does bear with it a while when under all there is wrath treasuring up for him against the day of wrath Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction So as the Patience of God is exercised in bearing with a sinner a little while till he greaten his sins But God will come in upon him notwithstanding all though he bear a little while But now in Christ Jesus the Patience of God is reconciled 2 Pet. 3.9
in this world if thou beest a believer there is some promise of Grace that doth sute thy condition whatsoever is thy temptation or thy tryal there is some promise that doth offer relief whatever is thy necessity there is some promise that stands ready with mercy and grace Now Jesus Christ he stands at the head of every promise and keeps the way clear and the passage free for every believer and therefore Christ is called the yea and the Amen of every promise that is they have their certainty and their stability in him and from him confirmed by him and are communicated from him Jesus Christ is the Lord of every promise and he will see Christian that thou shalt not be wronged of thy right he will not suffer any to come and take away thy blessedness that lies there now whatsoever thou wantest in thy outward condition the promises are alwaies full whither thou mayest go for relief we read that the Philistines did fill up the wells that Abrahams Servants had digged Gen. 26.18 these wells of water they were stopped enemies could fill them up but my friends all the Devils in Hell cannot fill up one well of Salvation they cannot rob a Christian of one Gospel promise neither can they obstruct his way to the promise but Jesus that sits above and is at the head of the promise he alwaies keeps the way clear and open now my friends here is another ground of rejoycing for you in Christ Jesus you look into your estates and you see that you are on the losing hand daily you look upon your outward condition and you see that you are going down the wind there you look upon your outward comforts and you see them fading and dying and uncertain and perishing before your Eyes ay but your choycest blessings that lye in the promises these are in no uncertainty and though you have not a friend upon earth to go unto and though you have not a fulness upon earth to go to yet you have a fulness in the promise Christian that you may go to there is a fulness of mercy and a fulness of grace in the promise whither you may go Those that have taken away your outward comforts they cannot take away your comfort in the promise neither can they stop up your Wells of Salvation says David Psal 119.50 This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickened me The word of Promise that came to my Soul with life and that was as life from the dead unto me when I was in a low and in an afflicted state when I was sorely tryed and broken in upon why consider Christians then that you have a ground of rejoycing in Christ Jesus that he is the Yea and the Amen of every Promise that can never fail and he secures the Grace of every Promise for you and the Comfort and the Light and the Strength of every Promise for you You may therefore though you are brought low in your outward condition look up unto Christ Jesus and rejoyce Sixthly Jesus Christ he is alwaies a Light unto the Believer in all his darkness and a Guide unto him in the intricacies of his way unto his Fathers house We know not which way to go nor how to direct our own steps Jesus Christ he is promised as a Light as a Light unto the world and that is not all but he is a Light unto his own People in a special manner and a Guide unto them in all their waies Luke 1.79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet in the way of peace Why the Believer he wants counsel and he wants direction and he wants advice from the Lord how to steer his course Jesus Christ he stands by him and he administers it he opens the way he reveals the Mysteries of the Kingdom he instructs the ignorant and teaches those that are fools the great and deep things of God and therefore the promise is that the way-faring man though a fool shall not erre in the way of peace Isa 35.8 He will guide them and direct them and instruct them by his counsel at all times And because Believers go in a wildered way that is very hard to find and dangerous and hazardous Jesus Christ therefore is such a Guide that takes the charge of them as a Commander and Leader So the Promise runs Isa 55.4 Behold I have given him for a Witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the people so as he takes the charge of the Believer in his wildered way he guides him and he directs him in his course and he will see that he shall be safe aided to his Fathers house Now Christian here is a further ground of rejoycing for thee You meet with many troubles and discomfortures and discouragements and disappointments in your outward condition but Jesus Christ he will see that you shall not be disappointed of Heaven but he is an abiding Light to you and a constant Guide to you and he will so lead you that you shall not stumble nor fall nor perish in your way unto the Kingdom Seventhly Jesus Christ maintains the Union of the Believer with himself from whence arise unchangeable relations of Grace both with the Believer and him and with the Believer and the Father which are alwaies pleadable and improveable My Brethren Jesus Christ takes Believers into a near and intimate union with himself and makes them branches of him who is as the stock he makes them as bone of his bone and as flesh of his flesh He takes them into an union that he will never suffer to be broken It is an indissolvible union it is an insuperable it is an inseparable union therefore says Christ Jesus Joh. 17. Those that thou hast given me have I kept and not one of them have I lost Jesus Christ never lost a member Jesus Christ never lost a limb Jesus Christ never lost a true subject Jesus Christ never lost a sheep out of his fold so as this near intimate union it is an indissolvible union now from this union do arise everlasting unchangeable relations of Grace that are alwaies pleadable and improveable from this near and intimate union with the Lord Jesus doth Christ ever abide your head filled with strength to animate you and to influence you filled with wisdom and knowledge to instruct you and inform you filled with understanding to guide you in your way In this intimate union you are members of his body he will never suffer you to be cast off so as you may alwaies Believer stand in him and plead the advantages of a standing in him and of an implantation and ingraftment into him Jesus Christ in this union is alwaies your Husband and you are alwaies his Spouse and the advantages of this relation are alwaies enjoyable and they are alwaies pleadable I have betrothed thee unto me in righteousness and in judgment for ever
his People where they should dwell Jesus the fore-runner that is entered into Heaven he is gone before to search out a place to choose out a place and to prepare a place for you John 14 2. I go saith he to prepare a place for you and this place that Christ is gone to prepare 't is in the Fathers House there shall the Saints abode and dwelling be for ever and there is none that shall ever turn them out of that House but to eternity they shall peaceably possess it 6. In Heaven shall be the consummation of the Marriage between Christ and the believer here the Marriage is entered upon Christ and the believing Soul they are betrothed together as Hosea 2.19 20. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever but the betrothment here is like a young man when he betroths a Virgin they live asunder after they are betrothed so Christ and your Souls live asunder you are betrothed here by grace and you come together now and then in an ordinance and now and then Christ lets out of his heart unto you and now and then you let out of your heart to Christ and now and then Christ sends you a token of his love and a letter of his love wherein he gives a manifestation of his love but still you are asunder but in Heaven the Marriage shall be consummated 2 Cor. 5.6 While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord and we live asunder but saies he when we come to depart we shall be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and we shall ever be with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 This is a blessed day indeed that will bring Jesus Christ and your Souls together never more to be separated never more to be at a distance never to be out of the presence of one another more Communion with God it is sweet now and when Jesus Christ lets out but a little of himself O the Soul he cries out evermore give me of this Bread O saies he that I were to go down no more but this communion is clouded and the sense of it lost but when we come to be dissolved and to enter into Heaven then saies he we shall be with the Lord. 7. Again The Saints have a hope laid up for them in Heaven of enjoying fellowship and society with all sanctified ones in Christ Jesus Heaven will bring all the Saints together and keep them in an eternal communion There are two things that have respect to the Saints in Heaven 1. They shall have a full knowledge one of another And 2. They shall have communion one with another 1. They shall have knowledge one of another There shall be no strangers in Heaven indeed it is questioned by some whether the Saints shall know one another in Heaven but truly it is out of question with me for the Saints shall be all of one Society they shall be all of one Company they shall be all of one intire body and surely it is inconsistent with the glory of that state for one member to have no knowledge of another if that you be of a company here upon earth let the company be 40 50 100 or 500 by abode together and by converse and by residence together and meeting together you come to have a knowledge one of another and can it be thought that an eternal abode together in Heaven won't give you the knowledge one of another but the Scripture seems very plain and clear in this case in Mat. 17.3 4. Jesus there taketh Peter James and John and goes up into an high mountain and there he was transfigured before them and indeed it was a little corner of Heaven that he carried them into there and he brings down Moses and Elias and Peter presently knew them and he said unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Peter had never seen Moses and Elias for they were dead many years before he was born and yet as soon as ever they did appear with Christ Peter knew them this is Moses and this is Elias Sirs the knowledge of the Saints won't be decreased but heightned in Heaven some of you it may be lye under mourning of Spirit for some of your relations that are gone to Heaven well wait but a little while and you shall know them again But let me tell you you shall not know them after a carnal manner but after a spiritual manner according to that state 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh Christ shall not be known hereafter after the flesh and when you come in Heaven you won't know one another after the flesh yet in a spiritual manner you shall know one another Parents shall know their Children and Children shall know their Parents in a spiritual manner you shall know those Servants of God that have taken pains with you here and helped your Souls on to Heaven Some of you often think it may be of Reverend Mr. Armitage that laboured with you in the Lord and some of you remember Reverend Mr Allen that was the Lords mouth unto you many years you that have a hope laid up in Heaven for you you shall follow them in your time and in your order and know them again and all the Servants of the Lord from one end of the world unto the other you shall know those that you have known and you shall know those that you have not known you shall know Moses and Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Patriarchs And then 2. You shall know them so as to have communion with them you shall sit down which is a note of communion Mat. 8.11 with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven indeed all your knowledge of the Saints and all your fellowship with the Saints it shall all be resolved into the glorifying of God so as God shall be uppermost in all and you shall see God through all and you shall triumph in God and sing praises to God through all yet as glorified Saints together and as members of the same body so there will be a fellowship and communion together in the enjoyment of God and communion with him 8. There is a hope which you have laid up for you in Heaven of Gods being all in all to you in 1 Cor. 15.18 And when all things shall be subdued to him then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him that God may be all in all The dispensation that Christ hath now in his hand in that he is the Lord of the world and the government of it shall be laid down when the whole body of believers shall be brought home and all the election of Gods grace brought in yet then shall Christ be glorious in the eyes of the Saints but God then shall be all in all that is all