and suitable deliverance They may call every spring of their Refreshment Beer laâ—ai-roi 2. To see that the Son of Violence draw not nigh unto it and if he do to require it at his hands to make him eat his own flesh and drink his own blood that he may learn to devour no more Observe then 1. Whence it is that this House which seems so often to be nigh to destruction is yet preserved from ruine Ofttimes it is brought into a condition that all that look on say Now it is gone for ever but still it recovers and gets up again The Lord Christ he looks on all the while He knowes how far things may proceed for tryall When it comes to that passe that if pressures and troubles should continue the House would be over born indeed then he puts in rebukes the windes and waves and makes all things still again Like a Father who looks upon his Childe in a difficult and dangerous businesse knowes that he can relieve him when he pleases but would willingly see him try his strength and cunning lets him alone untill perhaps the Childe thinks himself quite lost and wonders his Father doth not help him but when the Condition comes to be such that without help he will be lost indeed instantly the Father puts in his hand and saves him So deales the Lord Iesus with his House lets it oftentimes strive and wrestle with great Oppositions to draw out and exercise all the Graces thereof but yet all this while He looketh on and when danger is nigh indeed He is not far off 2. Let all the Enemies of the Church know that there is one who hath an Eye overthem in all their Counsels and under-takings Whilst they are digging deep He looks on and laughs them to scorn How perplexed was the King of Syria when he found that the Prophet was acquainted with all his designes and made them known to the King of Israel It cannot but be a matter of perplexity to the Enemies of this House when they shall finde that the great Friend and Protector thereof is continually present in all their Advisoes Let them not wonder at their birthlesse under-takings the Eye of Christ is still uupon them 3. Let the Saints see their priviledge who ever they are in what condition soever the Eye of Christ is upon them He watches over them for good and knowes their soules in Adversity When no Eye sees them he looks on them they cannot be cast out of his care nor hid from his sight There are many poor souls who goe heavily all the day long that mourn in their spirits unknown unregarded unpitted The Eye of Christ is on them for good continually they cannot be thrown out of his watchfull care 4. Christ is the In dweller of this House He hath not built it and framed it for no use It is for an Habitation for himself He hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for â—â—s Habitation this is my rest saith he here will I dwell Psal. 132. 13 14. This House iâ—built up to be an Habitation unto him Ephes. 2. 22. He is the King of Saints and this House is his Court It is true for his human Nature the Hevens must receive him untill the time of the Restitution of all things Acts. 4. 27. but yet he dwelleth in this House three ways 1. By his Spirit Christ dwels in this House and every stone of it by his Spirit Know you not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates 2 Cor 13. 5 Christ in you that is the Spirit of Christ Christ by his Spirit So the Holy Ghost expounds it Rom. 8. 9. If the Spirit of God dwell in you which v 10. is if Christ be in you Christ and his Spirit as to Indwelling are all one for he dwels in us by his Spirit The love of God is shed in abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost that is given unto us Rom. 5. 5. There is not only the love of God a grace of the Spirit shed abroad in us but there is also the Holy Spirit giuen unto us This is fully asserted Rom. 8. 11. The Spirit of him that raysed up Jesus dwels in you as also 2 Tim. 1. 14. keep the good thing committed to thee by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in us Hence the Saints are said to be Temples of the Holy Ghost Jesus Christ doth not build Temples merely for Graces created Graces He dwels in them himself He dwels in them by his Spirit And this is a glorious Priviledge of this House that Jesus Christ in a Misticall and wounderfull manner should dwell in it and every stone of it Hereby all beleivers become to be not one personall but one Misticall Christ 1 Câ—r 12. 6. However we are distanced in respect of his human Nature yet Mistically we are one one body one Mistical Christ because we have one Spirit dweling in us and him If a man were never so tall so that his Head should reach the sterres and his freet stand upon the Ground yet having but one soul he is but one man still Though Christ in his human Nature be exceedingly distanced from us yet there being one and the same Spirit in him and us wee are one Mysticall Christ Yet abserve 1. Though Christ be united unto the persons of the Saints by the Indwelling of the Spirit yet the Saints have not that which is called Personal Vnion with him nor with the Spirit Personal Vnion is by a person of the Deity assuming the nature of man into one personallty with it self that having of it sown no personall subsistance Things are here clean otherwise Christ doth not assume the Saints into a personall subsistance with himself but dwels in their persons by his Spirit 2. That the Operations of the Indwelling Spirit of Christ and all his manifestations are Voluntary He worketh as he will revealeth what he wil 〈◊〉 where he dwells He doth not work in us Naturally but Voluntarily unto what proportion he pleaseth therefore though he dwel equally in all Saints in respect of Truth and reality yet he doth not in respect of working and Eficacy 2. By his graces Christ dwelleth in this House and in all the stones thereof by his Graces He dwells in our hearts by faith Ephes. 3. 17. He dwells in us by his word in all wisdome Col. 3. 16. All the graces we are made partakers of we receive from his fulnesse and by them he Inhabits in us They are indeed the ornaments of the living stones of this House to make them meet and fit for such an Indweller as the Lord Christ Christ will not dwell in a soule whose mind is darknesse His will stubbornesse and His Affections carnall and sensuall He puts Light and life and love upon the soule that it may be meet for him to dwell in Christ dwels in all the world by his power and Presence but he dwels only in his Saints by his Spirit and
shoulders under the burden due to it and his back to the stripes prepared for it A hard Task But Jesus Christ being the Heir the Right of Redemption belonged unto him It was not for his Honour that it should lye unredeemed Full well he knew that if he did it not the whole Creation was too beggarly to make this Purchase 'T is true that Nature of ours which He assumed to pay that by which He never took was startled for a while and would have deprecated this grievous price crying out If it be possible let this cup passe from me but he recollects himself and sayes I am content to do thy will O God and so through the eternall spirit offered himself up into God for a Ransome He likes the House and will have it to dwel in what ever it cost him Here saith he shall be my Habitation and my dwelling for ever Psal. 133. Know you not saith the Apostle that you are the Temple of the Spirit of Christ Well and how come we so to be you are bought with a price 2. Cor 6. 19. They who affirm that he also thus purchased the unclean styes of the Divel wot not what they say 3. Unto Purchase He must also adde Conquest An unjust Usurper had taken possession of this House and kept it in bondage Sathan had seized on it and brought it through the wrath of God under his power He then must be conquered that the Lord Christ may have compleat possession of his own House For this purpose then was the Son of God made manifest that he might destrâ—y the works of the Devil 1. Joh. 38. And how doth he do it 1. He overpowers him and destroves him in that Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death that is the divel Heb. 2. 14. 2. He spoyled him having overcome him He bund the strong man and then spoyled his goods Math 12. 27. All that darknesse unbelief sin and hardnesse that he had stuffed this House withall Christ spoyles them and scatters them all away 3. To make his Conquest compleat He triumphs over his Enemy and like a mighty Conquerour makes an open shew of him to his everlasting shame Col. 2. 15. Having spoyled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in his Crosse And by this means strengthens his Title to his Inheritance I mâ—ght also farther insist on the Donation of his Father and the actual possession he takes of it by his Spirit but these are sufficient to prove this House to be Christs I shall take some Observations hence 1. Is this the House of Christ is he the Owner of it let men take heed how they spoyl it for themselves The Psalmist makes this a great Argument in his pleading against opposers that they came into the Lords inheritance Psal. 79. 1. The Title of Christs purchase was not then so clearely known as that of his Inheritance and therefore they of old pleaded chiefly by that Title Now he hath proclaimed to all his other Titles also the whole Right he has to this House to his Saints Who then shall meddle with it and go free Amongst men every one with all his might will defend his own possession And shall we think that the Lord Christ will suffer his to be spoiled at an easie rate shall not men pay dear for their encroachment How hath he in our dayes frustrated all attempts for the persecution of his Touch not saith he mine Anointed Men may upon various pretences claim this priviledge to such a Land Nation or Faction it will in the end appeare to be theirs and only theirs who are living stones of this House doggs may scramble for their bread but shall not injoy it It is Christ in this House that will make every stone of it a burdensome stone He hath done it that men may learn {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} do not think it will excuse thee to say thou wast mistaken 2. Is Christ the Owner of this House let the Order and disposall of it be left to himself Men are apt to be tampering with his House and Houshold They will be so kind and carefull as to say out their wisedome and prudence about it Thus and thus shall it be these are parts and members of it Christ is exceeding jealous of his Honour in this particular He cannot bear it that men pretending to his Glory should think him so wanting in Love or Wisedome towards his own as not exactly to dispose of all things that concern the Reiglement thereof Men would not be so dealt withall in their own Houses as they deal with Christ in his We have all Wisedome enough as we suppose to order our own houses Only the Wisedome and Love of the Father leaves his to the discretion of others these thoughts are not from above 3. Hath Christ taken his own House to himself upon so many Titles let not men put those buildings on him for his which are not so which he holds not by these Titles Go to a man that dwells in a stately Palace of his own show him a hog sty tell him this is your House here you dwell this is yours can you put a greate indignity on him No sayes the man that is not mine I dwell in yonder sumptuous Palace And shal we deal thus with the Lord Jesus He hathbought adorned his own House a glorious House it is I â—now men shall hold out to him a sty of swine a den of unclean Beasts a ruinous Heap whereof the far greatest part are dead stones and tell him this is his Church his House will it notexceedingly provoke him will he bear such a reproach Nay he will reject such Tenders to their Ruine 2. Jesus Christ is the Builder of this House This man is counted worthy of more Honour then Moses inasmuch as he that buildeth the House hath more Honour then the House Heb. 3. 3. I saith he will build my Church Math. 16. 18. This is not a Fabrick for any workman but Christ It is true there are others imployed under him and some so excellent that they may be said to be wâ—se master-builders 2. Cor. 3. 10. But yet all the Efficacy of their labour in this building is not from themselves but meerly from him by whom they are imployed Except the Lord build this house they labour in vain that go about to build it Now this House receives a two fold building 1. Spirituall of all the stones thereof into one mysticall House of this I chiefly treat 2. Ecclesiasticall of some particular stones into severall Tabernacles which are usefull Partitions in the great mysticall House called Assemblyes and dwelling places of mount Sion both these it hath from Christ alone 1. For the first If all the most skilfull Workmen in the world should go to the pit of Nature by their own strength to hew out stones for this building they will never with all their skill
and diligence lay one stone upon it There is Life required to those stones which none can give but Christ The Father hath given into his hand alone to give life eternall to whom he will Joh. 17. 2. He alone can turn stones into children of Abraham To him is committed all dispensation of quickning power He brings us from the dust of death and no man hath quickned his own soul With spiritual power all spirituall life is vested in Christ If dead stones live it must be by hearing the voyce of the Son of God Christ's building of his mysticall House is his giving life unto dead stones or rather being life unto them Of those who will attempt to build themselves and draw a Principle of spirituall life from the broken Cisterns of Nature I shall speak afterwards For the second or the communion of living stones one with another and all with Christ in the Order and Worship appointed by the Gospel so becoming Assemblies and dwelling places of Mount Sion this also is of him This is for his outward solemn Worship and he would never allow that the will of any creature should be the measure of his Honour He sets up the Candlesticks and holds the Starres in his hand Look to the Institution of this building it is from Christ Look for Directions about this building it is wholly from him From him his Word his Spirit is the Institution Direction and Perfection of it from hence now take some Observations 1. Is Christ the Builder of this House Can hee alone â—it us for this Building Can he alone and that by his Almighty Power put liâ—e into dead stones that they may grow up to bee a holy and living Habitation unto him what then becomes of that famous workman Freewill and a power of believing in our selves do not they work effectually in this Temple As it was in Salomons Temple there was neither Axe nor Hammer nor any Tool of Iron heard în it all the while it was in building 1. Kings 6. 7. So in this spiâ—â—â—ual House that Iron Tool of Freewill is not once heard It comes not nigh the work Christ doth all alone He gives life to whom he pleases Shall a dead wilâ— be thought to have a quickning life-giving power in it Shall a Spirit of life be spun out of the Bowels of Nature Is it the will of man or the will of God that drawes men unto Christ And is it Spirit or flesh that unites us to him Where then is this workman employed that makes all this noyse in the world Even there where men cry Go to let us build a City and a Tower whose top may reach to Heaven Gen 11 4 amongst those who would build a Babel a Tower of their own to get to Heaven by The Lord comes down and scatters all their under-takings This Workman never placed Stone in the House of Christ Nay it is like the foolish woman that puâ—s down her house with both her hands what Free grace sets up that Freewill strives to demolish 3. See hence a great mistake of many poor Creatures who would fain be stones in this House what course take they They Hew and square themselves strive to cut off this and that rubbish which as they suppose alone hinders them from being fitted to this building They pare themselves with vows promises resolutions and engagements beautifie themselves with duties and services and then with many perplexing feares present themselves to the building never knowing whether they are admitted or no All this while the great Master Builder stands by scarsely dealt withal What now is the issue of such Attempts what they build one day fals down in another When they have oftentimes in their own thoughts brought the Building to such a passe as that they are ready to think it will be well with them now surely they shal have a share Interest in this living glorious House when all on the suddain they fal again to the ground their Hopes wither and they suppose themselves in the worlds rubbish again There is no end of this Alternation Would now this poor soul see where its great defect lyes It hath not applyed it self aright to the only Builder Wouldest thou be a stone in this Fabrick lay thy self before the Lord Jesus say to him that thou art in thy self altogether unfit for the great Building he hath in hand tha thou hast often attempted to put thy self upon it but all in vain Now Lord Jesus do thou take me into thine own Hand if thou castest me away I cannot complain I must justifie thee in all thy ways but thou callest things that are not as though they were Thou turnest dead stones into Children of Abraham Oh turn my dead into a living stone Fear not He will in no wise cast thee out The vanity of men attempting to mixe their Power and Wisedome in the heaping up Tabernacles for Christ might be hence discovered but I forbear 3. Jesus Christ is the great Watchman or Keeper of this House There are indeed other Watchmen and that of God's own appointment for the use of this House Son of man I have set thee a Watchman Ezek. 2. 11. I have set Watchmen upon thy walls Isa 61. 6 7. which in a speciall manner are the Pastors of the Churches they watch Heb. 13. 17. As the Priests and Levits heretofore kept the watch of the Lord It cannot be denyed but that many who have taken upon them to be these Watchmen have watched onely for their own advantage have been very dogs yea dumb dogs the very worst of dogs Isa. 66. 10. yea they have been and oftentimes are under various pretences great smiters and wounders of the Spouse of Christ Cant 5. but yet were they never so good and true to their Trusts they were never able all to watch and keep this House had it not another Watchman Except the Lord keep the City these Watchmen watch in vain Psal. 127. 1. He that keepeth Israel who doth neither slumber nor sleep must keep this House or it will be destroyed Christ then is that Holy One and that WATCHER that came down from Heaven and commanded to cut down the tree and the branches Dan. 4. 13 14. Nebuchadnezzar and his great power for medling with this House Now Christ watcheth this House for two ends 1. To see what it wants 2. Cor. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in its behalf He looks down from heaven to behold them that fear him Psal. 14. He is that Stone upon which are seven Eyes Zech. 3. 9. A sufficiency in perfection of wisedome inspection and government for the good of his House And those seven eyes of his run to and fro through the whole earth for this very purpose Zech. 4. 10. He takes notice of the state and condition of his People to eye them in all their distresses and to give them timely