is the light of the Spirit Now we have all this freedome because the Son hath made us free by bearing those burthens for us and what Christ hath borne for a believer that a believer is fully redeemed from Thirdly Christ hath borne the punishment due to sinne for us See this in Isa Isa 35 4 5.8.10 11. 35.4 5.8.10 11. Observe the Text. Surely he borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed For the transgressions of my people was he smitten It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to griefe to make his soule an offering for sinne and he shall see of the travell of his soule and be satisfied I know not how fuller expressions should be made to set out this thing That Christ hath borne the punishment due to sin for the believer as fully as he hath the sinnes themselves With his stripes we are healed that is the punishment of our sins which he did beare for us so that as the wrath of God due to sinne we shall never beare them again for what Christ hath borne for us he hath delivered us from the bearing of it in our owne persons otherwise Christ dyed in vaine and this Text is not made good if we be not healed by his stripes Now if the punishment be not taken from the believer as well as the sinne how is the wounds of that soule healed by the stripes that Christ bore for it And if any shall say God made Christ to beare the believers sinnes but the believer must beare the punishment due to those sins though Christ was wounded bruised and chastised for them Such an affirmation will beare very hard upon the justice of God and question that truth of our Saviour upon the crosse that he had finished the worke of redemption part of which is the punishment as well as the sinne I verily believe when Christ bore the curse of the law he did beare the punishment due to all the sinnes of all his people and though I doe believe that God chastiseth every child whom hee loveth yet those chastnings are the fruits of his love and not of his wrath Christ hath borne all that in being made a curse for us Lastly Christ hath borne death for us as it is the wages of sinne 1 Cor. 15.53 to the end By which meanes death is swallowed up of victory The sting of death which is sinne and the strength of sinne which is the law have lost themselves their strength when they entered into Christ so that now a believer can blesse God that through Christ he hath victory over death sin hell law and grave and why so Why because Christ hath gone through he hath borne and overcome all these for us and wee are more then conquerours through Christ that strengthens us We are more because none of these can conquer Christ but he hath to all eternity overcome them for us This sting of death is swallowed up of victory for it is buried in the wounds of Christ but Christ is risen and is at the right hand of God and because he lives we live also John 14.19 Joh. 14.19 The second observation is this Observ 2 What-ever the free grace of God hath taken off from his Elect and laid upon Jesus Christ that his divine justice neither can nor will at any time to all eternity lay upon the elect soule againe This is justice sutable to his covenant of grace in the 31. of Jer. 34. For I will forgive their iniquities Jer. 31.34 remember their sinnes no more The faithfull God engages himselfe to remember his peoples sins no more and to make it good he layes them upon Christ which satisfieth his justice and carryeth our sins into the land of Forgetfulnesse Doe but observe how Gods justice as well as his mercy is engaged to make good this his owne covenant of grace For the law of creation that was doe and live self could not doe therefore selfe must dye Now surely the law of grace is not stricter then the law of creation so that Christ having fulfilled the whole law and performed every tittle of his Fathers will for us the justice of God is engaged to acquit Christ who hath paid the utmost farthing in him to acquit us for whom he hath made this full satisfaction As it was free grace in God to make us one with Christ so it is compleate justice that wee live in Christ who hath dyed for us And what ever Christ as the gift of free grace hath borne for us God in justice will never lay upon his elect in Christ again Whoever will deny this must deny God to be just and his covenant of lesse value then the covenant of a faithfull man his grace neither free nor full grace Christ not a compleat Saviour and then his death of no effect Now looke backe upon this truth and you shall behold sin the curse of the law punishment due to sin from the law of creation and death with its sting in it all borne by Christ for his elect body so that they shall never beare any of them more in their owne persons then glory in the free grace of God and the full redemption of Jesus Christ Thirdly Observ 3 Observe here the exceeding love that Christ shewes to those poore soules which his Father hath given him That hee would take upon himselfe the curse of the law the punishment of sinne due to fallen man and all this to redeeme them which his Father had given him though they lay under sin law punishment and death It had been great love and condiscention in Christ being God only to have taken our nature though he had never taken any thing else But then what love is this to take our sins and all that followed sin upon him Hee hath borne that weight for us which would have pressed us to hell if we had lain under it in our owne strength Rom. 5.8 These are heighths and breadths and depths and lengths of love Rom. 5.8 This commends love indeed to choose to beare all evill to deliver the sinner from it and by the same act to involve the sinner into all good Fourthly Observ 4 Observe from hence the glorious condition of a soule in union with Christ hee is taken up into the glory of God the bosome of his love he lives because Christ lives and as Christ lives above sin above a condemning reigning law above the punishment of sin and above death as it is the wages of sin above all that is below God Our fellowship saith the Text is with the Father and the Sonne and these things we write unto you that your joy may be full It is a life in the spirit above the flesh a feasting upon the fat things in Gods house and a resting upon the full
was made under the curse of the law in the 13. verse of Gal. 3. The curse and the worke of the law was not separated to Christ when hee came to satisfie justice no more is it to any soule In the 11. verse is a second position of the Apostle which is also a confirmation of the former The position is this That no man is justified by the law in the sight of God the demonstration of this truth followeth in the end of the same verse and in the 12. verse which shews First that God never intended life by the law Gal. 3.21 If there had been a law which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the law this is plaine it is not Gods meaning that righteousnesse should be by the law because he hath not given such a law out of Christ which is able to give life Ephes 2.8 For by grace yee are saved through faith Ephes 2.8 and that not of your selves it is the gift of God All salvation is of grace wholly out of our selves God had another end in giving the law then that the soules of his people should worke life from it and this end is fuller of glory to his own grace and of safety to our eternall soules namely that sin might become exceeding sinfull and grace to be exceeding riches of grace The Apostle tels us he had not known sinne but by the law and had there been no law there had beene no transgression If no transgression had been nor any sin known then the glory of free grace had not beene lifted up as now it is If the law had not discovered sinne the soule had never known the want nor the worth of a crucified Jesus who is the great gift of the free grace of God and a perfect eternall Redeemer of a poore lost soule Secondly As God never intended life to fallen man by the workes of the law Levit. 18.5 Gen. 2.10 so man can never gaine life by the workes of the law Levit. 18.5 Gen. 2.10 There must be a perfect doing of all the statutes and judgements of the Lord by every soule that meanes to live in them and have life from them It is not a tittle lesse then keeping the whole law which can advantage any soule that seekes life from it So as that soule which in it selfe cannot keepe the whole law shall never gain life by the workes of the law Gal. 2.16 Gal. 2.16 The Apostle there speakes positively twice that no man is justified by the workes of the law and that by the workes of the law no man shall be justified This is such a standing truth that nothing which either is or can be done shall contradict it The second observation is this Observ 2 That the law of works condemns every soule in the first Adam but justifies no soule The law speaks only thus doe and live which to fallen man is nothing but the language of death Rom. 7.8 9. A righteous law to an unrighteous soule gives life to the sinne but death to the soule Observe the Text When the Commandement came sinne revived and I dyed By the command sinne became exceeding sinfull A soule fallen from God can in it selfe make no other use of the knowledge of Gods righteous law but to sinne against it consult the Text in this case But sinne taking occasion by the commandement wrought in me all manner of concupiscense As if he had said When once God discovered his holy law that sinfull nature and unholinesse that is in me made use of it by way of opposition to run into all manner of concupiscence though the law of creation justifies a holy Creator yet it condemnes a fallen unholy creature By the workes of the law shall no man be justified in his sight but that soule which lives upon them shall be accursed and condemned in the want of one tittle there lies a curse a condemnation in the law to fallen man but no possibility of being justified by it in the sight of a holy just God But now that we may not be as soules without hope though he strips us here of all our owne righteousnesse and leaves us by nature under the curse of the law yet in the next verse hee shewes us a perfect redemption from the curse of the law by Christ who was made under the law to beare the curse and to fulfill the law for us And here I shall be a little more large then in what hath gone before for I have found by experience that the more cleare knowledge a soule hath in this point the more is the free grace of God with the comfort and safety of a poore soule advanced In this 13. verse the Apostle layes down a third position namely That every elect soule is redeemed from the curse of the law through or by Christs being made a curse for us Deut. 21.23 The Text speaks plainly thus he that is hanged is accursed it is a paralell place with the end of this 13. verse Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Thus Christ was made a curse now that Christ was thus made a curse for us for his elect body which was under the law Gal. 4.4 5. looke into that Gal. 4.4 5. where the Text saith That when the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a woman made under the law to redeeme them that were under the law that wee might receive the adoption of sonnes None can doubt but that Christ is here meant by the Sonne of God and then the Text speaks plainly that God in the fulnesse of his owne time sent Christ in the flesh made under the law to redeeme his elect body that were under the workes and the curse of the law and to bring them to receive the adoption of sons and in this worke Christ was made a curse for us The first observation from hence is this That what-ever Christ hath borne for a believer that a believer is fully redeemed from It is the Apostles owne argument in this place for sayes he Christ being made a curse for us wee are thereby redeemed from the curse And the same Apostle in Rom. 8.32 33 34. Rom. 8.32 33 34. hath the same Argument If God delivered Christ up to death to dye for us then we are delivered and Christ having dyed for us who shall lay any thing to our charge It is God that justifies and Christ that dyed Christ had not dyed but that God might justifie Christ had not been made a curse for us but that God in justice might acquit us from the curse So in the two first verses of Rom. 8. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ And the law of the spirit of life in Christ makes the soul free from the law of sinne and death And in John 8.36 Joh. 8.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed This is our Saviours
one dyed for all then were all dead I dyed to sinne in Christ and if now I live it should not be to my selfe but to Christ 2 Cor. 5.14 15. And to this the love of Christ constraines me For sayes he This I know who ever is in Christ is a new creature Olde things are passed away and behold all things are become new vers 17. And therefore saith he what ever is sinne is the old man and of this he cries out as the Apostle in Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am the law of my flesh rebels against the law of my minde Sin hath lesse entertainment no where then where the love of God by his Spirit dwels perfect love shuts out feare saith the Text and perfect love kils corruption Love to Christ kils and buries sin when legal fear only layes it in a swound it lives againe and possibly kils the legall soule at last but this spirituall man he keepes nothing to himselfe but carries all to God and Christ he lives only in God and Christ and when he finds corruption in himselfe he presently by the spirit layes it downe at the feete of Christ and tels him my glory saith he is to live in thee and what ever is thine and thy glory is to live in mee and in the death of my corruptions Oh then be zealous of thy glory thou hast taken the guilt and punishment of all my corruptions from me Is it not also for thy glory to take the reigne and the power of them from me too Yes saith Christ and I will make my promise good Sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace True Lord sayes the soule and I believe it that to live under grace is the only way to keepe sin under me Thus a spirituall soule having a sight of his sinnes of all men hath least feare in point of condemnation because this soule is filled with the perfect love of God which casts out feare but the in-being of this love of God in a soule makes as little love to all the profers of sin as it hath feare of the condemnation of it Sin in all its temptations hath the soonest denyall from such a soule of any for he answers sin thus Sin sayes he The love of Christ constrains me to hate thee This soule tels sin he will but lose his labour in tempting him for sayes he I am not at my owne disposing I have given my selfe up to Christ already and Christ hath taken possession of me and lives in me by his Spirit and for thy temptations I shall carry them to Christ and sure I am thou canst not live in his presence he hath overcome thee for me and he will destroy thee in me Thus the spirit changes a soule from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan unto God and is made to live in this light which is the light of Gods reconciled countenance in the face of Christ And in this vision of God and Christ the soule is changed into the image of Christ from glory to glory even as by the Spirit 2 Cor. 3d. last This spiritual man as he lives upon God in the spirit so he worships God in the Spirit he knowes neither the Mount nor Hierusalem as his place to worship in he only knows Christ as the proper medium to worship God in and he knowes not Christ after the flesh neither but after the spirit his feasting is with God and upon God he knowes no formes or figure nor externals to make him a rest of he can only rest in the bosome of God and Christ he knowes no fellowship but with the Father and the Son as hee enjoyes God and Christ in Saints so hee hath sweete fellowship with them God is both the light and the life of his worship he makes God his way and his end in his worship This is a Dove that can rest no where but in the Arke Church-fellowship to him without Christ is no more then a selected piece of the darke world the Ordinances if Christ be not in them is to him but as the grave When Christ was risen all his enquiries are where is he whom my soule loves Shew me Christ in a Saint Christ in a Church and Christ in an Ordinance and then you shew me my life and upon this ground I can live and dye with you saith hee This soule can measure all men and things by Christ but Christ by nothing but himselfe that Spirit of Christ which dwelleth in him and thus you have some weake discourses of a spirituall Saint This exhorts Saints to live in the spirit upon God and Christ and to act from the endowings of that spirit as the image of God and Christ It is very plaine it is the interest and priviledge of Gods children to live on himselfe in the Spirit and from that life spiritually to make all its motions Oh why will you live out of God! did you ever finde any beloved like this beloved Did you sinde any thing that is all but God Why God is willing you should live upon all his all and be filled with his fulnesse O come my beloved eate of my banquet of love Drinke O drinke abundantly and be satisfied saith Christ All our sadnesse and complainings arise from our living out of God be it what ever it can be that is the most like God yet if it be not naked and clearly God the soule will be complaining of wants 'T is not duties Church-fellowship Ordinances or any thing that we conceive or propose to our selves which can of themselves give the soule rest it is only a living in and upon God in the spirit Oh let us stand in that liberty with which Christ hath made us free we can stand in none but in Christ and that is the freenesse of grace that we should stand for ever spotlesse and blamelesse in the sight of God through him Again This should stirre up Saints to act in God we have no cause now to act doubtingly If Christ be our strength the Spirit will teach us to pray and to crye Abba-Father for hee is our Father Is corruption too strong for us it is not too strong for Christ we should lay it at his feete And now tell mee believing soule canst thou that livest in the love of Christ live in sin No sayes the soule sin is for the love of it slaine in me by what law even the law of love living by the Spirit in me It is impossible sayes such a soule that I that am dead to sinne should live unto it My life sayes he is hid with Christ in God And it is not I that live now but Christ he lives in me Christ lives and I dye sayes the soule I that is all I my righteousnesse as well as my unrighteousnesse If I mistake not this is the strongest argument against a Saints living in sin that can be why a Saint
and Christ is in the Spirit now to enjoy God in his originall love with Christ in all hee is as the fruits of this love this is our life and this can only be in the Spirit Oh then it concerns us to plead our interest as children for the spirit of Adoption as it is in Rom. 8.14 15 16. It is the breathings of the Spirit which makes dead bones to live Ordinances and soules will be both dead without Christ in the Spirit it is expedient to goe sayes Christ to send the comforter and it is as needfull that he give the Spirit without it we can never have fellowship with the Father nor the Sonne in whom only our joy our life and our glory will be full In this Spirit only can wee live upon Christ as hee is the bread of life and our bread of life CHAP. VI. Christs reigne by his Spirit is the Saints liberty from bondage Gal. 4.5 6. To redeeme them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes And because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba-Father THE Apostle Paul in almost this whole Epistle makes it his businesse and designe to discover to Saints their liberty in Christ and as it appeares by the Apostles writing to them in the foregoing chapter and in this These Saints to which he did more particularly write lay under legall principles and moved with legal spirits now for a remedy of this to them and all Saints after them in these two verses the Apostle holds forth Christ under a double capacity namely Justification and Sanctification to the Believer And in both a perfect freedome from the law so far as it is freedome to be delivered from it The first of these two verses holds out Christ justifying of his people in the redemption of his blood from what ever the law could accuse them of or charge upon them The latter verse holds forth the fruits of this redemption or indeede a part of this redemption it selfe Namely this That because we are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father Either of these two parts are worthy a Saints study and admiring for ever I shall lay the foundation of what shall follow in this Point Namely that it is part of the Redemption of the bloud of Christ to a believer that no law should command or rule in the conscience or spirit of a believer but the Law of love the spirit of Adoption is here given forth to that very end that in it the soule may keep its communion close with God and Christ and be alwayes able to cry Abba Father In the proofe of this we must consider the first and second Adam as wee were in the first Adam we lay under a law of Creation and a Covenant of workes as creatures to obey our Creator and in obeying to have life doe and live but transgresse and die In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death But in the second Adam the Lord Christ the Covenant we are under is not of workes but of grace the law is not in the letter but in the spirit not written in Tables of stone but in the hearts of his people by his Spirit as appeares clearely where the Covenant of Free-Grace is recorded as in Jer. 31.33 34. and in Heb. 8.10 In both places God doth not only covenant to be our God reconciled to us not imputing sin and iniquity to his people any more but also to put his Law in our inward parts and to write it in our hearts so that this way he will teach and rule in the hearts of his people under that covenant of which Christ is the Mediator God is a Spirit and when he promiseth to write his law in our hearts wee must understand him thus the workings of his spirit in the hearts of his people Letter shall be turned into spirit Christ shall be a King as well as a Saviour and as a spirituall King so his law and his government spirituall that the Lord Christ and his Father may appeare one in this great engagement of teaching and ruling in the hearts of his people by the Spirit let us looke into Christs promise Joh. 14.15 16 17.26 Jo. 16.13 14. Here the Lord Christ promiseth to performe that Office of his intercession to God for us that he would make good his owne covenant and give his spirit to comfort lead and guâ—de the soules of his people Now the making good of Gods covenant and the efficacy of Christs intercession for this spirit to rule in the hearts of his people every soule in its owne particular can best cleare up the faithfulnesse of God and Christ But the Apostle Paul in the power of the spirit sets it out at large in Rom. 8.2 3 4 5.9 10 11.14 15.26 27. Observe the exprestious of the holy Ghost in the second verse For the law of the â—pirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and 〈…〉 is mention of a double law and as distinct each from other as life and death the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the law of sin and death I looke on these two as that which depends on the two Covenants that of Workes and that of Grace or as it is else-where expressed the Law of the first and second husband which is the first and second Adam Now whilst the first Adam is alive in the conscience the conscience is kept under his law which is thus the law of sin and death as it makes known sin and the wages of sin which is death but sin saith the Text is not imputed where there is no law Rom. 5.13 and in Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death And then in Rom. 7. beginning the Apostle saith this law hath dominion over the conscience so long as the first husband lives From these places I judge I am not mistaken in the interpreting the law of sin and death but that the holy Ghost clearly meanes that law of Creation doe and live or the bare Letter of command in the conscience Only let us consider what is meant by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which I understand thus That through that union the soule of a believer hath with Christ it is made spirituall Christ in his Kingly Office in throned in the conscience and the the soule resting in the bosome of Christ as a dutifull Spouse in the bosome of her beloved husband and his law is the law of the spirit of life that law which is life it selfe and turnes letter into spirit One thing more I would explaine my self in that is how I understand the holy Ghost in this freedome that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made to a believer from the law of sin and death by the spirit of life I understand Christ
for the good of others and therefore lookes on it as his duty and that he is obliged by the law of Christ shed abroad in his heart to become all things lawfull to all men that hee may gaine some Againing and not a destroying worke is in his eye and this makes him indeed and in truth to lye low at the feete of the weakest Saint and this he doth from a spirituall consideration how that he stands justified to all eternity by the free-grace of God through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ for wee are justified freely by the grace of God through Jesus Christ CHAP. IX Christ and the new Creature are unseparable 2 Cor. 5. former part of vers 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ hee is a new creature THE Apostle doth in this Scripture as in all other like a good and faithfull servant make it his whole businesse and design to advance his Masters glory the Lord Jesus Christ A new creature is the most glorious object that the world affords and the Apostles care is to hold that forth in all its glory namely in Christ A creature in Christ is a new creature indeed and a new creature is in Christ indeed As if the Apostle had said there is not any man who is in Christ what ever he was before but by vertue of that union he is made a new creature though before a wilde Olive yet so soone as ingrafted into Christ the tree of life hee brings forth good fruit As you cannot gather grapes from thornes nor figs of thistles no more can the members of Christ be barren or bring forth briers or thistles in stead of the fruits of the Spirit which is love joy c. Christ is the Saints fountaine that is united to him out of whom can flow no bitter water Hee that is borne of God sins not so far as the new birth is in him though there be a law in the members in the flesh of Saints which serves the law of sin yet with the law of their mindes they serve the will of God so that you shall finde Saints in this frame complaining of selfe and admiring of God condemning of self and justifying of God the remainder of the old man in me that is my selfe my flesh saith a Saint but the new creature that is Christ in me the hope of glory that is the King of glory come into my soule and displaying the glory of his presence there that is Christ in me and I in Christ in whome I am made a new creature therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature and if any man be a new creature it is Christ in him That there may appeare Method in what followeth take this one generall Observation Namely That being in Christ and the new creature are inseperable they alway gee together If in Christ then a new creature and if a new creature then in Christ as it is impossible to be a new creature before united to Christ so it is as impossible to be truly in Christ and not to be a new creature as those dead bones could not live before God had united them covered them with skin and breathed life into them For testimony to this truth take in the Apostle Paul in Rom. 8.10 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse He gives us this truth as it were upon his experience as if he had said I have found this that ever since I have bin in union with Christ the body of sin hath bin a dying the spirit of life hath carried me forth to the fruits of righteousnesse I am dead now to the commands of sin and flesh by which I have formerly binned captive and am made alive in my spirit to the workes of righteousnesse and if you aske me a reason of this it is Christ in me And iâ— Christ be in you it will be so with you too your bodies will be dead to the commands of sin and your spirits alive in the fruits of righteousnesse you will finde Christ a living Christ the second man from heaven heavenly and as a living Christ so hee makes life where ever he comes and the life he brings is heavenly Christ makes the new creature therefore can never be without the new creature What hath its being from Christ cannot be without Christ Now the new creature hath its being from Christ it could not be but in Christ and by Christ so that it must needs follow it is alwayes with Christ where Christ is there is the new creature indeed the new creature is nothing else but Christ possessing himselfe of a soule living in it and reigning over it by his spirit as Satan doth in the meere naturall man A Saint he dies with Christ and he lives with Christ Christ dies for him and lives in him and wee shall finde the Apostle Paul in Gal. 2.20 making this confession and acknowledgment I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me He doth acknowledge himselfe to be dead crucified to himselfe in the death of Christ and then laies hold of another life but it is out of selfe by faith in Christ this is my very life now whilst I am in the flesh saith he and truly this my life is Christ in me it is not I but Christ that lives in me that faith which is in me is not selfe but Christ as if he had said my life is a new life and that life is the new creature and that new creature is Christ in me I am that Temple which you see Christ lives in but Christ is the life of that Temple Without me saith Christ you can doe nothing True Lord saith Paul but through thy strength I can doe all things as if Christ had said you cannot be new creatures till you be in me and I in you I finde that true saith Paul for in me that is in my flesh there is no good But I have also experimented this truth if once in thee I can be no longer an old creature as he tells us in Gal. 1.15 16. So soone as ever God had called me by his grace to reveale his sonne in me that I might preach him among the heathens immediately I obeyed and did not stand to confer with flesh and blood Not to see by his old eyes nor to act upon his old principles flesh and blood must no longer teach and lead Paul when God had called him by his grace and revealed Christ to him as if Paul should say I am now united to the Lord Jesus and I cannot but be a new creature the Kingdome of God is within me and it will burst out it is like new wine in old bottles as my flesh was
in Christ so as to be ever well pleased with it and to delight in it 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sinne for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him God hath made Christ the foundation of his eternall love when hee beholds the travell of his soule he is well pleased which he doth in every soule he hath united to him The third Gospel-truth is this That a Saint doth then only truly and properly enjoy his life when be lives by faith upon God and Christ in the Spirit It is not enough to know the rule of the law in the letter and some of the worke of the law in our lives to know all the formes of Gods worship under the law and Gospel To know and to be under all these is nothing when ignorant of the knowledge of God through Christ in the Spirit Knowledge in all the former substracted from the latter is but to know that we are under the chaines and the power of darkness Our life consists neither in circumcision or uncircumcision but in the new creature Christ living in us and we in Christ The life that we now live 't is by the faith of the Sonne of God by faith feasting and satisfying our soules upon the love of God in Christ the Spirit that teacheth and leadeth the soule into all truth even the God of truth and there the Spirit teacheth the soule to read God to be a God of love and so to enjoy him and live in him through Christ as a God of grace and a faithfull God that will keepe Covenant with his people and not impute sinne to that soule for whom Christ hath dyed Our life shall be for ever with God and in God enjoying nothing but God and all of God in heaven this is truly our life now as we are one with Christ only the clouds of mortality darkens it and so farre as we live upon God through Christ in the Spirit so farre and no farther doe we truly enjoy life in any condition and what we strive for here below is not our life nor truly worth our contending for all the weary pursutes of the heart of man which center not in Christ must wither before they come to their journeyes end for they have no life to carry them through A childe of God can finde no rest but the bosome of his Father and no way to that rest but Christ the great gift of his Fathers love so that God and Christ is both the way and the end of a Saints rest that is enjoying fulnesse of blisse in God who is all in all to all his people Gospel truths should be teaching to Gospel-Saints and these truths accompanied with the spirit of truth may first teach and informe all Saints where our life and interest lies namely in God and Christ God opening the bosome of his love and giving us Jesus Christ Jesus Christ giving out his blood his life and all that God requires to satisfie justice and to make a compleat redemption Christ putting on our flesh and taking upon him the curse due to us and all to this end to be Mediatour to stand betweene a displeased God and a poore soule to become sinne for us that wee might become righteousnesse in him Our life lyes neither in the workes of the Law nor the formes of the Gospel but in that love which gave Christ to be made under the Law to fulfill the Law for us and in that Jesus which is the Lord and the life of the Gospel the Gospel is glad tidings which is Christ crucified The highest forme is but a darke representation a cloud without light if Christ which is the light of life be not in it 'T is God in Christ that is our life Let us not turn againe to the beggerly rudiments under which we shall be in bondage but in the Lord of glory to live only upon God in Christ who is the true light and life of Saints to seeke life in any thing else is to seeke the living amongst the dead Again These Gospel-truths should teach and exhort Gospel-Saints to beleeve in God he is a God of grace and he is a faithfull God he makes good his covenant of grace that our sinnes and iniquities hee will remember no more to charge them upon the believer for hee hath fully charged them upon Christ and hath satisfied his justice to the full in Christ And hence it is that by way of comfort our Saviour in John 14.1 bids us to beleeve in God through him Yee believe in God believe also in me that is looke upon the covenant of God and all the promises of God made good in me believe that what my Father hath given me to doe I have finished it all the worke of your redemption and what ever God hath laid upon me shall never more be laid upon you though it made me sweat drops of blood and at last give up the Ghost yet I have finished the worke I conquered by yeelding and overcame by dying and I am risen again to beare witnesse of my victory over sinne death hell law and grave for you and thus I would have you to believe in mee and in God who gave me out of his bosome of love to be all this to you Distrust of these trutths is to put a question upon the faithfulnesse of God and the fulnesse of Christ God promises to pardon freely Christ undertakes to satisfie fully now a doubt of either is unworthy in him that is an heir of both In the next place me-thinkes this cals for much love from Saints to God and Christ Oh how should we love God that hath freely given us Christ and with him all things The great God of heaven and earth had no greater gift then Christ to give and him he hath freely given us and in Christ himselfe his Spirit his Kingdome and his glory too Who would not love a heart so full of love as Gods heart is How can wee chuse but love a hand so full of love as Gods hand is What ever may justly command or invite love it is in the heart and hand of God there are mercies free and full in God at his right hand is fulnesse of joy for evermore Love had its first conception in the heart of God we love him because he loved us first The glory of his love is the rise of our love the piece-meales of beauty and glory which we earnestly seeke and pursue after in the creature they all center in God what ever it is that might be taking to oul affections that is in its primitive glory as it is in God and truly did we see God by an eye of faith as we do things below with an eye of sense the brightnesse of his glory would darken all lower glories and all the streames of our affections would runne into God who is the fountaine and originall of all love and lovelinesse
three verses holds forth the ground and the reason of all these First he fs full of assurance from the testimony of the Spirit of God bearing witnesse with his Spirit as in vers 16. and from hence he is raised up into such full joy and holy boastings by receiving the spirit of Adoption which delivered him from the spirit of bondage and fear and enabled him to crie Abba-Father as in verse 15. Now being thus filled he breaks out into exhortation to holy walking out of the flesh in the Spirit and in verse 14. makes it the character of the sonnes of God to the world their being ledde by the Spirit I may fitly call this portion of Scripture the lively image of a Saint living in God and to God in the Spirit For methods sake I shall set downe two heads upon which I shall hold forth that which God shall give into me upon the meditation of this Scripture The first is the sealing worke of the Spirit of God in a Saint Head 1 or a Saint sealed up to the eternall love of God by his Spirit and that I gather out of the 16th verse and the latter part of the 15th verse The second head is this Head 2 A Saint walking and working in the Spirit or the Spirit reigning in a Saint and this I gather from verse 14. and verse 15. In this worke I shall endeavour to wave all fleshly reasons as a subject above it and keepe my selfe only to the testimony of the word of God And as a foundation to this building I judge it very necessary in two or three Scriptures to shew how wee live under the promise and the powrings forth of this Spirit in Luke 24.49 Lu. 24.49 There our Saviour promiseth to send the promise of the Father so that the certaine comming waas vnder a double promise Joh. 15.25 And in John 15.26 Our Saviour explains who hee meant by the promise of the Father Joh. 16.7 And in John 16.7 The Lord Christ doth fully promise at his going away from the world by his corporall presence that he would send the Comforter which in the last Scripture mentioned is discovered to be the Spirit Now that Christ hath made this promise good take only that one place in Acts 2.1 Acts 2.1 2 3 4. 2 3 4. I shall keep you no longer from the heads propounded but as they are laid downe so prosecute them I begin with the first of them Namely the sealing worke of the Spirit of God in a Saint or a Saint sealed up to the eternall love of God by his Spirit These Scriptures first mentioned are as full a proofe of this as any in the booke of God they tell us plainly in so many words that the spirit of Adoption being received beares witnesse to the spirit of a Saint that he is the child of God and in this assurance so satisfies the soule of a believer that he cries Abba Father that this is the office of the Spirit to seale up a Saints interest in the eternal love of God and his onnnesse with Christ Ephes 4.30 let us consult that place Ephes 4.30 where the Apostle makes it an argument a gainst corrupt or vain worldly discourse in the Saints That you may not grieve the holy Spirit of God saith he whereby you are sealed up to the day of redemption As if the Apostle had argued thus You know saith he the Spirit hath sealed you up to the love of God in Christ yea into all God and Christ all the love of God and all the blood and redemption of Jesus Christ all the righteousnesse of the Sonne the glory of the Father Now for you to be corrupt vâ—ine and worldly in your communication you seeme to deny this seale of the Spirit or your interest in God and so you grieve the Spirit whose proper worke it is to seale you up to God So in Ephes 3.16 17 18 19. Ephes 3.16 17 18 19. wee finde the Apostle praying for the Saints Now let us consider what he prayes for First that they may be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inward man so as that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith and that they may be rooted and grounded in love that they might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God pray marke it Here is Christ dwelling in the heart by faith and the soule rooted and grounded in the love of God and Christ from whence it comes to know in some measure the height and breadth and depth and length of the love of Christ which passes knowledge and so comes to be filled with the fulnesse of God But whence arises all this why look into the 16th verse from being strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man This Spirit seales up and beares witnesse to the soule that it is in the eternall love of God in Christ and so in all that satisfaction which Christ hath made to his Fathers justice and hath an interest in all that righteousnesse which Christ hath as the head And thus Christ by his Spirit takes possession of the heart and dwels in it by faith so as he turnes all into Spirit The knowledge is made spirituall he comes to know heighths breadths depths and lengths of love Letter is now turned into Spirit and the soule now neither knows Christ nor any thing of Christ in the flesh but in the spirit Being thus strengthened with might by the sealing of the Spirit the soule is able to unfold the misteries of God Christ in the flesh and can sucke in and feed on the spirit of the word and when it reades the 53. of Isa 4 5 6 10 11. compared with 2 Co. 5. last It can draw out by the Spirit matter for the soule to live on to eternity I sayes a spirituall soule I now see that God hath set Christ in my roome and that Christ hath so really and â—â—lly all my sins imputed to him and all the punishments due to them laid on him that he is said to be made sinne for me and hee was so made sinne that God hath made him to bear all the punishments due to my sinnes Surely he hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to griefe and his soule is made an offering for sinne And he shall see of the travell of his soule and shall be satisfied for he shall bear their iniquities I sayes the soule now I see in the Spirit and believe that Christ was made sinne for
which doth appeare is more glory then wee can expresse Sure then it is our duty to admire and extoll the riches of this free-grace which hath freed us from the law of sinne and death translated us from the power of darkenesse to the Kingdome and government of his deare Sonne enthron'd Christ in our hearts and written his holy law there in his Spirit Oh let us extoll this God in the fruits of the Spirit which is love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperance against which there is no law Thus I shall conclude This is our freedome so to live in the Spirit as to be led by the Spirit CHAP. VII Saints are compleat before God in their union with Christ Coloss 2.9 and part of the 10. vers For in him dwels all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and yee are compleat in him THIS portion of Scripture is a part of Pauls Epistile to the Church of God at Colosse it is the very center of all those sweete comforts that the holy Ghost hath dropped downe in this Epistle Nay sure I am it holds forth the corner-stone of all the building A Saints perfection and the reason of it is the subject-matter of this Scripture The reason stands first in reading as a foundation is laid before a sure building The Apostle holding forth a Saints compleatnesse sets before it Christ fulnesse From these drops we may observe these two points First That a Saint hath no compleatnesse in the sight of God Observ 1 but as it is united to Christ And secondly That as a Saint is one with Christ Observ 2 so he stands compleat before God in Gods owne fulnesse First That a Saint hath no compleatnesse in the sight of God but as it is united to Christ To prove this First observe the scope of the holy Ghost in this Scripture For in him which is Christ dwels all the fulness of the God head bodily Here the holy Ghost takes in the God-head in all the fulnesse of it and centers it in Christ and so makes out the Saints perfection in union with him As if he had said all fulnesse in perfection dwels in Christ as the fountaine or the body and is so in you as you are in him hee filled for you you filled in him hee compleat as one with God you compleat as one with him as Christ sayes himselfe I in the Father and you in me Mark it till the holy Ghost had center'd all fulnesse in Christ hee mentions no compleatnesse for a Saint which points at this truth had not Christ been full for us wee had never beene compleat and when he doth mention the Saints compleatnesse he doth it inclusively compleat in him This is not only full mercy but also it springs from pure love it is free-grace that wee are compleat in him for free-grace sees no compleatnesse but in him Thou art my beloved Sonne sayes God speaking of Christ in whom I am well pleased And in another place I beheld the travell of his soule and am well pleased I never met with any mention of God being well pleased and satisfied but Christ was Alpha and Omega all in all in it This which is already laid down makes a fair way for such a quere as this is Pray wherein lyes the compleatnesse of a Saint what are the parts or substance of Saints compleatnesse or fulnesse To this I answer it will be best discerned by its contrary The Saints fulnesse and compleatenesse before God in Christ will be most transparent when wee spiritually discern our condition in the first Adam and that will appear in Ephes 2.1 2 3. The Apostle speaking there of a state of nature speaks of a person dead in sins and trespasses walking according to the course of the wicked world and the will of Sathan that Prince of the Aire fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and so by nature the children of wrath This is the state of a naturall man under the wrath of God separated from the bosome of God and so dead in sins and trespasses a vassall to Sathan led by his will according to the course of the wicked world fulfilling the lusts of the flesh alienated from God Christ from the Common-wealth of Israel breaking every holy law of God so often as Sathan will And then not having Christ made a curse for him lyes under the curse of the law and the wrath of God to all eternity A soule fully delivered from this state and compleatly stated in the bosome of God and in glory with Christ will be acknowledged a full compleatnesse First observe the state of nature drawne into these heads First the wrath of God Secondly vassalage or slavery under Sathan to be led to the fulfilling of lusts at his will And lastly to be dead in sins and trespasses In opposition to these I shall hold out justification sanctification and glorification And in these three heads I shall endeavour to shew how we are compleat in him namely Christ First how Christ is our compleat Justification see this in Rom. 3.20 to the 25. Here Justification exclusively and inclusively is set forth In vers 20. By the deeds of the law no flesh is justified in his sight There the holy Ghost shews where it is not by deeds of the law I under stand our best duâ—â—s the highest performances wee can make to the will of God in this no justification But then looke into the 24. verse and there you shall see Justification lying between or in these two breasts that alwayes flow with eternall life namely the free grace of God and the redemption of the blood of Christ here is free-grace giving Christ to be our redemption and Christ in his blood giving satisfaction to his Fathers justice bringing us to lye down in the bosome of this free-grace which gave him out for us he doth this by being made a curse for us Gol. 3.13 God and Christ are one in this as in all things else for layes the Text He hath made him to become sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Isa 53.5.11 marke there Christ is wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace laid on him Now marke the issue with his stripes we are healed And God sees the travell of his soule and is satisfied Here is God satisfied our soules healed and all this through the wounds of Christ The whole booke of God his sull of this take for proofe only these two places more Coloss 1.13 14. and then I thinke it will stand fair to view that the clect Sâ—int stands before God for just fication compleat in Christe this is the part of the compleatnesse wee have in Christ and so delivered from the wrath of God for as one Text sayes were there no law there would be no finne if no rule then no transgression so may I say the curse being born and the law satisfied
in the Margin things to gird about them and here they rest content they saw their nakednesse a great advantage truly but having girded themselves with fig-leaves they knew no want of God for in verse 8. when they heard the voyce of God and that in the coole of the day they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the garden and when God came so neere to them as they were falne to confesse the reason why they fled from his presence they acknowledged they were afraid verse 10. Compare these first appearances of nature in our first parents after their fall with the experiences of our owne naturall hearts and others and it will appeare in all that is miserable what exact Images we are by nature of these our first parents They were naked so are all by nature of any righteousnesse to stand in the sight of God they knew they were naked so doth many a desperate finner whose conscience fâ—ies in his face but the remedy they sought was only an apron or girdle of fig-leaves So doth our naturall hearts licke their woundes whole and cover their nakednesse by legall and formall duties and performances girding our loines strengthening our hearts in them and covering our nakednesse so as the eye of man cannot discerne it and in this posture as our first Parents hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden from the presence of the Lord so we shrowd our selves under publick externall Ordinances after the fashion of the world and resting in beggerly rudiments to defend us from the presence of an angry God and yet not withstanding all this when God comes close to the soule though it hath girt it selfe about with fig-leaves it s owne righteousness yet it is not established but doth confesse in all the actions under such a state it was afraid because of its nakednesse and this feare doth inflame the misery of it and causeth it to fly and hide it self from the presence of God here is the first buddings of nature and truly it is an exact miserable condition for it is wholely in selfe and wholely out of God the reliefe this soule findes is in flying from and being out of the presence of God now sure I am every Saint experienced of Gods love will call this state a state compleatly miserable knowing that all its life happinesse lies in a close communion with the bosom of God a continual beholding of his face in Christ yet this state thus compleatly miserable is not Adams alone but all his seede in him of which by nature is all the world as is fully expressed in verse 23. of this 3. Chap. of the Romans For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God The misery of this state of nature may be farther amplified in coÌ„fidering thar Antipathy that is in all to that holy just and good law of God and that impossibility which is in man to performe it one place saith speaking of the law it is that which neither we nor our fore-fathers could beare we could not stand under it to justifie our selves by it The Apostle in Rom. 3.9 to vers 19. speaks plainly this generall evill state by nature and the fruits of it in many particulats in oppolition to all the laws of a holy God And in vers 19. speaks plainly that the Law makes all the world guilty and so makes his inference in the 20th verse that none can be justified by the deeds of the law and then he gives his reason for it which is this For sayes hee by the law is knowledge of sinne Gods pure nature discovers the impure nature of fallen man so in the following verses speaks of a blessed and a justified state for a poor soul under another head But all this speakes the miserable irrecoverable lost state of a naturall man in himselfe the fruits of this tree of nature we may see in that 2d of Ephes the three first verses Though it be a dead tree yet at beates fruit but it is the fruit of death trespasses and sins walking in them according to the course of this world and the power of the Prince of the Aire that spirit which workes in the children of disobedience who are by nature the children of wrath Any of these particulars rightly understood and set home upon the spirit of a man will make it crye out as the Apostle O wretched man that I am and in me that is in my flesh is no good But certainly if ever we come to see that sinke and masse of sin and corruption that is in us by nature and that wages of sinne which is death wee shall then acknowledge if ever God discover his thoughts of eternall love to us that it is all free-grace The second demonstration of the point is To consider a Saint under a state of grace in Christ the second Adam To take this in the beginning as it stands in the word let us turne backe to that 3d of Gen. 15. where Christ is promised in the seed of the woman and what to doe to breake the head of the Serpent that is to kill and overcome him The Apostle in 1 Cor. 15.21 sayes be must reigne till he hath put all his enemies under his feete And in this conquest over his owne and his peoples enemies hee doth the will of his Father we have his owne word for it John 4.30 This doth exceedingly set forth the free grace of God that when he found all man-kinnde in a state of rebellion so soone as ever he had enquired into the fault hee makes a promise of the Lord Christ in whom the state of a poore soule is better then in innocency As if the Lord had said Adam though thou didst run from me was affraid because thou wert naked yet now establish thy heart in beholding my fulness which is thy cloathing cast from thee the workes of thy owne hands that fig-leave righteousness thou hast begirt thy selfe with and lay hold on the workings forth of my eternal love in this promise of Christ The Serpent hath been too hard for thee when he found thee in thy own strength but I will give out Christ that great gift of my love and he shall as he is one with me from eternity in my everlasting power and fulnesse make warre with the Serpent and in that warfare though the Serpent shall bruise his heele wound his flesh yet he shall breake the head of the Serpent and overcome him This must needs be free-grace to make such a promise to fallen Adam and his posterity that ranne from the presence of God and were content with fig leaves for a covering of their nakednesse You may see in nature there is as little desire of Christ and his righteousnesse as there can be of discerning for here is a flying from the presence of God and a satisfying it selfe with its owne righteousnesse and certainly this righteousnesse is nothing but menstruous rags that
that God is light in him is no darkenesse at all If we say that wee have fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we lye and know not the truth This is the message which the holy Ghost brings that God is infinitely light and purity in himselfe and if any man have union with him he walkes in the light and if he walke in the darke and professe union with God and and Christ hee lyeth and the truth is not in him Now by light and darkenesse often in Scripture-language is meant the olde and the new man the regenerate and the unregenerate man As in that Scripture The night is farre spent the day is at hand walke as children of the day or children of the light Children of the Gospel such as Christ by his Spirit hath taken possession of this Gospel-light the Spirit of God teaching it teacheth to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world God is this light in himselfe and he makes this light where ever he dwels that soule which truly hath God hath this light and that soule which acts from God acts from this light Now sayes the holy Ghost it is a lye for you to say you live in God and God in you and yet walke carnally as doe others Sayes God in the Psalmes I am not such a one as thy selfe Where there is union betweene God and a soule God is not brought over to the soule but the soule to God If any soul owneth union with me sayes God know that I am light and in me is no darkenesse so as I overcome the darknesse of dark souls which have fellowship with me by my light I finde all soules in darknesse but I keepe no soule in darknesse I finde every sinner in his blood but I purge as well as pardon It is true regeneration is not in every soule alike for measure and degree but God leaves no soule as he finds it his light is alwayes expelling darkenesse the olde man dyeth daily and so is the new man renewed Christ that stronger man so soon as ever he possesseth a soule sets upon that worke of casting out the strong man of sinne and as he told Paul so he tels and makes it good to every Saint my grace shall be sufficient for you sinne shall not reigne in your mortall bodies Christs presence is manifested by his power where he lives sinne must dye so that sinne Sathan and the soule shall know it You shall know saith Christ if you be in me I will make you new creatures It shall be your meate and drinke to doe my will as it was mine to doe my Fathers and my commands shall be sweete to you as the honey and the honey-comb my yoke shall be easie and my burthen light to you 1 John 2.29 If you know that he is righteous you know that every one that doth righteousnesse is borne of him This is the effects of union with God and Christ God in Christ to doe righteousnesse that is to walke in the light as hee is light to walk by his light the light of his Spirit which doth both teach and lead Saints into all the will worke and wayes of God So that this Demonstration doth farther cleare the truth that who ever are in Christ they are new creatures Christ and the new creature are inseparable they alwayes goe together A fourth Demonstration may be this That such as are truly Saints in union with Christ they have all their life from him their buddings forth is from the sap which they receive from the Lord Christ we may receive truth from our Saviour himselfe in John 15.5 I am the vine yee are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee you can doe nothing Now if this be truth which none but the spirit of untruth can deny then I argue thus from hence That if Saints be in union with Christ as the branches are in the Vine and have all their sap and life from Christ then the life and actions of life in Saints must all beare the image of Christ in nature like begets like that which is begotten is like that which doth beget as we see in the bringing forth of all creatures so is it with the new creature Christ he begets it and the begotten is Christ so that the new creature is Christ in the soule as that Text. Know you not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates And yee are the temple of the holy Ghost And if this be granted we that Christ begets after his owne image then none with colour of reason can deny that who ever is in Christ is a new creature for who ever is in Christ is as the branch in the Vine He is not his own but the rootes his life and his fruit is not his owne but the rootes for if the branch be separate from the root it hath neither life nor fruit well then if in union with Christ we are not our own but Christs and our fruit not our owne but the fruit of Christ then tell mee how can any man be in Christ and not a new creature is Christ a dead Christ in any soule No he is not only a living Christ in every soule uâ—iâ—ed to him but he is the life and putteth forth all the effects of life in such soules then if Christ be all that all must be Christ and whoever is in Christ they are new creatures so that Christ and the new creature is unseparable Take this 5th and last Demonstration That where ever Christ is he is chiefe in command Lord Paramount he rules and governs what ever soule he lives in Now the Scepter of Christ is a Scepter of holinesse righteousnesse where Christ is King his love makes lawes and his Spirit gives light and life Christ subjects they are a willing people in the day of his power The powrings forth of his Spirit makes his will their will so that to all his will they are a willing people then surely where the power of Christ over-powers any soule that soule acts by the power of Christ in him and must therefore act according to the will of Christ who gives the power and that will and work is the new creature in such a soul The power of Christ in soules is sutable to his owne walking on earth I come to doe thy will O Father sayes Christ so when he overpowers any soule the effect of his powerfull presence is to frame such a soul in obeysance to the will of God One Text tels us he that is borne of God sinnes not So much of the regenerate part that is in any man so much that man is above the committing of sinne and we find the Apostle Paul distinguishing between a law in his members and a law in his minde and he thankes God through Jesus Christ that with the minde he served
another And what hast thou which thou hast not received Dost thou call the wisdome strength power and greatnesse that God hath bestowed on thee thy owne And is it thy businesse to lift up thy name by these This is thy mistake thy pride is thy owne indeed thou mayest call thy selfe and the first Adam thy owne originall for all sin and evill but God is only the original of all good now if thou exceed theirs in evill it will be no advantage to lift up thy selfe by for the more sinful the more miserable thou art but if thou exceed others in good as knowledge and the like thou hast in this little reason to lift up thy selfe for thou art not the originall that thou gloriest in It is what thou hast received that makes thee to differ from another wilt thou lift up thy selfe as if thou wert ful because God is ful I tell thee O proud man thy difference is from donation thou art more then another because God gives thee more then another not because thou art more in thy selfe therefore shew me a reason why thou art lifted up in thy selfe wilt thou be proud of thy sins for thou hast nothing else of thy owne Nay it is thy sinne to be proud of any thing thou hast received Wilt thou lift up thy selfe in that which is anothers Robbe God of his glory to cover thy owne face with it Nay wilt thou be so wicked as to make thy selfe as it were God His wisdome thine and thy selfe the originall of his gifts Thou forgettest and seemest to deny that thou hast received that which makes thee to differ when as thou goest about to set up thy selfe Againe shew me thy reason why thou despisest all that are below theâ— and enviest such as are above thee is the one too low and the other too high Why consider who 't is that makes the difference in them it is the same powerfull God that maketh thee to differ by what thou hast received more then those below thee and lesse then such as are aboue thee Now thou canst neither despise the one nor envy the other but thou dost it to God in both for the same wonder-working God which makes thee to differ in excellency and glory from them makes them also to differ from thee in the same what thou hast thou hast received so have they when thou canst make one of thy hairs black or white thou mayest have some seeming good to lift up thy selfe and expect other channels to runne into thee but till then be silent and if thou canst not answer these questions who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Then for shame lay downe thy selfe at the feete of that God from whom thou receivedst all that good and excellency which makes thee to differ from the lowest degree of sinne and misery This Scripture to a proud spirit is like those words of our Saviour to him that came to the marriage feast without a wedding garment Friend sayes Christ how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment And the Text sayes the man was speechlesse So truly I believe will every proud spirit be that God puts to answer these questions have nothing to say but lye silent under this conviction That God is all good and himselfe nothing but a spring of evill From whence comes his pride but in that hee differs not from other flesh in a state of nature and I wish it could be truly affirmed that pride were not in any but such as are in their naturall condition but this I dare affirm that so much pride which is in any man or woman so much of the old Adam is still remaining in that soule for pride is a fruit of the flesh and is that which God hates and sets himselfe against I may say of pride it is the originall of the Devill and there is no sinne in the soule of man or woman which gives the Devill more service then this doth We have in what hath gone before had some weake discoveries of the principles of it If the Spirit of God be our light it will not be lost time nor paines to looke into the practises of those principles in these few following particulars As first The proud man he seekes to raise up himselfe and not in all to lift up God higher then himselfe His worke is all climing worke hee cannot endure to have any man above him this is that hee plots for and acts for namely to lift up his owne name and his owne will He is very industrious to build Babell that hee might say this is great Babell that I have builded He seekes to be uppermost that all law and rule may come from his lips and if this be opposed the man is abundantly enraged as appeares by Nebuchadnezar when his visage was changed by his wrath and be commanded the fiery furnace to be heat seven times â—â—tter then before and that Shadrach Meshech and Abednego should be cast into it because they disobeyed his commands and would not fall down to worship the Image he had set up this very thing is the practise of all proud hearts so farre as they can reach God chaines up such spirits as hee did Sathan from Job but this is properly their hearts and so farre as their chaine will goe they practise the proud man makes use of one step to advance him to another but not in any to lift up God above himselfe for that is a contradiction to the principles he acts by where God is lifted up there the flesh is throwne downe but the proud mans glory is his flesh not God and that is really his businesse where ever he is to lift up himselfe and it is the disquiet ment of his soule when this designe doth not prosper but let such spirits take the Apostles questions to answer Who maketh thee to diffen and what hast thou that thou hast not received Dost thou know thy originall and by what power thy progresse hath been made from step to step Hast thou mounted with thy owne wings climbed up to what thou art with thy owne hands Or hast thou received that by which thou differest from another Looke upon dead bones and tell me if they can live If you say no I say it is your ignorance they can live by the same power you live you that were dead clay live by what you have received so can these dead bones Where the Spirit of God sets home these questions upon any soule it will not onely silence but crucifie this principle and practice of pride in it Secondly a proud mans practice is to keep others under him that he may keep up himselfe to make the comforts of other men the footstoole of his pride to trample others into nothing that he might make himselfe all So did proud Haman in his heart and designe against poore Mordecai and the whole nation of the Jewes Pride is
is now tell me how thou wilt answer God in going beyond thy received power especially when the same hand that gave the power gave thee also a rule to bound that power by That thou shouldst not be a terror to good workes but to evill Therefore hee that doth good should not be afraid of the power For the end of power is from God to protect and defend those that doe good and walke praise-worthy Now that proud heart which puts forth the power that is in its hands beyond these bounds will have a sad appearance before God at the day of account His pride that over-acted his power will not then excuse him but condemne him and it will then be his chains of misery to consider how his pride hath in his power out-run the bounds that God hath set him and exceeded the latitude of that commission which he had received But this is the effect of power when it is in the hands of a proud heart Fifthly and lastly A proud heare is proud of it selfe of what it is amd what it hath of its gifts ornaments and qualifications you shall finde some proud of beauty that at most is but skinne deep and some so wicked as to paint their skinnes to make a subject for their pride Such as have their beauty by nature without art must know this that they have received it if in that they differ from others and that one storme of sicknesse can blast it which their flesh is capable of and as subject to as any others and that there is a certaintie of time for pale and grim death to take up its habitations in those faces so that they have little reason to be puffed up with perishing beauty that which must as certainly fade as the flower in the field You shall see another proud of his honorable Titles as he calls them and truly this is the emptiest of all bubbles it is but a breath it coste him but little that gives it hee wil spend as much breath upon the lowest subject that affords him matter of discourse these Titles are indeed the pleasing dreams of deluded fancies if put in one equall ballance and held by a steady hand Sir will weigh as heavy as your Honour But if honour be given where honour it due according to Gods rule in his word their honour is more then a title I but there it will be no subject of pride but humility for such as are honorable in spending and being spent for God and other true honour I know none such I say doe well know they have received all from his fulnesse which maketh them to differ from others and therefore their businesse is to lift up God and not themselves and if to glory to glory in the originall of their honour which is God himselfe Another it may be is proud of his wealth which he hath as he thinkes in his own hands more glittering clay then his poor neighbours have and therefore he thinkes himselfe great Lord of all and to be served and observed by all he forgets that it is uncertain riches which make themselves wings and flye away he remembers not the case of Job that was stript of all his great possessions in a few moments Sure I am such as are proud upon this account did never spiritually understand and consider the Apostles questions in this Scripture Who maketh thee to differ And what hast thou that thou hast not received Another man he is proud of his wit good language learning and good education I confesse these are very good when sanctified to such as attain them but exceedingly abused when they are made the subjects of pride thou canst not deny but these are received gifts and qualifications where then is the ground for pride why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received them Thy wit thus abused may justly be called home again and thou left a foole for thy paines Hee that is proud of his wit forfeits his wisdom is no better then a witty Foole in the eye of a humble wise man who justly counts him a Foole that is proud of his wit and parts because he that is truly wise is humbled by what he receives and not made proud by it This root of pride hath a numberlesse number of branches but this one Scripture cuts them all off and tells the proud man plainly You have nothing to be proud of whatever you have you have received and if you differ from others it is because you have received more then they It is reported of the Popish Religion that they hold ignorance to be the mother of Devotion I may truly say because I can make it good that ignorance is the mother of pride For whosoever is proud must needs be ignorant That what they have it is received Were this truth spiritually understood it would pluck the wings of pride and make the peacockes plume to fall to consider that he stands upon anothers legges sees with anothers eyes acts by anothers strength and is nothing but what he receives from a fountain which he cannot command and that is God who makes of all clay what he pleaseth and gives to all according to his own good pleasure The proud man is proud of his sinne for he hath nothing else of his own that which he pretends to he is debter for Having thus farre looked into the principles and summe of the practises of pride it will become wise Christians to improve what God discovers to us And first Me thinkes this should put an odious visage upon pride in the eyes of every understanding Christian and make the sinne to be abhorred where ever it is found and most of all in our own bosomes and practices For pride makes a man a foole what ever he thinkes himselfe in it he boasts of that which is not his own as though it were his owne and so no truly wise man will doe The folly of a proud man is to set up and advance himselfe when himselfe is nothing but an empty vessell to be full or empty as it pleaseth God I know no greater folly under Heaven then this The confused Chaos at the creation might have pretended to as good a title of glory in it selfe as proud man can doe if God withdraw himselfe and his gifts from man I know not what title to give that which is left but a scrap or peecemeale of the first Chaos and hath no more right to glory then the lump or heap of Confusion which it came from Pride in the heart doth not onely make a man to be a foolish man but it also makes him a wicked man if hee can but get power to shew himselfe in his owne colours this man will not stick to crucifie the lives liberties consciences and all that is indeed deare to others to make a Sacrifice for his lust of pride though he hath no power but what he hath received yet he hath so much cruelty as to make use
wil also glory through the free-grace of God in this that Christ is made his Righteousnesse and Justification so that hee stands compleate before God in him Free-grace made Christ sinne for me sayes this soule that I might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. last Jesus Christ in the designe of Gods free-grace hath borne sinne death hel law and curse for me that I am for ever acquitted from the condemning reigning or devouring power of any or of all these Now sayes this soule tel me you that understand Is nor this God of free-grace the only subject of a Saints glory Nay I wil tel you more God himselfe is the fulnesse of his peoples glory to all eternity hee lets the Worldlings for a little time to glut themselves with the World but himselfe is the free the full and eternal glory of his people in the Ages to come even to all eternity hee is filling his people with the exceeding riches of his grace and kindnesse in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.7 God doth to all eternity set open his bosom and not give to such as are heirs of himselfe flagons but oceans of love and glory It must needs be glory if it be Gods love Now this I and more then this more then eternity can tel is the free-grace of God therefore let him that glorieth glory in the Lord for he is God the only fountaine and fulnesse of free-grace But if any should object and say if grace be thus free in God to elect call justifie sanctifie and glorifie his people meerely of his free-grace why then did Christ take flesh and in the flesh satisfie the utmost of Gods justice for the sinnes of his people It seemes to appeare that God was satisfied in his justice he had the debt paid how then doe you make it grace To this I answer that in its proper place I shal make use of this argument to clear up the glory of God in the exactnesse of his justice but it doth no ways diminish the freeness of his grace to us for it is free-grace that made Christ to be the satisfaction of divine justice for our sinnes and that God satisfies his owne justice in himselfe doth no more make his grace not to be free then the making his Covenant in himselfe could keepe that from being free that justice is satisfied makes it ful redemption to us but that God doth it in Christ which is wholly out of our selves keeps it very exactly to bee the redemption of free-grace Wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3.24 That God doth satisfie his justice in Christ it is that through him we might be made partake is of the redemption of his grace it is grace redeemes and just fies by Christ but Christ the gift of Gods grace cannot diminish his grace that which God gives his people through Christ though he satisfies his justice in the way yet he magnifies the freenesse of his grace in the work A third particular is this The riches of Gods mercy The Apostle Paul glories in God upon this very consideration in Ephes 2.4 But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us and so forwards God to manifest his great love wherewith he loved his people bestowes on them the riches of his mercy namely his eternal love his free-grace his beloved Sonne and in him election calling justification sanctification and glorification and his holy spirit in these now this will be acknowledged to be rich mercy many doe pretend to be givers though they have nothing but what they first receive but none I am sure but blasphemers can pretend to be givers of such rich mercies as these God is the onely fountaine and giver of these more exceeding and eternall weights of glory Nay that which Worldlings make their God namely the World it was created by him and for him and though it be a curse to them that know no other God yet every piece and parcell of it sanctified is a blessing and a rich mercy of God to his chosen people love makes all conditions to be rich mercy of God to them It was a rich mercy to a darke world to say let there be light and it was so but then how rich is God in mercy when he makes known his eternall love and shines through the wounds of Christ by his owne spirit into a darke soule and bids the soule be of good cheere its sinnes are forgiven It stands compleat in Christ and is an heire of God a joynt-heire with Christ however men may slight the riches of these spiritual mercies whilst they are glutting their soules with the World yet let them remember the time is not farre off when death shall close their eyes and their soules sit upod their trembling lips and then a glimpse of a reconciled God in Christ will be found a rich mercy The Apostle cals the love of God heights and breadths depths and lengths of love Hee takes in all that hee could reckon up to shew the exceeding riches of it God is the fulnesse of glory and the fountaine of mercy therefore his mercies must needs be rich and full of glory So then as riches of mercy is a subject of glory let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. In the next place Consider the faithfulnesse of God in making good of his promises God is a free God in all his promises he onely ingages himselfe no soule can ingage God for to receive all from God and yet to oblige God is a contradiction the first is a truth of God what the latter is I leave the Reader to judge But as God is free in all his promises the whole workings of God in the world is an ample testimony to this truth and faithfulnesse of God but yet for more particular proofe take two or three Scriptures First Gods promises at the fault of the first Adam to give the Lord Jesus Christ the second Adam in Gen. 3.15 That the Seed of the Woman namely Christ should bruise the Serpents head This Serpent is the Devill Now to the making good of this promise the whole word of God and the salvation of his people is a full testimony For another great promise take that of Gods giving his Spirit to his people to teach them and to lead them into all truth and by which he doth write his Law in the hearts and inward parts of his people Jer. 31.33 John 14.26 Now how God doth make good this promise such as be truly spirituall can give in their testimony and I doubt not but God hath many thousand such witnesses in the world though such as know him not doe blaspheme and scoff at him in scoffing at his Spirit in his people yet Saints in truth will tell you that they in themselves are darknesse and God is onely light and it is the Spirit of God in them that is their light that they know
now feare of death is no lesse then diffidence of that Redemption therefore Saints should be very watchful that they harbour no sad nor hard thoughts of death because in so doing wee dishonour a true friend nay Christ that made death thus to be our friend In the next place this cals upon Saints that when death comes to sit in our bosomes wee should bid him truly welcome and give him the entertainement of a friend that is be truly joyful to see him let him finde by the joy of our hearts that he is welcome to our besomes let his countenance be pleasing to us for though hee be pale death to our flesh yet that flesh shall be a gainer by its palenesse and finde nothing in death but a quiet rest til it shal put on incorruption But to the spirit death is a messenger from God and Christ of glad tydings and the feet of those which bring glad tidings should be beatiful to us let death when he comes finde he is a long looked for friend that he is not come before he is welcome but should have beene welcome if hee had come much sooner that thou takest him for so good and so real a friende that thou art heartily willing to goe with him and to leave all thy friends in the flesh that thou hast kept them company but til he comes and now art willing to leave them all to goe with him Saints may wel bid death welcome as a friende for Christ is in him and the love of Christ when Christ tooke sinne from Saints which was the sting of death he gave them love in the roome of sinne so as before we had sinne in all now we have love in all and though death to Saints have not the sting of sinne yet it hath the love of Christ and is worthy to bee bidd welcome and entertained with gladnesse when hee commeth But in the next place This calleth loude to Saints that they beleeve strongly in that love of Christ who hath taken away the sting of death which is sinne and thereby made death that was an original enemy to be a true and constant friend the Scripture teleth us 1 Cor. 15.26 The last enemie that shall be destroyed is death Now death as an enemy to Saints is destroyed in the death of Christ for his sting which is his enmity is taken away by Christ that I inferre is this Saints have much cause to beleeve strongly in that love the strength of which hath overcome all enemies for us Christ hath overcome death the last of enemies why should we ever then feare the fading of that love which hath left no enemies to make us afraide Saints feares are of their owne creating for what ever might have beene a true cause of feare hath beene under Christs destroying for he hath destroyed all enemies and where no enemy is there is no true ground of feare what remaines then Why nothing but a firme and lasting foundation of faith the love of Christ is a strong foundation for a Saint to beleeve strongly in what should we feare death is our friend the love of Christ hath made him so the breakings forth of this love is ground sufficient to banish all feares if death be no enemy then there is no enmity betweene death and us for death is the last destroyed enemy and the love of Christ hath destroyed that enmity Saints have many that hate them but none that can hurt them take this for proofe death is a Saints friend there can bee no greater testimony of love then the destroying of enemies for no man will destroy the enemies of him that he is an enemy to himselfe enmitie would make enemies it is onely love that destroyes them and this love is Christ to his people his love is so great that he will leave us no enemy that is no person persons or things shall ever be able to destroy a Saint then surely Saints may and ought to beleeve strongly in the love of Christ let worldlings know their nailes are too short to scratch out this love their strength too weake to shake this eternall foundation if they suck our bloods they may choak themselves but doe us no hurt for through the love of Christ Saints are conquerers over death Saints may believe strongly on the love of Christ for a worse enemy then the World shall never be able to destroy them even sinne for Christ hath destroyed sin and in that death for all that believe in him so as a Saint triumphs over death in the want of its sting is in the love of Christ which hath taken away sin and this is that love which the soules of Saints should believe in and rest strongly upon Saints need not fear they cannot lay more upon this love then Christ is able and willing to beare nay then he hath born already for he hath borne all the transgressions iniquities sinnes griefes sorrowes stripes and chastisements of his people Isâ— 53. So that hee hath redeemed his from the whole of sin and believing Saints may not feare to venture their soules in all upon the love of Christ nay doubtlesse it is the duty of Saints to live believing strongly in the love of Christ which hath put Death to death and overcome all enemies for them But in the fourth place Saints should make this improvement of these truths to waite upon God patiently in believing Death will assuredly come and deliver them from all their troubles in the flesh Faith made Job to waite patiently all the dayes of his appointed time till his change did come There is an appointed time in which the change shall come and beyond that time it shall not stay There can be no loss of faith in this thing for death waits upon our Fathers will and shall certainly come at his appointed time I confesse it is hard for Saints that are heires of heaven and know it willingly to stay longer out of heaven and their Fathers imbracings and in that time to be in a body of sin and a sinful world to beare the infirmities of the body with the scornes slanders persecutions of the World yet remember that this is the fulfilling of the will of our God and all this time death our friend is a comming every moment bringeth this longed for blessing nearer and nearer and we cannot tell but it may be at the doore that death may be in the next moment is the worlds feare let it be a Saints joy and serve to quench immoderate thirst here is this to answer all feares it will certainly come and cannot be farre off Christ longeth more for us then we doe or can doe for him and though we thinke him long yet he that shall come will come and will not tarry Remember the body is made of brittle earth it will be soone cracked or moulder away it cannot by its constitution last long the word of truth calleth him a foole that counted upon many yeares when