that thou should'st keep them from the Evil. This implies Christ's mind is his People should continue in the World till their Work be done that neither Sin nor Danger may cut them off till their full time be come but that they may be kept from Evil from the Evil of Temptation and the Evil of Persecution Secondly He intercedes for the Sanctification of his People and this is a glorious Priviledge indeed Jo. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth By the word of thy Truth make them partakers of thy Holiness For their sakes I sanctifie my self ver 19. I set apart my self now on Earth as an High-Priest and Mediator And why so That they may be sanctified through the Truth It may be a poor tempted Soul hath beg'd for Grace but finds no answer as Paul prayed twice thrice many times without return but Jesus Christ intercedes who will prevail and because he prayes they shall obtain according to the measure of Christ and in his time Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ pleads in Heaven for Believers Union with himself and with one another Jo. 17. 11 21 22 23. Holy Father keep through thy own Name those whom thou bast given me that they may be one as we are That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one This he died for to gather his People into one and this he will procure in due time Their Union with himself shall be inseparable their Communion may be interrupted but their Union can never be broken And it is a matter of Comfort to Believers that grieve for the sad Breaches amongst Saints how that Christ intercedes in Heaven for their Union who cannot be denied Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for his Peoples Succour and support under and deliverance from Temptation Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that tby Faith fail not Ah Soul Art thou followed with new Temptations every day Doth the Devil vex thee casting in wicked vile thoughts that do make thee tremble pulling and haling thee Fear not sayes Christ the Devil shall not prevail O sayes a Soul What shall I do for Faith I cannot take hold of this and the other Promise Why Christ in Heaven pleads for Believers that their Faith shall not fail shall not sink away nor faint in the day of Temptation He will not suffer you to be tempted above measure 1 Cor. 10. 13. He will make a way to escape As sure as Christ himself hath escaped from Satan and Dangers unto Glory so sure shall Believers pass thither also O Soul thou canst not tell how to pray this and the other wicked thought hurries thee Faith and Hope all seem to be gone but O what a blessed thing is this that there is a Mediator in Heaven to pray for thee Fifthly Jesus Christ intercedes in Heaven for the Pardon of all the Sins of his People and for the enjoyment of his Fathers favour If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1. That 's part of Christ's Work in Heaven to Advocate in regard of their Sins So Joh. 17. 26. That the Love with which thou lovest me may be in them I have purchased thy Favour for them and Peace with thee by my own Blood therefore Father O take not away thy loving kindness from them O do not be angry with them for ever O what a wonderful Priviledge is this Christ is not contented that his Father love them with an ordinary and a common Love but his Will is that the same Love with which the Father loved Christ as Mediator be bestowed upon them Sixthly The Lord Jesus Christ Advocates in Heaven for the supply of all the wants of his People Phil. 4. 19. My God shall supply all your need according to the Riches of his Glory by Jesus Christ Observe the ground and meritorious cause of all the Supplies of the Saints Needs is the Riches of Christ in Heaven the Riches of Christs Intercession O! when the poor Believer goes mourning under a sense of this and the other Want Christ in Heaven is interceding for them O sayes one I want a soft Heart a Heart to love God I want more power over Corruptions and Temptations More Humility sayes another O my proud heart I want more Patience I am fill'd with the Fire of Hell I want more Purity unclean Thoughts lodge in my Soul but Christ in Heaven is interceding for them thus Father There 's a Child of mine wants a soft Heart I will that thou give it to him there 's another goes complaining for want of more power over Corruptions I will that thou grant it to him Another wants Bodily supplies he is in straits in the World and knows not what to do Father thou hast made me Heir of all things and I will that thou give him some of mine Inheritance O that Believers did know this when they are pining away in their straits that they would look to Jesus and by Faith see him interceding for them Seventhly Another thing Christ pleads in Heaven for is the subduing of all the Enemies of his People Whatever is like to endanger their well-being in thelr work of glorifying God and in their way to Glory with God Christ pleads that it may be removed Are the Snares of the World like to carry away one the Snare of Prosperity or vain Company like to ruin another Doth the Flesh lust against the Spirit and ready to reduce it into Bondage Christ pleads in Heaven for the destruction of these Leviathans and will in his own time bring down all the Enemies of his People Yea Gog and Magog and all the implacable Adversaries of Sion must be subdued because Christ intercedes for it and Reigns till he hath put down all Enemies under his Feet 1 Cor. 15. 25. Eighthly He intercedes for his Peoples Consolation He seems to be much concern'd in this that his People be of good cheer in the World Joh. 16. 33. Be of good cheer Pluck up your Spirits walk comfortably I have overcome the World for you I will not leave you comfortless I will not leave you in danger of overwhelming Christ takes care that his People be not overladen with trouble but that they have comfort in due time Ninthly The Lord Jesus Christ pleads for their thorough and compleat Salvation for their preservation in Grace and their sure and certain enjoyment of Glory Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost because he ever lives to make Intercession Heb. 7. 25. Whatever their dangers straits and hazards be Christ intercedes in Heaven for their utmost saving thorough all and from all The gracious Soul miscarries sadly this and the other time in this and the other matter he falls dangerously and bruises his Bones but Christ pleads in Heaven that this might not prove
his Face from them when he speaks sharply to them and severely rebukes them Secondly To own his Friend in all places times and conditions so Jonathan owned David in his greatest Dangers when his Father sought his Life when it was dangerous to appear for him 1 Sam. 20. 28. 32. so Christ is not asham'd to own his People before God men Matth. 10. 32. Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess before my Father's Face 1 Cor. 16. 21. He reproved Kings for their sake saying touch not mine anointed c. Thirdly Pity Job 6. 14. Pity should be shewn from a Friend And in this is Christ faithful he hath compassion on the ignorant and those that are out of the way Heb. 5. 2. He cannot hide his Eyes from his own Flesh he is that good Samaritane Luke 10. 33. Fourthly Counsel Prov. 27. 9. Oyntment and Perfume rejoyce the Heart so doth the Sweetness of a man's Friend by hearty Counsel Christ is called the Counsellor Isaiah 9. 6. He will guide his People with his Eye and instruct them in the way they should go Psal 32. 8. Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them Neh. 9. 20. Fifthly Adherence Prov. 18. 24. There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a Brother 2 Sam. 16. 17. So the Lord Jesus he stands by his People in time of need Ps 50. 15. Ps 91. 15. Ps 44. 3. Sixthly Comfort So Joh's Friends Job 2. 11. Came to mourn with him and to comfort him the Lord Jesus is faithful in this also Joh. 14 18. I will not leave you comfortless Isa 61. 2. To comfort all that mouâ—â— Seventhly Communication of Secrets Judg. 16. 15. How canst thou say thou lovest me when thy Heart is not with me Now the Lord Jesus Christ is such a Friend he will open the very Secrets of his heart to his People Joh. 15. 15. I have called you Friends for all that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Psal 25. 14. O the secret Mysteries of the Gospel he discloseth to his faithful People that walk much with him Joh. 14. 2 3. Lastly Supply of wants Prov. 17. 17. A Friend is born for Adversity So Paul tells the Thessalonians of his friendly respects to them 1 Thes 2. 8. A true friend is ready to impart any thing for his Friend so Jonathan stript himself to his Girdle and Bow and Sword for David 1 Sam. 18. 4. Christ is such a Friend as will supply all the Necessities of his people Phil. 4. 19. My God shall supply all your need Such a Friend he was to Jacob Gen. 48. 15. The God which fed me all my Life long Secondly He is faithful as a Brother for in this Relation also doth he stand to his people Joh. 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say to them that I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Christ and Believers have all one Father though in a different way Christ the natural Believers the adopted Children of God Now as he stands to them in the Capacity and State of a Brother an elder Brother so his Fidelity consists in a faithful Discharge of the Duties of such a relation As First One Duty is Love All the Saints stand in the relation of Brethren one to another and so are obliged to mutual Love 1 Joh. 3. 10. Christ fulfills this duty to his people he loves them as himself Eph. 5. 25. perfectly with the same love with which the Father loves him Joh. 15. 9. Secondly Another brotherly duty is Pity 1 Pâ—t 3. 8. Having Compassion one of another love as Brethren be pityful So Christ can truly say as Esther did of her Kindred Esther 8. 6. Now can I endure to see the Evil that shall come unto my People or how can I endure to see the Destruction of my Kindred Thirdly Unity is the duty of Brethren Psal 133. 1. Behold how good and pleasant is it for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity so is the Lord Jesus one with his people This he dyed for Joh. 11. 52. This he prays for Joh. 17. 21. Fourthly Another brotherly duty is Peace Gen. 13. 18. Let there be no strife betwixt me and thee and betwixt my Herdsmen and thy Herdsmen for we be Brethren So Christ labours after peace for his people and with them Jo. 16. 33. Fifthly Acknowledgment is another duty of Brethren So Christ Heb. 2. 11. He is not asham'd to call them brethren Lastly visiting one another and taking hold of Opportunities to enquire the welfare of each other and communicate Refreshments Thus did Moses Acts 7. 23. He visited his Brethren and so doth Christ his People he gives them special Accesses by his Spirit he leaves them not comfortless but will come unto them Joh. 14. 18. Thirdly As a husband to his Spouse is Christ faithful to his People Isa 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy Husband 2 Cor. 11. 2. I have espoused you to one Husband Hos 2. 19. 20. I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness loving Kindness and Faithfulness Now Christ performs all the Offices of a tender Husband to them First In loving them as himself Eph. 5. 25. Husbands love your Wives as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it Now I shall give you eight Proofs of Christ's great love as a husband to his People First His high Valuation of them he esteems them beyond all the World besides nay above Heaven it self he could leave the Heaven of Heavens to seek after and to save them and Mansions of Glory to come down and betroath them he despised all the offer'd Pleasures and Grandure of the world when proposed to divert his Love from them Matth. 4. He sets forth their excellencies by terms of greatest worth he calls them his Treasure Exod. 19. 15. A Kingdom of Priests vers 6. His Jewels Mal. 3. 17. Cant. 1. 10. Thy Cheeks are comely with Rows of Jewels thy Neck with Chains of Gold Cant. 2. 2. As the Lilly among Thorns so is my Love among the Daughters He terms them a Fountain of Gardens an Orchyard of Pomegranates Cant. 4. The only one of her Mother the choice one of her that bare her These high Characters the Lord Jesus gives his Spouse shews the wonderful account he makes of her Secondly His costly purchase of them he sold himself to redeem them Eph. 5. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. He parted with all his Glory Treasures Peace Pleasures Strength and Life to procure a people to himself had not his love been infinitely great to all his Seed he would never have bought them at so dear a rate 1 Cor. 6. 20. Thirdly His great Endurings for them Jacob tells us of some Hardships he underwent to gain Rachel Gen. 31. 40. 41. But these are nothing to Christ's Endurings for his Spouse he bore infinite Torments for her all the Wrath and Vengeance of a consuming Fire which all the Sins of Believers did
angry and then to Love which argues a Mutation yet that Change is not in Gods Will and Affection which is one Essence with himself but in his outward Dispensation So that the Divine Nature in Christ is unchangeable both in his Nature and Will he cannot he will not vary in him is no Variableness or Shadow of turning he is a Rock and his Work perfect Time or Change in Creatures work no Change in God 't is the Mistake of Unbelief to think that the Heart of God changes as the poor Believer doth like those that row by the Shore fancy the Land and Houses on it to move when 't is but the Vessel changes his place Comfort thy Heart poor Soul who hast sincerely chosen the Lord to be thy Portion on this Assurance that the Thoughts of God are the same towards thee as evâ—â— all thy changeable Frames and unfaithful Dealings with him works no more Alteration in his Heart to thee than the interposing Clouds do on the essential Light of the Sun or the Provocations of the Child on the Fathers Relation who is still a Father how unlike soever he carries himself to the Child but these Instances are too short to adumbrate and set out the Immutability of God who cannot but be Truth though every man be a Lye he is faithful and cannot deny himself to his though they believe not 'T is his Faithfulness secures thy Faith and not thy Faith makes good his Faithfulness Rom. 3. 3. 4. Shall their Vnbelief make the Faith or Faithfulness of God of none Effect God forbid Mat. 3. 6. I the Lord change not therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed Is Christ immutable Then there is Ground enough for Believers to cast Anchor on him and to bottom their strong Hopes upon his Promises for faithful is he that hath promised Heb. 10. 23. He is not as man that he should lye or as the Son of man that he should repent Numb 23. 19. Hath he spoken and shall he not make it good He cannot alter the Word that is gone out of his Mouth Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one Tittle of his Word till all be fullfilled For this end hath God shewed to the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Council confirmed by an Oath that by two immutable things his Purpose and Promise in which 't is impossible for God to lye they might have strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before them Heb. 6. 18. 19. O Believer suffer not thy Soul to be tossed to and fro with every change of Providence without or of thy heart within but roul thy Hopes on this Rock of Ages on whom the Pillars of the Earth hang for their Stedfastness the whole Creation for its Sustentation by whom Winter and Summer Day and Night are kept within their Seasons and all the changes of his People reduced into a Consistency with his Covenant Fidelity This also yields encouragement to Believers for perseverance in the way of Duty whatever Alterations are in their Conditions and the Times they live in because he that leads them is the same in the worst as well as the best of Times and as able to secure them and as firm in his Affections to them seeing he changes not and therefore cannot will not leave them Again To this Immutability of God in Christ may gracious Souls go to get their unsteddy Hearts fixed and derive by Faith more constancy to their Spirits towards God He who is faithful hath engaged it to establish their Hearts with Grace and keep them from Evil. 2 Thes 3. 3. But the Lord is faithful who shall establish you and keep you from evil 2 Chro. 20. 20. Believe God so shall you be established As Christ's Life is Security for the Believer's Life Joh. 14. 19. His Power for their Preservation 2 Tim. 1. 12. so is his Immutability for their Stedfastness Psal 102. 12. The Author of this Psalm under the sense of his weakness and the languishing state of Sion comforts himself in the consideration of Gods Immutability But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever And upon this mountain of Spices raises his hopes of Sion this he takes for granted from his unalterableness He shall appear in his Glory Go Believer and lay by Faith thy changeable Heart on Christ's Constancy as the Shunamite did her dead Child on Elisha's Bed till she received him to Life again 2 Kings 4. 21. And she said when her Child was dead It shall be well vers 23. So in the same Spirit of Faith with her Leave thy Soul with a Faithful Jesus to be made faithful also 1 Thes 5. 24. Faithful is he that calleth you who will also do it Fifthly The Omniscience of Christ is another of his Divine Attributes by which he doth perfectly and in one Eternal and immutable Act know himself and all things that were are or shall be and things that are not that never were or never shall be things natural and voluntary necessary and contingent things in their Causes and Effects acted or intended good or evil finite or infinite all are most clearly and fully naked and open in his sight He alone fully knows himself and his Divine Perfections 2 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God ver 11. For what man knoweth the things of man save the Spirit of a man which is in man even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God So Matth. 11. 27. No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son That is No man can know the Divine Nature but God himself immediately and perfectly That knowledge which the Saints have of God is but a secondary and communicated knowledge of Gods back parts as revealed in his Works Word and in a Mediatour according to the measure of the Gift of Christ But God knows himself immediately and fully as he is for his Knowledge is his Essence and so as Infinite as his Being is He is a pure Act without any potentiality therefore his Understanding and himself are the same He knows also all things else that are in Being and not in Being things past present or to come in one eternal Act without any search into Principles or Causes as Humane Understandings do in a discoursive way and by succession but hath the Idea's of all things in himself his Essence being the Exemplar of those things seeing he gives them their Being As the Artificer knows the Forms of the Pieces he makes and the Writer the proportion of his own Letters so doth God the first Cause know all things that receive their Nature from him they being first in him and so eternally present to him Hence the knowledge of God is most certain and infallible and things are as he knows them seeing his Knowledge gives them their Being which must be understood of the things that God
undeserving in themselves into a state and Relation of Sons and Heirs bringing them into a new Family and Condition And such is the Adoption of the Sons of God 't is a Translation of called and sanctified Souls out of the Family of Satan into the Family of God Col. 1. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Joh. 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3. 2. Now are we the Sons of God And this Adoption-Priviledge is the Fruit of the Death of Christ Gal. 4. 4 5. When the fullness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons For though this Adoption be an act of Grace in God to take Souls into Sonship with him yet 't is by Jesus Christ Eph. 1. 5. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ That is To be redeemed and made fit for it by Jesus Christ Now in the Adoption of Sanctified Souls into the Family of God there are these five things A change 1. of Relation 2. Of Obligation 3. Of Disposition 4. Of Condition 5. Of Duty First There 's a change of Relation they were the Children of the Devil Joh. 8. 44. Heirs of Hell and under the Power of the God of this World Eph. 2. 2. Who rules in the Children of Disobedience They were of the kindred of Hell of that Family whose Head and Ruler is Satan This was their state when Redemption-grace found them Now Adoption alters this relation and being taken out of this Family by effectual calling they are by Adoption entred into a new Relation and made the Sons and Daughters of God Gal. 4. 4. Now they can call God their Father Christ their Husband the Saints their Brethren verse 5. Eph. 2. 19. Ye are no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God Secondly A change of Obligation they were bound to the Law of Satan under the Law of Sin and Slavery of the World led Captive by Satan at his Will Col. 1. 13. But when Adoption-grace comes it delivers them from this Obligation and they are brought under the power of God and Scepter of his Kingdom Acts 26. 18. Rom. 6. 14 17 18. Heb. 1. 8. Thirdly a change of Disposition they have the Nature and Spirit of Children Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts c. They were by Nature Enemies but now are Children they have a disposition to love God to honour and obey him 't is their Meat and Drink to do his will Joh. 4. 34. Mal. 1. 6. To serve Christ before was burdensome but now delightful The Love of Christ constrains them 'T is as natural for them now to obey Christ as ever it was to rebel against him they are never satisfi'd but when God is well pleas'd Fourthly A change in their State and Condition they are brought into a state of Glorious Priviledges in respect of 1. Liberty 2. Rights and Interests 3. Boldness 4. Instruction 5. Correction 6. Provision 7. Protection 8. Inheritance And by these the state of an Adopted Soul appears to be a glorious state First They are brought into a state of Freedom Joh. 8. 36. If the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word Imports that Freedom that is opposed to Servitude as it appears also by the word ver 33. Christ tells them ver 32. The truth shall make them free And they answered him We be Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any Man So that by freedom here Christ intends a delivering of them from that bondage they were in by reason of sin and Satan and he tells them that this is that freedom that comes by him all that are the Children of God are free Men and Women 1 Cor. 7. 22. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty The Apostle tells them ver 8. That the Ministration of the Spirit is much more glorious than that of the Law or letter that is the Ministry of the Gospel is far more Excellent than that of the Law which he proves by several arguments And here he tells us that the Lord is that Spirit that is the Lord Jesus is the Author of that Spirit or Spritual Ministration under the Gospel and where that Spirit or Administration is or where the Soul is brought into this Gospel-state there is liberty Rom. 8. 21. Now this liberty that all the Children of God are brought into is a two-fold liberty 1. A liberty from Servitude 2. A liberty to service Or as a Reverend writer expresseth it A liberty from the Family of Satan and liberty in the Family of God There are some things which all Adopted Souls have a liberty from and some things they have a liberty in or to First All that are Adopted in Christ are set free from that slavery they were in under the Law Sin Satan and the World They are freed from Bondage under the Law from Bondage-work and Bondage-wrath All that are under the Law of Moses as all are who are out of Christ are oblig'd to Bondage-work to the work of slaves not of free Men. First they are bound to do work that is above their strength which they can never perform Rom. 8. 3. The Law was weak through the flesh that is there was an impotency in fallen Man ever to fulfil the Law or attain life by it The Law required perfect and perpetual Obedience but this could never be performed by sinful Man and therefore legal-work was hard work work never to be done by fallen Man and this is bondage-work Secondly Legal-work is mercenary work Do this and live Gal. 3. 12. The Man that doth them shall live in them Like a Servant if he doth his work he shall have his wages if not he must expect nothing and this is hard indeed that the poor weak Creature that is utterly destitute of all strength worth and ability must have no more than can deserve Thirdly 'T is rigorous work prest by arguments of severity threatnings of death and Hell to all the Transgressours of it Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Fourthly 'T is fruitless work works that cannot make the comers thereunto perfect Heb. 9. 9. 'T is Labour in vain Heb. 10. 1. Fifthly 'T is work without Wages no reward at all could ever be received from it Gal. 3. 21 22. For had there been a Law which could have given Life verily Righteousness had been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin c. There is no Life no Crown no