of this death That our comforter against spiritual deadness is in Christ the following words shew I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Though there be cause of mourning when we look into our own dead hearts yet there is cause of thanksgiving and rejoycing when we look up to God in Christ And that on these grounds 1. The end of Christs assuming our nature and suffering death for our sins was to give us life not only eternal life hereafter but spiritual life here and that in a plentifull measure Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world 2. Though there be in us much deadness yet in Christ and with Christ there is a fountain of life Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light As it is with Fountains of water there is water to be had at all times and for all comers in the Fountain So it is with the Fountain of life there is life to be had constanly freely a sufficiency of life for all comers at all times to be had from this Fountain of life 3. The Lord hath given us many gracious and comfortable promises to encourage us to hope in him for quickning grace at such times as we find our selves under deadness as Joh. 11.25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live Joh. 6.57 He that eateth me even he shall live by me Psal 69.32 Your heart shall live that seek God Psal 22. They shall praise the Lord that seek him your heart shall live for ever Amos 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel seek ye me and ye shall live We see here that Spiritual and Eternal Life is promised to such as seek the Lord These promises may be a great comfort to us under our deadness 4. Jesus Christ hath provided us excellent helps against our deadness I will instance in two helps 1. His word that hath a quickning influence in it Psal 119.50 Thy word hath quickned me And ver 93. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me And as the Precepts so the promises of the word have a quickning virtue in them We may say of the promises with Hezekiah Isa 38.16 O Lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my Spirit 2. His spirit is an excellent help against deadness Joh. 6.63 It is the spirit that quickneth The spirit of Christ is the spirit of life and this quickning spirit shall be given to those that ask it of God Luk. 11.13 5. When Christ who is our life shall appear we shall appear with him in glory and when we appear with Christ in glory we shall ive with him for evermore and shall never any more be troubled with deadness but shall be freed from the body of sin and death for ever Col. 3.3 4. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Your Life is hid with Christ in God It may be understood of the life of Grace here and the life of Glory hereafter Our life of Grace is hid not only from the eyes of the VVorld but at sometimes and in part from themselves As Davenant observs Ex parte quoad quos sanctos quippe qui vitam hanc sentiant in se esse valdè infirmam obscuram dubiam obtentationes diaeboli carnis Yet the weakness of our Spiritual Life the deadness that is mixed with the life of grace shall not hinder our appearing with Christ in and if we appear with him in glory all our deadness and imperfections shall be done away for ever Sect. 7. There is comfort in Christ for such as are troubled for the weakness and imperfections of their services Many Christians finding their service they do for God and their Generations attended with very great weakness and many imperfections are much troubled and discouraged thereby But to such as go under this burden there is comfort to be had in Christ and that in these respects 1. Our persons and services are accepted of God not for the worthyness that is either in our persons or services but for the sake and upon the account of Jesus Christ Eph. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the beloved And as our persons are accepted in Christ so are our services also 1 Pet 2.5 To offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ If any say how can imperfect services that have sin mixed with them be accepted of God I answer by the merits of Christ the imperfections and sins that are mingled with those holy services which we perform to God are done away and the services rendered acceptable to God Exod. 28.38 And it shall be upon Aarons Forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel which the children of Israel shall hollow in all their holy gifts and it shall be alwayes on his Forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord. Aaron was a Type of Christ our great High Priest The Plate on his Forehead that had graven on it Holiness to the Lord was a Type of the merits of Christ who is the Lord our Righteousness As Aaron bare away the iniquities of the holy things Typically which being done they were accepted of God So Christ doth really and truly bear away the sins of all services and thereby they are accepted of God 2. Though our services have much weakness and many imperfections in them yet if they be performed with Upright hearts God will accept them 1 Chron. 29.17 I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in Vprightness As little done by an Upright man is more acceptable to God than great services done by wicked men Pro. 15.8 The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the Prayer of the Vpright is his delight 3. VVould you serve God and your Generation in a better manner if you were able and is it your burden that you can serve God no better then know for your comfort that God through Christ will accept of your willing mind though you have not such abilities to serve him as others have or as you your selves desire to have 2 Cor. 8.12 If there he first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. It is a great comfort to those that mourn over their imperfections that how imperfect soever they are in themselves they are compleat in Christ Col.
no A. 1. By the illumination of our minds and understandings to know Christ and the free grace of God and those things which God hath freely given us for Christs sake By the light of nature we have some notions of good and evil of the punishment due to sin and a reward of Righteousness but the knowledge of Christ and the free grace of God and the mysteries of our Salvation proceedeth only from the Spirit of God Eph. 1.17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him Matth. 16.16 17. Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Flesh and Blood that is all that man can attain to by his own wisdom and understanding without the help of the Spirit of God will not bring a man to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ And as we can't attain the knowledge of Christ so neither of the free grace of God but by the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 2.11 12. The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God And the like may be said of the mysteries of our Salvation we do not know the way and means by which we should get to Heaven till the Spirit of God gives us the knowledge of the mysteries of the K. of Heaven Mat. 13.11 It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them it is not given But seeing some men are enlightned by the word and Spirit of God that have no saving knowledge it will not be amiss to shew how we may know saving illumination from that illumination which is found in those that perish 1. The saving knowledge of Christ is accompanied with Faith in Christ When a man hath such a knowledge of Christ as causeth him to believe in Christ he is then made wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Though a man have never such a great measure of knowledge of the holy Scriptures yet if he remain without Faith in Christ Jesus he is not wise unto Salvation 2. Saving knowledge causeth a man to do those things which we know to be the will of God If our knowledge be accompanied with obedience we need not doubt but it is saving knowledge for such as know and do the will of God shall be Everlastingly happy John 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Mat. 7.22 3. Saving knowledge maketh a man to be pure and peaceable and mercifull and to be easy to be entreated to do good to others and to be without partiality and hypocrisie Jam. 3.17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie 2. We may know that we have the Spirit of Christ by those convictions which the Spirit works in the Consciences of those to whom he is given I will give instance in these two convictions of sin and convictions of Righteousness Joh. 16.7 8. When he is come he will reprove or as it is in the Margent convince the world of sin and of righteousness and judgment We may know that Christ hath sent his Spirit into our hearts by the convictions of sin and of righteousness and of judgment I shall speak only to the two first Where God giveth the Spirit of Christ he convinceth of sin But seeing natural Conscience may convince of sin as well as the Spirit of Christ how may we distinguish the convictions of the Spirit from the convictions of natural Conscience A. 1. Natural Conscience may convince of sins against the Law as Unrighteousness intemperance lying uncleanness c. But the Spirit convinceth of sins against the Gospel as not believing in Christ not loving Christ c. Joh. 16.8 9. He will reprove the world of sin of sin because they believe not in me Such as have the Spirit of Christ are troubled for and mourn over their unbelief as well as their sins against the Law Mark 9.24 The Father of the child cryed out and said with tears Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief 2. The Spirit of God convinceth a man of his evil heart and evil nature as well as of his evil actions Natural Conscience may convince a man of sinfull actions but doth not shew a man the evil root whence these proceed But the Spirit of God sheweth a man the plague of his heart and teacheth him to bemoan his Original as well as his Actual sin Psal 54.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me The Spirit of God sheweth a man his sinfull corrupt and wicked heart as well as his sinful life Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it The Spirit of God teacheth a man to bewail the body of Sin and Death as well as the acts of sin Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death 3. When the Spirit convinceth a man of his sins he leadeth him to Christ and teacheth him to seek remission of his sins from the blood of Christ Psal 51.7 Purge me with hyssope and I shall be clean Hyssope was dipped in the blood of the Sacrifice and sprinkled upon the persons and things that were to be cleansed a Type of our being cleansed by the Blood of Christ 'T is as if he should have said Lord apply thy Sons Blood to my Soul and then I shall be cleansed from my sins So the Apostle when distressed with the sense of sin fetcheth his Consolation from Christ Jesus Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But the convictions of natural Conscience either make a man desperate as we see in Judas who hanged himself or wear off by diverting to the pleasures and businesses of the world Saul when under trouble was quieted by Musick or else Conscience is eased by the doing some good works and doth fetch its ease from Christ And as the Spirit convinceth those to whom it is given of Sin so of Righteousness also Now where the Spirit convinceth of Righteousness he doth these things 1. He shews a man the imperfection of his own Righteousness that all the works of Righteousness which ever he did or is able to do are full of imperfections and so takes him off from resting in his
be fellow heirs and of the same body and pertakers of his promise in Christ When Christ is ours and we are his all the promises are ours Gal. 3.29 If Ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to the promise And this is a great a wonderfull an unspeakable benefit to be heir of all the promises For there are exceeding many exceeding great and exceeding precious promises in the holy Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.4 And to be an heir of all these promises is such a mercy as exceeds all expression 4. Get Christ for yours and you shall get all Spiritual Blessings for they that are Christs are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ 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 And Spiritual Blessings are far better than all manner of Worldly Blessings 5. Get Christ for yours and you shall have the glory of Heaven and the joys of Heaven and all the felicity of Heaven for yours for ever 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life And if you get Heaven for yours you shall get greater felicity better things than ever any man saw with his eyes or heard off with his ears or can be conceived off by the heart of man 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 6. Get Christ for yours and then all good things shall be yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours All are yours and ye are Christs The Apostle doubles the expression all things are yours all are yours that we may take the greater notice of the unsearchable Riches that we have in and by Christ and that we may be the better satisfied of the truth and reality of this rich inheritance that we have by our being Christs namely our having all good things 3. The suitableness of Christ to the condition wants and desires of our Souls should stir us up to seek after him Jesus Christ is every way suitable to thy Souls condition all that thy Soul wanteth all that thy Soul doth or can desire is to be had in Christ Art thou blind and ignorant dost thou want saving knowledge Jesus Christ is the light of the World Joh. 8.12 I am the light of the World He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life He can open blind eyes Isa 42.6 7. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes Christ can help not only dim eyes that see but little but blind eyes that can see nothing at all Art thou under the sense of guilt do thy sins lye heavy upon thy Conscience because of the multitude of them or their heinous nature as being committed against much light great mercies and other aggravating circumstances Christs blood is available for taking away all thy sins though thou beest one of the greatest sinners in the whole world Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world The blood of Christ washed away Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Davids Murder and Adultery Peters denyal of Christ and his Perjury Pauls Blasphemies and Persecutions Dost thou feel the plague of thy heart and groan under the corruption of thy nature and find a great want of the Sanctifying grace of God Christ is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Sanctification He suffered a bloody death to purchase Sanctifying grace for us Heb. 13.12 Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Art thou held in the cords of thy sins canst thou not repent off and forsake thy sins Jesus Christ was sent to preach deliverance to the captives Luk. 4.18 And exalted to give Repentance Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of sins unto Israel And was sent to bless us in turning us from our iniquities Act. 3.26 Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning you away every one from his iniquities Is thy heart dead dost thou want Spiritual Life There is Life to be had in Christ for such as have dead hearts yea for such as are dead in sins and trespasses Joh. 11.25 Jesus said unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live Art thou in a lost undone condition Jesus Christ is the Saviour of lost sinners Luk. 19.10 The Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost Art thou in a mourning condition full of grief and sorrow either because of thy afflictions or because of thy sins Jesus Christ was sent to comfort all that mourn in Zion Isa 61.3 Not to instance in more particulars whatever it is that thou wantest there is a rich supply of all thy needs be thy needs never so many or great to be had in and by Jesus Christ Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in glory by Christ Jesus Whatsoever it is which thy Soul doth or can desire to have there is a full supply of all thy desires to be had in Christ and from Christ Psal 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him There is so much vanity and vexation in worldly things that it is an hard matter to find any good Psal 4.6 Many say who will shew us any good But in Christ we shall find all good all that good which we want all that good which we desire to have And shall not this stir us up to seek after an interest in Christ 4. It is not only a matter of expediency or conveniency that we get an interest in Christ but it is of absolute necessity so that we are undone for ever if we do not get an interest in Christ We can't live comfortably without Christ we can't dye in peace without Christ we can't appear at the great day of judgment without Christ we can't be admitted into Heaven without Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life We can't have the pardon of one sin without the blood of Christ Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood is no remission And no other blood will procure remission of sins but the blood of Christ The absolute necessity of getting an interest in Christ will appear from the wofull and miserable condition of all thofe that are without Christ which shall be set forth in the next head 5. To stir us up to seek after a saving interest in Christ Let us consider the wofull and miserable condition of all such as are without Christ To this purpose weigh these following Scriptures Eph.
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