everlastingly for it O my soul canst thou ponder on this and not love him dearly who has thus loved thee Come stir up the gift that is in thee if thou art a Christian thou hast some sparks though now it may be under the ashes come rub chase and warm thy affections at this fire love like a watch must be wound up or else it will fall downwards what dost thou why stand'st thou idle in the heat of the Day Christ hath fire in his hand 't is but looking up and reaching out thy hand to take it from him O take it with both thy hands and be thankful for it Prayer ejaculation contemplation judicious observation of the Spirits season are thy best instruments to kindle this fire of love in thee And methinks thy heart should begin now to melt methinks it should receive more easie impressions from the object before it methinks these eternal works and acts of God and Christ towards thy poor soul should begin to overcome thee Cant. 6.5 Cant 8.6 and to burne thy heart as with coales of Juniper Why Lord is it thus was I Elected from all Eternity in Christ was I ordained to a glorious inheritance before there was a World was this business to make me happy one of the cheef deep counsels of God was this one of the works of his wisdome that he was exercised about before the World began was this the great designe of God in making the World and in making Heaven the place of glory to glorifie himselfe and to glorifie such a poor wretch as I am O then how should this but mightily inflame my heart with the love God and love of Christ how should I choose but say as the Martyr did Oh that I had as many lives as I have haires on my head to lay them down for Christ Ah what flames of Divine affection what raptures of zeal what ravishments of delight what extasies of obedience can be enough for my blessed God and dearest Redeemer SECT VII Of joying in Jesus in that respect 7. WE must joy in Jesus as carrying on that great work of our salvation in that Eternity This joy is a passion arising from the sweetness of the Object that we enjoy O my soul dost thou believe and art thou now cast into a pang of love how then should thy joy but come on As Christ said to the 70. In this rejoyce not Luk. 10.20 that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven so rejoyce not thou in this that the world is thine that riches are thine that thou hast subdued men and devils but herein rejoyce that thy name is written in the Book of life O what a comfortable point is this that the Father and Christ should transact a bargaine from Eternity concerning thee by name that the Father and the Son should commune together concerning thy heaven as if their language had been thus Father what shall be given to thy justice to ransome such a one Abraham Isaac Jacob Matthew Mark Luke John Mary Martha Hannah c. why no more but this thou shalt dye my Son and whosoever believeth in thee shall live for ever Why then saith Christ I will engage for such and such a one I will enter into Bond for such and such a person Abraham shall believe in time See I have writ down his name in the Book of life And who art thou that readest art thou a believer dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Christ said the same of thee and entered into a bond for thee and entered they name in the Book of life See the certainty of this in Phil. 4.3 Phil. 4 3. Thou Thomas Andrew Peter Christ knows thee by name and thy name is written in the Book of life O go thy way and rejoyce and take strong consolation is there not cause why I tell thee thy name is in the Book of Heaven and if this may adde to thy joy know there is none in Heaven or Earth shall ever be able to blot it out again No no poor soul Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus God hath decreed thy salvation and Gods decree shall stand let Men and Devils say what they will to the contrary Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations it is as possible for God to deny himself as it is possible for thee a believer to perish 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept saith the Apostle by the power of God through faith to salvation and therefore rejoyce and againe rejoyce yea raise up thy joy to that pitch of triumph which is joy elevated and elevated so high that it comes to victoriousness and magnanimous conquest of heart over all things say with the Apostle what my name written in the Book of life Rom. 8 3â— 35 38 39. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect who then shall separate me from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword nay I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. VVE must call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus This also is included in looking as David while Praying unto thee do I lift up mine Eyes Psa 123.1 O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Now this calling on God or looking to God contains Prayer and Praise 1. We must pray that all these transactions betwixt God and Christ may be assuredly ours and that God would clear up our Titles more and more yea and seeing all good things tending to Salvation were from all Eternity prepared for us we are therefore to pray that by prayer we may draw them down from Heaven for what though our Evidences be clear Yet this must not cast out means God doth not use to bestow his saving Graces on lazy sluggards those therefore who from the certainty of Predestination do pretend that the duty of Prayer is superfluous do plainly shew that they have no certainty at all Aquinas Aquinas part c q. art 8. was Orthodox in this the Predestinate must Pray because by these effects of Predestination the Salvation of Souls is best ascertained The same Spirit which Witnesseth to our Spirit that we are his Chosen is also the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication and therefore he that believes that he is one of Gods Elect he cannot but pray for those things which he believeth that God hath prepared for him before the foundation of the World 2. We must praise God what that God should look on us and Predestinate us to Life
is exposed to the view of all Again mountains are subject to Winds and Tempests which shew their Callings must meet with many oppositions and this occasioned Christ to hold up their hearts with Cordials Mat. 5.11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you The Ministers of Christ are sure of opposition the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much moâ—â— shall they call them of his houshold 3. The time when they werâ— chosen when it was and after he had continued all night in prayer to God he goes not to Election but first he watches and prayes all the night before this shews the singular care that Christ had in this great employment what to set men apart to witness his Name and to publish to the world the Gospel of Christ this he would not do without much prayer Matth. 14.23 Sometimes we find Christ praying alone as elsewhere Matth. 6.6 He went up into a mountain apart to pray and here on this mountain without any of his Disciples or Domesticks about him he prayes alone thus When thou prayest enter into thy closet saith Christ and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Sometimes we find Christ praying at night In the daytime he was teaching in the Temple Luke 21.37 and at night he went out and abode in the Mount that is called the mount of Olives See Christ in the exercise of his double Office he preacheth all day and prayes all night this Text tells us He continued all night in prayer Night prayers have their special spiritual advantages 1. It is a time fitter for compunction and heart-contrition Psal 6.6 All the night make I my bed to swim I water my Couch with my Tears As some things are by heat parched in the day but cooled in the night so many sins contracted in the day are seasonably repented at night night tears are as sweet dews that cool the heat and pride of our spirits 2. It is a time of silence and free from distraction then all Tumults cease and in the secret of our souls we may silently go and speak with our heavenly Father In this respect we have a blessed example of Christ praying at night and especially now O he was about the great work of sending his Ministers through all the world and therefore now he spends all the night long in prayer to his Father A great and extraordinary work is not to be set upon without extraordinary prayer 4. The company out of whom they are chosen He called unto him his disciples and out of them he chose twelve A Disciple of Christ is one thing and an Apostle of Christ is another thing those were Christs Disciples that embraced Christs Doctrine of Faith and Repentance it was not material to the constituting of a Disciple of Christ whether they followed Christ as many did or they returned to their own homes as some others did The man out of whom the Legions of devils was cast Luke 8.38 39. besought Christ that he might be with him but Jesus sent him away saying return to thine own house and shew how great things God hath done to thee I make no question but Christ at the Election of his Apostles had many Disciples both waiting on him and absent from him and out of them that waited on him his Apostles were chosen Christs Ministers should be first Disciples O how unfit are any to take upon them the Ministry of Christ that were never yet the Disciples of Christ first the grace of God within us and then must that grace of God be discovered by us 5. The number of them that were chosen they were Twelve very propable it is that there was some peculiar reason in this account the number say some was figured out to us in many particulars as in the Twelve Patriarchs Gen. 35.22 Exod. 15.21 in the Twelve Wells of Elim in the Twelve precious stones on the breast of the Priest in the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the Twelve hours of the day Christ tells them of sitting on Twelve Thrones and judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 but I delight not curiously to descant on these things This I am sure that the doings of Christ were done in weight measure and number 6. The end to which they were chosen it was to an Apostleship i.e. that they might be Christs Legates to the Sons of men that they might be sent up and down the world to perswade men to Salvation The dispensers of Gods Word must look to their mission they must not intrude upon so sacred a business before they are sent Now this mission is either extraordinary by immediate instinct and revelation from God which is ever accompanied with immediate and infused gifts and this was the case of the Apostles or ordinary by imposition of hands and Ecclesiastical designation and in this likewise is required fidelity and ability 1. Fidelity it is required of Stewards that a man be found faithful that he defraud not Christ of his purchase which is the souls of men nor men of their price and priviledge which is the blood of Christ that he watch as a Seer that he speaks as an Oracle that he feed as a Shepherd that he labour as an Husbandman that he be instant in season and out of season to exhort rebuke instruct to do the work of an Evangelist to make full proof of his Ministry because he hath an account to make 2. Ability both for right information of the consciences of men and for the seasonable application of truth to particular Circumstances which is that which makes a wise builder Ah! Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2 16. How should we but detest the presumption of those men who run before they be sent who leap from their manual trades into this sacred and dreadful office unto which heretofore the most learned and pious men have trembled to approach This may inform us of our duty and this may inform you of your happiness Vse 1. Here 's our duty I mean ours of the Ministry Christ ordained his Apostles to preach the Gospel and Paul's motto may be ours Wo unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 what though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of for a necessity is laid upon me This day Christ sent me on this errand Mat. 10.7 Go preach saying Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Surely the Lord hath put this message into my mouth Repent swearers repent drunkards repent sinners for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Gospel-discoveries are made every day Christ
this vivification By this meanes it was that those dead bones were quickened in Ezekel's prophesie viz. by the Prophets prophesying upon them And he said unto me son of man prophesie upon these bones Ezek 37.4 and say unto them O ye dry bones hear the Word of the Loâ—d And by this means it is that dead souls are quickened the Ministry of the Word is the Trumpet of Jesus Christ when that sounds who knows but he may quicken the dead hearken therefore to this Word of God 2. Act saith upon the Lord Jesus as to justification As is the clearness and fixedness of our souls in bottoming our selves on Christ for righteousness so will be our quickness Luke 7.47 and successfull prâ—gress in the work of holiness because Maries sins which were many were forgiven her therefore she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Many a soul loseth much of vivification for want of clearness in its justification or for want of setledness and stronger measure of acting faith Oh what life would be raised as to holiness what working binding filling the laws of love retribution thankfulness would there be when we see our selves clearly reconciled with God and wrapt up in the foldings of everlasting love 3. Trace every Ordinance and every duty for the appearings of the Son of God Be much in Prayer hearing reading fellowship with the Saints living in the fulness of Sacraments be much in secret conversings with God in meditation expâ—sâ—ulation enquiries searchings and which is a precious work be much in diligent watching of and hearkening and listening to the movings workings hints intâ—mations of the Spirit of God be much in observing the methods and interpreting the meanings and language of God in all his secret dispensations with the soul Certainly there will be abundâ—nce of the life of God conveyed to him that walks in these paths Blessed are they that dwell in thy house might David well say and one Reason is pertinent to this case Luke 15.17 because In our fathers house is bread enough and to spare while the Prodigal that goes out from it shall feed upon husks and with Ephraim swallow up the East-wind Oh for a Spirit of Prayer Meditation c. Oh for a Spirit even swallowed up in communion with God! Isa 64 5. Thou meetest him that worketh righteousness and those that remember thee in thy wayes 4. Look much at Christ raised Christ Glorified Christ's Resurrection was the beginning of his glory and therein is comprehended both the glory that draws desires towards Christ Psal 34 5. Psal 123.1 2. and the grace and power that establisheth faith in its depenâ—ancy They looked unto him and were lightened unto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that â—wettest in the heavens behold as the eyes of the servants look unto the hand of their Mastâ—rs and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her Mistris so our eyes waâ—te upon the Lord our God It is said of Moses Heb. 11.27 that he endured affliction as seeing him who is invisible Oh could we keep our hearts in a more constant view and believing meditation of the glory of Christ our faces would certainly bring some beams of Divinity with them from the Mount 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory The very beholding of Christ hath a mightty conforming and assimilating vertue to leave the impressions of glory upon our Spirits 5. See our own Personal vivification linked unseparably unto and bottomed unremoveably upon the resurrection of Christ when we can by faith get a sight of this it is not to speak how couragiously and successfully the soul will grapple in the controversies of the Lord against the Devil and our own deceitful hearts with what strength could Joshua Gidion c. go on when backed with a promise and their Spirits setled in the perswasion of it and what use will the promises be in this kind and more than all the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ when we can clearly and steadfastly rest upon this that there is an inseparable connection betwixt the resurrection of Christ and our personal holiness and perseverance to the end Oh that I could act my faith more frequently on Christs resurrection so that at last I could see it by the light of God to be a destinated principle of my vivification in particular what a blessed means would this be 6. Walk as we have Christ Jesus for an example This example of Christ though it be not ours as it is the Socinians totum Christi yet certainly it yields much to our vivification who can deny but that acting with the pattern ever in ones eye is very advantageous come then and if we would live the life of God let us live as Christ lived after his resurrection But how is that I answer 1. See that we return to the grave no more take heed of ever returning to our former state you may say what needs this Caveat hath not Christ said He that liveth and believeth in me shall never dye or never fall away I answer it is true they shall never totally and finally fall away yet they may fall foully and fearfully they may lose that strength and vigour that sense and feeling which sometimes they had they may draw so nigh to the grave as that both by themselves and others they may be accounted amongst them that go down to the pit free among the dead Psal 88.5 as Heman saith of himself The Apostle saith something that might even startle Christians he tells of some who have been once enlightened by the Word and have tasted of the heavenly gift some flashes of inward joy and peace and were made partakers of the holy Ghost the common gifts and graces of the Spirit and have tasted the good Word of God have found some relish in the sweet and saving Promises of the Gospel and the powers of the world to come have had some ravishing apprehensions of the joyes and glory in Heaven and yet fall away by a total Apostacy Christians Heb. 6.4.5 6. how far goes this I know it is said only of such who have a name to live and no more but surely it gives a warning to us all that we come not nigh the verge the brink of the grave again let us not give way to any one sin so as to live in it 2. Let us evidence our resurrection Christ being raised he shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs so let us evidence our vivification by many infallible proofs i.e. Let us yield up our selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead Rom. 6.13 Col. 3.2 let us walk as men of another world If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God let us serve God
Christ's intercession why this is the most perfect and consummate act of Christ's Priestly office this argues thy Christ to be a perfect Mediator and being a perfect Mediator no condition can be desperate And being made perfect saith the Apostle he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 9.5 now therefore lead up thy faith to this blessed object and thou hast under consideration the whole of Christ and the total of Christ's actings in this world from first to last in respect of mediation this is the Coronis the up-shot the period the consummation the perfection of all 8. Faith in going to Christ as interceding for us it is principally and mainly to look to the purpose end intent and design of Christ's intercession now the ends of Christ as in the reference unto us are these 1. That we might have communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son I pray for these that as thou Father art in me and I in thee John 17.21 they also may be one in us 2. That we might have the gift of the Holy Ghost I will pray the Father John 14.16 17. and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth 3. That we might have protection against all evil John 17.15 I pray saith Christ that thou wouldst keep them from the evil Some may object are not the faithful Subject to evils corruptions and temptations still how then is that part of the intercession of Christ made good unto us I answer the intercession of Christ is presently available only it is conveyed in a manner suitable and convenient to our present condition so as there may be left room for another life and therefore we must not conceive all presently done it is with us as with Malefactors doomed to death suppose the Supreme power should grant a pardon to be drawn though the grant be of the whole thing at once yet it cannot be written but word after word and line after line so the grant of our protection against all evil is made unto Christ at first but in the execution thereof there is line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little we know Christ prayed for Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not yet Peter's faith did shake and totter the prayer was not that there might be no failing at all but that it might not utterly and totally fail and in that respect Peter was protected Heb. 4.14 16. 4. That we might have free access to the Throne of Grace So the Apostle Seeing then we have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Heb. 10.23 and come boldly to the Throne of grace And again Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and having an high Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true heart in a full assurance of faith 5. That we might have the inward interpellation of the Spirit which is as it were the Eccho of Christ's intercession in our heart Rom. 8.26 The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered It is the same Spirit groans in us which more distinctly and fully in Christ John 17.13 prayeth for us These things I speak in the world saith our Saviour that they might have my joy filled in themselves q. d. I have made this prayer in the world and left a record and pattern of it in the Church that they feeling the same heavenly desires kindled in their own hearts may be comforted in the workings of that Spirit of prayer in them which testifieth to their souls the quality of that intercession which I make for them in the Heaven of Heavens certainly there is a dependance of our prayer on Christ's prayer as it is with the Sun though the body of it abide in the Heavens yet the beams of it descend to us here on earth so the intercession of Christ though as tyed to his person it is made in Heaven yet the groans and desires of the touched heart as the beams thereof are here on earth 6. That we might have the sanctification of our services of this the Levitical Priests were a type Exod. 28.38 Rev. 8.3 For they bear the iniquity of the holy things of the children of Israel that they might be accepted and he is the Angel of the Covenant who hath a golden Censer to offer up the prayers of the Saints Some observe a three-fold evil in man of every of which we are delivered by Christ First an evil of state or condition under the guilt of sin Secondly an evil of nature under the corruption of sin Thirdly an evil in all our services by the adherency of sin for that which toucheth an unclean thing is made unclean thereby Now Christ by his righteousness and merits justifieth our persons from the guilt of sin and Christ by his Grace and Spirit doth in measure purifie our faculties from the corruption of sin and Christ by his incense and intercession doth cleanse our services from the adherency of sin so that in them the Lord smells a sweet favour and both we and our services find acceptance with God 7. That we might have the pardon of all sin It is by vertue of Christ's intercession that a Believer sinning of infirmity hath a pardon of course for Christ is his Advocate to plead his case or if he sin of presumption and the Lord give repentance he hath a pardon at the hands of God the Father by vertue of this intercession in a way of justice And to this end rather is Christ called an Advocate than a Petitioner 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father The work of an Advocate differs from the work of a Petitioner an Advocate doth not meerly petition but he tells the Judge what is Law and what ought to be done and so doth Christ O my Father saith Christ this soul hath indeed sinned but I have satisfied for his sins I have payed for them to the full now therefore in a way of equity and justice I do here call for this mans pardon If this were not so our estate would be most miserable considering that for every sin committed by us after repentance we deserve to be cast out of the love and favour of God our Father for ever and ever 8. That we might have continuance in the state of grace I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.32 Some that dissent from us in the point of perseverance object that in our Saviour's Prayer for Peter there was somewhat singular but we say that in this Prayer there is nothing singular which is not common to all the faithful and unto such as are given unto Christ of the Father they
the forehead of such favours I have a merciful and compassionate Mediator in heaven O I am much tempted sayes another that I cannot pray had I now the key of prayer I could then unlock the cabinet where all God's treasures lye and take out what I pleased but alas my prayers are dull and weak and dry and without spirit and life I cannot pray If so be humbled for it and yet know this that when thou canst not pray Christ then prayes for thee and he prayes that thou mayst pray And tell me hast thou no experience of this truth hath not sometimes thy spirit been enlarged in prayer hast thou not sometimes felt thy heart warmed or savingly affected hast thou not sometimes in prayer been lifted up above thy self and above the world conclude then My Intercessor above hath sent me this gift and Spirit it is not I but Christ's Intercession that by an admirable and secret operation hath given me the Spirit to help my infirmity these are the intercessions of the Spirit of Christ and they are the very Eccho of the intercessions of Christ in his own person O but I labour under such and such corruptions sayes another and the Devil is busie exceeding busie and he exceedingly prevails how am I overcome with these corruptions and with these and these sins It may be so and yet do not altogether despond for Jesus Christ is at God's right hand and there he sits till all his enemies be made his foot-stool and what are not thy sins his enemies O be of good comfort for Christ will prevail it is one piece of his prayer that he puts up for thee John 17.15 To keep thee from evil and surely he will either keep thee from it or keep thee in it that in the issue thou shalt have the victory Ver. 12. Isa 55 3. Those that thou gavest me I have kept saith Christ and none of them is lost if he undertake for thee thou art safe and sure His Covenant is everlasting even the sure mercies of David and therefore if yet thou dost not certainly thou shalt feel the vertue of Christ's intercession sin must be subdued hell-gates shall not prevail against thee he will not quench thy sparks until he bring forth judgment unto victory Oh but I am in a suffering condition sayes another and there is none that regards or takes pity on me all my friends have dealt treacherously with me among all my Lovers there is none to comfort me they have heard that I sigh and there is none to refresh me I stand for Christ but there is none stands by me I own him but there is none owns me Bleeding Christian bear up is not Christ's intercession a sufficient answer to this case alas thou wouldst be pitied for all thy weaknesses why know that compassion is natural to Jesus Christ he is a merciful high Priest and can be no other to thee God ordained him to officiate in such a Tabernacle as wherein thou dwellest he was in all things like unto thee sin only excepted it may be thou art in want and so was Christ he had no house thou art persecuted and so was Christ sin loads thee and so it did Christ A Christians condition needs compassion and Christ knows how much and it is his work continually to lay it open above O my Father thus and thus it is with the Militant Church not a Member in it but he is under sin and affliction see here the tears hearken to the sighs and groans and chatterings and mournings of my Doves below I present here their persons and performances and oh that they may find acceptance through my merit Some speak of Heavens Musick some tell us of Saints and Angels singing and warbling in lively notes the praises of Christ in Heaven and if any such thing be certainly it is ear-tickling heart-ravishing musick O the melody O the joy of Saints to hear such heavenly ayres with heavenly ears but be it as it will be of this I am confident that Heaven it self yields no such musick as is the intercession of Jesus Christ this if any thing in Heaven do it makes melody in the ears of God and of all celestial Spirits Saints or Angels And O my soul suppose thy self within the compass if now thou couldst but hear what thy Jesus is saying in thy behalf Is not this a brand newly pluck'd out of the fire was not this poor soul but the other day in a state of nature defiled with sin within a step of hell and did not I send my Spirit to recall him was not this precious blood shed for the redemption of him and what though sin stick and cleave to him to this day yet have I not given thee charge to take away his filthy garments from him and to cloath him with changes of rayment even with the shining robes of mine own righteousness O my Father let this soul live in thy sight O cast him not away for whom I have suffered and done all this I cannot rest satisfied without his society I am not right till he is with me in glory he is my darling my purchase my portion my delight and therefore let him be saved Is not this enough to cause thy very heart to leap in thy bosom Bonaventure fondly reports that Francis hearing an Angel a little while playing on an Harp he was so moved with extraordinary delight that he thought himself in another world O but suppose thou shouldst hear the voice of Jesus thy Intercessor thus pleading for thee wouldst thou not be cast into an extasie would not this fill thee with joyes unspeakable and full of glory Come realize this meditation certainly if thou art Christ's he is thus or in some other manner interceding for thee as sure as Christ is in Heaven he is pleading with his Father in Heaven on thy behalf O the joyes the joyes the joyes that I should now feel Tell me is it not a comfort for a poor beggar to be relieved at a rich man's door we are all beggars in regard of Heaven and Jesus Christ doth not only come forth and serve us but he takes us poor beggars by the hand and leads us in to his heavenly Father Oh what comfort is here SECT VIII Of praying to and praising of Jesus in that respect 8. LEt us pray and praise our Jesus in this respect 1. Let us pray or sue our interest in this intercession it is a question amongst the Schools whether we may conveniently pray to Jesus to pray to his Father in our behalf And thus far is granted that we may pray to Christ to make us partakers of his intercessions and to mingle our prayers with his prayers that they may find acceptance with God his Father 1 Cor. 11.6 But that we may use such a form as ora pro nobis O Christ pray for us it is looked upon as inconvenient in this respect 1. Because cause we have no
excellencies meet together rest in Christ and Christ is all good things to all his Saints in Heaven he is Beauty to their Eyes Musick to their Ears Honey to their mouths Perfume to their Nostrils Health to their Bodyes Joy to their Souls Light to their Understandings Content to their Wills he is Time without sliding Society without loathing Desire without fainting Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending wanting both needing neither yet the Author of them both he is All in all from one not all Even all the Strength Wit Pleasure Vertues Colours Beauties Harmony and goodness that are in Men Beasts Fishes Fouls Trees Herbs and all Creatures are nothing but sparkles of those things which are in Christ Christ himself will then supply their use so that the best Creatures which now serve the Saints shall not have the honour to serve them then Rev. 21.23 There will be no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in that City for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And hence the beholding of Christ is the All in all to his glorified Saints this was Christ's Prayer Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am to what end John 17.24 that they may behold my glory Christ's heavenly presence is conspicuous he is not present as some things that are not seen and yet are present but his presence is or certainly shall be conspicuous to all his Saints when he was in the world his glory was covered under a mean outside he was like a bright light in a dark-Lanthern and there were very few that knew him then but in Heaven he shall be as a Cabinet opened or as the Sun in his full glory We shall know him as we are known and behold him face to face 1 John 3.2 and we shall see him as he is Nor only will he be conspicuous but his presence shall be vital a stone may be with us and seen clearly but there 's little in the sight of that in the beholding of Christ there will be an acting of kindness upon the Saints there will be visions with life and dear refreshing O the influences that the sight of Christ will have on his Saints in Heaven nor onely will he be conspicuous and vital but his presence shall be fixed he shall abide with the Saints that they may for ever behold him Oh if there was such running after Christ in this world some getting on hills and others on trees that they might behold him when he passed by what will the sight of Christ in Heaven be when he shall be alwayes in the eye of his Saints and never out of sight when they shall be alwayes viewing of him and be alwayes satisfied with that view nor only will he be conspicuous vital fixed but his very presence shall transform They shall see his face and they shall reign for ever and ever O the influence of this sight Revel 22.4 5. it is of such a transforming Nature that to see the King will make Kings this vision of glory amounts unto a fruition of glory if ever thou art a spectator of Christ thou art sure to be a partaker of Christ in all his glory I shall be satisfied Psal 17.15 1 John 3.2 when I awake with thy likeness It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him why so for we shall see him as he is And no wonder for if the imperfect beholding of his glory in the glass of his Gospel change the soul into the same image from glory to glory how much more shall the full view of his glory in Heaven transform both the souls and bodies of his Saints into a fulness of glory 1 Cor. 13.12 Here then is the top of Heaven here is the All in all here is the satisfaction of souls to the very uttermost if Christs glory in his transfiguration was so satisfactory to Peter as that he desired his sight of it might never have end or interruption O it is good to be here let us here build Tabernacles and yet Peter was onely a spectator of this glory for he had himself no share in it O then what infinite satisfaction mayst thou expect in the beholding of Christ's Glory in Heaven which will be accompanyed with an everlasting enjoyment the lusture of his glory will be diffused unto all so that some shall enjoy the glory of the Sun others of the Moon and others of the Stars O my soul if thou art but a Star there yet if thou art filled with that light that comes from the Sun of righteousness it is enough O remember oh consider oh never forget this Looking unto Jesus as it is thy duty on Earth so it is thy priviledge and highest happiness in Heaven for ever and ever SECT III. Of desiring after Jesus in that respect 3. LET us desire after Jesus carrying on this work of man's Salvation at his second coming It is true many shrink at the thoughts of death and judgment and 't is an high pitch to desire the dissolution of our selves and of this world the best Christians are compounded of flesh and spirit and if the spirit long to be in Heaven yet the Flesh is loath to leave this Earth Speak out of my soul thou prayest daily Come Lord Jesus let thy Kingdome come but is not the Flesh afraid lest God should hear thy Prayers Oh that we could loath our loathness in that respect oh that we could long for this second coming of Christ to Judgment And Christians this is attainable or otherwise I should not perswade you to it Phil. 1 2â— I am in a strait said Paul between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better And this is the voice of the desolate Bride Come for the spirit of Christ within her saith come The Spirit and the Bride say come Yea the whole Creation saith come Rev. 12.17 Rom. 8 21 23. Waiting to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and not onely they but our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body Oh that we could groan oh that we could come up to this high pitch even to sigh out not our breath but our spirits even to groan out not some vapours but our hearts I know it is suitable to flesh and blood to tremble at the thoughts of judgment When Paul reasoned of righteousness temperance and of Judgment to come Felix trembled Acts 24.25 Weak Christians as well as Heathens may have many terrible fancies and notions of that day Oh to think of a time When there shall be a great earthquake Rev. 6.12 13 14 15 16 17 when the Sun shall become
Jesus Christ Doctor Sibbs is clear that the special office of the ministry of Christ is to lay open Christ to hold up the tapistry to unfold the hidden misteries of Christ and therefore he exhorts that we should labour to be alwayes speaking somewhat about Christ or tending that way when we speak of the law let it drive us to Christ when of moral duties let them teach us to walk worthy of Christ Christ or some what tending to Christ should be our theme and mark to aime at Sibbs Cantic p. 428. And I may feelingly say it is the sweetest subject that ever was Preached on is it not as an ointment poured forth whose smell is so fragrant and whose savour is so sweet that therefore all the Virgins love him is it not comprehensive of all glory beauty excellency whether of things in Heaven or of things on Earth is it not a mystery sweet and deep surely Volumes are written of Jesus Christ there is line upon line Sermon upon Sermon Book upon Book and Tome upon Tome and yet such is the mystery as one speaks plainly that we are all but as yet at the first side of the single Catechism of Jesus Christ yea Solomon was but at What is his Name and I fear many of us know neither Name nor thing It is a worthy study to make further and further discoveries of this blessed Mystery and it were to be wished that all the Ministers of Christ would spend themselves in the spelling and reading and understanding of it Look as some great point doth require the abilities of many Scholars and all little enough when joyned together to make a good discovery thereof such is this high point this holy sacred glorious Mystery worthy of the pains of all the Learned and if they would all bring their notes together and add all their studies together which I have in some measure endeavoured in the following Treatise they should find still but a little of this Mystery known in comparison of what remains and is unknown only this they should know Quod difficily intellectu dilectabile inquisitu as Bernad said That which is hard to understand is delightful to be dived into and so I found it 2. For the act of looking unto Jesus as it is comprehensive of knowing desiring hoping believing loving so also of joying how then should I but be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious whilst I was studying writing and especially acting my Soul in the exercise of this Looking If there be any Duty on Earth resembling the Duty of the Saints in Heaven I dare say this is it Mr. Rutherford in his Epistle to Christ dying writeth thus An act of living in Christ and on Christ in the acts of seeing enjoying embracing loving resting on him is that noon-day Divinity and Theology of Beatifical Vision there is a general assembly of immediately illuminated Divines round about the Throne who study lecture preach praise Christ night and day Oh what rays what irradiations and dartings of intellectual fruition beholding enjoying living in him and fervour of loving come from that face that God-visage of the Lord God Almighty and of the Lamb that is in the midst of them And Oh what reflections and reachings forth of intellectual Vision embracing loving wondering are returning back to him again in a circle of Glory Now if this be the Saints Duty who are perfect in glory do not we imitate them and feel something of Heaven in our imitation in our looking also unto Jesus I write what in some measure I have felt and of which I hope to feel yet more and therefore whoever thou art that readest I beseech thee come warm thy heart at this blessed fire O come and smell the precious ointments of Jesus Christ O come and sit down under his shadow with great delight Oh that all men especially into whose hands this Book shall come would presently fall upon the practice of this Gospel-art of looking unto Jesus if herein they find nothing of Heaven my skill will fail me only let them pray that as they look to him so vertue may go out of him and fill their souls Reader One thing more I have to say to thee if thou wouldest know how to carry on this Duty constantly as thou dost thy morning and thy evening prayer it were not amiss if every day either morning or evening thou wouldst take some part of it at one time and some part of it at another time at least for some space of time together I know some that in a constant daily course carry on in secret those two necessary duties of meditation and prayer what the subject matter of their meditation is I am not very certain only our experience can tell us that be it heaven or be it hell be it sin or be it grace or be it what it will if we be in exercise of the self-same subject either constantly or frequently we are apt to grow remiss or cold or formal and the reason is one thing tires quickly unless that one be all now that is Christ for He is All Col. 3.11 if then but once a day thou wouldst make this Jesus Christ thy subject to know consider desire hope believe joy in call upon and conform unto in his several respects of plotting promising performing thy redemption in his Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension Session Intercession and coming again and that one of these particulars might be thy one dayes exercise and so every day thou wouldest proceed from first to last in thus looking unto Jesus I suppose thou wouldst never tire thy self and why so O there is variety in this matter to be looked unto and there is variety in the manner of looking on it Ex. gr one day thou mightst act thy knowing of Jesus in carrying on the great work of thy salvation in his Eternity the next day thou mightest consider Jesus in that respect and the next day thou mightst desire after Jesus in that respect and the next day thou mightst hope in Jesus in that respect and so on till thou comest to the last day of the work which besides * I suppose the Reader will at least once read over the whole book and then for this constant dayly exercise during eighty one dayes in a year I leave the object in every period to be read or not read as he pleaseth unless it may in whole or in part conduce any thing to that one act of knowing Jesus in such or such a respect the object handled at large in every period in these very actings upon the object would in all amount to the number of eighty one dayes Now would not this variety delight It is the observation of Mr. Lockyer on Col. 1.16 that an holy soul cannot tire it self in the contemplation of Jesus how much less can it tire it self in Looking unto Jesus which is far more Comprehensive than contemplating of Jesus come try this Duty and be
peace so long as thy lusts are so strong within thee and thy estrangements from the Prince of peace so great the soul that is without Jesus Christ is an enemy to the God of peace a stranger to the Covenant of peace uncapable of the Word of peace an Alien to the way of peace there is no peace to the wicked Isa 57.21 saith my God 6. Such a one is without acceptation with God the Father Christ onely is Gods beloved and therefore as Josephs brethren might not look him in the face unless they brought their brother Benjamin so cannot we look God in the face with any confidence or acceptance unless we bring Christ with us in the armes of our faith without Christ man is stubble and God is a consuming fire to destroy him man is a guilty malefactor and God a severe Judge to condemn him the whole of man without Jesus Christ is a very abomination in Gods presence 7. Such a one is without life he that hath not the Son hath not life saith John 1 John 5.12 Ephes 2.1 Christ lives not in that soul it is a dead soul dead in sins and trespasses As the dead see nothing of all that sweet and glorious light which the Sun casts forth upon them so the dead in sin have no comfortable apprehension of Christ though he shine in the Gospel more gloriously than the Sun at noon And as the dead know not any thing Eccles 9 5 so the dead in sin know nothing at all of the wisdom of Christ guiding them or of the holiness of Christ sanctifying them or of the fulness of Christ satisfying them or of the death of Christ mortifying their lusts or of the resurrection of Christ quickning their souls or of the dominion of Christ reigning in their hearts O what a misery is this All this you may say is true to a Christless soul but what evil to him that may have a title to Christ and yet minds not Christ makes not use of Christ doth not look unto Jesus Such a case I confess may be yea as many Duties are neglected by some godly so this main Duty is I may tremble to think it exceedingly neglected But O the sin and sadness of those souls O the wants attending such poor creatures Consider them in these particulars 1. They have not that wisdom knowledge discerning of Christ as otherwise they might have By looking and serious observing of Christ we gain more and more knowledge of Christ but if we will not look how should we understand those great mysteries of grace nor speak I only of speculative knowledge but more especially of practical and experimental without looking on Christ we cannot expect that vertue should go out of Christ there is but a poor character or cognizance of Christ upon them that are such they have not so clear and comfortable and inward and experimental a knowledge of Jesus Christ 2. They do not so taste the goodness of Christ as otherwise they might Christ is no other unto them whilst neglected by them but as an eclipsed Star with whose light they are not at all affected Christ is not sweet to them in his Ordinances they find not in them that delight and refreshment that comfort and contentment which they usually minister they cannot say of Christ as the Spouse did I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Cant. 2.3 they are in the case of Barzillai who could not taste what he did eat or what he did drink nor could hear any more the voice of singing-men or of singing-women so they cannot taste the things of God nor hear the spiritual melody which Christ makes to the souls of them that look up to him 3. They have not that love to Christ which Christs beholders have they meditate not upon Christ as lovers on their love they delight not themselves in Christ as the rich man in his treasure and the bride in the bridegroom which they love their thoughts are rather on the world than Christ their palates are so distempered that they have no pleasure in the choycest wine they cannot say that their souls long after him and no wonder for how should they love Christ who turn their eyes from him who is the fairest of ten thousands to other objects Surely they have no flaming burning love to Christ that will give every base thing a kind of preheminence above Christ 4. They have not that sense of Christs love which those that exercise this Duty have whilest the soul neglects Christ it cannot possibly discern the love of Christ it perceives not Christ applying the Doctrines of his love to the conscience Christ appears not in his banquetting house he enables not the soul to pray with confidence he makes it not joyful in the house of prayer And hence it is that such souls move so slowly in Gods service they are just like Pharaohs charrets without wheels O they perceive not the Love of Christ either in the clear revelation of his secrets or in the free communication of his graces or in the sanctifying and sweetning of their tryals or in sealing up the pardon of their sins O they feel not those ravishing comforts which usually Christ speaks to the heart when he speaks from his heart in love O the want O the misery of this want 5. They have not that experience of the power of Christ which they have that are in the exercise of this Duty Would you know wherein lies the power of Christ I answer in casting down the strong holds of sin in overthrowing Satan in humbling mens hearts in sanctifying their souls in purifying their consciences in bringing their thoughts to the obedience of Christ in making them able to endure afflictions in causing them to grow and encrease in all Heavenly graces and this power they partake of who rightly and experimentally look up to Christ But if this Duty be neglected there is no such thing hence we call this the Duty of Duties the chief Duty the especial Duty and for all other Duties Means Ordinances if Christ be not in them they are nothing worth In every Duty this is the essential part that we look through all unto Jesus it is only from Christ that Vertue and Efficacy is communicate in spiritual Ordinances there were many people in a throng about Christ but the infirm woman that touched him was she alone that felt efficacy come from him we see many attend the Ordinances frequent the Assemblies but some few only find the inward power of Christ derived unto their souls They that neglect or are grosly ignorant of this great mistery of looking unto Jesus are no beter then strangers to the power of Christ 6. They have not that sense of the worth and excellency of Christ that are unacquainted with this Duty they are not so ravished with his Beauty they are not so taken with the Sweetness and Pleasantness of
Obedience God hath ever the first work as first Jer. 31.33 Eze. 36 26 31 Ezek. 36.25 Ezek. 36.27 Zech. 12.10 I will be your God and then ye shall be my People first I will take away the stony heart and give an heart of Flesh and then you shall loath your selves for your iniquities and for your abominations first I will sprinkle water upon you and then ye shall be clean from all your filthiness first I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and then ye shall keep my Judgments and do them first I will pour out my Spirit of Grace and supplication upon you and then ye shall mourn as a man mourning for his only Son first I will do all and then ye shall do something A perplexed troubled spirit is apt to cry out O! alas I can do nothing I can as well dissolve a Rock as make my heart of stone a heart of flesh Mark now how the Covenant stands well ordered like an Army I will do all saith God and then thou shalt do something I will strengthen and quicken you and then ye shall serve me saith the Lord. 4. It is well ordered in respect of the end and aim to which all the parts of the Covenant are referred Eph. 1.6 the end of the Covenant is the praise of the Glory of his Grace the parts of the Covenant are the Promise and the Stipulation the Promise is either Principal or Immediate and that is God and Christ or secondary and consequential and that is Pardon Justification Reconciliation Sanctification Glorification and the Stipulation on our parts are Faith and Obedience we must believe in him that Justifies the ungodly and walk before him in all well pleasing Observe now the main design and aim of the Covenant and see but how all the streams run towards that Ocean God gives himself to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace God gives Christ to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace God gives pardon justification sanctification salvation to the praise of the Glory of his Grace and we Believe we Obey to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace and good reason for all is of Grace and therefore all must tend to the Praise of the glory of his grace it is of Grace that God hath given himself Christ pardon justification reconciliation sanctification salvation to any Soul it is of grace that we believe By grace ye are saved through faith Eph. 2.8 not of your selves it is the gift of God O the sweet and comely order of this Covenant All is of Grace and all tends to the praise and glory of this grace and therefore it is called a Covenant of grace Many a sweet soul is forced to cry I cannot believe I may as well reach heaven with a finger as lay hold on Christ by the hand of faith but mark how the Covenant stands like a well marshalled army to repel this doubt Phil. 1.29 if thou canst not believe God will enable thee to believe to you it is given to believe O the Covenant of Grace is a gracious Covenant God will not only promise good things but he helps us by his Spirit to perform the condition He works our hearts to believe in God and to believe in Christ all is of Grace that all may tend to the praise of the glory of his grace 5. Wherein is the Covenant sure I answer it is sure in the performance and accomplishment of it Isa 55.3 Hence the promises of the Covenant are called the sure Mercies of David not because they are sure unto David alone but because they are sure and shall be sure unto all the Seed of David that are in Covenant with God as David was the Promises of Gods Covenant are not Yea and Nay various and uncertain but they are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 sure to be fulfilled Hence the stability of Gods Covenant is compared to the firmness and unmovableness of the mighty Mountains nay Mountains may depart and the hills be removed by a Miracle but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed Isa 54.10 saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Sooner shall the Rocks be removed the Fire cease to burn the Sun be turned into darkness and the very heavens be confounded with the earth than the promise of God shall fail psal 19.7 The testimony of the Lord is sure saith David Christ made it and writ it with his own blood to this very end was Christ appointed and it hath been all his work to ensure Heaven to his Saints Some question whether it be in Gods present power to blot a name out of the Book of Life We say no his deed was at first free but now it is necessary not absolutely but ex Hypothesi upon supposition of his eternal Covenant Hence it is that the Apostle sayes If we confess our Sins He is Faithful 1 John 1.9 and Just to forgive us our Sins It is Justice with God to pardon the Elect's Sins as the Case now stands Indeed Mercy was all that saved us primarily but now Truth saves us and stands engaged with Mercy for our Heaven And therefore David prayes Send forth Mercy and Truth and save me We find it often in the Psalms as a Prayer of David Psâ—l 57.3 Ps 31.1 3 24. 119.40.143.1 Deliver me in Thy Righteousness and Judge me according to Thy Righteousness and Quicken me in Thy Righteousness and In Thy Faithfulness answer me and In Thy Righteousness Now if it had not been for the Covenant of Grace surely David durst not have said such a word The Covenant is sure in every respect Isa 55.3 I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you saith God even the sure Mercies of David 6. Whether is Christ more clearlier manifested in this Breaking-forth of the Covenant than in any of the Former The Affirmative will appear in that we find in this Manifestation these Particulars 1. That He was God and Man in One Person David's Son and yet David's Lord The Lord said unto my Lord Sit Thou on My Right Hand Psal 110.1 until I make Thine Enemies Thy Foot-stool 2. That He suffered for us and in His Sufferings How many Particulars are discovered As first His Cry My God My God Why hast Thou forsaken Me Secondly Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 Psal 22.8 Mat. 27.43 Ps 22.16 17 18. Mat. 27.35 Psal 16.10 Acts 2.31 Psal 68.18 Ephes 4.8 The Jews Taunts He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him let Him deliver Him if He delight in Him Thirdly The very Manner of His Death They pierced My Hands and My Feet I may tell all My Bones they look and stare upon Me they part My Garments among them and cast Lots upon My Vesture 3. That He Rose again for us Thou wilt not leave My Soul in Hell neither wilt Thou suffer Thine
strong temptations so many lusts that now he doubts O what will become of my poor Soul what will be the issue of this woful work why come now and desire after perseverance when Peter was ravished on the mount it is good being here sayes he let us build three Tabernacles Mat. 17.4 his desire was to have continued there for ever and it was the prayer of Christ in Peters behalf Luk. 22.3 I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not what was this Prayer but Christ's vehement desire of Peters continuing in the faith shall Christ desire and will not thou desire after thy own perfection O come with these Pantings and Breathings after God put forth thy desires in these or the like expressions O Lord thou hast said I will betroth thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 and what means this but that the conjugal love of Christ with a gracious soul shall never be broken what means this but that the bond of union in a believer to Christ is fastened upon God and the spirit of God holds the other end of it and so it can never be broken 2. O Lord thou hast discovered in thy Word that th s union is in the Father who hath laid a sure foundation 2 Tim 2.19 the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his John 13.1 and that this union is in the Son who loves his to the end and that this union is in the spirit who abides in the elect for ever 3. Thou hast discovered that the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee Isa 54.10 neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee 4. Thou hast said that the Saints shall be kept by the Power of God q. d. The special Power I mean to put forth in this world 1 pet 1.5 it is to uphold the spirits of my saints the special work I have in the world to exercise my power about it is to keep Christ and the saints together it is through the power of God that heaven and earth is kept up but if God must withdraw his Power from the one of these sooner should heaven and earth fall in pieces than God would not uphold one gracious soul that hath Vnion with his Son Jesus Christ And if thâ—se be thy sayings why then Lord I desire the accomplishment O fulfil what thou hast said it would break my heart if ever the Covenant should be broken betwixt me and thee my desire is towards thee and the more I enjoy thee the more and more I desire and pant after thee my desires are like thy self infinite eternal everlasting desires 4. Desire after Jesus the great business or the all in all in a Covenant of Grace the most proper object of desire especiaâ—ly to man fallen is Jesus Christ hence it is that a poor sinner under the sense of sin cryes out with the vehemency of desire Christ and none but Christ give me Christ or I dye I am undone I am lost for ever But what is Christ or Jesus to a Covenant of grace Ruâ—kers tryal of Faith I answer he is the great business he is the all in all Christ hath at least a Six-fold relation to the Covenant of grace 1. As he is more than a creature he is the Covenant himself 2. As he deals betwixt parties he is the messenger of the covenant 3. As he saw and heard and testifieth all he is the witness of the covenant 4. As he undertaketh for the parties at variance he is the surety of the covenant 5. As he standeth between the contrary parties he is the Mediator of the covenant 6. As he signifieth the covenant and closeth all the Articles he is the Testator of the covenant Oh here is abundance of fuel for thy desire to work upon 1. Consider the fuel and then set on the flame thy desire Isa 42.6 Isa 41.9 1. Christ is the covenant it self I gave thee for a covenant of the People for a light of the gentiles And I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the People Christ God and Man is all the Covenant 1. Fundamentally he is the original of the Covenant the Covenant of grace takes iâ—s being and beginning from Christ he is the covenant-maker undertaker manager dispatcher he doth every thing in the covenant 2. Materially the very substance of the covenant stands in this I will be their God and they shall be my People now Christ he is both these in himself he is God unto his People and he is the People representatively unto God and before God 3. Equivalently many branches or fruits of the Covenant are to be fulfilled to believers in their season but as soon as ever they are Justified Christ is said to be the Covenant as a present pawn or earnest delivered into the hands of a man at the very instant of his justification and this pawn is of equal value and worth with the whole Covenant when it is fulfilled to the uttermost Thus Christ in every of these respects is the Covenant it self he is very peace and reconciliation it self and this man shall be the Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land As fire is hot for it self and all other things hot for it Micah 5 5. as they participate of it so Christ is the Covenant it self and all we are so far in Covenant to Christ as we have any thing of Christ want Christ and want peace and want the Covenant of grace 2. Christ is the messenger of this Covenant The Lord whom ye seek shall suddainly come to his Temple Mal. 3.1 even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Christ travels with tydings between parties of the Covenant 1. He reports of God to us he commends his Father unto us Joh. 15.1 Joh. 6.29 Joh. 6.48 Joh. 8.12 Joh. 10.9 11. Prov. 1.20 Prov. 9.5 my Father is the husband man and this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I shall lose nothing and he commends himself to us it became the Lord Jesus to commend himself I am the bread of Life I am the Light of the world I am the Door I am the good Shepherd It is a wonderful thing how Christ is a broker as I may say for Christ wisdom cryeth out she uttereth her voice in the streets come eat of my bread and drink of my wine which I have mingled Ministers cannot speak of Christ and of his Father as he can do himself O my Soul to excite thy desires come and hear Christ speak of Christ and of his Father and of Heaven for he saw all Joh. 17.25 2. He reports of us to God he commends us to his Father O righteous Father the world hath not known thee but I have known thee and
of assurance but if thou art perswaded of thy Interest O then rejoyce therein is it not a Gospel-duty to rejoyce in the Lord and again to rejoyce The Lord is delighted in thy delights Phil. 4.4 he would fain have it thy constant frame and daily business to live in joy and to be alwayes delighting thy self in him This one Promise I am the Lord thy God is enough to cause thy appetite to run to it and to unite it self to it by Love and to scatter it self on it and to overflow those powers of the Soul that are nearest to it that every part of the Soul may concur to the possession of it Bless the Lord O my Soul saith David and all that is within me bless his holy Name So rejoyce in the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me rejoyce in the Name of God This is true joy when the soul unites it self to the good possessed in all its parts And was there ever such an object of true joy as this Heark as if Heaven opened and the voice came from God in Heaven I will be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee I am the Lord thy God and I will be thy God What doth not thy heart leap in thy bosom at this sound John the Baptist leaped in his mothers womb for joy at the sound of Maries Voice and doth not thy soul spring within thee at this voice of God O wonder some can delight themselves in sin and is not God better than sin Others more refined and indeed sanctified can delight themselves in remission of Sin in Grace Pardon Holiness Fore-thoughts of Heaven how exceedingly have some gracious hearts been ravished with such thoughts But is not God the objective happiness the Fountain-blessedness more rejoycing than all these Why Dear soul if there be in thee any rejoycing faculty now awake and stir it up it is the Lord thy God whom thou art to rejoyce in it is he whom the glorious spirits joy in it is he who is the top of Heavens joy their exceeding joy and it is he who is thy God as well as their God Enough enough or if this be not enough hear thy Duty as the Lord commands thee Rejoyce in the Lord Phil. 3.1 Phil. 3.1 Be glad ye Children of Zion and rejoyce in the Lord your God Joel 2.23 Joel 2.23 Rejoyce in the Lord all ye Righteous for praise is comely for the upright Psal 33.1 Psal 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord ye Righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness Psal 97.12 Psal 97.12 Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let thâ—m ever shout for joy because thou defendest them let them also that love thy Name be joyful in thee Psal 5.11 Psal 5.11 Let the Righteous be glad let them rejoyce before God yea let them exceedingly rejoyce Psal 68.3 Psal 68.3 Glory ye in his holy Name let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord Psal 105.3 Psal 105.3 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King Psal 149.3 Psal 149.3 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce O ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 23.11 Psal 23.11 O what pressing Commands are these SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 1. WE must call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus in reference to this gracious Covenant Now this calling on God containes Prayer and Praise Jer. 31.16 1. We must pray we must use Arguments of Faith challenging God Turn thou me and I shall be turned Why for thou art the Lord my God This Covenant is the ground on which all Prayers must be bottomed the Covenant we know contains all the Promises and what is Prayer but Promises turned into Petitions Thus prayed the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 14.21 22. Do not abhor us for thy Names sake do not disgrace the Throne of thy Glory remember break not thy Covenant with us VVhy Art not thou he the Lord our God And thus prayed the Prophet Isaiah Isa 64.9 Be not wroth very sore neither remember iniquity for ever behold we beseech thee and why so we arâ— all thy Poople q. d. Every one doth for its own the Prince for his People the Father for his Children and the Shepherd for his Sheep and will not God do for his own in covenant with him Be thy soul in the saddest desertion yet come and spread the Covenant before God A Soul in the greatest depth swimming on this Covenant of Grace it keeps it from sinking whence Christ in his blackest saddest hour prayed thus My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Be thy Soul in trouble for sin and prevailing corruption yet go to God and plead his Promise and Covenant say as Johoshaphat Lord I am so born down by the power of my sin that I know not what to do only mine eyes are unto thee O do thou subdue mine iniquities Be thy soul troubled for want of strength to do this or that duty yet go to God and Christ in the Covenant of Grace and say Lord thou knowest I have no strength of my self I am a barren Wilderness but thou hast entred into a Covenant of Grace with me that thou wilt put thy Law into my inward parts thou wilt cause me to keep thy judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 Ezek. 36.27 As sometimes thou saidst to Gideon I have sent thee therefore I will be with thee Judg. 6.16 Judg. 6.16 Many are apt to set upon their duties in their own strength but Oh my soul look thou to the promise of Grace and of the Spirit and put them in suit and alledge them unto Christ Many are apt to work out their sanctifications by their VVatchfulness Resolutions Vows Promises made unto God but alas were there not more help in Gods Promises which he makes to us than in our Promises which we make to him we might lie in our pollutions for ever O here 's the way in every want or strait or necessity fly to God and Christ saying Thou art our Father and we are thy People O break not thy Covenant with us I confess strong expressions and affections are good in Prayer but surely strength of Faith in the Covenant of God is the greatest strength of our Prayer Here it may be some Soul will object Object O if I were assured that I were in Covenant with God thus would I pray but alas I am a Stranger an Alien and so have been to this very day I have no part in the Covenant I Answer Answ If thou art not actually in Covenant yet thou may'st be in Covenant in respect of Gods purpose and gracious intention Howsoever to encourage all to seek unto God consider these Particulars 1. The Freeness of the Promise in this Covenant of Grace Come and buy
of its Agony when it is striving as for Life and Death if Help come not at first Call it prayes again and that more earnestly Faith is very urgent with God and the more slack the Lord seems in answering the more earnest is Faith in plying God with its Prayers It will wrestle with God as Jacob with the Angel it will take no Denyal but will crave still Bless me even me also O send me not away without a Blessing 2. Sometimes God answers in part He speaks as it were out of a Dark Cloud He gives some little Ease but He speaks not full Peace In this manner He speaks to the Woman Go thy way and sin no more He doth not say Go in Peace thy Sin is forgiven thee John 8.11 No no but Go thy way and sin no more Hereby Faith usually gets a little Strength and looks after the Lord with more Hope It begins to plead with God as Moses did O Lord Thou hast begun to shew Grace unto Thy Servant go on Lord to manifest unto me all Thy Goodness Here Faith takes a little hold on the Covenant of Grace It may be the Hand of Faith is feeble shaking and trembling yet it takes a little Hold it receives some Encouragement it finds that its former Seeking is not in vain 3. Sometimes God answers more fully and satisfactorily He applyes some Promise of Grace to the Conscience by His Spirit He lets the Soul feel taste the Comforts of himself or of such and such a Promise more effectually than ever before Fear not Isa 41.10 saith God for I am thy God Here Faith waxeth bold and with a glad Heart entertains the Promise brought Home unto it The Apostle calls this the Embracing of the Promises Now Heb. 11.13 Embracing implies an Affectionate Receiving with both Arms opened So the Soul embraceth the Promise and the Lord Jesus in the Promise and having Him like Simeon in his Arms it layes Him in the Bosom it brings Him into the Chamber of the Heart there to rest and abide for ever And now is the Covenant struck betwixt God and the Soul Now the Soul possesseth God in Christ as her own it rests in Him and is satisfyed with Him it praiseth God for his Mercy as Simeon did when he had Christ in his Arms it commits it self wholly and for ever to that Goodness and Mercy which hath been revealed to it O my Soul Hast thou come thus by little and little to touch the Top of Christ's Golden Scepter Why then Is thy Hand given to God Then art thou entred into a Covenant of Peace Christ's Offering and thy Receiving the Covenant of Grace bears a sweet Agreement an harmonious Conformity 2. God in Christ keeps Covenant with us so we through Christ should be careful and diligent to keep Covenant with God In the Things of this Life a strict Eye is had to the Covenants we make Now it is not enough for us to enter into Covenant with God but we must keep it The Lord never will never hath broken Covenants on His Part but Alas we on our Parts have broken the first Covenant of Works Take heed we break not the second for then there remains not any more place for any more Covenants As the Lord keeps Covenant with us so let us keep Covenant with Him and therein is the Blessing Psal 103.17 18. The Mercy of the Lord is from Everlasting to Everlasting to such as keep his Covenant There is much also in this keeping of the Covenant and therefore give me leave a little to enlarge Sundry Acts of Faith are required to this keeping of the Covenant As thus 1. Faith in keeping the Covenant hath alwayes an Eye to the Rule and Command of God As in Things to be believed Faith looks on the Promise so in Things to be practised Faith looks upon the Command Faith will present no strange Fire before the Lord it knows that God will accept of nothing but what is according to His own Will 2. As Faith takes Direction from the Rule so in keeping of the Covenant it directs us to the right End that is to the Glory of God We are of Him and live in Him and by Faith we must live to Him Rom. 14.7 8. 2 Cor. 5.15 Psal 50.15 Psal 86.12 for Him For none of us liveth to himself and no Man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord 's Again He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them This God claims as His right and due Thou shalt glorifie Me saith God Yes saith Faith I will glorifie thee for ever 3. Faith in keeping the Covenant shields the Soul against all Hinderances that it meets withal As for instance Sometimes we are tempted on the Right Hand by the Baits and Allurements of the World All these will I give thee saith the World if thou wilt be mine but then Faith overcomes the World by setting afore us better Things than these Sometimes we are tempted on the Left Hand by Crosses Afflictions Persecutions and Sufferings for the Name of Christ but then Faith helps us to overcome and makes us Conquerours through Christ that loved us by setting before us the End of our Faith and Patience Heb. 12.2 It is said of Jesus That for the Joy that was set before Him He endured the Cross and despised the Shame 4. Faith encourageth the Soul that the Lord will have a Gracious Respect unto its keeping Covenant Acts 10.33 In every Nation he that feareth Him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with Him Surely this is no small Encouragement to well-doing What would not a Servant do if he knew his Lord will take it in good part Now Faith assures the Soul there is not one Prayer one Holy Desire or one Good Thought or Word which is spoken or done to the Glory of God but God takes notice of it and accepts it in good part Then they that feared the Lord Mal. 3.16 spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His Name 5. Faith furnisheth the Soul with Strength and Ability to keep the Covenant By Faith we get a Power and Strength of Grace As thus 1. By Faith we look at Christ as having all Fulness of Grace in Himself It pleased the Father Col. 1.19 that in Him should all Fulness dwell All others have but their Measures some more some less according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ but Christ hath received the Spirit John 3.34 not by Measure but in the Fulness of it 2. By Faith we know that whatever Fulness of Grace is in Christ He had it not for Himself
find help in our necessities having such an High-Priest as was in all things tempted like unto us and was acquainted with our infirmities in his own person Heb. 4.15 5.2 SECT IV. Of the distinction of the two Natures of Christ 4. A Real distinction of these two Natures is evident 1. In regard of essence the Godhead cannot be Manhood nor can the Manhood be the Godhead 2. In regard of proprieties the Godhead is most wise just omnipotent yea wisdom justice omnipotency it self and so is not the Manhood neither can it be 3. They have distinct Wills Luke 22.42 Not my Will but thy Will be done O Father Plainly differencing the Will of a Creature from the Will of a Creator 4. The very actions in the work of Redemption are indeed inseparable John 10.18 and yet distinguishable I lay down my life and take it up again to lay it down was the action of man not of God and to take it up was the action of God not of man in these respects we say each nature remains in it self entire without any conversion composition commixtion or confusion there is no conversion of one into the other as when he changed water into wine no composition of both no abolition of either no confusion at all It is easy to observe this real distinction of his two natures from first to last as first He was conceived as others and so he was man but he was conceived by the holy Ghost as never man was and so he is God 2. He was born as others and so he was man but he was born of a Virgin as never man was and this speaks him a God 3. He was crucified died and was buried and so he was man but he rose again from the dead ascended into Heaven and from thence shall come at last to judge the quick and the dead and so he is God Or if from the Apostles Symbol we go to the Gospel which speaks both natures at large we find there 1. He was born of his Mother and wrapped in swadling-clouts as being a man but the Star shines over him and the wise men adore him as being a God 2. He was Baptized in Jordan as being a man but the holy Ghost from heaven descended upon him as being a God 3. He is tempted of Satan as being a man but he overcame Satan and dispossessed Devils as being a God 4. He travelled and was thirsty and hungry and weary as being a man but he refreshed the weary and fed the hungry and gave drink even water of life to the thirsty as being a God 5. He slept in the Ship and his Disciples awoke him as being a man but he rebuked the winds and stilled the raging of the tumultuous Seas as being a God 6. He was poor and needy had not an house to put his head in as being a man but he was and is rich and mighty and cannot be contained in the heaven of heavens as being a God 7. He was sorrowful and sad he wept and he prayed as being a man but he comforts the sorrowful and heareth the prayers of all his Saints as being a God 8. He was whipped and rent and torn and crucified as being a man but he rent the vail of the Temple and caused the Sun to hide his face for shame when he was crucified as being a God 9. He cried out on the Cross Eloi Eloi lamasabacthani as being a man but he could say to the Thief To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise as being a God 10. He died and was buried and lay in the grave as being a man but he overcame death and destroyed the Devil and raised up himself to life again as being a God 11. After his Resurrection he appeared to his Disciples and ate with them and talked with them as being a man but he provided meat and vanished out of their sight as being a God 12. He ascended into heaven and the heavens now contain him as he is Man but he sustains the Heavens and commands all therein and rides on the same as being a God Thus we see all along two real distinct natures still continuing in Christ God being become Man the Deity being abolished but the humane nature was adjoyned according to the old Distich Sum quod eram nec eram quod sum c. I am that I was but I was not that I am You will say How then is it said the word was made flesh or God became Man I answer one thing may become another either by way of change as when the water was turned into wine but thus was not Christ the Godhead was for a time concealed but it was never cancelled or one thing may become another either by way of union as when one substance is adjoyned unto another and yet is not transferred or changed into the nature of the other thus a Souldier putting on his Armour is an armed man or a man wearing on his Garments is no more a naked but a cloathed man and yet the Armour and the Souldier the man and his Apparel are distinct things and thus was it with Christ the flesh is said to be deified and the Deity is said to be incarnate not by the conversion of either into the nature of the other but by assuming and adjoyning the humane nature to the divine and yet still the humane nature and the divine are distinct things both the natures in Christ do remain entire and inconfused indeed the humanity is much magnified by the divinity but the divinity is nothing altered by the humanity Thus much for the distinction of his two Natures SECT V. Of the Vnion of the two Natures of Christ in one and the same Person 5. THe Union of two Natures of Christ in one and the self-same person is that great wonder which now we must speak of as we are able but alas how should we speak this union and not be confounded in our selves It is a great mystery a secret a wonder many wonders have been since the beginning of the world but all the wonders that ever were must give place to this and in respect thereof cease to be wonderful neither the Creation of all things out of nothing nor the restauration of all things into their perfect being I mean neither the first work nor the last work of God in this world though most admirable pieces may be compared with this This Union of the two Natures of Christ into one person is the highest pitch if any thing may be said highest in that which is infinite of God's wisdom goodness power and glory well therefore said the Angel to Mary The power of the highest shall overshadow thee and if God did overshadow this Mystery with his own Vail How should we presume with the men of Bethshemesh to look into it Christians If you will needs put it to the question How that wonderful connection of two so infinitely differing natures in the unity of one
glorious but to shew that he will by that make thee glorious also Christ is the great Epitome of all the designs of God so that in him thou mayest see what thou art designed unto and how high and rich thou shalt be in the other world Beloved now are we the Sons of God 1 John 3.2 and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him he is now like us but then saith the Apostle we shall be like unto him Phil. 3.21 he will change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious body Oh consider what a frame of eternal comfort may we raise up from this ground of Christ incarnate God in the flesh 5. God in the flesh is the first opening of his eternal plot to do us good the Seed of the woman was the first word of comfort that ever was heard in the world after man was fallen the Plot was of old but the execution was not till after the Creation and then was a dim discovery of it even in the beginning of time though no clear manifestation till the fulness of time Well take it as we please whether in the beginning of time or in the fulness of time whether in the promise or in performance this discovering of Christ incarnate is the first opening of all Gods heart and Glory unto the Sons of men and from this we may raise a world of comfort for if God in the execution of his Decrees begins so gloriously how will he end if God be so full of love as to come down in flesh now in this world Oh what matter of hope is laid up before us of what God will be to us in that world to come if the Glory of God be let out to our souls so fully at first what Glorious openings of all the Glory of God will be let out to our souls at last Christians what do you think will God do with us or bring us unto when we shall be with him in heaven you see now he is manifested in flesh and he hath laid out a world of Glory in that but the Apostle tells us of another manifestation for we shall see him as he is he shall at last be manifest in himself 1 John 3.2 now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now we know in part but then we shall know even as also we are known To what an height of knowledg or manifestation this doth arise I am now to seek and so I must be whilst I am on this side Heaven but this I believe the manifestation of God and Christ is more in Heaven than is or ever hath been or ever shall be upon earth thine eyes shall see the King in his Beauty Isa 33.17 or in his Glory saith Esay there is a great deal of difference betwixt seeing the King in his ordinary and seeing him in his Robes and upon his Throne with his Crown on his head and his Scepter in his hand and his Nobles about him in all his Glory the first openings of Christ are glorious but O what will it be to see him in his greatest Glory that ever he will manifest himself in we usually say that workmen do their meanest work at first and if the Glorious incarnation of Christ be but the beginning of Gods works in reference to our souls salvation what are those last works O my soul weigh all these passages and make an application of them to thy self and then tell me if yet thou hast not matter enough to raise up thy heart and to fill it with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Mat. 2.10 when the wise men saw but the Star of Christ they rejoyced with an exceeding great joy how much more when they saw Christ himself Your Father Abraham said Christ to the Jews rejoyced to see my day John 8 5â— and he saw it and was glad he saw it indeed but afar of with the eyes of Faith they afore Christ had the promise but we see the performance how then should we rejoyce how glad shouldst thou be O my Soul at the sight and effect of Christs Incarnation if John the Baptist could leap for joy in his Mothers belly when Christ was but yet in the womb how should thy heart leap for joy who canst say with the Prophet Luke 2.28 unto me a Child is born and unto me a Son is given if Simeon waiting for the consolation of Israel took him up in his arms for joy and blessed God how shouldst thou with joy embrace him with both arms who knowest his coming in the flesh and who hast heard him come in the Gospel in the richest and most alluring expressions of his Love If the Angels of God yea if multitudes of Angels could sing for joy at his Birth Luke 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and good will towards men how much more shouldest thou whom it concerns more than the Angels join with them in consort and sing for joy this joyful song of good will towards men Awake awake O my Soul awake awake uttter a Song tell over these passages that God is come down into the world that God is come down in flesh that God is come down in flesh in order to thy reconciliation that God is come down in the likeness of man that he may bring thee up into the likeness of God and that all these are but the first openings of the Grace and goodness and Glory of God in Christ unto thy Soul and Oh what work will these make in thy Soul if the Spirit come in who is the comforter SECT VIII Of Calling on Jesus in that Respect 8. LEt us call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus Now this calling on Jesus contains Prayer and Praise 1. We must pray that all these transactions of Jesus at his first coming or incarnation may be ours and is not here encouragement for our Prayers If we observe it this very point of Christs Incarnation opens a door of rich entrance into the presence of God we may call it a blessed Portal into Heaven b. 10. 20. not of Iron or Brass but of our own flesh this is that new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his flesh with what boldness and freeness may we now enter into the Holiest and draw near unto the Throne of Grace why Christ is incarnate God is come down in the flesh though his Deity may confound us if we should immediately and solely apply our selves unto it yet his humanity comforts our faint and feeble souls God in his humility animates our souls to come unto him and to seek of him whatsoever is needful for us Go then to Christ away away O my soul to Jesus or to God the Father in and through Jesus and O desire that the
effect the fruit the benefit of his Conception Birth and of the wonderful union of the two natures of Christ may be all thine What dost thou hope in Jesus and believe thy part in this Incarnation of Christ why then pray in hope and pray in Faith what is prayer but the stream and river of Faith an issue of the desire of that which I joyfully believe 2 Sam. 7.27 Thou O Lord God of Hosts God of Israel hast revealed to thy Servant saying I will build thee an house therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this Prayer unto thee 2. We must praise This was the special duty practised by all Saints and Angels at Christs Birth Luke 1.46 Luke 1.68 My Soul doth magnifie the Lord saith Mary and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And blessed be the Lord God of Israel said Zachary for he hath visited and redeemed his People and Glory to God in the highest said the Heavenly Host only one Angel had before brought the News Luke 2.11 unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord but immediately after there were many to sing praises not only six Cherubims as Isaiah saw nor only four and twenty Elders as John saw but a multitude of Heavenly Angels like Armies that by their Heavenly Hallelujahs gave Glory to God O my soul do thou endeavour to keep consort with those many Angels O sing Praises sing Praises unto God sing Praises Never was like case since the first Creation never was the wisdom truth justice mercy and goodness of God so manifest before I shall never forget that last speech of a dying Saint upon the stage Blessed be God for Jesus Christ O my soul living and dying let this be thought on What Christ incarnate for me why bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus in reference to this great transaction of his Incarnation Looking to Jesus contains this and is the cause of this the sight of God will make us like to God and the sight of Christ will make us like to Christ for as a Looking-Glass cannot be exposed to the Sun but it will shine like the same so God receives none to contemplate his face but he transforms them into his own likeness by the irradiation of his light and Christ hath none that dive into these depths of his glorious and blessed Incarnation but they carry along with them sweet impressions of an abiding and transforming nature Come then let us once more look on Jesus in his Incarnation that we may conform and be like to Jesus in that respect But wherein lies this conformity or likeness to Jesus I answer in these and the like particulars 1. Christ was conceived in Mary by the Holy Ghost so must Christ be conceived in us by the same holy Ghost To this purpose is the seed of the Word cast in and principles of Grace are by the Holy Ghost infused he hath begotten us by the Word saith the Apostle Jam. 1.18 James 1.18 How Mean Contemptible or Impotent Men may esteem it yet God hath appointed no other means to convey supernatural life but after this manner Where no Vision is the People perish where no preaching is there is a worse judgment than that of Egypt when there was one dead in every Family By the Word and Spirit the Seeds of all Grace are sown in the heart at once and the heart closing with it immediatly Christ is conceived in the heart Concerning this spiritual Conception or Reception of Christ in us there is a great question Whether it be possible for any man to discern how it is wrought But for the Negative are these Texts Our Life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 and the Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth Joh. 3.8 It is a wonderful hidden and secret Conception The holy Ghost sets out that state of unregeneracy in which Christ finds us by the name of Death Eph. 2.1 So that it must needs be as impossible for us to discover how it is wrought as it is impossible for one to know how he receives his own life Some say the first act of infusing or receiving Christ or Grace they are all one is wrought in an instant and not by degrees and therefore it is impossible to discern the manner And yet we grant that we may discern both the preparations to Grace and the first operations of Grace 1. The preparations to Grace are discernable such are those terrours and spiritual agonies which are often before the work of Regeneration they may be resembled to the heating of metals before they melt and are cast into the Mold to be fashioned now by the help of Natural Reason one may discern these 2. Much more may the first Motion and Operations of Grace be discerned by one truly regenerate because that in them his Spirit works together with the Spirit of Christ such are sorrow for sin as sin and seek rightly for comfort an hungring desire after Christ and his Merits neither do I think it impossible for a regenerate man to feel the very first illapse of the Spirit into the Soul for it may bring that sense with it self as to be easily discerned although it doth not alwayes see nor perhaps usually see it is true that the giving of Spiritual Life and the giving of the sense of it are two distinct acts of the Spirit yet who can deny but that both these acts may go together though alwayes they do not go together Howsoever it is yet even in such Persons as in the instant of Regeneration may feel themselves in a regenerate estate this Conclusion stands firm viz. They may know what is wrought in them but how it is wrought they cannot know nor understand we feel the Wind and perceive it in the motions and operations thereof but the Originals of it we are not able exactly to describe some think the beginnings of Winds are from the flux of the Air others from the exhalations of the Earth but there is no certainty so it is in the manner of this Conception or passive Reception of Christ and Grace into our hearts we know not how it is wrought but it nearly concerns us to know that it is wrought look we to his conformity that as Christ was conceived in Mary by the Holy Ghost so that Christ be conceived in us in a spiritual sense by the same Holy Ghost 2. Christ was sanctified in the Virgins Womb so must we be sanctified in our selves following the Commandment of God Be ye holy as I am holy Souls regenerate must be sanctified Every man saith the Apostle that hath this hope in him 1 John 3.3 purifieth himself even as he is pure I know
That he might give an example himself of the performance of that which he enjoyned others 5. That he might receive Testimony from Heaven that he was the Son of God 6. That he might fulfil all Righteousness not only the Moral but the Figurative Ceremonial and Typical Some think that the Ceremony to which our Saviour looked at in these words was the washing of the Priests in water when they entred into their Function Exod. 29.4 Lev. 8.6 And Aaron and his Sons thou shalt bring to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and shalt wash them with water And surely this was the main reason of Christs being Baptized that by this Baptism he might be installed into his Ministerial Office 2. How did John know him to be Christ It is very probable he had never seen his Face before they had in their Infancy been driven to several places and they were designed to several imployments and never met as we may well conceive till now besides the Baptist speaks expresly I knew him not John 1.33 but he that sent me to Baptize with water the same said unto me on whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on him the same is he that Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost Now this descent of the Holy Ghost was not till after Baptism how then did he know him to be Christ The Answer is given by some thus that John knew Christ in some measure before his Baptism but he knew him not so fully as after when the Holy Ghost had descended on him Others thus that John knew Christ before his Baptism by a present revelation and after Baptism by a present sign it is not unlikely but John knew Christ at his first arrival by revelation for if whiles he was in his Mothers womb he knew Christ being yet unborn how much more might he know and acknowledg him now at his Baptism Thus Samuel knew Saul and thus John might know Christ But for that knowledg he had after Baptism it was a further confirmation of that same knowledg that he had before Baptism and that not so much for his own sake as for the Peoples John 1.34 I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God 3. Wherein was the Glory or excellency of Christs Baptism The Ancients give many Encomiums to it and in some respects prefer it to the Birth of Christ Aug. Serm. 36. thus Augustine Many great Miracles were at Christ's Birth but they were far greater at his Baptism the Holy Ghost overshadowed him in the Womb but he brightly shone on him in the River then was the Father silent not a word from him but now a loud voice is heard from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased then was the Mother under suspition because she was found with Child without a Father but now is the Mother greatly honoured in that the Holy Child is Fathered by God himself then was Christ hid to the world and this made John the Baptist say there stands one amongst you whom ye know not He was before his Baptism as the Sun in a Cloud or a Pearl in a shell or a Gold-mine in a Field but now he appears in publick and to manifest his Glory the Heavens open and from the Heavens the Holy Ghost descends and alights upon his sacred head and God the Father gives a voice from Heaven declaring his Divinity to the world If the Jews require a sign here is not one but many signs at once which as Beams do discover a Sun so they discover this Sun of Righteousness to be risen amongst them and herein was the Glory of Christ's Baptism 4. What was the Prayer of Christ at or after his Baptism The Evangelist Luke Luke 3.21 speaks of his Prayer It came to pass that Jesus being Baptized and Praying the Heavens were opened This was the manner of those that were Baptized assoon as they were Baptized to come out of the water and Pray and some think that these words Mat. 3.36 they were Baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins hath reference to this if so then Christ having no sins to confess of his own the tenour of his prayer must needs be to some other purpose But to what purpose some say to the same purpose as his Prayers were usually as in John 17. that his Father would preserve his Church in Vnity and Truth and that he would Glorifie his Church that they also might be one even as he and his Father are one and especially that many might be converted by his Ministry which he was now beginning Others think that this Prayer at this time was for that which followed upon his very prayer i.e. that the Holy Ghost might descend and that the Father would Glorifie the Son by a Testimony from Heaven Indeed the Text hath laid his Prayer and the opening of the Heavens so close together as that it seems to point out what was the tenour of his Prayer by the consequent of it Before the Heaven was mured up no Dove to be seen no Voice to be heard but streight upon it as if they had but waited the last word of his prayer all of them follow and in another place we find the like return upon the like prayer John 12.28 Father Glorify thy Name then came there a voice from Heaven saying I have both Glorified it and I will Glorifie it again one reason more if we consider that Christ was now to enter upon the great Work of our Redemption and the preaching of the Gospel it will be no less strange to conceive that he prayed for the visible sealing of him to that Work and Office by the coming of the Holy Ghost John 6.27 To this purpose is that of the Evangelist for him hath God the Father sealed it is a Phrase borrowed from them who give their Commissions under hand and seal and this is certain that upon his Prayer God sent the holy Spirit who sealed him or allowed and confirmed him to the Office of our Redemption and therefore very probable it is that his Prayer might tend to that purpose but herein take heed of excluding what was mentioned in the former opinion for my part I suppose Christs prayer was both for himself and all Believers that the holy Ghost might now be joyned to the water and that all others as should ever after believe in his Name as afterwards he enlargeth his Prayer might have the Holy Ghost descend upon them John 17.20 5. Why was it that the Holy Ghost descended on Jesus I answer for these reasons 1. That John the Baptist might be satisfied for this Token was given John when he first began to preach John 1.33 that upon whom he should see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is He which Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost It was a sure sign to the Baptist whereby to know the Christ whose Harbinger and
adds it may be unto them some of his own sins thus he casteth into our minds many outragious Blasphemies such Blasphemies as he propounded to Christ to worship him for our God to deny Jesus Christ as our God our Lord our Saviour our Redeemer to say in our hearts there is no God but Nature no Scripture no Holy Ghost many a pretious Soul feels these injections of Satan and I cannot wonder at it when I see the Devil tempting Christ himself to diffidence presumption vain-Glory yea and to the worshiping of the Devil himself or if we are strong Christians grown men and still growing towards the fulness of Christ why then he tempts us to sins of presumption against knowledg or if he cannot so prevail he will Transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 and tempt us to the doing a less good that we may neglect a greater or to the doing of a greater good but very unseasonably When as some other duties in respect of present occasion are more necessary far thus many times in the hearing of God's Word he will cast into our minds meditations of this or that excellent subject on purpose to distract our minds and to make us hear without profit and in Prayer to God he will bring into our memories this or that profitable instruction which we have heard at such or such a Sermon on purpose to disturb our Spirits in that holy exercise and to keep us from lifting up our hearts wholly and purely unto God I might add a thousand of these stratagems of the Devil and yet not perhaps tell one of a thousand the Apostle could say indeed 2 Cor. 2.11 Eph. 6.11 Rev. 2.24 Eph. 6.16 that he was not ignorant of his devices and of some of his devices you see we are not ignorant but alas who can discover all his Methods Wiles Depths fiery Darts For my part I cannot do it I am yet to learn 2. The general means to withstand his Stratagems are such as these 1. A continual reminding of Christ's Commands in this very thing Be strong in the Power of his might put on the whole Armour of God Eph. 6.10 11. 1 Pet. 5.8 that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil him resist in the Faith 2. An avoiding of the first suggestions of Satan if this gliding Serpent can but thrust in his head he will easily make room for his body and therefore we must nip and bruise him in the head Give no place to the Devil 3. An objecting of Christ against all his temptations for example Eph. 4.27 if Satan tell us that we are miserable sinners we may answer Mat. 9.13 Isa 53.5 that Christ came into the World to save sinners and that he was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities and with his stripes are we healed If Satan tell us that we are subject to God's wrath we may answer that Christ did bear his Fathers wrath that he might make our peace If he tells us that we are subject to the Curse of the Law we may answer that Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law when he was made a Curse for us If he tell us that we are his bondslaves we may answer that we were so indeed in times past Gal. 3.13 but Christ hath paid his Father the price of our Redemption and hath set us free if he tell us that we are unjust and therefore shall be condemned before God's judgment-seat we may answer that Christ who was Innocent was therefore condemned that we who are guilty might thereby be acquitted and that he that came to save us will himself judg us and therefore we need not doubt of mercy if we plead the merits of Christ or if Satan will not be thus answered by us why then Christians there 's no other way but to send him to Christ to this purpose we may tell him that Christ is our Advocate and if he will needs dispute let him go to Jesus he is both able to plead our cause and to answer to all the Suits that are made against us 4. I may add hearing reading meditating on God's Word holy Conferences busie employment in the works of our particular callings living by Faith I must not stay on all these means Mat. 26.41 only remember amongst the rest that one of Christ Watch and Pray that ye enter not into temptation Praying against it is a denying of it and a great part of the victory for it is a disclaiming the entertainment of it it is a positive rejection of the crime it is a calling in auxiliaries from above to make the victory more certain to us Hence one sweetly adviseth If temptation sets upon thee do thou set upon God for he is as soon overcome as thou art as soon moved to good as thou art to evil he is as quickly invited to pitty thee as thou art to ask him provided thou dost not finally rest in the Petition but pass into action and indeavour by all meanes to quench the flame newly kindled in thy bowels before it come to devour the marrow that is in thy bones indeed a strong prayer and a lazy incurious unobservant walking are contradictions in Religion and therefore Watch and Pray and pray and watch SECT V. Of the first Manifestation of Christ 4. FOr the first Manifestation of Jesus by his several witnesses now it was time that the Sun of Righteousness should arise and shine in the view of the world and because of unbelief which had blinded the world that some especial witnesses should be chosen out John 1.45 1 Tim. 3.16 1 Pet. 1.20 both to anoint our eyes and to point to the light saying This is he of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the Son of Joseph to this purpose we read much of the manifestation of Jesus God was manifest in the flesh And Christ verily was fore-ordained before the foundations of the World but was manifest in these last times for you In that first Miracle that ever he wrought this is written upon it John 2.11 1 John 1.2 he manifested forth his Glory And John the Divine in his setting out of Jesus he tells us that the Life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us And there is reason for this manifestation 1. Because every manifestation was an approbation of his Mission and Divinity 2. Because in the manifestation of Christ there was a manifestation of the Grace of God and this was the Will of God that he would not only act free Grace but he would have it known and published to all the world this is the Glory of Grace and sets it out And therefore saith the Apostle The grace of God that bringeth salvation Tit. 2.11 Tit. 3.4 hath appeared to all men
Jesus Christ in carrying on our souls Salvation is adding miracle to miracle there is a chain of miracles in the matter of our salvation from first to last As. 1. It was a miracle that God in his Eternity before we had a being should have once thought of us especially that the Blessed Trinity should sit in councel and contrive that most admirable and astonishing plot of the Salvation of our souls Oh what a miracle was this 2. It was a Miracle that God for our sakes should create the world and after our fall in Adam that God should preserve the world especially considering that our sin had unpin'd the whole frame of the Creation and that God even then sitting on his Throne of Judgment ready to pass the doom of death for our first Transgression should unexpectedly give a promise of a Saviour when justly he might have given us to the devil and to Hell according to his own Law Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death 3. It was a Miracle that Gods Son should take upon him our nature and that in our nature he should Transact our peace that he should Preach Salvation to us all if we would believe and to the end that we might believe that he would work so many signs and Miracles in the presence of his Disciples and of a world of men was not Christs Birth a Miracle and Christs Life a Miracle and Christs Death a Miracle and Christs Resurrection a Miracle and Christs Ascension a Miracle was not Christs Ministry a miracle and was it not a miracle that Christs Word should not be credited without a world of miracles to back it and confirm it to the Sons of men 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the miracle as well as mystery of godliness God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into glory 4. It was a Miracle that God should look upon us in our blood what a sight was it for God when thy navel was not cut when thou wast not salted at all Ezek. 16.4.5 6. nor swadled at all when thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person yet that then even then the Lord should pass by thee and see thee polluted in thy own blood and should say unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea say unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live O miracle of mercies If creation cannot be without a miracle surely the new creature is a miracle indeed So contrary is our perverse natures to all possibilities of Salvation that if Salvation had not marched to us all the way in a miracle we should have perished in the ruines of a sad eternity Election is a miracle and Creation is a miracle and Redemption is a miracle and Vocation is a miracle and indeed every man living in the state of grace is a perpetual miracle in such a one his reason is turned into faith his soul into spirit his body iinto a Temple his earth into heaven his water into wine his Aversations from Christ into intimate Union with Christ and Adhesions to Christ O what a Chain of Miracles is this Why Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean say thus you that are yet in your blood why Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean O Lord I believe help thou my unbelief After this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem John 5.39 Some would have this feast to be Pentecost and to speak truly the most of our Commentaries run that way others take this for the feast of the Passover and the rather because the Evangelist John reckons the time of Christs publick Ministry by the several Passovers now if this feast were not a Passover we cannot find in the Gospel so many Passovers as to make up Christs Ministry three years and an half On this ground I joyn with the latter Opinion and so here I end the second year of Christs Ministry and come to the third and to his Actings therein in reference to our souls Salvation CHAP. III. SECT I. Of the third year of Christs Ministry and generally of his Actings in that year HItherto all was quiet neither the Jews nor the Samaritans nor Galileans did as yet malign the Doctrine or Person of Jesus Christ but he preached with much peace on all hands till the beginning of this year I shall not yet speak his sufferings neither shall I speak much of his doings many things were done and spoken this year which I must pass least I be too prolix only such things as refer more principally to the main business of our souls Salvation I shall touch in these particulars As 1. In the Ordination of the Apostles 2. In his Reception of Sinners 3. In the easiness of his yoak and the lightness of his burthen which he imposeth on men SECT II. Of Christs Ordination of his Apostles 1. IN the Ordination of his Apostles are many considerable things the Evangelist Luke layes it down thus Luke 6.12 13. And it came to pass in those dayes that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God and when it was day he called unto him his Disciples and of them he Chose Twelve whom also he named Apostles Till now Christ taught alone but because after his Ascension he must needs have a Ministry till the end of the world in the first place he choseth out some whom he would have on purpose to wait upon him all the time of his Ministry till he was taken up into Heaven In this Election or Ordination here is first the person by whom they are Chosen Jesus Christ 2. The place were they are chosen viz. in a mountain 3. The time when they were Chosen after his watching and praying all night and when it was day 4. The company out of whom they were Chosen they where his Disciples and out of them he makes this Election 5. The number of them that were Chosen they were Twelve nor more nor less 6. The end to which they were chosen it was to an Apostleship he Chose Twelve whom he also named Apostles 1. The person by whom they are Chosen is Jesus Christ They Chose not themselves but were chosen of Christ this call was immediate and therefore most excellent but now we look not after such calls and therefore I shall not insist on that only by the way Ministers of the Gospel must be Ministers of Christ either immediately or mediately called 2. The place where they were chosen it was on a mountain mountainous places have their situation nearest to Heaven which shews that they were called to high and heavenly things mountains are open and in view which shews their Ministry must be publick they cannot lye hid in a mountain a City that is set upon a hill
affections will often break out at the window when the door is closed Thus Stephen look'd up to Heaven he sent a Post a greedy pitiful and hungry look up to Jesus Christ out at the window Acts 7.55 at the nearest passage to tell him that a poor friend was coming to him why thus let us look up to Jesus by calling on him now this calling on him contains Prayer and Praise 1. We must pray that all these transactions of Jesus during his Life or during his Ministry upon earth may be ours we hope it is so and we believe it to be so but for all that we must pray that it may be so There is no contradiction betwixt Hope and Faith and Prayer but rather a concatenation Lord I believe yet help my unbelief or Mark 9.24 be it to me according to my Faith how weak soever it will bear that sense 2. We must praise God for all those passages in Christ's life Thus did the multitude they praised God with a loud voice Luke 19.37 38 for all the mighty works that they had seen saying blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord peace in heaven and glory in the highest What my Soul hath Christ done all this for thee was he made under the Law to redeem thy soul and adopt thee for his Son to the inheritance of Heaven came he down from heaven and travelled he so many miles on earth to woo and win thy heart spent he so many Sermons and so many Miracles to work thee into Faith O how shouldest thou bless and prize and magnifie his Name how shouldest thou break out into that blessed Hymn To him that loved us Rev. 1.5 6. and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus as he acted for us in his Life Looking to Jesus intends this especially we must look as one looks to his Pattern as Mariners at Sea that they may run a right course keep an eye on that Ship that bears the Light so in the Race that is set before us we must have our eye on Jesus our blessed Pattern This must be our constant Query Is this the course that Jesus steered Or that I may enlarge In this Particular I shall examine these three Queries 1. Wherein we must conform 2. Why we must conform 3. How we must conform to this Life of Jesus For the first wherein we must conform I answer 1. Negatively we must not cannot conform to Christ in those works proper to his Godhead as in working Miracles I deny not but that the works of Miracles were by way of priviledge and temporary dispensation granted to the Apostles and some others but this was but for Ministry and Service not for their Sanctity or Salvation nor must we conform to Christ in those works of mediation as in redeeming souls in satisfying Divine Justice for our sin No man can redeem his Brother Psal 49.7 nor give to God a ransom for him There is but one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus Nor must we conform to Christ in those works of his Government and influence into his Church as in dispensing of his Spirit in quickning of his Word in subduing of his enemies in collecting of his Members all these are personal honours which belong unto Christ as he is Head of the Church and to these works if we should endeavour to conform we should Crack our Sinews dissolve our silver cords and never the nearer Nor need we to conform to Christ in some other Particulars in his voluntary poverty he became poor for our sakes 2 Cor. 8.9 In his Ceremonial performances as in going up to Jerusalem at the Feasts in his perpetual grave deportment we never read that Jesus laughed and but once or twice that he rejoyced in spirit Alas the declensions of our Natures cannot come up to this Pattern nor do I look at these passages as any acts of moral obedience at all 2. Affirmatively or positively we must conform to Christ's life 1. In respect of his Judgment Will Affections Compassions Look we at his Spirit observe what mind was in Jesus Christ and therein do we endeavour to conform Let the same mind be in you saith the Apostle which was in Christ Phil. 2.5 Phil. 2.5 And we have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.16 1 Cor. 2.16 2. In respect of his Virtues Graces habitual Holiness Mat. 11.29 Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek and lowly in heart Christ was of a meek and gentle Spirit 2 Cor. 10.2 I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ saith Paul And Christ was of an humble and lowly Spirit Being in the form of God Phil. 2.6 7. he thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant I might instance in all other Graces for he had them all in fulness John 1.16 And of his fulness have all we received Grace for Grace 3. In respect of his words talk spiritual and heavenly Language The very Officers of the Priests could say of Christ Never man spake like this man John 7.46 and sometimes they all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Luke 4.22 He never sinned in word neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled 1 Pet. 2.22 23 reviled not again The Apostle speaking thus of Christ he tells us that herein Christ left us an example that we should follow his steps Ver. 21. 4. In respect of his Carriage Conversation Close-walking with God The Apostle sets forth Christ as an high Priest who was holy harmless undefiled Heb. 7.26 1 Pet. 2.9 and separate from sinners and in like manner saith Peter Ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the virtues of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light that ye should shew forth the virtue i.e. that in your lives and conversations you should express those graces and virtues which were so eminent and exemplary in Jesus Christ that you should not only have them but that you should hold them forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies properly to preach so clearly should we express the virtues of Christ as if our lives were so many Sermons of the life of Christ In respect of all his acts practises duties of moral obedience we find in the life of Christ many particular carriages and acts of obedience to his heavenly Father whereof some were moral and some ceremonial now all these are not for our imitation but only such moral acts as concerning which we have both his pattern and precept Come let us
God of this world blinds the eyes of men O take heed of fixing our eyes on this worlds vanity our own corruptions are also great hinderances to this view of Christ away away with all carnal passions base humours sinful desires unless the soul be spiritual it can never behold spiritual things 3. Let us fix our eyes only on this blessed Object a moving rolling eye sees nothing clearly 1 Pet. 1.12 When the Angels are said to look into these things the word signifies that they look into them narrowly as they who bowing or stooping down do look into a thing so should we look narrowly into the life of Christ our eye of faith should be set upon in a steady manner as if all the world could not move us as if we forgot all the things behind and had no other business in the world but this 4. Let us look wishingly and cravingly there is affection as well as vision in the eye Acts 3.5 as the lame man that lay in Solomon's porch looked wishly on Peter and John expecting to receive something of them so let us look on Christ with a craving eye with an humble expectation to receive a supply of grace from Christ Why Lord thou art not only anoynted with the the oyl of gladness above thy fellows but for thy fellows I am earthly minded but thou art heavenly I am full of lusts but the Image of God is perfect in thee thou art the fountain of all grace an head of influence as well as of eminence thou art not only above me but thou hast all grace for me and therefore O give me some portion of thy meekness lowliness heavenly-mindedness and of all other the graces of thy Spirit Surely thou art an heaven of grace full of bright shining stars Oh that of that fulness thou wouldst give me to receive even grace for grace I pray Lord with an humble expectation of receiving from thee Oh let me feel the dropping of the two-olive trees into the golden candlesticks yea even into my soul 5. Be we assured that our prayer if it be in faith is even now heard never any came to Christ with strong expectations to receive grace or any benefit prayed for that was turned empty away besides Christ hath engaged himself by promise to write his Law in our hearts to make us like himself As he which hath called us is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 so should yea and so shall we be holy in all manner of conversation Oh let us build on his gracious promise Heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or title of his Word shall fail only understand we his promise in this sence that our conformity must be gradual not all at once We all with open face beholding as in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory i.e. from grace to grace or from glory inchoate in obedience to glory consumate in our heavenly inheritance 6. If notwithstanding all this we feel not for the present this conformity in us at least in such a degree let us act over the same particulars again and again the gifts of grace are therefore communicated by degrees that we might be taken off from living upon a received stock of grace and that we might still be running to the spring and drink in there why alas we have a continual need of Christ's letting out himself and grace into our hearts and therefore we must wait at the well-head Christ we must look on Christ as appointed on purpose by his Father to be the Beginner and Finisher of our holiness and we must believe that he will never leave that work imperfect whereunto he is ordained of the Father We may be confident saith the Apostle of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in us will perform it or finish it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Oh then be not weary of this work until he accomplish the desires of thy soul I have now done with this subject only before I finish one word more Sometimes I have observed that many precious souls in their endeavours after grace holiness sanctification have been frequent in the use of such and such means duties ordinances wherein I cannot say but they have done well and for their help I therefore composed that piece called Media but of all the ordinances of Christ this Looking unto Jesus is made least use of though it be chief of all It is Christ when all is done that is that great Ordinance appointed by God for grace and holiness and certainly those souls which trade immediately with Jesus Christ will gain more in a day than others in a moneth in a year I deny not other helps but amongst them all if I would make choice which to fall upon that I may become more and more holy I would set before me this glass i.e. Christ's holy life the great examplar of holiness we were at first created after his Image in holiness and this Image we lost through our sin and to this Image we should endeavour to be restored by imitation And how should this be done but by looking on Christ as our pattern by running through the several Ages of Christ and by observing all his graces and gracious actings in this respect I charge thee O my soul for to what purpose should I charge others if I begin not at home and with thee that thou make conscience of this practical Evangelical duty O be much in the exercise of it not only in the day intend Christ but when night comes and thou lyest down on thy bed let thy pillow be as Christ's bosom in which John the beloved Disciple was said to lean there lean thou with John yea lye thou between his breast and Let them lye all night betwixt thy breasts thus mayest thou lye down in peace and sleep Cant. 1.13 Psal 4.8 and the Lord only will make thee to dwell in safety and when day returns again have this in mind yea in all thy thoughts words and deeds even look unto Jesus as thy holy examplar Say to thy self If Christ my Saviour were now upon earth would these be his thoughts words and deeds would he be thus disposed as I now feel my self would he speak these words that I am now uttering would he do this that I am now putting my hand unto O let me not yield my self to any thought word or action which my dear Jesus would be ashamed to own yea if it were possible for thee to be so constant in this blessed duty going and standing sitting and lying eating and drinking speaking and holding thy peace by thy self or in company cast an eye upon Jesus for by this means thou canst not chuse but love him more and joy in him more and trust in him more and be more and more familiar with him and draw more and more grace and vertue and sweetness
Christ sweat it out wonderfully even by a bloody sweat in the first Garden Death first made its entrance into the world and in this Garden Life enters to restore us from Death to Life again in the first Garden Adam's Liberty to sin brought himself and all us into bondage and in this Garden Christ being bound and fettered we are thereby freed and reduced to liberty I might thus descant in respect of every Circumstance but this is the sum in a Garden first begun our sin and in this Garden first began the Passion that great Work and Merit of our Redemption 4. Christ goes especially into this Garden that his enemies might the more easily find him out the Evangelist tells us that this Garden was a place often frequented by Jesus Christ so that Judas which betrayed him knew the place John 18.2 for Jesus oftentimes resorted thither with his Disciples sure then he went not thither to hide himself but rather to expose himself and like a noble Champion to appear first in the field and to expect his enemies Thus it appears to all the world that Christ's death was voluntary He poured forth his soul unto death saith the Prophet he gave himself for our sins saith the Apostle nay Isa 53.12 Gal. 1.4 John 10.17 18 himself tells us therefore doth my Father love me because I laid down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again But I will not stay you at the Door let us follow Christ into the Garden and observe his Prayer and his Sufferings there SECT IV. Of the Prayer that Christ there made JEsus entring the Garden he left his Disciples at the entrance of it calling with him Peter James and John they only saw his transfiguration the earnest of his future Glory and therefore his pleasure was that they only should see of how great glory he would disrobe himself even for our sakes In the garden we may observe first his Prayer and secondly his Passion 1. He betakes himself to his great Antidote which himself the great Physitian of our souls prescribed to all the world he prayes to his heavenly Father he kneels down and not only so but falls flat upon the ground he prayes with an intention great as his sorrow and yet with a submission so ready Mat. 26.39 as if the Cup had been the most indifferent thing in the world The Form of his Prayer ran thus O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt In this Prayer observe we these Particulars 1. The person to whom he prayes O my Father 2. The matter for which he prayes Let this Cup pass from me 3. The Limitation of this Prayer If it be possible and if it be thy will 1. For the Person to whom he prayes it is his Father As Christ prayed not in his Godhead but according to his Manhood so neither prayed he to himself as God but to the Father the first person of the God-head Hence some observe that as the Father sometimes saying This is my beloved Son he spake not to himself but to the Son so the Son usually saying O my Father he prayes not to himself but to the Father 2. For the Matter of his Prayer Let this Cup pass from me Some interpret thus Let this Cup pass by me Oh that I might not taste it But others thus Let this Cup pass from me though I must taste it yet Oh that I may not be †Quod dicit transfer calicem istum a me non hoc est non adveniat mihi nisi enim advenerit transferri non poterit sed sicut quod praeterit nec intactum est noc permanens sic Salvator leviter invadentem tentationem flagitat pelli Sic Dionisius Alexandrin Heb. 5.7 too long or tediously annoyed by it That which leads unto this last interpretation is that of the Apostle Christ in the dayes of his flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong cries and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and he was heard in that which he feared Heb. 5.7 How was he heard not in the removal of the Cup for he drank it up all but in respect of the tedious annoyance or poysoning of the Cup for though it made him sweat drops of blood though it grieved him and pained him and made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Though it cast him into a sleep and laid him dead in his Grave and there sealed him for a time yet presently within the space of forty hours or thereabouts he revived and awakened as a Lion out of sleep or as a Giant refreshed with wine and so it passed from him as he prayed in a very short time and by that short and momentary death he purchased to his people everlasting Life 3. For the Limitation of his Prayer If it be possible if it be thy will He knows what is his Fathers will and he prayes accordingly and is willing to submit unto it if the passing of the Cup be according to the last interpretation we shall need none of these many distinctions to reconcile the will of God and Christ If it be possible signifies the earnestness of the Prayer and if it be thy will the submission of Christ unto his Father the Prayer is short but sweet How many things needful to a Prayer do we find concentred in this one instance Here is Humility of Spirit Lowliness of Deportment Importunity of Desire a Fervent Heart a Lawful Matter and a Resignation to the will of God Some think this the most fervent prayer that ever Christ made on earth If it be possible O! if it be possible let this Cup pass from me And I think it was the greatest dereliction and submission to the will of God that ever was found upon the earth for whether the Cup might pass or not pass he leaves it to his Father nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt q. d. Though in this Cup are many Ingredients it is full red and hath in it many dregs and I know I must drink and suck out the very utmost dreg yet whether it shall pass from me in that short time or continue with me a long long time I leave it to thy will I see in respect of my humanity there is in me flesh and blood O! I am frail and weak I cannot but fear the wrath of God and therefore I pray thus earnestly to my God O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt But what was there in the Cup that made Christ pray thus earnestly that it might pass from him I answer 1. The great pain that he must endure the buffettings whippings bleedings crucifying all the torments from first to
its swinge and breaking out the heart that lodged it abhors its self in dust and ashes cries mightily unto God for mercy and pardon repairs the breach with stronger resolution and more invincible watchfulness against future assaults but a Lust unmortified possesseth it self and rules and reigns in the heart and soul it abides there and will not away I shall not deny but there may be a cessation of its actings for a time but that is not any want of good will as they say but only of matter means opportunity enticement company provocation or the like and after such cessation or forbearance the heart usually entertains it again with more greediness it lies and delights in it as much as ever it hardens it self most obstinately in it as if it were impossible to leave it or live without it with any kind of comfort 4. True mortification is a painful work The very word imports no less to kill a man or to mortifie a member will not be without pain hence it is called a crucifying of the flesh Gal. 5.24 Mat. 5.29 30. and a cutting off the right hand a plucking out the right eye they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh if thy hand offend thee cut it off and if thy eye offend thee pluck it out in this respect this death unto sin carries with it a likeness to the death of Christ it is attended with agonies and soul-conflicts both before and after our conversion 1. Before conversion before the first wound be given it why then ordinarily there is some compunction of Spirit some pricking of heart what a case do we find the Jews in when after Peters Sermon they were pricked at their hearts and what an agony do we find the Jailor in when he came trembling in and falling down at the Apostles feet and crying out Sirs What shall I do to be saved With such agonies as these Acts 2.7 Acts 16.30 is the beginning of mortification usually attended I do not say that they are alike in all whether for degree or continuance but in ordinary true and sound conversion is not without some of these soul-conflicts 2. After conversion after the first round there are some agonies still for though a Believer be delivered of sin in respect of the guilt and reigning power yet he hath still some remainders of sinful Corruption left within him which draw many a groan and many a sign from his trembling heart Rom. 8.23 we also have the first-fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the Redemption of our bodies such are the groans of mortifying Saints Saints dying unto sin like the groans of dying men whose souls being weary of their bodies do earnestly desire a dissolution and thus Paul groaned when he said O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliver me from the body this death Oh what a Touchstone is this how will ihis discover true mortification from that which was counterfeit Some may think they are dead unto sin when in deed and in truth they are not dead but asleep unto sin and it appears by this because there were no pangs in their death you know this is a difference betwixt death and sleep there are pangs in the one but not in the other O my soul examine what pangs were there in thy death unto sin what agonies what soul-conflicts hast thou felt what compunction of heart what affliction of Spirit hast thou endured for sin what trouble hast thou had to find such a law in thy members rebelling against the law in thy mind Rom. 7.23 and bringing thee into captivity to the Law of sin why surely thou art not so mortified as to be freed wholly from the power of sin it may be it doth not rule in thee as a Prince yet certainly it tyrannizeth over thee it oft-times carries thee contrary to the bent of thy regenerate mind to the omittting of what thou wouldst do and to the committing of what thou wouldst not do and is not this an affliction of Spirit doth not this cause frequent conflicts in thy spirit if not thou mayest well suspect that sin is not dead but asleep or if it be dead to thee yet thou art not dead to it I confess death-pangs are not all alike in all some have a more gentle and others a more painful death so it is in this Spiritual death unto sin and that herein there may be no mistake I shall propound this question What is the least measure of these pangs these soul-agonies and conflicts that are necessarily required to true mortification I answer 1. There must be a sense of sin and of Gods wrath due unto sin such a sense we find in Jesus Christ he was very sensible of the weight and burden of those sins and of the wrath of God that lay upon him which made him cry out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me thus souls in the act of Mortification sometimes cry out O my sins and Oh God's wrath 2 There must be sorrow for Sin Such an affection we find also in Jesus Christ My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7.10 he was beset and surrounded with sorrows so every mortified sinner at one time or other he feels an inward sorrow and grief even that Godly sorrow which the Apostle speakes of a sorrow according to God i. e coming from God well-pleasing to God and bringing to God back again 3. There must be a desire of being freed and delivered from sin Luke 12.50 such a desire we find also in Jesus Christ I have a Baptism to be Baptised with and how am I straitned until it be accomplished A regenerate soul earnestly desires to be freed not only from the guilt but also from the power of sin O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c 4. There must be answerable endeavours in effectual strivings against sin Heb. 12.4 Ye have not resisted unto blood striving against sin How did our Saviour wrestle in the Garden offering up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears Heb. 5.7 so will a regenerate soul wrestle with God about tâ—â— death of sin praying watching going out in the strength of God and engaging in a continual war a deadly fewd against it and these are the least of those soul-conflicts wherewith this mortification or death unto sin is attended Now try we the truth of our Mortification by these signs Doth it spring from a right root of Faith is it general and universal in respect of all sins is it accompanied with combates doth the flesh lust against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and in this combate doth the spirit at last prevail and triumph over the flesh do we find it a painfull work both before and after conversion why then may I say with the Apostle now I know Christ
making Christ 's death of none effect O come and with joy draw water out of this well of Salvation Isa 12.3 5. Another cries thus Oh I know not what will become of me the very thoughts of hell seem to astonish my heart methinks I see a little peep-hole down into hell and the devil roaring there being reserved in chains under darkness untill the judgment of the great day and methinks I see the damned flaming and Judas and all the wicked in the world and they of Sodom and Gomorrah there lying and roaing and gnashing their teeth now I have sinned and why should not I be damned Oh why should not the wrath of God be executed on me yea even upon me I answer the death of Christ acquits thee of all Rom. 20.6 Blessed is he that hath a part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power Christ's death hath took away the pains of the second death yea pains and power too for it shall never oppress such as belong to Christ If Hell and Devils could speak a word of truth they would say Comfort your selves ye believing souls we have no power over you for the Lord Jesus hath conquered us and we have quite lost the cause Paul was very confident of this and therefore he throws down the Gauntlet and challengeth a dispute with all commers Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8.33 34. it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed let sin and the law and justice and death and hell yea and all the Devils in Hell unite their forces this one argument of Christ's death it is Christ that dyed will be enough to confute and confound them all Come then and comfort your selves all believers in this death of Christ what do you believe and are you confident that you do believe why then do you sit drooping What manner of communications are these that you have as ye walk and are sad Luke 24.17 Away away dumpishness despair disquietness of spirit Christ is dead that you might live and be blessed in this respect every thing speaks comfort if you could but see it God and men heaven and earth Angels and devils the very justice of God it self is now your friend and bids you go away comforted for it is satisfied to the full Heaven it self waits on you and keeps the dores open that your souls may enter We have boldness saith the Apostle to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus Heb. 10.20 by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Christ's death hath set open all the golden gates and dores of glory and therefore go away chearily and get you to heaven and when you come there be discouraged or discomforted if you can O my soul I see thou art pouring on sin on thy crimson sins and scarlet sins but I would have thee dwell on that crimson scarlet blood of Christ Oh it is the blood of sprinkling it speaks better things than the blood of Abel it cryes for mercy and pardon and refreshing and salvation thy sins cry Lord do me justice against such a soul but the blood of Christ hath another cry I am abased and humbled and I have answered all Methinks this should make thy heart leap for joy Oh the honey the sweet that we may suck out of this blood of Christ come lay to thy mouth and drink an hearty draught it is this spiritual wine that makes merry the heart of man and it is the voice of Christ to all his guests Eat O friends Cant. 5.1 drink yea drink abundantly O beloved SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. LEt us call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus 1. We must pray that all these Transactions of Christ in his sufferings and death may be ours if we direct our prayers immediately to Jesus Christ let us tell him what anguish and pains he hath suffered for our sakes and let us complain against our selves Oh what shall we do who by our sins have so tormented our dearest Lord what contrition can be great enough what tears sufficiently expressive what hatred and detestation equal and commensurate to those sad and heavy sufferings of our Jesus And then let us pray that he would pity us and forgive us those sins wherewith we crucified him that he would bestow on us the vertue of his sufferings and death that his wounds might heal us his death might quicken us and his blood might cleanse us from all our spiritual filth of sin and lastly that he would assure us that his death is ours that he would perswade us That neither death nor life nor Angels Rom. 8.38 39. nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature should be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. We must praise the Lord for all these sufferings of Christ Hath he indeed suffered all these punishments for us Oh then what shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits upon us what shall we do for him who hath done and suffered all these things but especially if we believe our part in the death of Christ in all the vertues benefits victories purchases and priviledges of his precious death oh then what manifold cause of thankfulness and praise is here be enlarged O my soul sound forth the praises of thy Christ tell all the world of that warmest love of Christ which flowed with his blood out of all his wounds into thy spirit tune thy heart-strings aright and keep consort with all the Angels of Heaven and all his Saints on earth sing that Psalm of John the Divine Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus in respect of his sufferings and death looking unto Jesus is effective of this objects have an attractive power that do assimulate or make like unto them I have read of a woman that by fixing the strength of her imagination upon a Blackamore on the wall she brought forth a black and swarthy child And no question but there is a kind of spiritual-imaginative of power in faith to be like to Christ by looking on Christ come then and let us look on Christ and conform to Christ in this respect In this particular I shall examine these Queries 1. Wherein we must conform 2. What is the cause of this conformity 3. What are the means of this conformity as on our parts For the first wherein we must conform I answer we must conform to Christ
with man I know no reason why we should exclude civil peace out of Christ's wish many many a promise and precept we have in the Word scattered here and there to this purpose Lev. 26.6 Job 5.23.24 And I will give peace in the land and ye shall lye down and none shall make you afraid and thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace Ier. 29.7 Heb. 12.14 and seek the peace of the City and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace And follow peace and holiness without which no man shall see God Orbem pecatum was ever a clause in the prayers of the primitive Church Rom. 12.13 that the world might be quiet I am sure it is Christ's command if it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men 3. It speaks there peace among themselves peace one with another such is or should be the condition of the Church Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compact together Psal 122.3 or unity within it self the Apostle dwells in this unity there is one body Eph. 4.4 5 6. and one Spirit and one hope and one Lord and one faith and one baptism and one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all The Church is a Court whose very pillars are peace the building of Christianity knows no other material to work upon if we look upon the Church it self there is one body if upon the very soul of it there is one Spirit if upon the endowment of it there is one hope if upon the head of it there is one Lord if upon the life of it there is one faith if upon the door of it there is one Baptism if upon the Father so it there is one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark 9.50 It was sometimes Christ's commands unto his Apostles have salt in your selves and have peace one with another and as a blessed effect of this salutation for I look upon them as words full of vertue the Apostles and Churches of Christ in primitive times kept a most sweet harmony the multitude of them that believed were of one heart Acts. 4.32 and of one soul 4. It speaks peace within peace of conscience the Apostles had exceedingly fallen from Christ one betrayed him and another denyed him but all run away and left him alone in the midst of all his enemies and yet to them he speaks this salutation peace be unto you I know not a better ground for comfort of poor humbled sinners than this is it may be you have dealt very unkindly with Jesus Christ you have forsook him denyed him forsworn him O but consider all this hindred not Christ's apparition to his Apostles he comes unexpected and quiets their spirits he stayes not till they had sued to him for mercy or pardon but of his meer love and free grace he speaks kindly to them all he stills the waves and becalmes their troubled Spirits working in them according to his words peace be unto you O the sweet of peace it is all wishes in one this little word is a breviary of all that is good what can they more than to have peace with God and peace with men and peace within Luke 2.14 sure there is much in it because Christâ— is so much upon it at his birth the Angels sung Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace at his baptism the form of a dove lighted upon him and what meant this but peace in his life the sort of integrity was his court and what was here but peace near his death he gives peace as a legacy to his Church Iohn 14.27 peace I leave with you my peace I give you at his resurrection his first salutation to his Apostles is a wish of peace peace be unto you what can I say more to make us in love with peace Ioh. 17.2021 why all Christ did and all Christ suffered was for peace Luke 19.42 he prayed for it neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us And he wept for it if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which do belong unto thy peace And he dyed to 〈…〉 but ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace Eph. 2 13 14. Of this we need no other proof or sign but that of the Prophet Jonah when the sea wrought and was tempestuous what shall we do unto thee said the Mariners that the sea may be calm unto us and he said take me up and cast me into the sea so shall the sea be calm Jona 1.11 12. when that great enmity was betwixt God and us what shall I do said God that my justice may be satisfied and my wrath appeased and that there may be a calm why take me said Christ and cast me forth into the sea let all thy waves and thy billows go over me make me a peace offâ—ring and kill me that when I am dead there may be a calm and when I am risen I may proclame it saying peace be unto you You hear what he said 3. What he shewed this is the next passage he shewed unto them his hands and his side I look upon this as a true and real manifestation of his resurrection And we find that without this Thomas professed he would never have believed except I shall see in his hands the print of the nayls and put my finger into the print of the nayls John 20.25 and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe But a question or two is here raised as whether these wounds and prints of the nayls spear can possibly agree with a glorified body and why Christ retained those wounds and prints for the first whether those prints could agree with a glorified boâ—y some affirm it with much boldness and they say that Christ not only retained those prints whilest he abode upon earth but now that he is ascended into heaven he still retains them for my part I dare not go so far because Scripture is silent but the day is a coming when we shall see Christ face to face and then we shall know the truth of this only I conceive that Christ's body yet remaining on earth was not entred into that fulness of glory as it is now in heaven and therefore he might then retain some skars or blemishes to manifest the truth of his resurrection unto his Disciples which are not agreeable to his state in heaven But this I deliver not as matter of Faith reasons are produced both
Tiberias First Christ appears and works a Miracle he discovers himself to be Lord of Sea as well as Land at his word multitudes of Fishes come to the Net and are caught by his Apostles nor is this Miracle without a Mystery Mat. 13.47 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a drawn net cast into the sea which when it is full men draw to land what is this divine trade of ours but a spiritual fishing the world is a sea souls like fishes swim at liberty in this deep and the nets of wholesome doctrine are they that draw up some to the shore of grace and glory 2. Upon this Miracle The Disciple whom Jesus loved said unto Peter it is the Lord. John is more quick-eyed than all the rest he considers the Miracle and him that wrought it and presently he concludes It is the Lord O my soul meditate on the mystery of this discovery if ever soul be converted and brought home to Christ it is the Lord but oh whither is Christ gone that we have lost so long his converting presence Oh for one Apparition of Jesus Christ till then we may preach our hearts out and never the nearer do what we can souls will to hell except the Lord break their career Ministers can do no more but tell thus and thus men may be saved and thus and thus men will be damned He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life John 3.36 and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but when they have said all they can it is only God must give the blessing Oh what is preaching without Christ's presence One hearing what mighty feats Scanderbag's Sword had done he sent for it and when he saw it Is this the Sword said he that hath done such great exploits what 's this sword more than any other sword O sayes Scanderbag I sent thee my Sword but not my arm that did handle it so Ministers may use the sword of the Spirit the Word of God but if the Spirits arm be not with it they may brandish it every Sabbath to little purpose when all is done if ever any good be done it is the Lord. No sooner John observes the Miracle that a multitude of fishes were caught and taken but he tells Peter of a blessed discovery it is the Lord 3. Upon this discovery Peters throws himself into the Sea O the fervent love he carries towards Christ if he but hear of his Lord he will run through fire and water to come unto him so true is that of the Spouse Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it Cant. 8.7 if a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned If I love Christ I cannot but long for communion and fellowship with Christ Vbicunque fueris O domine Jesu c. Aug. Wheresoever thou art O blessed Saviour give me no more happiness than to be with thee if on the earth I would travel day and night to come unto thee if on the Sea with Peter I would swim unto thee if riding in triumph I would sing Hosanna to thee but if in glory how happy should I be to look upon thee Christ's Apparitions are ravishing sights if he but stand on the shore Peter throws himself over-board to come to Christ why now he stands on the pinacles of heaven wasting and beckoning with his hand and calling on me in his Word Rise up my love my fair one and come away O my soul make haste Cant. 2.10 in every duty look out for another Apparition of Jesus Christ when thou comest to hear say Have over Lord by this Sermon and when thou comest to pray say Have over Lord by this Prayer to a Saviour neither fire nor water floods nor storms death nor life principalities nor powers height nor depth nor any other creature should hinder thy passage to Christ or separate thy soul from Christ Consider what I say 2 Tim. 2.7 8. saith Paul and the Lord give thee understanding in all things remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel that Christ was raised is a Gospel-truth ay but do thou remember it do thou consider it and the Lord give thee understanding in all things SECT III. Of desiring Jesus in that respect 3. LEt us desire after Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his resurrection What desire is we have opened before some call it the wing of the soul whereby it moveth and is carried to the thing it expecteth to feed it self upon it and to be satisfied with it But what is there in Christ's resurrection that should move our souls to desire after it I answer 1. Something in it self 2. Something as in reference unto us 1. There is something in it self had we but a view of the glory dignity excellency of Christ as raised from the dead it would put us on this heavenly motion we should fly as the Eagle that hasteth to eat The object of desire is good Heb. 1.8 but the more excellent and glorious any good is the more earnest and eager should our desires be now Christ as raised from the dead is an excellent object the resurrection of Christ is the glorifying of Christ yea his glorifying took its beginning at his blessed resurrection now it was that God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every name Phil. 2.9 c. and in this respect how desirable is he 2. There is something in reference unto us As 1. Rom. 4.25 He râ—se again for our justification I must needs grant that Christ's death and not his resurrection is the meritorious cause of our justification but on the other side Christ's resurrection and not his death is for the applying of our justification as the stamp adds no vertue nor matter of real value to a piece of gold but only it makes that value which before it had actually appliable and currant unto us so the resurrection of Christ was no part of the price or satisfaction which Christ made to God yet is it that which applies all his merits and makes them of force unto his Members Some I know would go further Lucius a learned Writer saith that Justification is therefore attributed to Christ's resurrection because it was the compleat and ultimate act of Christ's active obedience and from hence inferreth that remission of sin is attributed to his passive obedience and justification or imputation of righteousness to his active obedience Goodwin no way inferiour to him Rom. 8.34 faith that justification is put upon Christ's resurrection with a rather who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again not but that the matter of our justification is only the obedience and death of Christ but the form of our justification or the act of pronouncing us righteous by that his
2.16 and we abound more and more in the work of the Lord. I know thy works said Christ to the Church of Thyatyra I know thy works and the last to be more than the first 3. We grow when the fruits and duties we perform grow more ripe more spiritual and more to the honour of Christ it may be we pray not more nor longer than sometimes we used it may be our prayers have not more wit or memory than sometimes they had yet they are more savory more spiritual and more to Christ's honour than sometimes they were Now we must know that one short prayer put up in faith with a broken heart and ayming at the honour of Christ argues more of growth in grace than prayers of a day long and never so eloquent without the like qualifications In every duty we should look at their ends and ayms for if we debase our selves in the sense of our own vileness and emptiness and inability and if we aym at God's honour and power and praise and glory it is a good sign of growth we call this spiritual part of duty when it is from God and through God and to God 4. We grow when we are more rooted in Christ so the Apostle describes it Eph. 4.15 a growing up unto him in all things This is Scripture phrase growth of grace is usually expressed by growing into Christ but now in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ As if to grow in grace without him were nothing as indeed it is not 2 Pet. 3.18 Philosophers moral men and others may grow in vertues but not in Christ Come then search and try whether we are more rooted in Christ when a young plant is new set the roots are a small depth in the earth one may pull them up with his hand but as the tree shooteth up in height so it strikes the root deep and deeper downward that no force can move it so it is with us we have not for degree so firm and near a conjunction with Christ at our first union but the more we live with him like good trees spreading in the sight of all men and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness the more we come to root downwards by a more firm faith and firm confidence Our union is answerable to that which uniteth us now at the first faith is but weak like a smoaking wick or a poor bruised reed but whiles faith is drawing the Spirit away from Christ the more it exerciseth the more it is strengthened even as in babes their powers every day at first are feeble but the more they feed and exercise by so much the more they put forth their strength in all their operations time was that Peters faith was so weak that at the voice of a Damosel Peter was shaken but by walking while in Christ he was so rooted that neither threatnings whippings imprisonment conventings before great powers nor any other thing could shake him you may object if we are not at first rooted in Christ a weak faith may be quite overthrown we may then fall away true if we be not rooted in any manner but this we are at our first setting into Christ by faith only this I speak of is of an higher degree of rooting which doth not only shut out falling away but very shaking and tottering in a good measure surely this is not the state of every believer no no it is only the condition of such who have long walked in Christ and are grown in grace holiness vivification O my soul try now the growth of vivification by these few signs art thou led on to the exercises of new graces adding grace to grace dost thou find new degrees of the self same grace is thy love more hot thy faith more firm all thy boughs more laden and filled with the fruits of righteousness are all thy dutyes more spiritual are thy ends more raised to ayme at God to sanctifie him and to debase thy self art thou more rooted in Christ in all thy dutyes graces and gracious actings hast thou learnt habitual to say I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me dost thou interest Christ more and more in all thou dost dost thou know and affect Christ more and more Oh when would an ambitious courtier be weary of being graced by his Prince when would a worlding be weary of having the world come in upon him why shouldst thou O my soul be weary of insinuating thy self by faith and affection into Christ come scearch try it may be little winds have formerly shaken thee but so it is that insencibly and thou knowest not how thy root is struck lower and lower into Christ and now thou art not so soon shaken with every wind surely thy hope is well grounded thou hast a part in Christs resurrection it is thine even thine SECT V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us in his resurrection This is one main article of our faith the third day he rose again from the dead and this now I propound as the object of our faith O let us believe it let us believe our part and interest in it And to that purpose let us look on Jesus as a common Person whatever consideration he passed under it was in our stead and in that respect we are to reckon our selves as sharers with him Scrupulous souls may object is it possible that Christ should rise and that I should rise with him and in him is it possible that Christ should dye as a common Person for my sins and that Christ should rise and by his resurrection should be justified as a common person in my room O the Mystery of this redemption without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness which is God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 justified in the Spirit it is a mystery beyond my fathoming that Christ who is God in the flesh should be justified in the Spirit for my justication that Christ should dye in my stead as a condemned man and when he had finished his work that he should rise again in my stead as a righteous Person These passages are past fathoming and beyond believing O what shall I do I find it hard very hard to believe this poynt Luke 24.26 Scrupulous souls throw not away your confidence ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his Glory was not satisfaction and justification payment of debt and discharge of bonds required of him and of necessity for us O believe and that I may perswade to purpose I shall lay down 1. Some directions and 2. Some encouragements of faith 1. For directions of faith in reference to Christ's resurrection observe these particulars 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in
cast out of God's favour As Christ once died but rose again never to die more death hath no more power over him so a justified man once allyed to God through Jesus Christ doth from that time forward as necessarily live as Christ himself by whom he doth live there is an immortal and indissoluble union betwixt Christ the Head and every Believer our justification depends not on our own strength but it is built on Christ himself who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever and hence it is that a justified man can no more cease to live in this state of justification than Christ can cease to live in Heaven 4. It is a life of new relations this immediately follows our state if once we are justified then we are related to God and Christ and to the Covenant of Grace 1. To God Before we were vivified God and we stood at a distance God was our enemy and we were his enemies At that time saith the Apostle ye were without God in the world Eph. 2.13 but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made near by the blood of Christ God that was a stranger stands now in near relation he is a Friend a Father a God Alsufficient to us 2. We are related to Christ before vivification we were a Christless people Eph. 2.12 At that time ye were without Christ but now we are united to Christ and which is more now we make use of Christ with the Father O the comfort of this relation A troubled spirit looks on his sins and they thrust him away from God What communion hath light with darkness but then comes the Lord Jesus and takes him by the hand and leads him to the Father and says Come soul come along with me and I will carry thee to the Father wilt thou make use of me Eph. 1.18 1 Pet. 5.18 It is the Apostles saying that through him we have an access by one spirit unto the Father we have a leading by the hand Christ hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God By nature we are severed from God and if he manifested himself Isa 59.2 he is dreadful to us Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear but in Christ we approach boldly before him because Christ hath took away our sins which are the mountains of separation in Christ we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 Here is the difference betwixt a man related to Christ and a meer stranger the stranger knows not how to go to God God stands as a Judge he is as a Malefactor the Law an Accuser Sin his Indictment and what is the issue Every mouth is stopped Rom. 3.19 and all the world is guilty before God But he that is related to Christ Christ takes him by the hand and so he goes with boldness and confidence and pleads his righteousness before the Father Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyeth yea rather that is risen again In the very matter and cause of justification wherein no man can stand or dare to appear or shew his face a Christian coming with Christ his Advocate he dares to appear and to plead his case and to stand upon interrogatories with God himself yea and to ask God himself humbly and with reverence what he hath to lay to his charge what more he will or can in justice require for satisfaction than his Surety hath done for him 3. We are related to the Covenant of Grace before vivification we had no such relation Eph. 2.12 At that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise But now the Covenant is ours that fountain or bundle of promises is ours God is our God and we are his people Psal 144.15 O the blessedness of this priviledge Happy is the people that be in such a case yea happy is the people whose God is the Lord. The Covenant is reckoned all happiness it contains in its bowels all benefits in Heaven or under Heaven as a man may say of any thing he hath in possession This is mine so may they who are in covenant with God say He is mine I have God himself in my possession How might we try our vivification even by this communion we have with God and Christ and the Covenant of Grace Christians look into your own hearts have you not felt in your approaches to God some raisings or workings of the Spirit of the Lord concluding the pardon of your sins hath not Christ taken you by the hand and led you to the Father it may be your own guilt made you afraid but the discovery of Jesus your righteousness made you bold to go to God you felt boldness coming in on this ground because all your approaches or drawings near to God were bottomed on Jesus hath not God married you to himself hath he not conveyed himself through his holy Spirit into your own hearts by way of covenant Hath he not sometimes whispered to your souls Thou art mine and have not your souls ecchoed back again unto the Lord Thou art mine much of the truth of all this would appear if Christians would but daily observe the movings of their own hearts for as he that hath the Spirit of Satan shall ever find him putting on and provoking to evil so he that hath the Spirit of God shall most-what or at least frequently find and feel it active and stirring in the heart to the reforming of the whole man the holy Spirit is not idle but he rules and governs and maintains his Monarchy in us and over us in spite of the power of Satans and privy conspiracy of a mans own flesh 5. It is a life of a new in-come I mean of a saving in-come as of Grace Power Light c. Before vivification there was no such in-come A man beâ—ore his conversion might hear and pray and do all duties but alas he feels no sweet no power no vertue no communion with Christ If I might appeal unto such I beseech you tell me you have been often at prayer what have you gotten there what in-come hath appeared if you answer truly you cannot but say I went to prayer and I was satisfied that I had prayed I never observed whether I had got any power or strength any thing of mortification or vivification I never found any lively work of God on my soul either in prayer or after prayer or you have been often at this Ordinance of hearing the Word what have you gotten there what in-come hath appeared Why truly nothing at all it may be a little more knowledg but nothing that I can
by reason they may be still subject to question and so they can make no firm assurance but in the soul that is graciously assured this way the Spirit of God rests the heart upon an ultimum quod sic he convinceth the soul by that which is most visible in him and so stops the mouth of cavilling reason from perplexing the question any more Indeed it is a fine skill to know whether a true assurance be meerly rationall or from the witness of the Spirit of God whether it be wrought out of a man 's own brain or wrought into his heart by the Holy Ghost now in some cases we may discern it as thus the assurance that the Spirit gives doth sometime surprise a man unexpectedly at unawares as it may be in a Sermon that he came accidentally unto or in a Scripture that I cast a transient-glancing eye upon but thus doth not reason Again The assurance that the spirit gives maintains a soul in a way of reliance and dependance when it sees no reason why he should do so or it may be when he sees a reason why it should not be so as it is said of Abraham in another case Rom. 4.18 that he believed in hope against hope faith told him there was hope that he should be the Father of many Nations when reason told him there was none Again The assurance that the spirit gives is attended with an high esteem of Prayer Duties Ordinances and in the issue which is the most principal sure mark it purifies the soul that hath it 1 John 3.3 He that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is pure he is ever washing himself from sin and watching against sin and taking all possible care to keep himself pure and unspotted in this present evil world it keeps the soul humble and lowly it being impossible that such a testimony of the spirit and so intimate a converse with God and the light of his countenance should not reflect low thoughts upon a man's self concerning himself such a man cannot but say Lord what am I that thou hast brought me hitherto what for such a peevish unbelieving impatient soul as mine is to be carryed in thy arms and cheered with thy smiles and to enjoy the comforts of thy spirit Oh what a wonderful merciful gracious God have I Yet in all this I exclude not the Spirit in drawing a rational evidence from Scriptures certainly the spirit helps in a general way by making use of our reason only it elevates and improves our reason to a further assurance by a supernatural assistance as in Prayer and in Preaching of the Word there may be a common assistance of the Spirit of God but there is another kind of praying and preaching by the Spirit which the Scripture often speaks of and calls the spirit of supplication and the demonstration of the spirit and that is not performed by a common or general but by a special and particular assistance of the Spirit of God so there is a two-fold influence of the Spirit in putting forth acts of assurance in the heart even of a Godly and Sound Christian the very same man may act assurance sometimes rationally and sometimes spiritually in the former the spirit acts too but in a common way only in the latter is the supernatural special assistance which peculiarly is said to be the witness of the Spirit I speak not against rational evidences only it concerns us to apply our selves to the Spirit to superadd his testimony O let us not so content our selves with ratioral evidences but that we labour to elevate the evidence of reason into a testimony of the Holy Spirit of God To wind up all I have said O my soul try now the hope of the spirits indwelling by these several signs art thou enlightned savingly in the knowledg of God and of Christ art thou a Child of God one of his adopted sons for whom he hath reserved the inheritance hast thou a spirit of Grace and Supplication a spirit of Sanctification a spirit of Love art thou led by the spirit dost thou feel the drawings of thy soul in every duty to Jesus Christ dost thou feel a liberty or a delight in thy soul to walk in the way of his Commandments dost thou feel any strength to come in against thy corruptions dost thou feel the spirits help to act in Gospel-duties for Gospel ends hast thou ever had the immediate testimony of the spirit or if not so hast thou ever had the immediate testimony of the spirit without any argumentation hast thou unexpectedly dipt and lighted on some places of scripture that hath satisfied thy soul as with marrow and fatness or if not so neither hast thou the immediate testimony of the Spirit with argumentation canst thou argue thus He that believeth shall be saved but I believe therefore I shall be saved Or if any doubt be made of the assumption canst thou prove it by such other graces as accompany faith and are the fruits of faith canst thou say by the help of the spirit and shinings of the spirit that these and these graces are in me and have been acted by me yea I do love God and â—hrist I do repent of my sins c. surely then thy hope is well grounded thou hast the indwelling of the spirit it is thine even thine SECT V. Of believing in Jesus in this respect 5. LEt us believe on Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in these particulars many scruples are in many hearts What is it possible that I should have any share in Christ's ascension Christ's session Christ's mission of his spirit was it ever in God's heart that I should partake with Christ in all these glories if it must be so that he will let out his loves to so unworthy a wretch was it not sufficient for him to have come down from Heaven and to have acted my redemption here below Is it not an high Favour that a King should leave his Court to give a poor prisoner in the Jayl a visit but will he take him with him to his own home and bring him into his own presence-chamber and set him at his right hand in his throne And so that Christ should not only leave his Fathers throne and give me a visit lying in the dark dungeon of unbelief but that he should take off the bolts and set open the prison doors and take me up with him into Heaven and there set me down at his right hand and in the mean time give me the earnest and pledge of my inheritance by filling my soul with his own spirit O what an admirable incredible thing is this it was the last vision of John which was so full of wonders And I John saw the holy City the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Rev. 21.2 3. Behold the tabernacle of God is
is this had not Christ said it how could I have believed it admire O my soul at this aim of Christ the meaning of his exalting himself it was to exalt thee and the meaning of his exalting thee on this manner it is to mâ—nifest to all the World what the Son of God is able to do in raising so poor a creature to so rich a glory O the end of Christ's sitting at God's right hand hereby thâ— Saints are Christ's ass ssors Lord's of the higher house the Kings Peers to judge the World with him Christ divides as it were the throne with them I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me Luk. 22.29 30. that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 3. Christ sent down the Holy Ghost that he might dwell in our souls endow us with gifts and graces that he might comfort us seal us unto the day of redemption fit us for glorâ— amongst the many ends for which Christ sent down his holy spirit I shall insist only on these two 1. That he might help us to cry Abba Father and make us to come boldly to the Throne of grace as Chilâ—ren to a Father It is the spirit that takâ—s us by the hand and leads us to the Father when others stand at a distance and cannot come near As a Princes Son is admitted at all times though others are kept our by Oâ—ficers and Guards so though there be never so much darkness and fire and terrour about God yet the adopted child who hath received the spirit of adoption can say make way there and let me come to my Father guards are appointed to keep out strangers but not Sons And no wonder for the spirit makes intercession for us Rom. 8.26 with groanings which cannot be uttered the spirit teacheth us what to pray and how to pray as â—e ought the spirit puts a courage and boldness into the hearts of his Sâ—ints even to admiration this appears in that sometimes they have beset God with his promises that he could no way get off Quicken me according to thy word Psal 119.25.28.29.116.169 And strengthen me acâ—ording to thy word And be mercifull unto me according to thy word And uphold me according to thy word And give me understanding according to thy word And sometimes they have beset God with their challenges of his Justice Faithfulness and Righteousness so David Deliver me in thy righteousness Psal 31.1.35.24.119.40.143.1 And judge me according to thy righteoâ—sness An quicken me according to thy righteousness And in thy faithfulness answer me and in thy righteousness Why this is the â—pirits work he helps our infirmities he imboldens our spirits in their approaches to God surely it is one end of the spirits mission Beâ—ause ye are sons Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father I will not deny but that bastards strangers without the Covenant having no right to God as their Father may yet petition God as a subdued people do their Conqueror or as Ravens cry to God for food or as some howl upon their beds for Corn and Wine but they cannot pray Hos 7.14 in right Prayer there is not only required gracious ingredients in the action but also a new state of adoption and filiation many speaks words to God who do not pray many tell over their sins who confess not their sins to God many speak good of God who do not praise God thousands claim Fathership in God where there is no Sonship nor ground in the thing it self A new nature is only that best bottom of Prayer that takes it off from being a taking of God's Name in vain Now this is the fruit of the spirit and one of those ends of the spirits mission 2. That he might guide us into all Truth I mean into all necessary Fundamental saving Truths in this respect we have need of the spirit in these dayes He it is that Dictates to us which is the true Religion he it is that transcribes upon our hearts that which was before onely written in our books he it is that not onely reveals truth from without but imprints it also on the soul as a man doth a seal by impressing it on the wax 1 John 5.10 to this purpose saith the Apostle He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself how in himself I answer 1. In that the Spirit gives him a habit of faith 2. In that the Spirit causeth him to bring it forth into act 3. In that the Spirit stamps on the soul all those other impressions of desire hope love joy or whatever else we call the new nature so that now there is a new nature within him he hath new thoughts new designs new desires new hopes new loves new delights he drives a new trade as it were in this world for another world he is become in Christ a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are passed away and all things are become new And from hence we may soundly argue the truth of our religion Mark this as the Written word is the testimony without us so are these impressions of the spirit the testimony within us by which we may know every necessary truth as it is in Jesus this is the meaning of the Apostle He that believeth hath the witness in himself unbelievers have indeed a testimony without them but believers have a double testimony one with out and one within and this witness within us will go with us which way soever we go it will accompany us through all straits and difficulties The external testimony may be taken from us men may take from us our Bibles our Teachers our Friends or they may imprison us where we cannot enjoy them but they cannot take from us the Spirit of Christ this witness within is a permanent setled habituate standing witness O what an excellent help is here that a poor Christian beyond all the furniture of the most Learned Men that want this testimony of the spirit of Christ surely this advantage will exceedingly furnish us against all temptations to any errour that is plainly contrary to the essentials of religion One of our late Divines puts a case Mr. Baxters Spirits witness to the truth of Christianity If the Devill or any seducer would draw us to doubt whither there be indeed a Christ or whither he did rise again ascend sate down at God's right hand and thence sent down the holy Ghost what an excellent advantage is it against this temptation when we can repair to our own hearts and there find a Christ or a Spirit of Christ within us O saith the sanctified soul have I felt Christ relieving me in my lost condition delivering me from my captivity reconciling me to God and bringing me with boldness into his glorious presence and now
World to come and yet fell away and it is said of such others that they trampled upon the Blood of Christ wherewith they were sanctified Thus we find in Scripture-phrase that in an Hypocrite or wicked Man there may be a kind of Faith and repentance a taste of Heaven and of Sanctificatian but where do we find in all the Bible that Christ or the Spirit of Christ is said to dwell in an Hypocrite or wicked Man this only is the great priviledge of a true believer Christ in him the Hope of Glory O the comfort of this in-dwelling of Christ Luke 19.6 If Zacheus hearing that Christ would abide in his House received him joyfully how much greater cause of joy have they who have already lodged him in their hearts John 15.11 These things have I spoken to you said Christ that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full And now O my soul spread thy self on this great good Christ's Ascension Christ's Session and Christs Mission of his Holy Spirit What is joy but an effusion of the appetite whereby the Soul spreads it self on what is good to possess it more perfectly the object is sweet and large and therefore the soul had need to spread it self that it may be more united to the Object and touch the good in more of its parts yea if it were possible in every part There is not any particular here before thee but 't is fewel for joy O what joy was in Heaven when Christ Ascended and when Christ sate down at God's right hand and when Christ sent down the Holy Spirit how stood the Angels wondring and admiring at these several passages how did they stoop and look with the bowing of the Head and bending of the Neck as the Word implies 1 Pet. 1.12 and is not thy interest in these transactions more than Angels O rejoyce and again rejoyce suppose thy self in Heaven and that thou hadst a vision of Christ ascended say is he not a pleasant Object In his face there is fulness of joy Psal 16.11 Suppose thy self to have been in Heaven when he first entred into it and when he first sate down at God's right hand and sent down the Comforter to his Saints was not Heaven full of joy methinks the very thought of Christ's bright Face and Christ's white Throne and Christ's Harpers and Heavenly Troops surrounding the Throne and Christ's welcome to his Father both for himself and all his Saints and Christ's carrying thy name upon his Breast before his Father should fill thy soul as full of joy as possibly it can hold O the first-fruits of Emanuel's land that lyes beyond time and death O the joyes that were in Heaven at Christ's first entrance into Heaven O my soul why dost thou not check thy self and lay aside thy sad complaints and forget this Earth and Earthly troubles why dost thou not look up to Jesus Christ and rejoyce in him who hath done all this for thy Salvation either the Spirit of God is not thy Comforter or thou canst not but receive comfort in these passages SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that Respect 8. LEt us call on Jesus I mean 1. Let us pray that we may have our part in these transactions or let us pray for more and more assurance thereof unto our souls for though we do believe yet we may not be without our doubts and in case of doubts what better means than Prayer I believe Lord help my unbelief Lord strengthen my Faith till I come to that plerophory or full assurance of faith that I may know my interest in the Ascension of Christ and Session of Christ and in the Mission of Christ's holy Spirit and if once we are but assured then 2. Praise God for these great transactions of his Son are they not mercies like mountains lying one upon another and reaching up to the very Heavens did not love break out at first in a direct line and as it went along hath it not wound up it self in such a variety of unthought of discoveries as that it amazeth Men and Angels what that Jesus Christ should not only act for us here on earth but also ascend for us into Heaven and sit down there at God's right hand above the Heavens what that all this should be for us and our salvation and to that purpose that he should send down his Spirit into our hearts to fit us and prepare us for his glory Now bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Psal 103.1 2. I will extol thee my God O King and I will bless thy Name for ever and ever every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever One generation shall praise thy works to another Psal 145.1 2 4 7 10 11 12. and shall declare thy mighty acts I will speak of the glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works I will utter the memory of thy great goodness and will sing of thy righteousness Thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power and make known unto the sons of men thy mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of thy Kingdom Thy glory is above the earth and heaven Psal 148.13 14. thou also exaltest the horn of thy people the praise of all thy Saints and people near unto thy self O that my soul were but in David's temper thus to breath out the praises of Jesus and to bless his Name SECT IX Of conforming unto Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus in the aforesaid respects A serious beholding of Jesus in his Ascension Session and Mission of his Spirit is enough to change us into the same Image from glory to glory It was the sweet saying of an experienced Saint View a glorified Christ see him as in that relation and condition and you will soon have the sparkles of the same glory on your hearts Christ is now exalted he is now in glory at the right hand of God Col. 3.1 2. O let all our actings be glorious let all our walkings joys breathings be as in glory If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth I shall not in this transaction lay out many particular conformities to Christ's actings but gather all into one contained in this Text which is heavenly conversation seek things above set your affections above Christ is gone up and Christ is set down at God's right hand and herein if you will conform let your hearts be in Heaven let your affections be in Heaven let your conversations be in Heaven it is the Apostles own practise wherein stood his conformity to Jesus Christ for our
given to Christ such as Mediator Intercessor Appellationes officii competunt Christo secundum utramque naturam c. agree unto him according to both natures and can the act of Christ's intercession be the act of Christ's manhood alone what to hear and offer up prayers to receive and present the prayers and praises and other spiritual sacrifices of all believers in the World to negotiate for them all at one and the same time according to the variety and multiplicity of their several occasions surely this is and must be the work of an infinite and not of a finite agent this cannot be effected without the concurrence of the divine nature with the humane but what needs any further answer to this objection suppose Christ intercede to himself as God that is not immediately and directly to the same person God the Son though to the same God essentially indeed Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man in respect of his natures agreeth with both being not only God not only man but God-man man-God blessed for ever but in respect of his person being the second person in the Trinity he is distinct from both 1. From the personality of man for he hath only the personality of God and not of man 2. From the first person of the God-head who is God the Father 1 John 5.7 for there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one i e. three persons and but one God SECT IV. For whom this Intercession is made 4. FOR whom is this Intercession made I answer 1. Negatively not for the World John 17.9 I pray not for the World saith Christ whiles Christ was on Earth he would not so much as spend his breath or open his lips for the World he knew God would not hear him for them in like maner Christ prays now in Heaven Not for the World he never had a thought to redeem them or to save their fouls and therefore they have no share in his intercessions I know the objection that Christ upon the the Cross Luke 23.34 prayed for the bloody Jews Father forgive them for they know not what they do but that might be of private duty as man who in that respect submitted himself to the Law of God which requires that we forgive our enemies and pray for them that persecute us and not of his proper office as Mediator or if it be referred to the proper mediatory intercession of Jesus Christ which I rather think it will not prove that he prayed for them all universally but only indefinitely i.e. only for them that were present at his crucifying and that in simplicity of heart and not of affected ignorance crucified Christ and accordingly this prayer was heard which so many of the Jews were converted at Peter's Sermon Act. 2.41 what needs more his own words are express that Christ's intercessions are not for the World or reprobates So much negatively 2. Positively Christ's intercession is general and particular for all and every faithful man John 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you Luk. 22.31 32 that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not As the High-Priest went into the Sanctuary with the names of the twelve tribes upon his brest so Christ entred into the holiest of all with the names of all believers upon his heart and still he carries them upon his brest and presents his will and desire unto his Father for them nor doth he only intercede in general but Simon Simon mark that what ever thy name is John Peter Thomas Mary Martha if thou art a believer Christ prays for thee it is our common practise to desire the prayers one of another but O who would not have a share in the prayers of Jesus Christ why certainly if thou believest in Christ Christ prays for thee I have prayed and I will pray for thee saith Christ that thy faith fail not SECT V. What agreement there is betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the High-Priests of Old 5. WHat agreement is there betwixt the intercessions of Christ and the intercessions of the High Priests of Old Among the Jews in the times of the Old Testament they had an High-Priest who was in all things to stand betwixt God and them Now as the Jews had their High-Priest to intercede for them so the Lord Jesus was to be the High-Priest of our Christian profession and to intercede for us it will therefore give some light to this doctrine of intercession if we will but compare these two and first consider what agreement betwixt Christ and the High-Priests of Old betwixt Christ's intercession and the High-Priests intercessions 1. Christ and the High-Priests of Old agreed in name not onely they but Christ himself is called an High-Priest Heb. 8.1 Heb 3.1 We have such an High-Priest who is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Heb. 5.6 Jesus Christ Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech The Old Priest-hood of Aaron was translated into the Priest-hood of Jesus Christ so that he was a Priest as well as they 2. They agreed in office that consisted of two parts oblation and presentation First They offered a sacrifice And secondly They presented it in the holy of holies with prayer and intercession unto God the one was done without the other within the holy of hollies and in answer thereunto there are two distinct parts of Christ's Priesthood 1. The offering of himself a sacrifice upon the Cross 2. The carrying of himself and of his blood into the holy of holies or in the heaven of heavens where he appears and prays in the force of that blood and this was so necessary a part of his Priest-hood that without this he had not been a compleat Priest Heb. 8.4 for if he were on earth he should not be a Priest that in if he should have made his abode upon the earth he should not have been a compleat or perfect Priest seeing this part of it which we call the presentation or intercession lay still upon him to be acted in heaven And indeed this part of his Priest-hood is of the two the more eminent yea the top and height of his priest-hood and therefore it is held forth to us in the Types of both those two orders of Priest-hood that were before him and Figures of him both that of Aaron and Melchizedech 1. This was Typified in that Levitical Priest-hood of Aaron and his fellows the highest service of that Office was the going into the holy of hollies and making an attonement there yea this was the height of the high Priest's honour that
he did this alone and it constituted the difference betwixt him as he was high Priest and other Priests for they killed and offered the Sacrifices without as well as he but only the high Priest was to approach the holy of hollies with blood and that but once a year 2. This was Typified by Melchizedech's Priest-hood which the Apostle argues to have been much more excellent then that of Aaron's in as much as Levi Aarons Father payed Tythes to this Melchizedech in Abrahams loyns now Melchizedech was his Type not so much in respect of his Oblation or offering Sacrifice as in respect of his continual presentation and intercession in heaven and therefore the same clause for ever still comes in when Melchizedech is named thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech Heb. 5.6 7.17 Here then is the agreement betwixt Christ and the high-Priests of old in respect of name both were Priests and in respect of Office both had their oblations and presentations or intercessions with God in Glory 3. In the point of Intercession they agreed in these particulars 1. The high-Priest of old usually once a year went into the most Holy place within the vail and so is Christ our great high-Priest passed into the Heavens within the Vail even into the holy of holies Christ by his own blood entred in once into the holy place Not into the holy places made with hands Heb. 9.12 24. which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us 2. The high-Priests of old had a plate of pure Gold upon their Fore-heads which was to bear the iniquity of the holy things that they might be accepted before the Lord Exod. 28.38 and so doth Christ bear the iniquity of our holy things Spiritual Christians here is your comfort you are not able to perform any duty to God but there is a great deal of sin in the same you cannot hear nor pray nor confer nor meditate without much sin but Christ bears all these sins even the iniquity of your holy things and he presents your persons and prayers without the least spot to his Father he is the Angel of the Covenant that stands at the Altar Rev. 8.3 having a golden Censer with much incense to offer it with the prayers of his Saints and so they are acceptable before the Lord. 3. The Jewish high-Priests bore the names of the Children of Israel on a breast-plate of judgment upon their hearts for a memorial before the Lord continually Exod. 28.29 and so doth Christ our great high-Priest bear the names of his people upon his heart before the Lord continually But how is Christ said to bear the names of the Saints upon his heart I answer 1. Continually in presenting of them to his Father as they are in him how is that why he represents them without spot as righteous in his own righteousness Ephes 5.27 Christ loved the Church that he might present it to his Father and in him to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish 2. In this continual remembring of them Psal 112.6 the righteous shall be had in continual remembrance this is the souls comfort in a time of desertion or in an evil day Psal 13.1 if any cry out as sometimes David did how long wilt thou forget me Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me Isa 40.14 15 16. Let such a one remember that Christ's redeemed ones are upon his heart and he can not forget them But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Oh no! can a woman forget her suckling child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me the Sons of Zion are upon Christ's heart and hands and they are ever in his sight 3. In his perpetual loving of them they are near and dear unto him he hath set them as a Seal upon his heart so was the prayer of the Spouse set me as a Seal upon thine heart Cant. 8.6 as a Seal upon thine arme and then it follows for love is as strong as death Christ hath an entire love to his Saints he dyed for them and now he intercedes for them he keeps them close to his heart and there is none shall pluck them out of his hands John 13.1 for whom he loves he loves unto the end Thus far of the agreement betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old SECT VI. What the difference is betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old 6. VVHat is the difference betwixt Christ's Intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old There is no question but howsoever they might agree in some respects yet Christ officiates in a more transcendent and eminent way then ever any high Priest did before him now the difference betwixt Christ and them and betwixt Christ's Intercessions and their Intercessions may appear in these particulars Heb. 4.14 1. They were called high Priests but Christ is called the great high Priest such a Title was never given to any but Christ whence the Apostle argues for the steadfastness of our profession seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession 2. The high-Priests then were Aaron and his Sons but Christ our great high-Priest is the Son of God for so he is styled in the same verse the great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Heb. 4.14 Jesus the Son of God 3. The high-Priests then were but for a time but Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech Heb. 5.6 Heb. 7.3 Melchizedech saith the Apostle was without Father without Mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life That is as far as it is known and so is Christ without a Father on earth and without a Mother in Heaven without beginning and without end he abides a Priest perpetually even to the end of the World yea and the vertue of his Priesthood is infinitely beyond all time even for ever and ever 4. The high-Priests then entred only into that place that was Typically holy but Christ is entred into that place that is properly holy he is entred into the Heavens or if you will as into the holy of holies so into the heaven of heavens 5. The high Priests then did not always intercede for the people only once a year the high Priest entred into the holy of holies and after he had sprinkled the mercy-seat with blood and caused a cloud to rise upon the mercy-seat with his
I will not say that the very blood which Christ shed on the Cross is now in heaven nor that it speaks in heaven these cryings are merely Mataphorical yet this I maintain as real and proper that the power merit and vertue of Christ's blood is presented by our Saviour to his Father both as a publick satisfaction for our sin and as a publick price for the purchase of our glory 3. Christ's Intercession consists in the presenting of his will his request his interpellation for us John 17.24 grounded upon the vigor and vertue of his glorious merits Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me This was a piece of Christ's prayer while yet he was on earth and some say it is a summary of Christ's Intercession which now he makes for us in his glory he prayed on earth as he meant to pray for us when he came to heaven he hints at this in the beginning of his Prayer for he speaks as if all his work had been done on earth John 17.4 5. and as if then he were even beginning his work in heaven I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was I know it is a question whether Christ now in heaven do indeed and truth and in right propriety of speech pray for us some able Divines are for the Negative others for the Affimative For my part leaving a liberty to those otherwise minded according to their light I am of opinion that Christ doth not only intercede by an interpretative Prayer as in the presenting of himself and his merits to his Father but also by an express prayer or by an express and open representation of his will and to this opinion methinks these Texts agree I will pray the Father John 14.16 John 16.26 27. and he shall give you another Comforter and at that day ye shall ask in my Name and I say unto you that I will pray the Father for you when he saith I say not that I will pray for you it is the highest intimation that he would pray for them as it is our phrase I do not say that I will do this or that for you no not I when indeed we will most surely do it and do it to purpose Austin confirms this orat pro nobis orat in nobis oratur a nobis c. He prays for us he prays in us and he is prayed to by us he prays for us as he is our Priest Aug. Prefat in psalm 85. and he prays in us as he is our Head and he is prayed to by us as he is our God Ambrose tells us That Christ so now prays for us as sometimes he prayed for Peter that his faith should not fail Amb. super ad Roman 8. Methinks I imagine as if I heard Christ praying in heaven in this Language O my Father I pray not for the World I will not open my lips for any one Son of perdition but I imploy all my blood and all my prayers and all my interests with thee for my dear beloved precious Saints it is true thou hast given me a personal glory which I had with thee before the World was and yet there is another glory I beg for and that is the glory of my Saints O that they may be saved why I am glorified in them they are my joy John 17.10 13 24. and therefore I must have them with me where I am thou hast set my heart upon them and thou thy self hast loved them as thou hast loved me and thou hast ordained them to be one in us even as we are one and therefore I cannot live long asunder from them I have thy company but I must have theirs too I will that they be with me where I am If I have any glory they must have part of it this is my prayer that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Why thus Christ prayed while he was on Earth and if this same prayer be the summary of Christ's intercession or interpellation now he is in heaven we may imagine him praying thus it were too nice to question whether Christ's prayer in heaven be vocal or mental certainly Christ presents his gracious will to his Father in heaven some way or other and I make no question but he fervently and immoveably desires that for the perpetual vertue of his sacrifice all his members may be accepted of God and crowned with glory nor only is there a cry of his blood in heaven but Christ by his prayer seconds that cry of his blood an argument is handed to us by Master Goodwin thus As it was with Abel Goodwin Christ set forth so it is with Christ Abels blood went up to heaven and Abels soul went up to heaven and by this means the cry of Abels dead blood was seconded by the cry of Abels living soul his cause cryed and his soul cryed as it is said of the Martyrs that the souls of them that were slain for the Testimony which they held cryed with a loud voice saying how long Lord Holy and True dost thou not judge and avenge our blood that dwell on the earth Rev. 6.9 10. even so it is with Christ his blood went up to heaven and his soul went up to heaven yea his body soul and all his whole person went up to Heaven and by this means his cause cryes and he himself seconds the cry of his cause Jesus Christ in his own person ever liveth to make Intercession for us he ever liveth as the great Master of requests to present his desires that those for whom he dyed may be saved 4. Christ's Intercession consists in the presenting of our persons in his own person to his Father so that now God cannot look upon the Son but he must behold the Saints in his Son are they not members of his body in near relation to himself and are not all his Intercessions in behalf of them and only of them but how are all the Elect carried up into heaven with Jesus Christ and there set down before his Father in Jesus Christ I answer not actually but mystically when Christ intercedes he takes our persons and carries them in unto God the Father in a most unperceiveable way to us for the way or manner I leave it to others for my part I dare not be too inquisitive in a secret not revealed by God only this we say that Christ presents our persons to his Father in his own person and this was plainly shadowed out by that act or office of the high Priest who went into the holy of holies Exod. 28.12 with the names of all the Tribes of Israel upon his shoulders and upon his breast
not to his Father Thou art sure to speed well O my soul for God is the Father of thy Intercessor If I had a suit to some Majesty and the Prince would but mediate I might hope to speed Christ is Gods's Prince as I may call him and in respect of us The first-begotten of many brethren And herein is thy rejoycing that the party offended is Christ's own Father and in Christ thy Father fathers cannot be cruel to their own dear children What man amongst you whom if his son ask bread he will give him a stone or if he ask a fish Mat. 7.9 10 11. will he give him a Serpent If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him and especially if Christ himself ask 4. Consider of the persons for whom Christ intercedes it is for all the Elect and in particular for thee O the sweet of this one meditation if I knew that my name were written in Heaven should I not as Christ bids me rejoyce in this Luke 10.20 oh but what is it to have my name written in the chief part of Heaven what is it to have my name written in the breast-plate of Jesus Christ come read O my soul is it not thus written Isaac or Jacob I have prayed and I am praying for thee that thy faith fail not sure I am that I would not part with my hope in the priviledge for all the wide world the very consideration of this makes me to esteem of all the world as dross and dogs-meat And oh that ever the world or flesh or devil should steal this meditation out of my heart Oh that ever I should forget that Christs is gone to Heaven that he is entred into the Holy of Holies and that he carries my name into the presence of God the Father I speak the same to thee that readest if thou art a Believer there is no doubt of it but Christ is speaking a good word to his Father in thy behalf he can no more forget thee in his intercessions than a Mother with full breasts can forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb Now if ever look up to Jesus yea look and never leave looking till thou spiest thy own name writ on his heart it is enough to fix thy soul and to make it dwell on Jesus Christ thus carrying thee on his shoulders and bearing thee on his breast plate for a memorial unto his Father in Heaven 5. Consider of the agreement and difference betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the high Priests of old they did both intercede but Christ's intercessions are ever in a meer transcendent eminent way Christ is more faithful in his office and place than ever high Priest was Christ is more compassionate and pitiful than ever high Priest was and hence it is that he hath the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 5.11 one of many commiserations all is mercy and love and sweetness and more than motherly affection that comes from Christ O my soul why shouldst thou say with Israel Isa 40.27 My way is hidden from the Lord and my judgment is passed over by my God as if Jesus Christ had left thee out of the count of his people and out of the roll of those whom he is to look after No no he is a faithful and merciful High Priest far above all the high Priests of the Old Testament and if they were so careful not to leave out of their breast-plate one name of all the Twelve Tribes how much more careful is Christ not to leave out thy name in his intercession from this very Argument of Christ's compassion and Christ's faithfulness Heb. 3.1 2. the Apostle calls on us to consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who was faithful to him that appointed him above Aaron or Moses or any of the high Priests why consider him O my soul this Gospel-high Priest is well worthy indeed of thy consideration 6. Consider of the properties of Christ's intercession is it not heavenly and glorious effectual and prevailing and of all other the transactions of our salvation whilest this world lasts the most perfective and consummate O give me the intercessions of Christ above all the intercessions of Men or Angels I know the Saints on earth pray mutually one for another but they pray not in their own names or for their own merits but in the Name and for the merits of Jesus Christ and as for the Saints and Angels in Heaven Cypr. Epist Hier. lib. advers Vigil Cyprian and Jerome seem to grant that they pray for the state of the Church Militant but if so they do it only of charity as Brethren not of office as Mediators they do it only for the Church in general and not for any particular man or member of the Militant Church such an intercession as this so heavenly so effectual so perfective of our salvation so authoritative and publick found upon the satisfactory merits of the person interceding is proper only to Christ I would be glad of the prayers of all the Churches of Christ O that there were not a Saint on the earth but that I were by name in his morning and evening prayer whosoever thou art that readest I beseech thee pray for me but above all let me have a property in those prayers and intercessions that are proper only to Christ I am sure then I should never miscarry Christ's prayers are heavenly glorious and very effectual 7. Consider of the particulars wherein more especially Christ's intercession consists Is it not in the presenting of his person blood prayers interpellations is it not in the presenting of our persons performances pleas or answers to the accusations of Sathan men little think how busie our Mediator Sponsor Solicitor Advocate is now in Heaven for us men little think that Christ is appearing and his blood is crying and his prayers are ascending and his robe of righteousness is covering us and the iniquity of our holy things O my soul look up consider Jesus thy Saviour in these respects I am perswaded if thou didst but know if thou couldst but see what a deal of work Christ hath in hand and how he carries it on for thy salvation it would melt thy heart into very tears of joy Whilst Christ was on earth Luke 2.49 and his Mother had lost him he could then say Wist ye not that I must go about my Fathers business now Christ is in Heaven he is about the same business still all his employment in Heaven is to intercede for us that we may be saved very true there is much in this intercession of Jesus Christ it is a Tree of many branches and every branch fruitful so that if thou wouldst enlarge thy Meditation in this
will in the ears of God Surely this is the fruit the effect of Christ's intercession and therefore thou mayest comfortably conclude Christ's intercession is mine 2. If at any time in the midst of duties I am savingly affected then is Christ's intercession mine Sometimes it pleaseth God to appear in ordinances and the soul is comforted quickened enlarged affected why now I look on this as the efficacy of Christ's Blood and as the power of Christs intercession at that very instant that I feel any good in any ordinance of Christ why then even then is Christ prevailing with God his Father for what I feel then even then may I boldly say Now is the Lord Jesus who is at God's right hand in heaven remembring me a poor worm on earth Oh now I feel the fruit of his intercession Oh what is this spirit power grace comfort sweetness I drink of but a tast of the hony-comb with the end of my rod dropping from the intercessions of Jesus Christ and if this presence of Christ's Spirit be so sweet what is himself then I know we had need to be wary in laying down this sign it is clearly proved by an eminent Divine Mr. Burges of Assurance Mat. 13.20 Mark 16.20 John 5.35 that sweet motions of heart in holy things are not infallible Evidences of grace the third kind of hearers are said to receive the Word with joy they found some sweet and power in the Ordinances of Christ and Herod heard John gladly and many for a season rejoyced in John's light and Ministry Certainly affections in holy administrations with delight and joy may be in those who yet have no true grace so it may be that the novelty and strangeness of a doctrine may much affect and delight or the nature of the doctrine as it is comfortable without any respect to spiritual operation may exceedingly affect or the Ministers abilities because of his parts eloquence elocution affectionate utterance may much delight and stir up the hearers affections fine head-notions may produce some affectionate heart-motions but what symptome of grace in all this The sign therefore I lay down of my propriety in Christ's intercessions is not every sweet motion or every excited affection but that which is holy spiritual heavenly saving I may discern much of this if I will but look into the grounds and effects of my excited or stirred up affections if the ground thereof be fetched from Heaven and in their effect they tend towards Heaven if they wean my heart from the world if they elevate and raise up my affections to things above if they form and frame my conversation heaven-wards then may I be assured these motions and affections are of the right stamp for all such motions are but sparks of that heavenly fire the the flame whereof is mindful of its own original they are the fruits of Christ and they go back to Christ they work towards their center they tend towards the place from whence they came and in this respect O that I could never hear a Sermon without a savory affection of what I hear O that I could never go to prayer without some warmth and heat and life and fervency Oh that in every duty I were savingly affected that I felt the savour of Christ's ointments whose name and whose intercession is as an ointment poured forth in times of the Old Testament if they offered up a sacrifice and a material fire came down from Heaven and burnt up the sacrifice to ashes it was a certain testimony that the sacrifice was accepted Now in the time of the Gospel we must not expect material fire to come down upon our duties but hath the Lord at any time causâ—d an inward and spiritual fire to fall down upon thy heart warming thy spirit in duty and carrying it up heaven-ward Surely it so thou mayest safely conclude these are the very effects of Christ's intercession his intercession is mine 3. If in my heart I feel a holy frame disposition inclination to pray and cry and intercede for others especially for the miseries and distresses of the Church of God then is Christ's intercession mine We should as near as we may in every thing conform to Christ and this conformity is an evidence or sign to us of our interest in Christ O my soul go down into the inmost closet of thy heart look what disposition there is in it towards the members of Christ and thou mayest conclude there is in Christ's heart the very same disposition towards thee Ah! do I think there is love in my bosom towards the Saints and that there is no love in Christ's bosome towards me what can I think that my narrow straitened sinful bowels are larger than those wide compassionate tender bowels of Jesus Christ as a drop of water is in comparison of the Ocean and as a gravel-stone is in comparison of the sand so is my heart to Christ's and my love to Christ's and my bowels to Christ's Come then and try by this sign Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life if we love the brethren he that loveth not his brother abideth in death Hereby perceive we the love of God 1 John 3.14.16 because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren is not this plain if I love the brethren Christ loveth me if I feel in my heart an holy disposition to go to God and to pray and cry and intercede for a Saint in misery surely the Lord Jesus hath as much bowels towards me to go and intercede for me and to present my prayers unto God the Father his intercession is mine 4. If I am called justified sanctified then is Christ's intercession mine are not these the subject matter of Christ's intercession I pray saith Christ that thou shouldst keep them from the evil I pray that thou wouldst sanctifie them through the truth John 17 15 17 20 24. neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word or preaching Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me in glory He first prayes that we may be called and justified and then he prayes that we may be sanctified and saved he holds at both ends of this golden chain of our salvation the one end is hanged at his breast where the names of all his Saints are written and the other end is at his heart that he may be the Author and finisher the first and last the beginning and ending of our souls salvation alas there is nothing in us in our reach here below the first stirrings of grace is up in Heaven at the right hand of the Father and the far end of any gracious thought is as far above us as the heart of Christ is above the earth Come then sith all hangs on this great pin of Christ's intercession let us search and try are we called do we
alledge that this priviledge was granted to Peter as an Apostle but we say that if it was granted to Peter as an Apostle then it was common to Peter and Judas in that both were Apostles They alledge further that Christ prayes not for the absolute perseverance of Believers but after a sort and upon condition But we say the Prayer of Christ is certain and not suspended in this Prayer his desire is not for Peter that would presevere but his desire is for Peter that he should persevere the object of the thing for which Christ prayes is distinct from the thing it self prayed for 9. That we might have the salvation of our souls in the day of Jesus John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they might behold my glory Why this is the main end in respect of us our glory and indeed herein is the main piece of our glory to behold this glory Oh to see the Lord Jesus Christ glorified as he shall be glorified must be a glorious thing What is it to see his glory but to behold the lustre of his Divinity through his humanity In this respect our very eyes shall come to see God as much as is possible for any creature to see him we may be sure God shall appear through the humanity of Christ as much as is possible for the Divinity to appear in a creature and therefore Men and Angels will be continually viewing of Christ I know there is another glory of Christ which the Father will put upon him Because he humbled himself therefore God will exalt him Rev. 14.4 and give him a name above every name and we shall see him in this glory O the ravishing sight of Saints Christ is so lovely that the Saints cannot leave but they must and will follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes there shall be no moment to all eternity wherein Christ shall be out of sight to so many thousand thousands of Saints now this is the glory of the Saints above as a Queen that sees the Prince in his glory she delights in it because it is her glory so the Church when she shall see Christ her Husband in his glory she shall rejoyce in it because she looks upon it as her own Is not this a blessed end of Christ's intercession why hither tend all the rest all the other ends end in this and for this above all Christ intercedes to his Father Father Cant. 3.11 I would have my Saints with me O that all the daughters of Zion may behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith thou hast crowned him in the day of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart Only one Question and I have done how should I set my faith on work to act on Christ's intercession for these ends I answer 1. Faith must perswade it self that here is a vertue in Christ's intercession Certainly every passage and acting of Christ hath its efficacy and therefore there is vertue in this it is full of juyce it hath a strong influence in it 2. Faith must consider that it is the design of God and the intendment of Christ that this intercession should be for the good of those that are given to Christ O there 's enough in Christ enough in Christ's intercession to convey communion the Spirit protection free access to the Throne of Grace a Spirit of prayer pardon of sins continuance in grace salvation of souls to the Saints and people of God through all the world and this is the design of God that Christ's intercession should be as the fountain whence all these streams must run and be conveyed unto us 3. Faith must act dependantly upon the intercession of Christ for these very ends this is the very nature of Faith it relyes upon God in Christ and upon all the actings of Christ and upon all the promises of Christ so then Is there a desirable end in Christ's intercession which we aim at O let us act our Faith dependantly let us rely stay or lean upon Christ to that same end let us roul our selves or cast our selves upon the very intercession of Jesus Christ Saying O my Christ there is enough in thee and in this glorious intercession of thine and therefore there will I stick and abide for ever 4. Faith must ever and anon be trying improving wrestling with God that vertue may go out of Christ's intercession into our hearts I have heard Lord that there is an Office erected in heaven that Christ as Priest should be ever praying and interceding for his people O that I may feel the efficacy of Christ's intercession am I now in prayer O that I could feel in this prayer the warmth and heat and spiritual fire which usually falls down from Christ's intercession into the hearts of his Lord warm my spirit in this duty give me the kisses of thy mouth O that I may now have communion with thee thy Spirit upon me thy protection over me O that my pardon may be sealed my grace confirmed my soul saved in the day of Jesus In this method O my soul follow on and who knows but God may appear e're thou art aware howsoever be thou in the use of the means and leave the issue with God SECT VI. Of loving Jesus in that Respect 6. LEt us love Jesus as carrying on this great work of our salvation in his intercession Now two things more especially will excite our love 1. Christ's love to us 2. Our propriety in Christ For the first many acts of Christ's love have appeared before and every one is sufficient to draw our loves to him again As 1. He had an eternal love to man he feasted himself on the thoughts of love delight and free-grace to man from all eternity since God was God O boundless duration the Lord Jesus in a manner was loving and longing for the dawning of the day of the Creation he was as it were with child of infinite love to man before he made the world Some observe that the first words which ever Christ wrote were Love to Believers and these were written with glory for it was before gold was and they were written upon his bosom for then other books were not 2. In the beginning of time he loved man above all creatures for after he had made them all he then speaks as he never did before Let us make man in our image after our likeness Gen. 1.26 and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattel and over all the earth and though man at that very instant unmade himself by sins Christ's love yet was not broken off but held forth in a promise till the day of performance The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed 3. In the fulness of time his
such custom neither the Churches of God 2. Because it favours too much of the error of Arrius Nestorius and indeed of the Romanists themselves 3. Because our prayers are most-what directed to Christ in his person or divine subsistence whose part is rather to give than to ask or if they are directed to Christ as Mediator and not simply as the only begotten Son of God then I see no incongruity though in the former respect some inconvenience but that we may pray to Christ to intercede for us for so he is God and man and he is considered according to both Natures only the difference of both Natures is still to be kept and maintained intercession is the office of the whole person of Christ and of the two natures of Christ But he performs this office one way according to his Divine nature and another way according to his humane nature I list not to quarrel about niceties it is thus agreed on all hands and that is enough to our purpose that we may call on Jesus or on God the Father in and through Jesus that Christ's intercessions may be ours and that he would make it out to us in a way of assurance every day more and more 2. Let us praise let us bless God and bless Christ for every transaction in Heaven for us It is a wonder to observe what songs of praise were chanted to Christ in Heaven for that one transaction of opening the Book and loosing the seven Seals thereof first The four beasts Rev. 5.8 9 11 12 13 14. and then the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints and they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood And then the Angels round about the Throne whose number was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands came on saying worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing And then every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea came on saying blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever and the four beasts and four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever I cannot tell what other transactions may be in Heaven we have but hints of them here nor shall we fully or particularly know them till we come to Heaven but for this one transaction of Christ's intercession we cannot imagine less praise to be given to Christ than for any other O then let us do this duty on earth as it is done in Heaven what is Christ praying for us O let us be on the exercise of praising him is Christ interceding for us let us give him the glory of his intercession Heaven is full of his praises O why should not earth ring with the sound thereof Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LEt us conform to Jesus in respect of his intercession I cannot think but in every action of Christ there is something imitable of us And as to the present work I shall instance only in these few particulars As 1. Christ appears in Heaven for us let us appear on earth for him Is there not equity as well as conformity in this duty O my soul consider what thy Christ is doing consider wherein the intercession of Jesus Christ consists is not this the first part of it why he appears in Heaven before Saints and Angels and before God his Father in thy behalf and art thou afraid to appear before worms mortals dust and ashes in his cause or for his truth shall Jesus Christ own thee in Heaven and wilt thou not own Jesus Christ here in this world shall Jesus Christ as thy great high Priest take thy very name carry it upon his breast into the presence of God and wilt not thou take the Name of Christ and hold it forth in profession and practise to all men Oh what a mighty engagement is here to stand to Christ and to appear for Christ and to own his cause in these backsliding-times in that Christ who sits at the right hand of God is willing and ready to appear in person for us both as a Mediator and Sponsor and Solicitor and Advocate and Leiger Embassador 2. Christ spends all his time for us and our salvation let us spend all our time for him and in his service the Apostle tells us that He ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 it is not for a day or a month or a year but he lives for ever upon this account for ever i.e. during all the time from his Ascension until the end of the world he is still interceding he spends of all that time for us and shall we think it too much time to spend a few dayes that we have here to live upon the earth for him one thinks this the greatest Argument in the world to make us to walk closely with God in Christ He spends of his eternity for us and shall not we spend of our whole time for him surely people do not think what Christ is doing in Heaven for them if you who are Saints would but seriously consider that Christ this Sabbath this day of rest is at his work that without any weariness or intermission from morning till evening and from evening till morning he is ever ever interceding how would this engage you in his service Ah Christians if you should continue praying praising reading hearing all this day without any intermission or breaking off Oh what weariness O how would you say When will the day be done when will the Sabbath be at an end Well but Christ is not weary of serving you this Sabbath and the last Sabbath and the other Sabbath and every Sabbath when you had done your duties he took your persons and duties and presented all unto his Father he prayed over your prayers and continued praying and saying Lord accept of a short poor lean imperfect service done on earth for my sake and for those merits sake which I am continually presenting to thee here in heaven Oh why do we not come up to this conformity Oh why are we so uncomformable to the actings of Christ he is preparing Mansions for us in Heaven and are we digging in this world he is making mention of our names to God and are we sinning against him and God his blood cryes O that these souls may be saved and shall our sins cry It is just that these souls should be damned O mind the exemplar Christ spends
all his time for you do you spend all your time for him we cannot but judge this to be most equal that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who ever lives to make intercession for them 3. He prayes for us and for all believers to his Father let us pray for our selves and for all our brethren and for all sorts of men though they be our enemies for we were no better to â—esus Christ Learn of me saith Christ and so far as he is imitable let us follow him doth Christ pray let us pray doth he pray for us and others let us pray for our selves 1 Tim. 2.1 and then let us pray one for another I exhort therefore saith the Apostle that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men Isa 27.4 Rom. 15.30 Isa 62.7 And come lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left said the King to Isaiah and Wrestle together in prayer for me said Paul and Give the Lord no rest till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth said the Prophet Christ intercedes and there is no question but we should intercede for the living Saints Brethren pray for us 1 Thes 5.25 said the Apostle whosoever thou art that readest I beseech thee remember me in thy prayers it may be thou art nearer God and more in favour with God than such a poor sinner as I am as Mordecai set Ester on work to intercede for him with the King and for his people so 't is our duty to crave the prayers of such who are upon better terms possibly with the Lord than we our selves are at the present Only I could wish thy prayers at such a time when thy heart is got nearest to God by special stirrings of faith and love I suppose thou canst not have a spirit and power of prayer but sometimes or other thou art as it were in the lap of Christ upon the Spouses knee in the Beloveds bosom O then make a request for an unworthy one O then if ever intercede for me because then I read Christ's own intercession in thy intercession what is thy prayer then but as the eccho of Christ's prayer the Amen to Christ's intercessions which he makes in heaven Christians 't is our duty to put one another upon praying one for another Christ intercedes for us and so should we intercede for his called or uncalled if so they belong to the election of grace 4. Christ takes our prayers and mingles them with his own prayers intercessions incense and so presents all as one work mingled together unto God the Father O let this be our care to put up all our prayers to God in the Name of Christ and to stay our selves upon the intercessions of Christ when all is done let us beg the acceptance of our prayers not for our sakes nor for our prayers sake but for his sake who perfumes our prayers by interweaving them with his prayers Many a poor soul is many time afraid to pray to God for want of the due consideration of this conformity such a one goes to prayer and he looks upon it as it lyes upon his own heart or as it comes from himself and then he cries Oh what a poor weak sinful imperfect impenitent prayer is this well but if this weak prayer of thine be once mingled with the glorious and heavenly prayer of Jesus Christ the weakness will soon vanish and thy prayer will find acceptance with God the Father it is with your prayers and duties as it is with your fire your kitchin-fire is troubled with abundance of smoak but if ever it could ascend into the element of fire above it would smoak no more so your prayer while it lies upon your own hearth there 's a great deal of smoak in it but if ever it get up into the hands of Jesus Christ there it is in its own element and so it is freed from all its smoak and so the weakness of it is done away O conform to Christ in this point he will not present thy prayers to God but he will first mingle it with his own prayers no more shouldst thou present a prayer to God but in Christ's Name considering that all thy prayers find acceptance in for and through the intercession of Jesus Christ If it were not for this I profess I knew not how to answer the cavils of our dissolute adversaries who throw down prayers as of no use at all for us they object Thou canst not pray say they by thy own confession without some defect imperfection Object sin and if so there is need of a new prayer to beg pardon for the defects of that prayer and then another prayer to heal the flaws of that prayer and then another to do as much for that and so in infinitum by this means there would be an infinite progression without any stop at any prayer to all Answ I answer This Objection were valid if there were no intercession of Christ to stay our selves and our prayers on but as we grant requests many times for some friends sake rather than for the parties sake so God doth alway grant requests for Christ's sake never for our own sakes Thou objectest there are many defects in our prayers as made by us but I answer there is no defects in the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ for whose sake alone they are granted of God and therefore our prayers being made in Christ's Name they may stay their heads in Christ's bosom in this respect we need not still to run our selves in a Circle this being the last resolution Christ's merits and Christ's intercession Christ offers up our persons and wooden prayers in his golden Censer to his Father Christ's intercession therefore is that which doth the deed Now to say our prayers are of no use it is all one as to say his intercession is of no use not that we are so good that he cannot take exception against us and our prayers but because Christ is so good and his intercession for us is so good that he neither can not will take exception against him or his intercession for us and in this case Christ and Christians make one person as it were in law his intercession for us and our intercessions for our selves are but one intercession and indeed he so mingles them that they seem but one for the smoak of the incense and the prayers of the Saints ascend up together before God out of the Angels hand Rev. 8.4 Rev. 8.4 5. Christ pleads the cause of his people and answers all the accusations of Satan against them Oh let us plead for them for whom Christ pleads and answer the accusations of Satans or his instruments against their persons or their wayes We have a strange generation of men abroad whose very Religion consists in rayling reviling reproaching the Servants of the living God not the best
souls must Judge our souls if he that hath a great interest and increase of joy in our salvation must pass our sentence will not this work us into a rejoycing frame 3. Christ's sentence is the Christian's acquittance I may call it his general acquittance from the beginning of the World to the end thereof Hence some call this the day of the believers full justification they were before made just and esteemed just but now by a lively sentence they shall be pronounced just by Christ himself now is the compleat acquittance or the full absolution from all sin now will Christ pardon and speak out his pardon once for all now will he take his book wherein all our sins as so many debts or trespasses are written and he will cancel all Acts 3.19 Your sins shall be blotted out saith Peter when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And is not this enough to cause our joy when the spirit witnessing with our spirits doth but in part assure us of sins pardon is it not exceeding sweet Oh but how sweet will be that sentence which will fully resolve the question and leave no room of doubting any more for ever consider O my soul the day is a coming when the Judge of Heaven and Earth will acquit thee of all thy sins before all the World it is a part of his business at that day to glorifie his Justice and free grace in thy absolution O Christians how may we comfort one another with these words 4. Christ in the issue will lead us into glory As the Bridegroom after nuptials leads his Bride to his own home that there they may live together and dwell together so Christ our royal Bridegroom will lead us into the Palace of his glory And is not this joy of our Lord enough to cause our Joy Oh what embraces of love what shaking of hands what welcomes shall we have into this City there shall we see Christ in his garden there shall we be set as a seal on Christ's arme and as a seal upon his heart there shall we be filled with his love enlightned with his light encircled in his arms following his steps and praising his Name and admiring his glory there shall we joy indeed For in thy presence there is fulness of joy Psal 16.11 and at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore There is joy and full joy and fulness of joy there are pleasures and pleasures evermore and pleasures evermore at God's right hand O the musick of the sanctuary O the sinless and well-tuned Psalms O the Songs of the high Temple without either Temple or Ordinances as we have them here can we choose to joy at the thought of this joy above if God would so dispense that even now we might stand at the utmost door of Heaven and that God would strike up a window and give us a spiritual eye and an heavenly heart so that we could look in and behold the Throne and the Lamb and the troops of glorified ones cloathed in white would not this chear up our hearts and fill them with joy unspeakable and full of glory certainly this day will come when Christ will bring us not only to the dore but through the gates into the City and then we shall see all these sights and hear all the musick made in heaven how then should we but joy in the hope of the glory of God O methinks raised thoughts of our mansion in glory should make us swim through the deepest Sea of troubles and afflictions and never fear Come then O my drowzy soul and harken to these motives if yet thou seest not the Son it self appear methinks the twilight of a promise should revive thee it is but a little while And he that shall come will come and he will not tarry It may be thou art reviled and persecuted here on Earth and what then hath not Christ bid thee to rejoyce in afflictions is it not his word that in this very case thou shouldst rejoyce Matth. 5.12 1 Pet. 4.12 and be exceeding glad is it not his command Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryals but rather rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy We must rejoyce now that we may rejoyce then indeed our present joy is a taste of our future joy and God would have us to begin our Heaven here on Earth Come then come forth O my dull conjealed heart thou that spendest thy days in sorrow and thy breath in sighing that minglest thy bread with tears and drinkest the tears which thou weepest thou that prayest for joy and waitest for joy and longest for joy and complainest for want of joy O the times a coming when thou shalt have fulness of joy the times a coming when the Angels shall bring thee to Christ and when Christ shall take thee by the hand and lead thee into his purchased joy and present thee unspotted before his Father and give thee thy place about his Throne and dost thou not rejoyce in this art thou not exceedingly raised in such a Meditation as this surely if one drop of lively faith were but mixed with these motives thou mightest carry an Heaven within thee and go on ever singing to thy grave say then dost thou believe or dost thou not believe if thy faith be firm how should'st thou but rejoyce if thou rollest thy self on Christ and on that promise I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you how shouldst thou but rejoyce and be exceeding glad if thou lookest upon the holy Ghost as designed by the Father and the Son to bring joy and delight into thy soul how shouldst thou but be filled with the water of life with the oyl of gladness and with the new wine of the Kingdom of God O the blessed workings of faith on such a subject as this if once we are but justified by faith and that we can act our faith on Christ's glorious coming then it will follow Rom. 5.1 2 3. that we shall have peace with God and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God and not only so but we shall glory in tribulation also SECT VIII Of calling on Jesus in that respect 8. LEt us call on Jesus as carrying on our souls salvation at his second coming this contains prayer and praise 1. Let us pray for the coming of Christ this was the constant prayer of the Church Come Lord Jesu come quickly The spirit and the Bride say come Well knows the Bride that the day of Christ's coming is her wedding day Rev. 22.17 her coronation day the day of presenting her unto his Father and therefore no wonder if she pray for the hastening of it Make hast my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart thy Kingdom come
Cant. 8.14 Many prayers are in the bowels of this as that Christ when he comes may bid us welcome and give us a place on his Throne on his right hand and pronounce us blessed and take us to himself to live with himself in eternal glory c. But I mention onely this general and let each soul expatiate on the rest 2. Let us praise him for his coming and for all his actings at his coming Our engagement to Christ even for this transaction is so great that we can never enough extol his Name at that day the books shall be opened and why not the book of our engagements to Jesus Christ if it must be opened I can surely tell you it is written full the page and margent both within and without is written full it 's an huge book of many volumes O then let our hearts be full of praises let us joyn with those blessed Elders that fell down before the Lamb and sung Worthy it the Lamb that was slain to receive power Rev. 5.12 and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Yea let us joyn with all those creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the Sea whom John heard saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the throne Ver. 13. and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Amen SECT IX Of conforming to Jesus in that respect 9. LET us conform to Jesus as coming again to judge the World Looking to Jesus contains this when the Apostle would perswade Christians to patience under the cross he lays down first the cloud of witnesses all the Martyrs of the Church of Christ and secondly Jesus Christ himself as of more vertue and power than all the rest the Martyrs suffered much but Christ endured more than they all and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12.2 look unto Jesus surely he is the best exemplar the chief pattern to whom in all his transactions we may in some way or other conform But how should we conform to Christ in this respect I Answer 1. Christ will in his time prepare for judgment Oh let us at all times prepare for his judging of us doth it not concern us to prepare for him as well as it concerns him to prepare for us if Christ come and find us careless negligent unprepared what will become of us the very thought of Christ's sudden coming to judgment might well put us into a waiting watching posture that we might be still in readiness it cannot be long and alas what is a little time when it is gone how quickly shall we be in another World and our souls receive their particular judgments and so wait till our bodies be raised and judged to the same condition or salvation it is not an hundred years in all likelyhood till every soul of us shall be in heaven or hell it may be within a year or two or ten or thereabouts the greatest part of this congregation will be in Heaven or Hell and I beseech you what is a year or two or ten what is an hundred or a thousand years to the dayes of eternity how speedily is this gone and how endless is that time or eternity that is come is it not high time then to prepare our lamps to trim our souls to watch and fast and pray and meditate and to remember that for all our deeds good or evill God will bring us to Judgment herein is our Conformity to Christ's coming before he comes he prepares for us oh let us against his coming prepare for him 2. Christ at his coming will summon all his Saints to arise to ascend and to come to him in the clouds O let us summon our souls to arise to ascend and to go to Christ in the Heavens What Christ will do really at that day let us do spiritually on this day It was the prodigal's saying I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Luk. 15.18 We are naturally sluggish we lye in a bed of sin and security and we are loath to arise to ascend and to go to God Oh then let us call upon our own souls Awake awake Deborah why art thou so heavy O my soul let us stir up our spirits consciences wills affections every day let us wind them up as a man doth his Watch that it may be in a continual motion Alas alas we had need to be continually stirring up the gifts and graces that are in us it is the Lords pleasure that we should daily come to him he would have us on the wing of Prayer and on the wing of Meditation and on the wing of Faith he would have us to be still arising ascending and mounting up in divine contemplation to his Majesty And is it not our duty and the Saints disposition to be thus Whethersoever the dead carcass is thither will the Eagles resort Matth. 24.28 if Christ be in Heaven where should we be but in Heaven with him For where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also Oh that every morning and every evening at least our hearts would arise ascend and go to Christ in the Heavens 3. Christ will at last judge all our souls and judge all the wicked to eternal flames oh let us judge our selves that we may not be judged of the Lord in that sad Judgment If we would judge our selves saith the Apostle we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11.31 Good reason we have to conform to Christ in this point or otherwise how should we escape the judgment of Christ at the last day but in what manner should we judge our selves I answer 1. We must search out our sins 2. We must confess them before the Lord. 3. We must condemn our selves or pass a sentence against our own souls 4. We must plead pardon and cry mightily to God in Christ for the remission of all those sins whereof we have judged our selves and condemned our selves 1. We must search out our sins Winnow your selves O people not worthy to be beloved Zeph. 2.1 There should be a strict scrutiny to find out all the prophaness of our hearts and lives all our sins against light and love and checks and vows winnow your selves If you will not I pronounce to you from the eternal God that ere long the Lord will come in the Clouds and then will he open the black Book wherein all your sins are written he will search Jerusalem with candles he will come with a Sword in his hand to search out all secure sinners every where and then will all your sins be discovered to all the World O that we would prevent this by our search and scrutining a forehand 2. We must confess our sins before the Lord we must spread them before the Lord as Hezekiah did his letter onely in our confessions observe these rules As 1. Our confession must be full of sorrow Psal 38.18 I