live Yes saies he at the 20. ver I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Nevertheless or now I live I live that is a spiritual life There is a Natural life and there is a Spiritual life He does not here speak of the Natural life when he saies Nevertheless I live because he adds yet not I but Christ liveth in me that is Spiritually And when he saies I live he speaks it in the Person of every Believer not in his Own Person but he personates a Believer all along I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God I a Believer And I am crucified with Christ I a Believer And Nevertheless I live All along he does personate a Believer and does not speak in his own Person but in the Person of a Believer And he saies here Nevertheless I live He had said before That we are justified by Faith alone and not by the works of the Law and that a Believer was crucified with Christ Now saies he This Doctrine that I have preach'd unto you is no way opposit unto our Spiritual life or unto our Holiness yet now I live or nevertheless I live From whence then you may observe these Two things First That every true Believer every Godly Gracious man is a living man lives aspiritual life is in the state of life Secondly That our justification by faith alone and our being crucified with Christ is no enemy but a friend unto this Spiritual life Nevertheless I live Doct. 1 First of all Every Godly Gracious man is a living man is in the state of life lives a Spiritual life And this ye have most expresly in that 6. Chap. of John at the 40. vers This is the will of him that sent me That every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day But though he shall have everlasting life hereafter it may be he hath not this life for the present Look therfore what he saies at the 47. vers Verily verily I say unto you He that beleeveth on me hath everlasting life 'T is not said He shall have everlasting life but he hath everlasting life everlasting life is begun in him already And that ye may be the more sure of it he gives you a double Verily Verily verily I say unto ye He that believeth on me hath everlasting life But how can this be Nay how should it be otherwise for a mans life is as his meat is and saies our Saviour I am the bread of life at the 48. vers Then at the 54. vers Whesoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life For my flesh at the 55. vers is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me So that ye see this Chapter is ful of it here is a cloud of winesses I say therfore That every godly gracious man is a living man and lives another life from the life of the world a spiritual life and is in the state of spiritual life For the opening of this Truth unto ye We must first of all enquire What this Spiritual life is Take therefore this description of it It is that supernatural perfection of soul whereby a man being united unto Christ by the Spirit is able to act move and work towards God as his utmost end First I say It is a supernatural perfection There is some perfection in every life Life is the greatest good and perfection Death is the greatest evil Therefore when the Lord theratned Adam to punish him for eating the forbidden-fruit he saies The day thou eatest thereof Gen. 2. thou shalt die the DEATH Death is the greatest evil and so Life is the greatest good and perfection And this the Devil knew full well Joh 2.4 when he said Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life So that life is a perfection But I say this Spiritual life It is the Supernatural perfection of the soul And therefore in the 4. chapter of the Ephesians and the 18 verse This life of the Saints the very life of the Saints is called The life of God 'T is a supernatural perfection of soul therefore Secondly As it is a supernatural perfection of Soul So it rises from our Vnion with Christ by the Spirit A man is united to God by faith and by the Spirit and as our outward life does arise from the union between the soul and the body and though the body be never so fair or full yet if it be not united to the soul it is but a dead carkass So our Spiritual life it doth arise from our union with Christ and though a man have never so many moral virtues and his conversation be never so fair yet if not united to Christ by the Spirit he is but a dead man spiritually a dead man And therefore saies the Apostle here in the Text Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Thirdly As it arises from our union with Christ by the Spirit So I say It is that Supernatural I perfection whereby a man is able to act and move and work towards God as his utmost and last end And therefore saies the Apostle in the former verse I through the Law am dead unto the Law that I may live to God To God as my last and my utmost end And when a man is able to act and move and work towards God as his last and utmost end then he is said to live spiritually So that then ye have this description of our spiritual life I repeat it again It is that supernaturall perfection of soul whereby a man being united unto Christ by the Spirit is able to act and move and work towards God as his utmost end Quest 2 Secondly Whereby may it appear That every godly gracious man is thus a living man made partaker of this spiritual life so as to he able to act and move and work towards God as his utmost end Answ I will take but the Three ordinary lives that are in the world The vegetative life the life of Plants and Herbs The Sensitive life the life of Beasts And the Rational life the life of Man And I wil shew ye That the Essential properties of all these lives are in a Spiritual way in the godly and then the Argument will lie thus If the Essential properties of all these lives be in a spiritual way in every godly man then certainly every godly gracious man is a living man and in the state of life living another life from the life of the world First Take the life of plants and herbs or of flowers and what is the Essential property of
Beleever by his Spirit and this Christ in a Beleever is not the Gifts and the Graces of the Spirit but Christ Himself by his Spirit This I confesse rises high but herein I am not alone divers School-men and Fathers and of our own Divines concurring with me The Reverend Mr. Perkins it was his speech That the Person of a Beleever is united to the Person of Christ But I shall give you the words of an Eminent Preacher that is now in Heaven as we have them in the Works that he hath left Saies he It hath been a great Dispute among the School-men Whether a Beleever does receive the holy Ghost it Self or only the Gifts and Graces of the holy Ghost But saies he it is a Question where there needs be no Question and Dispute where there needs no Dispute for the Scripture is clear That we do not only receive the Gifts and the Graces of the holy Ghost but the holy Ghost it Self for are we not said to be the Temple of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 and this sets out the abundant Kindness and Goodness of God As saies he yet it is more Kindness to give a man Fruit and the Tree than to give him barely the Fruit So it is abundantly more grace in God to give a man the holy Ghost it Self rather than to give him only the Gifts and the Graces of the holy Ghost And indeed What greater Comfort can there be than this That Beleevers are not only made partakers of the Gifts and Graces of the holy Ghost but of Christ Himself Christ really in all Beleevers by his Spirit Object You will say unto me But how can this be we have ordinarily understood it otherwaies and so we have heard it preached too That Christ in a Beleever is nothing else but the Grace of Christ and the Spirit in a Beleever is nothing else but the Gifts Graces and Operations of the Spirit and indeed how can it be otherwaies For if Christ be really united unto each Beleever really in a Beleever by his Spirit and so made one with him then a Beleever may say I am Christ and I am the Spirit Which is Montanisme and which is Blasphemy and therefore how can this be that Christ is really united to each Beleever by his Spirit and really in a Beleever by his Spirit Answ I confess this is very hard to understand and when I consider the In-Being of Christ in a Beleever I remember that story that is written concerning Austin That walking by the Sea-side he saw a Boy take a Mussel-shell and go to the Sea carrying water with his Mussel-shell into a Ditch that was by out of the Sea into the small trench He asked the Boy what he would do Saies he I will empty all the Sea into that Ditch And he Smiles and told him he could not do it Saies he No more able are you with the Mussel-shel of your Understanding to carry out the Ocean of the Trinity in a small Tractate and Discourse of your own And what is our Understanding but as a little Mussel-shell in regard of Christ and the glory of the Trinity Surely we are not able with this little Mussel-shell for to carry out all the depth of this Truth in a small Discourse But it is a great Mystery Are ye able to tell me How the Child is formed in the Mothers womb Or are ye able to tell me How the Soul is United to the Body Who then can tell exactly How Christ is United to the soul of a Beleever 'T is a great Mysterie one of the great Mysteries of the Gospel But because our Saviour hath said Matth. 13.11 Vnto you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom and to others it is not Therefore we should all labor to understand it And that ye may not be mis-led herein as divers of late have been into strange kind of Blasphemous speeches I shall give you these Three or Four Propositions or Distinctions about it First of all You must-know That though Christ be really united unto each Beleever yet this Unition or Union is a Voluntary act and not a Natural act and so Christ may Unite himself unto the soul so far as it pleases himself It is not a Natural act but a Voluntary act and being an act wherein he is free he may Unite himself unto the soul so far as he pleases and no farther Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath not united himself so far unto the soul of a Beleever that a Beleever should say I am Christ and I am the Spirit for then a Beleever were to be Worshipped as well as Christ if he were Christ Secondly You must know this That there is a great-deal of difference between joyning unto another by way of Contact or Touching and joyning unto another by way of Composition As for Example The Sea and the Land they are joyned together they are united but how not by way of Composition but by way of Contact the Sea touches the Land the Land touches the Sea yet the Land cannot say I am the Sea nor the Sea cannot say I am the Land Why because it is an Union only by Contact by Touching and not by Composition one being compounded of the other So the Union that is between Christ and a Beleever it is by way of Spiritual Contact Christ touching the soul by his Spirit and the soul touching Christ by faith I say it is a Union by way of Spiritual Contact and Touching and not by Composition and therefore a Beleever cannot say that I am Christ and I am the Spirit Thirdly You must know There is a Two-fold In-being One whereby Essences are applyed unto each other and another whereby Essences are mixt together I 'le make it as plain as I can thus Ye see in a heap of Stone and Wheat they both make but one heap and the Stone may say I am in this heap and the Wheat may say I am in this heap but the Stone cannot say I am the Wheat nor the Wheat cannot say I am the Stone Why because though they be united and joyned together in one heap it is by way of Application of one Essence unto another one being applied unto another But now take Water and Wine and mingle them together and there every part may say I am Water and I am Wine Why because there is an Union by way of Mixture Now there is a great Union between Christ and a Beleeving soul yet a beleeving soul though he be really united to Christ by the Spirit cannot say I am Christ or I am the Spirit Why because it is an Union by way of Application and not by way of Mixture as Wine and Water mingled together if it were an Union by way of Essences then a beleever might say I am Christ and I am the Spirit but it is an Union by way of Application a beleever being applied to Christ and Christ applied unto a
beleever Fourthly You must know this That there is a great-deal of difference between the In-being of a Spiritual thing in a Material and the In-being of one Material or Corporial thing in another I shall make it as plain as I can and it will be of concernment to you Take a body now and let that be mixt with another and each part may say I am that which I am joyned to but take the Spirit or a Spiritual Being and let that be mixt with a more Material Being and then the Material Being cannot say I am the Spirit and the Spirit I am the Matter As now ye see in the great Union between the Soul and the Body the Soul is in every part of a man tota in toto the Soul saies the Philosopher is wholly in every part the whole soul of man being in every part of the body yet notwithstanding the Body cannot say I am the Soul nor the Soul cannot say I am the Body because they are thus united together Why because here is an Union of a Spiritual thing with a more Material which does keep the Natures distinct Or thus give me leave to expresse it to ye Iron and Fire being joyned together your Fire is in every part of the Iron and yet notwithstanding though the Fire be in every part of the Iron the Iron cannot say I am the Fire nor the Fire cannot say I am the Iron Why because here is a more Spiritual Body in a more Material Body and so the Natures are kept distinct Or if you will yet farther Ye see the Light in the Air the Light is more Spiritual than the Air and the Light is in every part of the Air yet notwithstanding the Air cannot say I am the Light nor the Light cannot say I am the Air but these two are kept distinct Why because here is an Union of that which is more Spiritual unto that which is more Materiall So I say here Though Christ be really United unto each Beleever yet notwithstanding the soul of a Belever is more Material though not in it self Material yet in respect of Christ the soul is a grosse Nature in regard of the Spirit of Chirst and being thus therefore united these Natures are kept distinct the Spirit of Christ is kept distinct from the Nature of the soul and the soul from the Nature of the Spirit and therefore the soul of a Beleever though united really unto Christ by the Spirit cannot say I am the Spirit or I am Christ Object But if we look will some say into the 17. chapter of John our Lord and Saviour Christ seems to speak this way at the 20 and 21. verses Neither pray I for these alone saies he but for them also which shall beleeve on me through their word That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Here Christ prayes That Beleevers may be one with him as he and the Father were one but if Christ be really united to each Beleever by his Spirit What difference is there between this Vnion and the Hypostatical Vnion the second Person was united unto our Nature to our Flesh and if now Christ be united unto a Beleever by his Spirit which is the Third Person What is the difference between the Hypostatical Vnion and the Vnion of a Beleever with Christ by the Spirit Answ 1 Much every way For take a Beleever and though Christ be United unto a Beleever really by his Spirit yet notwithstanding the Beleever is not said to be Assumed the Spirit doth not Assume the heart of a Beleever as the second Person did Assume our flesh and though we are united unto Christ by the spirit yet not said to be Assumed by the spirit Again Though Christ be really united unto each Beleever yet it is no Personal Union as the Hypostatical Union is A man is a Person before he is United so unto Christ by the spirit but now Christs Soul and Body they were not a Person before United unto the Second Person but the Soul and Body of Christ and the second Person in the Trinitie United together make up one Person I say that is a Personal Union all making up but one Person But now a Beleever he is a Person before his Union with Christ by the spirit he is a Person a Wicked Person but he is a Person Again The Union that is between Christ and a Beleever it is in respect of the other Union an Accidental Union Christ United unto the soul by Faith by the intervening of Grace and Accidents But now the second Person was United unto our Nature and unto our Flesh not by the intervening of any Grace or any Accident but their Substance was United unto Substance by the Second Person I say it was not an Union by the intervening of any Grace for though all graces were in Christ yet the union of the second Person to our flesh is not by the intervening of any Grace Faith or the like but now our union to Christ is by the intervening of Grace of faith and so this union is but an Accidental union in regard of that Again Though Christ be united unto all Beleevers by his Spirit yet he is so far united unto a beleever as to make him a member of the Body only But the second Person was United unto our Nature and unto our flesh to make Christ the Mediator Indeed if God were United to man for far as to make him Mediator between God and Man then he might say I am God and I am Christ but I say this Union being Voluntary he does so far Unite himself unto the soul of a Beleever as to make him a Member of the Body only and not a Mediator But when the Second Person was United to our Nature the Union was to make the Person a Mediator And thus ye see there is a great deal of Difference between that Hypostatical Union and this Mystical Union of a Beleever And whereas it is said in that 17. of John That Christ praies that we may be one with him as he is with the Father That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one I answer This is an As of Similitude and not of Equallity Christ praies unto the Father that Beleevers may be one with him not by way of Equallitie that a Beleever should be Equallie one with Christ as Christ is with the Father for then Christ should pray that a Beleever might be worshipped too which he never did and if that Christ here should pray that a Beleever might be one with Christ as Christ with the Father in regard of Equallitie then Christ should pray that a Beleever should be one with him from Eternity for saies he unto his Father in the beginning of the chapter Glorify me with thy self with the same glory which I had with thee before
THE WORKS OF WILLIAM BRIDGE Sometime Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in CAMBRIDGE NOW Preacher of the Word of GOD at Yarmouth The third Volumn VIZ. 1. The Spiritual life and In-being of Christ in all Believers 2. The Woman of Canaan London Printed by Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1649. To the Reader I Thought good to give thee notice That these Sermons were taken from the Authors mouth when he preached them and so were those also that were lately published the several titles whereof you may see in the Margin of this Epistle The Titles of the several Pieces that are lately published of Mr. William Bridge The first Volumn 1. The great Gospel-Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applyed from Christs Priestly Office 2. Satans power to tempt and Christs love to and care of his people under temptation 3. Thankfulness required in every condition The second Volumn 1. Grace for Grace or the overflowings of Christs fulness received by all Saints 2. The Spiritual actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 3. Evangelical repentance A word spoken is soon forgotten but what is written remains and may do you your children and childrens children good and this is the intent and desire of the Author When you view this mite of his you may see something of Christ in it let it be your care to see what you can finde of Christ in your selves Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates This Work adviseth you not to rest upon Notions for then you do no other then feed your precious souls with fancies which is as unfitting and more dangerous food for your souls then the husks were for the Prodigals body 'T is a Real Christ not a Notional Christ must satisfie your souls We all know there is store of gold in the India's but we are never the richer for it unless we have it in possession neither is it our hearing of Christ nor our knowing there is a Christ but our having of Christ in possession that benefits our souls Hast thou a proud heart read this Book and it will teach thee humility Hast thou a despairing heart read this Book and it will teach thee to believe Hast thou a legal heart read this Book it will teach thee to be Evangelical Hast thou a secure heart read this Book it will teach thee to be Watchful Hast thou a froward heart read this Book it will teach thee to be meek If thou wouldst come to Christ with a Budget of duties upon thy shoulders old Adams proud principle then thou must not look here for he labors to empty thee of thy own righteousness and send thee naked to Iesus Christ who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance If thou lookest for quaint speculations and eloquent expressions of humane wisdom which administer as little comfort to the Pastor as edification to the People in truth here 's nothing to please fantastical cars with whimseyr it was neither spoken nor written for any such intent the words were spoken for edification and were by the desire of friends written for the same intent If then thou levest plain dealing and to benefit thy soul read and this Book will teach thee to leave the success to God When Paul hath plantted and Apollo hath watred 't is God must give the increase Art thou a sinner here is mercy for thee here is Christ for thee Art thou a drunkard here 's water of life for thee which if thou drinkest thou shalt never thirst again Art thou covetous here 's riches for thee spiritual riches durable riches that will not sade Art thou prophane read this and it will teach thee to be holy Art thou a saint here is comfort for thee even the holy Spirit the comforter Art thou in darkness here is light for thee Jesus Christ the true light that lightens every one that comes into the World He shall be ten times more constant to thy soul then the sun in the Firmament Art thou weak in parts weak in Faith weak in grace read this Book and if the Lord be pleased to speak to thy soul here 's strength for thee even the mighty God Art thou poor El. Gibbor here 's Christ and the earth is his and the fulness thereof it is laid up in his hand for thee it is the purchase of his blood he hath bought it for thee 't is thy own and he doth but keep it for thee and thou mayest go boldly to him for it though thou art loath to borrow and ashamed to beg yet thou mayest go boldly for thy own This Book courteous Reader will teach thee to depend on God to wait on Christ for all He feeds the yong Ravens be tends the Sparrows he cloaths the Lillies therefore be sure he will not let his children want whatsoever storms be without Keep Christ and thou shalt have Peace yea the Prince of Peace within then thou shalt have peace when all the world is in trouble then thou shalt be kept safe in the hour of temptation which shall come to try all those that live upon the face of the earth Prepare a place for the Lord Jesus Christ in thy heart and he will provide a Mansion for thee in his Fathers house where thou shalt sin no more nor sorrow no more but God shall wipe away all tears from thy eyes Always remember thou hast here no abiding place but seekest one to come This courteous Reader is the course and aim of the Author in this Treatise for thy benefit he spends his spirits that thou mayest be happy that thou mayest grow up from strength to strength till thou comest to be a perfect man in Jesus Christ and this also is the earnest desire and prayers of him to Almighty God for thee who is and shall always remain Thine to love and serve in the Gospel VVilliam Greenhil READER THough there be other literal faults and some redundant its and there 's yet you will please to mend them with your own pen and consider the Authors absence from the Press Errata PAge 6. line 14. for them read it p. 9. l. 11. dele not p. 10. l. 2. for proxi r. proxim eni ' p. 22. l. 33. for and made alive r. and not made alive p 31. l. 25. for into the world r. into the other world p. 37. l. 29. dele me p. 44. dele quest Answ in the Margin l. 30 dele but. p. 51. l. 25. for prey r. praise p. 75. l. 5. dele so is Christ p. 76. l. 15. for but if r. for it is l. 16. for dwell r that dwelleth p. 77. l. 26. for smiles r. smiled and for in l. 29 33. r. into p. 81. l. 29. for their r. there p. 83. l. 20. after the words of Christ adde barely p. 101. l. 8. for Moses r. Ioshua p. 103. l. 34. for Legi r. Lege p. 105. l. 12.
4 Prescribe waies to the Lord ibid 5 Have strange repetitions to themselves ib. 6 Were never sensible of their owne pride in spirituall things Page 66 Motives to Self-denial 1 The more you deny your selves in spiritual things the surer you shall be to keep them Page 68 2 The more humble you will be in other things Page 69 3 The more you deny your selves in spiritual things the more ye shall be exalted in them ibid How may we be able to deny our selves in spiritual things 1 Reflect upon thy defects in every duty thou performest Page 70 2 Observe much the incomes of the Spirit of the Lord upon thy soul Page 71 3 Study the way of the Gospel much ibid SERMON IV Gal. 2.20 Doctrine Christ is in all beleevers Page 74 Explication How Christ may be said to be in a beleever 1. By way of power ib. 2. By way of presence ib. 3. In regard of his essence ib. 4. By way of spiritual manifestation Page 75 5. By way of personal union ibid Objection Then a beleever may say I am Christ Answered 1. This union is a voluntary not a natural act Page 78 2. It is by contact not by composition ibid 3. It is by application not by mixture Page 79 4. There is a great difference between the in-being of a spiritual thing in a material and the in-being of one material thing in another ibid Objection What difference is there between this union and and the hypostatical union Answered 1 Though we are united yet are we not assumed Page 81 2 There is no personal Vnion ibid 3 It is accidental ibid 4 It is only to make him a member of the body not a Mediator Page 82 Object How doth it appear that Christ is really in the soul of a Beleever Answ 1 Faith laies hold upon Christ Himself Page 83 2 Christ is in a Beleever as a Beleever is in Christ ibid 3 How would there else be three that bear witness ib. What benefit comes from this 1 A Beleever shall have glorious Communion with Christ Page 84 2 Christ's love is infinite towards Beleevers Page 85 3. A Beleever hath something more than any Hypocrite can attain unto ib. 4 Then a beleever shall never spiritually die again Page 86 5 He may come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace ib. Application 1 Admire at the unspeakable love of Christ Page 87 2 No wicked man dares to oppose any of the people of God Page 88 3 Abundance of comfort to beleevers ibid Object I fear Christ is not in me because I do not find him working in me Answ 1 Whose servants are they that ordinarily come into and go out of your souls Page 89 2 Do you find your souls in some measure naturalized to the work of Christ ib. 3 Did you ever find that Christ was in you Page 90 4 Do you not find some workings of grace according to that station you have in the body of Christ Page 91 Duties flowing from hence 1 Why should we meddle with any thing that is distastful to Christ Page 93 2 Why should we not be contented with our condition whatsoever it be ib. 3 Why should we not venture upon any service of God all though it be beyond our strength Page 94 Exhortation Labor to get a share in this great mercy Page 95 SERMON V Gal. 2.20 Doctrine Christ hath a greater hand in the spiritual actions of a beleever than himselfe hath Page 98 Explication 1 Christ liveth in each Beleever ibid Object What need then have they of Ordinances Answered Page 100 Object What need of Teaching Answered Page 102 2 How it may appear that Christ liveth so in each Beleever that he hath a greater hand in his actions than himself 1 By scripture Page 104 2 By instances in our 1 Conversion Page 105 2 Performences ib. 3 Obedience Page 106 4 Suffering ib. 5 Assurence ib. Reason Because man should not have wherein to boast Page 106 Objection Surely there are few beleevers in the world Answered Page 107 Questions propounded 1. What doth ordinarily sway the great actions of your lives Page 108 2. Do you find a secret disposition to all the Commandements of God ib. 3. Do you find your souls carried to what is good beyond your own disposition Page 109 4. Do you find your soul is carried to what is good beyond what is intended ib. 5. Were you never perswaded that Christ lived in you Page 110 Practical Meditations 1. Now I see the in-being of Christ in the soul is no fancy Page 112 2. Here 's a vast difference between a godly and a wicked man ibid 3. What desperateness is it to oppose the Saints of God ibid 4. What an evil it is for a Saint to say his duties are hypocrisie Page 113 5. What reason a beleever hath to be thankeful to God ibid 6. What an engagement here is for a poor beleever to come to duty though his heart be dead ibid 7. What heavenly lives beleevers should lead Page 114 8. We all should admire the infinite love of Christ ibid THE CONTENTS Of the WOMAN Of CANAAN c. On Matthew 15.21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. DIvision of the text 1. From whence Christ came Page 198 Observation None more rigorous opposers of of the Gospel than learned men Page 199 2. Whither he went ib. Observation The wonderful dispensation of God Page 200 3. The plaintive a woman Page 201 Observation If faith be true it laies aside all one 's own righteousness 4. Her first temptation Page 202 Observation It is no new thing for beleevers to have no present visible answer of their prayers Page 204 If this temptation fall upon you do as she did 1. she still acknowledgeth he was able to help her ib. 2. That it is his Office to help ib. 3. She doth not rest upon her own duty ib. 4. She propounds her misery ib. 5. She continues praying Page 205 5. Her second Temptation ib. Observation 1. A mans temptations may rise higher after prayer and yet he pray aright Page 206 2. Gods dealing with man may sometimes run cross to his promise ib. 3. Gods people may be tempted about their election ib. 4. When a Saint is so tempted his best way is to lay by dispute and fly to mercy ib. 5. As temptations arise so shall faith increase ib. 6. Her third Temptation Page 207 Observation It is no new thing for beleevers to have their unworthiness objected to them ib. Her answer Page 208 Observations 1. You cannot speak so meanly of a beleever but he speaks as meanly of himself ib. 2. A true beleever thinks honorably of Jesus Christ even then when he suffers the greatest reproaches to be cast upon him ib. 3. True saith finds out a promise even in the very refusal ib. 4. The least of Christ is highly prized with a true beleever Page 209 5. Faith riseth above our nature ib. Hence you see if you be tempted with
not the Painted child but I am the Living child of God and made partaker of this Spiritual life What is my Duty now that does flow from hence Answ Surely you will be thankful for your life If your outward and momentary life were given you for a prey you would be thankful and will ye not be thankful for this life this Spiritual life this Pleasant life this Eternal life that never shall be taken from you But there are Three things I wil propound to you in particular Duty 1 First If we be alive indeed made partakers of this Spiritual life Why then should we not live at an higher rate than the world does which have none of this life The Beast lives at an higher rate than the Plant or the Herb does why because it hath an higher life than the Plant or Herb hath Man as man lives at an higher rate than the Beast does why because man as man hath an higher life than the Beast hath And if a man have this Spiritual life he hath a life that is higher than the men of the worlds life is and therefore if we be alive and made partaker of this Spiritual life why should we not live at a higher rate why should I not say to my own soul thus and speak it often O my soul Wherein doest thou live at a higher rate than Civil men do thou hast a higher life thou saiest why doest thou not then live at a higher rate Duty 2 Secondly If we be alive indeed and made partakers of this Spiritual life Why should our hearts run after the things of the world so as to feed on them as our meat to be satisfied with them Every life lives upon some meat that maintains it and is sutable to it The Herb hath one kind of life and it hath a meat which sutes to it The Beasts have another life and they have a meat that does sute to that life Man hath another life different from the Beast and therefore he hath a meat that does suit to his life Now this Spiritual life 't is another kind of life than the natural life of man is and therefore it must have a meat that does sute with it meat that the world knows not of Saies our Savior John 4.32 I have meat to eat that you know not of This life of grace it is a hidden life and therefore the meat thereof that it lives upon 't is an hidden meat Then if you are alive indeed and have this Spiritual life why do you live upon these outward things and why should our hearts run out after these outward things so as to live upon them and make them as it were our meat for the satisfaction of our souls to live upon Duty 3 Thirdly If we be alive indeed and made partakers of this Spiritual life Why is our Communion and Fellowship together no more living Why no more living Fellowship and Communion why is our Conference no more warm and living A living coal warms ye know There is this difference between a living coal and a dead coal Take a Dead coal and though it be never so great or small it sullies and blacks more or lesse but it warms not But take your Living coal which hath fire in it and though it be never so great or small it does warm in proportion more or lesse it warms And if we be as Living coals why then is our Conference and Communion together no more warming When ye go into Wicked and Ungodly company there ye meet with dead coals and there ye are sullied and dirtied and black't by them I say If ye indeed be living coals why is your Conference no more warm and living Oh! what sad times are we now fallen into Heretofore some four or six or ten years ago ye should not come into a Christians company but you should have some heart-warming Conference that you should bless God for many yeers after As 't is said of Junius he came into a poor country-mans house and he spake so feelingly of Christ that he thought it was not Knowledge only that would serve a mans turn and thereupon he thought of his own condition and was turned to God And we reade of the Martyrs in the Primitive times when they met together they would speak much of the Kingdom the Kingdom the Kingdom of Heaven in so much as their Accusers their Enemies and Persecutors charged them That they aimed at the Empire and the Kingdom whereas they were speaking of a Heavenly Kingdom and not of an Earthly Kingdom But I say they were alwaies speaking of the Kingdom the Kingdom And so heretofore in former times when Christians did meet together then they would speak of the Kingdom and somthing that would warm their hearts together that they might be the better al the yeer after But now when we are met together either our speech is about Newes or some Dispute in point of Religion or some other thing yea though it be upon the Lords-day But if you be living coals Where is your living Conference and your heart-warming-Communion Certainly if you be alive in Christ indeed and made partaker of this Spiritual life you will live at a higher rate than the men of the world do Quest Is there nothing in all this Doctrine concerning those that are dead in sins and made alive hath this Doctrine nothing to say to them Answ Yes it hath very much to say to them Only I am loth to be the messenger of death to any one of your souls But if this Doctrine be true That every godly man is a living man and in the state of life and none else How many poor dead souls may this Doctrine find in Congregations It 's said that when the Egyptians found their first-born dead in their families there was a great cry thorow Egypt a great cry in every family And were men as sensible of their souls as they are of their bodies Oh! what a great cry might there be in divers of your families One crying out and saying Oh! Lord I have a dead Child whose soul is dead Another Oh! Lord I have a dead Servant in my family Another Oh! Lord I have a dead Wife in my family whose soul is dead Another I have a dead Husband a dead Friend I say were men and women as sensible of their souls as they are of their bodies what crying what a great cry this morning might there be found in this Congregation But I chuse rather to Exhort ye in the Name of the Lord for to get this same Spiritual life that now I have been speaking of above all getting to get this Spiritual life Ye see into what sad times you are fallen Who knows how long he shall live who knowes how long he shall he the owner of his Estate Liberty or Life The Kingdom is ful of blood and there is a blood-thirsty-disposition that runs thorow the Kingdom and if you and I have our lives
By this justification I mean That act of Gods grace wherby through the imputation of our sins to Christ and Christs righteousness unto us God the father doth pronounce us righteous in his sight This is justification And this is done by the Righteousness and the Blood of Christ only as the Material and Meritorious cause 'T is done only by Faith as the Instrumental cause so we are said to be justified by Faith alone Yet not so as that a man is justified by faith which hath no works for all justifying faith is full of works but these works do not come into our justification As now a mans servants they have him to bed Servants have their Master and Mistris to bed tend upon them to bed but they do not go into the bed with them They are with them again in the morning they bring them water and necessary things but they do not come to bed to them Now saies Luther Justification is that bed where Christ and a Beleeving soul lies though good works Duties and Prayers tend upon Christ and where ever there is faith there are these yet this bed of Justification is kept free and entire and only for the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and they come not to bed they come not into this work Or if you will thus Ye know that when an Israelite was stung in the wilderness by a fiery biting serpent he was then to look upon the Brasen serpent and by the beholding of the Brasen-serpent he was cured the looking of his eyes cured him He had other members there was the Arms and the Legs and other members that did accompany the Eyes but though there were other members that did accompany the Eyes it was the seeing of the Eyes that did cure the person And so though works do accompany faith and there is no saving justifying faith but works accompany it yet it is only the beholding of this Brasen-serpent by the eye of faith that does cure the soul as to the point of Justification When Abraham went up into the mountain to offer up his son he spake to his servants to stay below Gen. 22.5 Stay you here till I come again at the foot and the bottom of this hill and so they did Servants he had but they stayed below And so when a man goes up into this hil of justification this high mountain he takes only his faith with him and he sayes unto all his works and unto all his duties stay you below at the bottom of the hil and there they attend So that faith justifying faith though it hath alwaies works yet they come not into this matter of Justification 'T is Faith alone that justifies This by way of Explication Quest 2 But Secondly You will say How may it appear now that this free-justification of a poor sinner by Faith alone is the original of all our Holiness and Spiritual life Answ 1 Thus it appears by contraries Contraries have contrary Consequences If the Law and Justification thereby be no friend but a real enemy unto all our Grace and Holinesse then Justification by faith alone is a friend to it But now take the Law and you shall find that justification thereby is no friend but a real enemy unto all our Holiness and the power of godliness What greater enemies had the world ever to the power of godliness than the Jews were and they sought to establish their own Righteousness and to be justified by the Law And now a dayes What more bitter more fel enemy unto the power of godliness than a Moral Civil man Why Because though he do not understand himself yet he doth secretly seek his acceptance with God by his own doing and good meaning A man can never live to God that lives in himself So long as a man seeks Justification by his own doing working he lives in himself Therefore saies the Apostle Phil. 3.9 I desire not to be found in mine own righteousness to be found in it Hope is the Spring of action The Plow-man plowes in hope he sows in hope Hope is the Spring of action Now if a man seeks to be justified by the Law or the works of the Law there is no hope for all works are imperfect and if no hope saies the soul why should I work as good never a whit as never the better That cannot be the Principle of our grace and holiness which can neither Convert a man nor mortifie his sins nor quicken one to what is good nor comfort or free him from temptation Now I pray What is it that Converts a soul to Christ is it the Law or the preaching of the Law Nay Joh. 16.9 saies our Savior I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin But where do I receive the Spirit Saies the Apostle in the next chapter the 3. of the Galatians O ye foolish Galatians this would I know of ye Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Not by the preaching of the Law And as for Mortification of sin Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle in the 8. of the Romans The Law is weak What the Law could not do being weak God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh So that the Law cannot mortifie sin the Law cannot do it And as for our Quickening unto what is good Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle The Law is a dead letter and the Law is the ministration of death And can that which is a dead letter and the ministraction of death quicken us unto what is good certainly it cannot And as for our Temptations and freedom from them Does the Law do that Ye know the Apostle triumphs Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And who shall lay any thing to may charge shall the Anger and Wrath of God shall Satan or mine own Conscience I will not be much afflicted saies he why for It is God that justifies He does not say for it is Moses that justifies but 't is Christ that died and God justifies not Moses Sampson ye know found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon not in hives at home or trees abroad but he found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon So does a poor tempted soul find all the honey-combs of comfort in the body of the dead Lyon of the tribe of Judah not in his own hive I have read of a certain man that was much in prayer fasting and reading and the Devil came to him and told him Friend Why doest thou Pray so much and Reade so much and Fast so much 't is all to n purpose for thou shalt go to Hell at the last thou shalt never go to Heaven Saies he As for that I leave that to God it is not my Question whether I shall go to Heaven or Hell but my Question is How shall I serve God
Sanctified in a large sence but where do ye find in al the Bible of any Hypocrite that Christ is said to be in him really united unto an Hypocrite No this is the great Priviledge of a beleever only Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory Fourthly If Jesus Christ be really united unto each beleever by his Spirit Then a beleever shal never die again spiritually die again I have read of a Woman that when her Husband was dead she would eat and drink the ashes of her Husband have his bodie burnt to ashes and so eat and drink the ashes of her husband and being asked the reason because saies she I mean to part with him no more I have parted with him once already when we were one but now I will be made one with him in another way and I will part no more with him So if Christ be in a Beleever really in a Beleever Christ really united unto each Beleever by his Spirit Then Christ and that Beleever shal never part again that Beleever shal die no more for the same Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead dwelling in a Beleever shal also raise up a poor beleever yea though he fal into the grave of sin he shal never die spiritually again upon this account Fiftly If Christ be really united unto al beleevers by his Spirit Then they may come with boldness unto the throne of grace and with unlimitted expectations of mercie from God the Father and from Christ Jesus The nearer ye are unto any Person the more boldness ye have towards him and the larger will your expectations be from him If a man marry his Servant whilst she was his maid she was not so bold nor could expect so much from him when she becomes the Wife then she is more bold and can expect more because now she is nearer A Child may have more boldnes and expect more from the Father than the servant and the servant that is within doors more than the servant that works in the field but the Wife that is nearest she is most bold comes with most boldness into the presence of the man and hath the largest expectations from him because she is nearest to him So the nearer that the soul of a beleever does get unto God the more boldness he may have when he comes to God and the largen expectations of mercy from him Now if Christ were in a beleever only by the Habit of grace and Christ in the soul were nothing else but the Habit of grace here were yet a great distance from Christ but now if Jesus Christ be really United unto each Beleever by his Spirit here is a close Union indeed And therefore upon this account every beleever may come with boldness now and with Unlimitted expectations of mercy from God the Father being brought thus neer that Christ Himself is really in the beleevers soul And what a Glorious and Blessed Condition is every beleever in now upon this account Applyca First Here I would stand admire and call upon you all to admire the Condescending Glorious and Unspeakable love of Christ It was infinite love in Christ to condescend so far as to come down into our Nature when he was incarnate but as if he were not neer enough to us then he comes down into the heart of a beleever by his Spirit When Christ was upon the Earth we were in him as in a common Person Now Christ is in Heaven he is in us by his Spirit What Glorious Condescending love is here If a Father Portion a Child set him up in a good Trade and the child decay through his own folly the Father will not Portion him again possibly he may help him but he will not give him ordinarily parents do not give so great a Portion to help him up again somewhat the parent will do but not so much as at the first The Lord of Heaven he put a great Portion into our hands at first and we decayed and broke and behold the Lord does not only give us as good a Portion as we had at the first but infinitely better for now the Lord Christ is United unto each Beleever now he comes and dwels in the soul of a beleever by his Spirit The Psalmist wondered and admired at the love of God to Man Psal 8.1 4. O LOrd saies the Psalmist how excellent is thy Name Lord what is man Why Lord what is man that thou visitest him He wondred at the love of God that would visit man But behold a greater love than so to visit poor man for Christ is come down into the soul of a beleever he is come into him by his Spirit not only come to visit him but Christ really United unto each beleever by his Spirit What Glorious and Condescending love is here Secondly Upon this account no Wicked man should dare to oppose any of the children of God Why because Christ is in them Christ not only in his Graces but Christ really in all beleevers by his Spirit And will a man dare to speak evil of him that is one with Christ or to defile the Temple of the Lord and the dwelling place of the Lord 1 Cor. 3.17 He that defiles the Temple of the Lord him will God destroy Take heed what you do if there be any opposers here Thirdly What abundance of Comfort is here unto all beleevers Christ is in you of a truth not only by the infusion of his Grace but Christ really in you by his Spirit It is some comfort to a sickly man that he hath a Physitian alwaies in the house with him and to a woman that is neer her time of travail that the Mid-wife is in the house with her What comfort is it then unto a poor soul that Christ is alwaies in him really in him by his Spirit You that are beleevers will not this content you He is too Covetous whom God cannot suffice He hath all things that hath him that hath all things Now every beleever hath Christ Christ really in a beleever by his Spirit not Notionally not by the Habit of grace only but Christ is really United unto each beleever by the Spirit Here is Comfort Comfort Comfort unto all those that are beleevers Object But I fear that Christ is not in me I do not find or perceive that Christ is in me and therefore I can have none of the comfort of this Doctrine were Christ really in me by the Spirit Christ would be working in me but I do not find these workings of Jesus Christ in me and were the Spirit in me it is quick lively and powerful I should do great things for God but alas I do nothing for him and therefore I fear that the Lord Christ is not in me of a truth Answ 1 First I grant That where Christ comes into the soul he does cause the soul to do great things for God greater than it could do before So it was with
Zacheus so with the Jailor so with Paul and so with divers others But then ye must know That a work is great or small according to the opposition that it does meet withal Though a Work or Duty be small in it self yet if it meet with great opposition and break through it it is a great work It was no great matter for the poor Woman to give one or two mites into the Treasury but she having no more and it being all her livelihood it was a great matter It is no great matter for a man to pray and to pray constantly and to frequent the Ordinances but when a poor creature shall meet with all opposition from his Relations then it may be a great matter to do this It is no great matter comparatively for to stay ones soul upon Jesus Christ But in the time of temptation when ones soul is full of Fears and a man does look upon Christ as his enemy then to cast himself into the arms of Christ and to stay the soul upon Christ then this is a greater work So that the work is great though small in it self it is meet with great opposition and break through all But whosoever you are that make this Objection fearing that you are not in Christ and so have not the comfort of this Doctrine Give me leave to propound Three or Four Questions to you First Who and what are those and whose servants are they that do come into and go out of your souls are they not the retinue and the servants of Jesus Christ Ye say such a man or a Noble man lives here for his servants go in and out daily And what Words come out of your mouth and what Words go in at your ear whose servants are they ordinarily are you ever better than when you are thinking or speaking of Jesus Christ hearing from Christ Certainly if his servants do most ordinarily come in and go out the Master is within Christ is within Secondly Do not ye find your souls in some measure Naturallized unto the Work of Christ the Things of Christ and the Work of Christ in some measure Naturallized unto your souls Adam ye know was the first man the father of us all we were in Him as your Root and he in Us as his Seed and his Works they are Naturallized to us We being in him as in the Root and he being in us as in his Seed his Works are Naturallized to us It 's Natural to See and to Hear and to Speak it 's natural for a man to Sin Sometimes ye have a Wicked man hating of a Godly Gracious man and he can give you no reason for it I cannot tell why saith he but my heart is against him But I 'le tell ye why and what the reason is The Old Man is in him the Old Adam is in him and the work of Adam is Naturallized to a Wicked man and he can give you no reason many times why he does so because the Work is Naturallized to him So on the contrary The Lord Jesus Christ is our second Adam and beleevers being in him as in their Root and he in them as in his Seed his Works also are Naturallized unto a beleever in a great measure that a beleever sometimes his heart does stand unto the good Work of God and he can give you no reason for it why I should love this or that Godly man I can give you no reason but so it is my heart stands towards him The reason is this because that Christ the Second Adam is within and so his Work and Things are naturallized unto the soul and in some measure is it not so with you Thirdly Whoever you are that make this Objection Did ye ever find perceive or think that Christ is in you It may be now ye are under some present Fear Doubting but were you never perswaded of this In-being did ye never think or were ye never perswaded that Christ was in you Yes sometimes I have and sometimes I have not again Sometimes I do think that Christ is in me of a truth and sometimes I do not Then look into the 14. chapter of John ye shall see what our Savior promises I will pray the Father at the 16. verse and he shall give you another Comforter And what then He describes him in he 17. verse And at the 20. saies he At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you At that day It may be for the present you cannot say that Christ is in you you in him and he in you but did ye never think yet in all your life that Christ was in you Yes once or twice or sometimes I confess I did think that Christ was in me and I was strongly perswaded too that Christ was in me but now I have lost those perswasions But how came ye to be so perswaded at that time that Christ was in you Thus it was with me My heart was Dead Hard and I could not pray I thought that God and Mercy was gone that I should never see the face of God again and all on a sudden when my soul was in this sad condition I know not how but all on a sudden a strange and unspeakable comfort came upon my soul and my soul stood up as it were from the dead and then I had that perswasion that Christ was in me Well soul be of good comfort this was Christs time that was Christs time and though now for the present thou canst not say that Christ is in thee I tell thee from the Lord that time shall come again and Christ will send the Comforter again and then shalt thou know that thou art in the Father and Christ is in thee and thou art in Jesus Christ for what he said unto those Disciples he said unto other of the Disciples Wait but a little and thoug I be absent for a little time I will send the Comforter and then shall you know although you do not know now yet there is a time when the Comforter shall come and then shalt thou know that Christ is in thee and thou art in Jesus Christ Fourthly Although for the present you do not find those workings of Christ in you and those powerful operations of the Spirit which should argue this same In being Yet do ye not find some workings of grace in your soul according unto that Place Room and Station that you have in the Body of Christ The soul ye know is in the body yet the soul does not put forth such power in one Member as it puts forth in another the soul does not act in one Member as it does in another it does not put forth so much strength in the little Finger or in the Thumb as it puts forth in the Arm The soul does not act in the Eye as it acts in the Mouth neither does it act in the Tongue as it acts in the Ear Should
the Eye say I have no soul in me because I cannot speak like the Tongue Should the Tongue say I have no soul in me because I cannot see like the Eye Should the Ear say I have no soul in me because I cannot speak like the Tongue No but the soul that is in the body it gives according to the Station and Place of every member that is in the body So now the Lord Christ he gives out unto all his Body he is by his Spirit in the hearts of Beleevers but he does not give unto every Beleever alike One Beleever hath one place in the Body of Christ and another beleever hath another place in the Body of Christ But now I say to thee Observe what Place Room and Station thou hast in the Body of Christ and then tell me whether I or no do not ye find some workings of grace in some measure sutable unto the Place Room and Station that ye have in the Body of Christ Yes surely I cannot deny this but there are some workings in my soul according to the Room and Station that I have in the Body of Christ And this I can say That when the Comforter came then I did know that Christ was in me And I can say this also through grace in some measure The Work and Things of Christ are Naturalized to me They are the Servants and Retinue of Christ that do come in and go out unto my soul The Lord knows I am never better than when I am speaking of Jesus Christ and hearing from Jesus Christ If so soul be of good comfort though thou hast feared that Christ is not in thee Go in peace thy faith hath made thee whol and the Lord Jesus Christ is in thy soul the Lord Christ that is thus really united unto each Beleever by his Spirit is really in thy soul and in thy heart Quest Suppose it be so That the Lord Christ be in my soul indeed What is my Dutie now that does flow from hence Answ I am not able to tel ye what your Duty is that does flow from hence it is so great and so large But in Two or Three words thus Duty 1 First If Christ be in you of a truth Then why should the World be in you in its strength and power I say If Christ be in you of a truth Why should you meddle either in regard of your soul or body with any thing that may be unsavoury or distastful to Jesus Christ If a man have a Guest in his house that he prizes highly will he bring Swine into his chamber this were as much as to bid him be gone And if Christ be in you and in you of a truth Wil ye bring Swine unto him wil ye bring Lusts wil ye bring the World You are the Temples of the holy Ghost therefore why should ye not take heed of defiling these Temples What manner of men and women should we be in all holy conversation if Christ be in us of a truth Duty 2 2ly If Christ be in you of a truth Why then should ye not be Contented with your Condition what ever it be yea thankful for it yea in some Proportion thankful I say Contented Thankful thankful in Proportion I know a man that is made partaker of this great mercy this In-being of Christ in the Soul can never be Thankful in Proportion unto the mercy received but he may be thankful in Proportion unto other mercies You will be thankful to a man that gives you an hundred pound you will be more thankful to him that gives you a thousand pound you will be more thankful to him that gives you a thousand pound a yeer It may be you will say to him that gives you a thousand pound I can never be thankful enough to you but yet you will be more thankful to him that gives you a thousand pound a year So here you can never be thankful enough in proportion to the mercy received but you may be thankful in proportion to other mercies received If the Lord had given you the whole world for your portion you would have been thankful now in that he hath given you his Son and that Jesus Christ is really united to you by his Spirit and Christ really in your soul he hath done more for you than if he had given you all the whole world And will ye be thankful for these outward things and not for this In-being of Christ in your souls And yet how many are there that are sometimes blessing God and shewing some kind of thankfulnesse for outward things but as for this In-being of Christ in the soul that they are strangers to and the Lord knows they were never thankful for that so much as for outward things But if Christ be in you of a truth why should you not be contented with your condition what ever it be yea Thankful for it yea thankful in Proportion Duty 3 Thirdly If Christ be in you of a truth Then why should you not venture upon any work or service for God although it do lie beyond you and beyond your strength and expect large and great things from him You say sometimes you would do such or such a work for God but you have no strength to do it But if Christ be in you of a truth and really united to your soul Then surely you shall have strength enough and you may expect large and great things from him Therefore venture upon work and service for God yea although they do lie beyond your present strength be not unwilling thereunto but expect great things from God because Christ is really in you To end all be exhorted to get a share in this great mercy that I have been speaking of this In-being of Christ in the soul It may be there are some that can say I have none of Christ in my soul and may speak truly some that can say I have an unclean heart within me but I have no Christ within me I have a wanton heart within me but I have no Christ within me yet I have a proud heart within me but I have no Christ within me yet I have a Worldly heart within me but I have no Christ within me yet I have a Blaspheming heart within me but I have no Christ within me I have a Lying and Deceitful heart within me but I have no Christ within me to this day Lord I have no Christ within me what shall I do Others it may be that have indeed Christ within them and they can say Lord I hope that I have Christ within me but I do not find that I have room enough in my heart for such aguest Lord my soul is not enlarged enough for such aguest as Christ is Lord my soul is a poor narrow room Oh! that my soul were more enlarged what shall I do to get my soul enlarged to give entertainment to such a guest as Christ is I shall speak to ye both
Sidon And in the 7. Mark 24. He arose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon He went unto some place of Judea he did not go into the way of the Gentiles but he went unto some Town and place in Judea which was upon the coasts of Tyre and Sidon And here now he being A woman comes unto him Who is described at the 22. verse From her Country and from the Action which she did Behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried unto him saying c. A Woman a woman of Canaan and Behold a woman of Canaan As if that the holy Ghost would have us take special notice of it Behold a woman of Canaan came unto him The Canaanites were of all others the most Wicked the Jews were for to cast them out of their Nation and not to converse with them in the Jews account they were Dogs And therefore our Savior saies afterward It is not lawful to cast childrens bread unto Dogs She was a Canaanite But now this Woman this Canaanite she Beleeves comes unto Christ and Beleeves greatly O woman great is thy faith Observ Pray let us observe the wonderful dispensation of God here The Jews that Christ was sent unto they rejected Christ a Canaanite that is called a Dog receives Christ Oh! the wonderful dispensation of Gods grace Mercy takes those in and Free-grace takes in those into Christ that are most unlikely The Jews they were called the Children of the Kingdom the children they turn Dogs Beware of the Concision Phil. 3.2 beware of Dogs Children turn Dogs and Dogs turn Children the Canaanite a Dog becomes a Child and beleeves and the Jews that were the Children of the Kingdom they turn Dogs and rend Christ Oh! what Free-grace and Love is here Who would rest upon any outward Priviledge though it be never so great Who would be discouraged in regard of any unworthinesse though it be never so much But what saies this woman Saies she Have mercy upon me O Lord thou Son of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Have mercy upon me O Lord thou son of David Why does she call him the son of David and not rather the son of Abraham and not rather the son of Adam and not rather the son of Man as Christ was often called why does she here call him the son of David We find in Scripture that Christ and David did often exchange Names And David your King shall reign over you Jer. 30.9 A Promise made to the Jews yet to be converted that is Christ David your King and not Abraham shall reign over you but David your King David was the King of the people of God and was to feed them and so Jesus Christ is King of the Church and feeds the people of God Abraham was not a King David a King and therefore thou son of David and not thou son of Abraham And then the Messiah ordinarily among the Jewes was called David And therefore this woman here saies O Lord thou son of David She does first of all acknowledge his Deity and therefore she cals him Lord O Lord Shee does acknowledge his Humanity and Incarnation and therefore she saies Thou son of David Her Faith was rightly planted here now ye have her Faith in the Musterd-seed look but down a few verses and you find it grown up into a great tree that the birds of the air and the Saints may come and build their nests in the branches of her Faith But here it is planted She had in her own countrey some that by Exorsisme did undertake for to cast out Devils she does not go to them she had her own gods in her own countrey she leaves them and she singles out Christ and she singles out that Name Title and Attribute of Christ wherein was most of the Covenant and most of the Promise and her faith now being thus rightly planted it rises up unto great perfection she comes on with boldness But stay O woman a little Thou art a great sinner thou art a Canaanite and so a Dog and what doest thou comming unto Jesus Christ I know what I do might she say I do not come to Peter I do not come to James I do not come to John but I come to Christ and I come to Mercy to Mercy it self I do not plead mine own Righteousness or mine own Patience or my Humility or Prayer or Perseverance in prayer but I plead Mercy Have mercy on me O Lord. Behold a Miracle in the midst of a Miracle saies Chrysostom The Angels in heaven cover their faces in beholding the glory of Jesus Christ and a poor Woman here on earth comes with boldness the Cherubims and Seraphims in heaven saies he fear before Christ fear above and faith below fear in Angels faith and boldness in a poor woman she comes with boldness Observ If faith be true and right it laies aside all one 's own righteousness and comes unto naked mercy passes by all other helps and means singles out Christ that Name and Title of Christ that hath most of the Covenant and of Gods love in it She does not only come with Boldness but she comes with Prayer Have mercy upon me c. She comes Praying for she came Beleeving Faith and Prayer well go together Prayer is the issue of Faith Faith is Prayer in the Coale and Prayer is Faith in the Flame she comes Praying And mark also She comes with Love and such Love as makes another bodies infirmity and weakness ones own For she does not say thus My Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil have mercy on my Daughter but have mercy on Me her daughters vexation is her own her infirmity is her own Faith wrought the Love here Oh! that Parents would imitate this woman and go unto Jesus Christ for their Children that are vexed with Devils If a child be sick in body a parent wil run to God and cry for help but childrens souls may be vexed with Devils every Lust and Sin is a Devil and they do not run to Christ and say Oh! Lord have mercy on me for my Daughter or my Son or my Child is vexed with an unclean Devil or a prophane Devil But this woman having planted her faith rightly her faith here it does work by Prayer and it works by Love and she saies thus Have mercy upon me O Lord thou son of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil But what now is Christs answer to her He answered her not a word Now comes the Temptations the Three great Temptations Do not wonder that I call these Temptations It is true God tempteth no man and Christ tempteth no man but take Temptation for Tryal so Christ tempts so God tempteth Satan he tempts a man for to draw out his Sin but Christ tempts for to draw out our Faith Satans temptations are black within white and sweet without but Christs temptations are black