of heaven is approaching Surely therefore this is the great Motive the motive of motives In the invitation to the great Supper spoken of in the Gospel what is the motive used for to bring men unto the supper but this Come for all things are now ready Mercy is ready the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is ready Come for all things are now ready this is the motive that is used there And if ye look into the 12. Chapter of Paul to the Romans ye shall find at the 1. verse That when the Apostle doth exhort them to present themselves a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God he perswades by this motive of mercy I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice I beseech ye therefore That Therefore sends us unto the former Chapter to enquire what these mercies were At the 30. verse of the former Chapter he saies unto them For as ye in times past have not beleeved God yet now have obtained mercy through their unbeliefe The Jewes were cast off and the Gentiles these Romans received to mercy the Kingdom of Heaven did come to them the Gospel effectually preach't to them the Doctrine of free-remission of poor sinners Now saies he I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice The Scripture is full of this But for our better opening and clearing of this Truth Let us I pray descend into the particulars of Repentance and consider how the grace and mercy and love of God in Christ which is the substance of this Kingdom of Heaven hath an influence upon them all and how all of them are caused thereby First A man that does Repent must see and know his sins true-sight of sin is requisite to true Repentance Indeed a man may in some measure attain unto the knowledge and discovery of his sin by some Affliction when Adoni-bezek had his fingers and toes cut off you know what he said Thus have I done Afflictions do un-leave a man take off his leaves when the leaves are off the hedges ye see those birds-nests that ye could not see before when the leaves were on And so when affliction hath made one naked and taken ones leaves off a man is able to see those nests of corruption in his own heart that he never did see before The Apostle saies By the Law is the knowledge of sin but now though by the Law as by a rule we come to the knowledge of our sin and by Affliction we are help't to see the nests of our own hearts yet notwithstanding a man cannot see his sins fully but by Gospel-light it is a work of the Spirit to convince of sin I will send the Spirit the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin And where does the Spirit breath but in the Gospel the Kingdom of Heaven the preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit saies the Apostle by the works of the Law or by the preaching of faith When once Esay the Prophet had had a fight of Christ he cries out Vae mihi I am undone We is me I am undone I am unclean Again for I will but touch upon these As a man must know his sin So if he will repent truly he must be grieved and humbled for it If you look into the 7. of Luke ye may see what work it had A woman a great sinner comes to Christ and she washes his feet with her teares what made her do so She loved much for much was forgiven her So that the more the love and mercy of God in Chrst is opened in the Gospel or does make it's approach unto a soul the more the soul is set a weeping and mourning for sin committed Again As a man Repenting must be grieved for sin committed So he must and he will loath himself self-loa-thing is requisite to Repentance If a man have taken a surfet by cating or drinking he does not only loath the meat which caused the surfet but he loaths the very Vessel that hath the smell of the meat or the liquor in it So now when a man comes to Repent he does not only loath his sin but he loaths himselfe the vessel where the sinne was Oh! these filthy eyes of mine Oh! these vile hands Oh! this vile heart of mine hee loaths himself But what causes this self-loathing Th Prophet Ezekiel will tell ye in the 20. of Ezekiel the 41 42 and 43. verses Then shall ye loath your selves when I am pacified or when God had shown them mercy caused his love to approach unto them Then should they loath themselves 'T is not all your Afflictions nor all my Threatnings saies God that will make ye to loath your selves but when ye see my love my grace my pardoning mercy then shall ye loath your selves not your sins only but your selves also Again A Repenting person does not only loath himself for his sin but he is ashamed of it he is ashamed of his former evil waies What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed not before but wereof ye are now ashamed So long as a man walks in the dark he does not blush he is not ashamed though his Cloaths be ragged and torne and his naked flesh appears because he is in the dark But if he come to the light then he blushes that his nakedness appears And so long as men are in their sins and are in darkness they are not ashamed of their sins because they are in darkness But when once they come to the light then they blush and then they are ashamed What light is that that will ashame one of sin there is light enough in hel-fire for the damned there to reade their sins by but that don't make them ashamed where the light of the Gospel the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven is and pardoning love is there is shame Ye shall see therefore how Ezra bulshes when he considered the love of God and their sins together in the 9. of Ezra and the 6. verse And he said O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God Why for our iniquities are increased Is that all No saies he at the 8. verse for a little space grace hath been shewed us from the Lord our God to give us a remnant to eseape and to give us a nail in his Holy place we were bond-men yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage And now O our God what shall we say after this after this The sight of their own sins and the remembrance of Gods love together made him blush Ye know the place in Ezekiel Then shall ye be confounded and ashamed when I am pacified towards ye The more a man knows that God is pacified towards him the more he is ashamed Again A Repenting person is not only ashamed of his former evil waies but as occasion serves he will acknowledge his
the Sea side you see the water you see abundance of water ye hear the water roaring and raging and making a noise but you do not see the Gold and the Silver that lies at the bottom of the Sea you see the water of the Sea but you do not see the wealth that is in the Sea So now when you go and look upon a Beleever you behold his troubles you see his waves and al the troubles that beat upon him Oh! but the wealth of a Beleever the Fulness of a Beleever the Fulnes of Christ that is in him that you see not 't is hid from the world and 't is hid from himself many times And therefore saies the Apostle Our life is hid with God in Christ Coll. 3.3 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with Him in glory Secondly Though there be a communication of the Fulnesse of Christ unto all Beleevers yet He does communicate as a universal Cause The universall Cause doth seldom or never produce particular effects but with a concurrence of particular Causes The Sun is the universal Cause of all the fruitfulnesse that is upon the earth Yet notwithstanding it does produce the Fruit your Corne Barly and Rye and Wheat with the help of man The ground is plowen and sowen The River or the Fountain is the universal Cause of the Water that yee have in your houses but yet notwithstanding you have not this Water but by pipes and conveyance and when ye want water in your house you do not say There is no water in the Thames there 's no water in the Fountain No but surely the pipe is broken the pipe is stopt or we want some pipe or other So now when you want Grace and when you are empty of Grace you are not to say Oh! it is because there is not enough in Christ or Christ is not willing but rather surely the pipe is broken or we want this or that Ordinance the pipe is not clean the pipe is stopt and therefore we are so empty of Grace as we are Thirdly Though there be a communication of the Fulnesse of Christ unto all Beleevers yet notwith standing he does it in proportion Mark Christ does give unto every man according to the place that he bears in his body As the soul the soul sends forth life and motion to all the members but the soul does not give a hearing faculty unto the eye nor the soul does not give a seeing faculty unto the eare neither can the foot say I have nothing from the soul because I cannot speak like the tongue neither can the tongue say I have nothing from the soul because I cannot walk like the foot So the Lord Jesus Christ He doth observe what place every man doth bear in His Body accordingly He doth give forth Grace unto men You cannot say thus Surely I have none of Christ because I cannot pray and do so as others do But mark what is the place the you do bear in the Body of Christ and you may go to Christ for strength for that you may say thus Lord through thy Grace thou hast given me such a place in Thy Body and I want strength for that O! let me have it from Thee Fourthly Though there be a communication of the Fulnesse of Christ unto all Beleevers yet 't is according to their necessities and wants The lace you know 't is laid upon the seam upon the seam there lyes the lace lace indeed may be laid upon the whol cloath but ordinarily your silken-lace your silver-lace your golden-lace 't is laid upon the seam Now the Lord Jesus Christ He knows all the seams of your life all the seams of your life there He laies His Golden-Lace on Mark therefore what are the seams of thy life and see if Christ hath not laid on something there pa Take but these Four Considerations together and there is a sufficient Answer to that Objection I come to the Application Applic. And whilst I stand upon this point Me thinks here I see the transcendant excellency of the Saints of Beleevers and the betterness of their condition above the men of the world though they be never so Rich or Great Beloved Every man is according to the fulnesse that he doth live upon There is the Fulnesse of the Earth 1 Cor. 10 26. The Earth is the Lords and the Fulness thereof And wicked men they are said to be filled with this Whose bellies Thou fillest with hid Treasures Psalme the 17. And there is the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ And of this Fulnesse the Saints and Beleevers do all receive and partake Look therefore what a difference there is between these fulnesse's The fulnesie of the Earth And the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ such a mighty difference in point of excellency there is between a Beleever though he be never so poor and a wicked man-though he be never so rich Give me leave a little to open the difference of these Fulnesses to you that so you may see the difference betwwen men and men and be incouraged unto a godly course First The fulness of the world it is fulness made up of many things Martha Martha Luke 10.41 saies Christ thou art busied about many thing 'T is a fulness made up of many things and therefore not a Homogenial fulness The fulnes of Christ is a fulnes made up of one thing the Deitie in whom the God-head dwells and therefore 't is a Homogenial fulness every part of it is fulness every part of a Homogenial body hath the name of the whole Wvery part of water is called water though it be but a drop Every part of fire is fire though it be but a spark And Every part of Heaven it is called Heaven though it be but a corner of Heaven And so every part of the Fulness of Jesus Christ is fulness As the Philosophers say of the soul Animatota in toto that the soul is wholly in the whol and wholly in every part So the Fulness of Christ 't is wholly in the Church and 't is wholly in every Beleever Every Beleever may come and say I have all Christ But as for the fulness of the world every one that hath the worlds fulness cannot say so I have all the worlds fulness Secondly The fulness of the earth is a fulness made up of the worser things The world it is a great Body and it hath in it some things that are of a grosser more drossy nature and some things that are of a finer nature The fulness of the earth it is of the drossy and the grosser part of the world Oh! but the Fulness of Christ it is of the finer part and the fulness that does come from Him unto Beleevers the best of the bests wine of the lees and marrow out of the bones and wine well refined 't is of the finer part of the world The other is but
it labor not in word but in deed to lift up the Name of Iesus Christ SERMON VI. JOHN 1. 16. Preached at Margrets newfishstreet Dec. 22. 1645. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace THREE Things ye heard are to be noted in this last Clause as it stands in relation to the former part of the verse First It notes An Abundance of Grace Secondly It notes thus much That whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ And of these Two I have I have spoken already The Third now follos It notes also An Answerableness of Grace in every Christian unto the Grace of Christ of whose Fulness we have all received Even Grace for Grace Grace Answerable to His Grace We have not only received Abundance of Grace from Christ but whatsoever Grace or Holiness there is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in the Saints that is Answerable thereunto And this now sutes w th your ordinary expression When the Seal fals upon the wax and the wax receives it rightly ye say there is upon the wax Stamp for Stamp Character for Character Image for Image So here Grace for Grace that is whatsoever Grace there is in Christ there is the like stamp upon the heart of every Christian This also sutes with that expression of Scripture Mat. 5.38 An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth That is an eye answerable unto an eye a tooth answerable to a tooth So Grace for Grace that is answerable Grace whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in Christ Something in a Christian that Answers thereunto Take Grace for Favour Mat. 3.17 2 Sam. 12.25 for the Favour of God And is Jesus Christ called the Beloved of God This is my Beloved Son So are the Saints too Solomon called Jedidiah The beloved of God Take Grace for Priviledge Is Jesus Christ called the Son of God This is my beloved Son So are the Saints too Every Son whom he loves c. Heb. 12.6 Is He called an Heir a Heb. 1.2 The Heir of all things The Saints are said to be b Rom. 8.17 Heirs and Coheirs with Jesus Christ Is He called c 1 Pet. 2.6 Elect and Precious So are they too d 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect and precious Is He called Gods e Zach. 13.7 Fellow as ye have it in Zachary The Saints they are called His Fellows f Heb. 1.9 Who is anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows That is above the Saints Is He called the Light g Joh. 8.12 The Light of the world The true Light They are called Light too h Eph. 5.8 Ye were darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord. Take Grace for Assistance And had Jesus Christ felt an Assistance from God the Father As ye reade at large in the 22. Psalm so have the Saints too i 1 Cor. 12.9 Joh. 17.9 Ibid. Joh. 1.14 Act 7.55 My Grace is sufficient for thee Take Grace for Holiness or Sanctification And is He said to be Sanctified For this cause have I sanctified my self So are the Saints also said to be sanctified That they also may be sanctified Is He said to be Full of Grace Full of Grace and Truth So are the Saints too Some of them Steven full of Grace and Mary full of Grace Oh! what a glorious mercy is here before us now Whatsoever Grace and holiness there is in Christ somewhat in the Saints that is Answerable thereunto Let us awaken and stir up our selves for to look into it Ye reade of a fellowship that the Saints have with Christ in that 1 Epistle of John the 1. Chapter and the 3. verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communio 1 Cor. 1.2 Societas Gal. 2.9 That which we have heard and seen declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ He does exhort them to fellowship with them with the Saints upon this ground and motive because their fellowship was with the Father and with the Son He does assert this fellowship with the Father and with the Son with the most ingenious asseveration And truly our fellowship may be you will think this no great matter truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ And so in that known place in the 1 Corinths 10.16 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ As you reade it 't is the same word fellowship And in the 1 Cor. 1.9 ver 't is said God is faithful by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord The same word there too The word that is used in the Acts of the Apostles where 't is said Act 2.44 That the Disciples had all things common Look therefore as it is in a Society where they have all things Common such is the fellowship that is between Christ and the Saints They have not any Sin but it is imputed to Jesus Christ though it be great or small and He hath not any Grace but it is communicated to all the Saints hath not any Grace but they have some Grace or other that is Answerable thereunto This is a great matter Would you know the reason now Grace for Grace Grace Answerable to His Grace First of all There is a glorious Rea. 1 and blessed union between Christ and every Christian a union beyond all expression It is compar'd indeed unto the union that is between the Head and the Members the Root and the Branches the Husband and the Wife but though they come up unto what Christ intended yet they all fall short of this Vnion that is between Christ and a Christian for the Head is not in the Members nor the Members in the Head mutually but Christ in them and they in Christ I in you Joh. 14.20 and you in me saith He It is a union of mutual in-being not a union of affection only such as the stones have when they lye together in a great heap but rather such as is between the wine and the water when they are put together saving that they are not mixt together Christ is not mixt with a Christian a Christian is not mixt with Christ Christ is not a Christian a Christian is not Christ but there is a union of mutual in-being Now you know when the fire gets into the Iron is united to it is in it the properties of the fire are cōmunicated to the Iron the Iron forgets his own blackness shines w th the shining of the fire burns w th the burning of the fire And as a coal a char-coal though it be never so dark and black a body when the fire comes gets into it the properties of the fire are communicated to it and it burns like the fire it self and melts like the fire it self and shines like
the fire it self So when the Lord Jesus Christ is united to a soul look what Excellencies there are in Christ what Graces in Christ the same are Communicated to it the soul shines with Christs shining and warms with His warming there is Grace Answerable for His Grace You know there was a blessed union between the second Person and our Nature our flesh the second Person takes our Nature upon him and being united to our flesh by vertue of the hypostatical union the idioms and properties of the one are given to the other God hath no flesh God hath no blood and yet we reade in the Acts of the Apostles of the blood of God because of the union the properties of the flesh and of mans nature are given to God Eph. 4.10 So saies the Apostle He that descended is the same also that ascended God does not descend for He is every where but by reason of the union what is proper to the flesh is given to God And so now in this mistical Vnion there being such a glorious and blessed union between Christ and a Christian whatsoever Grace or Excellency or property is in Christ Himself there is an Answerableness of Grace an excellency wrought in the heart of every Christian he hath Grace for Grace he hath stamp for stamp And again Secondly Rea. 2 The Lord Jesus Christ is our second Adam a Common person between God and us Now look as it was concerning our fore-father Adam being a Common person look what nature he had we have He was made up of soul and body and so are we His body had legs and arms and other members and we have member for member we have head for head and arms for arms and legs for legs And so he sinning we have sin for his sin pride for his pride and unbelief for his unbelief because he was a Common person So I say Jesus Christ being our Second Adam look what Grace he had the Saints have they have Grace for His Grace they have Holiness for His Holiness The Apostle saies in the 5. of the Romans That as by one mans offence death came So through the gift of Grace Grace hath abounded But not as the offence saies he at the 15. verse So also is the Free-gift For if through the offence of one man many be dead much more the Grace of God and the gift by Grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Now if we should not have Grace for Grace from Christ as we had sin for sin from the first Adam how should Grace superabound Our Lord and Savior Christ saies himself I have life in my Self The Son hath life in Himself Joh. 5.26 which laid to that expression which you have in the 1. of Genesis speaks to our purpose the 11. and 12. verses God said Let the Earth bring forth grass the herb yeelding seed and the fruit-tree yeelding fruit after his kind whose seed is in it self And so again at the 12. verse Whose seed was in it self That is these Creatures had a power in themselves to bring forth their like And so saies Jesus Christ as other Creatures had seed in themselves to bring forth their like So have I life in my Self and am able to bring forth my like and so He does for He is our Second Adam and therefore as we had sin for sin from the First Adam we must have Grace for Grace from the Second Adam also Thirdly There is an incomparable and glorious Rea. 3 blessed love between Christ and a Christian Love loves to make a thing loved to be like it self Love in an Inferiour is of an Imitating Nature and love in a Superiour is of a Similitating Nature Now therefore if there be love between Christ and a Christian they must needs be very like and love there is Christ loves the Saints above all the world and the Saints love Christ above all the world Only Christs love exceeds for when the Spouse speaks of Christ in the Canticles she cals Him My beloved in the Concrete but when He speaks of her He cals her my love my dove in the Abstract Jesus Christ had loving thoughts towards the Saints before the world was as ye reade in the 8. of the Proverbs and the 29. verse Saies wisdom and so Christ there When He gave to the Sea His Decree that the waters should not pass His Commandement when He appointed the foundations of the earth Then I was by Him as one brought up with Him I was daily His delight verse the 31. Rejoycing in the habitable part of His earth and my delights were with the sons of men Jesus Christ was then in the bosom of His Father He had enough to take up His heart with full delight and yet notwithstanding before the Saints were His love was towards them and His delight was in them Surely if He loved them so much before they had a being when they have a being He will exercise and put forth that old and ancient love of His in more abundance towards them When a man loves a Maid or a Virgin while she is in her fathers house she is set a part for him but now afterward when she leaves her fathers house and all her kindred that she may only cleave unto him then his heart is drawn out more How am I ingaged saies he to love this woman that hath left all the world to come unto me So there was love in Christ towards the Saints while they were but set a part for Him in Gods Decree but now when they shall leave their fathers house for Him will He not then delight in them See what is said in the 45. Psalm Hearken O daughter at the 10. verse and consider and incline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy fathers house So shall the King greatly desire or delight in thy beauty But delight in them and love them he cannot unless they be like unto him for the lover loves to make a thing loved to be like himself or himself to be like to it The lover would if he could melt himself into a One-ness with the thing loved Indeed our love is scant and we cannot do it Moses of whom the Law is signified might chip and pare his wives nailes but he could not change her countenance A man may love his wife and bestow much upon her but he is not able to change her countenance to make her to be like himself But Jesus Christ hath this happiness above all the world His love hath this happiness above all other love that He is able to melt the person loved the soul loved into His own likeness and therefore wherever Jesus Christ sets His heart upon any soul to delight in any He draws His Image upon them makes the soul to be like unto Him what Grace He hath Himself He does communicate it unto that soul that there is an Answerableness of Grace Even Grace for
THE WORKS OF WILLIAM BRIDGE Sometime Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in CAMBRIDGE NOW Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth The second Volumn VIZ. I. Grace for Grace or The overflowings of Christs fulness received by all Saints II. The Spiritual actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities III. Evangelical Repentance London Printed by Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1649. To the Reader THat we may at least stay the longings of many thirsty Souls with a sweet Rellish of a promising Vintage of new Wine this year we have slipt off this Second ripe Cluster of Grapes from its fellows which if it be squeezed in the hand of Faith will prove it self to be so rich fragrant and sparkling with the the Blood Juyce and Spirit of the Gospel that it needs not the Purple of our Epistle Recommendatory to welcom it to any that are in truth the living Branches of the true Vine Yet to the end we may happily invite some that are without to come in that they also may both see and taste how good the Lord is to the Children of the Bride chamber READER Stand a while at the Well head with the poor woman of Samaria admiring the infinite dimensions of those waters of Life that are fountain'd up in Jesus Christ of whose fulness we All receive even gracef or grace The Saints may be brim full of the holy Spirit as Stephen was but its according to measure a Vessel-fulness but Christ above or without measure a Spring-fulness which is not onely repletive but diffusive unsearchable unmeasurable The great Ocean is too little to shadow out the over flowings of this fulness for take away a drop or two from thence it presently suffers a diminution But though this Fountain of Salvation should shed abroad his love upon all the world of the Elect as the waters cover the Sea yet it is ever full running over There is not the less light or heat in this Sun of Righteousness though he daily ariseth with healing in his wings unto them that fear his Name from East to West He is resterday to day and for ever the same This is no Hyperbolie Nec Christus nec Coelum patitur Hyperbolum Sic Lutheras but the language of Canaan Oh that this unspeakable Fulness of Heaven and Earth or Saints and Angels that fills All in All did now constrain thee to cast thy empty Pitcher into these Depths of his Grace so shouldst thou with this beloved Evangelist and the rest that are included in this WE ALL receive even grace for grace To act Faith is the principal use which directly flows out from every Doctrine about Jesus Christ We shall Appeal unto thee whose eye is fixed on this full Book of Grace Is not fulness in other things a Conquering golden Argument Did not Josephs treasure of Corn prevail with good old Jacob and his Sons to go down into Egypt And shall not this one Gospel Joseph who alone is the Bread of Life that once came down from Heaven to feed hungry souls engage thee almost famished to come unto him for this Staff of Life that thou mayest live Were they not the Floods of milk and honey that did run down the Promised Land that did set the Israelites teeth on edge to be there And shall not the overflowings of Christs heart in heaven towards sinners on earth make thee to hunger and thirst after his Righteousness who is the Lord our Righteousness Was it not the Abundance of Solomons natural wisdom which was as a constellation of Stars in his Crown that invited the Queen of Sheba to travel from the utmost parts of Arabia to kneel before his Throne And is there not a greater then Solomon here who is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his person full of grace and truth Oh where where then are the Spiritual actings of thy Soul upon him Abrahams Faith was a very lively vigorous and a more then conquering Faith when the Sentence of Death was apparant on the head of the Mercy and the womb leading to it and is thy faith like a tree twice dead plucked up by the roots God forbid Oh remember the fulness of the Infiniteness of all Perfections that are originally in the Lord being able to fill up all the empty chinks void places the unsatisfied gaspings and yawnings of the vast Spirit of-man We shall seal up all with the Evangelical words of that voyce of Christ eccho'd in a wilderness as the great Motive of all Motives The Kingdom of Heaven of Grace of Christ and all his Benefits is at hand hath approached Therefore Believe Repent Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing Thine in and for Jesus Christ and his fulness that thou mayest receive even grace for grace William Greenhil William Adderley Iohn Yates The Titles of the first Volumn I. The great Gospel-Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office II. Satans power to Tempt and Christs love to and care of his people under Temptation III. Thankfulness required in every condition THE CONTENTS Of the Second VOLVMNE JOHN 1.16 SERMON I Doctrine 1. THERE is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Page 3 Opened Ibid Grace taken 3. waies 1 For the love and favour of God ibid 2 For holiness Page 6 Proved by Demonstrations Page 7 Objections answered Page 9 3 For gifts and abilities ibid Proved Application Duty 1 Let all men come to Christ Page 12 Objections answered Duty 2 Let all trust unto him and build upon him Page 14 Duty 3 It is our duty to draw forth this fulness 1 By a frequent eying of it Page 15 2 By resting up on it in the time of tempt at on Page 16 3 By giving it foirth to others ibid Duty 4 Let us labour to be like to him ibid Duty 5 Take heed how we do any thing that may rob Christ of glory of his fulness SERMON II John 1.16 Proposition cleered Page 20 Doct. 2 All the Saints and people of God do pertake of the fulness of Christ in a way of receiving Page 20 Divided into two parts Page 21 1 There is a communication of the fulnesse of Jesus Christ unto all beleevers ibid 2 Whatsoever Grace or holinesse the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving ibid The former proved Reason 1. Because there is a union between Christ and a beleever ibid 2 By 4. propositions 1 There is an infinite treasury of grace in Jesus Christ Page 22 2 What grace soever and holinesse he received as mediator he received not for himself but for others ibid 3 There is an infinite willingnesse in Jesus Christ to communicate his grace to the sons of men Page 25 4 There is nothing in heaven or earth can hinder him from doing all Page 28 Objection Why are beleevers so empty of grace Answered 1 The
99. 101 What good a Christian receives hence 1 Jesus Christ is made our strength Page 104 2 We are moved to love him ibid 3 To live in dependance upon him ibid 4 To walk humbly before him ibid 5 To be fruitful Page 105 Application What infinite cause have we to advance the Name of Jesus Christ Page 106 How may this be done 1 By offering up our own christ to him Page 107 2 Account it a great honour to belong unto him ibid 3 Give not the worst but alwaies the best to him Page 108 4 Despise not the choice work of Christ ibid 5 Trust alwaies in him ibid 6 So to walk that the men of the world may speak well of the waies of God Page 109 7 Own Christ Page 110 8 Be willing to stoop to any work for Jesus Christ though it lie below your condition SERMON VI John 1.16 Doct. Whatsoever grace or holiness there is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in the Saints that is answerable thereunto Page 113 Proved Reason 1 Because there is a blessed union between Christ and every Christian Page 115 Reason 2 Jesus Christ is our second Adam a common person between God and us Page 117 Reason 3 There is an incomparable love between Christ and a Christian ibid Reason 4 There is the same spirit in a Christian that is in Christ Page 119 Object How can this be Answered Page 120 Application 1 How many persons there are that live under the Gospel and have no interest in Jesus Christ Page 122 Instanced 1 In prophane people ibid 2 In meerly Civil and morral people ibid 3 In Hypocrites Page 123 Application 2 What a blessed thing it is for people to be in Christ Page 123 Quest What is our duty that flows from hence Answ 1. Be not proud of it Page 124 2. Improve it Page 125 1 By beholding it ibid 2 By imitating it ibid 1 By bearing witness to the truth ibid 2 By stooping to any work though below us ibid 3 By being much in prayer ibid 4 By not knowing our natural relations ibid 5 Having an high esteem of the Saints though never so low Page 126 6 So exercising one grace as that we may exercise another ibid 7 Being a lambe in our cause a lyon in Gods ibid 8 In sufferings 1 Not till we are called ibid 2 When we are called not to be put out of the way ibid 3 To have regard to other mens goods ibid 4 To be more sensible of Gods withdrawings than of al other pains ibid Application 3 How infinitely we are bound to God the Father for our Lord Jesus Christ Page 128 Gods two great gifts were 1 He gave the world to man 2 He gave Jesus Christ to the world ibid Application 4 Be contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all his sufferings SERMON I Romans 4.19 Text opened Page 152 Doct. 1. When God intends to fulfill his promise by giving any special blessing to beleevers he doth first put the sentence of death upon it and upon all the means that lead unto it Page 154 Proved Reason 1 That he may be most seen therein Page 156 Reason 2 That the Saints may learn to trust to God alone Page 157 Reason 3 That they may be conformable to Jesus Christ Page 158 Reason 4 That their comforts may be the more sure and stedfast ibid Objections answered Page 159 Cautions 1Vnderstand this concerning great and spiritual blessings Page 160 2 The sentence of death may be put upon the blessing in another mans hand Page 161 3 It is much according to the life of the mercy that come afterward Page 162 Quest Why doth God first give the promise Answ 1 To shew us where the mercy lies Page 163 2 Because he doth not intend we shall have it presently ibid 3 That our hearts may be born up against all discouragements Page 164 Application Rest upon God in the darkest times Page 164 Quest How shall I know the mercy will revive again Answ There are two acts of faith 1 Reliance 2 Assurance Accordingly there are two objects of faith 1 A may be of mercy 2 A shall be of mercy A may be of mercy causeth Reliance A shall be of mercy causeth Assurance Reliance causeth quietness Assurance causeth joy ibid Waies to know whether mercies shall rise again or not 1 By the frequent visitings of the promise Page 167 2 By the first fruits of the promise Page 168 Encouragements to wait 1 If ever it rise it will be the choicest mercy we had in all our lives Page 170 2 It will be the surest mercy ibid 3 It will be the sweetest mercy Page 171 SERMON II Rom. 4.19 Doct. When God is pleased thus to put the sentence of death upon a blessing or the means that leads to it it is the duty of the sons of Abraham to trust in God and not stand poring upon the means and deadness thereof Page 174 Divided into three propofitions and cleered 1 A meer rational considering of the means and the deadness thereof is a great enemy to beleeving cleered Page 174 2 When all means fail and seem to lie dead then it is the duty of all the sons of Abraham to beleeve cleered Page 177 3 Thus to beleeve when all means fail is exceeding well pleasing and acceptable to God cleared Page 180 Application What an encouragement is here to to live above hope and under hope Page 183 Object We are afraid to beleeve when means fail because God hath commanded us to use the means Answered Page 184 1 It may be God takes away the means to try thy faith Page 185 2 God doth never give to supply our lusts but to supply our wants ibid 3 If all the means fail faith is a means to a means Page 186 4 Look what way God is used to walk in towards you in that way you may boldly expect him ibid Object I should prosume if I should trust in God when means fail Answered Page 188 SERMON III Rom. 4.19 Doct. True saving faith carries the soul through all difficulties Page 192 Cleered 1 In that the wy to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties Page 193 2 True saving faith will carry a man through them all Page 195 3 Nothing but faith can do it For 1. Conviction of the good waies of God cannot Page 200 2 Resolution will not ibid 3 Morral vertues will not Page 201 4 Gifts and parts Gospel enlargments cannot ibid 4 What it is in faith that doth it 1 Faith shews the soul the invisible things of God Page 202 2 It tels the soul all things are it 's own Page 203 3 It shews a man greater excellencies in Christ than all difficulties Page 204 4 It enables the soul to leave the success and event of all to God ibid 5 It is that grace whereby a soul takes up the yoke of Christ Page 205 6 It teacheth man to pick out the love of God from under the anger
fulness we have all received Thirdly That we have all received even Grace for Grace There is a great Controversy upon the latter Clause what should be meant by those Words Even grace for grace But because the Determination thereof fals properly within the compass of the Third Proposition and will have little influence upon the first which I intend God willing to speak unto at this time therefore I pass by that Controversy and come presently unto the First Proposition which is this Doct. That there is a fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Fulness is here attributed you see unto Jesus Christ The word in the Original sometimes is taken for Abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof So here it is not taken here it is too narrow for there is not only Plenitudo abundantiae but Plenitudo redundantiae not only a fulness of Abundance but a fulnesse of Redundancy an over flowing of fulness in Jesus Christ Sometimes the word is used for Fulfilling and Perfecting of a thing So Love is said to be the Fulfilling of the Law So it is not taken here for though Christ be the end of the Law yet notwithstanding the Fulness spoken here is that which we do receive and that is the Fulness of grace The word Firstly and Properly is given unto Vessels that are brim-ful of liquor and so Metaphorically appli'd here unto our Lord Jesus Christ who is brim-ful of grace in whom there is no emptyness there is no evacuity While I speak of Jesus Christ I mean Christ as Mediator as God-man There is a Fulness in Christ as God That is not the fulness so Christ is not taken here by what is said in the verse before the Text the 14 verse And the Word was made flesh And of His Fulness we have all received So that it is the Fulness of Christ as Mediator there is a Fulness of grace in Christ as Mediator I shal keep me close unto the words The Fulness is here spoken of which we are said to receive of which we receive we receive grace for grace 't is the Fulness therefore of grace that is in Christ that I am now speaking of Now the word Grace sometimes it is taken for the Love and Favour of God We are saved by Grace That is Eph. 2.5 we are saved through the Love and Mercy of God Sometimes this word in the Original is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coll. 3.16 or put for Holiness Singing with grace in your hearts that is with Holiness in your hearts And sometimes 't is used for Excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donum quodquis gratificatur for Gifts or Ability as in Ephes 4.7 and in al these respects there is a fulness of grace in Christ First of all Take grace for Love and Bounty and Mercy and so there is Plenitudo bonitatis there is a Fulness of Love in Christ The heart and love of Christ now in Heaven is the same toward poor sinners toward His Children toward Beleevers toward Men as it was when He was upon the earth when Christ was upon the earth First There was a fulness of Pardoning Love in Him Then He would pardon men before they did come for pardon Father Luk. 23.24 saies Christ Father forgive them they know not what they do Ye count it a great act of love where the fault is great to forgive a man upon his acknowledgment of the fault Our Lord Christ did not stay for their acknowledgment but whilst they were reeking in their sins He forgives Father forgive them forgive them they know not what they do Yea if you look into the Gospel ye shall find that when men were putting forth the highest acts of fin He was putting forth the highest acts of His love When Christ was suffering for Peter Peter was denying Christ Peter denying Christ and Christ suffering for Peter When He was upon the earth He did not only pardon once but He would pardon again and again if men sinned again He would pardon again The Disciples slept and Christ Pardon'd They slept again and Christ pardon'd again they slept again and Christ pardon'd again Yea and when He had pardon'd He would not upbraid them with their former sins or with His own mercy After His Resurrection not a word to Peter of all his denial or of Christ mercy Beloved Christ is the same in Heaven He is the same in Heaven now Again when Christ was upon the Earth His first and His great care was Matt. 5.3 4. for those that were weak in grace The first Sermon that He Preached Blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are those that mourn He doth not say blessed are those that have assurance of the love of God and blessed are those that have the sence of His Love in their hearts but blessed are the Poor and blessed are they that mourn And when any poor doubting trembling soul came unto Him He would not cast away their service because it was accompanied with infirmity but He would rather passe by their infirmity because it was accompanied with some sincerity So the Woman that came behind Him So Nicodemus And when any poor soul could not come to Christ could not come to Christ in Christs way Christ would come down to him in his way Thomas saith He Thou sayest thou wilt not beleeve unless thou thrust thy hands into My side Thomas Thou wilt not honour Me by beleeving unless thou seest Thomas Thou wilt not come up to Me in My way Well I will come down to thee in thy way Come reach hither thy fingers and thrust thy hands into My side and be not faithless but beleeving Oh! the admirable condescention of the love of Jesus Christ Beloved He is the same now in Heaven Again When He was upon the Earth He professed that His heart and His love and affections was as much if I say not more unto one Saint Rev. 22.14 Matt. 12 47.50 as unto all His kindred that are such Blessed are those that keep Thy Commandements Bebold say they Thy Mother and Thy Brother and Sister are without to speak with Thee Saies He Whosoever shall do the Will of My Father which is in Heaven the same is My Brother Sister and Mother As if He should say You count My kindred happy because they are neer unto Me but do you see one poor beleeving trembling gracious soul I tel you the soul that keeps My Commandements is as much unto Me as all My kindred that are such Here is love And I say the Lord Jesus His heart is the same still in Heaven And therefore you shall observe that when He was risen and came amongst His Disciples the dore being shut He comes into the room and He saies unto them Luke 24.36 Peace be unto you Why Peace be unto you the ordinary way and manner of Salutation As if He would say thus much
unto them That they should find Him every way as courtious and as loving towards them now being risen as He was before He died And my beloved if Jesus Christ should not be as gracious and as kind after death as before then His Disciples should be losers by His death But He profest to them before He died that they should not be losers but gainers rather When our Lord Christ was upon the earth out of His love He died for us He loved us and died for us His love then cost Him much Now that He is in Heaven He dies no more He can love us at a cheaper rate And shall we think that when He was upon the earth He would lay down His life for us and now He is in Heaven He won't speak a good word for us Certainly beloved the Lord Jesus is as full of love and tender affection toward His now He is in Heaven as He was upon the earth Take grace for Love and so there is a fulness of grace in Jesus Christ That is the first Secondly Take grace for Holiness and so there is Plenitudo sanctitatis a fulness of Holiness in Jesus Christ There are Three things in the old Testament that were very Holy The Law The high Priest And the Temple As for the Ceremonial Law though it was very holy yet in regard of the Spiritual command of the Gospel and Christ the Ceremonials of the Law in the book of the Hebrews Heb. 7.16 is called the Carnal Command And as for the high Priest though he had holiness written upon his fore-head yet therein he was but a type of Christ And saith the Apostle in the book of the Hebrews The high Priest then when he offered for others sins Heb. 7.27 he offered first for his own sins But our high Priest not so And as for the Temple it was indeed very holy the Jews rested much thereupon And therefore they cryed thrice Jer. 7.4 The Temple the Temple the Temple of the Lord But now if you look into the 6. Chap. of Esay you shal find that our Lord Christ is there upon the Temple and whereas they cryed Three times for the Temple The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Three times this is ecchoed concerning Christ Holy holy holy At the first verse I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and His Train filled the Temple His Train filled the Temple Above it stood the Seraphims each had six wings with twain he covered his face with twain he covered his feet and with twain he did fly and one cryed unto another and said Holy holy holy As if he should say you that are the Jewes you cry out of the Temple The Temple the Temple the Temple But here 's holiness here 's one that is holy Holy holy holy That this is to be understood of Christ you may see plainly by comparing it with the 4. Chapter of the Revelations at the 2. verse Immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in Heaven and one sate on the Throne as it is said in Esay one sate on the Throne And he that sate was to look upon as a Jasper and a Sardine stone And there was a rain-bow round about the Throne And round about the Throne were four and twenty Seats and there were four and twenty Elders and four living creatures The discription of the Gospel-Church And saith he at the 8. verse The four beasts had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within and they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Mark the very same expression that you have there in Esay he doth not say thus Righteous righteous righteous Just just just But Holy holy holy Is there not then a fulness of Holiness in Jesus Christ I 'le give you but Two Demonstrations of it If there were not a fulness of Holiness in Jesus Christ how is it possible that God and man could be brought so neer together that were so far asunder Every man naturally is full of sin You say of the Begger He is full of vermine why because he goes to this door to that door and to another door and he scatters his vermine where ever he comes and the man knows it not Surely therefore the man is full of vermine And so a man naturally dropping and scattering his sins and not knowing of it it argues he is ful of sin God he is full of Holiness whose eyes cannot endure to behold iniquity yet when men are converted and drawn to God they are brought neer unto him they are the apple of His eye their names are written in the palme of his hand That is saies Luther the hand is an instrument of work and when the names of the Saints are said to be written in the palme of Gods hand it notes thus much saies he That God in all his works hath an eye to his Children God in all the works of his hands hath an eye to his Children They are the friends of God and God is their friend When a man is my friend not only his Purse is my friend or his Estate is my friend or his Tongue is my friend or his Hand is my friend but his Sword is my friend So when God is a friend to any not only his Mercy is his friend but the Sword of God is his friend the very Wrath of God is a friend to his Children Such a great friendship there is between God and his people so neer they are brought to one another Well but how are they brought thus neer They are brought neer by Jesus Christ in whom we have a Manuduction a leading by the hand saies the Apostle as the word carries it unto God the Father But now could men so full of sin and God so full of Grace and Holiness be brought so neer together by Jesus Christ if there were not an infinit fulnesse of Holiness in Jesus Christ Again If there were not this fulnesse of Holinesse in Christ how should he be anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes The Saints themselves are said to be full of grace Ephes 1.23 The Church called The fulnesse of Christ that filleth all in all Stephen Mary others full of the holy Ghost Surely therefore if so much of the oyntment run down upon Christs Members there must be a great anointing upon Christ himself Surely there must be an infinit holinesse in Christ that must serve us all And of his fulnesse we have All received we have All received You will say Object But if the Saints be full of grace and holinesse how is this the property of Christ Yes For though the Saints be full of grace Answ and holinesse yet their fulnesse is but a fulnesse of Sufficiency Mark whereby they are made able to this or that work whereunto they are appointed But the fulnesse of Christ is a fulnesse
of Efficiency that filleth all in all And therefore 't is said in this Chapter The Law was given by Moses Joh 1.17 but Grace Grace and Truth you read it Grace and Truth came by Christ the word will bear it But Grace and Truth were made by Christ Christ is our Grace-maker The fulnesse that is in the Saints is but a Particular fulnesse The fulnesse that is in CHRIST is an Vniversall fulnesse Therefore saies the Apostle It pleased the Father Col. 1.19 that in him should all fulness dwel All fulnesse The fulnesse that is in the Saints is such a fulnesse as does ebbe and flow as the Haven is said to be full of water yet sometimes 't is empty but there is a dwelling fulnesse in the Sea So there is a dwelling fulnesse in Jesus Christ and therefore saies the Apostle It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulnesse dwel Oh! 't is a dwelling fulnesse that is in Jesus Christ Our Righteousnesse as we are distinct or abstracted from Christ 't is but a fading Righteousnesse as the morning dew Our righteousness saies Hosea is as the morning dew Hos 6.4 in regard of it's fading But the holiness and righteousness of Christ in the 110. Psalme is called The dew of the morning not in regard of it's fading nature but in regard of it's much-ness in regard of it's multitude because it makes al dewy So then it is a Filled Fulness It is a dwelling Fulness It is a Glorious fulness a fulness beyond all expressions Thus take grace for Holiness and so also there is Plenitudo Sanctitatis in Jesus Christ Thirdly Take grace for Gifts or for Ability and Excellency And so there is Plenitudo Excellentiae a fulness of excellency in Jesus Christ Therefore saith the Apostle Hebr. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost He is able to save to all perfection those that do come unto Him He is able to save to the utmost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though thou hast finned to the utmost He is able to save thee to the utmost Would you have a proof of His Kingly fulness for He is both King Priest and Prophet Look then I pray into the 1. Hebrews at the 3 verse He is called the brightness of His Fathers glory Who being the brightness of His glory and the express Image of His Person and upholding all things by the word of His Power when He had by Himselfe purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on High He is made so much better then the Angels as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name then they For unto which of the Angels said He at any time c. But at the 8. verse unto the Son He saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousness is the Scepter of Thy Kingdom Here 's the fulness of His Kingly Office Would you have a proof of His Prophetical fulness look into this Chapter where the Text lies and it 's said at the next verse the 17. verse The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father He hath declared Him Ye all count Moses a great Prophet so he was But Jesus Christ was above him in two or three things here Moses gave the Law But grace came by Jesus Christ grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Moses never saw God he saw His back side Christ hath seen Him John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son Moses was but a servant the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father He hath declared Him None so fit to declare the mind of God which is the work of a Prophet as He which hath lien in the bosom of God the Father Would you have a proof of His Priestly fulness Pray look into the 16. of John consider it duely saith he I will send the Comforter at the 7. verse and He shall convince the would of sin and of righteousness at the 10. verse because I go to My Father and ye see Me no more Mark those words I go to My Father and ye see Me no more As if He should say thus You are indebted to God the Father through your transgressions I am become your surety now I am ready to be cast into prison for your debt the grave is to take hold upon me I am to lye by it for your fin for your debt But saith He now I le rise out of the grave I le come forth of prison I le go to God the Father and you shall see Me no more Whereas now if I did not pay the whole debt when I came in Heaven God the Father would say to Me You are in prison for mans debt What do you here You have not paid the debt yet go to prison again go down to prison again No saith He but I go to My Father and ye shall see Me no more and therefore conclude I have paid the ful debt I go to My Father and ye see Me no more Would you have a proof of Christs fulness of Excellency in general Look then I pray upon the 2. of Hag. 7. there you have this expression of Him He is called the desire of all Nations I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come mark the desire of all nations shall come Christ our Lord Jesus is the desire of all nations What is there in all the world that is the desire of all nations but Jesus Christ Some Nations some Kingdoms as the West-Indies they are full of Gold and Silver but they want Clothing and therefore they desire Cloth Other Kingdoms now as these of England and the like they have much Cloathing and Cloath but they want Gold and Silver and they desire that Some Nations they abound with Spices and with Wines but they want Corn and they desire that Some Nations again they have much Corn I but they have no Wine no Spices and they desire that Oh! but our Lord Jesus Christ He is the desire of All Nations the desire of All Nations What woman never so beautiful that the whole world was in love with Jesus Christ the desire of All Nations And Col. 1.18 saith the Apostle He hath in all things the preheminence If you will I will gather it up into a Syllogisme thus If Jesus Christ be the desire of all Nations and hath the preheminency of all the world then there is a fulness of excellency in Jesus Christ But our Lord Jesus is the desire of all Nations having the preheminency in all the world surely therefore there is a fulness of excellency in Jesus Christ a fulness of excellency a fulness of Holiness 1 Cor. 2.2 Phil. 3.8 a fulness of Love No wonder then that Paul saies I desire to
know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified No wonder that He said I count all things but dung and dross in comparison of the knowledge of Jesus Christ Certainly surely there is a fulness of grace in Jesus Christ You will say unto me Applic. We see we know there is a Fulnesse in Jesus Christ a Fulnesse of Grace But now by way of Application What is our Duty that doth flow from hence Much every way I will instance in 4. or 5. particulars so many Duties that do flow from hence First 1 Duty If there be such a Fulnesse in Jesus Christ a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Then let all men come unto Him There 's none of us all here present but labour under some wants or other Oh! saies one I have a great Charge family Parish or other waies and I want grace to mannage it Oh! saies another I have great and strong Temptations and I want strength to resist them Oh! saies another There are many Errors abroad I want knowledge to discern them and avoid them I want wisdom to know the Truth and joyn with the Truth and own the Truth and manifest the Truth Well what ever your wants be there is enough in Jesus Christ to supply it there is a fulness in Him why should we not come unto Him Oh! you that never tasted of Christs sweetness that never yet partaked of His fulnesse Come unto the Lord Jesus that you may be filled for ever You will say Object it may be I am a poor weak ignorant simple man or woman a guilty creature and I am afraid for to come unto Him Mark this But if Christs Invitation be made to you Answ then you will not be afraid to come to Him Now I pray you look into the 9. Chap. of the Proverbes of Solomon See what an invitation is made upon this ground of Christs fulnesse Wisdom hath built her house by Wisdom you must understand Christ as will easily appear by reading over the former Chapter Wisdom hath built her an house that is the Church She hath hewen out her seven Pillars the firmnesse and beauty of the Church Seaven is a note of perfection She hath killed her beasts She hath mingled her wine She hath also furnished her table Here is the Fulnesse of Christ in His Church What then She hath sent forth her Maidens that is the Ministers of the Gospel who as Virgins should be untouch't and undefiled by the world She crieth in the high places of the City Who so is simple let him turn in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him Come eate of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled Pray observe it who are invited to pertake of this fulness simple ones Who so is simple let him turn in hither Oh! but I am not only simple and ignorant Object but the Lord knows I have no heart to good things See what follows Who so is simple let him turn in hither Answ and as for him that wanteth heart so 't is in the Hebrew she suith to him to him that wanteth heart Come eate of my bread and drink of my wine which I have mingled Oh! is there ever a poor simple man or woman here one that complains The Lord knows I want a heart to what is good The Invitation of the Lord Jesus it is made to you it is made to you think not to say within your selves I am afraid to come to Christ I have read of the Senate of Athens that once upon occasion they were constrained to sit in the open fields and being there set in the open fields a poor chased bird a sparrow or the like chased by the birds of prey came flying to the bosom of one of the Senators for rescue from the birds of prey The Senator being of a churlish disposition he takes the poor little chased bird and throws it from him upon the ground and so kil'd the bird whereupon the Senate made an Order that he should die himself they would not have a man so churlish to be one of the Senators And do you think that the Lord Jesus Christ when you come as a poor chased bird for shelter into His bosom Do you think that the Lord Christ wil throw you away No no. as He is full of glory and excellency so He is full of love and bounty Whatever therefore thou hast bin man or woman whatever you have been though you have been never so vile Come unto Jesus Christ come unto Jesus Christ Oh! me thinks this Doctrine that I have now preached unto you is a solemn and a great invitation to every soul for to come unto Jesus Christ therefore come now unto Him Come unto Christ Come unto Christ Come Drunkard Come Swearer Come Liar Come Unclean person Oh! Come come You that never tasted of Christs sweetness you that never yet pertak't of Christs fulnesse Come now Come for there is a fulnesse in Jesus Christ That 's the first thing Secondly 2 Duty If there be such a fulnesse in Christ Then let us all trust unto Him build upon him And you that are the Servants and People of God trust and trust perfectly There is no grace would stand us in more stead in these evil times Beloved ye al see into what sad times we are now fallen There is no grace I say wil stand us in more stead or more able to turn away the evil that is now upon us then faith is Luther hath a notable story to this purpose There was saith he a deadly contest between a great Bishop and a Duke of Saxonie The Duke of Saxonie prepares for War against him but before he would come upon him he sends a Spy to observe what the Bishop was a doing The Spy went and being returned again Come saies the Duke what is the Bishop a doing Sir saies he he is idle and secure you may fall upon him and destroy him when you wil I saies he but what saies the Bishop Sir he saies thus I will feed my flock I will visit the sick I will preach the Gospel and as for the War I will Totius belli molem Deo committere I wil commit the whol weight and bulk of this War to God Himself who fighteth for me I saies the Duke did the Bishop say so Bellum ei inferat Diabolus non ego then saies he Let the Devil take up Arms against him if he will for I will not Thus thus faith faith turns away the Sword faith turns away War And my beloved there is no such way either to beget or increase faith as the sight and consideration of the fulness of Jesus Christ Those that know Thy Name Psalm 9.10 Psalm 36.7 saith the Psalmist they will trust unto Thee How excellent is Thy Name O Lord therefore do the children of men put their trust in Thee Beloved ye have heard of Christs Name His Name is ful of sweetnesse
Come and let us take our fill of love Come friends come company let us go unto such a Tavern or such a place where we may be fully merry Come O my soul take thy contentment in creature fulness there is enough there This robs Christ of the glory of all His fulness To carry away the custom of my thoughts unto another Shop from Christ argues that there is not enough in Christ alone Then beloved to conclude all Are there any here as I fear there may be too many that have thus robbed Jesus Christ of the glory of His fulness I beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ whose fulness I have bin now preaching to you I beseech you in the fear of God go into your Chamber and be alone awhile and fall down before the Lord and say thus unto Him or to this purpose Oh! Lord I confess it hath bin so w th me I have thought that there hath not bin a sufficient rule for the Government of the Churches and herein I have wronged Christ in His Prophetical fulness and the Lord pardon this unto me Lord I confess also I haue said many times that my fins are so great that there is no hope for mercy that there is no hope for pardon herein I have wronged the Priestly fulness of Jesus Christ now the Lord pardon this unto me I confess Lord I have stinted thee and I have limitted thee and I have said many times in my hast if this means fail then England is undone the Church undone thus I have limitted thee Lord Oh! herein I have wrong'd thee and robbed Christ in His Kingly fulness Yea Lord I do acknowledge and I do confess I have gone to creature-comforts and my heart hath taken a content and complacency as if there were enough there but now I see there is a fulness in Jesus Christ the Lord pardon me that ever I let out my heart upon any creature-comfort upon any thing but Jesus Christ You that have bin guilty fall down and humble your selves before the Lord and consider that there is a fulness in Jesus Christ and labor to draw out this fulness from Him Which that you may so do think on all these things and the Lord blesse them to you SERMON II. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Wapping Aug. 17. 1646. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance into these Words in a neighbouring Congregation and shal now desire to go on where I left there The Words hold forth Three Great Grand Propositions First That there is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of His Fulness all we do receive Thirdly That we do receive of His Fulness even Grace for Grace The former Proposition I have dispatched and desire at this time to speak unto the second All we do receive of His Fulness Of His Fulness have all we received The difficulty that lies upon the Proposition is this Who are meant here by this All Wee Some there are that conceive that by those words we are to understand all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth because 't is said before in the beginning of the Chapter That He is the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world But though the thing be true that there is no Creature either in Heaven or Earth but more or lesse is beholding to Jesus Christ for if Christ had not stept in upon the fall Gods displeasure was so great against man that he would presently have broke up house and the sin of the fall was so heavie that it would have broken the very Axel-tree of the World if Jesus Christ had not put to His shoulder according to that of the Apostle Heb. 1.3 He bears up all with the Word of His Power yet notwithstanding all the Creatures in Heaven or Earth cannot be meant here by this All Wee for all the creatures in Heaven and Earth do not receive Grace they may be said to receive of the Fulnesse of Christ but not Grace for Grace But at the 12. verse 't is said as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the Sons of God euen to them that beleeve in his Name Now in Scripture phrase those are said to receive Christ Himself that do receive His Grace and those that receive His Grace receive Christ Himself Understand therefore by this All Wee those that receive Him as ye have it in the 12. verse which is explained to be Them that beleeve in His Name And then the Observation or Doctrine lies plain before us which is this That all the Saints and People of God Doct. do pertake of the Fulness of Christ in a way of receiving It falls a sunder into Two parts Thus First That there is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I shall only speak unto the former at this time There is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Of His Fulness all we receive mark There is a communication of the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers He is the second Adam which the Apostle Paul speaks of in the 1 Cor. 15. Chapter and the 45. verse The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit The whole world is divided into Two great Houses As once in this Kingdom There was the House of York And the House of Lancaster So now the whole world is divided into Two great Houses The House of the First Adam And the House of the Second Adam The first man Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit that is look as the first Adam did communicate life unto all his seed So the second Adam does communicate Spiritual life and grace unto all his people As by the first Adam sin and sorrow and death came into the world and so upon all man-kind So by the second Adam grace and life and eternal life unto all Beleevers There is a dealing out a giving out of the fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers This will appear First of all by the Union that there is between Christ 1 Reason and a Beleever there is a glorious a blessed an incomparable union between Christ and every Beleever though he be never so weak though he be never so poor There is a union between the Root and the Branches and by vertue of that union the Root sends forth life and strength into all the Branches but yet notwithstanding the Root is not in the Branches nor the Branches in the Root mutually There is a union between the Head and the Members and by vertue of that union the Head hath an influence upon all the Members but yet the Head is not in the Members nor the Members in the Head But
now there is a union between Christ and Beleevers and Christ is in them and they are in Christ We in Christ and Christ in us There is a glorious and blessed union between them Now union is the cause of communion or communication bread is united unto a mans body by eating of it and so by vertue of the union strength is derived into all the parts into all the members and the nearer and closer unto this union is the more full is the communication Now though the union between Christ and a Beleever be set out in Scripture phrase under such Metaphors as these The Root and the Branches The Husband and the Wife And the Head and Members yet none of all these are able to reach it not in all respects 't is a glorious and 't is a blessed and incomparable union And therefore there must needs be a comunication of the fulness of Christ to every Beleever Secondly Rea. 2 My second reason I lay upon four Propositions and so shall arise and ascend unto the conclusion by several steps thus First There is an infinite treasury of Grace and Holiness in Jesus Christ whereby He is able to supply and succour all those that are tempted If a man hath had a straight shoe upon his foot or a straight garment he knows where it pinches and accordingly he is able to get it mended Now the Lord Jesus Christ He hath put on our flesh and knows where it pinches He hath bin cloathed with our flesh and He knows every place where it pinches and accordingly He is able to succour And therefore saies the Apostle He was in al things tempted like unto us Heb. 2.18 that He might be able to succour those that are tempted Jesus Christ is not only the Lord-Treasurer of all our comforts but the Lord Keeper of al our graces The neerer any thing comes unto the Fountain of excellency the more excellent it is The Sun is the fountain of light and the neerer any thing comes to the Sun the more light it hath Fire is the fountain of warmth and heat and the neerer any thing comes unto the fire the more warm it is Why The Deitie is the Fountain of all Holiness and Jesus Christ is so neer unto it as Mediator that the Apostle saies In Him the fulness of the God Head dwells Col. 2.9 And surely therefore there must needs be an infinite treasury of Grace and Holinesse in Him The Saints you know of the Old-Testament they were very Holy Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses and Samuel and David and Solomon they were full of Grace and Holinesse and yet these were but types of Christ they were but shadows of Christ Now the type and the shadow does fall infinitly short of the thing typified and of the substance And therefore if there were so much Grace and Holinesse in things that were but a shadow of Christ if there was so much Wisdome and Holinesse in others of them that were but the type Oh! what an infinit treasury of Grace and Holinesse must there be in Christ Himself This is the first Proposition Secondly As there is an infinit treasury of Grace and Holinesse in Jesus Christ So whatever Grace and holiness Christ as Mediator hath received by God the Father He hath not received it for Himself but for others Pray mark it Whatsoever Grace and Holines is in Jesus Christ as Mediator I do not speak of Him as God but as Mediator He hath not received it for Himselfe but for others Jesus Christ was not Baptized for Himself but for finners stood in the place of sinners when He was Baptized Jesus Christ died not for Himself but for us When Christ ascended up to Heaven He went not for Himself only but saith He I go to prepare a place for you Jo. 14.2 Eph. 4.8 And so when Christ received gifts saies the Apostle He received gifts for men not for Himselfe but for others He received gifts for men The woman hath milk in her breasts but not for her selfe but for her child The Sun hath abundance of light in his body 't is not for himself but for the world And so Jesus Christ He hath received abundance of grace and holinesse but 't is not for Himself but for others And therefore pray mark what He saies in John 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie My self that they also might be sanctified through the Truth He does not say for My own sake do I sanctifie My self but for their sakes For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the Truth There are certain Official parts in the body you know that stand as Officers unto all the rest The stomack hath a great deal of meat in it but it hath not that meat for it self but that it may communicate to all the members The liver hath a great deal of blood in it but the liver hath not the blood in it for it self but that it may communicate it unto all the parts And the head it hath all the fences seated in it it hath many spirits but not for it self but for the members So Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church whatsoever Grace and Holinesse as Mediator He hath received He hath not received for Himselfe but for others This may make the Saints and People of God to come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace Hath Christ received for others not for Himself Then why not for me Lord why not for me Now you shal see that further proved in the 61. Chap. of Esay the 1. 2. verses The Spirit of the Lord God is on me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings unto the meek He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable yeer of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn They are the words of Christ spoken in the Person of Christ as if he had said thus There are a generation of men in the world that are taken captive by their sins and lie bound in chains and irons by Satan and they are broken and bowed down greatly under the burden of them Now God the Father He hath design'd me to go open the prison dores to these poor captives and because God the Father hath design'd me to it therefore the Spirit of the Lord is upon me not in me therefore the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings unto the meek So that you see now that anointing that falls upon the head of Christ it falls not upon Him for Himself barely but that it may run down upon all His members That is a second Proposition Thirdly As there is an infinite treasury of grace and holiness in Christ which He hath not received for Himself
but for others So in the third place there is an infinite propension and willingness in Jesus Christ to communicate this grace unto the children of men Pray mark it There is an infinit propension and willingnesse in Jesus Christ to communicate and give out his grace unto the children of men Heb. 3.2 He is faithful saies the Apostle in all His house as Moses was Now if Jesus Christ should receive gifts for men for others and then run away with all and not be willing to give them out He could not be faithful but faithful He is Look I pray for this in the 16. Psal 2 v. Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodness not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom are all my delight You reade the words thus Thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodnesse extendeth not to thee But in the Hebrew the word extendeth is not Thou art my Lord my goodnesse not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth That these words are spoken of Christ Pray reade the Four last verses I have set the Lord alwayes before me at the 8. ver because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption Now compare these words with what the Apostle saies in Acts 2.25 David speaketh concerning him mark For I foresaw the Lord alwayes before my face he is on my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope Because thou will not leave my soul in hell the same viorde neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption Mark what is said then at the 29. ver the Apostle proves That these words of the Psalm must needs be understood of Christ and not of David Men and brethren saies he let me freily speak unto you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his Sepulcher is with us unto this day Therefore saies he these words cannot be understood of David but must be understood of Christ Now then this Psalm being thus to be understood of Christ saies Christ Lord Thomiâ—t my Lord my goodness is not for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth and for the excellent in whom is all my delight They are my delight and therefore what goodnesse I have from thee I am willing to give it out again unto them because al my delight is in them Do you not think that a man is willing to eat his meat when he is a hungry I ray look into the 4. chaptes of John and you shall see what was Christs meat verse the 34. Jesus faith unto them My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His Work My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me What is that Finish His Work What is that You reade before in the 61 Esay That the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and God the Father had anointed Him to open the prison door Now therefore saith He look how willing a man is to eat his meat when he is a hungry So willing am I to releeve poor sinners to open the prison dore to poor captive souls Tender hearted Mothers are you willing to give your Children suck to have your breasts drawn Yes Why so Truly not only because of my child but the truth is unless my breasts be drawn 't is a pain to me not only for my child therefore but for my own ease also you will say Why brethren the Humanity of Jesus Christ is as I may so speak the breasts of the Deity by which we suck out all the holiness and grace which we have and if Jesus Christs breasts be not drawn He counts it a pain to Him And therefore He complains so in the Gospel Joh. 1.11 I came unto mine own and mine own received me not They will not draw My breasts He counts it a pain to Him Tell me are you willing to receive grace Yes If you be willing to receive grace Jesus Christ is willing to give it for you cannot be willing if He were not willing first your willingness does come from His. But I pray what grace are you willing to have Oh! saies one I am a poor ignorant creature I would fain I would fain have more knowledge Oh! saies one I am one of great Passions and of a disordered life and Oh! that I had my life better ordered Oh! saies another I am a poor guilty soul and I would have pardon I would have pardoning grace Now I 'le appeal to you Whether do you not think that an honest man is willing to do the work of his office Can a man be an honest man and not be willing to do the work of his office This is the Office of Jesus Christ He is a Prophet and therefore He must be willing to teach you you that complain that you are ignorant This is the Office of Jesus Christ to be a King and therefore He is willing to direct you and to order you You that complain of distemper and disorder This is the Office of Christ to be a Priest and therfore He is willing to satisfie for you and indeed if Jesus Christ were not willing to give out His grace unto the children of men He would never lay it upon such conditions as He does When a man is unwilling to do a thing for another He will put it upon hard conditions As Saul being unwilling to give his Daughter to David He put it upon hard conditions But now what does Jesus Christ require What does the Lord Jesus Christ require for the Communication of His grace But only this that you do receive it Mark only this that we do receive it a condition indeed that is no condition I say a condition that is no condition because he promises strength to receive also Oh! my beloved Why should we cumber the way to Heaven with Preparations and Qualifications and Precedaneous conditions There are no In-coms no In-coms to be paid at our coming in to Jesus Christ there are no Precedaneous conditions Grace is free and Mercy is free and Christ is free and His Love is free there is an infinite Propension in Jesus Christ to communicate this His Grace to the children of men This is the third Proposition Fourthly As Christ is infinitly willing So in the Fourth place there is nothing either in Heaven or in earth that can hinder Him from doing al. For now grant all the former Three That there is an infinite treasury of Grace in Christ That He hath not received it for Himself but others That He is infinitly willing to give it out unto the
upon you the more he defiles you Truly such is the earths and the world fulness as I say a dog the more it fawns upon you and falls upon you the more it defles you Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ is a pure Fulnesse a Fulness that is full of purenesse Eightly Take al the Fulnesse of the world and though it be never so much it fals under your expectation Sink your expectation as low as you can and yet notwithstanding it wil fall below your expectation As for the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ raise and scrue up your expectation as high as you can and yet you shall find more therein then ever you expected Ninthly As for the fulnesse of the earth somtimes 't is better wanted than injoyed It may make you miserable it cannot make you happy Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ it can never make you miserable it will certainly make you happy there is no such time wherein 't is better wanted than injoyed Tenthly As for the Fulnesse of the earth again It costs a man many times more than 't is worth it costs him his Time his precious Thoughts his Soul much is laid out for it much care to get it much fear to keep it and much grief to lose it Oh! but the Fulnesse of Jesus Christ it costs him nothing Esay 56.1 Come buy Wine and Milk without money or moneys-worth Christ gives much and takes little takes nothing it costs you nothing and having it you have all And again to name no more of these Take all the fulnesse of the Earth and though it be never so much it is not able to answer you with Love to return you Love for your Love The greaten noblest Gift of the world is Love That is alwaies unworthy of your love that cannot answer your love again If you have a full bagg If you have a full Table if you have a full House these fulnesses cannot answer you with love again but it can defile your own love Oh! but the Fulnesse of Christ it can answer you with Love for Love it gives you a better Love than you brought it Nobilitates and Meliorates and raises your own love forever Behold This is the Fulnesse this is the Fulnesse that the Saints that Beleevers do partake in that they do receive of and they may come to this Fulness of Jesus Christ and they may say Of this Fulnesse of this Fulnesse wee have all received As those wicked men they may go unto the fulnesse of the Earth and they may say indeed Of this fulnesse we have all received but as for that Fulnesse we have none of it Oh! how much better is the cōdition of a Beleever than the condition of a wicked man though he be never so great or rich You that are Beleevers you do envy at the men of the world because of their fulnesse I Pray tell me would you change your Fulnesse for theirs Would you change your Condition for theirs And you that are of the world wicked ungodly men that have but the Earths fulnesse Why do you lay out your thoughts and your time upon such a fulnesse a dropsical fulnesse a fading fulnesse a dying fulnesse a fulnesse that is mixt with a Curse a fulnesse thsat does al bemire you and dirty you pray tell me Are you able with the Dasies Tulips of the world to satisfie your better part Oh! know you not that notwithstanding all the Earths fulnesse that a wicked mans fortune I say that a wicked mans fortune it lies in a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone And when you have done all you can gathered all that ever you can together you may go unto your full purses or unto your full bags or unto your full houses or unto your full barnes and you may say of this fulnesse I have received Oh! but you cannot go unto the Fulnesse of the Lord Jesus Christ and say And of this Fulness my soul hath received Oh! fool saies our Saviour Luke 12.20 when His barnes are full this night shall thy soul be taken away from thee And when you come below in the pit where no water is then you will complain and say Oh! wretch that I was I might have had of the Fulness of Jesus Christ but I chose rather the fulness of the earth and if I had had the Fulness of Christm I had bin made for ever but I chose rather the fulnesss of the world then the Fulness of Jesus Christ and now I am lost for ever Oh! I am lost for ever I have none of the Fulness of Jesus Christ What an incouragement here is then And so I come unto the Second Use Appli 2. and I will not hold you long in it What an incouragment is here unto al men good and bad to come in unto Jesus Christ and partake of His Fulnesse I say in the Second place here is incouragement unto all you that hear the Word of the Lord this day good or bad an incouragement unto all souls good and bad to come in unto the Lord Jesus Christ and partake of His fulnesse Saies our Lord and Savior When I am lift up Joh. 12.32 I will draw all men after Me I Love is a drawing thing Love is a drawing thing it draws men and women together into one youke that lived farr asunder And what greater love than this that Jesus Christ should lay down His Life for poor sinners Wisdome wisdome is a drawing thing it drew the Queen of Sheba from farr to come unto Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here Riches riches Wealth wealth is a drawing thing Bounty and Liberality a drawing thing it draws the poor beggar to the rich mans dore And behold here 's Riches Oh! there 's an infinite treasury of Grace and Holinesse in Jesus Christ And here 's Liberality For there is an infinite propension and willingnesse in the Lord Jesus Christ to give out of this Fulnesse unto poor finners Oh! hath God the Father exalted Jesus Christ and shall not our hearts exalt Him Beloved let but Jesus Christ be exalted in your thoughts and in your hearts and you will stand Firm against all Temptations Firm against and Discouragements Firm against all Afflictions Firm against all Temptations If Temptations come to offer you profit and pleasure then will you make this answer No you bid me losse for there is a fulness in Jesus Christ and of His Fulness through the Lords mercy I have received Firm against all Discour agements If the Devil come and tell you Thou art now a Professor but ere long you will fall away and prove as great a scandal to Religion as ever you honored it before You will make this answer True indeed Satan I have a backsliding soul I have a backsliding heart but there is a Fulnes in Jesus Christ through the Lords mercy I have received of this Fulness an d therefore I shal
persevere in the way that I am in notwithstanding sall thy discouragements Firm against all Afflictions if you want this creature-comfort or the other creature-comfort you will answer I true I want Friends I want Money I want Credit Oh! but yet there 's a Fulness in Jesus Christ and there 's enough in Him and of this Fulness through the Lords mercy I have received Oh! what a drawing what a drawing argument is here me thinks the stoutest sinner in all the Congregation should now come in and close with the Lord Jesus Christ You will say unto me Here are incouragements indeed Quest to Beleevers for the Doctrine runs thus There is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Oh! but what incouragement is here for others that are not Beleevers And truly I am afraid I am even afraid that I am not one of those what incouragement is there for others that are not Beleevers also I pray look into the 68. Psalm Answ and consider it wel at the 18. verse See what is spoken concerning Christ to this purpose that now I am upon Thou hast ascended on high Thou hast led captivity captive Thou hast received gifts for men 't is spoken of Christ yea for the Rebellious Also Mark that word Thou hast received gifts for men yea For the Rebellious Also Well then is there ever a Rebellious Childe in this Congregation Is there ever a Rebellious Drunkard that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ Is there ever a rebellious Swearer or an unclean heart here that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ Saies the Text He hath received gifts for men yea for the Rebellious Also The Reason why you have not these gifts is because you do not come to Christ Oh! But if you would come to Christ Mark If you would come to Christ you that are Rebellious if you would come to Jesus Christ He hath these gifts or Grace by Him if you would come to Him you should have these gifts from Him Who would not throw down his weapons now Is there ever a Rebel in all this Congregation that hath taken up arms against the Lord Jesus Christ heretofore Me thinks he should be incouraged hence to come unto Jesus Christ Bodin hath a story concerning a great Rebel that had made a great and strong party against a Roman Emperour the Emperour makes Proclamation that who ever could bring in the Rebel either alive or dead should have such a great sum of money The Rebel hearing of this he comes in himself presents himself unto the Emperour and demands the sum of money Saies the Emperour if now I should put him to death the world would think that I did it to save my money notwithstanding all his former rebellion the Emperour pardons him and gave him the sum of money Oh! would a Heathen Emperour do thus by a poor Rebel And if thou man or woman wilt throw down thy weapons and come in unto the Lord Jesus Christ do you think that the Lord Jesus Christ will not give to you those gifts that He hath received for you Certainly He will Oh! me thinks therefore every poor sinner should now hang upon this last word yea For the rebellious Also Hath the Lord Jesus Christ receiued gifts for men and for the rebellious Also I wil for ever hang upon that word Also Oh! I have bin a Rebel I have bin an unclean Rebel I have bin a swearing Rebel I have bin a drunken Rebel Oh! Lord I will throw down my weapon and hang upon this word Also Hath He received gifts for men and for the rebellious Also Oh! I will come in unto Him Oh! what a mighty incouragement is here for all good and bad to come in unto Jesus Christ Come Drunkard Come Swearer Come Unclean heart Come Sabbath-breaker Come lying-Children Come stealing-Servants Oh! Come unto the Lord Jesus Christ that you may be fil'd for ever Oh! Come unto Christ that you may leave your sins Here is incouragement to all good and bad to come unto Jesus Christ One word more of Use unto Beleevers Appli 3. and so I have done Is there a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Then Beleevers Own your own own your own labor to strengthen your Assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ and maintain your confidence in Him If you have Assurance of Union with Jesus Christ you may have the comfort of all this truth you may and you will say thus or to the like purpose Hath the Lord given me Christ and will He not with Him give me all things else True indeed I want Grace to do such a work with to pray with to hear with to examine my own heart withal I want Grace to do such a work for God Oh! but there is a communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers and through the Lords Grace I am one There is a communication of the Fulness of the Lord Jesus Christ unto all the Saints and through the Lords Grace I am one and therefore in due time I know I shall have this Grace communicated to me But if you want the Assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ Oh! then you will want the comfort of this Truth then you will break out and say True indeed there is the communication of the Fulness of Christ unto Beleevers but the Lord knows I am none 'T is true indeed there 's a communication of the Fulness of Christ unto al the Saints but the Lord knows I am none I have an unclean heart of mine own the Lord knows I am none Oh! therefore you that have gone doubting up and down and had no assurance of your condition all this while assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ for the love of God get it now as you desire to have the comfort of this truth that now I have bin upon get it now You see Beloved these times we are fallen upon are dying times and truly I may say Dying times and Doubting hearts cannot stand together Oh! Cock up cock up you that have had your evidence for Heaven lying abroad all this while get it in Labor to get assurance of your Union with Jesus Christ and maintain your confidence and assurance and so shall you have the comfort of all this Truth made good unto you And the Lord give it in unto you SERMON III. JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Magnus Aug. 24. 1645. I Have made entrance into these Words in other Congregations And desire to proceed here where I left there The Words are spoken of our Lord and Savior Christ They hold forth Three great grand Propositions First That there is a Fulness of Grace in Jesus Christ Secondly That of His Fulness all we have received Thirdly That of His Fulness all we have received Even Grace for Grace I have done with the
First Proposition The Second afforded this Observation That all the Saints and People of God do partake of the Fulness of Jesus Christ in a way of receiving This fals asunder into Two Parts or Two Branches First That there is a Communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That what ever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I have done also with the First of these And am now God willing to speak to the Second Whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints and People of God have from Christ they have it all in a way of receiving Of His Fulness all we have received The former Branch told us That Christ Communicates This tels us That we Receive There the Emphasis lay upon Christs Communicating And here the Accent is set upon our Receiving The Grace of Jesus Christ is not borne with us We do not go to Jesus Christ in the strength of our Nature to take of His Fulnesse to our selves But Jesus Christ gives out and we receive All in a way of Receiving The Grace and Mercy of our Justification and remission of Sins is by way of Receiving Rom. 5.11 Not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Atonement is to be had it is to be had by Christ and this in a way of Receiving Again The Grace and Mercy of our Adoption is to be had in a way of Receiving Gal. 4.5 He came to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Adoption is a Blessing that is most desirable This Christ gives and this we receive Again The Grace of our Sanctification is to be had in a way of Receiving What is the Cause and Original of all our Grace or Holinesse but the Spirit of God And that is received Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Schools say that the word Grace is either taken for The Gifts of the holy-Ghost or for Saving and Sanctifying Grace Take Grace for The gifts of the holy-Ghost as sometimes the Word is used in Scripture and that is in a way of Receiving Acts 10.47 They heard them speak with Tongues at the 46. ver Then answered Peter Can any man forbid water that these should not be Baptized which have received the holy-Ghost That is The Gift of the holy Ghost Take Grace for Holiness and Sanctification and that is also in a way of Receiving to be had in a way of Receiving Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father There are Gifts of Prayer And there is the Spirit of Prayer of Adoption crying Abba Father The First may be without Grace but the Second not where ever the Second is there is Grace And this is Received saith the Apostle here In general all is by way of Receiving Col. 2.6 As ye have Received the Lord Christ saies the Apostle see that ye walk in Him And in another place 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not Received What hast thou that thou hast not Received All in a way of Receiving He shall come down saies the Psalmist in the 72. Psalm speaking concerning our Lord and Savior Christ and His Grace at the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Or as some write it for so the Original will bear it He shall come down like rain upon the Fleece having relation to Gideons Fleece He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass as showers that water the earth A Psalm for Solomon saies the Title But there are many things in this Psalm that cannot properly be understood of Solomon but in a type properly belonging to Jesus Christ For as Strigelius does well observe at the 7. verse the verse next following this text it is said In his daies shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth Solomon did not live so long as the moon endures This therefore is to be understood of Christ And at the 5. verse it is said They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and moon endure throughout all generations They did not fear Solomon men did not fear Solomon as long as the Sun and moon endures through all generations This therefore must be understood of Christ Now see therefore what is said of Christ and concerning His Grace saies the Text in the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Like rain rain you know is that that does make the earth fruitful Non ager sed annus facit fructum 'T is not the sowing but 't is the Year that causes fruit 't is the rain that causeth fruit And so 't is the Grace of Jesus Christ that does make us fruitful His Grace the cause of our Grace I will be as a dew saies the Lord in the 14. of Hosea unto Israel and then follows fruitfulness Again The rain cometh by special appointment from God Amos. 4.7 Judg. 6.38 39 40. with a kind of dis-crimination He maketh the rain to fall upon one City saith the Prophet and not upon another As wee reade concerning Gideons Fleece the dew fell upon the Fleece when all the earth was dry round about it And then the dew fell upon the ground when the Fleece was dry And this was a Type of the Grace of Christ when the Jewes were bedewed with the Grace of Christ then all the Nations round about they were dry And then when God bedewed the Gentiles the Nations round about with His Grace then the Jews were dry and they are dry to this day Again The rain falleth 't is the Scripture phrase the rain falleth and falleth upon the earth and the earth is a recipient to receive it it is meer recipient at the first and then brings forth it 's fruit the Rain falleth And so doth the Grace of Christ the Grace of Christ falls upon the souls of men and women saith the Text here He shall come down like the rain upon the mowne grass So doth the Grace of Jesus Christ it comes down upon a poor soul All in a way of receiving al in a way of receiving whatever grace or holiness a man hath on this side Heaven it is all in a way of Receiving And this will appear further to you if you consider The insufficiency of Nature The Supernaturallity of Grace The Shortness of all means that are appointed thereunto The work and nature of Faith And the posture and true behaviour of Prayer First of all There is a Natural inability in a man unto what is good truly Spiritually good First A man is unable by Nature to overcome any sin though it be never so small A man by Nature
he may abstain from vices from a sin but overcome it he cannot Sin may be Satisfied and not Mortified Mark â—n may be Satisfied and not Mortified As in the dropsie There is a great deal of difference between the satisfying of a mans thirst and the healing of the Disease Many men think that their fin is certainly Healed when 't is only Satisfied Whereas a beggar when he is competently served he will beg no more And sin beggar-like when 't is well served it will not beg again presently not in the same temptation Sin it self will cease to sin that it may gather strength to sin But now a man by nature he cannot overcome it And therfore in the 1 Cor 15.57 the Apostle saies thus But thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Victories and all Victories is through our Lord Jesus Christ And if in the Old Testament all Victories were given from God all outward Victories were given from Him Then much more in the New Testament are all our Spiritual Victories the former being but Types of these much more are all our Spiritual Victories then to be given to God Now you see how it was with David in the 18. Psalme concerning outward Victories he gives all to God Saies he there at the 32 verse It is God that girdeth me with strength He maketh my feet like hindes feet He teacheth my hands to war so that a Bow of steel is broken by mine Arms. And at the 2. verse saies he The Lord is my Rock my For tress my Deliverer my God my strength in whom I wil trust my Buckler and the horn of my Salvation mine high Tower As if all his War-like strength and skill were from God And is not much more our Spiritual strength which we have in our Christian warfare from Jesus Christ Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies at my right hand therefore I shall not fall saies the Psalmist Naturally then a man is utterly unable to overcome any sin or temptation though it be never so small Secondly As a man is unable to overcome any sin So also if he be fallen he is unable to rise again Peter himself must have a look from Christ before he could repent As if Jesus Christ had said to him Peter thou art now down in the dirt and I know thou canst not rise unlesse I give forth My hand unto thee then here is My hand and so He did heave him up Every sin that a man does commit he is taken captive by it more or lesse sin is a captivity Now Voluntas non est libera nisi liberata A man is not free unlesse freed If the Son make you free you are free indeed but else not at all Every sin that a man does commit it is a mortal wound a death of the soul sin is A man may be able to kill himselfe but being kil'd he cannot raise himself The Ship having his rudder broken cannot go where it wil but must go where the Tempest pleases And Beloved there is never a fin that a man commits but he does strike upon his rudder he does strike upon the earth withal and he does lose his rudder A poor sheep is able for to lose it self to wander but being lost is not able to come home agaim Yea our Savior saies in the Parable of the lost-sheep meaning lost-man The lost-sheep is taken by the shepherd or the good-man that finds it and is layd upon his shoulder and so brought back again What is this shoulder but the strength of Christ And indeed if a poor soul if a wandting poor lost soul be not laid on the shoulder of Jesus Christ he will lose and wander unto all Eternity will lose himself and wander for ever This is wel exprest as an Ancient does observe in the example of Adam when Adam had sinned and fallen Adam was not able to return again Let us mark it the rather because Adam he was our Great Common-father and in his example we may all see our own faces Saies he Adam being fallen he could not rise again but when Adam was fallen What does he Then he sets himself for to make himselfe cloaths of siggleaves that so he might be freed from the injury of the weather he could mind his cloathes and do something to take away his shame but not one thought of God not one word of God whom he had lost And so now man man having finned What does he do He can mind his cloathes he can mind the affairs of the world those things that concern this life and his body Oh! but not one word not one thought of God until the Voice of the Lord be heard And what then Then Adam-like he may be ashamed and may be afraid but yet no repentance till Christ comes Naturally a man being fallen he is unable to rise again Thirdly As he is unable to rise again So he is unable to stand to hold to continue though he should rise up again he is unable to stand he is unable to hold to continue And therefore David seeing his people in a good frame he prayes That the Lord would continue that good in the thoughts of their heart and that for ever And so the Apostle in the 1 Peter 5.10 1 Chron. 26.18 But the God of all Grace who hath called us unto His eternal Glory by Christ Jesus after ye have suffered a while make ye perfect stablish strengthen settle you Pray mark the words The God of all Grace stablish strengthen settle you He does not say The God of Nature settle you Oh! 't is an act of Grace of great Grace of rich Grace to be settled it is an act of great Grace to be truly settled As Hierome excellently notes God is alwaies a giver God is alwaies a bestower It shal not suffice me that God hath once given unless He would alwaies give You know the parable concerning the strong man that ye reade of in Mat. 12. being cast out by a stronger then he and yet returns again The Devil is this strong man in some great and grosse sin now though he be cast out yet notwithstanding the room being emptied though it be garnisht with moral vertues and Evangelical gifts yet the room being left empty of Jesus Christ the Lord Jesus Christ not keeping the house saies the Devil the house is mine still and therefore saies he I will return to mine house he calls it his house all this while Though the strong man were cast out and though the room were swept and garnisht yet he calls it his house still because Jesus Christ did not keep there and continue there So that the Lord Jesus Christ must have the Keeping of the house as well as the Sweeping of the house Naturally a man is unable to hold to stand and continue though he do rise Fourthly Pray mark it that you may see what an insufficiency there is unto what
In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed Then He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction That He may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man When man least thinks of it then God comes in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon a man and in slumbrings upon the bed Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction What does all this argue then But that grace grace is infused grace is supernatural Oh! there is a supernaturallity in saving grace Surely therefore all is in a way of Receiving all is Received That is a Second Argument Thirdly This truth is also argued from the Shortness of the means of grace Much means of grace appointed but take the means as it is in it self without Gods appointment or institution upon it you wil find that all means are too short to reach the end For example In the old Testament when the Lord would take in Jericho and break down the walls of Jericho He Commands Josh 6.4 The Rams horns should be blown Take the blowing of the Rams-horns as lying under Gods appointment and so this action was sufficient for to break down the walls but take the action of blowing the Rams-horns by it self and so it was too short So the Lord commands Naaman 2 Kings 5.10 To go and wash himself in the water of Jordan take this action of Naaman washing himself in the water take it I say without Gods Commandement take it with Gods Commandement Gods Appointment so it was sufficient to reach his Cure and heale him of his Leprosy but now take the action as it was in it self without the Appointment and institution of God and so it was too short to reach his Cure So in the new Testament Joh. 9.6 our Savior Christ He takes spittle and clay for to cure a mans eyes Take this under Christs appointment and so it 's sufficient to reach the cure but take it without and so short So God did appoint in Baptisme a man should be washed in water and in the Sacrament we should eat bread and drink wine for the begetting and increasing of Faith Take these actions as they lie under Gods Appointment and Institution they are able to reach this end but take these actions as they are in themselves washing in water and eating bread and drinking wine they are all too short all too short either to beget or increase Grace Well now why does the Lord stil appoint such means as in themselves are too short for the end whereto appointed Surely not only for this reason that he might teach us that the thing done is rather by the appointment then by the use of means but also to show thus much That though we do use the means yet notwithstāding in the use of the means we do not attain the thing by the use thereof but that in the using of means and waiting there we shall receive strength from God to do it to attain the end Whensoever therefore you consider the shortness of the means appointed conclude thus That all is in a way of Receiving therefore God hath appointed the means that are in themselves short Fourthly This Doctrine is further argued From the work and nature of Faith There is no Grace that the Scripture puts more upon than Faith Mark I pray In the old Testament all the Victories are put on Faith In the new Testament all the Cures if thou canst but Beleeve saies Christ According to thy Faith be it unto thee Yea Beloved if you look into the new Testament you shal find that the same works that are given to Christ are given to Faith Jesus Christ He is said for to Sanctifie the soul So doth Faith Faith purifies the heart saies the Apostle Jesus Christ He is said for to justifie a sinner So does Faith too Being justified by Faith Romans the 5th Jesus Christ He is said for to save the soul He is called our Savior So doth Faith too By Faith ye are saved What 's the Reason now that the Lord does especially set the Crown upon the head of Faith Some think it is for this Reason Because that Faith doth unite the soul unto Jesus Christ But so does Love Love is an affection of Union and all Grace unites to Christ as every sin seperates so every Grace unites Others think 't is for this Reason Because that as Faith sets the Crown upon the head of Christ So God sets the Crown upon the head of Faith and this is true For as the Lord does honor those persons most that honor Him most So He wil honor those Graces most that honor Him most But besides this I conceive the great Reason is this why the Lord does thus set all over upon Faith I say because that Faith in the nature of it is a Receiving Grace And therefore John having said in this 1. Chap. of Joh. and the 12. verse To as many as received Him He gave power to be called the Sons of God Explains himself by this afterward in the same verse Even to them that Beleeve on His Name So that Beleeving is nothing else but Receiving the Grace of God the nature of Faith being to Receive the Truth or the Receiving of Jesus Christ the proper work and nature of Faith being to Receive Now therefore when the Lord does put al upon Faith and Faith in it's nature is a Receiving plainly it holds forth this Truth unto us That all is in a way a Receiving all Grace in a way of Receiving Fifthly and lastly This Truth is argued also From the posture and true behavior of Prayer Mark Prayer is nothing else but the souls begging or petitioning for something from Heaven A begger you know when he begs he holds forth or he stretches forth his hand noting a willingness to receive So you reade in Scripture that when the soul is put into a posture of Prayer it is put into this posture Reade therefore what is said in Job 11.13 If thou prepare thine heart or est ablish thine heart for so the word signifies if thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards Him That is if thou doest Pray unto Him thou stretchest out thine hands unto Him Now as one observes well As it were a derision or a mocking of God to praise God or to give God thanks for that which He doth not give but I have in my own power So it were also a mocking of God to pray to God for that which is not in His hands to give but in mine to do Now my Beloved What ever Grace or Holinesse a man hath he is to pray for pray for healing strength pray for quickning strength pray for confirming strength pray for strength to pray and seeing the posture of prayer is this to stretch forth the hands which notes receiving in that we are for to
Answ That mercy may be sure unto all His servants which they would soon spend if it were in their own keeping Mark I pray There are these Two or Three Reasons of Gods Proceeding this way That all Grace should be in a way of Receiving And the First is That all Boasting rejoycing 1. Rea. confidence in ones self may be taken away If Abraham saies Paul in the 4. of the Romans were justified by works he hath whereof to glory though not before God He hath whereof to glory But now when all is in a way of Receiving there 's no room for Boasting Mark therefore what is said in the 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it God cannot indure Boasting cannot indure Self-confidence God cannot indure that a man should glory in any thing in himself therefore all all is in a way of Receiving This is Gods Reasoning Again 2. Rea. God hath so ordered things in the dispensations of His Grace under the Gospel That Jesus Christ may be fully Honored Exalted No such way to Honor Christ as this that all should come out of His hands to be received from Him Pray Was it not a great Honor to Joseph in the time of the famine in Egypt that no bread but should come through his hands not a corn of grain but should come through his hands So here when no grace no strength no aid no assistance no supplies but all through the hand of Christ all in a way of Receiving does not this glorify Christ much What is it I pray that makes the Sun so glorious a creature above all the creatures in the world but this That all the creatures depend upon him for light and for warmth This is that that makes the Lord Jesus Christ glorious That all must be in a way of Receiving from Jesus Christ Thirdly 3. Rea. God hath so ordered things in the dispensations of His Grace under the Gospel That the Saints and Children of God may live by faith Good people mark it Some there are some creatures in the world that do live by Sence as the beasts and beastly men Some creatures there are that do live by Reason moral men But the Lord would have His Children to live by Faith That as the men of the world do live by Sence and Reason So the Lord would have all His Children to live by Faith What way or means to bring a soul off for to live by Faith Establish this Doctrine let this be a Statute made in the Churches All in a way of Receiving I saies a poor soul is it so indeed What all in a way of Receiving Then I fee a necessity of living by Faith Oh! Lord teach me now for to live by Faith Thus you see the Doctrine clearly proved by Reason to you I shall not be able to reach the Use of the point so as I intended The Doctrine is exceeding Useful ful of Spiritual Use yet though I shall not be able to do what I would give me leave for to make some Application of the point and so I will winde up all Is this Doctrine true 1 Applic. That all all is in a way of Receiving Then behold what infinite care the great God of Heaven and Earth hath of Beleevers of every beleeving soul though he be never so mean would you not think that if a mother were so tender of her child that she would not let her child eat a bit of bread but it should be of her own cutting that she would not let it drink a drop of drink but it should be of her own drawing would you not think this mother this woman were very careful of her child Beloved thus the case stands No Grace no Assistance no Help for duty no Help against sin but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will have the cutting of it the Lord Jesus Christ will have the giving of it out He will have the drawing of it all all in a way of Receiving Oh! what care Oh! what infinite care hath God of poor Beleevers When the Lord would commend His care of the Children of Israel unto them pray mark what an argument he uses in Deut. 11.10 11 12. For the Land whether thou goest in to possess it is not as the Land of Egypt from whence ye came out where thou sowedst thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbs They fetch 't water out of the River Nilus and so they watered the Land of Egypt with their feet But saies he at the 11. verse the Land whither ye go to possess it is a Land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of Heaven Not taken out of the River and watered by mens feet as Egypt was A Land saies the Lord which the Lord thy God Careth for A Land which the Lord thy God Careth for He Cared not for Egypt How does he prove that the Lord Cared for it The eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies on it from the begining of the yeer even unto the end of the yeer He giveth rain from Heaven and when your Land wants water 't is given from Heaven 't is not watered by mens feet 't is not watered as Egypt was watered which Land God Cared not for So now there are some people in the world that water themselves that go forth in their own strength that have moral vertues and they water their hearts with their own feet as I may say the Lord Cares not for those the Lord Cares not for such Oh! but give me a soul that hath rain from Heaven that lives in continual dependance that acknowledges that all is Received that lives upon Heaven the Lord Cares for such a soul Now this is the condition of all the Saints of every Beleever he hath all in a way of Receiving Oh! the infinite care that the Lord hath of every Beleever though he be never so mean Secondly Appli 2. Is this Doctrine true All in a way of Receiving Then behold what sweet and comfortable and pleasant lives the Saints live Beleevers have When you look upon a Godly man and consider what great works he does and what hard things he bears what great Afflictions he goes thorow You say Good Lord how is a man able to do or bear all this Paul and Silas â—â—nging in the stocks when they were whipt and scourg'd the blood running down their shoulders and yet singing How how are they able to do all to bear all To here here is the reason They have all in a way of Receiving When you see the little Child run by the father in his hand in a green meadow you say the Child hath a â—â—ne and a sweet time but when you see the Child coming at a high gate or stile to get over or dirty lane to passe
over now ye say how will the Child do now Why surely the Child will do as well and better now if the father takes the child up in his arms the dirty lane wil be the pleasantest place to the child when 't is taken up into the fathers armes Thus 't is with the Saints great works they do and hard things they go thorow Oh! but they are taken up into Christs Armes and they have all in a way of Receiving When you look upon a man that does keep a great Table hath many servants attending on him his Purse alwaies full of money you will say surely this man leads a fine and a sweet life if it do not cost him much for to receive it or get this money but if you hear that he hath all his Estate only for telling his money his great pains is all in receiving his money Oh! here 's a blessed man indeed and here 's a happy man you think presently Thus 't is the great pains of a Christian is to Receive from Christ and to spend for Christ Oh! what a sweet life does the Saints live that live by Faith in Jesus Christ Thirdly Appli 3. Is this Doctrine true Then what abundance are there in the world many that live under the Gospel that from hence are argued to have no saving interest in Jesus Christ Good people mark it that I say are not savingly united to Jesus Christ There is a Two-fold Vnion with Christ as Christ is considered Two waies He is either considered with His Church the Church and He making one body and so all together are called Christ In 1 Cor. 12. Or else He is considered as the great Mediator and Savior of Beleevers by Himself Accordingly men may be said to be Vnited to Him Either Outwardly in the Church tied and related to Him by outward Ordinances Or else Inwardly united to Him by saving faith When a man is Inwardly united to Jesus Christ by saving faith he hath all from Christ Strength unto every duty from Jesus Christ Praying strength and Hearing strength and Repenting strength and Confirming strength he hath from Christ in a way of Receiving But the other hath little or nothing from Christ Pray mark it I will express it thus A man takes a peice of bread or a loaf of bread he tyes it to his arm his arm hath no strength from that 't is but an outward tye to his arm it hath no strength from that and it argues that 't is but an outward tye it causes no strength by it But if a man take bread and eat it that there be an inward union then there is strength there is bread goes to all the parts you know my meaning Or thus I will expresse it thus Take a graft and tye it unto a Tree tye it unto a stock and it brings forth no fruit at all why Because 't is but outwardly tyed unto the root unto the stock of the Tree But take the branch and graft it into the Tree into the stock then it brings forth all that it brings forth by vertue of the stock that 't is grafted into So my beloved there are a company there are a generation of people that live here under the Gospel that are Outwardly tyed unto Christ they are Baptized they have the Name of Christ by profession and by the tye of the Ordinances they are outwardly tyed unto Christ but Oh! they receive nothing from Him nothing from Him pray what do they receive Suppose Christ had not come into the world suppose they had never heard Christ preacht they might have lived Civilly they might have lived Justly amongst their neighbors they might have abstained from Lying and Drunkenness why they do not thus much poor creatures nothing from Christ they receive nothing from Christ Oh! these are but outwardly tyed as a loaf of bread is tyed unto a mans arm so is the Lord Jesus in the Ordinances tyed unto them I but then There are another people that are Savingly united to Jesus Christ and these they have strength from Him they cannot Pray but as they have strength from Christ they cannot Confer and speak of good things but as they have strength from Christ they cannot go and hear a Sermon with any affection but as they have strength from Christ All all in a way of Receiving Oh! they stand in a way of dependance upon God in Him and they have all from Christ these are Savingly united to Christ But Oh! many that live among us that have not all from Christ Certainly therefore there are many that are not savingly united to Jesus Christ This is a Third I 'le adde but one more and so I have done Is this Doctrine true Appli 4. All in a way of Receiving Then surely Beloved All is from Grace from first to last Heaven Heaven is a Donative Salvation is a Donative every step in the Iadder to Heaven is Grace every link of the chain is Grace Oh! every beam of our day is Grace every stone of our building Grace Is all in a way of Receiving What Praying strength What Hearing strength What Suffering strength What is all al in a way of Receiving Oh then what glorious Grace is here Oh! rich Grace Oh! free Grace Oh! incomparable Riches of the freeness of Gods Grace in Christ Is the Lord Jesus the Alpha and the Omega Is He the Beginning the Middle the End of all our actions Oh! what Grace is here If there be ever a drooping soul If there be ever a poor hard heart a cold heart a frozen heart in all this Congregation Come O poor soul come and warm thine heart at this fire of Love Were our Heaven and our Salvation put to sale upon our Doing I say were Mercy set to sale at our doing then we were in a sad condition we were in a lamentable condition Well now Is al in a way of Receiving What then though I cannot Pray for the present What then though my heart be dead for the present yet notwithstanding I will wait upon the Lord in the way of His Ordinances it may be this day and this time I shall receive something that may put life into my poor dead soul Oh! you that never waited upon the Lord and upon free Grace wait now upon the Lord you that have waited waite still you that never waited wait now Beloved the more Dependant our condition is the more Depending should our spirits be What more Dependant condition can you think of All all in way of Receiving Oh! therefore now let us all labor to live by faith Go away with this in your bosomes I see a necessity of living in a continual Dependance on God in Christ Which that you may do think of all these things and the Lord bless them to you SERMON IV. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Margrets new fish-street Decem. 8 1645. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance
18.15 A Prophet will I raise up like unto thee I 'l put My Name in him He shall be called God Jehovah as I am Then the Lord proclaimed before Moses himself to be the Lord gracious merciful forgiving iniquity transgression and sin reserving mercy for thousands Then the Lord gave the Law and least they should think that God intended it as a Covenant of works He did at the same time give the Ceremonial Law that thereby they might reade the satisfaction of Jesus Christ for any sin they should commit against the Moral Law Here was a higher Advance But because this was still under-vail'd And it is a pain to love to conceal it self the Lord does make a further revelation of His Grace of Christ by His servant David for after David and Solomons time we reade of the Eternal generation of Christ Proverbs the 8. Of the Incarnation of Christ Loe I come Psal 40.7 in the volume of thy Book saies the Psalmist Of the Death and Suffering of Christ Psalm the 22.1 and divers other Psalms My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the 118. Psalm and the 16. Psalm Thou wilt not suffer thine holy One to see corruption Of all the Three Offices of Jesus Christ His Kingly Office The second Psalm Yet will I set my King upon my holy Hill His Prophetical Office He shall declare the Decree Psal 2.7 And His Priestly Office Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedech Psal 110. Of the Ascention of Jesus Christ Psal 68. He hath ascended on high and received gifts for men Of the Sitting at the right hand of God the Father the 110. Psal The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand Thus you see in Davids time the Gospel had Advance further had gotten a great deal of ground But the Lord was not yet contented but causes more of His Grace to break forth in the times of the Prophets more concerning Christ He tells them of the very Time Christ should be born Daniel the 9. Of the Place where He should be born At Bethlehem The Person that should bear Him Mic. 5.2 Isa 7.14 Mal. 3.1 A Virgin shal conceive Gives them divers Characters whereby they should know Him when He came And I will send my Messenger before Him The voice of one crying in the wilderness He will ride upon an Asses colt Behold thy King Isa 40.3 Zac. 9.9 11.12 Isa 53.5 comes riding upon an Asses colt He shall be sold for Thirty pieces of silver saies the Prophet Zachary He shall die not for His own sins but ours The chastisement of our peace shall be upon Him And as if all this were not enough The Lord speaks out the Covenant of Grace expresly in Jer. 31.31 The daies come saie the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah verse the 33. This shall be the Covenant that I will make with them after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord They shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more What a mighty Advance had Grace made now Is there any more yet Yes our Savior Himself comes and then Grace Advances higher by much higher then Grace enlarges her Quarters extending it self unto all the world go teach all Nations Go teach all Nations saies our Savior That house of Israel would serve such a candle as Moses was Mat. 28.19 But when the Sun arises no less then the whol world for him to display his beams upon He had set up a school of Grace in that corner of the world in Jenny But when the Lord Jesus Himself comes a Free-School is set up the School of Free Grace for all the children of men to come unto Go teach all Nations Yea in the second place Although our Savior Christ did go unto our fore fathers the Jews and preach unto them by His Spirit He came to them as Joseph to his brethren at the first in a hidden way under a vail But now the vail of the Temple is rent asunder and the most common people may see into the Holy of Holiest Now we all with open face behold as in a glass the Glory of the Lord. The Jews 2 Cor. 3.18 they had the Shadows and we have as it were the Picture but the Substance the Thing it is yet to come These Three ye find in that first verse of the 10. Chapter to the Hebrews For the Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of the thing Here 's the Shadow and here 's the Image and here 's the Thing it self The Thing it self it is yet to come They indeed had the Shadow but we have the Image and look how much an Image or the picture of a man goes beyond a shadow So much does the discovery of Christ now go beyond the discoveries of Him then Luther saies The whol world is but one day as it were And as the evening and the morning made the day so saies he our fore fathers the Jews they had the evening but we have the morning Again Though there were many Doctrines of Grace and mercy communicated to our fore fathers the Jews Yet notwithstanding they were so tempered with the Law that the very Gospel seem'd to be Law to them As now we have the Law among us but 't is so temper'd with the Gospel that the Law it self is Gospel-wise to us They had Christ in the hand of Moses and we have Moses in the hand of Christ A mighty difference As we have a Baptized and a Christian Moses so they had a Circumcized and a Mosaical Christ They had Grace in the hand of the Law And therefore you shall observe that when the Lord appear'd unto them in way of greatest mercy He appear'd still with tokens of Majesty and Greatness But now we have Grace in the hand of Grace we have Grace with the tokens of Grace and with the tokens of Love And this difference the Apostle makes out cleerly in the 12. of the Hebrews from the 18. unto the 25. Again Though they had many Doctrins of Grace and of free Grace yet themselves were not made free thereby but they were as the children of the bond-woman they were not free from Ceremonial Rites They had the free use of the creature their hearts were not free and enlarged towards God Indeed those that were Godly among them they were Children Gal. 4.1 4 5 6. But as the Apostle speaks they being under age they differed not
is you shall have a godly man work work with fear and trembling as if he would earn Heaven with his fingers-ends and yet he relies upon Jesus Christ only for his salvation Further. You say 't is no great matter for a man To walk closely with God But 't is a great matter It may be you wil say 't is not I but for a man to walk closely with God and yet to be in the dark to walk exactly and yet to be in a crowd and throng of business who can walk exactly in the dark and who can walk exactly in a crowd when he is carried to and fro in a crowd Thus now you shall have a godly gracious man walk exactly with God closely with God and yet may be in the dark a Child of light and yet in the dark and in a crowd of occasions and businesse and yet walk exactly this is much Again You will say 't is no great matter for a man to be diligent in his particular Calling I but for the same person for to take no thought no dividing thought what be shall eate or drink or put on and yet be diligent in his particular Calling this is much Now so it is you shall have a godly gracious soul taking no care no dividing care what he shall eate or drink or what he shall put on and yet diligent in his particular Calling Again You will say It is no great matter for a man To grieve for sin past and to strive against sin for the time to come I but for the same person to know that his sin past is pardoned and to know that if he fall into a sin for the time to come God will work good out of it it shal be for his gain God wil over-rule it so and yet strive against it as the greatest evil in the world this is much Now thus it is A gracious soul knows his sin is pardoned yet he grieves for it and he knows that if he shall fall into a sin the Lord will over-rule things so as he shall be the better for it and yet he strives against his sin as the greatest evil in the world Here is a Mastery this is much Again You will say 't is no great matter for a man to be quiet under his Affliction because it does come from God for that reason I but for the same person To be the more sencible and to be the more afflicted because it does come from God this is much Beloved you shal have these Two meet together A godly gracious soul he is therefore quiet under Affliction because it does come from God and he is therfore the more sencible of his affliction because it does come from God Here 's a mystery put these together and you will say things rese high I 'le Instance but in one more and that is a Tenth You will say 't is no great matter For a man to be contented with his condition to be contented with his condition when 't is mean and when 't is poor I but for the same person To desire a better and pray for a better and to pray earnestly for a better and yet be contented with his condition though it be never so mean this is much Thus 't is with the Saints a Child of God being in a mean condition he desires a better he prayes to God for a better and he prayes earnestly to God for a better and yet he is contented with his condition though it be never so mean pray and pray earnestly and yet contented with his condition though it be never so mean Thus my Beloved Oh! there is a Mystery there is a mystery in every piece of godliness and you look not upon things under the mysterious Notion and you say 'T is no great matter that is in the life of such a one Oh! but if you would look upon things under this Notion and consider the mystery of godliness and every piece thereof you would lift up your hands and say Oh! surely he that hath but the least measure of Gospel-Grace hath Abundance of Grace he that hath but the least degree of Grace hath Abundance of Grace of Christs Fulness Now under the new Testament we have received not Sparingly not Scantly but Grace for Grace and Abundance of Grace he that hath but the least measure hath received much hath received Abundance Some few things by way of Application and so I have done If it be so Applic. 1 Then why should any of Gods People vilifie and degrade and lowen the gift of God wherewithal they are enriched through Jesus Christ Would you take it as fair dealing from a child that is estated in great lands by his father if he should say my father indeed was pleased to bestow a great Estate upon my Brother but he hath given little or nothing to me He hath bestowed great means upon such a Sister but he hath given little or nothing to me This were not fair dealing And is this fair dealing with your God and with your father When you shall say I there is such a godly man the Lord hath given him a great Estate of the Gospel but little or nothing to me And there is such a woman such a Sister the Lord hath done much for her soul but Oh! little or nothing for me Beloved There is no sin small because committed against the great God There 's no blessing small because received from the great God but of all blessings Gospel-blessing is the greatest blessing Hath the Lord therefore man or woman given thee any Gospel-Grace the Grace of Jesus Christ He hath given thee much that which thou look'st upon as little 't is much in the eye of Heaven Wherefore now let not the Eunuch say Oh! let not the Eunuch say I am a dry tree any longer Take heed how you degrade and vilifie and lowen the Grace of God wherewithal you are inrich't through Jesus Christ Secondly Appli 2. If there be such Abundance of Grace even Grace for Grace Abundance of Grace given unto the Saints and People of God under the new Testament Behold then what great finners Professors are yea the fins of Gods own people The more light and knowledge a man hath if he sin the greater is his sin The more beams of Grace fall upon a mans heart the more he is able to discern the motes that are there and so may avoid them and sinning he sins the more The more grace and the more mercy a man sins against the greater is his sin because free Grace and mercy is the remedy The more strength a man hath to stand the greater is his sin if he fall As it was with Adam He had strength to stand and yet he fell I say the more strength a man hath to stand the greater is his sin if he fall Now Beloved ye have heard what Abundance of Grace is Discovered Exhibited Communicated unto all the Saints under the new Testament unto
all the People of God Oh! how great are their sins when they fall The Lord was quick with many that sinned in the old Testament and will He not be quick with Professors now that know more that have more Grace more Grace Discovered now Many when they sin they excuse themselves and they say True indeed I have thus and thus sinned but David did so I have sinned I have done thus and thus but Sampson did so I have committed this or that sin but Noah did so I but we have more light we have more Grace discovered ordinarily among us now than ordinarily among them in the Old Testament We have more Grace Discovered more Abundance of Grace Communicated now And therefore as the Apostle concludes from it we ought the more Abundantly to take heed For if they escaped not without a recompence of reward that sinned against the Law of Moses What shall become of those that sin against the Word of Christ the Son of God Professors all you that are the People of God take heed how you sin take heed how you tamper with your sins Grace hath Abounded you have received much and therefore if you sin this is that that will make your sins out of measure sinful Take heed what you do But in the Third place Appli 3. If there be such an Abundance of Grace Communicated now unto all the People of God under the new Testament What a mighty Incouragement is here to all good and bad I say a mighty Incouragement to all to all those that hear me this day good and bad Bad An incouragement unto those that are Bad to those that are wicked Therefore they should come in unto Jesus Christ He will not send your souls away empty there 's a Fulnesse in Jesus Christ and those that come unto Him shall be fil'd by Him He does not only give Grace but He gives Abundance of Grace Who would not come unto Jesus Christ that he may be fil'd by Christ Mark Is there an Abundance of Grace to be had from Christ and wilt thou have none Drunkard Is there such Abundance of Grace to be had in Christ and wilt thou have none wanton Unclean heart wilt thou have none Swearer Sab-bath-breaker wilt thou have none The Lord perswade your hearts to come in unto Jesus Christ I tell you you will have more from Him then you expect The Prodigal look't but for bread at his fathers house and he met with a fatted Calfe and with a Ring and with the best Garment you shall have more than you look't for 'T is a mighty Incouragement Oh! you that never thought of returning unto Jesus Christ Come in now unto Jesus Christ that you may have Abundance of Grace from Him I have done only this Here is also incouragement unto all that are godly and therefore they should labor to be rich in Grace shall Jesus Christ do much for you and will you do little for Him shall you receive Abundance from Him and will you not do Abundance for Him Labor Oh! labor all you Servants of God to Abound in the Work of the Lord That you may be fil'd with all the Fulness of God in Christ That you may be fil'd with all the fruits of righteousness That you may be strengthened with all might in the inner-man you have received much you have had Abundance he that hath the least Grace hath Abundance if thou hast but the least Gospel-Grace thou hast Abundance Brethren Grace hath Abounded Oh! let us Aboundin Grace Aboundin Faith and Abound in Patience and Abound in Meekness Sweetness and Love towards one another and towards all the Saints You have received much can you go to Heaven with doing little God expects much from you I conclude therefore with the exhortation of the Apostle Col. 2.6 As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ walk in Him Alwaies Abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And thus much for the First thing that is here intended SERMON V. JOHN 1.16 And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace Preached at Margrets new fishstreet Dec. 15.1645 YE heard the last day that three things were contained in this last Clause Even Grace for Grace as it stands in relation to the former part of the verse First of all It notes an Abundance of Grace Even Grace for Grace that is Abundance of Grace The Saints and People of God under the new Testament do receive Abundance of Grace from Jesus Christ Secondly It notes also thus much That all Grace is from Jesus Christ That whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Grace for Grace saies Austin that is Grace in order to Grace God gives the former Grace saies he to prepare for the after Grace Whether the former or the latter rain whether the former or the latter Grace 't is all from Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Christ This sutes with the phrase of Job still Skin for skin that is all a mans skins So 't is explain'd by the following words Skin for skin Job 2.4 even all that a man hath will he give for his life So here Of His Fulness have all we received Even Grace for Grace that is all Grace Whatsoever Grace we have we have it from Jesus Christ And this also sutes with the Scope of the place the scope of the place is to exalt Jesus Christ above them that came before Him above Moses Therefore saies he at the next verse Joh 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Though the Law were given by Moses yet notwithstanding Grace the chief that is from Christ Now Grace The word Grace here in the 17. verse must be understood of All Crace The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth that is All Grace And this verse being brought in as a reason of the former surely therefore this must needs be the meaning also of the former That all grace is from Jesus Christ whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This is the Argument that I intend God willing to speak unto at this time Grace Sometimes is taken for the Favour of God Somtimes it is taken for Gods Assistance Sometimes it is taken for Holiness either in the habit or in the act Sometimes it is taken for gifts Sometimes the word Grace is used for an Office in the Church Whatsoever it be which way soever you take it All Grace is from Christ whatsoever grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ This now will appear if you consider The Insufficiency of Nature And the All-sufficiency of Christ As for the Insufficiency of Nature You know what the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 3.5 Wee are not able as of our selves to think a good thought but all our sufficiency is of God
And if you look into this first Chapter of John you find That those that are regenerate and borne again 't is said concerning them at the 13. verse that they are not borne of Bloods in the plural number your English hath it Blood in the singular You are not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Some there are and were that thought themselves to be the children of God because they came of godly parents because of their bloods because of their education Ioh. 8.33 So the Jews Wee are the Children of Abraham Some there are and were that think themselves the Children of God because of some Legal workings and monkish devotion all those legalities under the Gospel are called flesh Some there are that think themselves the children of God because of some more refined and raised and heroical actions That he might obviate all these saies he We are not born of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God You are for Free-will and you think Free-will hath a great stroke in mans Conversion but how can ye look this Scripture in the face No way of will not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man If it be any will it must be either the will of the flesh or the wil of man but I tel you saies he We are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man no way of will but of God To the like purpose you have in James 1.17 Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above In some of your books you reade thus Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above But it is rather to be read Every good giving Every good gift and every good giving is from above Not only the Thing given is from above but the very Donation the very Exhibition the very Giving out of the thing that is good it is from above Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above So that plainly then there is an utter Insufficiency in Nature unto what is good As for the Al-sufficiency of Jesu Christ Rom. 8.29 Rev. 1.17 He is the first born among many Brethren He is the first fruit that sanctifieth all the rest I am the first and the last saies he The first is the cause of the rest The Sun is the first and the great light so the cause of all other light Jesus Christ He is called the first in this same Chapter 15. verse This was He saies John of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for He was before me So ye reade it but it is He was my first preferred before me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for He was my first and therefore the first giving a Being unto all that follows Jesus Christ He does give a Being unto all our graces I am the way the truth and the life saies He. Joh. 14.6 I am the Way Would you go to Heaven You cannot go thither but you must go in some Way A man cannot go unto a City but he must go some way or other if he go by water go by land this way or that way still he goes some Way or other Saies Christ if you would go to Heaven I am the Way This same word Way it notes the means unto a thing and when He saies I am the way 't is as if He should say That look what ever means you do use in order to Heaven all those means they have their vertue and their power and their efficacy from me I but a man may be in a way and in a right way and yet notwithstanding if he have not some guide he may lose his way True saies He therefore I am the Truth and 't is observable how Truth lies between Way Life as if the way to Life were thorough Truth as if Truth were the great road or the thorough-fare to life saies Jesus Christ I am that too I am the Way and the Truth too I but though a man be in the right Way and have a guide he may fall sick and die and never come to his journeyes end Therefore saies Christ I am the way and the Truth and the Life too I even I am He that gives life unto all your motions and actions for Heaven all Grace from Christ He it is even He alone that hath every mans heart and soul under lock and key There are Three great doors that must ordinarily be opened before converting-Grace can get into the soul of man 1 Cor. 16.9 Job 33.16 Acts. 16.14 Rev. 3.7 The door of a Powerful Ministry A large and an effectual door is opened The door of the Eare He openeth the eare and sealeth instruction The door of the Vnderstanding and of the heart Lydias heart was opened Now if you look into the Scripture you will find that Jesus Christ hath the opening of all these doors He hath the key of David He openeth and no man shuts and shutteth and no man openeth in the 1. of the Revelation and the 18. He saies That He hath the keyes of Hell and of death No man goes into the grave but He opens a door to let him in and no man goes to Hell but Jesus Christ He locks him up there He locks him up there unto all eternity if He did not lock him in he would not be there unto all eternity So that whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in any mans heart He opens the door He lets it in 't is by His ordering and His sending thither And Beloved if Jesus Christ were not the great Lord-Keeper of His Fathers wardrobe why should those Names and Titles be given to Him which you find so frequently in Scripture Cast your eyes where you wil you shal hardly look upon any thing but Jesus Christ hath taken the Name of that upon Himself If you cast your eyes up to Heaven in the day and behold the Sun He is called Mal. 4.2 Rev. 22.16 Col. 1.18 Rom. 13.14 Ioh. 6.35 Ioh. 10.9 Ioh. 10.11 Ioh. 1.29 Luk. 15.23 Zac. 13.1 Isa 28.16 Pro. 3.18 The Sun of righteousness If you cast your eyes in the night upon the Stars or in the morning upon the morning star He is called The bright morning star If you behold your own Body He is called the Head and the Church the Body If you look upon your own Clothes He is called your Rayment Put ye on the Lord Jesus If you behold your Meat He is called Bread The Bread of life If you look upon your Houses He is called a Door If you look abroad into the fields and behold the Cattel of the fields He is called The good Shepherd He is called The Lamb He is called The fatted Calf If you look upon the Waters He is called A Fountain The Blood of Christ a Fountain If you look upon the
Stones He is called A corner Stone If you look upon the Trees He is called A Tree of life What is the reason of this Surely not only to way-lay your thoughts that wheresoever you look still you should think of Christ But to shew that in a Spiritual way and sence He is all this unto the soul And you may observe that these Titles and Names they are not barely and nakedly given to Him but still with some speciality some mark or other He is not barely called the Shepheard but the good Shepheard He is not onely called a Lamb but the Lamb slain from the begining of the world He is not barely called the Light but The true Light the Light of the world He is not barely called Bread but The Bread of life Now you know why Adam at the first gave Names unto the Creatures according to their names was their Natures was their conditions and Adam our first father Adam was not mistaken when he gave the names And do you think Christ the Second Adam when he gives these names unto himself that he is mistaken Certainly he is not mistaken he is all this And therfore as the Apostle speaks in the 3. Col. 11. you reade it Christ is all in all but better He is all things in all persons or all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all things He is all things Whatsoever good there is found in any man 't is from Jesus Christ Surely may one say The Lord is our strength Surely may we all say the Lord is our strength the Lord Jesus is our righteousness Whatsoever Grace or holiness the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ You will say Object This though it seem to give much to Christ it derogates from the Father for if all be from Jesus Christ then nothing from the Father and so it derogates from God the Father No Answ It does no way derogate from God the Father The Apostle Paul was much in this Doctrine that now I am upon Rom. 1.7 and yet he honored the Father too Grace and Peace saies he from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Though al Grace be from Christ yet Grace and peace from the Father too saies he from God our Father And having shown in the 7. of the Romans That being married unto Christ and dead unto the Law that therefore we should bring forth fruit as in the 4. verse Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to Him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God He does not say That we should bring forth fruit unto Christ but that we should bring forth fruit unto God The Father and Christ are one Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are one saies Christ In honoring Jesus Christ you honor the Father as in honoring of the Father you honor Christ You will say Wherein is the honor to the Father Quest according unto this Truth how does this any way make to the honor of God the Father that all Grace is from Jesus Christ Yes for First Ans Though all Grace be immediatly given out of the hand of Christ all grace from Him and He gives it out He is Commissioned and defigned by the Father to do it He does but the Fathers work Ioh. 6.38 I came not to do my own will but the will of Him that sent me Was it any dishonor to Pharoah that Joseph gave out the bread in the time of famine No because he was Commissioned by Pharoah to do it And so now If Jesus Christ have a Commission from the Father to do this 't is no dishonor to the Father and a Commission He hath He will shew you it under hand and seal Him hath God the Father sealed Ioh. 6.27 so saies Christ Again Though all Grace come immediately out of the hand of Christ all Grace from Him and He gives it out Yet He is furnish't and accomplish't with ability unto this great Office by God the Father Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me saies he and He hath anointed me to open the prison dores to Captives c. Now is it any dishonor to God that the Sun does distribute and give out light and heat unto all the Creatures No but rather an honor to Him for when a man sees so glorious a creature as the Sun that gives out light and heat unto all the creatures here below he lifts up his hands and saies Oh! what a glorious God have we that hath furnished this creature with these abilities So now when a man considers Christ as this great Sun of righteousness distributing His Graces to all the Saints will it be any dishonor to God the Father that He is in this Office seeing He hath furnished Him hereunto Surely no they will-rather lift up their hands and say Oh! what a good God have we that hath furnished Christ with all these abilities for our poor souls Again Though the administration of things be in the hand of Christ the right is in the Father and when Jesus Christ hath done His work He will give up the Kingdom to the Father Ioh. 6.44 Mat. 11.27 in the mean while None comes unto the Son but whom the Father draws And None comes unto the Father but he unto whom the Son reveals him Is it any disparagment unto a man to have a wise a potent a great man to his child Pro. 10.1 A wise son makes a glad father saies Solomon Indeed if the Father and the Son were two they might be enemies but Christ and the Father are one Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are one and therefore in honoring of Jesus Christ you honor the Father also But you will say Quest Was there no creature in all the world that was fit to make this great trust over to Why hath God the Father put Christ into this Office that all Grace should come out of His Hand Was there no creature that was fit for this work but Christ alone No Ans This trust would have broke the back of any Creature no Creature in Heaven or Earth as a meer creature was able to purchase this trust he had not a stock and Estate of Grace enough by him Christ Himselfe hath it by purchase For he being the Second Person the Apostle tels us Phil. 2.7.9 He emptied Himself and became of no reputation wherefore God hath given Him a Name above every name that in the Name and strength of Jesus Christ we should be more than Conquerers He had a great Estate by Him He was the Second Person Yet notwithstanding this purchase was so great that saies Paul He emptied Himself Surely no Creature in Heaven and Earth was able to come to this purchase He that must be the worlds Joseph to give out bread of Grace to all the world the Saints in
Now though the Lord does give a Christian less grace in his hand for the present yet He hath laid it up in so safe a hand that though Satan a stronger than he does come down upon him he is not able to wrest it from him or beguile him of it because 't is in the hand of Christ that is a stronger than he And Jesus Christ by a Compact with the Father from all Eternity hath engaged Himselfe to do it to give forth Grace and Assistance to all the Elect according to all their needs So that I say now all Grace is from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance Therfore the Psalmist prayes thus Lord open thou my lips Psal 51.15 and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Lord though thou hast given me habitual Grace yet if I have not fresh assistance from thee for to open my lips my mouth will not shew forth thy praise Psa 119.18 And so again Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law And to this purpose 't is in the 17. Psalm and the 5. verse saies David Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Mark I pray David ye know was a godly man hee had a habit of grace Now Lord saies David as for the business that is between Saul and me thou knowest I am in thy way yet Lord saies he though I be in thy way and have a habit of Grace yet if thou dost not hold up my steps if thou dost not give me fresh assistance I shall fall I shall slip Hold up my going in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Does not the Apostle say Phil. 2 13 The Will and the Deed is from God You may observe that the Graces of Gods People they are called in the new Testament Gal. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit They are not called the fruits of a former habit but they are called The fruits of the Spirit And indeed if all grace were not from Jesus Christ in regard of fresh assistance truly then might a man have wherein to boast as Bradwardin reasons the case For saies he though a child have his being from his father his Education from his father Learning Military skill yet notwithstanding the valour of an action being his own he hath in opposition to his father wherin to boast True I confess indeed I had my being from my father I had my Nature from my father I had my Education from my father I had this Skill from my father But the prowess and the valour and the spirit of the action is all mine own and he hath wherein to boast So if he hath the Habit only from Christ he hath wherewith to boast True I had the Habit the Grace from God I but the spirit of the action that is mine own he had wherein to boast But there is no room for boasting and therefore all Grace is from Christ in regard of fresh assistance It will be yet said Obj. But if all Grace be from Christ in regard of fresh assistance too Why is it said that we Repent and we Beleeve and we Obey for if all Grace in regard of the very work be from Christ if Jesus Christ do work al our works Why is it not rather said That Christ does Repent and Christ does Beleeve and Christ does Obey I answer No. You know the Persons that are Responsal Ans If I owe a man a Thousand pounds and have never a penny to pay it and another man he comes and lends me the money and goes along with me to the Creditor the bond is taken up and acquittance made discharge made He is not said to have paid the money but I am said to pay the money that am Responsal So now you are Responsal and therefore though ye have all strength from Christ to do it yet you are said to Repent and Beleeve and Obey The Devil is not said to commit Adultery and commit Murder yet by his instigation 't is done The Sun does work with the Tree when the Tree does bring forth fruit and yet 't is not said that the Sun brings forth an apple or brings forth fruit because the Sun does work as a universal Cause and the Tree as a particular Cause So now though Jesus Christ does work in all your workings yet He is not said to Repent or Beleeve or to Obey because He works as a universal Cause and you work as a particular Cause Only behold here the mirrour of Grace All is of Christ and yet all is Ours all is ours in Denomination and al is Christs in Operation all is ours in regard of Incouragement and all is Christs in regard of Glory al is ours in regard of Reward and all is Christs in regard of Honor. Here 's Grace here 's the mystery of Grace but still all whatsoever Grace a man hath he hath it from Jesus Christ I but Quest will you say To what end is this Doctrine opened thus largely opened and prest What good is there that does come thereby What good Answ What good would you have What good would you do Would you have the Lord Jesus Christ to become your strength The way to have Him to become your strength is to count Him so Look I pray upon the 31. Psalm the 2. and 3. verse Be thou my strong Rock for an house of defence to save me for thou art my Rock and my Fortress Be thou my Rock for thou art my Rock What kinde of Argument is this Yes 't is a good argument The way to have Christ our Rock is to account Him our Rock My very resting upon the Promise does make it mine and your very resting upon Jesus Christ doth make Him yours and what will make you rest more upon Him then to see that all is from Him Again Would you have your hearts warmed with love unto Jesus Christ indeed our whol life should be nothing else but an expression of love to Christ as Christs life and death was nothing else but an expression of love to us Now saies a gracious soul Is this true indeed that all Grace is from Christ that whatsoever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ that there is not a good thought in my heart but runs through the heart of Jesus Christ before it does come at mine what infinit cause then have I to love Jesus Christ Again Would you live in Dependance upon Christ for Grace for Truth the serious consideration of this truth will help you to it I confesse indeed will some say when I look upon my self I am a man or woman of such poor gifts or parts that I have no hope I am afraid I shall never attain to the Truth of the time but is it so that all is from Jesus Christ whatever Grace the Saints have they have it from Jesus Christ Why may not I know the Truth of the time as well as another I will
Grace Again There is the same Spirit in a Christian Rea. 4. Joh. 15 26. that is in Christ I will send saies He the Comforter the Spirit of truth and He shall come unto you The Spirit does not only come to them but is said to dwel in them and to be shed abroad upon their hearts Now if a Beast had the spirit and the soul of a man he would work like a man he would speak like a man and if a Plant if a Tree if an Herb had the life of a Beast it would tast like a Beast And if a Stone if that had the life of a Plant it would grow like a Plant. So now if a Christian have the Spirit of Christ he must work like Christ he must needs be like Christ Now the same Spirit He hath a Christian hath the same Spirit with Christ and therefore needs must be like unto Him and have Grace for His Grace Somewhat in a Christian Answerable to every Grace of Christ You will say unto me How can this be Object indeed it holds forth abundance of comfort unto the Saints and an incouragement to all to be so But how can this be There are some Incommunicable Properties Personal Excellencies of Christ Are all men Saviors Are all men Mediators Are all men Christs No Answ We must therefore so understand it in things that man is capable of We have member for member with Adam every man head for his head and legs for his legs but every man is not the first Adam that every man is not capable of So Jesus Christ He is made like to us but He is not a sinner that He was not capable of And so we have grace for grace Answerable Grace 't is to be understood in things that we are capable of We are not Saviors we are not Mediators we are not Christs In some of those things that we are not capable of yet there is somewhat in a Christian that in some other kind is Answerable thereunto As now for example When our Lord and Savior Christ was Baptized the Heavens opened and the holy-Ghost fell down upon Him in the shape of a Dove The holy-Ghost does not so fall down upon men now but yet 't is shed abroad in the hearts of all that are godly He is the great King and the Priest and the Prophet of his Church All the Saints are Kings and Priests and Prophets but not to that heighth as He was To open this a little that I may cleere the point Is our Lord and Savior Christ a Prophet and as a Prophet does He teach His people the Saints in that of the Revelation Rev. 11 3. The Two Witnesses are said to Prophesie in sackcloth They are said to Prophesie too Is our Lord and Savior Christ a King and as a King does He Over-come and subdue Satan and our lusts and the world 1 Joh. 5.4 So do the Saints too This is your Victory wherby ye Over-come the world even your Faith As a King Does he Over-come and sit down in His Throne So do they too In the 3. of the Revelations and the 21. verse To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father in His Throne Mark I pray Christ hath a Throne on Earth Saies He As Lovercame and am set down with my Father in His Throne in Heaven So those that overcome shall sit down That is Matt. 8.11 have Communion Many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac That is have Communion with them So here To him that overcomes wil I grant to sit down with me in my Throne They shal have Cōmunion with Jesus Christ in his Throne As a King does the Lord Jesus Christ Rule the Nations Psa 2.9 and break them in pieces with a rod of iron So shall the Saints do in their generation and in their way Look I pray into the 2d of the Revelation the 26. verse And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end To him will I give power over the Nations And he shall rule them with a rod of iron Mark And he shall rule them with a rod of iron As the vessel of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father He does not say Even as I received this Doctrine of my Father but as I which you reade of in the second Psalm received this Power from my Father they shall communicate with me in this Power Even as I received of my Father So shall they receive it they shall have Communion with Him in this Is Jesus Christ a Priest and as a Priest Does He Sacrifice So do the Saints too The Apostle Exhorts the Romans That they offer up themselves a reasonable sacrifice As a Priest Rom. 12.1 does He make Intercession So 't is said concerning the Saints in the 8. of the Romans The Spirit of God that is upon them makes Intercession with groans that cannot be exprest As a Priest does Jesus Christ as our great high-Priest Enter into the Holy of Holiest that you will say belonged unto the Priest alone and none might enter into the Holiest and the Holy of Holiest but the Priest So do the Saints too See I pray what Communion and fellowship the Saints have with Jesus Christ Saies he in the 10. of the Heb. and the 19. ver Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way c. Is our high Priest entered into the Holy of Hollest as a high Priest You shall have Communion in His Priestly Office too and as He entered into the Holy of Holiest so shall you too Thus you see there is an Answerableness in the Saints with what is in Christ And indeed herein does our Spiritual Regeneration go beyond our Generation For though a child be like unto the father in this that he is a man like the father and he hath a head like the father and arms and legs like the father yet his feature may not be like the fathers lineaments not alike But now in our Spiritual Regeneration there is such a likeness as whatsoever Grace or Holiness is in Jesus Christ there is somewhat in all the Saints that is Answerable thereunto By way of Application then Applic. 1 If this be so That the Saints do receive from Christs Fulness Grace for Grace Grace Answerable to the Grace of Christ That whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in Christ there is somewhat in all the Saints that is Answerable thereunto Then what abundance of men and women are there even living under the Gospel that have no present share of saving interest in Jesus Christ Me thinks I hear this Doctrine crying aloud and saying stand by profane men stand by You that are meerly Civil and moral people stand by And all
Hypocrites stand by as having no share and interest in Jesus Christ As for Profane men they will be Drunk and Swear and commit Adultery and Lye and break the Sabbath But would Jesus Christ do so They count it the life of their life and the soul of their soul to be at a merry meeting a jovial meeting but would Jesus Christ do so When Jesus Christ was upon the earth He went up and down doing good and scattering good communicating good and they go up and down scattering their sins and is this Grace for Grace is this Answerable I appeal to you As for those that are meerly Civil Moral Though they will not swear great and gross Oathes yet swear by their faith and by their Troth but would Jesus Christ do so They carry a secret spleen and envy at the power of godliness and those that have it but would Jesus Christ do so They frame up their Religion and their Worship according to the Times if Authority comand it they will they will do it whatever it be but would Iesus Christ do so When Iesus Christ was upon the earth He was Zealous The Zeal of thine house hath eaten me up Ioh. 2.17 but they are formal and they are Luke-warm Oh! is this Grace for Grace is this your Answer ableness and are these in Iesus Christ As for those that are Hypocrites They have alwaies some secret sin or other some back-door or other that they may go out at but had lesus Christ so They lie contemplating and chewing of the Devils Cud and are indulgent to their base thoughts their sinful thoughts but was Iesus Christ so They savour gifts and expressions more then Graces but did jesus Christ do so They though they seem to be mortified and dead unto the grosser part of the world meat drink and clothes yet they are no way mortified and dead unto the finer part of the world their Names and their Credits Was it thus with Jesus Christ Indeed an Hypocrite through the strength of Education living under the Gospel may set himself to imitate Christ but there is an Artificial imitation and a Natural resemblance A father may have two sons The one that is unlike him but imitates him the other that does naturally resemble the father and imitate him too Such are the Saints being made partakers of the Divine Nature they naturally care for the things of Christ hypocrites do not so Behold here 's the Character of a Christian indeed he hath Grace for Grace whatever Grace there is in Christ he hath somewhat Answerable thereunto Oh! how few men and women are there in the world that have a saving share and interest in Jesus Christ Secondly If this Doctrine be true What a happy Appli 2. and blessed thing is it for a man to be in Christ Behold the Dignity of the Saints Beloved here 's glory on this side glory 't is the glory and the honor of a man to be like to God 't is the glory and honor of a Disciple to be like his Master 't is the glory and honor of a Child to be like his father 't is the glory and honor of a Christian to be like unto Jesus Christ Every Christian hath the Image of Christ drawn upon him Had our Lord Iesus the Great Mighty Potentate only come by a poor soul and cast His Skirt over him and said unto the soul wear thou my Livery it had bin a great honor to belong to Christ to wear His Livery But behold here 's more than so the Saints do not only wear His Livery but they have His Grace and their Grace is of the same nature with the very Grace of Christ as our Grace should a bin of the same nature with Adams if Adam had stood Yea not only their Grace is of the same nature but look what Grace Christ had they have Answerable to it Had this great and royal Loadstone that draws all mens hearts after him only touch't our hearts that we might have followed him what a Mercy had it bin But behold here is more than so the Saints they have Grace for Grace whatsoever Grace or holiness there is in Christ somewhat in a Christian Answerable thereunto Oh! Dignity Oh! Dignity how can a Christian but be welcome to God the Father that does not come only in the Name of Christ to Him but brings the Image of Christ too with him Grace for Grace Oh! who would not be Incouraged to get into Jesus Christ Oh! you that are in Christ do you know what priviledges you walk under every day You sometimes are ready to envy at the men of the world but I pray Would you now change your condition with them Such a one he hath passion for passion and pride for pride and sin for sin with the world and you have Grace for Grace with Jesus Christ Here 's Dignity here 's Priviledge indeed But you will say Quest All Dignity cals for Duty Suppose it be so That whatsoever Grace and holiness there is in Christ there is somewhat Answerable in my soul Oh! what is my Duty now that does flow from hence Surely Ans you cannot be proud of it for then you shal not be like to Christ Who though He thought it no robbery to be equal with God the Father He humbled Himself became of no reputation Beloved you know that all Talents lents are to be improved and the greater the Talent the more improvement is to be made and improvement is to be made of the same kind 'T is our wisedom to observe what work God is a doing upon our souls and to help forward that work If God be working Faith in our hearts it is our duty to help forward the work of Beleeving If God be working Patience in our hearts 't is our duty to help forward the work of Patience Look now what work that is that God is doing in our hearts and lives for us that work we are bound to help forward Now hath therfore God drawn the Image of Jesus Christ upon your hearts so that there is an habitual likeness in your souls unto Jesus Christ Then it is your duty to labor for an actual likeness to be like unto Him in all your working to live as He lived and to do as He did and to speak as He spake labor more and more to be like unto Him in your lives And if you say How should that be The Apostle tells you Whom beholding as in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 we are changed from glory to glory according to His own Image The serious frequent beholding of Jesus Christ is the only way to be like unto Him Beloved your lives they are divided into two parts There is a Doing part and a Suffering part As Christs Obedience was divided into Active and Passive Obedience Would you in the Doing part of your life be like unto Christ Behold Him in His Doing Omnis Christi Actio est instructio Every
Action of Christ may be our instruction Nothing in Christ not imitable some things more especially For Example Our Lord and Savior Christ He made it His great business and design To bear witness to the Truth For this Cause came I into the world Joh 18.37 That I might bear witness unto the Truth Again He would stoop to any work though it lay much below Him wasn His Disciples feet lay His Excellencies at the feet of their Infirmities Again When He went upon any work He was much in Prayer first Judas knew His Praying place And when He was at Gods work He would not know His own Natural Relations And therefore saies He to His Mother Moman My time is not yet come He does not say Mother Joh. 2.4 My time is not yet come but Woman in Gods Work He would not know His owne Naturall Relations If He had to deal with man He had a high esteem of the Saints though they were never so low And He had a low esteem of the wicked though they were never so rich He did again so exercise one Grace as He might exercise another He would so rejoyce in God as He might grieve for sin not His own but ours and He did so grieve for sin as he might rejoyce in God He was very Zealous yet he was Wise too He was wise and yet he was Zealous too He was a Lamb and a Lyon a Lamb in his own Cause and a Lyon in Gods Cause Oh! that in these thigns you would labor to be like unto Him It would be infinit indeed it would be beyone me if I should single out all his Graces that were eminent in Him He was a Heaven of Grace full of shining stars Behold Him in His Doings The only way for you to be like to Him in your Doing is to behold Him in His Doing And so for His Sufferings Ye shall observe He would not suffer till He was called unto it Therefore He stood so precisely upon His Time Joh. 7.8 My Time is not yet come And when He was called unto it He would not be put out of His way If they cast water upon Him it made Him flame the more Mat. 16.23 Isa 53.7 Get thee behind me Satan In all His sufferings He had an especial eye to other mens good then He went very quietly and meekly As a Lamb dumb before the shearers so He opened not His mouth And He was more sensible which I pray mark of Gods withdrawing from Him in His sufferings than of all the pains disgrace and misery that He did undergo And therefore when He was upon the Cross saies He My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.6.4 The Sun did forsake Him too the Sun did withdraw his light and yet He does not say Oh! Sun why doest thou thus forsake me The Disciples al forsook Him and yet He does not cry out Thomas Why doest thou now forsake me Peter why doest thou now forsake me He cries not out of them His body was nail'd to the Cross and he does not cry out and say Oh! my hands Oh! my body Oh! the pain that I indure but here he cries out of this Oh! My God My God why hast thou forsaken me He was more sensible of Gods withdrawing from Him tnan of all the other miseries that He did indure Oh! my beloved that you would labor now for to be like unto Jesus Christ in your Doing in your Suffering for to be like to Him The sight of a gracious Christ will make us gracious if any thing will do it Labor now to be like unto Him more and more This is your duty that does flow from hence You that are Saints you that are Christ's you that have received Grace for Grace Christ expects work for work and doing for doing that you should shine as He shin'd and that you should live as He lived that you should so walk and be in the world that those that do live with you may say Here 's a man or woman that is like to Christ that hath received Grace for Grace now we see this Doctrine true I cannot think of any Grace of Christ but I see it shining forth in this man and woman This is your Duty Thirdly by way of Application If this be true Appli 3. That the Saints and People of God do receive of Christs Fulness Even Grace for Grace How infinitly are we bound unto God the Father for our Lord Jesus Christ glorious is the fellowship and communion that the Saints have with Christ as ye heard they have not only fellowship with Him in His sufferings to have suffering for suffering but they have fellowship with Him in His Graces Grace for Grace and this fellowship hath God the Father brought you into Mark therefore that place again which you have in the 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. By whom ye were called unto this fellowship Therefore still the Apostle he blesses God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Not barely Blessed be God but Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved Ye know there are Two great Gifts that the Scripture makes mention of First God makes the world and Man and having made man He gives all the world to man there 's one Gift and a great Gift Man having fallen and lost his former Happiness Christ comes into the world the second Person becomes man and this man he gives unto the world First He gave the world to man And Secondly He gives Christ this man unto the world and His second Gift is the greater Gift it 's a greater Gift when Jesus Christ was given unto the world than that the whol world was given to man For now take the world and though it hath many glorious pieces of Gods workmanship His Power and Wisedom yet God may give all the world to man and not give him Himself but when He gives Jesus Christ to man He gives Himself with Him Though there be many several pieces beautiful pieces of Gods workmanship in the world yet they carry with them but the Footsteps of God Oh! but Jesus Christ He is the express Image of the Father and when He gives this express Image unto a soul as Christ is the express Image of the Father so the soul becomes the express Image of Jesus Christ Ye know what the Apostle saies concerning our Savior Christ Col. 2.9 mark In whom the fulness of the God-head dwels bodily That is look what Attributes and Excellencies are in God the same are in Jesus Christ as Mediator Whatsoever Attribute is in God as God the sameshines forth in Jesus Christ as Mediator The Fulness of the God-head dwels in Christ bodily and the Fulness of Christ dwels in every Saint Spiritually Jesus Christ He hath Perfection for Perfection
He hath Attribute for Attribute He hath Excellency for Excellency with God the Father And every gracious godly soul he hath Grace for Grace from Jesus Christ Of his Fulness have we received Grace for Grace As the Fulness of God the Father dwels in Him bodily so the Fulness of Christ dwels in every Christian Spiritually And this fellwoship hath God the Father called you unto By whom we have fellowship 1 Cor. 1.9 this hath God the Father called you unto Oh! how infinitly are you bound unto God the Father to honor and bless the Father When ye look upon the Son me thinks you should bless the Father and when ye look upon the Pather you should love the Son As a mother does when she looks upon her Child she loves the father and when she looks upon the fatehr she loves the Child again So a Christian when he looks upon Jesus Christ he should bless the Father and when he looks upon the Father he should bless Jesus Christ and love Jesus Christ Dear Father thou hast not only given us thy Son but given us thy Son in such a way that we should have Grace for Grace Answerable to His Grace is this after the manner of men Oh! therefore why should we not all say Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Oh! you you that love Jesus Christ bless the Father and you that bless the Father love Jesus Christ take your selves to be infinitly bound unto god the Father who hath given you such a Christ as this of whom you should have Grace for Grace I have done Only I would leave one Exhortation whith the Saints that have received of Christs fulness thus Grace for Grace It 's thus mark it I pray Is this true That of His Fulness ye have all received Appli 4. Grace for Grace Answerableness of Grace that ye have fellowship with Jesus Christ in all His Graces Then be for ever contented to have fellowship with Jesus Christ in al his Sufferings And truly well may ye be contented if you have fellowship with Christ in His Sufferings if you have Suffering for Suffering ye shall have Grace for Grace and Glory for Glory if ye partake with Him in His Sufferings ye shall partake with Him in His Graces and partake with Him in His Glory I say well may ye be contented to have fellowship with Him in His Sufferings for if you have suffering for suffering you shall have Comfort for Comfort if you have fellowship with Him in His sufferings you shal have fellowship with Him in His Comforts too Mark ye When Jesus Christ Suffered Had He a Deity to support Him So shall you have When Jesus Christ Suffered Had He Angels to minister to Him So shal you have When Jesus Christ suffered Did He see the travaile of His Soul So shall you see it When Jesus Christ was lift up He drew al men after Him So shal you do when you are lift up for the Truth upon the cross you are apt to think now wil the Truth suffer now wil the Cause of God fall to the ground But remember if you have fellowship in His Graces if you have fellowship with Christ in His Sufferings you shal have fellowship with Christ in His Comforts This was one of His Comforts when He was lift up upon the Cross then He drew all men after Him So when you come to be lift up upon the Cross then shall men be drawn after the Truths that you suffer for and never shal men be more drawn after the Truths that you suffer for then when you come to be lift up upon the Cross to suffer for them Oh! who would not be willing to partake with the Lord Jesus Christ in His sufferings to have fellowship with Him in his sufferings to have suffering for suffering 'T is observed that our Savior never met with any great dobasement but at that time in the midst of that debasement there was some breakings forth of Golory He was born in a Stable He was laid in a Manger here was His first debasement Here glory breaks forth the Wise men come and fal down before Him and offer gifts frankincense and mirrhe Again He was Baptized He needed not to have been Baptized He was clean enough in his Nature He put our cloathes upon him stood in our nature Now He hears a Voice from Heaven Matt. 3.17 saying This is My Beloved Son Again You reade of Him riding upon an Ass Not riding in a Coach drawn with Lyons and drawn with Elephants Savior riding upon an Ass in a mean way a debased way now breaks forth some glory now they cry Hosanna Hosanna to him Again upon the Cross there he was most debased then breaks forth some glory The Sun that stands still and vails his face as one astonished at the worlds Savior Now does the vail of the Temple rend in sunder now Glory breaks forth in the midst of his debasement Thus it was with Christ Have you suffering with him for sufferings Have you fellowship with Christ in his sufferings you shall have fellowship with Christ in his Comforts Oh! therefore I beseech you be contented now to have suffering for suffering with Jesus Christ and whensoever any suffering comes especially for the Truth boggle not at it be content and say within your selves Oh! blessed be the Lord that hath called me out to this work I shall have this fellowship with Christ in his sufferings I shall now have suffering for suffering therefore I shall have Comfort for Comfort I shall have Grace for Grace I shall have Glory for Glory Oh! who would not be encouraged I leave this Exhortation with you comfort your selves in these words and never startle at suffering as herefore but make account of this That if you have Grace for Grace ye may meet with Suffering for Suffering but then you shall have Comfort for Comfort and ye shall have Glory for Glory Think on these things and the Lord give us to practise them THE SPIRITUALL-ACTINGS OF FAITH Through NATURALL-IMPOSSIBILITIES Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak or weakned in Faith c. IN this latter Part of the Chapter ye have the commendation of Abrahams faith Preached at Margarets New-fishstreet Fev 23. 1645. described from the Subject or Matter of that he beleeved in the 18. and 19. verses From the Manner of his beleeving He staggered not at the 20. verse at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith c. From the Cause of his faith the sight of Gods Al-sufficiency and faithfulnesse being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to performe From the Effect of his Faith He gave glory to God First of all for the Subject or the Matter
saies the Lord wilt thou now rest upon mee now I frown now I chide now I have a rod in my hand now I have a sword in my hand to kill thee as it were wilt thou now rest upon mee Well be of good comfort thou art mine for ever Man or woman go in peace good is thy faith This resting thus upon God when all meanes faile it melts Gods anger into love And besides it is that faith that is most successefull the most speeding in prayer You may look into the second of Chronicles the thirteenth Chapter and you shall find there that Abijah going to warre with Jeroboam had not more then halfe so many as Jeroboam had Abijah set the battaile in array with an Army of valiant men of warre even foure hundred thousand chosen men A great Army But Jeroboam had as many againe And Jeroboam also set the battale in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men being mighty men of valour I pray now let us consider how went the day Reade the seventeenth verse Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter so there fell down of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men Five hundred thousand chosen men slaine How came this about Reade the eighteenth verse Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time and the children of Judah prevailed because they relyed upon the Lord God of their Fathers Or as some books have it because they stayed upon the Lord God of their father The meanes was too scanty it was short they rested upon God beyond the meanes and see what great successe they had upon this they were but foure hundred thousand against either hundred thousand and they slew five hundred thousand men So successefull is this worke and this way of beleeving It is this faith that now I am speaking of beleeving when all means faile and lye dead before us that does honour God especially which doth justify the soule It is the soule-saving faith of all Pray looke into the seventh of Luke and consider it well It is said at the last verse Jesus said to the woman they Faith hath saved thee go in peace but here 's no mention at all before of her Faith There 's mention of her love in the fourty seventh verse I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much There 's mention before of her teares at the eight and thirty verse A woman in the City which was a sinner brought an Alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feete behind him weeping and began to wash his feete with teares and did wipe them with the haires of her head and kissed his feete and annointed them with the ointment Here 's mention of her teares here 's mention of her Liberality and Bounty and Love to Jesus Christ and yet our Lord and Saviour Christ does not say thus woman thy teares hath saved thee go in peace Woman thy Repentance and thy Humiliation hath saved thee go in peace he doth not say thy Love to me and thy Bounty to me hath saved thee go in peace woman No but our Lord and Saviour he saw a secret worke of reliance upon himselfe in this woman for she was a great sinner and he sayes unto her woman Thy Faith hath saved thee goe in Peace This is the soule-saving faith thus to beleeve when all meanes faile and seeme to lye dead before you Surely therefore to do thus must needs be exceeding pleasing to God and most acceptable And so I have done with those three Propositions Applic. and now come to the Application If these things be so Oh! what manner of Faith should we have Will ye only beleeve when meanes are strong and have life in them Ye have read of the unbeliefe of the people of Israel when they were in the wildernesse being in the wildernesse they wanted much outward provision ordinary provision and by occasion thereof they murmured full of unbelief in so much as the Lord was angry with them and slew them so that they never came into the Land of promise But I pray what was their unbelief for which God did slay them Was it this that they did not beleeve when they had meanes No but that they did not beleeve when all means failed when all outward meanes failed that is their unbeliefe Beloved we have their promises we have their Example we have more meanes of faith then they and shall not our Faith rise higher then theirs Shall not we beleeve an inch beyond the meanes You have heard the Doctrine T is the duty of all the children of Abraham to beleeve when meanes faile 't is exceeding pleasing to God and 't is most acceptable Oh! What an incouragement is here to beleeve above hope and under hope and when death sits upon the lips of the second cause and speakes nothing but terror Some there are that say they can beleeve for their bodies but they cannot trust God for their Soules when meanes faile Some say they can trust God for their Soules when meanes faile but they cannot trust God for their Bodies some say they can trust God for Themselves but they cannot trust God for their Families what shall become of my wife and children Some say they can trust God for their Families but they cannot trust God for the Church when a strome rises they cry out and say Lord carest thou not that we perish though Jesus Christ be in the ship with them We are very ready and apt to hunt after the meanes when we want them and to rest upon them when we have them And there is a great propensnesse in us to doing rather then unto beleeving before conversion and in the point of conversion Before conversion sayes the young man Mat. 1916. What shall I do that I may inherite eternall life And in the point of Conversion in the second of the Acts What shall we do to be saved And Paul himselfe Act. 9.6 Act. 6.30 Lord what wilt thou have me to do The Jaylor too What shall I do to be saved What shall I do But I pray marke the Apostles answer to the Jaylor when he cryed out and said Oh! What shall I do The Apostle does not say go fast and pray though he had need to do that but the first worke that the Apostle does put him upon is Beleeve and thou shalt be saved This is the worke And therefore Iohn 6.28 29. when some came to Christ and ask't him this question Master what shall we do that we may work the works of God sayes Christ This is the work of God that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent And of all workings of Faith this same beleeving when all means do faile and seeme to lie dead before us is that which is most pleasing to God Oh! that we could learne Oh! that we could learne this point to beleeve when the sentence of death is past upon a
businesse and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it You will say Object I am affraid to beleeve when meanes faile for God hath commanded us to use meanes and as in angling of fish a man is to have his eye upon the cork so he is to have his eye upon the meanes God hath commanded us to use the meanes True Answ in your fishing and angling you have an eye unto the cork but in Christs fishing there is another corke that you are to have an eye unto Christ commands to beleeve Master say they We have fish't all night and caught nothing neverthelesse at thy command we will cast in againe Luke 5.5 The same God that hath commanded you to keepe the ten Commandements commands you to beleeve when all meanes faile And whereas ye say ye are affraid to beleeve when you have no meanes because God hath commanded you to use the meanes and now meanes are wanting I shall desire you to consider with me but these foure things First of all Thou sayest meanes faile and seeme to lie dead before thee and thou art affraid now to beleeve but it may be that this is the time that God does take away the meanes on purpose to try thy Faith Beloved there is a time when God does purposely take away the meanes to try a mans Faith God does first try our Faith before he does feed our sence When our Lord and Saviour Christ was to worke that great miracle feeding so many thousand with five barley loaves and two small fishes we reade in the sixth Chapter of John and the 5. verse thus Jesus lift up his eyes and saw a great company and said to Philip whence shall we buy bread that these may eate Why did our Saviour Christ thus put Philip upon it reade what followes And this he said to prove him He took away the meanes and this he said to prove him There is a time when the Lord does sometimes take away the meanes on purpose to prove thy Faith how doest thou know man or woman whether this be not the day and the time Thou sayest thou canst not beleeve because meanes faile it may be 't is the time of thy triall God sending this time of purpose to try thee Again secondly Consider this God does never give to supply our lusts but to supply our wants Possibly there may be meanes to supply thy want though not meanes to supply thy lust When our Lord and Saviour Christ fed so many thousand what did he feed them with Five barley loaves and two fishes not with Turkey not with Partridges Iohn 6.9 not with Quailes not with Chickens but with barley loaves It may be thou hast a barley loafe-meanes but thou hast not Chicken-meanes and because thou hast not meanes to supply thine appetite and to supply thy lust thou sayest thou hast no meanes and all meanes faile Oh! this is very ordinary among some people because they have not meanes to satisfy their mind and their lust therefore they say that all meanes faile I beseech you Beloved consider whether there be not this great mistake when you say that all meanes faile onely a failing of meanes to supply your appetite and your lust but not a failing of barley loave-meanes whether there be not alwayes that meanes left by God In the third place But suppose that all meanes faile indeed and lie dead before you now Faith is a meanes to a meanes marke now Faith is a meanes to Faith Faith hath a commission from God to put life into that meanes that lies dead before you Faith hath a power from God to make that a meanes which was none before Poor Soule thou stand'st quaking and shaking at a distance sayest Oh! there 's no meanes but contrary meanes Come up to that contrary meanes come up to it in a way of beleeving and thy very coming up to that which thou look'st upon as contrary through thy faith will be made a meanes to thee When the Apostle Peter was in prison the Angel comes to him strikes off his chaines and bids him go out presently Peter does not say thus what should I stirre for Lord Sir there is an iron gate to go through there are so many guardes of Souldiers to passe through Peter does not say so but rises in a way of beleeving comes to the iron gate in Faith and when he comes at it the iron gate doth open And so it will be with you indeed if you come unto that which seemes a contrary means in a naturall way the iron gate still continues shut but Oh! if you would use your Faith come up unto that which you look upon as the most contrary in the way of beleeving faith hath such a power from God to put life into that meanes that lies dead before you And in the fourth place consider this for your further incouragement that look what way God is used to walk in towards you the same way you may boldly expect him in Does the Lord use to walke towards thee in a way of preventing mercy You may boldly expect him in that way Does the Lord walke towards you in an extraordinary way as in these times he hath towards us though an unworthy people I say does the Lord walke towards you in an extraordinary way Hath he done so heretofore You may expect him in that way Now I appeale to you you that are the people of God hath not the Lord walked towards your Soules in an extraordinary way Hath not the Lord said concerning Christ His name shall be called wonderfull Isa 9.6 As you are known by your name Richard or Thomas or John so Jesus Christ shall be known by this name among his people Wonderfull working wonders Hath not the Lord said His way is in the deepe Beloved Psa 77.19 the Lords way is in the deepe towards his people and towards the wicked towards his people his way is in the deep when he walks towards them Behold saith he by the prophet Jeremy speaking concerning the times of the Gospel a new thing will I worke I will do a new thing a woman shall compasse a man you reade it but as Calv in reads it Ier. 31.22 A woman shall lay Siege to a man That is the weaker shall take the stronger And sayes the Lord never tell me 't is a new thing and such a thing as was never done before I 'le never stand upon that I le doe things never done before I 'le doe a new thing saith the Lord I will lead you in a way that was never went never troden before I 'le doe a new thing And when the Lord walkes in an extraordinary way towards you now his way is in the deepe His way is in the whirle-wind sayes the Prophet Oh! beloved Nah 1.3 shall we tye God to meanes then True God hath commanded you to use the meanes when you have them But where hath God forbidden you to trust in him
when you have no meanes Thus Abraham did he considered not his own body being dead nor Sarahs wombe being dead for this his faith is commended So shall you be Oh! that our faith were right Oh! that we could learn to live by faith at a higher rate then ever yet we have done Time yet may come for ought we know that you may find more use of this point But you will say unto me I am afraid I shall presume Obj. trust in God when all meanes faile meanes for my soule and meanes for my body and meanes for my family trust in God now I am afraid I shall presume presumption is a great sinne Marke I shall onely tell you what 't is to presume Answ in answer to this praesumo is to take a thing before 't is given or offered Mercy 't is alwayes offred to a poore sinner Jesus Christ came to save sinners and die for sinners thou canst not take mercy before 't is offred For a man to thinke that he shall fly in the ayre with wings like a bird this is to presume for a man to put God upon provision for his lust this is to presume for a man to put God upon extraordinary where ordinary may be had this is to presume But for a man to relie upon God for necessities in extraordinary cases when ordinary cannot be had this is no presumption but Faith Mark I say to put God upon extraordinary when ordinary may be had this is presumption But to rely upon God for necessities in an extraordinary case when it cannot be had in an ordinary this is no presumption at all Beloved 't is presumption in the highest degree for you and mee poore creatures to tye up the hands of God to labour to do it is dangerous As for example one poore Subject to go to his Prince and tye up his hands and feet or to go to his Pallace and nayle up all his doores and leave him but one little wicket to come out at this is presumption And so for a man to tye God to meanes to tye God to a time to tye God to this or that meanes to tye God to meanes in generall this is presumption Marke Some there are that tye God to a Time Oh! if mercy does not come by such a day or such a time I am undone for ever Others they won't tye God to a Time but they will tye God to this or that particular meanes Oh! if mercy come not that way or by that meanes I am gone I am lost for ever Others they won't tye God to time nor to particular meanes but they will tye God to meanes in generall they won't beleeve God a whit beyond meanes and so tye God to meanes in generall Ah what is this but ranke presumption for a poore creature to tye up the hands of his Creator the fin that you seeke and thinke to avoid you fall into This is presumption And beloved do you know how prejudiciall this is to your selves As a dishonour to God so a great hinderance to your selves to doe thus it turnes God out of the way of his mercy Nay sayes God seeing you will have no mercy but in a roade of meanes you shall have none but in a roade of meanes so mercy comes thinne and scant and by little drops whereas otherwise mercy would come thick and full and large Hereby you are put upon indirect meanes to get out of trouble pray what is the ground that causes men to use indirect meanes to get out of trouble is not this at the bottome you thinke meanes must be used this is at the bottome Beloved in the Lord as you do desire God may not be dishonoured that Mercy may come full and not scant unto you learne to beleeve at another rate then ever you have done when all meanes faile and seeme to lie dead before you then beleeve so for thy Soule so for thy Body so for thy Estate You will say How should I do this Quest to beleeve when all meanes faile and lie dead before me I have a great prospect in my sinnes the guilt of one sinne comes and that hath a blow at my conscience and the guilt of another sinne that comes and that gives a blow to my conscience and my conscience is all blacke and blue with blowes and they all cry out and say poor damn'd damn'd and undone creature and I see no way no meanes at all left for my salvation Ah! Lord what shall I do to beleeve now when all meanes faile I shall onely speake a word to it and so winde up all Answ thus Know that thou mayest trust God that thou mayest find Mercy that thou mayest beleeve in such a case as this is Beloved therefore thou hast not beleeved in such a case heretofore because thou didst think thou mightst not beleeve But now know from the Lord 't is no temptation 't is no presumption in such a case as this thou mayest leane thy poor guilty soule upon God this day I am loath to make comparisons between one duty and another but if there be any compares this act of beleeving when all meanes seeme to lie dead before us is more then all thy prayers and teares Thou criest out and sayest Oh! that I had teares in prayer Oh! that God would inlarge my heart in prayer Oh! that God would breake this hard heart and blessed be the Lord indeed when so it is But now art thou in such a case hast thou a prospect of all thy sins and all means seem to lie dead before thee and doest thou now go unto Jesus Christ saying to him Ah Lord I have been a great and a wretched sinner yet now hearing of thy free and rich grace I do throw my selfe upon thee Lord if thou killest mee yet I will trust in thee through thy grace I will never returne againe unto folly onely Lord I do leane my Soule upon thee as for comfort Lord give me comfort when thou wilt onely I leane my Soule upon thee I tell thee this act of thy Faith is more pleasing to God then thy twenty years teares then thy twenty years prayers if there be any compare But why then my Beloved should you look at this as a matter of presumption to trust upon God and upon Christ in this condition know 't is your way unto Jesus Christ when all meanes faile Oh! 't is the only way for your deliverance deliverance from your sinnes and the feare of your sinnes carry this rule home along with you deliverance is then nearest when Faith workes highest and Faith then workes highest when all means are lowest Do not stand poring then Christian don 't stand poring upon the deadnesse of the meanes or the deadnesse of thine owne heart As the sight beholding and gazing upon beauty is a snare and a temptation to those that are given to wantonnesse and the sight of much gold and silver and fine houses a temptation to those
that are given to worldlinesse So the sight and beholding of the deadnesse of the meanes is a great snare and temptation to those that are given to doubting and those that are given to unbeliefe Does the meanes therefore lie dead before thee at any time Soule man or woman go to the Lord and say thus Ah! Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding this same dead meanes away away to the promise when all meanes faile now beare thy selfe at length upon the promise go unto Jesus Christ throw thy self now at his feete and say Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee if I perish I will perish here Do this and live And thus I have done with the Second Proposition And so much for this time Rom. 4. vers 19. And being not weak or weakned in faith he confidered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe THe words are spoken of Abraham and they hold forth Three great Truths as yee have heard First That when God intends any great mercy or blessing to the children of Abraham he does first put the Sentence of death upon the blessing or mercy and upon all the meanes that do lead unto it Secondly That then and then especially 't is the duty of all the children of Abraham of all beleevers then for to trust in God Thirdly That no difficulties can stand before Faith true saving justifying faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ I have done with the two former and am now to speake unto the third No difficulties can stand before Faith Doct. 3 True saving justifying Faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilities to Jesus Christ Abraham had a promise given him that his seed should be as the starres of Heaven and that in his seed all the Nations of the world should be blest Upon this promise Abrahams body is dead and Sarahs body is dead Now Abraham beleeves Being not weake in Faith he considered not the deadnesse of his own body And in this he had an eye unto Jesus Christ for this was imputed to him for righteousnesse and herein he is held forth as an example to us that beleeve with a justifying faith in this chapter So that where ever there is true saving justifying faith it carries a man through all difficulties through all naturall discouragements For the clearing whereof I shall deliver my selfe in these foure things First I will shew you That the way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties and naturall discouragements this as a rice unto all the rest Secondly That true saving faith will carry one through all these Thirdly That nothing else can do it And Fourthly What it is in true saving justifying Faith that does is How this Faith comes to do it First The way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties or naturall discouragements No sooner does a man begin to looke after Christ but difficulties and naturall discouragements do arise and they are prest by Satan with much violence When the children of Israel began to make out of Egypt Pharoah doubles their taske and labours to make their way grievous and troublous And so soone as a soule begins to look after Christ Satan and the world labours to make his way troublous The Devill is the great hunter of Soules So long as the Game goes well with the hunter and he is going into his snare he makes no noise but if once the Hare or the Game begin to decline the snare and go another way then he hoopes and he hollowes and he makes a noise that he may scare it into the snare againe And so as long as men are going into the Devils snare he makes no noise but if once they begin to turne aside from his snare then he raises Town Country and a great noise is made to scare the soule in againe He knowes that a candle may be easily blown into light when 't is new put out Paul met with no buffetings of Satan till he had been taken up into the third heavens and seene the glory there So long as Paul went on in his Pharasaicall way he met with no opposition and so long as a man goes on in the way of the world or in some Pharasaicall Devotionall-way that is not the way of the Gospell he meetes with no opposition but when once the Lord takes him as it were into the third heavens and shews him the glory of Christ then Satan begins to buffer him Nature within us that stands and saies Will you go to Christ 't is impossible that ever you should get him And the world without Will you go to Christ you will lose all your friends Will you become a foole too What with the world and what with the flesh and what with the Devill the way to Jesus Christ is clogged with many difficulties And this will appeare yet further if you consider the Nature of Faith and the worth of it 'T is a grace a Gospel grace a precious grace whereby we do come to Christ I say 'T is a grace Nulla Virtus sine lapide When our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified they rould a stone over his sepulcher and when the Disciples came they said Who shall roule away the stone Mark 16 3 And as our Lord himselfe had a stone roul'd upon him so the more of Christ is in any vertue the greater stone and the greater difficulty is rould upon it every vertue and every grace hath one stone or other that is roul'd upon it but the more of Christ in any thing the more the greater is the stone that is roul'd upon it Faith is an excellent grace 1 Pet. 1.7 The triall of your Faith is more precious then gold sayes the Apostle what is Faith it selfe then It is the Intelligencer of the Soule the directrix or Queene-regent of all the graces it sits at the sterne and guides the whole Vessel 'T is that grace that gives a Being unto a Christian other graces the Well-being It is that grace that brings Christ and the Soule together It is that grace that covers the defects of all other graces Ephes 6.16 'T is called the shield a shield does not only cover the body but the rest of the armour Faith does not onely cover the Soule but the defects of all other graces There is an excellency in grace excellent things and jewels they are hard to come by Therefore by it we come unto Christ He that comes over the River must come from that side of the water if he will come to this And he that comes to Christ he must come from his old Customes and his own Engagements and his own Righteousnesse this is a hard thing I may say in some respects 't is harder to beleeve then to keepe the ten Commandements because there is something in nature towards
do here lay the waite of my poore guilty soule upon thee do with me what 's good in thine eyes Ah Lord my prayers are dead my affections dead and my heart dead but thou art a living God and I bare my selfe upon thee Beloved if ye can beleeve all things are possible if you cannot beleeve all things are unpossible faith will make a thing easy though it be never so difficult as unbelief doth make a thing difficult though it be never so easie This is a certaine truth no difficulty can stand before faith true saving justifying faith carries the soule through all difficulties discouragements and naturall impossibilies to Jesus Christ Oh therefore as you desire to grapple with the difficulties that you do meet withall stirre up your selves in a way of beleeving for you have hear that nothing else can do it The Lord teach us to beleeve at a higher rate then ever yet we have done EVANGELICAL Repentance MATTHEW 3.2 Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Preached at Clapham May 10. 1646. MATTHEW 3.2 Or thus Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached THESE Words are the words of John the Baptist when he first began to preach the Gospel of Christ and if ye look into the next Chapter the 4. of Matth. and the 17. vers ye shal find That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself does preach the same Doctrine in the same words Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Our Savionr Christ the better preacher is not ashamed to tread in Johns steps and words John honored Christ and Christ honored John Ministers should strengthen the hands one of anoter And if ye look into the 10. Chapter of Matthew ye shall finde That when our Saviour sent out his Disciples for to Preach the Gospel he commands them to preach the same Doctrin too in the same words verse the 7. Go ye preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand But here 's no Repent Yes that was in their Commission too as ye may reade in the 6. of Mark and the 12. verse they would not preach a word beyond their Commission And they went out and preached that men should Repent So that their Commission also was to preach thus Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached or hath drawn neer unto you Surely there is somewhat more than ordinary in these words That John and our Saviour Christ and all the Disciples should begin thus for to preach in these words Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand They were all Ministers of the Gospel and the Ministers of the Gospel are not barely to preach Repentance but they are to preach Repentance upon Gospel Motives The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand In the words ye have an Exhortation Repent ye A Motive unto the work of Repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached Repent ye That is be not only sorrowfull for sin committed but mend your lives Repentance is sometimes taken in a large sence for Amendment of life Sometimes Repentance is taken only for Godly sorrow in a more strict and a narrow sence Somtimes it is taken largely For the Amendment of our life not only for godly sorrow but all obedience and reformation And so it may be taken here as ye may perceive by the 3. vers where this word Repent is explain'd Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand for this is He that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight Preparing the way of the Lord and making streight paths all one with Repentace There is a Iegal Repentance And there is an Evangelical Repentance Some think it is a Legal Repentance that is here required and there upon they urge a necessity of Legal preparation before a man does come to Christ as there is a John Baptist before Christ so say they there must be a Legal work of necessity before a poor soul can have any admittance to Jesus Christ But I pray consider the words and you will find That not a Legal repentance but Evangelical is here required Did our Savior Christ Himself preach Legal Repentance They are the words of our Savior Christ He uses them too The Repentace is as the Consideration is that this work is to be founded on as the motive is What 's the motive The Kindom of Heavcn is at hand Repent let your Repentance be upon this ground because the King-dom of Heaven hath approach't because the Kingdom of Heaven hath drawn neer He does not say Repent because the Kingdom of Hell is neer but because the Kingdom of Heaven is neer the Motive being Evangelical the Repentance is so 't is not a Legall but an Evangelieal Repentance that is here required Besidesw these words Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand are not spoken only to the ungodly but unto the godly also of those times who were to prepare the way of the Lord and to make streight their pathes And therefore not to be understood of a Repentance only preparatory to that in the heart But what then are we to understand here by the Kingdom of Heaven Quest and the approaching of the Kingdom of Heaven For the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached or drawu neer unto you The Kingom of Heaven sometimes in the language of the new Testament Notes Ans The glorious condition of the other world that we are going to Sometimes it notes the State of the Church it 's used for the Church of Christ And sometimes for the Gospel of Christ I take it here for the whole State of the Messiah the Kingdom of grace Christ and all his benefits grace mercy and free remission published in the Gospel in the several dispensations and administrations thereof this is called the Kingdom of Heaven for this motive The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand is set and used here in opposition unto the motives that was used among the Jewes when the Jewes were Excited and put upon any duty they were stirred up thereunto upon such motives as these for the Kingdom of Canaan is at hand If you do so and so God will bring you into the Land of Canaan and give you that Land Now under the Gospel here are other motives Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Not like those Jewish motives The kingdom of Canaan is at hand or the Kingdom of the Jebusites is at hand Christians are not only or especially to be stir'd up by such motives as those but by higher and greater motives Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hadn And may carry an Hebraisme with it The Kingdom of Heaven that is a heavenly Kingdom as the Law is called the Law of fire in the Hebrew a fiery Law The Jews expected the Messiah dream'd of an outward glourious and pompous Kindgom Now
saies John the Baptist The Messiah is come his Kingdom is come but it is not an outward glorious and pompous Kingdom but 't is an heavenly Kingdom and therefore Repent and prepare your selves for the receiving of it make your way plaine for the Kingdom of Heaven an heavenly Kingdom is now at hand Is at hand we reade it but according to the original rather thus The Kingdome of Heaven hath approch'd Appropinquavit As if he should say thus Do you turn to God because God hath turned to you do you draw neer to God because the kingdom of grace and free-remission hath drawn neer to you There are Two Notes that lie here before us that I shall commend unto your consideration The First is this That the Kingdom of Heaven of Grace Mercy and of free-remission does approach unto us before we do come unto it And Secondly That the appropinquation or drawing neer of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest and greatest argument and motive in the world unto true repentance The Kingdom of Heaven I say the Kingdom of Grace Mercy and Free-remission of sin does appreach to us before we draw neer to it Repent turn ye for the Kingdom of Heaven hath approached or it hath come to you and therefore do you come to it Thus it lies in the words And thus you will find it all-a-long Thus God hath promised This Christ hath parabled Thus God fulfilled Thus God hath promised Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee What voice is that but the voice of mercy and the voice of grace and of free-remission Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee Isa 30.21 When thou art going away from God and when thou hast thy back upon God thou shalt hear a voice of mercy behind thee it shall follow after thee before thou dost come to it And thus ye have a cleer parable for it which you may reade fully speaking this truth in Luke 14.16 17 18. and so on A certain man made a great supper and bade many And sent his servant at Supper-time to say to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready And they all with one consent began to make extuses So that the Servant came at the 21. vers and shewed his Lord these things Then the Master of the house being angry said to his Servant Go quiekly into the Streets and Lanes of the City and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the balt and the blind Mark here are invitations of mercy sent out to those that never thought of it And the Servant said Lord it is done as thou bast commanded and yet there is room And the Lord said unto the Servant again at the 23. vers Go out into the high-wayes and beages and compel them to come in that my house may be filled See I pray how the kingdom of Grace and Mercy and Free-remission is broughe neer unto a people before ever they did make after it And this I say you shall find fulfilled So God hath dealt by the world So by particular Kingdoms and Nations in the world So by particular Towns and Countries in a Kingdom So by particular Families in a Towne And so by particular persons in a family Thus God hath dealt with the World He hath brought neer the Kingdom of Grace and Mercy and free-remission to the World before ever the World did make after it When the whol World had sinned in the fall and lay in wickedness and never thought of returning unto God God so loved the world Joh. 3.16 that he sent his only begotten Son to them When Adam did not think of Christ nor the world in him the Lord gives out a promise The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 Thus mercy and grace made it's approach towards the world before ever the world did seek after it So in regard of a Nation in regard of a Kingdome in the world Go saies our Lord and Savior Christ unto his Disciples and teach all Nations The Nations did not come to Christ and say Lord the Jewes have refused the Gospel and therefore we beseech thee that the Gospel may be preached unto us and we will receive it No but before ever they sent any such message to have the Gospel come down to them the Gospel is sent to them Go saies our Savior Go preach to all Nations But Lord they might say Suppose that in those nations we meet with such a man as Herod such a man as Pilate shall we preach the Gospel and free remission of sins then to such a one Go saies Christ I make no exceptions Go and preach to all Nations But suppose that a Judas come in when we are preaching the Gospel Saies Christ I make no exceptions if a Judas will come and submit Goe preach to all Goe preach the Gospel Go preach to all Nations And was it not thus with the Nation of the Jewes as ye reade in the 16. Chapter of the Prophesie of Ezekiel when they were first taken into Gods love None eye pitied thee at the 5. verse to do any of these unto thee to have compassion on thee Verse the 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in tlsine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live And so it will be with this people the Jews again when they shall be converted in the latter daies of the world The Lord speaks so concerning them by the Prophet Esay I was found of those that sought me not And in the 66. Isa 65.1 Chapter of Esay and the 7. verse 't is said concerning the Jewes that are yet to be called and the preventing love of God towards them Before she travailed she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a man-child Thus it is also with particular Towns in a Kingdom or in a Nation the kingdom of grace of heaven is brought neer to them before they do seek to it The Apostles went preach't unto several Towns Iconium Derbe Lystra before those Towns did call for the Gospel And if you look into the 4. Chapter of Matthew you find That our Saviour Christ came and dwelt in Capernaum at the 13 verse which is upon the sea-coast in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali That it might be-ful filled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying The Land of Zabulon and the Land of Nephtali by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles The people which sate in darkness saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sorung up While they were sitting still in their sins and in the very shadow of death Christ goes among them and causes a glorious light to shine upon them they did not go out to the light but the light did come out to them first So 't is also
in regard of a particular Family in a Town 't is said concerning the Jailors family that they were all baptized they all beleeved but how did the Jailors family come and seek after the Kingdom of Heaven before the Kingdom of Heaven was brought unto them No The Apostles were brought into prison God works a miracle the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission is brought to the prison and is brought to the Jaylors family before ever the Jailor did stir after it And so ye know it was with the family of Zacheus Luke 19 9. Zacheus saies our Saviour This day is salvation come to thine house Pray consider it a little did Zacheus's house go to seek for salvation or rather did not salvation come and seek for Zecheus's house Indeed Zecheus out of a curiosity ran and got up into a tree that he might see the out-side of Jesus Christ but our Lord and Saviour Christ cals him down Zacheus saies he I must dine with thee invites himself he carries salvation unto his family Thus God deals by Families He deals thus by the World He deals thus by Nations He deals thus by Towns He deals thus by Families And he deals thus by particular Persons also Was it not thus with Matthew the Publican He sate ye know in his Custome-house and Christ came and found him out there he did not first go and seek after Christ but Christ came first unto him and found him out in his trade and said unto him 1 Tim. 1.13 follow me And was it not thus with Paul Saies Paul I was a blasphemer and a persecutor But I obtained mercy I was breathing out threatenings against the Saints and against the Disciples of Jesus Christ but as I was breathing out threatenings against them the holy Ghost breath'd upon my heart and met me in the way and unhorst me and showed me mercy the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto Paul before ever Paul sought after it And as 't is with a particular Person in regard of his first Conversion and first Repentance So in regard of his After-Repentance Peter sins and before ever Peter repents Christ looks back upon him that is the first then Peter wept bitterly Johah sin'd and sin'd greatly in running away from God before ever Johah could find in his heart for to seek unto God God works a miracle provides a chamber of preservation even in the belly of destruction in the Whales-belly for him God brought neer his pardoning mercy and grace to him before ever Jonah came neer to it And as 't is in regard of a mans first second and after Prepentance So 't is also in regardof a mans Comfort and Consolation O Lord saies David Make me to receive joy Psal 51.8 Psa 77.2 and comfort that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce My soul refuseth comfort saies he As if he should say thus Lord I have been a great Surgeon at other mens hearts and I have been able to set their bones that have been out of joynt but now mine own bones are broken I have fallen greatly and now my own bones are broken I cannot set mine own bones My soul refuseth comfort and the promise is to my heart-like a bank of Ice that my heart slips off and Lord if thou doest not uphold my heart with a promise I shall never have comfort Make me to see comfort O Lord. Thus you see where ever you look in the Scripture 't is full of the truth that is here before us namely That the Kingdome of Heaven grace mercy and free-remission does approach unto us before we draw neer to it Evidences of it The First is Taken from our own Condition Naturally we are lost sheep so we are called by Christ Man in his natural state is compared unto the lost son the lost groat and the lost sheep Now you know when a sheep is lost it does not lie where it is lost if you lose your purse or if you lose a ring it will lie where it was lost unless it be taken up but now if a sheep be lost the sheep wanders up and down and doth not lie where it was lost but wanders up and down over one mountain to another through one thicket to another through one dirty place to another and of all creatures the lost sheep does not seek the way home again A dog lost will seek the way home again a Cat and such like creatures lost will seek the way home again but a sheep lost does not seek the way home again Now we are all lost sheep wandring up and down One he wanders over the mountain of Pride another through the thicket of the World another through some unclean Slough but all wandring and no man able to find his home till he be first found Therefore saies our Saviour Christ Luke 19.10 I came to seek and to save those that are lost He does not say barely I came to save those that are lost but I came to seek and to save those that are lost And truely we must be sought all along Saies David in the 119. Psalme and the last Lord I have gone astray like a lost sheep O seek thy servant We have need of continual seeking as long as there is continual wandring we have need of such a shepheard as may seek us out But first of all the Kingdom of Heaven does seek us out before we do seek it when we are found then we seek but we never seek till we are first found A Second Evidence I take from Christs willingness for to save sinners There is an infinite willingness in our dear Saviour for to save poor sinners He came from Heaven for that end and purpose If a man come a thousand miles upon a business will ye not think he is willing to do it Jesus Christ came from Heaven for this business for to save sinners Is He not then willing to do it I may say that Jesus Christ is more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved by him The Prodigal goes home to his father but when the father sees him after off he runs the Prodigal goes and the father runs to meet him with mercy Yea and our Savior Christ seems to be most willing to save the greatest sinners the greatest Saints have bin made up out of the greatest sinners When the Lord Jesus Christ was upon the earth did he not carry his grace and mercy and the doctrin of free remission to the greatest finērs Peloved consider of it I pray you The greater the sinner is the more is Christ honored in getting out his Pardon and in satisfying for such a finner and so he will love Christ the more Look I pray into the 7 Chap. of Luke Simon saies Christ I 'le propound thee a parable Master say on saies he Then saies our Savior at the 41 vers There was be certain Creditor that had two Dobters the one ought five hundred pence and the
other fifty And when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most And he said unto him thou hast rightly judged Those that he forgives most unto will love most Jesus Christ loves to be greatly honored and loved and therefore he is willing to save the greatest sinners But now the greatest sinners are most opposit unto what is good they don't seek after what is good Surely therefore if Jesus Christ would save sinners and the greatest sinners of necessity the Kingdome of Heaven and of Grace must approach unto us before we draw neer to it But you will say Object Zech. 1.3 Jam. 4.8 The Scripture seems to be contrary unto this Doctrine For hath not the Scripture said Turn unto the Lord and he will turn unto you Draw neer to God and he will draw neer to you How is this therfore true That the kingdom of grace mercy and free-remission does first draw neer unto us before we draw neer unto it Yea Hath not our Savior Christ said Matth. 9 13. I came not to cal the righteous but sinners to repentance That is such as are sensible of their sins Surely therefore a man must be sensible of his sins must be sensible first before the kingdome of Heaven of Grace Mercy and Free-remission be brought néer unto him For Answer The Scripture is cleerly with us Answ Joh. 4.19 Joh. 15.16 The Apostle John speaks out expresly We love him because he loved us first And saies our Savior You have not chosen me but I have chosen you I have chosen you you have not chosen me And whereas 't is said That we should turn to God and he will turn to us And draw neer to God and he will draw neere to us That is He wil draw neer unto you again he will turn more unto you not as if we should begin to turn to him and first draw neer to him before he does first draw neer to us at all But draw neer to him and he will draw neer to you And turn to him and he will turn to you That is he will draw more neare to you and he will turne unto you again And whereas 't is said That Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance That is such as are sensible of their sins and men must be first sensible before the offer of grace mercy and free-remission be made unto them I beseech you turn unto the place where the Scripture lies 't is in the 9. Chapter of Matthew at the latter end of the 13. verse I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance This say I is not to be understood of sinners only Sensible of their own sins but sinners indeed Christ came to call sinners indeed yea before they are sensible of their sins For the word Sinner here must be understood as the word sinner before is in the 10. and 11. verse As Jesus sate at meat in the house behold many Publicans and sinners came and sate down with him and with his Disciples When the Pharisees saw it they said unto his Disciples why eateth your Master with Publicans and sinners He did eat with those that were not sensible of their sins Sinners there are not to be meant of those only that were sensible of their sins Christ did not only eat with those that were sensible of their sins Now he gives this account of it I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance That is sinners such as he names before such as he did eat withal and they were not only such as were sensible of their sins Again Our Saviour Christ gives this account at the 12. verse The whole need not the Physitian but those that are sick To answer to this Objection That our Saviour did eat with sinners and converse with sinners Saies he I am a Physitian and Physitians are to go to those that are sick only There is this difference between me a Physitian and other Physitians for I come unsent for but other Physitians come when sent for I as a Physitian come to Cal my Patients but other Physitians are Called in by their Patients Now saies he I am a Physitian and I come not to call the righteous but sinners I come to Call my Pationts Physitians don 't only go to those that are sensible of their disease but if a man be past sence his friends send for the Physitians and the Physitian goes So does Christ here Comes unto his Patients when they are not sensible of their disease many times Again This sutes with that which goes before Go saies he at the 13 verse and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not saerifice Sometimes this phrase this sentence is to be understood concerning bodily mercy But here 't is to be understood of mercy to the soule Go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Ye object to me that I converse with Publicans and sinners not with those that are righteous in their generation go and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice I have more delight in conversing with poor sinners that with those Jews that do offer sacrifice Ang again Gonsider what sense would here be if this should be the meaning I came not to call the righteous but sinners That is I came to call those that are sensible of their sins Then the meaning must be this I came not to call the righteous but men that are penitent men that are sensible of their sins and are penitent If by the calling the sinners we are to understand those that are sensible only then the sense must be this I came not to call the righteous but men that are penitent No no Christ came to cal sinners poor sinners although they were never yet sensible of their sins the Lord Jesus Christ came to call sinners which are so indeed This Doctrine then stands notwithstanding that Objection But you will say Obj. The Prodigal seems to come home unto his father before his father does come to him and to repent before his father shows mercy to him and so our repentance does prevent the Lords mercy and not the Lords mercy prevent our repentance For Answer Ans 'T is good for us alwaies to attend unto the scope of the Scripture in Parables especially The scope of the Parable cannot be according to the tenure of this Objestion for then it should be contrary to the former Parable of the lost sheep Indeed The Prodigal saies he will repent before he goes to his father Luke 15.18 19. I will return to my father and I will say I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and I am not worthy to be called thy Sonne but he never saies so till he came to his father after his father had
this than with the other And I pray what then Do but observe Paul who gracious he is how humble he is how thankful he is how ready to serve Christ how ready to serve the Churches for Christ how ready to suffer for Christ upon all occasions Oh! how gracious did this make him Thus 't is with a poor soul that hath tasted of the free-grace of God in Christ the heart is more taken herewithal than with the thoughts of Heaven Ah saies a poor soul I was going on in such a sinful way or I lay sleeping and snorting in my sins and I know not how before ever I was aware the Kingdom of Heaven did approach unto me and the Lord in his free-grace showed mercy to my family and to my poor soul Oh! therefore any thing for Jesus Christ Oh! I will spend and be spent Oh! any thing for Jesus Christ The sight of Gods grace does make one gracious and therefore Christ does take this way Causing the Kingdom of Heaven grace and free remission to approach first unto us before we do draw neer to it There is one Reason more I will but name it Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace that no flesh might glory in it selfe or in any thing that it hath or doth that no flesh might rest in any duty in any service in any suffering but only upon grace upon Christ alone Beloved we are very unwilling to come unto any duty and when we have done we are then as apt to rest upon it as ever we were unwilling to come unto it But what 's the reason that men are so apt to rest upon their duties but because there are these secret thoughts that they come to Christ before he does come to them Let the heart be possest with this truth That Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and of free-grace does approach unto us and come neer to us before we draw neer to it And then he will not rest so much upon what he is doth or suffereth A man in this case is like unto a Silk-worme you know how 't is with that worme it makes a fine web a fine work and when it hath done it dies in it afterward it eats a hole through the work and it comes out with wings a quite other creature than it went into it So it is with a poor Christian he makes a fine work of duty and then he dies in it but through the manifestations of Gods free grace he does as it were eat a hole through all and he comes out with wings flying away from his duties not so as to neglect the performance of them but so as not to rest upon them flyes away from in regard of resting upon any duty and only upon this ground because saies he God did draw neer to me grace did draw neer to me mercy did draw neer to me before ever I drew neer to it and therefore why should I rest upon any duty performe it I will but through grace I will not rest upon it By way of Application Applic. 1 Let us I pray consider with our selves whether God hath dealt thus by our souls or no Hath the Kingdom of Heaven approch't and drawn neer unto us before we drew neer to it if not truly for ought that I know we are yet under the Law and all our mournings and walkings Heaven-ward they are but Legal If God love you indeed He shews kindness and mercy to you before you do come to him 'T is with Gods darlings as 't is with the worlds-darlings You have some men take a great deal of pains rise early and go to bed late and yet the world does not smile upon them these are the world's enemies Some take pains and grow rich thereby these are the worlds friends Others there are again that before ever they take any pains the Lord is upon them with the worlds blessings these are the worlds darlings So I say God hath his darlings and if thou art one of Gods darlings He does cause the Kingdom of Heaven Grace and Free-remission to appear and draw neer unto thy soul even before thou dost draw neer to it Hath God dealt thus by any of you Oh! contemplate consider seriously the sweetness of this grace Beloved preventing grace is sweet grace The Lord gave a Grown a Kingdom to David but the best Pearle in all the Crown that his eye was most upon was Gods preventing mercy Psa 21.3 Lord saies he thou hast prevented me with the goodness of thy blessing As if he had said thus Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom made me a King over thy people but when I was a poor Shepheard keeping my fathers sheep thou diddest prevent me with thy love So may a poor soul say Ah Lord thou hast not only given me a kingdom but thou hast prevented me with thy love 'T is a great matter that the great God of Heaven and Earth should answer our prayers give us any mercy upon our request I but that the Lord should give us the greatest mercie before we come for it Pray good people mark it a little Ye shall observe that the greatest mercies that ye have ye have them and they are given unto you before you come for them There are some great mercies that a Christian hath as Conversion of his soul Justification Remission of sin Some lesser mercies as comfort and peace and outward plenty As for these lesser mercies God gives them when we do come for them but as for the great Mercies Remission of sin Justification of our persons Conversion of our souls God is upon us with these mercies before we come for them Oh! what grace is here Oh! what glorious rich grace is here What! shall be not stand and admire at the glory of this free grace of God in Jesus Christ You will say unto me Quest But suppose this that the Lord hath brought the Kingdom of Heaven neer to me and my family before I did come to it for I must confess that I have tasted and drunk deeply of Gods preventing love Oh! how graciously hath God dealt by our poor family wee were a poor ignorant family and the Lord shewed mercy to our family when we little thought of it to such a Child to such a Servant to such a Friend to mine own soul Indeed this is true That the Kingdom of Heaven hath approch't unto me drawn neer unto me before I drew neer to it Oh! what is my duty now that does flow from hence Let me tell you Ans 1 Duty First of all Be sooner at Heaven gate with your duties hereafter than ever you were before When as a Master comes into his servants Chamber in the morning and takes him abed if the servant have any ingenuity the servant saies this my Masters coming thus early is plainly a rebuke to my sloth and therfore God willing I will be up sooner another day So now