First Proposition The Second afforded this Observation That all the Saints and People of God do partake of the Fulness of Jesus Christ in a way of receiving This fals asunder into Two Parts or Two Branches First That there is a Communication of the Fulness of Jesus Christ unto all Beleevers Secondly That what ever Grace or Holiness the Saints have from Christ they have it in a way of receiving I have done also with the First of these And am now God willing to speak to the Second Whatsoever Grace or Holiness the Saints and People of God have from Christ they have it all in a way of receiving Of His Fulness all we have received The former Branch told us That Christ Communicates This tels us That we Receive There the Emphasis lay upon Christs Communicating And here the Accent is set upon our Receiving The Grace of Jesus Christ is not borne with us We do not go to Jesus Christ in the strength of our Nature to take of His Fulnesse to our selves But Jesus Christ gives out and we receive All in a way of Receiving The Grace and Mercy of our Justification and remission of Sins is by way of Receiving Rom. 5.11 Not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Atonement is to be had it is to be had by Christ and this in a way of Receiving Again The Grace and Mercy of our Adoption is to be had in a way of Receiving Gal. 4.5 He came to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Adoption is a Blessing that is most desirable This Christ gives and this we receive Again The Grace of our Sanctification is to be had in a way of Receiving What is the Cause and Original of all our Grace or Holinesse but the Spirit of God And that is received Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith The Schools say that the word Grace is either taken for The Gifts of the holy-Ghost or for Saving and Sanctifying Grace Take Grace for The gifts of the holy-Ghost as sometimes the Word is used in Scripture and that is in a way of Receiving Acts 10.47 They heard them speak with Tongues at the 46. ver Then answered Peter Can any man forbid water that these should not be Baptized which have received the holy-Ghost That is The Gift of the holy Ghost Take Grace for Holiness and Sanctification and that is also in a way of Receiving to be had in a way of Receiving Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father There are Gifts of Prayer And there is the Spirit of Prayer of Adoption crying Abba Father The First may be without Grace but the Second not where ever the Second is there is Grace And this is Received saith the Apostle here In general all is by way of Receiving Col. 2.6 As ye have Received the Lord Christ saies the Apostle see that ye walk in Him And in another place 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not Received What hast thou that thou hast not Received All in a way of Receiving He shall come down saies the Psalmist in the 72. Psalm speaking concerning our Lord and Savior Christ and His Grace at the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Or as some write it for so the Original will bear it He shall come down like rain upon the Fleece having relation to Gideons Fleece He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass as showers that water the earth A Psalm for Solomon saies the Title But there are many things in this Psalm that cannot properly be understood of Solomon but in a type properly belonging to Jesus Christ For as Strigelius does well observe at the 7. verse the verse next following this text it is said In his daies shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth Solomon did not live so long as the moon endures This therefore is to be understood of Christ And at the 5. verse it is said They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and moon endure throughout all generations They did not fear Solomon men did not fear Solomon as long as the Sun and moon endures through all generations This therefore must be understood of Christ Now see therefore what is said of Christ and concerning His Grace saies the Text in the 6. verse He shall come down like rain upon the mowen grass Like rain rain you know is that that does make the earth fruitful Non ager sed annus facit fructum 'T is not the sowing but 't is the Year that causes fruit 't is the rain that causeth fruit And so 't is the Grace of Jesus Christ that does make us fruitful His Grace the cause of our Grace I will be as a dew saies the Lord in the 14. of Hosea unto Israel and then follows fruitfulness Again The rain cometh by special appointment from God Amos. 4.7 Judg. 6.38 39 40. with a kind of dis-crimination He maketh the rain to fall upon one City saith the Prophet and not upon another As wee reade concerning Gideons Fleece the dew fell upon the Fleece when all the earth was dry round about it And then the dew fell upon the ground when the Fleece was dry And this was a Type of the Grace of Christ when the Jewes were bedewed with the Grace of Christ then all the Nations round about they were dry And then when God bedewed the Gentiles the Nations round about with His Grace then the Jews were dry and they are dry to this day Again The rain falleth 't is the Scripture phrase the rain falleth and falleth upon the earth and the earth is a recipient to receive it it is meer recipient at the first and then brings forth it 's fruit the Rain falleth And so doth the Grace of Christ the Grace of Christ falls upon the souls of men and women saith the Text here He shall come down like the rain upon the mowne grass So doth the Grace of Jesus Christ it comes down upon a poor soul All in a way of receiving al in a way of receiving whatever grace or holiness a man hath on this side Heaven it is all in a way of Receiving And this will appear further to you if you consider The insufficiency of Nature The Supernaturallity of Grace The Shortness of all means that are appointed thereunto The work and nature of Faith And the posture and true behaviour of Prayer First of all There is a Natural inability in a man unto what is good truly Spiritually good First A man is unable by Nature to overcome any sin though it be never so small A man by Nature
from servants ordinarily But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son that we might receive the adoption of Sons And the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father They had the spirit of Bondage unto fear and we have the Spirit of Adoption unto Love to cry Abba Father They could not go to God but with many fears but there is none of all the Saints now but go with a Spirit of Love go to God as a Father Every Saint now may go to God and say Father Father I labor under such a temptation Oh! Father help me I want such a blessing or mercy Oh! Father give it me Again further Although they had many sprinklings of the Doctrins of Grace yet they fell but droppingly upon them now a drop and then a drop As you have it in the 1. Chap. of the Hebrews 1. verse God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by His Son God who by piece-meals drop by drop now a drop and then a drop spake unto our fore-fathers by the Prophets hath in these last times spoke unto us by His Son This being the opposition shews that God spake perfectly and spake al by His Son When this King came then all the Cocks run with wine Some observe that Jesus Christ preached the Gospel more plainly unto one poor ignorant sinful wicked woman that ye reade of in the 4. of John then He did unto al our fore-fathers under the Old Testament for unto which of all our fore-fathers did He say I am the Messiah Ask of Me the water of life and I will give it thee You know the great Doctrins of the Gospel Justification by Grace Free remission of sins and the like Now though these Doctrins be in the Old Testament yet take your Book and howmany leaves shal you reade over before you be able to reade this Doctrine cleerly But open your Book where you wil open in the New Testament and you shall meet with one everie where with this Doctrine this great Doctrine of Free-Grace every where Oh! much much of Jesus Christ and of His Grace that is now Discovered surely Abundance of Grace Abundance of Grace Discovered to the Saints now and to all the Saints But in the Second place As there is Abundance of Grace Discovered So there is Abundance of Grace Exhibited and Communicated to all the Saints Those that have the least measure of Grace now have Abundance of Grace That is the Thing that I would cleer up to you That those that have the least measure of Gospel-Grace they receive Grace for Grace they have abundance of Grace Is it not a great matter for an ungodly man to be Justified What man so godly but he was ungodly before Justified Is it not a great matter for a man to be the Son of God to be the Child of God All Gods Children shall be Portioned answerable to their Fathers Estate David counted it a great matter to be son-in-law to a King though but a wicked King and the Kingdom but small What is it then to be Adopted to be the Son of God the Daughter of God To as many as receive Him Joh 1.12 He gives power to be called the Sons of God And there is this difference between Gods Adoption and mans When man does Adopt one to be his son he may put his Name upon him he may give his Estate to him but he cannot make the person to be like himself he cannot communicate his nature to him But now when God does Adopt one to be His Child He does not only put His Name upon the Soul and give him a great Estate but He makes him to be like Himself and communicates His Nature to him So saies the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.4 We are made partakers of the Divine Nature Is it not a great matter To have the Image of Jesus Christ drawn upon a filthy soul To have ones heart inclin'd naturally inclin'd as it were unto all the Commandements of the Gospel I will write My Law in your heart Jer. 31.33 saies God in the Covenant of Grace That look as the Heathen having the law of nature written in their hearts are naturally inclin'd unto the works of Nature So will I write my Law of Grace in your hearts and you shall be naturally inclin'd unto the works of Grace and unto the works of the Gospel He that hath least of Christ he hath all Christ all Christ imputed unto all the Saints Beloved we have not so much of Christ in our lives as Peter and Paul and John had but wee have as much of Christs Righteousness imputed to us for our Justification as any of all the Apostles had and if our Faith be right 't is like precious with theirs Is it not a great matter for a man to be in Heaven before he comes there Joh 17.3 To have eternal life in this world This is eternal life to know thee and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ And that day that any soul begins to know Jesus Christ that day is the day-break of his eternity the Saints that are in Heaven they count from that day there began our eternity This is eternal life here it begins All the Saints and People of God they do know God in Jesus Christ And therefore surely There is an Abundance of Grace Grace for Grace an Abundance of Grace Communicated and given our unto all the Saints under the new Testament But you will say unto me Object We do not find this in experience do not see such an Abundance of Grace in the lives of those ye count godly those that are in Christ indeed we do not find that they have such an Abundance of Grace I but Ans Do you consider The Opposition of Grace The Retinue of Grace And the Mysiery of Grace First For the Opposition of Grace A little Grace may be much opposed and when the Opposition is great though Grace be small in the Bulk it may be great in the Work though little in the Quantity yet it may be much in Quality There 's no true Gospel-Grace but it is much opposed When Jesus Christ came into the world you know Herod raised all the County upon him And so when Christ comes into the heart the whol soul it is raised against Him because He comes as an enemy unto the soul As when an enemy Lands the Beacons are all fired and the Country all rises what do you say An enemy is landed an enemy is landed and all the Country rises So when Christ Lands upon a soule at the first He Lands as an enemy unto the â—â—n and soul and all the soul the Region the Continent it rises up against Him Then also as the Dragon â—ood before the woman which you reade of in that of the Revelations to out off the child as soon as it was born
of heaven is approaching Surely therefore this is the great Motive the motive of motives In the invitation to the great Supper spoken of in the Gospel what is the motive used for to bring men unto the supper but this Come for all things are now ready Mercy is ready the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is ready Come for all things are now ready this is the motive that is used there And if ye look into the 12. Chapter of Paul to the Romans ye shall find at the 1. verse That when the Apostle doth exhort them to present themselves a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God he perswades by this motive of mercy I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice I beseech ye therefore That Therefore sends us unto the former Chapter to enquire what these mercies were At the 30. verse of the former Chapter he saies unto them For as ye in times past have not beleeved God yet now have obtained mercy through their unbeliefe The Jewes were cast off and the Gentiles these Romans received to mercy the Kingdom of Heaven did come to them the Gospel effectually preach't to them the Doctrine of free-remission of poor sinners Now saies he I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice The Scripture is full of this But for our better opening and clearing of this Truth Let us I pray descend into the particulars of Repentance and consider how the grace and mercy and love of God in Christ which is the substance of this Kingdom of Heaven hath an influence upon them all and how all of them are caused thereby First A man that does Repent must see and know his sins true-sight of sin is requisite to true Repentance Indeed a man may in some measure attain unto the knowledge and discovery of his sin by some Affliction when Adoni-bezek had his fingers and toes cut off you know what he said Thus have I done Afflictions do un-leave a man take off his leaves when the leaves are off the hedges ye see those birds-nests that ye could not see before when the leaves were on And so when affliction hath made one naked and taken ones leaves off a man is able to see those nests of corruption in his own heart that he never did see before The Apostle saies By the Law is the knowledge of sin but now though by the Law as by a rule we come to the knowledge of our sin and by Affliction we are help't to see the nests of our own hearts yet notwithstanding a man cannot see his sins fully but by Gospel-light it is a work of the Spirit to convince of sin I will send the Spirit the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin And where does the Spirit breath but in the Gospel the Kingdom of Heaven the preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit saies the Apostle by the works of the Law or by the preaching of faith When once Esay the Prophet had had a fight of Christ he cries out Vae mihi I am undone We is me I am undone I am unclean Again for I will but touch upon these As a man must know his sin So if he will repent truly he must be grieved and humbled for it If you look into the 7. of Luke ye may see what work it had A woman a great sinner comes to Christ and she washes his feet with her teares what made her do so She loved much for much was forgiven her So that the more the love and mercy of God in Chrst is opened in the Gospel or does make it's approach unto a soul the more the soul is set a weeping and mourning for sin committed Again As a man Repenting must be grieved for sin committed So he must and he will loath himself self-loa-thing is requisite to Repentance If a man have taken a surfet by cating or drinking he does not only loath the meat which caused the surfet but he loaths the very Vessel that hath the smell of the meat or the liquor in it So now when a man comes to Repent he does not only loath his sin but he loaths himselfe the vessel where the sinne was Oh! these filthy eyes of mine Oh! these vile hands Oh! this vile heart of mine hee loaths himself But what causes this self-loathing Th Prophet Ezekiel will tell ye in the 20. of Ezekiel the 41 42 and 43. verses Then shall ye loath your selves when I am pacified or when God had shown them mercy caused his love to approach unto them Then should they loath themselves 'T is not all your Afflictions nor all my Threatnings saies God that will make ye to loath your selves but when ye see my love my grace my pardoning mercy then shall ye loath your selves not your sins only but your selves also Again A Repenting person does not only loath himself for his sin but he is ashamed of it he is ashamed of his former evil waies What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed not before but wereof ye are now ashamed So long as a man walks in the dark he does not blush he is not ashamed though his Cloaths be ragged and torne and his naked flesh appears because he is in the dark But if he come to the light then he blushes that his nakedness appears And so long as men are in their sins and are in darkness they are not ashamed of their sins because they are in darkness But when once they come to the light then they blush and then they are ashamed What light is that that will ashame one of sin there is light enough in hel-fire for the damned there to reade their sins by but that don't make them ashamed where the light of the Gospel the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven is and pardoning love is there is shame Ye shall see therefore how Ezra bulshes when he considered the love of God and their sins together in the 9. of Ezra and the 6. verse And he said O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God Why for our iniquities are increased Is that all No saies he at the 8. verse for a little space grace hath been shewed us from the Lord our God to give us a remnant to eseape and to give us a nail in his Holy place we were bond-men yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage And now O our God what shall we say after this after this The sight of their own sins and the remembrance of Gods love together made him blush Ye know the place in Ezekiel Then shall ye be confounded and ashamed when I am pacified towards ye The more a man knows that God is pacified towards him the more he is ashamed Again A Repenting person is not only ashamed of his former evil waies but as occasion serves he will acknowledge his
now there is a union between Christ and Beleevers and Christ is in them and they are in Christ We in Christ and Christ in us There is a glorious and blessed union between them Now union is the cause of communion or communication bread is united unto a mans body by eating of it and so by vertue of the union strength is derived into all the parts into all the members and the nearer and closer unto this union is the more full is the communication Now though the union between Christ and a Beleever be set out in Scripture phrase under such Metaphors as these The Root and the Branches The Husband and the Wife And the Head and Members yet none of all these are able to reach it not in all respects 't is a glorious and 't is a blessed and incomparable union And therefore there must needs be a comunication of the fulness of Christ to every Beleever Secondly Rea. 2 My second reason I lay upon four Propositions and so shall arise and ascend unto the conclusion by several steps thus First There is an infinite treasury of Grace and Holiness in Jesus Christ whereby He is able to supply and succour all those that are tempted If a man hath had a straight shoe upon his foot or a straight garment he knows where it pinches and accordingly he is able to get it mended Now the Lord Jesus Christ He hath put on our flesh and knows where it pinches He hath bin cloathed with our flesh and He knows every place where it pinches and accordingly He is able to succour And therefore saies the Apostle He was in al things tempted like unto us Heb. 2.18 that He might be able to succour those that are tempted Jesus Christ is not only the Lord-Treasurer of all our comforts but the Lord Keeper of al our graces The neerer any thing comes unto the Fountain of excellency the more excellent it is The Sun is the fountain of light and the neerer any thing comes to the Sun the more light it hath Fire is the fountain of warmth and heat and the neerer any thing comes unto the fire the more warm it is Why The Deitie is the Fountain of all Holiness and Jesus Christ is so neer unto it as Mediator that the Apostle saies In Him the fulness of the God Head dwells Col. 2.9 And surely therefore there must needs be an infinite treasury of Grace and Holinesse in Him The Saints you know of the Old-Testament they were very Holy Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses and Samuel and David and Solomon they were full of Grace and Holinesse and yet these were but types of Christ they were but shadows of Christ Now the type and the shadow does fall infinitly short of the thing typified and of the substance And therefore if there were so much Grace and Holinesse in things that were but a shadow of Christ if there was so much Wisdome and Holinesse in others of them that were but the type Oh! what an infinit treasury of Grace and Holinesse must there be in Christ Himself This is the first Proposition Secondly As there is an infinit treasury of Grace and Holinesse in Jesus Christ So whatever Grace and holiness Christ as Mediator hath received by God the Father He hath not received it for Himself but for others Pray mark it Whatsoever Grace and Holines is in Jesus Christ as Mediator I do not speak of Him as God but as Mediator He hath not received it for Himselfe but for others Jesus Christ was not Baptized for Himself but for finners stood in the place of sinners when He was Baptized Jesus Christ died not for Himself but for us When Christ ascended up to Heaven He went not for Himself only but saith He I go to prepare a place for you Jo. 14.2 Eph. 4.8 And so when Christ received gifts saies the Apostle He received gifts for men not for Himselfe but for others He received gifts for men The woman hath milk in her breasts but not for her selfe but for her child The Sun hath abundance of light in his body 't is not for himself but for the world And so Jesus Christ He hath received abundance of grace and holinesse but 't is not for Himself but for others And therefore pray mark what He saies in John 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie My self that they also might be sanctified through the Truth He does not say for My own sake do I sanctifie My self but for their sakes For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the Truth There are certain Official parts in the body you know that stand as Officers unto all the rest The stomack hath a great deal of meat in it but it hath not that meat for it self but that it may communicate to all the members The liver hath a great deal of blood in it but the liver hath not the blood in it for it self but that it may communicate it unto all the parts And the head it hath all the fences seated in it it hath many spirits but not for it self but for the members So Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church whatsoever Grace and Holinesse as Mediator He hath received He hath not received for Himselfe but for others This may make the Saints and People of God to come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace Hath Christ received for others not for Himself Then why not for me Lord why not for me Now you shal see that further proved in the 61. Chap. of Esay the 1. 2. verses The Spirit of the Lord God is on me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings unto the meek He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable yeer of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn They are the words of Christ spoken in the Person of Christ as if he had said thus There are a generation of men in the world that are taken captive by their sins and lie bound in chains and irons by Satan and they are broken and bowed down greatly under the burden of them Now God the Father He hath design'd me to go open the prison dores to these poor captives and because God the Father hath design'd me to it therefore the Spirit of the Lord is upon me not in me therefore the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings unto the meek So that you see now that anointing that falls upon the head of Christ it falls not upon Him for Himself barely but that it may run down upon all His members That is a second Proposition Thirdly As there is an infinite treasury of grace and holiness in Christ which He hath not received for Himself
is good that so we may be brought unto more dependence on Christ As a man is unable to stand and persevere So also he is unable to any one good work Spiritually Evangelically good We are not able saies the Apostle as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 to think a good thought to speak a good word but all our sufficiency is of God And Bradwardin he reasons the case very well Saies he thus â— If that a man bestow good breeding upon his child the father gives the natural being to the child he brings him up in Military affaires the child grows very skilful the father furnishes him with al kind of Armour yet notwithstanding if the child hath the prowess the valour of the action from himself he may boast in himself and he may say True indeed I had my being from my father I had indeed my skill from my father I had my Armes from my father But the Action is my own the valour my own the strength of the action is my own So saies he if God should give habitual grace to a man if the strength for the action should not be from God he might boast True indeed I had the habit from God the habitual grace from God but the action is my own the spirit of the action is my own he had now wherein to boast But all boasting is cut off as you shall hear by and by And therefore Naturally a man is unable to every work Not only the habit is received but strength for the action also 't is all received Fiftly As a man is unable to every action So also he is Naturally unable to prepare himself unto what is good spiritually good Good people mark it I say a man is also unable to Prepare himself unto what is good Not only unable to do good but unable to Prepare himself unto what is good Spiritually good not only unable to Overcome the enemy but unable to draw out his forces not only unable to Receive the enemies charge but he is unable to draw out his forces Ho ho every one that thirsteth Isa 55.1 come and buy wine and milk without money or monies worth If a man could prepare here is money here is monies worth As one observes well Then a man might say The first beginning of my salvation was of my self Yea in truth a man may say The greatest part is from my self for 't is more to begin and more to prepare so the the greatest part of our salvation should be from our selves Ye know what the Apostle saies and I pray consider it in Ephe. 2.1 And you hath He quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Even you at the 5. v. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by Grace ye are saved Mark Twice the Apostle brings in that sentence be brings it in again at the 8. verse For by Grace ye are saved why twice Not only to shew that the progresse of a Christian is by Grace but the very first begining and setting out 't is al of grace By Grace ye are saved 'T is a good speech of Austin Grace is no way Grace unlesse it be every way free Now can a poor dead man prepare himselfe unto life Did Lazarus prepare himself to life Could he do it Could Lazarus do it There is saith the Philosopher a proportion alwaies between the Action and the terme of the Action Now what proportion is there between Nature and Grace No man saies our Savior comes unto the Son Joh. 6.44 but whom the Father draws thus saies our Savior Oh! but saies Pelagius I can go unto Jesus Christ by my own preparation I can prepare I can draw my self unto Jesus Christ or I can draw Christ to me Beloved In natural Actions there needs alwaies preparations to the introducing of forms because in the way of Generation of Nature things are wrought by degrees As for example now If a great log lie in the mud before you can carry it away you must loosen it from the mud but the logg doth not loosen it selfe And so if wood be to be burnt first it must be dried there is preparing the wood to be burnt because the thing is to be done by degrees But in the conversion of a poor sinner the work is done in a moment it is no natural work God infuses Grace there and therefore there needs no prepararation there And therefore Bradwardine he reasons the case very well thus If saies he a man can prepare himself then the preparation either helps forward or causes the following grace if it does not help forward nor cause the following grace then it does not prepare that which does not help does not prepare if it does help forward the following grace or cause it that God must give a following grace as a reward of this preparation then surely this preparation makes a man pleasing in the eyes of God for will God reward a man for a work that does not make him pleasing in the eyes of God But how can a man be pleasing in the eyes of God Heb. 11.6 without Faith Without Faith it is impossible to please God So that a man cannot prepare himself to what is good Put all these together A man cannot naturally overcome a sin a temptation though never so small He cannot rise when he is fallen he cannot stand though he should rise yea he is unable to any good work simply in it self and he is not able to prepare himself unto what is good Surely therefore all is in a way of Receiving what ever grace one hath he hath it in a way of Receiving This is the first Argument Secondly This truth is also argued from the Supernaturallity of Grace Grace is a Supernatural thing and is called in Scripture phrase The Seed of God The Image of Christ The Divine Nature The good and perfect Gift that comes from above from the Father of Lights It is wrought in the soul by the infinite and Almighty Power of God the same power wherewith God Created Heaven and Earth at the first And therefore 't is called a Creation in Ephe. 2.10 We are His Workmanship created unto good Works The same power that the Lord used in raising up Christ from the dead is also put forth in the conversion of every sinner And besides When the Lord is pleased to convert and draw a poor sinner unto Himself He does not alwaies take those that are the best those that are the wisest those that are the most moral Civil men He does not alwaies take the most Prudent but many times the Lord takes the worst Paul Zacheus Matthew the Jailour divers others And if you look into the 33. Chapter of Job where you have the plat-form indeed of mans conversion you shall find there in what a time God takes a man to Convert him at the 14. verse God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceives it not
over now ye say how will the Child do now Why surely the Child will do as well and better now if the father takes the child up in his arms the dirty lane wil be the pleasantest place to the child when 't is taken up into the fathers armes Thus 't is with the Saints great works they do and hard things they go thorow Oh! but they are taken up into Christs Armes and they have all in a way of Receiving When you look upon a man that does keep a great Table hath many servants attending on him his Purse alwaies full of money you will say surely this man leads a fine and a sweet life if it do not cost him much for to receive it or get this money but if you hear that he hath all his Estate only for telling his money his great pains is all in receiving his money Oh! here 's a blessed man indeed and here 's a happy man you think presently Thus 't is the great pains of a Christian is to Receive from Christ and to spend for Christ Oh! what a sweet life does the Saints live that live by Faith in Jesus Christ Thirdly Appli 3. Is this Doctrine true Then what abundance are there in the world many that live under the Gospel that from hence are argued to have no saving interest in Jesus Christ Good people mark it that I say are not savingly united to Jesus Christ There is a Two-fold Vnion with Christ as Christ is considered Two waies He is either considered with His Church the Church and He making one body and so all together are called Christ In 1 Cor. 12. Or else He is considered as the great Mediator and Savior of Beleevers by Himself Accordingly men may be said to be Vnited to Him Either Outwardly in the Church tied and related to Him by outward Ordinances Or else Inwardly united to Him by saving faith When a man is Inwardly united to Jesus Christ by saving faith he hath all from Christ Strength unto every duty from Jesus Christ Praying strength and Hearing strength and Repenting strength and Confirming strength he hath from Christ in a way of Receiving But the other hath little or nothing from Christ Pray mark it I will express it thus A man takes a peice of bread or a loaf of bread he tyes it to his arm his arm hath no strength from that 't is but an outward tye to his arm it hath no strength from that and it argues that 't is but an outward tye it causes no strength by it But if a man take bread and eat it that there be an inward union then there is strength there is bread goes to all the parts you know my meaning Or thus I will expresse it thus Take a graft and tye it unto a Tree tye it unto a stock and it brings forth no fruit at all why Because 't is but outwardly tyed unto the root unto the stock of the Tree But take the branch and graft it into the Tree into the stock then it brings forth all that it brings forth by vertue of the stock that 't is grafted into So my beloved there are a company there are a generation of people that live here under the Gospel that are Outwardly tyed unto Christ they are Baptized they have the Name of Christ by profession and by the tye of the Ordinances they are outwardly tyed unto Christ but Oh! they receive nothing from Him nothing from Him pray what do they receive Suppose Christ had not come into the world suppose they had never heard Christ preacht they might have lived Civilly they might have lived Justly amongst their neighbors they might have abstained from Lying and Drunkenness why they do not thus much poor creatures nothing from Christ they receive nothing from Christ Oh! these are but outwardly tyed as a loaf of bread is tyed unto a mans arm so is the Lord Jesus in the Ordinances tyed unto them I but then There are another people that are Savingly united to Jesus Christ and these they have strength from Him they cannot Pray but as they have strength from Christ they cannot Confer and speak of good things but as they have strength from Christ they cannot go and hear a Sermon with any affection but as they have strength from Christ All all in a way of Receiving Oh! they stand in a way of dependance upon God in Him and they have all from Christ these are Savingly united to Christ But Oh! many that live among us that have not all from Christ Certainly therefore there are many that are not savingly united to Jesus Christ This is a Third I 'le adde but one more and so I have done Is this Doctrine true Appli 4. All in a way of Receiving Then surely Beloved All is from Grace from first to last Heaven Heaven is a Donative Salvation is a Donative every step in the Iadder to Heaven is Grace every link of the chain is Grace Oh! every beam of our day is Grace every stone of our building Grace Is all in a way of Receiving What Praying strength What Hearing strength What Suffering strength What is all al in a way of Receiving Oh then what glorious Grace is here Oh! rich Grace Oh! free Grace Oh! incomparable Riches of the freeness of Gods Grace in Christ Is the Lord Jesus the Alpha and the Omega Is He the Beginning the Middle the End of all our actions Oh! what Grace is here If there be ever a drooping soul If there be ever a poor hard heart a cold heart a frozen heart in all this Congregation Come O poor soul come and warm thine heart at this fire of Love Were our Heaven and our Salvation put to sale upon our Doing I say were Mercy set to sale at our doing then we were in a sad condition we were in a lamentable condition Well now Is al in a way of Receiving What then though I cannot Pray for the present What then though my heart be dead for the present yet notwithstanding I will wait upon the Lord in the way of His Ordinances it may be this day and this time I shall receive something that may put life into my poor dead soul Oh! you that never waited upon the Lord and upon free Grace wait now upon the Lord you that have waited waite still you that never waited wait now Beloved the more Dependant our condition is the more Depending should our spirits be What more Dependant condition can you think of All all in way of Receiving Oh! therefore now let us all labor to live by faith Go away with this in your bosomes I see a necessity of living in a continual Dependance on God in Christ Which that you may do think of all these things and the Lord bless them to you SERMON IV. JOHN 1.16 Preached at Margrets new fish-street Decem. 8 1645. And of His Fulness have all we received even Grace for Grace I Have made entrance