have a false uncleane nature whereby I am ready to commit a thousand such if God should let mee alone I have the spawne of all sinne as farre as the Spirit hath not subdued it It is a defect of judgement to be more humbled for particular sinnes nature is more tainted then any action that sowing breeding sinne as the Apostle saith it is worse then the action it breeds the rest So much for that they confesse here Wee are all as an uncleane thing in our selves But what comes from us That that aggravates to the utmost a sinnefull state All our righteousnesse is as filthy rags He doth not say we have filthy actions but our best actions are stained and not one but all Marke how strong the place is We all the people of God he includes all as Daniel saith I confesse my sinnes and the sinnes of my people and there is no man in the Church but he might have this confession in his mouth We the people of God and all We in all our actions All our righteousnesse c. so all the actions of all the righteous the best actions of the best men and all the best actions of the best men are defiled and stained it is as great an aggravation as may bee Some would have it to intend the Legall righteousnesse yet notwithstanding it is true of all and when we now humble our selves it is good to thinke of all so we may say all our righteousnesse whatsoever comes from us it is stained and defiled As for their Legall performances there is no question of them for alas they trusted too much to them in Isaiah 1. and Isaiah last they thought God was beholding to them for them Away with them away with your new Moones c. they were abhominable to God as the cutting off a dogs neck as it is Isaiah the last so all their righteousnesse their ceremoniall performances were abhominable But I say we may raise it high â—â— it is not onely true of them but in greater matters in our best morrall performances they are all as tainted rags How can this be It is strange it should be so the Papists crie out here that we discourage men from good works if all our righteousnesse be as filthy rags why should we performe good workes Put case a man be sick all the meate he eates it strengthens his sicknesse shall he therefore not eate at all Yes he must eate somewhat there is nature in him to strengthen as well as his disease Thy best performances are stained wilt thou doe none therefore yes though they be stained yet there is some goodnesse in them thou maist honour God and doe good to others besides the ill there is good there is gold in the Ore there is some good in every good action nay there is so much good as that God pardons the ill and accepts the good So though our good actions be ill yet for their kinde and matter and stuffe they are good they are commanded of God For their originall and spring they are wrought by the Spirit of God for the person the worke-man it is one in the state of grace and for acceptance God rewards them But it is another thing when we come before God to humble our selves then we must see what staines and sinnes are in them There is no good action so good but there are wants and weakenesses and staines and blemishes in it as it comes from us The Spirit of God indeed is effectuall to stirre us up to good actions but we hinder the worke of the Holy Ghost and doe not doe them so throughly as we should therefore besides our wants and weakenesses there is a tainture of them either we have false aimes they are not so direct or our resolutions are not so strong false aimes creepe in for a while though we doe not allow them and then there are some coolers of our devotion our love is cold our hatred of sinne is not so strong our prayers are not so fervent our actions are not so carried without interruption but are hindred with many bie thoughts who cannot complaine of these things Who is not brought upon his knees for the weakenesse of his best actions Nay I say more a Christian is more humbled for the imperfections and staines of his best actions then a civill carnall person is for his outward enormities for he turnes over all his outward delinquences and makes the matter but a tricke of youth when a poore Christian is abased for his dullnesse and deadnesse and coldnesse for false aimes that creepe into his actions for interruptions in his duties that his thoughts will not suffer him to serve God with that intention that he would but puts him off with motions and suggestions and temptations in his best performances this abaseth him more then outward grosse sinnes doth a carnall person When wee deale with God Our righteousnesse it is as menstruous cloathes Know this for a ground that there is a double principle in a Christian in all things that he doth there is flesh and Spirit and these two issue out in whatsoever comes from him In his good words there is flesh as well as Spirit in his thoughts and desires in his prayer his prayer it selfe stands in contraries So every thing that comes from him it is tainted with that that is contrary the flesh opposeth and hinders the worke of the Spirit and so it staines our good works Therefore contraries are true of a Christian which seeme strange to another man A Christian at the same time is deformed and well-favoured He is blacke and comely I am blacke but yet well-favoured saith the Spouse blacke in regard of sinne but well-favoured in regard of the Spirit of God and the acceptation of Christ. He is a Saint and a Sinner a Sinner in respect that sinne hath spread over all parts and a Saint in respect of Christs acceptance My Love and my Dove Christ makes love to his Church as if she had no defilement but he looks on her better part he lookes on her as she is in his love and as he meanes to bring her after But the Church looking upon her selfe as she is in her selfe she is much abased the ground of it is the imperfection of sanctification in this world The best of our works are as menstruous cloathes when we thinke of the corruption of the best things as they come from us when we come to humble our selves before God we must downe with proud stiles and Pharisaicall thoughts although there be somewhat that is good yet let us thinke of all the ill that may abase us There is a season for every thing when we are tempted to be overcome by Satan then thinke of the good as Iob when he was tempted I have done this and this you cannot take away mine innocency In false temptations from the world and Satan then stand upon our innocency But when
sanctified judgement and a mighty power to raise the soule to cast it selfe so upon Gods mercy in Christ. So that besides the obtaining saluation by Christ there must be a grace to apply it and this faith doth Faith is said to doe that that Christ doth because faith layes hold upon Christ what faith doth Christ doth and what Christ doth faith doth therefore it hath the same actions applyed and given to it that Christ hath Faith is said to save us you know it is Christ that saves us but faith layes hold on Christ that saves us faith purgeth the heart and overcomes the world Christ by his Spirit doth all this but because faith wrought by the Spirit is such a grace as layes hold on the power of Christ it goes out of it selfe to Christ therefore what Christ doth faith is said to doe So then the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ not onely freed Christ himselfe by his Resurrection but likewise by the same power whereby hee raysed himselfe he rayseth our hearts to beleeve what hee hath done both in his state of humiliation and exaltation and makes all that Christ did ours The Spirit of life in Christ Iesus working faith in us and by faith other graces doth free us from the Law of sinne and death Christ doth it and faith doth it and grace which issues from faith doth it subordinately Christ doth it by way of merit and by his Spirit working faith in us to lay hold upon whatsoever Christ hath done or suffered as if we had done it our selves so it frees us from the law of sinne and death because it layes hold of the freedome wrought by Christ for us But besides and next to faith there is a Spirit of sanctification by which we are free from the commanding law of sinne and death But to cleare all this consider there is a freedome in this life and in the life to come from sinne and from death A freedome in this life in calling in justification in sanctification and in the life to come a freedome of glory There is a freedome in effectuall calling by the minâ—sterie of the Gospel the Gospel being preached unfolded faith is wrought whereby wee know what Christ hath done for us and wee see a better condition in Christ then we are in by nature seeing by the Spirit of God the cursed estate wee are in we are convinced of sinne in our selves and of the good that is in Christ and hereupon wee are called out of the thraldome wee are in by nature by the Spirit of Christ and the Word of God unfolding what our condition is for man by nature having selfe-love in him and that selfe-love being turned the right way he begins to thinke I doth the Word of God say I am a slave to sinne and damnation the Word of God can judge better then my selfe and then the Spirit of God sets it on with conviction that undoubtedly this is true And together with the cursed kingdome and slavery that I am under there is discovered a better state in Christ for the Gospel tells us what we are in Christ freed from hell and death and heires of heaven oh the happy estate of a Christian to be in Christ The Gospel with the Spirit discovering this a man is called out of the cursed estate he is in by nature to the fellow-ship of Christ by faith which is wrought in this calling so that now he comes to be a member of Christ by faith so that whatsoever Christ hath or is or hath done or suffered it is mine by reason of this union with him by faith which is the grace of union that knits us to Christ and the first grace of application So there is the first degree of liberty and freedome wrought by the Spirit of God together with the Gospel in effectuall calling The second is in justification that faith and beleefe in Christ that was wrought in effectuall calling it frees me from the guilt of my sinnes For when the Gospel in effectuall calling discovers that Christ is such a one and that there is such an estate in Christ and there is faith wrought in me then that faith layes hold upon the obedience of Christ to be mine For Christ in the Gospel offers his obedience to be mine as if I had done it in mine own person whatsoever Christ did or suffered is mine for he is made of God to be Wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to be all in all the Gospell sets him forth to be so Now faith laying hold of Christ to be made of God all in all obedience righteousnesse c. whatsoever is needfull hereupon this faith justifies me hereupon I come to be free from the guilt of my sinnes because my sinnes were laid upon Christ Christs death was the death of a surety it was as if I had dyed my selfe and more firme thus I come to be free in justification for what my surety hath done I have done Againe there is a freedome in sanctification that is when a man beleeves that Christ is his and that his sufferings are his then the same Spirit that discovers this to be mine it workes a change and alteration in my nature and frees me from the dominion of sinne The obedience of Christ frees me from the condemnation of sinne and the Spirit of sanctification frees me from the dominion of sinne This is the freedome of sanctification which faith layes hold on Whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Christ as a head derives to me the holy Spirit to sanctifie my nature and of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace so the Spirit of sanctification in Christ frees me from the dominion of sinne and death It is said here that by Christ we have spirituall liberty and freedome not from sinne and death but from the law of sinne and of death It is one thing to be freed from sinne and death and another thing to be freed from the law of them for wee are not indeed freed from sinne and death but from the law of sinne and death that is from the condemning power of sinne that though sinne be in us yet it doth not condemne us and though we die yet the sting is pulled out death is but a passage to a better life So I say in Justification wee are freed from the condemning power of sinne and in sanctification from the commanding power of sinne When we are knit once to Christ we have the obedience of Christ ours in justification and the holinesse of Christ is derived to us as from the head to the members in sanctification and so we are freed from the law of sin To understand this a little better the same Spirit that sanctified the naturall body the humane nature of Christ wherby he became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh the same Spirit doth sanctifie the mysticall body of Christ
calls his body broken the bread of life Why because it was the body of the Sonne of God who is life Iob 6. All life comes from God Now Christ taking our nature upon him his death is a quickning death and by reason of the union with the divine nature now it is the body of God broken and the blood of God shed for us there is our comfort and hee was declared to be so by his Resurrection that declared that he was God and that hee was freed from our sinnes Powerfull must that Saviour needs be that was so strong in his very death when his very body was broken and his blood let out then hee did worke the foundation of all comfort for then hee satisfied the wrath of God Christ was strongest when hee was weakest The Resurrection was but a declaration of the worth of that hee had done Now in the Sacrament wee have Communion with Christ dying especially as his body is broken and his blood shed for that is the foundation of all comfort by his Resurrection And because the Spirit of life was in Christ and did quicken his body while hee was alive and was a Spirit of life even when hee dyed and gave worth and excellency to his death therefore when wee take the Communion wee ought not to meditate meerely of the death of Christ as his blood was shed and his body broken but of the death of such a person as had the Spirit of life in him as was God and man and so set the excellency of his person against all temptations whatsoever Set the excellency of Christ so abased his body broken and his blood shed against all temptations if it be the greatest the wrath of God upon the conscience yet when conscience thinkes this God the party offended gave his owne Sonne to be Incarnate and the Spirit of life in him did quicken mans nature and in that nature did die for satisfaction now God will be satisfied by the death of such a Surety as his owne Sonne so that the excellency of the Person having the Seale of God upon him For him hath God the Father sealed doth wondrously satisfie conscience in all temptations whatsoever What need a man feare death and damnation and the miseries of this life and Satan what are all if God be appeased and reconciled in Christ then a man hath comfort and may thinke of all other enemies as conquered enemies Now we cannot thinke of the death of Christ who was a quickening Spirit but wee must thinke of the death of an excellent person that gave worth to his death to be a satisfactory death for us Therefore let us receive the Communion with comfort that as verily as Christ is mine so his quickening Spirit is communicated to me and whatsoever he hath is mine If I have the field I have the Pearle in it his obedience his victory over death his Sonship is mine his sitting in heaven is for me he sits there to rule me while I am on earth and to take me up to himselfe when I am dead all is for me when wee have Communion with Christ wee have communion with all Therefore the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus when I am one with him it quickens mâ— and frees me from the law of sinne and death FINIS SAINT PAULS CHALLENGE In one Sermon By The late learned and reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Mr of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES-INNE PSAL. 27.3 Though an Host should encampe against me my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against me In this will I be confident LONDON Printed by E. P. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford 1638. SAINT PAVLS CHALLENGE ROM 8.30 What shall wee then say to these things If God be for us who can be against us THE words are a glorious conclusion and triumph of faith the conclusion upon all the former particulars in the Chapter and the foundation of all the comforts that follow after to the end of the Chapter They are as the center of the Chapter all the beames of heavenly comfort in this divine Chapter they meete as it were in one in this short clause What shall we say then to these things c. In the words briefly there is first a question What shall we say to these things And then a triumph If God be with us who can be against us It is a question answered with another question What shall wee say to these things He answers it with another question If God be with us who can be against us What shall we say to these things To these things before mentioned If wâ—e be in Christ there is no condemnation to us if wee be led by the Spirit if we be heires of heaven and fellow heires with Christ if we suffer with him if we have the spirit of prayer to helpe our infirmities in the worst conditions if all creatures groane with us and if all worke for our good if God from all eternity hath written our names in heaven by election and separated us from the rest of the world in vocation and hath sanctified and justified us and will after glorifie us what shall wee say to these things The heart of man is full of doubtings and misgiving full of thoughts According to the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts refreshed my soule a multitude of thoughts and a multitude of comforts there is comfort after comfort because there are thoughts after thoughts and surmises after surmises There is no wast comfort set down in this Chapter and when he hath set down all he comes and concludes in a triumphant manner What shall wee say to these things He propounds the quaere to himselfe he catechiseth his own heart and others if these things be so what can be sayd against them Surely the unbeleeving doubting darke rebellious heart of man hath many things to say against divine truths for though divine truths be lighter then the Sunne and there is no greater evidence of any thing in the world yet they find no place in the unbeleeving heart Let God say what he will the doubting heart is ready to gain-say it but these truths are so pregnant and cleare that it is a wonder that any thing should be said against them What shall we say to thâ—se things Againe he meanes what comfort can you have more what can you desire more what can be said more what use will you make of all that hath beene said what will you sucke out of it If all this be true that hath beene spoken before that a Christian is so elevated above the common condition if God love him from everlasting in election and to everlasting in glorification if in the middle time all shall worke for the best what comfort can the heart of man desire more and what use can you make of this for courage and for comfort for the time to come these things are implyed in this
humane nature it was an advancement for mans nature to bee grafted into God by conception and incarnation bâ—t if wee regard his God-head for him to conceale himselfe and lay aside the beames and rayes of Majesty and cloath himselfe with mans flesh this was the first degree of humiliation it was an advancement to his flesh but it was a concealing and hiding to his God-head for God to become a servant this was an abasement but then consider the excellencie of the service how God delighted in it and how usefull it was to us and wee shall see that he was a servant by way of excellencie There was first in Christ humane flesh abased flesh and then glorious flesh abasement was first necessary for Christ for hee could not have performed the office of a servant unlesse hee had undertaken the condition of a servant he must first bee abased and then glorious our ill must be his before his good could be ours and how could hee undergoe our ill our sin and misery and the curse due to us but he must bee abased our sins must be imputed to him and then his righteousnesse and whatsoever is good is ours so here is both the abasement of his condition and the excellencie of his office to be a King Priest and Prophet to his Church as wee shall see afterward Is the Lord Christ a servant this should teach us not to stand upon any tearmes if Christ had stood upon tearmes if he had refused to take upon him the shape of a servant alas where had we and our salvation beene And yet wretched creatures we thinke our selves too good to doe God and our Brethren any service Christ stood not upon his greatnesse but being equall with God he became a servant Oh we should dismount from the tower of our conceited excellency The heart of man is a proud creature a proud peice of flesh men stand upon their distance what shall I stoupe to him J am thus and thus we should descend from the heaven of our conceit and take upon us the forme of servants and abase our selves to doe good to others even to any and account it an honour to doe any good to others in the places wee are in Christ did not thinke himselfe too good to leave Heaven to conceale and vaile his Majesty under the vaile of our flesh to worke our redemption to bring us out of the cursed estate we were in shall we thinke our selves too good for any service Who for shame can be proud when he thinks of this that God was abased shall God bee abased and man proud shall God become a servant and shall wee that are servants thinke much to serve our fellow-servants Let us learne this lesson to abase our selves we cannot have a better patterne to looke unto then our blessed Saviour A Christian is the greatest freeman in the world hee is free from the wrath of God free from hell and damnation from the curse of the Law but then though he bee free in these respects yet in regard of love he is the greatest servant love abaseth him to doe all the good hee can and the more the Spirit of Christ is in us the more it will abase us to any thing wherin we can be serviceable Then againe here is comfort for us that Christ in whatsoever he did in our redemption is Gods servant he is appointed by God to the worke so both God and Christ meete together in the worke Christ is a voluntary in it for he emptied himselfe he tooke upon him the forme of a servant he came from Heaven voluntary And then withall the Father joynes with him the Father appointed him and sent him the Father layed him as the corner stone the Father sealed him as it is Iohn 6. The Father set him out as it is Romans 3. hee hath set him out as the propitiatory Therefore when wee thinke of reconciliation and redemption and salvation wrought by Christ let us comfort our selves in the soliditie of the worke that it is a service perfectly done it was done by Christ God Man it is a service accepted of God therefore God cannot refuse the service of our salvation wrought by Christ Christ was his servant in the working of it we may present it to God it is the obedience of thy servant it is the satisfaction of thy servant here is that will give full content and satisfaction to conscience in this that whatsoever Christ did he was Gods servant in it but wee shall better understand the intent of the Holy Ghost when we have gâ—ne over the rest of the words Behold my sâ—rvant Whom I have chosen Christ was chosen before all worlds to bee the head of the elect hee was predestinate and ordained by God As wee are ordained to salvation so Christ is ordained to be the head of all that shall be saved hee was chosen eternally and chosen in time he was singled out to the work by God and all others that are chosen are chosen in him there had beene no choosing of men but in him for God saw us so defiled lying in our filth that hee could not looke upon us but in his Sonne he chose him and us in him Here is meant not onely choosing by eternall election to happinesse but a choosing to office there is a choosing to grace and glory and a choosing to office Here it is as well meant a choosing to office as to grace and glory God as he chose Christ to grace and glory so he chose him to the office of Mediatorship Christ did not choose himselfe he was no usurper No man cals himself to the office as it is in Hebrews but Christ was called and appointed of God he was willing indeed to the worke hee tooke it voluntary upon him but as Mediator God chose him God the Father and he joyning together If we respect eternall salvation or grace or office Christ was chosen in respect of his Man-hood For as it is well observed by Divines Christ is the Head of al that are predestinate and the humane Nature of Christ could not merit its choise it could not merit its incarnation it could not merit union with the God-head it was meerely from grace How could Christs Man-hood deserve any thing of God before it was Things must have a subsistence before they can worke Our blessed Saviour is the patterne of all election and his Man-hood could not merit to bee knit to the second person as how could it being a creature Therefore the knitting of the humane nature of Christ to his divine it is called the grace of Vnion the choosing of the humane Nature of Christ to be so gratious and glorious it was of grace Christ he was both a chosen servant and a choise servant in calling him a chosen servant it implies his excellency as a chosen vessell a chosen arrow in Gods quiver so a chosen servant every way excellent This
servant to do our worke for us to suffer for us to beare the burthen of our sinnes upon the tree to become our husband to bestow his riches upon us to raise us to the same condition with himselfe and withall to be such a one as God hath chosen out to love and delight in as the best object of his love and most capable of it and for us not to solace and delight our selves in him that God delights in when God delights in him for our sake God loves and delights in him for the worke of salvation and redemption by his blood and shall not wee love and imbrace him for his love which is for our good What good hath God by it but onely the glory of his mercy in saving our soules through Christ Therefore if God love him for the good he doth to us much more should we love him for the fruit of it that wee receive our selves It should shame us therefore when we finde dullnesse and coldnesse upon us that wee can heare of any thing better then of Christ and arguments concerning Christ are cold to us alas where is our love and joy and delight and when we can make no better but a carnall use of the incarnation and other benefits by Christ we should therefore desire God to shed the love of Christ into our hearts more and more that we may feele in our soules the love that hee beares to us and may love God and Christ againe for that that hee hath done for us Hence we have also a ground of estimation of Christians to be excellent persons doth God valew poore sinfull soules so much as to give Christ for them to become a Saviour doth he delight in Christ for giving himselfe for them and shall not we love one another whom God and Christ so loves But if God love and delight in those that are in Christ with the same love and delight that he hath in him how shall I know that I am in Christ and that God thus delights in me Briefly a man may know that hee is in Christ if he find the Spirit of Christ in him for the same Spirit when Christ tooke our nature that sanctified that blessed masse wherof he was made when there was an union betweene him and the second person the same Spirit sanctifies our soules and bodies there is one Spirit in the head and in the members therfore if we find the Spirit of Christ in us we are in Christ and he in us Now this Spirit is renewing Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature all is new old things are done away the old manner of language the old disposition old affections old company all old things are past all is new and if a man be a new creature hee hath right and title to the new heaven and new earth let us examine the worke of grace in us if there be no change in us we have no present interest in Christ we have to do with him because he is still woing us to be in him but as yet we have no title to him The very beholding of Christ is a transforming sight the Spirit that makes us new creatures and stirres us up to behold this servant it is a transforming beholding if wee looke upon him with the eye of faith it will make us like Christ for the Gospell is a mirrour and such a mirrour that when we looke into it and see our selves interessed in it wee are changed from glory to glory a man cannot looke upon the love of God and of Christ in the Gospell but it will change him to be like God and Christ for how can we see Christ and God in Christ but we shall see how God hates sin and this will transforme us to hate it as God doth who hated it so that it could not bee expiated but with the blood of Christ God-man so seeing the holinesse of God in it it will transforme us to be holy when we see the love of of God in the Gospell and the love of Christ giving himselfe for us this will transforme us to love God when wee see the humility and obedience of Christ when we looke on Christ as Gods chosen servant in all this and as our surety and head it transformes us to the like humility and obedience those that find not their dispositions in some comfortable measure wrought to this blessed transformation they have not yet those eyes that the Holy Ghost requireth here Behold my servant whom I have chosen my Beloved in whom my soule delighteth I will put my Spirit upon him Now wee come to the qualification of Christ for his calling in these words I will put my Spirit upon him that is I will cloath him with my Spirit I will put it as it were upon him as a garment Now there were divers degrees of Christs receiving the Spirit at severall times for hee was conceived by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost did sanctifie that blessed masse whereof his body was framed in the wombe of the Virgin he was quickned in the wombe in his conception by the Holy Ghost and he was graced by the Holy Ghost and led by the Spirit in all things before his Baptisme but afterward when he came to set upon his office to be the Prophet and Priest and King of his Church that great office of saving mankind which he did not solemly set upon till hee was thirty yeares old then God powred upon him a special portion of the Spirit answerable to that great calling then the Spirit lighted upon him Christ was ordained to his office by the greatest authority that ever any was ordained from the beginning of the world for at his Baptisme when he was ordained and set apart to his office there was the Father from heaven uttered an audible voice This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and there was Christ the partie baptized and installed into that great office then there was the Holy Ghost in the forme and shape of a Dove it being a matter of the greatest consequence that ever was in the world greater then the Creation it was fit it should be done with the greatest authority and so it was the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost being present at the admission of Christ into his office this is especially here intended though the other bee included I will put my Spirit vpon him that is I will annoint him as it is in Isaiah 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith Christ because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke to binde up the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the captives to open the prison for them that are bound to proclaime the acceptable yeare of the Lord that is the yeare of Iubile for that was a Type of Christ to preach the Gospell deliverance to all that are in captivity servitude and thraldome under Satan and sin this was
accomplished when Christ at his Baptisme entred upon his office God put his Spirit upon him to set him apart to ordaine him and to qualifie him with abundance of grace for the worke for there are these three things especially meant by putting the Spirit upon him separation or setting apart and ordaining and inriching with the gifts of the Spirit When any one is called to great place there is a setting apart from others and an ordaining to that particular and a qualifying if it be a calling of God he qualifies where he ordaines alwaies But Christ had the Spirit before what doth he meane then when hee saith hee will put the Spirit upon him now I answer he had the Spirit before answerable to that condition he was in now hee received the Spirit answerable to that condition hee was to undertake he was perfect then for that condition now he was to be made perfect for that office he was to set upon he was alway perfect hee had abundance of Spirit for that estate hee was in but now he was to enter upon another condition to preach the Gospell to be a Prophet and after to be a Priest therefore he saith now especially I will put my Spirit upon him Now this putting of the Spirit it is expressed in Isaiah 61. and other places by Annointing There were three sorts of persons that were annointed before Christ Prophets Priests and Kings now Christ was to bee a Prophet a Priest and a King therefore hee was to be annointed with the Spirit to enable him to these three offices I might here take occasion to enlarge my selfe in the offices of Christ but I will onely speake of them as the Text ministreth just occasion There are three maine defects in man since the fall There is ignorance and blindnesse There is rebellion in the will and affections And in regard of his condition by reason of the sinnes of nature and life a subjection to a cursed estate to the wrath of God and eternall damnation Now answerable to these three grand ills whosoever shall bee ordained a Saviour must provide proportionable remedies for these hereupon comes a threefold office in Christ that is ordained to save man to cure this threefold mischiefe and maladie As we are ignorant and blind he is a Prophet to instruct us to convince us of the ill state we are in and then to convince us of the good hee intends us and hath wrought for us to instruct us in all things concerning our everlasting comfort he is such a Prophet as teacheth not onely the outward but the inward man hee openeth the heart he teacheth to doe the things he teacheth men teach what we should doe but they teach not the doing of them he is such a Prophet as teacheth us the very things hee teacheth us to love and to obey c. And answerable to the rebellion and sinfulnesse of our dispositions he is a King to subdue whatsoever is ill in us and likewise to subdue all opposite power without us by little and little hee will trample all enemies under his feete and under our feete too ere long Now as we are cursed by reason of our sinfull condition so hee is a Priest to satisfie the wrath of God for us he was made a curse for us he became a servant that being so hee might die and undergoe the cursed death of the crosse not onely death but a cursed death and so his blood might be an attonement as a Priest So answerable to the three fold ill in us you see here is a threefold office in Christ. Now Christ performes these three offices in this order First of all he is a Prophet when he was baptised the Spirit was put upon him as in Isaiah 61. To preach deliverance to the captives First he preached wherefore he came into the world why God sent him and discovered to the world the state they were in and when he had preached as a Prophet then as a Preist he dyed and offered himselfe a Sacrifice After death his Kingly office was most apparent For then he rose againe as a triumphant King over death and all our enemies and ascended in his triumphant chariot to Heaven and there he sits gloriously as a King in his throne at the right hand of God so that how ever at his Baptisme and before when he was sanctified in his mothers wombe he was both King Priest and Prophet yet in regard of the order of manifestation he manifested himselfe first to be a Prophet secondly a Priest and thirdly to be a King For his Kingly office brake foorth but seldome in the time of his abasement sometimes it did to shew that he was ruler and commander of Earth and Sea and Divels and all he wrought miracles but the glorious manifestation of his kingly office it was after his resurrection Now the fundamentall the chiefe office to which he was annoynted by the Spirit upon which the rest depends it was his Priestly office for wherefore was his teaching but to instruct us what he must doe and suffer for us and what benefit we have by his Sacrifice reconciliation with God and freedome from the wrath of God and right unto life everlasting by his obedience to the cursed death of the crosse And how comes he to be a King to rule over us by his holy Spirit and to have a right unto us But because as a Priest hee dyed for us first He washed us with his blood he purged us with his blood and then he made us Kings and Priests Rev 1. All other benefits came from this he washed our soules in his blood first whatsoever wee have from God is especially from the great worke of Christ as a Priest abasing himselfe and dying for us and thereupon hee comes to bee a Prophet and a King thus we see the order of Christs offices how they come to be fruitfull to us the rest especially by vertue of his priestly office Note this by the way Christs priestly office includes two branches his sacrificing himselfe for us a Priest was to offer Sacrifice and to pray for the people our Saviour Christ did both in the daies of his humiliation in his prayer in Ioh. 17. there as a Priest he commends his sacrifice to God before he died and now he is in Heaven making intercession for us to the end of the world he appeares for us there We see then to what purpose God put the Spirit upon Christ to enable him to be a Prophet a Priest and a King and thereupon to take away those mischiefes and evills that wee were subject and inthralled too so that we have a supply for all that may any way abase us and cast us downe in the all sufficiency that is in Christ Jesus who was annoyntâ—d with the Spirit for this end It may be objected Christ was God himselfe hee had the Spirit and gives the Spirit therefore how could the
Spirit be put upon him I answer Christ is both God and Man Christ as God gives the Spirit to his humane nature so hee communicates his Spirit the Spirit is his Spirit as well as the Fathers the Spirit proceeds from them both Christ as man receives the Spirit God the Father and the Son put the Spirit upon the man-hood of Christ so Christ both gives and receives the Spirit in diverse respects as God hee gives and sends the Spirit the spiration and breathing of the Spirit is from him as well as from the Father but as man he received the Spirit And this is the reason of it next under the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Christ the mediator was to be the spring and originall of all comfort and good therefore Christs nature must not onely be sanctified and ordained by the Spirit but he must receive the Spirit to inrich it for whatsoever is wrought in the creature is by the Spirit whatsoever Christ did as man he did by the Spirit Christs humane nature therefore must be sanctified and have the Spirit put upon it God the Father the first person in Trinity and God the Son the second they worke not immediately but by the Holy Ghost the third person therefore whatsoever is wrought upon the creatâ—re it comes from the Holy Ghost immediately so Christ received the Holy Ghost as sent from the Father and the Son Now as the Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son so he workes from the Father and the Son he sanctifieth and purifieth and doth all from the Father and the Son and knits us to the Father and the Son to the Son first and then to the Father therefore it is said The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Ghost because all the communion we have with God is by the Holy Ghost all the communion that Christ as man had with God was by the Holy Ghost and all the communion that God hath with us and wee with God is by the Holy Ghost for the Spirit is the bond of union betweene Christ and us and betweene God and us God communicates himselfe to us by his Spirit and we communicate with God by his Spirit God doth all in us by his Spirit and we doe all backe againe to â—od by the Spirit Because Christ as a Head as the second Adam was to be the root of all that are saved as the first Adam was the roote of all that are damned he was therefore to receive the Spirit and to have it put upon him in a more excellent and rich manner for wee must know that all things are first in Christ and then in us God chose him first and then he chose us God singled him out to be the Saviour the second Adam and he cals us in Christ. God justified Christ from our sinnes being our Surety taking our sinnes upon him we are justified because hee by his resurrection quit himselfe from the guilt of our sinnes as having paid the debt Christ is the first fruites of them that rise againe we rise againe because he is risen Christ first ascended we ascend in Christ. Christ is first loved we are loved in the Beloved Christ is first blessed we are blessed with all spirituall blessings in Iesus Chrest So whatsoever is in us we have it at the second hand we have the Spirit in us but he is first in Christ God hath put the Spirit in Christ as the spring as the second Adam as a publike person that should receive the Spirit for us all he is first in all things Christ must have the preheminence he hath the preheminence in all both before time in time and after time in election in whatsoever is done here in this world and in glorification all is first in Christ and then in us he is the elder Brother We must understanding this to give Christ his due honour and respect and to know whence we have all we have Therefore the Spirit is said here first to be put upon Christ. Wee have not the Holy Ghost immediately from God but we have him as sanctifying Christ first and then us and whatsoever the Holy Ghost doth in us he doth the same in Christ first and hee doth it in us because in Christ. Therefore in Iohn 14. Christ saith He shall take of mine whatsoever the Holy Ghost works in us hee takes of Christ first How is that Thus The Holy Ghost comforts us with reasons from Christ he dyed and hath reconciled us to God therefore now God is at peace with thee Here the Holy Ghost takes a ground of comfort from the death of Christ. When the Holy Ghost would raise a man up to holinesse of life he tels him Christ thy Saviour and Head is quickned and is now in Heaven therefore we ought to rise to holinesse of life If the Holy Ghost be to worke either comfort or grace or any thing he not onely doth the same thing that he did first in Christ but hee doth it in us by reasons from Christ by grounds fetched from Christ the Holy Ghost tells our soules that God loves Christ first and he loves us in Christ and that we are those that God gave Christ for that we are those that Christ makes intercession for in Heaven the Holy Ghost witnesseth to us the love of the Father and the Sonne and so hee fetcheth from Christ whatsoever he works And hence the worke of the Holy Ghost is distinguished from illusions and delusions that are nothing but franticke conceits of comfort that are groundlesse The Holy Ghost fetcheth all from Christ in his working and comfort and he makes Christ the patterne of all for whatsoever is in Christ the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit of Christ workes in us as it is in Christ. Therefore in Iohn 1.13 it is said of his fullnesse we receive grace for grace that is grace answerable to his grace There are three things that we receive answerable to Christ by the Spirit We receive grace that is the favour of God answerable to the favour God shewes his Son he loves his Son he is gratiously disposed to him and he loves us So grace habituall wee have grace in us answerable to the grace in Christ wee have love answerable to his love patience answerable to his Patience Obedience and Humility answerable to that in Christ the Spirit workes a conformity to Christ in all things Likewise in the third place the Spirit assures us of the same priviledges that issue from grace Christ is a Son the Spirit tells us wee are sons Christ is an heire the Spirit tells us wee are heires with Christ Christ is the King of Heaven and Earth the Spirit tells us that wee are Kings that his riches are ours thus wee have grace for grace both favour and grace in us and priviledges issuing from grace we have all as they are in Christ. Even
as in the first Adam we receive of his emptinesse curse for curse ill for ill for his blindnesse and rebellion wee are answerable wee are borne as hee was after his fall so in the second Adam by his Spirit we receive grace for grace Hence issues this that our state now in Christ is farre more excellent then our state in Adam was How doth it spring hence Thus Christ is God-Man his nature was sanctified by the Spirit hee was a more excellent person he gives and sends the Spirit Adam was onely a meere man and therefore his goodnesse could not be so derived to his posterity For how ever the Holy Ghost was in Adam yet the Holy Ghost did not so fill him he was not so in him as in Christ the Holy Ghost is in Christ in a more excellent manner for Christ being equall with God he gave the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost comes from Christ as God now the second Adam being a more excellent person wee being in Christ the second Adam we are in a more excellent and in a more safe estate we have a better keeper of our happinesse then Adam he being a meere man he could not keepe his owne happinesse but lost himselfe and all his posterity though he were created after the Image of God yet being but a meere man hee shewed himselfe to be a man that is a changeable creature but Christ being God and man having his nature sanctified by the Spirit now our happinesse is in a better keeping for our grace hath a better spring the grace and sanctification wee have it is not in our owne keeping it distills into us answerable to our necessities but the spring is indeficient it never failes the spring is in Christ. So the favour that God beares us it is not first in us but it is first in Christ God loves him and then he loves us he gives him the Spirit and us in him Now Christ is the keeper both of the love of God towards us and the grace of God whatsoever is good he keeps all for us he receives all for himselfe and for us he receives not only the Spirit for himselfe but he receives it as Mediator as Head for we all of his fullnesse receive grace for grace he receives it as a fountaine to diffuse it I say this shewes us our happy and blessed condition in Jesus Christ that â—ow the grace and love of God and our happinesse and the grace whereby we are sanctified and fitted for it it is not in our owne keeping originally but in our head Christ Iesus These bee comfortable considerations and indeed the life and soule of a Christians life and comfort if we conceive them aright they will quicken us to obedience and wee shall know what the Gospell is To come to make some use of it I might observe this that none should take that office upon them to which they are not called of God nor qualified by his Spirit especially Ministers because Christ did not set upon his office till the Spirit was put upon him the Spirit must inable us and fit us for every thing but I leave that and come to that which concernes us all First then hath God put the Spirit upon Christ as the Evangelist saith in Ioh. 3.34 Hee whom God hath sent that is Christ hee speaketh the word of God For God gives him not the Spirit by measure God doth not stand measuring grace out to Christ but hee powers it out upon him full measure running over because he receives it not for himselfe alone but for us we receive the Spirit by measure Eph. 4.7 According to the measure of the gift of Christ Christ gives us all a measure of sanctifying knowledge and of every grace till wee grow to be a perfect man in Christ. Therefore it is called the first fruits of the Spirit as much as shall fit us for Heaven and grace sufficient though it be not that measure wee shall have hereafter or that wee would have here Christ had a full measure the fullnesse of a fountaine diffusive not onely abundance for himselfe but redundance and overflowing for the good of others hee being the head of the Church not onely a head of eminence but of influence to bestow and convey all grace in him to all his members proportionable to the service of every member therefore he received not the Spirit according to measure that is sparingly but it was showred upon him hee was filled and cloathed with the Holy Ghost Is it so Let us labour then to see whereto have supply in all our wants wee have a full treasury to goe to all treasure is hid in Christ for us what a comfort is this in any thing we want If wee want the favour of God goe to his beloved Christ desire God to love us in his Beloved and to accept us in his gracious Son in him whom he hath made his servant and annoynted with his Spirit for that purpose If we want particular graces goe to the well-head Christ consider of Christ now filled for us as it was in Aaron the oyle that was powred on Aarons head ran downe to his beard and to the skirts of his cloathing the meanest parts of his garment was bedewed with that oyle so the graces of Gods Spirit powred upon our head Christ our Aaron our high Priest runne downe upon us upon all ranckes of Christians even upon the skirts the weakest and the lowest Christians every one hath grace for grace we all partake of the oyle and annoynting of our spirituall Aaron our High Priest If wee want any thing therefore let us goe to him I can doe all saith S. Paul in Christ that strengtheneth me goe to him for patience for comfort for every thing because God hath put his Spirit upon him to supply all our wants he hath the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes but for his fellowes Psal. 45. he hath the oyle of grace more then any but it is not onely for him but for us all Therefore let us have comfortable meditations of the fullnesse of Christ and make use of it all this is for me in Col. 2. S. Paul sets it out in him the fulnesse of the God-head dwells personally for that is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it followes after in him wee are compleate Wherefore is all the fullnesse that is in him to shew that in him we are compleate so in 1 Iohn 5.20 to shew how the spirits of the Apostles agree in this saith he wee know that the Sonne of God is come in the flesh and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Sonne Iesus Christ This is true God and eternall life Christ is true God and eternall life for us all for our comfort We know that the Sonne of God is come and hath given us an understanding c. Little
children keepe your selves from Idols How doth this depend upon the other Thus will you goe to Idols flocks and stones devises of mens braine for supply of grace and comfort Christ whom God hath sent hee is come into the world He is God and eternall life God hath given eternall life and this life is in his Son therefore why should you goe to Idols What is the ground of Popish Idolatries and abhominations they conceive not aright of the fulnesse of Christ wherefore he was ordained and sent of God for if they did they would not goe to Idols and Saints and leave Christ. Therefore let us make this use of it goe out of Christ for nothing If we want favour goe not to Saints if we want instruction goe not to traditions of men he is a Prophet wise enough and a Priest full enough to make us accepted of God if we want any grace hee is a King able enough rich enough and strong enough to subdue all our rebellions in us and hee will in time by his Spirit overcome all Stronger is he that is in us then he that is in the world The spirit in the world the Divell and divellish minded men they are not so strong as the Spirit of Christ For by little and little the Spirit of Christ will subdue all Christ is a King goe not out of him therefore for any thing Babes keepe your selves from Idols you may well enough you know whom to goe too Therefore let us shame our selves is there such a store-house of comfort and grace every way in Christ Why are wee so weake and comfortlesse Why are we so dejected as if we had not such a rich husband All our husbands riches are ours for our good we receive of it in our measure why doe wee not goe to the Fountaine and make use of it Why in the middest of aboundance are we poore and beggerly Heere we may see the misery of the world Christ is a Prophet to teach us the way to Heaven but how few be there that will be directed by him Christ is a King to subdue all our spirituall and worst enemies to subdue those enemies that Kings tremble at to subdue death to subdue the feare of judgement and the wrath of God and yet how few will come under his government Christ is the light of the world yet how few follow him Christ is the way yet how few tread in his steps Christ is our wisdome and our riches yet how few goe to him to fetch any riches but content themselves with the transitory things of this life Men live as if Christ were nothing or did nothing concerne them as if he were a person abstracted from them as if he were not a Head or Husband as if he had received the Spirit only for himselfe and not for them wheras all that is in Christ is for us I beseech you therefore let us learne to know Christ better and to make use of him Againe if Christ hath the Spirit put upon him for us all then in our daily slips and errors make this use to offer Christ to God with this argument take an argument from God himselfe to binde him God will bee bound with his owne arguments we cannot binde him with ours but let us goe to him and say Lord though I be thus and thus sinnefull yet for Christ Iesus sake thy servant whom thou lovest and hast put thy Spirit upon him to be a Priest and to make intercession for me for his sake pardon for his sake accept Make use of Gods consecration of Christ by the Spirit to God himselfe and binde him with his owne Mediator and with his owne Priest of his owne ordaining thou canst not Lord refuse a Saviour and Mediator of thine owne sanctified by thine own Spirit whom thou hast set apart and ordained and qualified every way for this purpose let us goe to God in the Name of this Mediator Jesus Christ every day and this is to make a good use of this That God hath put his Spirit upon him But to make a use of Tryall how shall wee know that this comfort belongs to us that Christ hath the Spirit put upon him for us or no whether he be ordained a King Priest and Prophet for us That which I said before will give light to this we must partake of the same Spirit that Christ hath or else wee are none of his members as we partake of his name so we must also of his annoynting thereupon we are called Christians because we partake of the annoynting and Spirit of Christ and if we have the Spirit of Christ it will worke the same in us as it did in Christ it will convince us of our owne ill of our rebellions and cursed estate and it will convince us likewise of the good we have in him And then he is a Spirit of union to knit us to Christ and make us one with him and thereupon to quicken us to leade us and guide us and to dwell in us continually to stirre up prayers and supplications in us to make us cry familiarly to God as to a Father to comfort and support us in all our wants and miseries as he did Christ to helpe our infirmities as the Apostle at large in Rom. 8. sets downe the excellent office of the Holy Ghost what he doth in those that are Christs Let us therefore examine our selves what the Spirit doth in us if Christ bee set apart to redeeme us as a Priest Surely all his offices goe together he doth by the same Spirit rule us Rev. 1. He hath washed us in his blood and made us Kings and Priests Whosoever he washeth in his blood he maketh him a King and a Priest he makes him by the power of his Spirit able to rule over his base corruptions we may know then whether we have benefit by Christ by his Spirit not onely by the Spirit witnessing that we are the Sonnes of God but by some arguments whereby the Spirit may witnesse without delusion for though the Spirit of Christ tells us that we are Christs yet the proofe must bee from guiding and leading and comforting and conforming us to Jesus Christ in making us Kings and Prophets enlightning our understandings to know his will and conforming us to be like him The Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of power and strength it will enable us to performe duties above nature to overcome our selves and injuries it vvill make us to vvant and to abound it vvill make us able to live and to dye as it enabled Christ to doe things that another man could not doe So a Christian can doe that and suffer that that another man cannot doe and suffer because he hath the Spirit of Christ. At the least whosoever hath the Spirit of Christ he shall finde that Spirit in him striving against that which is contrary and by little and little getting ground where there is no conflict there is
perswading the soule first of the love and favour of God in Christ. What are all our performances if they be not out of love to God and how shall we love God except we be perswaded that hee loves us first therefore the Gospell breeds love in us to God and hath the Spirit together with it working a blessed frame of sanctification whereby we are disposed to every good duty Therefore if we would have the Spirit of God let us attend upon the sweete promises of salvation upon the doctrine of Christ for together with the knowledge of these things the Holy Ghost slides and insinuates and infuseth himselfe into our soules Therfore the Ministers of the Gospell should be much in laying open the riches of God in Christ in unfolding Christ all other things will follow as S. Paul in 2 Tit. 12. The grace of God hath shined hath appeared gloriously teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily and soberly in this present world where the grace and love of God is perswaded and shed into the soule all will follow What is the reason that former times were called darke times and so they were the times of Popery a darke age Christ was vailed the Gospell was vailed there was no preaching of salvation by Christ alone people were sent to stocks and stones and to Saints and instead of the word they were sent to legends and such things Christ was obscured thereupon they were darke ages those ages wherein the Spirit of God is most is where Christ is most preached and people are best alway where there is most Spirit and they are most joyfull and comfortable and holy where Christ is truly layd open to the hearts of people the peaching of meere morallity if men be not carefull to open Christ to know how salvation is wrought by Christ and how all good comes by Christ it will never make a man perfectly good and fit him for Heaven it may make a man reforme many abuses like a Phylosopher which hath its reward and respect amongst men but nothing to give comfort at the houre of death and the day of judgement onely that whereby the Spirit is conveyed is the knowledge and preaching of Christ in his state and offices Againe the Spirit of Christ is given in obedience to this Gospell Acts 5.32 Hee gives the Holy Ghost to them that obey him Now there is the obedience of faith and the obedience of life when the soule is wrought to obedience to beleeve and to be directed by God then the Holy Spirit is given in a further measure still the Holy Ghost is given to them that obey to them that doe not resist the Spirit of God for in the Ministery of the Gospell the Spirit is given in some degree to reprobates it is offered it knockes at the hearts of the vilest persons that lives in filthy and false courses of life whose tongues and bodies are all instruments of an unsanctified soule to offend God they have gracious motions offered them but then they doe not obey them therefore the Spirit seizeth not upon them to rule in them they have the Spirit knocking upon them he doth not dwell in them and take up his lodging in them The Spirit is given to them that obey the sweet motions of it Now who is it that heares the blessed word of God the blessed tidings of salvation but he hath sweete motions of the Spirit to be in love with God and the mercy of God and to hate sinne a little for a time then presently upon it corruption joynes and and swels against those motions and they onely rest in the bare motion and never come to any perfection This is the state of reprobates in the Church they have many motions by the Holy Ghost but their hearts are not subdued to obedience not to constant obedience Therefore if wee would have the Spirit of Christ let us labour to subject our selves unto it when we have any good motion by the Ministery of the Word or by conference or by reading of good things as holy things have a savour in them the Spirit breathes in holy exercises Oh give way to the motions of Gods Spirit we shall not have them againe perhaps turne not backe those blessed messengers let us entertaine them let the Spirit dwell and rule in us it is the most blessed lodger that ever we entertained in all our lives If wee let the Spirit guide and rule us it will leade us and governe and support us in life and death and never leave us till it have raised our bodies the Spirit of Christ in us at length will quicken our dead bodies Rom. 8. it will never leave us till it have brought us to Heaven This is the state of those that belong to God that give way to the motions of Gods Spirit to rule and guide them therefore if we would have the Spirit of Christ let us take heed of rebelling against it This is the state of many of us the Lord be mercifull to us and cure us that we doe not onely not receive the motions of the Spirit deepely into us but if they bee such a crosse us in our pleasures and profits though the Word and Spirit joyne together there is a rising of the proud spirit of man against so much of the Spirit and the motions of it and against such parts of the Word as crosseth us this will bee laid heavy to our charge one day that wee would bring the Spirit of God to our corruptions and not bring our hearts to Gods Spirit and hereupon be those phrases in the Scripture of tempting the Spirit Ananias and Saphira tempted the Spirit that is when men will doe that which is naught and try whether God will forgive them and put it off or no how many are there that tempt the Spirit that put it off perhaps I shall have the like motions another time I shall have better occasion when I can gaine no more when I can have my pleasures no more thus men resist the Spirit as Saint Stephen saith that is when the Spirit discovers to them what they should beleeve and what they should doe and they see it crosseth their resolution to be naught heereupon they resist the worke of the Spirit that else would close with their soules and sanctifie them and fit them for Heaven if they would give way to it And there is a quenching of the Spirit that is when men have sweet motions of the Spirit and presently by some ill language or course of life they defile their vessels and quench the sweet motions of the Spirit Let us take heed of all these of tempting of resisting and quenching the Spirit For undoubtedly living in the bosome of the Church we have many heavenly motions especially those that have so much goodnesse in them as to attend upon Gods ordinances they have those motions at those times that they never have after perhaps
but they either resist them or quench them and wrong and grieve the Spirit as Saint Paul saith Greive not the Spirit of God whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Ephes. 5. Men speake or doe somewhat that grieves the Spirit of God in them their conscience being enlightned by the Spirit tels them that they have done that which is naught yet notwithstanding for this or that advantage to please this or that company they will speake or doe that which is ill and then the Spirit that was given in some measure before is grieved at this carnall and sinnefull liberty Therefore if yee would be guided by the Spirit of Christ take heed of all these and of such like courses Another meanes whereby we may come to obtaine the Spirit is Prayer to bee guided by the Spirit of Christ next to Christ himselfe our Saviour is the most excellent thing in the world therefore it is worth the begging and getting Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that aske him Insinuating that wee can aske nothing greater then the Spirit A man that hath a sanctified judgement next the forgivenesse of his sins through Christ hee begs nothing more then the Spirit to witnesse the favour of God in Christ and to fit him for other favours especially to fit us for the world to come God can give nothing greater nor we can beg nothing greater if wee have sanctified judgements then the Spirit of God therefore let us have a high esteeme of the holy Spirit of the motions of it and out of an high esteeme in our hearts beg of God the guidance of the Spirit that he would leade us by his Spirit and subdue our corruptions that wee may not bee lead by our owne lusts and so consequently by Satan that leads us by our owne lusts in the way that leads to perdition So much for that I will put my Spirit c. And he shall shew judgement to the Gentiles After Christ was fully furnished as he was furnished with the Spirit of God and with a commission from Heaven from Father Sonne and Holy Ghost having this high commission and gifts for it by the Spirit he fals upon his office presently we are never fit for any thing till wee have the Spirit and when we have the Spirit it is active and vigorous and working He shall shew judgement to the Gentiles What is meant by judgement here By judgement is meant lawes hee shall declare his lawes his truth and together with declaring the truth of the Gospell which is his Evangelicall law hee shall declare it in the soule and bow the neck of the inward man to the obedience of this his judgement Christ then by himselfe and his Apostles and Ministers shall declare his truth which is the scepter of his governement to the Gentiles and not onely declare it as Princes doe their lawes by Proclamations and Statutes c. but hee shall declare it to the heart by his Spirit Now in the hebrew language ordinarily wise governement is called judgement hee shall declare judgement that is his manner of governement he shall declare it by his Spirit and cause our Spirits to submit to it And indeed grace is called judgement in the phrase of Scripture the grace of sanctification because it is agreeable to judgement to Gods law it is agreeable to it and wrought by it in the soule and it is the best judgement for grace whereby the soule is subject to the judgement and law and rule of God it must needs be the best judgement because it is agreeable to Gods judgement grace judgeth aright of things and subdues all things the affections and inward man to it selfe But why is the word of God called judgement It is called so frequently in the Psalmes and in other places of Scripture because the truth of God shewes what God doth judge Judgement is originally in God who is the first truth and the first good the first truth judgeth best of truthes what is light and what is darkenesse what is truth and what is error what is good and what is ill what is safe and what is dangerous all will grant that God is the first light and the firâ—t truth therefore hee doth originally judge of the difference of things for even as in the creation he put an eternall difference betweene light and darkenesse and severed things that were in the confuseâ— Chaos and established an orderly world that Heaven should be above and earth below that one thing should be above another and all in judgement So in the governing of man-kinde he shewes his judgement by his word and that word shewes how God judgeth of things Lawes shew judgement what is to be done and what is not to be done The Gospell shewes Gods judgement what he will have us beleeve and hope for and how wee must carry our selves in way of thankefullnesses if we doe this then the Gospell the word of God judgeth what shall become of us wee shall be saved if we doe the contrary the word againe judgeth what our state shall be wee shall be damned so it is called judgement because it judgeth what is good and what is ill and because it determineth what shall become of us if we obey or disobey Hereupon it is that the word of God is a glasse wherein we may see our owne condition infallibly what will become of us the Word of God judgeth thus he that lives in such and such sinnes shall come to this end God will inflict these and these judgements upon him Iudgement in the first place is you shall doe this and this because it is good Iudgement in the second place is because you have not done this this shall befall you so the Evangelicall judgement of the Gospell is this He that repents and beleeves shall not perish but have everlasting life but he that armes and furnisheth his heart to rebellion he shall perish in his sinnes He that believeth not is condemned allready the wrath of God hangs over his head So from this that Gods truth is called judgement we may know how to judge of our selves even as God judgeth in his Word wee may see our owne faces and conditions there hee that is a man of death may see it in the Word and he that is appointed for happinesse may there see his condition Againe not onely the Word of God the Gospell which is out of us in the booke of God is called judgement but the worke of God in the soule Sanctification is called judgement hence we may observe what is the most judicious course in the world the most judicious frame of soule when it is framed to the judgement and truth of God being the first truth When a man is sanctified and set in a holy frame it is from a sanctified judgement the flesh is subject to the Spirit heere is all in a gratious
order the baser part doth not rule the higher but the higher part of the soule a sanctified judgement rules all because the whole is in right judgement therefore sanctification is called judgement and other courses though they be never so fashionable are but madnesse and folly and disorder in the censure of the Scripture nothing is judgement and true wisedome but sanctification and obedience flowing from sanctification Therefore saith Moses in Deuteronomie Then shall you be knowne to bee a wise people when you obey the Lawes that I have given you onely that shewes a wise judicious man to be obedient to Gods truth by the Spirit sanctifying him Without the truth of God and the Spirit in us framing our soules answerable to the truth we are out of all good order For then the affections that should bee ruled rule us then the body and the lusts of the body rule the soule and the Divell rules by both what a shamefull disorder is this when a man shall be ruled by the Divell and his owne lusts that he should treade under feete and trample upon and this is the state of all that have not this judgement in them that have not the word of God written in their hearts bowing and bending them by the Spirit of God to spirituall obedience to proove this J will name but one place among many Titus 3. â— hee shewes the state of all men that are not brought into subjection by this judgement by the Word and Spirit of truth We our selves saith he were sometimes foolish and disobedient till this judgement is set up in us wee are foolish in our understandings and disobedient in our wills and affections deceived and misled by the Divell and our owne lusts for that followes upon folly those that are foolish and disobedient are deceived and led away to eternall destruction There is a way that seemes good in a mans owne eyes but the issues of it are death saith Salomon this is the state of all men that are not led with the judgement of Gods truth and Spirit sanctifying and framing their soules to obedience they are foolish and disobedient and deceived and so it will proove with them in the end Serving diverse lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hating one another Now when God by his blessed Truth and Spirit sets up his rule in the heart it brings all into captivity as Saint Paul saith it brings all the inner man into subjection The Word of God is the weapon of God these judgements are mighty in operation together with the Spirit to beate downe all strong holds and to set up another judgement there it brings all into captivity to the truth and command of God and to the motions of the Spirit the Word and Spirit beate downe all the strong holds that are raised up in the heart by Satan and our corruptions so wee see here what is meant by this phrase Hee shall declare judgement to the Gentiles It is a militant word therefore J have stood somewhat the longer in unfolding of it Now this is wrought by the preaching of the Gospell Hee shall declare judgement to the Gentiles all grace comes by declaring The Gospell is the power of God to salvation Let but the Gospell which is Gods judgement how men shall be saved and how they shall walke in obedience by way of thankefullnesse to God be declared and all that belong to God shall come in and yeeld homage to it and bee brought in subjection The Divell in the Antichristian state knowes this well enough therefore he labours to hinder the declaration of judgement by all meanes he will not have Gods judgements but mens traditions declared he knowes the declaring of Gods judgements will breed an alteration quickly in mens dispositions For when hee saith Hee shall declare judgement to the Gentiles he meanes the consequent as well as the thing he shall so declare judgement that they shall yeeld spirituall obedience and come in and be saved Let the Divell doe his worst let all seducers of soules doe their worst if they would but give way to the preaching of the Gospell let but judgement be declared let Gods arme be stretched forth in delivering the truth hee would soone gaine soules out of the captivity and bondage of Satan they know it well enough therfore by all the wayes they can they stop the preaching of the Gospell and disgrace and hinder it and set up mens traditions instead of the Gospell but I will not inlarge my selfe farther upon these wordes but goe on to the next Hee shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man heare his voice in the streetes These wordes set downe the mild and sweete and amiable manner of Christs carriage upon earth here in his first comming to worke the great worke of our redemption he did not carry the matter in an outward glorious manner in pompe but he would have his miracles concealed oft times and himselfe hidden his God-head was hid under the vaile of his Manhood he could not have wrought our salvation else if the divell and the world had knowne Christ to be as he was they would never have made those attempts against him therefore considering he had such a dispensation to work our salvation as a King Priest and Prophet he would not cry and contend and strive hee would not come with any great noise Now here is an opposition to the giving of the law and likewise to the comming and carriage of civill Princes You know when the Law was given all the mount was on fire and the earth thereabout quaked and trembled and the people fled they could not indure to heare the voice of God speaking in the mount there was such a terrible smoake and fire they were all affraid thus came Moses now did Christ come as Moses was the Gospell delivered by Christ as the law was in terrors and feares Oh no Christ came not in such a terrible manner in thunder and lightning but the Gospell it came sweetly A Dove a mild creature lit upon the head of Christ when he was Baptised to shew his mild manner of carriage and he came with blessing in his mouth in his first Sermon of all Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that mourne blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse The Law came with curses Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the law to doe them Christ came in another manner the Gospell was delivered in a mild sweete manner Christ as an Ambassador came sweetly to intreat and beseech there is a crying indeed but it is a crying out of love and intreaty not a shouting in a terrible manner as was at the giving of the law no nor as at the comming of other civill Princes into a citie with shouting and noise of trumpets with pompe and state and great attendants Christ came not into the world to execute his kingdome and
sinnes he quickned us but they are put in in the translation because they must be understood to make the full sence In the words consider these things First of all heere the Apostle puts them in mind of their former condition And then he sets downe in particular what it was They were dead in trespasses and sins Then he tells them wherein they were dead what was the cause of their death and the element wherein they were dead in trespasses and sins Lastly not in one trespasse and in one sin but in trespasses and sins And then to speake a little of quickning to take it out of the 5. verse You hath he quickned There is the benefit with the condition That which Jaime at is especially to shew our estate by nature and how we are raised out of that I shall touch the points briefly as I have propounded them Saint Paul here first minds them of their former condition you were dead in trespasses and sinnes For contraries give lustre one to another and it magnifies grace mervailously to consider the opposite condition Hee that never knew the height and bredth and depth of his naturall corruption will never be able to conceive the height and breadth and depth of Gods infinite love in Iesus Christ. Saint Paul had deepe thoughts of both as ever man had therefore he could never enter into the argument of abasing man and extolling the love of God in Christ that he could satisfie himselfe but his spirit carries him from one thing to another till he set it out to the full And every one of us should be skilfull in this double mystery the mystery of the corruption of nature that is unsearchable there is corruption in the heart that none knows but God only and we must plow with his heifer that carries a light into the hidden parts of the soule and discovers corruption there is a mystery of that as well as of the Gospell of our deliverance out of that cursed estate from the guilt and thraldome of it I doe but touch it onely to shew the scope of the Apostle Now besides the consideration of it for this end to magnifie the grace of God and to understand what our former estate was the better there are many other ends As to stirre up our thankefullnesse when we consider from what we are delivered to glorifie God the more There is no soule so enlarged to glorifie God as that soule that hath large thoughts of its estate by nature and that estate by nature made worse by custome our second ill nature and bondage voluntary considering Gods mercy in delivering and freeing us from all sinnes and trespasses this will make us thankefull indeed And it is a spring of love to God when we consider what great sinnes we have forgiven usâ— it will make us humble all the daies of our lives and pitifull to others but this may be handled fitter from another portion of Scripture To come therefore to the words Who were dead in trespasses and sins Their condition is they were dead the specification of their death in sinnes and trespasses and not in one but in sinnes and trespasses Here I might digresse and tell you a discourse of life and death at large every man knowes by experience what they are In a word death is a privation of life What is life and whence ariseth it Not to speake of the life of God God is life and Christ is life but of lâ—fe in us It ariseth from the soule first there is a soule and then a life from the union with that soule and then there is a secret kindled motion and operation outward wheresoever life is Life in man I say springâ— from the soule The soule hâ—th a double life a life in it selfe and a life it communicates to the body The life in it selfe it liveth when it is out of the body it hath an essentiall life of its owne but the life of the body is derived from its union with the soule and from that union comes lively motion and operation The spirituall life of the soule is by the Spirit of Christ when our soule hath union with the quickning Spirit of Christ and by Christs Spirit is joyned to Christ and by Christ to God who is life it selfe and the first fountaine of all life then we have a spirituall life The Spirit is the soule of our soules and this spiritual soule this Spirit in us is not idle wherever life is there is motion and operation inward and outward suteable and proportionable to the fountaine of life the Spirit of God himselfe So on the contrary it is with death what is death Death is nothing else but a seperation from the cause of life from that from whence life springs The body having a communicated life from the soule when the soule is departed it must needs be dead Now death take it in a spirituall sence it is either the death of law our sentence as we say of a man when he is condemned he is a dead man Or death in regard of disposition and then the execution of that death of sentence in bodily death and in eternall death afterward Now naturally we are dead in all these sences First by the sin of Adam in whose loynes we were we were all damned there was a sentence of death upon all Adams rotten race as we say damnati antequam nati we were damned before we were borne as soone as we had a being in our mothers wombe by reason of our communion with Adam in that first sinne And then there is corruption of nature as a punishment of that first sinne that is a death as we shall see afterward a death of al the powers we cannot act and moove according to that life that we had at the first we cannot thinke we cannot will we cannot affect we cannot doe any thing that savours of spirituall life Hereupon comes a death of sentence upon us being damned both in Adams loynes and in originall sinne and likewise adding actuall sinnes of our owne if we had no actuall sinne it were enough for the sentence of death to passe upon us but this aggravates the sentence We are dead in law as well as in disposition This death in law is called guilt a binding over to eternall death it breeds horrour and terrours in the soule for the present which are the flashes of Hell-fire and expectation of worse even of the second death for the time to come which is an eternall seperation from God for ever an eternall lying under the wrath and curse of God in body and soule after they are united at the resurrection because wee would sinne eternally if we did live eternally here and no satisfaction being made for man after death there must be an eternall sentence and punishment upon him a terrible condition if we were not afraid of the first death we should be afraid of the
of his when he rose againe in his resurrection the acquittance from our sinnes was sealed thereby we know that the debt is paid because he rose againe let us see an acquittance of all in the resurrection And if we thinke of the glory that God hath reserved for us thinke of it in Christ see Christ glorious first and we in him See Christ at the right hand of God and wee in him carry Christ along with us in our contemplations We are quickned with Christ Christ takes away all the deaths J spake of before Christ by his resurrection tooke away the death of sentence he rose againe for our justification so that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. So againe in regard of that deadly disposition that is in us Christ quickens us in regard of that by infusing grace by his Spirit for Christ is an universall principle of all life Now Christ by his death pacifying his Father obteined the Spirit and by that Spirit which he infuseth as a principle of life he more and more quickens our nature and makes it better and better till it be perfect in Heaven As Adam was a principle of death and the more we live in the state of nature the worse we are til we come to hel So when we are in Christ the Spirit sanctifies us more and more till he have brought us to perfection And as we are quickned from the death of sentence and of disposâ—tion so we are quickned in regard of that hope of glory that we have For now in Christ we are in Heaven already and though there come bodily death betweene yet notwithstanding that is but a fitting us for glory the body is but fitted and molded in the grave for glory This very consideration will quicken a man in death my head is in Heaven above water therefore the body shall not bee long under water And Faith makes that that is to come present and affects the soule comfortably Christ is in Heaven already and J am there in Christ and J shall be there as verily as he is there I am there de jure de facto I shall be there in these considerations Christ quickens us Therefore saith St. Peter Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten us againe through the resurrection of Christ from the dead to a lively hope of an inheritance immortall c. We are begotten againe to this inheritance by the resurrection of Christ who is risen againe to quicken himselfe and all his The consideration of this should affect us as it did Saint Peter to blesse God Now all this quickning power ariseth from our union with Christ we must have a beeing in Christ before we can have comfort by death with him or by rising with him Our union with Christ springs from faith faith is cherished by the Sacrament the Word and Sacrament beget faith faith unites us to Christ union with Christ makes us partake of his death and the benefits of it and of his resurrection and ascention to glory therefore the more we attend upon this ordinance of the Word and the seale of the Word the Sacrament the more our faith is increased for God invites us to communion and fellowship with Christ and all his benefits and favours and the more wee find faith assured of Christ the more union and fellowship wee have with Christ and the more wee seele that the more Christ is a quickning Spirit quickning us with the life of grace here and the hope of Glory afterward Therefore let us comfortably attend upon the ordinance of God sanctified for this purpose to strengthen this our union with Christ. FINIS THE FRVITFVLL LABOVR FOR Eternall Foode In two Sermons By the late Reverend and Learned Divine RICHARD SIDS Doctor in Divinity Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Grayes-Inne ESAY 55.2 Why doe you spend money for that which is not Bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto mee and eate yee that which is good and let your soule delight it selfe in fatnesse JOHN 6.55 For my flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drink indeed LONDON Printed by G.M. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford 1639. THE FRVITFVLL LABOVR FOR Eternall Food IOHN 6.27 Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for the meate that indureth to everlasting life which the Sonne of man shall give you for him hath God the Father Sealed OUr blessed Saviour was mighty in word and deed witnesse what he did what he taught and both in this Chapter What he did hee fed many with a few loaves he came over the water without any helpe What he taught witnesse from this part of the Chapter to the end The words are part of an Answer of our blessed Saviour to his hypocriticall followers that followed him for the Loaves and not for any confirmation of their faith by his miracles for upon occasion of those two miracles mentioned in the former part of the Chapter they followed him and perceiving that hee was miraculously come over the water they began to aske him Rabbi how camest thou heere Our Saviour perceives that they meant to complement with him he sees with what hearts they came after him therefore as most befitting the Exigence of their state because they were hypocrites he answers not to their question but to their persons Verily verily yee seeke mee not because of the miracles but because yee eate of the loaves and were filled Labour not for the meate that perisheth c. The Verses together containe a Conviction and an Injunction or direction A Conviction and that is serious and loving Serious Verily verily I say unto you you seeke mee not because of the miracles but because yee eate of the loaves c. Hee convinceth them of their fault of their hypocrisie of their wicked and carnall aimes in holy businesse they come flattering of Christ but as hee was too holy to flatter so he was too wise to be flattered hee deales therefore directly with them thoroughly convinceth them of their hypocrisie and corrupt aimes in following after him We are all naturally prone to these carnall ends in holy actions we must take heed with what mindes with what hearts we come before God whose eyes are brighter then the Sun who regards not so much what we doe as with what mindes we doe it As his conviction is Serious so it is Loving for with the conviction or reproofe followes the injunction or direction Labour not for the meate that perisheth In the Injunction there are two things First he shewes them what they should not follow he takes them off from labouring after the meate that perisheth And then secondly hee instructs them in what they should follow what they should seeke after But labour for the meate that indureth to everlasting life c. There are Arguments in both In the first there is an Argument disswasive and
in the spirit of a beleeving man an expression of the Spirit of Christ so that if you would see Christ in his excellencies looke on the spirit of a true Christian there you shall see a resemblance of Christ Jesus not perfectly but in some comfortable measure you shall see the very Image of Christ you shall see how full of love he is how patient in crosses how humble how meeke how obedient to God in all things both in a passive and active obedience This is the stampe of the Spirit when a man beleeves God honours him by setting his Image on him And yet this is not all besides this wee are sealed with the witnesse and comfort of the Spirit as well as with the worke of the Spirit the Spirit of God sweetly witnessing that we are the sons of God and this sweet witnesse of the Spirit especially comes after wee have honoured God by beleeving in temptation when we are able to hold out and say as Iob said Though he kill me yet wil I trust in him so when we can after conflicts of doubting and dispaire say though he kill me yet will I trust in him I will set to my seale that he is true well will you so God to honour such a soule seales him to the day of redemption that is he gives to the soule of such a one a sweet evidence and testimony that hee is the Son of God And this seale of the Spirit is double not only done by the witnesse and worke of the Spirit inwardly which I have shewed but likewise the Spirit doth seale them outwardly inabling them to make an outward confession of Christ and his Truth and therefore in Reve. 14. Christians are said to be Sealed in the forehead that is as they are marked and singled out in ill times to be such as God hath set his speciall favour upon so they are Sealed with a spirit of boldnesse willingly and with forwardnesse to confesse the truth of Christ in ill times Now to apply it to our purpose wouldest thou know whether thou be such a one for the present as for whom Christ is Sealed a Mediator Examine first of all whether thou hast put to thy Seale that God is true by receiving and beleeving Christ and the promise of Salvation through him if thou hast done so then thou wilt finde another Seale from God even the worke of the Spirit in sanctifying of thee and conforming of thee to the Image and likenesse of Christ and thou wilt finde the witnesse and comfortable testimony of the Spirit in telling thee that thou art the Sonne of God and withall thou wilt have a spirit of boldnesse and readinesse and forwardnesse to confesse Christ thou wilt not care for al that the world saith but wilt if neede be stand to the profession of Religion to the death If thou canst finde this in thy selfe undoubtedly thou art not onely such a one as Christ came to Seale but for the present thou mayest be assured that thou hast interest in this Mediator Sealed by God for that purpose Thus you see that here is food that endures to everlasting life which is Christ and the benefits wee have by him you see that that blessed meate is attaineable because he is willing to give it for he is become Man for that purpose he is able to give it for he is God as well as Man and he hath aurhority to give it for God the Father hath Sealed him and fitted him for that office If we receive him he will Seale us with his blessed Spirit that is the same Spirit that furnished Christ with grace that sanctified him in the wombe will sanctifie all those that are his members will worke a likenesse and conformity in them to his blessed Image for the same Spirit that was in the naturall Sonne is in all the adopted Sonnes of God And he will likewise give us the comfortable evidence and assurance that we are the Sons of God furnish us with boldnesse and resolution to professe Christ in all times Let me then I beseech you come againe to re-enforce this exhortation Take heed you refuse not Christ consider with what authority he comes he is Sealed it is no presumption therefore to receive him though you be never such sinners to receive him I meane not onely to be a Priest to reconcile you to God but to be a King to rule you and a Prophet to instruct you by his Spirit to receive him on this manner is no presumption to receive him indeed as a Saviour but to neglect him as King to refuse to come under his government is great presumption but to receive whole Christ is obedience and faith and no presumption nay if you doe not receive him you sinne damnably you commit the greatest sinne that can be He came to save all that will come under his blessed government that will kisse the Sonne Whosoever will let him come and drinke of the waters of lâ—fe all the good promised by Christ is promised upon our receiving of him upon the obedience of our Faith there is nothing required but a will to imbrace him and to be under his government there is no exception made of sinnes or persons or times At what time soever a sinner repents whatsoever sinner whatsoever time or whatsoever the sinnes bee if he repents Christ is ready to receive him If you pretend your unworthinesse and want of excellencies hee takes away that objection Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden Come buy without money and here in the text the Sonne of man shall give it and what so free as guift If you pretend you have sinned since your calling and that you have sinned against conscience and knowledge and therefore now you have no further hope of Christ remember that Paul 2. Cor. 5. speakes to the Corinthians that were in the state of grace I beseech you to be reconciled to God and in Ieremy 3. Returne againe you Backesliding Israel and I will heale your Backeslidings and againe will a man receive a wife that hath played the harlot and broken the band of marriage Yet returne O house of Israel and I will receive you Therefore runne not away from God though thou hast sinned after thou art in the state of grace come againe J beseech you still Christ is to be received the doore of grace is alwayes held open and the golden scepter continually held out as long as we live in this world But yet it is not good to neglect the time of grace receive Christ presently deferre not to come under his governement and receive him wholy or else there is no receiving of him at all And to presse this a little further I beseech you consider that if you leave not your sinfull courses and come under the blessed governement of Christ if you receive not this Sealed King this Sealed Priest and Prophet this Sealed Mediator whom God hath Sealed and sent unto you
is the nature of this Tyrant sinne it hath such possession of a man till he be got out of it and be in Christ that it takes away the sight of it selfe it hinders the knowledge of it selfe it puts out a mans eyes For that whereby a man should judge of corruption it is corrupt it selfe The wisedome of a man is death it is enmitie to God The wit that he hath that should discerne of his base courses it tangles him more and more to his owne lusts so that wit and wisedome the highest part of the soule it is imprisoned by base affections and that power that should discerne corruption it is set on worke to satisfie corruption What is the wit of a man that is not in Christ occupied about all his life time it is nothing but a drudge and a slave to devise meanes to satisfie his base lusts Take a worldly man hee is exceeding witty to contrive wordly plots and businesse though he be a dunce and a sot in matters that are spirituall in his owne tract and course hee hath a shrewd wit why because his lusts to the world they whet his wit So we see the best thing in man now is inthralled to sinne his very wisedome it selfe therefore it is enmity to God Every man hath some Herodias some sinne or other that hee is in bondage to till he be in Christ. He cannot in a like measure be given and inthralled to all sinnes it is unnecessary because one sinne serveth another many sinnes serve one great one Corruption doth not runne in all streames in one equality but it runnes amaine one way unchecked and uncontrolled and unmortified in all men that are not in Christ and subdues the soule to it selfe that it can devise and plot for nothing but to satisfie that base lust This is the state of man by nature But some will say it is not our state and condition wee are baptized and receive the Sacrament and heare Sermons and read good bookes and therefore we are not under sinne But saith the Apostle His servants ye are to whom ye obey you may know the state of your service and subjection by the course of your life And as Christ saith to the Iewes Iohn 8. they bragged that they were free alas proud people they were neither free for soule nor state for they were under the Romanes They thought they were free because they were Abrahams children were they not in captivity to the Egyptians and under the Babylonians and in present captivity under the Romanes yet they forget themselves out of pride If the Sonne make you free ye are free indeed but because they were in a sinfull course they were slaves of sinne So it is no matter what priviledges men are under that they receive the Sacrament and are baptized and live in the Church c. His servants yeare whom yee obey If there be prevayling lusts that sit up their throne and tyrannize in our hearts and set our wits on worke to devise how to satisfie them more then to please God it is no matter what priviledges we have it is no matter whose livery we weare but whom we serve We may weare Gods Livery that shall be pulled over our heads afterwards and we be uncased that it shall appeare that we are the Devils servants under the profession of Christ. There is no man that is not in Christ that denies his corrupt nature any thing if revenge bid him take revenge he will if he can if he doe not it is no thankes to him but to the Lawes If any sinne rise in the heart all the parts of the body and powers of the soule are ready weapons to this tyrant to keepe a man in slavery As if anger and wrath keepe a man in bondage you shall have it in his countenance his hand will be ready to execute it his feet will be ready to carry him to revenge If it be a proud heart that a man is kept under you shall have it in his lookes and expressions outward If it be the base affection of lust you shall have adultery in the eye an unchast and uncircumcised eare and filthy rotten language Men you see upon all occasions are ready to execute the commands of these tyrannicall lusts in some kinde or other Therefore never talke of thy freedome when lusts are raised up within thee either ascending from thine owne corruption or cast in by Satan and so joyning with thy heart presently thy tongue will speake wickedly and thine eyes and lookes and countenance shew that there is a naughty heart within and the whole man is ready to execute it further then a man is curbed by Law or respect to his reputation or the like which is no thankes to him Yet a man cannot act the part of a civill man so well but the corruption of his vile heart will betray it selfe in his lookes or language one time or other this tyrant will breake forth Therefore let us looke to our hearts and courses for if we be not in Christ we are under the Law of sin And of Death We are not onely under the law of sinne but also of death Now there is a death in this world the separation of the soule from the body but that is not so much meant here for when we are in Christ we are not free from this death But there a is worse death which is a separation of the soule from the favour and love of God and from the sanctifying and comforting Spirit of God when the Spirit of God doth not comfort and sanctifie the soule it is a death For as the soule is the life of the body the body hath but a communicated life from the union it hath with the soule The soule hath a life of its owne when it is out of the body but the body hath its life from the soule so it is with the soule when there is an estrangement of the soule from the Spirit of God Christ sanctifying and comforting and chearing it then there is a death of the soule the soule can no more act any thing that is savingly and holily good then the body can be without the soule And as the body without the soule is a noysome odious carcasse offensive in the eyes of its dearest friends so the soule without the Spirit of Christ quickening and seasoning it and putting a comelinesse and beautie upon it it is odious All the cloathes and flowers you put upon a dead body cannot make it but a stinking carkasse so all the morall vertues and all the honours in this world put upon a man out of Christ it makes him not a spirituall living soule he is but a loathsome carrion a dead carkasse in the sight of God and of all that have the Spirit of God for hee is under death he is starke and stiffe unable to stirre or moove to any duty whatsoever he hath no sense
and to have societie with the Devill and his Angels in hell and that forever and for ever Thou maist perhaps make â—light of the service of sinne because thou hast the present baits to delight thee but thou shouldst regard death Thou maist neglect death but then regard eternall death This word Eternall it is a heavy word Eternall separation from all good and eternall communion with the Devill and his Angels and for the wrath of God to seize on thy soule eternally world without end me thinkes men should not set light by that Therefore considering that this is our estate by nature we are all slaves to sinne and death let us labour to get out of this cursed estate by all meanes which is by The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus Now I come to speake of our freedome The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and death This is good news indeed to heare of freedome good newes to the Israelites to heare of freedome out of Egypt and for the Jewes to heare of Cyrus Proclamation for their freedome out of Babylon Freedome out of bondage is a sweet message Here we have such a message of spirituall freedome from other manner of enemies then those were The yeare of Jubile it was a comfortable yeare to servants that were kept in and were much vexed with their bondage when the yeare of Jubile came they were all freed therefore there was great expectation of the yeare of Jubile Here we have a spirituall Jubile a manumission and freedome from the bondage we are in by nature The Spirit of life in Christ makes us free from the Law of sinne and death There is life in Christ opposite to death in us there is a Spirit of life in Christ and a Law of the Spirit of life in Christ opposite to the law of sinne and of death in us So that this is our happinesse while we live here oh it is the blessednesse of men to make use of it while they have time and space and grace to repent and to cleave to Christ that whatsoever ill we are under by nature we may have full supply in Christ for all the breaches that came by the first Adam There came the wrath of God the corruption of our nature terrours of conscience death and damnation all these followed the sinne and breach of the first Adam all these are made up in the second He hath freed us from all the ill wee received from the first Adam and that we have added our selves for we make our selves worse then we come from Adam by our voluntary and daily transgressions but wee are freed from all by the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus How comes this freedome There can no freedome be without satisfaction to divine Justice For why are we under sinne God gives us up to sinne why are we under death God gives us up to death Why are we under Satans government he is Gods executioner Gods serjeant he gives us up to him here because we offend him Why are we under damnation and wrath because God is offended All our slavery comes originally from God however it be sinfull in regard of Satan that keepes us yet the power whereby he keepes us is good for he doth it from God His will is alwayes naught but his power is alwayes lawfull therefore the power whereby the Devill keepes us if wee looke up to God under whom the power is it is a lawfull power for God hath a hand in giving us up to finne it is a judiciall giving up and then by lusts and â—inne to Satan and death and damnation So if we speake of freedome wee must not begin with the executioner the wrath of God must be satisfied God must be one with us so as his Justice must have contentment Satisfaction must be with the glory of his Justice as well as of his Mercie his Attributes must have full content one must not be destroyed to satisfie another hee must so be mercifull in freeing us as that content must be given to his Justice that it complaine not of any losse Now reconciliation alway supposeth satisfaction it is founded upon it And satisfaction for sinne it must be in that nature that hath sinned now man of himselfe could not satisfie divine Justice being a finite person therefore God the second Person became man that in our nature hee might satisfie Gods wrath for us and so free us by giving payment to his divine Justice The death of Christ God-man is the price of our liberty and freedome But why doth the Apostle speake here of a Law of the Spirit of life in Christ which frees us but here is no mention of satisfaction by death Oh but death is the foundation of all as we shall see afterwards To unfold the point therefore because it is a speciall point and the words need unfolding Here it is said there is life in Christ. A Spirit of life in Christ. and a Law of a Spirit of life in Christ. There is life in Christ not onely as God for so indeed he is life God his life is himselfe for life is the being of a thing and the actions and moving and vigour and operations of a thing answerable to that being So the life of God is his being As I live saith the Lord that is as I am God I will not the death of a sinner Now Christ hath life in him as God as the Father hath but that is not especially here meant There is life in Christ as God-man as Mediator Now this life is that life which is originally from the God-head indeed it is but the God-heads quickening and giving life to the man-hood in Christ the Spirit quickning and sanctifying the man-hood And we have no comfort by the life of God as it is in Gods life alone severed for alas what communion have wee with God without a Mediator but our comfort is this that God who is the fountaine of life he became man and having satisfied Gods Justice he conveyes life to us he is our head hee hath life in himselfe as God to impart spirituall life to all his members so there is life in Christ as Mediator And there is a Spirit of life that life it is a working life for spirit is an emphaticall word spirit added to a thing increased the thing Againe he saith the Law of the Spirit of life Law is a commanding thing to shew that the life in Christ it is a commanding life it countermands all opposite lives whatsoever of sinne and death and this Law is a countermand to all other Lawes the Law of the Spirit of life frees us from all other Lawes So here is life the Spirit of life and the Law of the Spirit of life all words of strong signification But for the cleare understanding of this sweet and comfortable point First
consider how the Law of the Spirit of life is in Christ what it doth in him and then how it is derivatively in us First of all we must know this for a ground whatsoever is done to us is done to Christ first and whatsoever wee have Christ hath it first Therefore life is first in Christ and then in us Resurrection first in Christ and then in us Sonne-ship first in Christ and then in us Justification from our sins first in Christ he is freed from our sinnes and then in us Ascension first in Christ and then in us Glory in heaven first in Christ and then in us We have nothing in us but it is derived from Christ therefore this being layd as a ground we must consider how the Spirit of life works in Christ what it doth in Christ and then what it doth as it is in us for whatsoever Christ hath it is not onely for himselfe but for us What doth it in Christ The Spirit of life in Christ first of all it did quicken and sanctifie his humane nature that nature that Christ pleased to take upon him it stopped sinne it made a stop of originall sinne in sanctifying that blessed masse out of which his body was made for the foundation of his obedience actuall that it was so holy it was hence that his nature was purified by the Holy-Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin the foundation that his death and sufferings was satisfactory and acceptable it was that his holy nature was sanctified by the Spirit of God So the first worke of the Spirit of life in the Sonne of God it was to sanctifie and quicken that blessed masse that he tooke upon him And the Spirit of life that quickned and sanctified our nature in Christ did likewise ennoble our nature for even as a base woman is ennobled when she is taken in marriage with a great man shee hath his dignity accounted hers so our nature by the Spirit being sanctified is knit into the union of person with Christ that our nature and the second Person make one Christ so our nature by the Spirit is ennobled by this union And also inriched it with all grace that our nature is capable of for the nature of Christ had this double prerogative above ours First of all that blessed masse of flesh it was knit to be one person with God and then that nature was inriched and ennobled with all graces above ours And this the Spirit of life did to Christ himselfe to his humane nature that he tooke upon him that hee might be a publicke Person For God the second Person tooke not upon him any mans particular person of Peter or Paul or Iohn for then there should have beene distinct persons one person should have dyed and another rise but hee tooke our nature into his Person so that the same Person that did dye was God though he dyed in our nature that he might be a publicke Person So we must consider Christ sanctifying our nature that he might sit and sanctifie all our persons But did the Spirit of life doe nothing else but sanctifie and inrich the humane nature of Christ with grace Yes for the Spirit of life in Christ did sanctifie him for his Sacrifice as he saith Iohn 17. in that blessed prayer I sanctifie my selfe for them it prepared him for his death and made him a fit Sacrifice When he entred upon his calling he had more of the Spirit the Spirit of life as it were was increased For it is no heresie to thinke that the gifts of Christ for the manifestation of them were increased For in every state he was in hee was perfect and when he set upon his Office and was baptised hee was fuller of the Holy-Ghost as it were there was a fuller manifestation then before when he did not set upon his Office openly In his death what did the Spirit of life then It supported him in his very death for there was an union of the Spirit when there was a separation of his soule and body there was not a separation of the union That which gave dignity and strength and value and worth to his death it was the Spirit though there was a suspending of the comfort a while yet there was no separation of the union but I speake no more of that being not especially meant here But especially in his Resurrection which we are now to thinke of by reason of the day and it is not amisse to take all occasions especially then the Spirit of life that had sanctified Christ and quickened him and inriched his nature and supported him and done all that Spirit of life quickened the dead body of Christ And he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by the Spirit of sanctification Rom. 1.4 by his Resurrection from the dead The Spirit of life raised him from the dead and put an end to all that misery that he had undergone before for our sakes For untill his resurrection there was as it were some conflict with some enemies of Christ either with Satan or the world or with death it selfe he lay under death three dayes untill Christs body was raised our enemies were not overcome Gods wrath was not fully satisfied it was not declared to be satisfied at least for he being our surety till he came out of the grave we could not know that our sinnes were satisfied for But now when the Spirit of life in Christ comes and quickens that body of his in the grave and so doth justifie us as it is Ro. 4. He dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification that is by the Spirit of life in Christ quickning his dead body hee declared that we are fully discharged from our sinnes because he was fully discharged from our sinnes being our surety hee shewed by his Resurrection that he was fully discharged from all that he tooke upon him When a man comes out of prison that is a surety his very comming out of prison shewes that he hath a full discharge of all the debt hee undertooke to pay so the Spirit of life raising Christs body the third day manifestly declared that the debt he tooke on him was fully discharged and so as he dyed for sinne to satisfie Gods Justice for them so hee rose againe for our justification to shew that hee had a full discharge for all Now since the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath quickned his body the soule may make a bold demand to God as it is in 1 Pet. 8. It may make that demand Rom. 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is Christ that dyed nay rather that is risen againe and ascended into heaven and makes intercession for us Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people it is God that justifieth who shall condemne our sinnes Christ hath taken our sinnes upon him and satisfied divine
Justice for them and by the Spirit of life hath quickned that dead body of his that was surety for us himselfe we may well say Who shall lay any thing to our charge he that is our surety is dead dead nay risen againe nay ascended and sits at the right hand of God Therefore now the conscience of any Christian may make that interrogation and bold demand there it may stand out any that dares to oppose the peace of his conscience now that he may say who is it it is God-man that dyed it is Christ that dyed in our nature and hath raised that nature of ours againe and is at the right hand of God who shall lay any thing to our charge The Spirit of life in Christ quickning him hath quickned us together with him so that now we may boldly demand we are freed from our sinnes because our surety is free from all All this was for our good what Christ did it was not for himselfe but for us and in his birth and life and death and resurrection we must consider him as a publicke person and so goe along with all that hee did as a publicke person Whatsoever may be terrible to us we must looke upon it first in Christ. If we looke upon the corruption and defilement in our nature looke upon the pure nature of Christ his nature was sanctified in his birth and he is a publicke person therefore this is for me and though I be defiled in my owne nature and carry the remainders of corruption about me yet the Spirit of life in Christ sanctified his nature and there is more sanctity in him then there can be sinne in me When we looke upon our sinnes let us not so much looke upon them in our consciences as in our surety Christ. When wee looke upon death looke not upon it in our selves in its owne visage but as it is in Christ undergone and conquered for the power of the Spirit of life in Christ overcame death in himselfe first and for us and will overcome in us in time When the wrath of God is on our consciences looke not upon it as it is in our selves but as undergone by Christ and as Christ by the Spirit of life now in him is raised up not from death alone but from all terrours My God my God why hast thou forsaken me See Christ by the Spirit of life quickened from all not onely bare naturall death but from all enemies thou needest to feare from the Law it is nayled to his Crosse hee now triumphs over it and from sinne hee was a Sacrifice for it and from the wrath of God he hath satisfied it or else he had not come out of his grave So whatsoever is terrible look on it in Christ first see a full discharge of all that may affright thy conscience and trouble thy peace any way See him in his death dying for every man that will beleeve Consider him in his resurrection as a publicke person not rising himselfe alone but for all us therefore is 1 Pet. 1. There is an excellent place Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten us againe to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ to an inheritance immortall undefiled c. and so goe along with him to his Ascension and see our selves sitting with him in heavenly places as Saint Paul speakes oh this is a sweet meditation of Christ to see our selves in him in all the passages of his birth and life and death and resurrection and ascension to glory in heaven for all that he did was as a publicke person as the second Adam But now before the Spirit of life in Christ come to free me I and Christ must be one there must be an union betweene me and Christ I must be a member of Christ mysticall For as Christ quickened his owne body every joynt when it was dead because it was his body so he quickens his mysticall body every member of it but I must be a member first I must not be my selfe severed from Christ. Therefore the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ the first thing it doth next to impetration and obtaining of happinesse it workes application for these two goe together impetration and application Christ by his death obtained all good and by his resurrection hee declared it but there must be an application to me Now this Spirit of life which is in Christ which quickened him and raised him up and all for my good must apply this to me The grace of application it is faith therefore this must be wrought in the next place How doth the Law of the Spirit of life free me because first it freed Christ therefore me but that is not enough except there be application Therefore the Law of the Spirit of life workes faith in me to knit me to Christ to make me beleeve that all that hee hath done is mine and the same power that raised Christ from the dead workes the power of faith and application For wee must not thinke that it is an easie thing for a carnall man to beleeve to goe out of himselfe that it is salvation enough to have salvation by the obedience of another man No both in the Ephesians and Colossians in divers places it is S. Pauls phrase that the same power that raised Christ from the dead must raise our hearts and worke faith in them For as the good things that faith layes hold on are wondrous good things even above admiration almost that poore flesh and blood a piece of earth should be an heire of heaven a member of Christ that it should be above Angels in dignity as the things are superexcellent things even above admiration in a manner so the grace that beleeves these things it is a strange and excellent and admirable grace that is faith Therefore faith must be wrought by the Law of the Spirit of Christ by the ministery of the Gospell This is the grace of application when a man goes out of himselfe when he sees himselfe first in bondage to his corruptions to Satan and to death and then sees the excellent way that God hath wrought in Christ to bring him out of that cursed estate then hee hath by the Spirit of life faith wrought in him And indeed the same power and Spirit that quickened Christ from the dead must quicken our hearts to beleeve in Christ. It is a miracle to bring the heart of man to beleeve Wee thinke it an easie matter to beleeve indeed it is an easie matter to presume to have a conceite but for the soule in the time of temptation and in the houre of death for the guilty soule to goe out of it selfe and cast it selfe upon the mercy of God who is justly offended and to beleeve that the obedience of Christ is mine as verily as if I had obeyed my selfe here must be a strong
Spirit in the Spouse saith Come The Spirit doth all as the soule doth all in the body it acts it and leads it and comforts it and gives beauty to it so the Spirit first knits Christ and us together there is the same Spirit in Christ the head and in the Church there is one common Spirit in head and members And when it hath done so it acts and leads and sanctifies and purifies the Church it acquaints the Church with the good things that God hath given her acquaints her with the deepe meaning of God the love of God in Christ it acquaints God with our desires hee knowes our meaning in our prayers and we know his meaning it acquaints us with the state we shall have after and assures us of it It is the earnest of the Inheritance the Spirit and the graces of it are not onely the earnest but a part of that Inheritance a part of heaven where our bodies shall be spirituall not that they shall turne to be spirits but they shall be ruled wholy by the Spirit as the soule rules the body As it is in a river it is impossible that the streame should run higher then the spring-head from whence it comes so it is impossible that our desires should rise higher then the spring from whence they come the desires of nature cannot goe higher then nature the desires of the flesh are fleshly but spirituall desires as they spring from heaven they have a noble originall and head so they carry to heaven againe Therefore as the Spirit comes from God the Father and the Sonne so it carries us backe againe to the Father and the Sonne as it comes from heaven so it carries to heaven back againe That is one way to know whether our desires be spirituall or no our desire of death and of the comming of Christ if it be from wearisomnesse of life and from afflictions in the world so nature may desire I were better be dead then to be thus as Ionas wished death and the children of Israel and Elias in a passion oh that I were dead c. but if those desires spring from the Spirit then they come from heaven from the consideration of the excellency of the state wee shall have there that it shall be better with us and that death is but a darke passage to a glorious condition We may know our desires are spirituall from the rise of them if they come from spirituall and holy and heavenly considerations the Spirit doth all in the Spouse that is holy and Spirituall Therefore let us give entertainment to the Spirit of God and be where we may have further and further communion with the Spirit in spirituall Ordinances The preaching of Gods holy Word though it be meanely esteemed by the world it is the Ministerie of the Spirit in the hearing of it the Spirit is given if we would have the Spirit let us attend upon the Ministerie of the Spirit And let us study Christ and make him all in all Saint Paul questions with the Galathians saith hee I would know of you how came ye by the Spirit by hearing of Christs Gospel or of the Law preached No it was by the Gospel so that not onely the Ministerie in generall but the Evangelicall Ministerie that unfolds Christ and the infinite love of God in Christ the excellent condition we have in this world and look for in the world to come the Spirit is effectuall with these thoughts to make us holy and heavenly The Law beats downe but the Gospel especially these Evangelicall truths make us spirituall Therefore wee should be willing to heare spirituall points There are a company of men that love to heare curious and nice points and if a Minister be quaint anâ— satyricall and unfold points sutable to their apprehension they can digest this but come to speake of things above nature of Christ and the benefits by him they are spirituall they are remote and transcendent above their nature that they cannot relish them But he that hath the Spirit of Christ of all points there are none to those that unfold Christ and the benefits by him the glory that wee hope for by him in another world And let us not grieve the Spirit but give way to his motions The Spirit is now among us in his Ordinance knocking at our hearts and desiring entertainement let us give way and not quench the good motions that hee stirres up and the Spirit shall be given more and more to us The Holy-Ghost is given to them that ebey him And let us beg the Spirit God will give his holy Spirit to them that aske him Luk. 11. As if hee should say the Spirit is the best thing that God can give you that are evill can give good things to your children but your heavenly Father hath one good thing instead of all he will give his Spirit Therefore when wee find our hearts dead and dâ—ll and earthly and base-minded thinke thus Alas I am a lump of flesh now where is the Spirit of God certainely if I had the Spirit in me I could not be as I am If we love our soules we will take this course wee trifle with Religion else God doth all by the Spirit the Spirit is Christs Vicar here is no need of a Ministeriall head betweene the Spouse and Christ the Spirit and the Spouse are so neere together there is such a conjunction betweene Christ and his Church that where the Spirit is hee stirres up desires of his comming Onely let us attend upon the meanes and Ordinances that hee hath left in his Church And let us consider wee are not for this life we are not to live here alway the child in the wombe is not for that life and when it is in the world it is not for this life there is a third life that we are for An imperfect state rests not till it come to perfection our best is behind let those that are naught feare the second comming of Christ. Let Herod and Iudas and the beast of Rome feare that shall be cast into the burning lake Let Felix tremble the corrupt Judge and all that live in corrupt courses But wee that professe our selves to be Christians and hope for better things in another world let us labour to banish base feares and to this end let us labour to be spirituall and not to be lead by the flesh Whosoever is Christs hath the Spirit of Christ or else he is none of his as it is sweetly and largely and heavenly prooved Rom. 8. We have nothing to doe with Christ unlesse we have his Spirit to stirre up motions and desires of better things then this world can afford FINIS DAVIDS CONCLVSION OR THE SAINTS RESOLVTION In one Sermon By the late learned and reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Grays-Inne Ieremy 30.21 Who is this that ingageth his heart to approach
their course of life to such false principles and rules from cherishing athiesticall doubts of Gods providence and the like It is farre otherwise with Gods children there are conflicts in them but there is a recovery they check them presently they have Gods spirit and the seed of grace in them that is never extinct The way of recovery is to enter into Gods Sanctuary for wee must not give liberty to our selves to languish in such a course to look to present things too much but look into Gods book and there wee shall see what is threatned to such and such ill courses and what promises are made to good courses and then apply Gods truth to the example see how God hath met with wicked men in their ruffe and advanced his children when they were at the lowest when they were even at the brink of despaire Examples in this kind are pregnant and cleare throughout the Scripture The Lord saith It shall go well with the righteous and it shall not go well with the wicked Let him escape a thousand times Doubtlesse there is a reward for the godly Let us look in the book of God upon the predictions and see the verefying of those predictions in the examples that act the rules and bring them to the view let us see the truthes in the examples This entring into Gods Sancturary it is the way to free us from dangerous scandalls and to overcome dangerous conflicts for the conclusions of the Sanctuary are cleane contrary to sensible carnall reason Carnall reason faith such a one is a happy man sure he is in great favour God loves him oh but the Sanctuary saith it shall never go well with such a mam Carnall reason would say of Dives oh a happy man but the Sanctuary saith he had his good here and Lazarus had his ill here Carnall reason saith is there any providence that rules in the earth is there a God in heaven that suffers these things to go so confusedly I but the word of God the Sanctuary saith there is a providence that rules all things sweetly and that all things are beautifull in their time We must not look upon things in their confusion but knit things Mark the end mark the end of the righteous man Psalme 37. Look upon Ioseph in prison here is a horrible scandall for where was Gods providence to watch over a poore young man but see him after the second man in the Kingdome Look on Lazarus at the rich mans doore and there is scandall but see him after in Abrahams bosom If wee see Christ arraigned before Pilate and crucified on the Crosse here is a scandall that innocencie it selfe should be wronged but stay awhile see him at the right hand of God ruling principalities and powers subjecting all things under his feet Thus the Sanctuary teacheth us to knit one thing to another and not brokenly to look upon things present according to the dreams of mens devices but to look upon the catastrophe winding up of the tragedy Not to look on the present conflict but to go to the Sanctuary and see the end of all see how God directs all things to a sweet end All the wayes of God to his children are mercy and truth though they seeme never so full of anger and displeasure Thus you see Gods children are in conflict oft times and sometimes they are foyled in the conflict yet by way of recovery they go into the Sanctuary and there they have spirituall eye salve they have another manner of judgement of things than flesh and blood hath Againe we see when he went into the Sanctuary the very sight of faith makes him draw near to God Somtimes God represents heavenly truths to the eye of sense in the examples of his justice Wee see sometimes wicked men brought on the stage God blesseth such a sight of faith and such examples to bring his children nearer to him as we see immediatly before the text thou wilt destroy all that go awhoring from thee and then it followes It is good for mee to draw neare to God So that the spirit of God in us and our spirits sanctified by the spirit takes advantage when wee enter into the Sanctuary and sees the divers ends of good and bad to draw us close to God Indeed that is one reason why God suffers different conditions of men to bee in the world not so much to shew his justice to the wicked as that his children seeing of his justice and his mercy and the manifestation and discovery of his providence in ordering his justice towards wicked men it may make them cleave to his mercy more give a lustre to his mercie It is good for me to cleave to the Lord I see what will become of all others The next that followes upon this that Gods children thus conflicting and going into the Sanctuary and seeing the end of all there They goe a contrary course to the World They swim against the streame As we say of the starrs and Plannets they have a motion of their owne contrary to that rapt motion whereby they are carried and whirled about in foure and twenty houres from East to West they have a creeping motion and period of their owne as the Moone hath a motion of her owne backward from West to East that makes every moneth and the Sunne hath a â—everall motion from the rapt motion hee is caried with that he goes about in a yeare So Gods children they live and converse and are carried with the same motion as the world is they live among men and converse as men doe but notwithstanding they have a contrary motion of their owne which they are directed and carried to by the Spirit of God as here the holy Prophet saith It is good for mee to draw neare to God As if he should say for other men be they great or small be they of what condition they will let them take what course they will and let them see how they can justifie their course and take what benefit they can let them reape as they sow I doe not matter much what course they take I will looke to my selfe as for me I am sure this is my best course to draw neare to God So the sanctified spirit of a holy man hee looks not to the stream of the times what be the currents and opinions and courses of rising to preferment of getting riches or attaining to an imaginary present happinesse here but hee hath other thoughts hee hath another judgement of things and therefore goes contrary to the worlds course Heare Saint Paul Phillip 3. saith he there All men seek their owne I cannot speak of it without weeping whose end is damnation whose belly is their God who mind earthly things But what doth Saint Paul when other men seek their owne and are carried after private ends oh saith he our conversation is in heaven from whence
we look for the Saviour who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body according to his mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe So you see the blessed Apostle led with the same spirit as the man of God here he considers not what men do he fetcheth not the rules of his life from the example of the great ones of the world or from multitude these are false deceiving rules but he fetcheth the rule of his life from the experimentall goodnesse he had found by a contrary course to the world Let the world take what course they will it is good for me to draw neare to God I might adde a little further that The course and corrupt principles of the world are so far from shaking a child of God that they settle him They stir up his zeale the more As we say there is an antiperistasis an increasing of contraries by contraries as we see in winter the body is warmer by reason that the heat is kept in springs are warmer in winter because the heat is kept in So the spirit of God in the hearts of his children works boyles when it is invironed with contraries it gathers strength and breaks out with more zeale as David Psal. 119. when he see men did not keep Gods law we see how he complaines to God It is time Lord for thee to work Indeed it is the nature of opposition to increase the contrary those that have the spirit and grace of God in truth they gather strength by opposition Therefore the use we are to make of it is to discerne of our selves of what spirit wee are what principles we lead our lives by whether by examples of greatnesse or multitude or such like it is an argument wee are led by the spirit of the world and not by the spirit of God Gods children as they are severed from the world in condition they are men of another world so they are severed from the world in disposition in their course and conversation therefore from these grounds their course is contrary to the world But it is good for me But is not in the originall it is And it is good for me but the other is aimed at the sense is But it is good for me to draw neere to God and so it is in the last translation Thus you see what way we have made to the words I do but touch these things and it was necessary to say something of them because the words are a triumphant Conclusion upon the former premises And in the words in generall observe this first of all that God by his spirit inableth his children to justifie wisdome by their owne experience To make it good by their owne experience It is good for me to draw neere to God And this is one reason why God suffers them to be shaken and then in conflict to recover that after recovery they may justifie the truth nihil tam certum c. nothing is so certaine as that that is certaine after doubting nothing is so fixed as that that is fixed after it hath been shaken as the trees have the strongest roots because they are most shaken with winds and tempests Now God suffers the understanding that is the inward man of the best men to bee shaken and after settles them that so they may even from experience justifie all truths that they may say it is naught it is a bitter thing to sinne Sathan hath abused mee and my owne lust abused me and intised mee away from God but I see no such good thing in sinne as nature perswaded me before As travellers will tell men you live poorely here in such a country you may do wondrous well there you shall have plenty and respect and when they come there and are pinched with hunger and disrespect they come home with shame enough to themselves that they were so beguiled So it is with Gods children sometimes he suffers them to bee foyled and lets them have the reines of their lusts awhile to taste a little of the forbidden tree that after they may say with experience it is a bitter thing to forsake God it is better go to my former husband as the Church saith in Hosea when God took her in hand a little sinne will be bitter at the last So the prodigall he was suffered to range till he was whipped awhile and then he could confesse it was better to bee in his fathers house God suffers his children to fall into some course of sinne that afterward by experience they may justifie good things and be able to say that God is good And the judgement of such is more firme and doth more good than those that have beene kept from sincking at all God in his wise providence suffers this We should labour therefore to justifie in our owne experience all that is good What is the reason that men are ashamed of good courses so soon It may be they are perswaded a little to pray and to sanctifie the Lords day to retire themselves from vanity and such like I but if their judgements be not setled out of the book of God and if they have not some experience they will not maintaine this therefore they are driven off Now a Christian should be able to justifie against all gainsayers whatsoever can bee said by his owne experience That to read the book of God and to heare holy truths opened by men led with the spirit of God it is a good thing I find Gods spirit sanctifie me by it To sanctifie the Lords day I find good by it by experience That where there is the communion of Saints holy conference c. I can justifie it if there were no Scripture for it I find it by experience to bee a blessed way to bring me to a heavenly temper to fit mee for heaven So there is no good course but Gods children should be able both by Scripture and likewise by their owne experience to answer all gainsayers when either their owne hearts or others shall oppose it he may bee able to say with the holy man here it is no matter what you say It is good for me to draw neere to God So much for the generall To come more particularly to the words It is good for me to draw neare to God HEre you have the justification of piety of holy courses which is set downe by drawing neare to God And the Argument whereby it is justified It is good This glosse put upon any thing commends it to man for naturally since the fall there is so much left in man that hee drawes to that which is good but when he comes to particulars there is the errour hee seekes heaven in the way of hell he seekes happinesse in the way of misery he seekes light in the way of darknesse and life in the way and path of death his lusts so hurry him
that it may be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh For before wee come to heaven Christ must not onely be bone of our bone c. that is in his Incarnation but wee must be bone of his bone c. that is wee must have natures like Christ not onely flesh and blood for so a reprobate hath flesh and blood as Christ hath but wee must have his Spirit altering and changing our nature that instead of a proud disobedient rebellious nature now it must be a holy and humble and meeke nature together with humane frailty for that we carry about with us then the Spirit of life derived from Christ makes us bone of his bone For indeed in his humane nature being bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh hee made us bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh he became man that we might partake of the divine nature being partakers of the divine Spirit So that now the Spirit of life in Christ when we are knit to him is a Spirit of sanctification altering our natures and working in our hearts a disposition like Christs that wee judge as Christ judgeth and chuse as Christ chuseth and ayme at Gods glory as Christ did For there is the same mind in us that was in Christ Philip. 2. In our proportion growing still more and more to conformity with Christ till we be in heaven till Christ be all in all 1 Cor. 15. When he will change our nature to be holy as his owne Besides this liberty from sinne and death in this life there is a glorious liberty and freedome thaâ— we have by the Spirit of Christ when we are dead for then the Spirit of life that raised Christs dead body will raise our bodies and that Spirit of Christ that raiseth his body and raiseth our soules in this world from sinne to beleeve in him will raise our dead bodies The same vertue and power that workes in Christ workes in his members this is called The glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God Then wee shall be freed indeed not onely from the law of sinne but from sinne it selfe and not onely from the law of death but death it selfe and wee shall live forever with the Lord. Christ then shall be all in all by his Spirit Christ will never leave us till hee have brought us to that glorious freedome wee are freed already from sinne and death he hath set us in heavenly places together with himselfe now In faith we are there already but then wee shall be indeed Thus you see how we come to have the law of the Spirit of life in Christ to free us from the law of sinne and death and all the passages of it You see here that there is law against law The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ against the law of sinne and death I beseech you consider that God hath appointed law to countermand law the Spirit of Christ to overcome sinne in us not onely in justification but in sanctification oh let us therefore comfortably thinke there is a Law above this Law I have now cold dead base affections but if I have the Spirit of Christ he can quicken and enliven me hee will not onely pardon my sinne but by the Law of his Spirit direct guid and command me a contrary way to my lusts And this is an Art of spirituall prudence in heavenly things whensoever wee are beset with dangers to set â—reater then that against it The Devill is an Angell but we have a guard of Angels about us The Devill is a Serpent but we have a braâ—en Serpent that cures all the stings of that Serpent We have Principalities and Powers against but we have greater Principalities and Poâ—ers for us The Law of life against the law of sinne and death We have a law of our lusts tyrannizing over us and enthralling us it is true but then there is a Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus to overcome and subdue that law of our lusts if so be that wee use the prerogatives wee have if we use faith and goe to God and Christ in whom are all the treasures of grace Hee is the treasury of the Church of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace Are we troubled with any corruptions goe to the Spirit of liberty in Christ and desire him to set us at liberty from the bondage and thraldome of our corruptions And remember what Christ hath done for us and where hee is now in heaven let us raiâ—e our thoughts that wee may see our selves in heaven already that wee may be ashamed to defile our bodies and soules with the base drudgery of sinne and Satan that are sanctified in part in this world and shall be glorified in heaven Certainely faith would raise our soules so we betray our selves when being once in the state of grace we are inâ—hralled basely to any sinne For sinne shall not have dominion over you because you are under grace saith the Apostle Being under grace if wee doe 〈◊〉 use our reasoning and use faith and exercise the grace we have given us wee cannot be in thrall to corruptions Wee shall have remainders to trouble us put not to 〈◊〉 and reigne and domineere For sinne 〈◊〉 beares â—way but when wee betray our selves and either beleeve not what Christ hath done for us or else exercise not our faith A Christian is never overtaken basely but when hee neglects his priviledges and prerogatives and doth not stirre up the grace of God in him Learne this then when we are troubled with any thing set Law against Law set the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ against all oppositions whatsoever and let the temptation â—â—e where it will let it lie in justificatiâ—â— as when wee are tempted by Satan to despaire for sinnes for great sinnes oh but then consider the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death Christ was made sinne to free me â—rom sinne Consider that Christ was God-man hee satisfied divine Justice the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sinne though they be as red as crimson Thus set Christ against our sinnes in justification when the guilt of them â—â—oubles our soules And so likewise when wee are set on by base lusts set against them the power of Christ in sanctification What 〈◊〉 I now a member of Christ one that professeth my selfe to be an heire of heaven there is a Spirit of life in Christ my head there is a Law of the Spirit of life in Christ that is there is a commanding power in his Spirit and that Spirit of his is not onely in the head but in the members If I goe to him for grace I may have grace answerable to the grace that is in him grace that will strengthen me with his power be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Ephes. 6.