The Saints spiritually enjoy Christ also in their externall cloaths and covering so that I say he rightly exalts Christ in his soul that sees Christ to be all and in all to him c. I shall now come to the exaltation of Christ in his offices in the dayes of the Gospel Priest Prophet and King in these is Christ to be exalted 1 He is the great High-Priest of his people Christ Priest and in this particular he is to be exalted in the dayes of the Gospel that is as the alone atonement and peace maker betwixt God and man The Leviticall High-Priests under the Law were a type of Christ our great High-Priest under the Gospel Therefore for my more cleer proceeding I shall indeavour to unfold unto you what was the Office of the High-Priest under the Law wherein Christ the Iewish High-Priests agree wherin they differ and wherein Christ our Gospel High-Priest and those High-Priests agree and wherein they differ What their office is and wherein they agree for those High-Priests in all their administrations typed forth Christ our High-Priest 1 The Office of the High-Priest it was to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people Exod 28.29 Levit. 9. from the 1 to the 7 ver this hath Christ done he hath offered sacrifice for sin and herein Christ doth not onely agree with those High Priests in offering sacrifice for sin but he differs also excelling those High-Priests for they offered sacrifice it is true but it was the flesh and bloud of creatures a lambe a ram goats buls c. Levit 9.3.4 Heb. 9.13 22. But Christ Jesus he offered not the bloud of goats and calves but his own bloud Heb. 9.12 14. his own body Heb. 10.10 Christ hath offered himselfe a sacrifice Ephes 5.2 Christ hath loved us and given himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice to God c. so you see Christ exceeds in the very first in the offering in the Sacrifice he offers his own body his own bloud upon the crosse a sacrifice for sin and indeed those legall sacrifices were but a type of Christ our sacrifice and in themselves could not doe away sin but as they directed to Christ therefore Christ is called the lamb slain from the beginning or from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.8 1 Pet. 1.18 29. 2 The High-Priests by offering sacrifice were to make a tonement and peace for their own sins and for the sins of the people Levit. 19.7 Moses said unto Aaron goe to the Altar offer thy sin offering and thy burnt offering make an atonement for thy selfe and the people Chap. 15.30 The Priest for the unclean woman was to offer a sin offering and a burnt offering to make an atonement for her before the Lord This was the end wherefore he went into the holy place Cap. 16.3 To make an atonement for the children of Israel before the Lord ver 34. This Christ our High-Priest hath done harke you beloved Christ our High Priest hath offered sacrifice and by his sacrifice he hath put away sin made an attonement that is peace and reconciliation between God and man Rom. 5.10 12. Being enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Nore here is Christ reconciling by his death Christ a sacrifice dying and so reconciling you shall see all along the Scripture that it is Christ a Sacrifice Christ dying that is our reconciliation our attonement and peace Ephes 2.13 They which were somtimes afar off are made night by the bloud of Christ ver 14. he is our peace ver 15. having abolished in his slesh the enmity c. ver 16. and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Crosse c. You see Christ hath made peace by his bloud having abolished in his flesh the enmity of the Law made reconciliation by his crosse see Col. 1.20 and making peace how through the bloud of his crosse it is by the bloud of his crosse by his death wherein he offered himselfe a Sacrifice for sin that he hath made peace for all his people Note in this also that Christ our High-Priest exceeds those Jewish High-Priests Christ our High-Priest hath indeed made peace and reconciliation for sin he is our peace and that the Jewish High-Priest could not doe their Sacrifice could not make peace farther then the soule was lead unto Christ see Heb. 10.1 The Law having but a shadow of things to come can never with those sacrifices that they offer make the commers thereunto perfect and ver 4. For it is not possible that the bloud of buls and goats should take away sin Christ hath done that which the bloud of buls and goats could not doe that which never a High-Priest in the world could doe he hath taken away sin he hath made peace and every believer receives the atonement from his hands Rom. 5.11 By whom namely Christ we have now received the atonement O beloved What doe your soules say to this Christ hath wrought peace for every soul rightly receiving him he hath done that which the Priest could not do he hath done that thou thy selfe couldest never have done if the Load help thee rightly to look to him and this hee hath done in offering himselfe a Sacrifice for sinne dying upon the crosse How should this informe poor creatures where to look for their peace and atonement O doe not loook for it in duties in teats in professions it is not crying but dying that will take away sin it is not tears but bloud that will make peace Col. 1.20 Heb. 9.22 Without bloud there is no remission believe it if ever thou hast peace thou must have 〈◊〉 from a Christ dying Rom. S. 33 34. Who shall lay any things to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed c. Hee dyed for our sins and rose again for our iustification Rom. 4.25 it is through him who hath given himselfe a Sacrifice for sin that you must come to see your sin pardoned if ever you see it pardoned O how doe poor ignorant blind creature deceive themselves seeking peace where it 〈◊〉 not to be found in duties tears c. The dig broken cisterns to themselves that will hold no water They that is the reason they are so empty compaesse themselves about with sparks of their own kindling Esay 50.11 that is the reason they ly down in sorrow they seek the living among the dead that is living consolations amongst dead works and that is the reason they finde it not believe it beloved if ever your soules enjoy true peace it must be let into your soules by a dying Christ if ever you are saved it must be by eying of and believing in the Lord Jesus Esay 45.22 3 The High-Priest was to bear the names of the children of Israel in two srones between their shoulders Exod. 28.12 so hath Christ born not onely the names but
the earth they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living water O beloved will it not be a shame when men shall professe Christianity all their dayes when they shall hear and pray and performe duties resting in those things and when they shall come to appear before the Lord Jesus shall be rejected Esay 45.16 They shall be ashamed and also confounded all of them together that are makers of Idols that rest upon any thing beneath Christ wher 's the Lords Israel ver 17. shall be saved with an everlasting salvation c. and they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that shall never be removed Psal 125.1 4 Lastly to trust in any thing beneath the Lord Jesus is a cursed damning sin so it is to those that live and die in that condition see Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say in that day Lord Lord have wee not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull works and then will he professe to them I never knew you depart from me yee that work iniquity O beloved this will be the sad sentence pronounced against all that shall come before Christ at the last day in their own righteousnesse see Luke 13.27 depart from me ye workers of iniquity there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth 3 Use A word of exhortation If it be so that Christ be the alone High-Priest and peacemaker between God and man O how should this stir up your soules to look to Jesus for salvation doe not mistake me I shall not set you upon this duty as if it were in your own power to doe it it is God that worketh both to will and to doe of his own good pleasure but as a means by which God may come in with power upon thy spirit working up thy soule above thy selfe to his Son and to incourage any poor soule to whom God shall be plesed to come in graciously in his own means Note first God calls thee to look above and beyond all to himselfe in his Son see Esay 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth and Esay 55.1 O every one that thirsteth come buy wine and milke without money and without price wherefore will you spend your money for that which is not bread O beloved God would not have poor souls for which Christ dyed to spend their time for that which is not bread he hath given Christ the living bread for that very end and purpose God hath given his Son a Sacrifice a peace-offering for sin so making reconciliation for the sins of his people he hath put in us the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ sayth the Apostle as though God did beseech you by us to be reconciled unto him that is to receive this reconciliation held forth by Christ in the Word O beloved what doe your soules say to this is reconciliation and peace with God through Jesus Christ worth the owning is it worth the receiving men and women consider of it Act. 13.26 Men and brothren children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth the Lord to you is the word of salvation sent to whom ever among you God shall give an eye to see it and a hand to receive it to you it is sent 2 Consider Christ is ready to receive when ever you come unto him hee will not put you off John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out O beloved the Lord is ready to receive sinners the worst of firmers the greatest of sinners believe it the Lord never did nonever will cast forth a poore sinner that comes to him in truth that is who the Father draws to him See the Parable of the prodigall son Luke 15.20 his father seeing him afar off ran and met him and embraced him ô the readinesse of God to embrace poore sinners that come unto him witnesse Mary Magdalen Saul Acts 9. The betrayers and murderers of the Lord of life Acts 2. All which manifests the readinesse of God to receive sinners and believe it hee would never invite thee he would never give thee a heart willing to come to him did hee not intend willingly to embrace thee 2 Exhortation for the Saints if wee have such a High-Priest making peace and reconciliation for us ô beloved how should this incourage us to hold fast our profession to the end this is the use the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews makes of it Chap. 4.14 Having then such a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens the Son of God lee us hold fast our profession or confession let us hold it fast with a strong hand so the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hold fast your profession with a violent or strong hand Now there are three things that are all most ready to make a poor Christian many times to throw away his profession 1 The power and strength of corruption 2 Inability and indisposednesse to that which is good 3 Those hard temptations and tryalls that they are lyable unto in their Christian progresse Against these three diseases will flow in from Christ our great High-Priest reamedies answerable even to the satisfaction of the soule The first is the power and strength of corruption this is that which troubles thee is it not poore soule ô thou hast such a body of sin such a vile cursed nature thou artready to cry out as the Apostle Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of sin And as Esay Chap. 6.5 Wo is me I am undone I am a man of polluted lips c. and this makes thee almost ready to throw away thy profession To this I shall propound a threesold remedy all flowing from a crncified Christ from Christ as he is our High-Priest 1 That all the sins of believers were condemned in the flesh of Christ Rom. 8.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth the pronouncing of guilt and so of condemnation upon Christ Beloved Christ hath born the guilt and punishment of all thy sins to whom hee hath given faith in his bloud all those lusts and corruptions that so much trouble thee he hath born them all 1 Pet. 1.24 Hee bare our sins in his own body on the crosse c. 2 He hath destroyed the power of all thy sins as hee is a High-priest See John 3.8.9 For this cause the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devill Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin that is as he is born of God he doth not sin willingly with his mind hee can say as the Apostle Paul Rom. 7.17 It is no more I that do it but sin that is I Paul borne of God do not sin O here is the power of sin destroyed though there is and will be the
spirits are ever carryed forth against sin 2 The Saints cannot but deny sin as they stand related to Christ in relation to his glory Christ is holy and he will have a holy people that may be for his praise and honour 1 Pet. 2.9 But yee are a chosen generation a royall priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people why That yee should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light Christ hath made you and I holy that so we might shew forth his praise that is that so we might give occasion to praise God Are not the eyes of the world upon the Saints expecting much from them although it is true they doe not nay they cannot love holinesse yet they expect the Saints to be holy and to deny sin are they not ready to watch opportunities to scandall Saints and truth withall and would it not be a very sad and grievous thing if those that professe themselves to be for Christ should give just cause of offence would it not be very dishonourable to the name of the Gospel and profession of Christ therefore Christ teaches men and women where he comes to deny ungodlinesse and sin and to live soberly righteously and godly in this world It is his exhortation Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Let your light shine before the men of the world that they may have no cause to speak evill but rather cause to glorisie God Let your light so shine before the Saints that they may rejoyce and glorifie God A close walking with God is that which gives great cause of joy and rejoycing in each other and an occasion of praysing God one for another so the Apostle Rom. 1.8 I thank God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of through all the world How was their faith spoken of it was the fruit of their faith their obedience in walking up with God answerable to that faith they professed for by our works we manifest our faith so likewise Phil. 1.3 5. the Apostle thanks God for their constant fellowship in the Gospel from their first submitting to it This is a cause of joy But on the contrary for such as beare the name of Christians to live in and delight in sin to be vain and carnall and earthly this is a cause of sorrow and weeping amongst Saints Phil. 3.18 For many walke of whom I told you before and now tell you weeping they are enemies to the crosse of Christ they cause the crosse of Christ and the way of Christ to bee evill spoken of a cause of sadnesse indeed to the Saints 3 Reason Why Christ teacheth his to deny self wisdome self love self will and all of self is because they are to take up their crosse and to follow Christ that is they must expect reproaches afflictions tribulations for the name and sake of Christ John 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulations Now what wise man in the world can or will suffer reproch the losse of the world and the worlds reputation the losse of friends liberty ease it may be of life it selfe in a word all that is neer and deer to the carnall man what man but a foole thinks the wise men of the world is there that will lose all on such light terms as the gaining of a crucified Christ A man not taught of Jesus as the truth is in Jesus can never suffer with comfort and joy these things the Saints are like to suffer for the name of Iesus Self wisdom and self love will come in O sayth wise selse when it eyes that persecution those hardships that are like to follow those that follow Christ May I not passe by such atruth and such a practice and it be a Christian and get to heaven what need I to adventure my selfe upon such hardships when perhaps for the neglecting of such or such an opinion or practice I may attain my liberty my good reputation Is it not a sad thing that men professing Christ should thus consult with flesh and bloud the Apostle Paul did not so when hee was converted to the faith of Iesus hee consulted not with flesh and bloud Gal. 1.16 It is self wisdom and self love that sets men to consulting with flesh and bloud but flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 That is a man not taught of Christ not made partaker of his divine nature and grace bearing only the image of the earthly Adam cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven When a man shall come to submit to Gospell Ordinances which are contemptible in the eyes of the world for which hee is like to suffer shame and disgrace here is need of self deniall O sayth the self denying Christian Let mee submit to Christ to every truth to every ordinance although I suffer losse in the world reproch and shame from my friends and acquaintance though I loose the love of my best friends whether father mother husband wife c. yet sayth the self denying Christian Christ hath sayd that who so loveth father mother wife or children more then me is not worthy of me and the love that CHRIST hath shed abroad in my heart by his Spirit Rom. 5.5 constraineth me to deny my selfe and follow Christ in all conditions 2 Cor. 5.14 Thus you see the self denying soul and none else is meet to be a Diseiple a follower of Christ hee is ready to take up the crosse daily and to follow him 4 Christ teacheth his to deny self sufficiency and self strength that so they may be able to hold out in the evill day when a day of adversity comes when a man is put to it eyther by his spiritual or temporal enemy Blessed are they then that trust in the Lord Psal 2.12 Men standing upon their own strength are gone Esay 40.30 The youth shall faint and be we ary the young men shall utterly fail that is those that apprehend a power in themselves to stand but Verse 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint If men stand upon their own strength they are like to fall Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall But they that see an insufficiency in themselves and trust upon the name of the Lord shall be as mount Sion that shall never be moved Psal 125.1 but abideth for ever Christ would have his work to be a perfect and fair work his covenant a sure covenant Esay 55.3 Therefore hee undertakes not only to bring men and women intocovenant but to keep them there Ier. 32.40 I will not turn from them they shall not depart from me sayth the Lord. But if Christ had left the power of standing to man hee might
for their good the end wherefore he hath saved them That he might have a people to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1.74.75 So that the Saints are not their own They are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods They are Gods own by purchase and he purchased them That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 10.11 Thus you see there is good reason that Christ should be King of Saints He was borne to it He is thereunto appointed He hath purchased them for that end and purpose Use A word of information if it be so that Christ be the King of his people and he alone ought to rule in all spirituall things then 1 Those that get in to the throne of Christ beare rule where Christ should are no friends to him He who ever he be That exalts himselfe above all that is called God and sits in the seat of God is the Antichrist 2 Thess 2.4 8. Whom Christ will take as his enemy and destroy him with the breath of his mouth and the brightnesse of his comming 2 Those are enemies who will not have Christ to reign over them who resolve to submit to the power of man in the things of God they are no friends to Christ but enemies and so he will take them and so he will deal with them Luke 19 27. But those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before mee c. Acts 3.23 And he that will not he are this Prophet shall be cut off from amongst his people 3 If the kingdom of Christ be spirituall not of this World then those are no friends to Christ that turn the World into Church I mean by a humane Law and Ordinance Let men turn the World into Church by preaching as fast as they can or as Christ will but to compell all to bring in earthly ignorant carnall men into the Church of Christ is not as according to the mind of Christ Ezek. 44.7 to the 14. and this is none of Christs Church but the Synagogue of Satan the World and not the Church And truly I am apt to conceive from that fore-mentioned Scripture that those that have been chiefe in this businesse who are godly amongst them shall never be honoured with doing much in the work of God but they shal come in last they shall be the meanest and the lowest I mean with relation to gifts in the house of God This may seeme strange to some but a truth for God will have none to glory in their own present gifts or excellency but that hee that gloryeth may glory in the Lord. Use 2. If the Kingdome of Christ be spirituall then here is a word of exhortation to stirre up spirituall people spirituall men and women to submit to Christ to come under the government of Christ to walk with to have fellowship with the spirituall people of Christ Beloved it is a sad thing to see spirituall people to walk with the World to joyn in the Worlds fellowship in the Worlds worship What communion hath light with darknesse What fellowship hath Christ with Beliall What part hath the believer with the unbeliever ô that the exhortation might take place in your souls Come out from amongst them and be yee separate and I will receive you 2 Cor. 6.17 The Lords people are a holy people and the Lords ways are holy ways Holinesse becomes thy house ô Lord for ever Use 3. A word of consolation and joy for the Saints the Church the kingdome of Christ you have cause of joy and cause of rejoycing First that you have such a king a great king above all gods hee that is the Lord of Lords and the king of kings hee is our king he is the king of Saints the Saints have such a king who is able to defend them able to save them from all their enemies and he will save them he is able to dash all his and his Saints enemies in peeces like a potters vessell and he will he shall do it Psal 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron and dash them in peeces like a potters vessel Be wise now therefore ô ye Kings and be instructed yee judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling kisse the Son least he be angry c. But let the Saints rejoyce in the Lord let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in their King Psal 149.2 2 The Saints have cause to rejoyce and to be comforted they are all made Kings to the Lord. They are Kings and they shall reign they reign already over sin and lust over Satan Rom. 6.12 Sin shall not have dominion over you others are slaves to sin and Satan sin reigns in and over them but the Saints reign over sin they have a Kingdom already within them without them the Church which is both Christs and the Saints Kingdom where Christ and the Christian solace themselves together and they shall have a Kingdom although they are now rejected and reproached of men Servants ride on horseback and Princes walke as servants on the ground Ecles 10.7 but they shall rule and have dominion they shall reign for they are made Kings Rev. 1.6 chap. 5.10 They shall rule their enemies those that perhaps formerly have ruled them Rev. 2.26 27. To him that overcommeth and keepeth my words to the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father Thus Christ shall judge thus the Saints shall judge Psal 149.5 6. A wonderfull comfort for the Saints but a sad word for the enemies both of Christ and Christians Let the Saints be joyfull in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds let the high praises of God be in their mouthes and a two edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishment upon the people to binde their Kings in chains and their Nobles in fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written this honour have all the Saints praise the Lord Thus the Saints are made Kings you see and shall have dominion and rule and a Kingdom although they are rejected and slighted and counted the off-scouring of all things here by the men of the world yet they are Kings and shall have a kingdom A great joy for Christians Dan. 7.27 Luke 12.32 Lastly this should stir up the Saints to walk humbly to walk holily as becommeth the subjects of the spirituall kingdome of Iesus Christ that as Christ hath called them out of this world so they should no longer fashion themselves like unto this world but walk as becomes Christians professing godlines