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.
To such as are ready to give over seeking after Christ I shall give these two encouragements to continue seeking after Christ 1. If you continue seeking after Christ and do seek him with our whole hearts we shall assuredly enjoy him 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee Believe this promise of God that if thou dost seek him he will be found of thee and go on in the strength of this promise to seek in hope that thou shalt find the Lord. Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord By knowing here is meant such a knowledge as is accompanied with the enjoyment of God as the following words imply He will come unto us Jer. 29.13 And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. It will not be long before you find Christ if you go on to seek him Though you do not find him for the present yet you shall find him in a little while in his own due time Cant. 3 1 4. By night on my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth and I found him not It was but a little and I found him whom my Soul loveth Isa 54.7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee § Motives to get a saving interest in Christ Most persons that live under the Gospel make light of Christ and neglect that great Salvation which he hath purchased with his blood and prefer their worldly concernments before seeking after Christ Mat. 22.5 They made light of it and went their way one to his farm another to his Merchandize Our Lord Jesus Christ offers Salvation to lost sinners he doth as it were stretch out his hands to them and offer them his help to save their Souls but scarce any man regards the offers of grace and mercy that he makes to them Prov. 1.24 I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded This stretching forth the hand implyeth the offers of Salvation that Christ maketh in the Gospel to perishing Sinners When Peter was in a boysterous Sea and was afraid of being drowned and began to sink he cryed out to Christ Lord save me And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him Mat. 14.30 31. Christless sinners are in a more dangerous condition than Peter was they are ready to sink down into Hell sentence is passed upon them by the great God The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 And Christ stretcheth forth his hand and offers to save them but most men are so stupified in their sins and so busied in this present world that they regard not the offers of Salvation made to them by Jesus Christ And therefore there is need of motives to stir men up to seek after an interest in Christ and to embrace that Salvation which is offered to them by Jesus Christ 1. Motive The excellency of Christ should stir us up to get an interest in him For we covet things that are excellent and there is nothing so excellent as Jesus Christ All the excellent things in the world are but loss and dross and dung compared with Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Silver and Gold Jewels and Precious Stones and whatever a man can desire are not worthy to be compared with Christ Prov. 8.11 For Wisdom is better than Rubies and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it And as Christ is more excellent than all things so than all persons in the world The wisest the holyest the best the greatest men that ever lived are not worthy to be compared with Christ Cant. 5.10 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten Thousand White and Red well mixed make a beautiful countenance white may signifie the holiness of his Life ruddy his bloody passion His holy life and his bloody death render him amiable to his people If Ten Thousand of the most excellent persons that ever lived were set by Christ he would be the chiefest of them all Among all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings of the Earth there are none to be compared to our Lord Jesus Christ Psal 89.6 Who in Heaven can be compared unto the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord. There are all the excellencies of the Godhead in our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And the excellencies that are in the Godhead are unspeakable and unconceivable Seeing then there is a greater excellency in Christ than in all the whole world we should labour more to get Christ than we did to get any thing in this world 2. Get Christ for yours and you shall get unsearchable Riches For there are unsearchable Riches in Christ Eph. 3.8 That I should preach among you the unsearchable Riches of Christ The Apostle had studied preached and enjoyed Christ many years and yet could not express or understand all the Riches that were treasured up in Christ but calls his Riches unsearchable Riches By these Riches of Christ which he calls unsearchable understand those benefits we have by Christ As Vatablus and others immensa Christi benefitia the incomprehensible benefits of Christ And though we can't search out all the Riches that are in Christ and that we have by Christ though we cannot fully comprehend in this life all the benefits we have by Christ I will briefly instance in some of these unspeakable benefits which we shall get if we get an interest in Christ 1. Get Christ and you shall get into the love and favour of God Prov. 8.35 Whoso findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. And the favour of God is an unspeakable blessing better than all things in this world For a man prefers his Life above all that he hath in the world Job 2.4 All that a man hath he will give for his Life But the favour of God is better than a mans Life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than Life 2. Get Christ and you shall get the pardon of all your sins Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his grace Though we be guilty of Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of sins if we get Christ for ours his Blood will cleanse us from them all 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. Get Christ and you shall get an interest in all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen And it is by and through Christ that we are pertakers of the promises Eph. 3.6 That the Gentiles should
by Christ and yet to say we are justified and saved by the free grace of God and are not at all inconsistent each with other For the Scripture asserts that we are justified by the free grace of God Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus Yet the Scripture requireth Faith in Christ and Repentance in order to our obtaining Remission of our sins Act. 10.43 and 3.19 The Scripture asserts we are saved by grace Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved And yet it tells us also if we would obtain Salvation we must believe in Christ Act. 16.31 And repent of our sins and that unless we do repent we shall surely perish Luk. 13.3 5. 2. There are no terms required by way of merit for it is not possible that any man should merit eternal life If we were able to do all that is required of us we must confess our selves unprofitable Servants Luk. 17.10 When ye have done all those things which were commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do How much more must we confess our selves unprofitable servants when we come exceeding short in doing our duty The greatest Saints are so far from meriting Heaven that they are not worthy of the least of all Gods mercies Who was a greater or more eminent Saint then Jacob of whom it is said as a Prince hast thau power with God and with men and hast prevailed Gen. 32.28 Yet he confesseth himself to be unworthy of the very least of all Gods mercies I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy Servant 3. It is no derogation to the free grace of God to say that God offers Christ and Salvation by Christ upon such terms as these if we will accept him for our Lord and Saviour if we will believe in him if we will forsake our sins take up our Cross and follow him For 1. God requires nothing of us in order to our being partakers of Christ and his saving benefits but what he himself will work in us and bestow on us if we seek to him He requires of all that will be saved by Christ that they believe in him but this Faith is not of our selves but is given to us by God Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God He requireth Repentance of all those that will be saved by Christ Luk. 13.3 But this Repentance he himself will out of his free grace give unto us if we seek to him for it Act. 5.31 and 11.18 He requireth of all that will be saved that they obey Christ Mat. 11.29 Heb. 5.9 But of his free grace he hath promised that if we will seek to him he will put his Spirit within us and cause us to walk in his ways Ezek. 36.27 37. He requireth that we take up the Cross but out of his free grace he gives us to be willing and able to suffer for Christ Phil. 1.29 He requireth of us that we endure to the end and persevere in Faith and Obedience if we would be saved Mat. 24.13 But he promiseth out of his free grace to give us perseverance by putting his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.46 He requireth nothing of us but what he himself will work in us and for us if we seek to him Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us 2. These things that God requireth of us as terms on which he will give us Christ and his saving benefits are not required as was hinted before by way of merit to make us worthy of Christ but as ways and means by which the Lord conveys the saving benefits of Christ to our Souls and makes us capable of being partakers of Christ As a man that offers one an handfull of Gold to one whose hands are full of Dust on condition he will let go the Dirt that is in his hands without he let it go he can't receive the Gold Or as a man that offers a Beggar a new garment on condition he will put off his old ragged garment and put on his new one 3. Those things which I call terms of Salvation as Faith Repentance Suffering for Christ Perseverance are all of them benefits and blessings purchased by Christ as we may see if we consult these Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.1 We obtain Faith through Righteousness of God our Saviour Repentance is a gift we have by Christ Act. 5.31 And suffering grace is purchased by Christ Phil. 1.29 And perseverance Heb. 10.14 And are all given to the Elect for Christs sake with the same free and rich grace as Christ was given for us Rom. 8.32 4. The Salvation of a sinner is infinite Mercy and infinite Grace on whatever terms he is saved For the torments of Hell from which he is saved are unspeakable and eternal torments and the glory of Heaven which they shall have that are saved is unconceivable glory and that God against whom we have sinned is an infinite God and therefore it is infinite mercy and grace in him to pardon and save a sinner on whatever terms he be saved 5. Accept of Christ for your Lord and Saviour and you shall assuredly have a saving interest in him By accepting Christ I mean these two things 1. The consent of our wills to have Christ and Salvation by Christ on the terms on which God offers him to us in the Gospel 2. A relyance on Christ and trusting in Christ for all his saving benefits By our consenting to have Christ as God offers him to us and our trusting in him he becomes ours and we become his Christ is the gift of God Joh. 4.10 And what makes a gift ours but an offer on his part that hath power to dispose of the gift and acceptance on his part to whom the gift is offered on the conditions on which it is tendered to him All that receive or accept Christ on the terms on which God offers him have upon their receiving Christ this priviledge conferred upon them to be the children of God Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name As the Shechemites by consenting to the terms of Union and Commerce should have become one people with the house of Jacob and greatly enriched themselves if the sons of Jacob had dealt truly with them Gen. 34.22 23. Onely herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us to be one people if every male among us be circumoised as they are circumcised Shall not their cattel and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours Onely let us consent to them and they will dwell with us So upon our consenting to have Christ as God offers