you find yonr Hopes sinking then look to your Faith for the fault lies there raise that and Hope will quickly recover it self By often proving and examining our selves about our Interest in Christ we come to know it more perfectly to be assured of it Want of Assurance doth come from the want of Light in the Understanding hence that Phrase Col. 2. 2. The full assurance of understanding When we have intire satisfaction in our Judgment and Understandings that things are so and so we know that Christ is in us of a truth We had need make good proof of this for all depends upon it It is a Truth Saints are apt to question when a good Work is begun in them which they and others take to be Conversion and which indeed is so yet the Devil labours to persuade them otherwise puts in many Exceptions Tho he knows he cannot overthrow their state yet such is his Malice he would rob them of the comfort of it and hide it from them if he can He seeks to blind the minds of men to keep out the Light of the Gospel from shining in upon us and when it doth shine in he raises all the Mists and Fogs he can to obscure it he would fain turn day into night and draw a Cloud over that Day-star that is risen in our hearts and therefore we had need have recourse to Christ within us We should often have recourse to Christ within us look well upon him and consider him comparing Christ in our hearts with Christ in the Word for we may take a false Christ into our hearts an Idol instead of the true Christ as the Galatians chap. 1. 6. They had another Gospel quite different from what Paul preached to them There was no such Christ no such Gospel as they fancied to themselves They had a wrong notion of things thought they must join something to Christ did not stick to say Unless they were circumcised they could not be saved Christ himself could not save them without Circumcision We should examine our selves about this Whether our sole dependance be upon Christ or whether we join any thing with him in Justification piecing up a Righteousness partly from Christ and partly from our selves I am not against Works of Holiness and Gospel-Obedience but if we do not warily and wisely distinguish between Faith as Justifying and Faith as it orders and governs the Life according to the Rule of Gospel-Obedience we shall run into endless Disputes and never understand one another Therefore I say let us consider whether or no we rely upon Christ and his Righteousness for our Justification in the sight of God We should examine the Principle by which we are carried out to holiness of life afterward We may know this by searching our hearts and putting close Questions to our selves Whether our whole Trust and Confidence be reposed in him alone Whether we desire to be found in him not having on our own righteousness If we are clear in this and can say from the bottom of our hearts None but Christ None but Christ is the stay and prop of our Souls we have nothing else to trust in or rely upon then all our Hope of Eternal Life must needs flow from him and be grounded upon him only Here we fix and are immoveable from the Hope of the Gospel all our days Secondly By imploring the help of the Spirit to shew us those things of Christ which we read and hear from the Word Without this all our Reasonings and Considerations of Gospel Mysteries will come to little we shall not have one right thought of him We are not sufficient of our selves as of our selves to think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. 5. As of our selves i. e. not by our own Wit Parts and Learning He speaks this chiefly of Ministers And if They stand in need of help from God to guide their Thoughts and Meditations of Christ certainly private Christians do The Spirit shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. He will guide you into all truth John 16. 13. He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you v. 15. And therefore when you set your selves to think of any Gospel-Truth be sure you look up to God to enlighten you and to give you good Understanding of that Truth as it is in Jesus or else all your Reading Hearing Studying Discourse and Thinking will come to nothing The Help of the Spirit lies in Two Things 1. In Teaching 2. In Testifying 1. In Teaching The Teaching of the Spirit and the Testimony of the Spirit are Two Things We are Taught that we may Believe but we are sealed after we believe Ephes. 1. 13. For the Spirit bears witness not only to the Truth of the Word but to the Truth of a Work of Grace in our hearts and that must be wrought before the Spirit can witness to it and therefore Sealing comes after Anointing and is distinguished from it 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. He that anoints us is God who also hath sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Who also hath sealed us he speaks of it as a distinct thing as a further work of God upon the Soul first Anointing then also Sealing giving us the Earnest There seems to be some difference between these Two Phrases Sealing and giving Earnest who also hath Sealed us and given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our hearts Sealing implies bare Assurance but the Earnest so assures us as to put part of the Inheritance into our hand An Earnest is something in hand but Sealing is a demonstrative Evidence of the Truth and Certainty of a Thing to the Understanding only 't is all Intellectual I shall first shew you How we are led to the Knowledge of Christ in us by the Teaching of the Spirit and then shew How we are confirmed in that Knowledg by the Testimony of the Spirit and both in order to the raising and strengthning our Hope 1. The Spirit shews us Christ within formed in our hearts then teaches us to argue from Christ within us Consider that Scripture Rom. 8. from 10. to 17. and see what work Paul makes of it how he argues from Christ within If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness If the Spirit be in you then you are assured of the resurrection of the body If the Spirit of Christ be in you then you are led by the Spirit then you know that you are the children of God and if children then heirs joint-heirs with Christ that we may be glorified together So you see he argues up to a lively Hope of Glory as if he had said All this doth naturally follow from Christ being in you He that hath the Son hath life 1 Joh. 5. 12. Believers may have Christ and may have life in him and by him and yet not know that they have it These things have I written to you v.
our Spirits When the Spirit comes as a witness he stands forth distinct from our Spirit that the joynt Testimony of the Spirit of God with ours may be discerned from the single Testimony of our own Spirit which could not be if the Holy Ghost when giving in his Witness laying down his proposition did not stand forth by himself in distinction from the spirit of a man that the truth may be confirmed out of the mouth of two Witnesses at least in the Conscience of a Believer Some of the Heathen of old had their Extasies and Raptures were sensible they were acted by a spirit higher than their own and thought themselves Divinely Inspired when they were under the greatest Infatuation of Satan imaginable But it doth not hence follow that those who are truly inspired by God may not know it Were Christ in us of a truth we should find our selves strong in the power of his Might He that is in us is greater than he that is in the World could we take hold of this great one and go forth in his Name Spirit and Strength we should do great things I can do all things saith Paul through Christ that strengthneth me what do we then in the strength of Christ which we know we could not do of our selves I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me We should labour after some experience of this in our own selves not to rest satisfied till we can experimentally say it of our selves Without this experience we live but at a low rate do no more than others and sometimes not so much neither whereas we should hold forth Christ and walk in his Spirit having our conversation more in Heaven resisting the Devil overcoming the World denying our selves as those who are strengthned by Christ in our inward man so to do While I am putting you upon this search to feel for Christ within you as the Ground of your Hope I shall lay down Two Cautions 1. This Mystical Union between Christ and Believers this Spiritual In-being of Christ in our hearts is a great Mystery We cannot fully comprehend it in this world Some experience we now have of such a thing in our selves but a perfect distinct knowledge of these deep Mysteries is reserved for Heaven Then we shall have a clearer Revelation of the Mystery of the Trinity At that day saith Christ you shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me and I in you John 14. 20. At that day but not before In that day you shall know it perfectly now you know something you see something tho but darkly and we must be content 2. Never take that to be from the Spirit of Christ in you that leads you from the Scripture and would make you wise above what is written Some have run into strong delusions this way fancying every thing they do or say to be by Divine Inspiration What tho some are deceived in thinking they have the Spirit of Christ when they have him not It doth not therefore follow that those who have the Spirit indeed and in truth may not know that they have him One man's Error in this case cannot overthrow another man's Experience He that hath not the Spirit may think he hath him but he that hath the Spirit indeed may know he hath the Spirit Because some men mistake the Truth it doth not follow therefore it cannot be known by any When you seek for Christ in your selves and for further Teachings of his Spirit you should always pray over some Word have your eye upon some Scripture which you beg a right understanding of for no inward Revelation is now to be expected but only of things already revealed in the Word which the Spirit opens to us that is Christ in us doth this But in Heaven we have an Intuitive Knowledge of the things themselves in God who is the First Spring the First Cause the Fountain of all supernatural Truths contained in the Bible In Heaven we shall know the Truth only as it is in Jesus now we know it as it is in our Bibles we know it by the Word as a Sign and Symbol of the Will of God from whence we abstract all our knowledge of Divine things in a discoursive way But Intuitive Knowledge in Heaven is another thing there needs no written Word no other Bible in Heaven but Christ the Essential Word of God who will shew us all in himself all Gospel-Truths do center in him which shews that for us to be with Christ in Glory is more than for Christ to be in us by his Spirit here Secondly Let us lay aside all vain Hopes that confound and make us ashamed Job 6. 20. The Vanity of Hope lies not so much in the Object of Hope as in our Hope it self The Object may be real to wit Life and Eternal Glory They are gay things desirable things and they are real things too But we must see that our Hope be well-grounded If the Grounds be weak such as by no just Consequence of Reason will bear what we infer from them then our Hope is vain we must give a reason of the hope that is in us and such a reason as may answer all Objections against our Hope The Object of Hope is Bonum arduum futurum sed possibile If there be not a possibility of obtaining what we hope for upon the ground we go upon our Hope is vain and will certainly make us ashamed the issue not answering our expectation Job 11. 20. comp with Prov. 10. 28. There are Two Things which men ground their vain Hope of Salvation of Heaven and Glory upon in both which they overlook Christ and pass him by 1. Their own Righteousness so far as they can pretend to any they make the most of it grow proud of it look to be considered by God for it as if he was beholden to them for their good Lives and inoffensive Carriage that they run not into the same excess of Riot with others But alas what a sandy foundation is this to build our Hope of Heaven upon Be not offended at what I am saying but weigh it well in the Balance of the Sanctuary consider it strictly by Gospel-Light I say this We may as soon be saved in our Sins as by our own Righteousness It is as contrary to the Gospel to trust in our own Righteousness as to the Law not to do it Our Sins are not more opposite to the Holiness of the Law than trusting in our own Righteousness is to the Free Grace of the Gospel Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saveth us Tit. 3. 5. It is true a Holy Life becomes a Christian we cannot be Christians without it but it doth not make a Christian Nothing but Faith in Christ doth make a Christian from whence all true Holiness found in Believers doth spring I have sometimes told you That Preaching of Holiness pressing Holiness with little
the eye of our Faith because many who looked upon Christ with their bodily eyes when he was upon Earth saw the man Christ but saw not God in that man Nay they Crucified him as a Blasphemer for saying he was God Obj. How can we now see God in the Person of Christ since his Ascension Who shall Ascend into Heaven after him Answ. You may as well nay upon some accounts betteâ— discern God now in the Person of Christ since his Ascension as they could who were present with him upon Earth for they could not discern his Godhead but by Faith and so may we now But you will further Object We cannot see his Person Answ. Not with our bodily Eyes neither would that help us to discern his God-head if we could so see him with our bodily eyes unless the Father did inwardly reveal him and this he does now to his Saints as well as then then he did convincingly reveal the God-head of Christ in the Person of Christ livingupon Earth now he does reveal the same God-head of Christ in the same Person of Christ though not as living upon Earth but as represented to us in the word and living now in Heaven We must consider Christ as held forth in the word it 's enough that he was once upon Earth and that we have such a perfect Character of him such a full authentick description of the Person of Christ Incarnate and of his coming again left upon record in the Scriptures the word is nigh thee act your faith upon that and you will quickly have a spiritual discerning of God in Christ. You cannot believe all that the Scripture says of Christ but you must believe him to be God the very Son of God by eternal Generation from the Father and if you believe this you cannot but believe the eternal Procession of the Spirit from them both How can you conceive a living eternal Father and a living eternal Son without a living eternal Spirit The account the Scriptures give of the Son of God incarnate is ground enough for our Faith to fix upon set but your Faith a-work upon Christ and you 'l quickly have a spiritual sight of God in him Faith will observe that in Christ that speaks out his Godhead 't will spy out such Rays and Beams of Divine Majesty shining out in his Person that will create in us a holy Reverence towards him and cause us to fall down and worship him Though Christ be Personally Ascended yet he is Spiritually present with us and in us faith knows how in the light of the word to follow him up to Heaven to sit down in Heavenly places by him and to keep up a constant Communion with him As Christ was in Heaven as God when he was upon Earth as Man John 3. 13. So tho now he is contained in Heaven as Man yet he fills both Earth and Heaven as God Tho his finite Humane Nature cannot co-extend it self to an Ubiquity to reach as far as the Divine yet the Two Natures in Christ are always hypostatically united and tho the Divine Nature do act in with and through the Humane yet it does in many things act above and beyond it even under this hypostatical Union by which God intended to advance Humane Nature but without any Contraction or Diminution of the Divine If you ask What is that Object which we should set before us in every Act of Worship Publick or Private I Answer The Father Son and Holy-Ghost one God and Three Persons Through Christ by one Spirit we have access unto the Father Eph. 2. 18. According to that Oeconomy we worship one God all along applying our selves in a distinct manner to each Person according to the Word that the whole of our Worship may center in one God We shall become vain in our imaginations if we worship God any otherwise Our own Notions of Omnipotency c. let them rise never so high are but mere empty Speculations till we know the subject to whom they belong If they are true they are true of something Attributes ascribed to nothing are nothing in themselves but when we see in whom they are vested they command a Reverence in us towards so great an Object they that know thy name will trust in thee the name leads us to the thing to God himself as an Infinite Eternal Being cloathed with all those Attributes that render him worthy of all Honour Praise and Glory from us The Heathens for want of a right Object to fix their natural Notions of a Deity upon set up such Similitudes and Images of God as did no way represent him but rendred him like unto corruptible things God forbid us to make any Image or Likeness of him and set up his Son as his only True Living Image that we might conceive of him according to that Image and no otherwise The Sum of all is this The New Testament declares Christ to be the Son of God equal with the Father the express image of his person Flesh and blood cannot reveal this to us i. e. can 't perswade us to believe it but when it pleases the Father to reveal his Son in us then we see the Eternal Father in his Son in knowing one we know both because both are one and the same God We see the Eternal Spirit in Christ also who is called the Spirit of Christ residing in him without measure 'T is by the Son that we know both the Father and the Spirit as One God and Three Persons One and yet Three Three and yet One God has said it therefore let us admire and believe The greatest things that are cause no admiration till we believe them and then we sit down astonished That Three Personalities belong to One Infinite Essence must needs be true because God in effect says it who knows himself best I am that I am says God i. e. I am all that is revealed and I am that I am besides Secret things belong to God not to know what is not revealed is not culpable ignorance but a holy Nescience that will become us 'T is fit that God should so reveal himself to us that he may appear incomprehensible by us had he revealed himself as comprehensible by us we should have had no reason to believe him to be God for he must have been a finite God and therefore none at all 'T was fit therefore that God should shew himself to man in his transceedent Excellencies as incomprehensible by man so that his very incomprehensibleness which may occasion some doubt and hessitation in us yet if rightly considered it may be brought in as a strong argument to prove the truth and certainty of his Divinity Men are now for Comprehending not Believing but all men are not Philosophers Besides the Philosophical Reasons you bring for the Being of a God may prove there is a God and that you know there is a God but they do not prove that you know who that God
never assented to before it is not a meer Speculation only but proceeds from the Judgment of a practical understanding about a matter that meerly concerns himself telling him that something must be done in the case Those in the Acts when convinced cry out Men and brethren what shall we do they knew something was to be done they bestir themselves under their convictions What shall we say of those who sit still under a profession of Faith and do nothing Let them say what they will they are not convinced they do not indeed believe though they read and hear the Scriptures and own their Divine Authority what then if the Spirit come not along with the word there is that cursed Principle of unbelief in their hearts that will be too hard for the Word and the Minister to they will put the Word from them and if the Minister come up close to them and say Thou art the man they will fly in his face too because he does not Prophesy good to them CHAP. II. The Preacher's Power of binding and loosing I Have one thing more about a Gospel Ministry which I would mind you of and bring into practice I see a necessity of it to awaken Professors in this declining Age where Religion seems to have lost its Primitive Glory and that powerful Influence that formerly it had upon the minds of men who stood more in awe of their Religion than we do now gave another-gates account of it to their own Conscience than I fear many now-a-days can do I conceive it belongs to the Office of a Gospel Minister not only to declare the way of Salvation by Christ and shew how remission of sin is to be had but also to bind or loose their Hearers as they do either come up to the Word or reject it and this done Authoritatively in the Name of Christ according to Scripture-rule is a real discharge or a real Condemnation of that person who falls under such a Sentence I don't speak of binding and loosing as 't is an Act of Church-Discipline in casting Offenders out of the Church and receiving them into it again upon their Repentance for so it is in use among us and in that sense only we generally take it But I conceive there is a binding and loosing mentioned in Scripture distinct from all Church-Censures in a way of Discipline and is always to follow the Preaching of the Doctrine of the Gospel loosing those from their sins who do believe it and binding their sins upon them who believe it not and this I take to be an essential part of a Gospel Ministry Where Ministers do perceive in any of their Hearers a visible contempt of the grace that is offered in the Gospel they ought to be is readiness to avenge all such Disobedience 2 Cor. 10. 6. by binding their sins upon them pronouncing such persons to abide under the wrath of God 'till they do by Faith embrace a Promise of Pardon Those two places viz. Mat. 16. 19. Joh. 20. 23. relate to the Doctrine of the Gospel shewing what follows upon it and also do confirm the Authority of it for the comfort of those who believe it and for the terror of those who reject it That place Mat. 18. 18. relates to the Discipline of the Church in all publick Censures pass'd upon impenitent Offenders So that he who acknowledges his Fault and repents of it being admonish'd by the Church is absolved not only by man but by God and taken into the Communion of the Church again The Church of Rome admits of binding and loosing in the latter sense but they engross it all to themselves and apply it wholly to their Sacrament of Penance The Council of Trent Anathematizes those who allow the power of binding and loosing in any sense to the ordinary Preachers of the Gospel but Calvin is expresly against them Non separanda est says he haec potestas remittendi Peccata à docendi officio i. e. The power of binding and loosing must not be separated from the office of an ordinary Gospel Minister There be other Scriptures to confirm this as 2 Cor. 5. 19. Luk. 4. 18. The sum of the Gospel is to preach deliverance to captives So Luk. 24. 47. and Luk. 10. 5 6 9 10 11 12. vide I am not for Popish Absolutions but I think it the Duty of Ministers to tell their People whom God will save and whom he will not whose sins are and whose are not remitted to them and to do this Authoritatively by a particular Application that may reach the persons themselves whom they most suspect ay and privately to tell them by name that they are the persons they meant warning them to consider their danger lest sudden Destruction from the Lord do come upon them 'T is evident that general Preaching does little good without this men shift it off and distinguish themselves out of the power of Religion think their Profession secures them from all that is threatned in the word and denounced against the Prophane and Ungodly Doctrines and Exhortations won't do without this particular Application of the blessing to whom it belongs and of the curse of God to them over whose Heads it certainly hangs we must do our Duty herein there be some weak ones who can't speak peace to themselves we must speak it to them in the Name of the Lord there be others who won't speak Terror to themselves but go on in their wickedness and bless themselves I say it is out Duty to curse them in the Name of the Lord and plainly tell them that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God Gal. 5. 21. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Eph. 5. 5. There are too too many now-a days who count hearing the word a very indifferent thing They can come to it and they can forbear 't is all one to them which they do they are not much concerned either way when they come they think hearing the word if it does them no good 't will do them no harm But there is a great mistake here let me tell you there is a blessing or a curse at the end of every Sermon you hear and one or 'tother will certainly light upon you Scoffers may puff at the Judgments of God and say that Ministers take too much upon them in passing such a peremptory Sentence on them what care they what men say ay but know who ever thou art so Sermon-proof in your own opinion that the Minister shall never take hold of thee I say thou art by those very words those binding words pronounced against thee in the Name of the Lord by a Minister of the Gospel as surely Condemned already as if thou were already in Hell the wrath of God will certainly come upon you unless you repent and so I leave you think of it at leisure If we do not our Duty who have these Keys committed to us we shall be questioned at the last day for not shutting
this man or that woman out of the Kingdom of Heaven whom we saw walking so disorderly under so visible a neglect of their own Salvation Obj. This way of Preaching may grieve the Saints Ans. What! to hear that impenitent unbelieving Sinners remaining so shall never enter into Heaven if this grieve them they must be grieved we can't help it better they grieved than others eternally Damn'd for want of such an awakening word Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth if so I desire never to be friends with you upon other terms Brethren What we do of this kind errante clave affects no man's Conscience But if you find that you are the persons to whom God intends Comfort you ought to receive it if the persons to whom the Curse belongs you ought to apply it to your selves and to tremble under it for what is bound on Earth is bound in Heaven The Curse will certainly come upon you if you repent not you may reverse the Sentence we pass by a speedy turning to God before you dye else 't will be confirmed against you at the last Day to your eternal Destruction by an irreversible Sentence You will frequently find it may be not presently that as you are bound or loosed by the Preachers of the Gospel so suitable impressions of God's Love or Anger are made upon your Souls even in this World God does this to keep up the Authority of his Ministers that they may effectually comfort Believers and as effectually terrifie Unbelievers therefore if we are bold against some 2 Cor. 10. 2. and do use sharpness according to the power which the Lord Jesus has given us for your edification 2 Cor. 13. 10. For that we aim at in all these denunciations of God's wrath against the impenitent 1 Cor. 5. 5. I say if we come with a Rod and seem not so kind and gentle to you as you would have us 1 Cor. 4. 21. If at any time we are found unto you such as ye would not 't is because we do not find you such as we would 2 Cor. 12. 20. The Sum of All. This Phrase of giving the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven is Metaphorical from one who has the Supreme Power in a House or City so Eliakim as Chief Governour of the King's Houshold had the keys of the house laid upon his shoulder Isa. 22. 22. Prefiguring the Kingdom of Christ who gives the Keys i. e. the Power of binding and loosing here on Earth to his Ministers Q. How can the power of Remitting Sin which belongs to God only Mark 2. 7. be ascribed to men A. Christ in Commanding the Apostles and in them all Ministers to remit Sin does not transfer upon them that which is his own peculiar Prerogative i. e. he does not resign to them his Power of forgiving Sin but only Commands them in his Name to testifie to their hearers that the Sins of all those who Believe in Jesus are Pardoned and to pronounce them Pardoned by God So that Ministers are not the Authors of Forgiveness but only God's witnesses testifying his Grace towards Repenting Believing Sinners Nothing makes more for our comfort than to know that our Sins are Pardoned and to this end God hath appointed his Ministers in his Name to tell Believers so and to declare unto all that they who Believe shall be Saved and have all their Sins remitted to them for Christ's sake Thus I have shewed you what is implied in this Text And till men are wrought up by the Preaching of the Gospel to a real conviction of these Truths viz. 1. That all men are Sinners by Nature and under Condemnation by Law 2. That there is no Salvation to be expected or hoped for without a full and free Remission of all their Sins 3. That this Remission of Sin can never be obtained till full satisfaction be first given to the Law and Justice of God for all our Offences and Trespasses against him 4. That none but Christ is able to make this satisfaction for Sin 5. That in order hereunto i. e. for the effecting and compleating this satisfaction the Son of God took our flesh upon him and Dyed in that Flesh for us shed his Blood for the Remission of our Sins 6. That all who come unto this Jesus casting themselves by Faith upon him shall certainly find Mercy shall have all their sins Pardoned and shall be Eternally Saved Till we can prevail with our hearers to own and acknowledge these Generals 't is impossible they should Believe in the Lord Jesus to the saving of their Souls That Faith that is saving does necessarily presuppose and include in it a real assent unto and full conviction of all the forementionned Truths Possibly some will say We know all this already have heard these things over and over it may be so but pray hear them over once more and consider them well in the light of this Text that tells you plainly there is no other way of Salvation Sometimes it pleases God by one Text set home by the Spirit upon our hearts to lead us into a more serious consideration of many other Truths relating to it which we formerly gathered out of the letter of the Word without any application of the matter contained in them to our selves We who are Ministers must insist upon these things we have nothing else to say to Sinners till they are convinced of these truths this is the first opening of the Gospel we cannot proceed one step farther till some credit be given to these first Principles of the Christian Religion I hope you who are here present and do frequent this Assembly do attend upon the Ministry of the Word under a real conviction of these truths Therefore give me leave to put One question to you to every one of you to your Consciences I put it viz. Whether you have answered this Conviction by your personal Coming to Christ and actual casting your selves upon him for the Pardon of all your Sins If this be not yet done I am sure you cannot Answer it to God nor your own Consciences Pray consult your convictions and shew your selves men To say no more Two things I shall speak to from this Text viz. 1. What Remission of Sin is 2. How Salvation consists in the Remission of Sin CHAP. III. I. What Remission of Sin is I Intend to speak distinctly to these Two Heads yet not so distinctly neither but I may now and then run them both together in my Discourse which cannot well be avoided in truths of so near an affinity to each other as these are I begin with the first viz. Remission of Sin What are we to understand by that Remission of Sin implies our justification It can signifie nothing less in Mark 1. 4. and Mat. 26. 28. They who labour most to find a difference are very much put to it to make it out They say that imputation of Righteousness is distinct from Remission of
his Law in the inward man these are so far from being conditions of the Covenant giving us an interest in it that they are rather the Covenant it self fulfilled in us which is an undeniable proof of our being in Covenant 9. The New Covenant does not so much imply an outward Law or Rule of government set before us as an inward Law or rather a spirit and principle of Love and Obedience inclining us to a willing performance of all those Duties that either Law or Gospel call for The Covenant of Grace brings forth a new creature created in Christ Jesus unto good works that he should walk in them you put a force upon the new creature if you turn him out of his walk By the Covenant of Grace our Justification hangs not upon doing but upon believing That which much perplexes the point of Justification is the separating of Faith and Justification too far asunder which hath many ill consequences in it 1. If you suppose Faith as a quality pre-existing in the Soul before Justification and standing a while alone by it self in order to our Justification this lets in previous qualifications in us as necessary to Justification And if Faith as a quality in us have any causal influence into our justification so must Repentance and all good Works which are linked to it This lets us into a justification by Works of our own doing and by qualities inherent in our selves which is downright Popery 2. If we place our personal Justification before Faith this runs us up to an actual Justification of our persons from eternity which is of as ill consequence as the former Therefore the safest way is to put them both togethet What God hath joined let no man put asunder He that believes is justified and he that is justified Believes there can be no justification without Faith nor no true Faith without justification God's act in justifying doth symphonize and correspond to our act in Believing There cannot be actual giving without actual receiving one is naturally necessary to the other I know Faith and Justification are different notions and may in our way of speaking and expression be put one before the other but the things themselves are always together God justifies us by working Faith in us The Covenant of Grace requires nothing to be done by us as an antecedent moral condition or procuring cause of our Justification it supposes Faith in all who actually partake of the Grace of this Covenant Nay the Covenant of Grace I mean the outward proposal of the terms of the New Covenant is an outward means appointed by God for the working or begetting of Faith in us Faith comes by hearing i. e. by hearing the Doctrine of our Redemption by Christ and this Faith so wrought by hearing the Word disposes the Soul ever after to Repentance and new obedience which are the inseparable effects of Faith in all who are justified He who doth not shew his Faith by his Works is no sound Believer Though it be commonly said by many That Repentance is in order to justification the sense cannot be that Repentance is instrumentally necessary to justification as Faith is Do but keep up the different relation that Faith hath to justification from all other Graces and good Works and we shall quickly understand one another and not confound Faith and Works together in our justification We may differ in our expressions but that should make no real difference if the same thing be meant and intended This account of Faith or to this effect for I will tie none to my words does answer all the ends of true Religion it exalts Christ ascribes our free Justification and Pardon to him and his Righteousness only it secures our own Souls it suppresses and discountenances all Vice all licentious loose living it establishes the Law as a Rule of life it promotes all practical Holiness by the most forcible motives that can be We can never keep up Religion in the power of it if we do not keep up the plain notion of it in the sense that is commonly received by all sober sincere Christians Arguings pro and con may have their use among the Learned but still let us be sure to sail by the Pole-Star to keep that in our Eye as a fixed point that governs all our motions My meaning is this let us ultimately resolve Religion in the main fundamentals of it into such naked simple truths as may fall under the capacity of all plain meaning Christians that they may know what we Believe and what we Profess That we all aim at the same thing in our Preaching and that the same Spirit may still appear in all the diversity of gifts that is among us The reason why the Apostle Gal. 3. 17. calls the Mount Sinai-Covenant a Law is because the Mount Sinai-Covenant is a mixt Covenant made up partly of the Law and partly of the Gospel and the Apostle in that place opposes the Legalities of the Sinai-Covenant to the promise made to Abraham There was no reason why he should oppose the Gospel part of the Sinai-Covennat to the Covenant with Abraham for they were both the same they were coincident there was no opposition between them therefore he calls the Mount Sinai-Covenant a Law in opposition to the Covenant of pure Grace made with Abraham The Covenant of Works made with Adam as to any benefit from it ceased at the entrance of sin which laid all mankind under a curse This curse cannot be taken away but by a New Covenant you see how sin disordered the whole world put all things out of frame God's Government of the world as to the outward administration of it must be altered or else the whole world must be destroyed there must be a new Constitution a new Covenant What havock did sin make in one day that put God upon a second Creation making all things new casting all into a new mould to prevent the utter destruction of all mankind that otherwise must have ensued This Covenant of Grace may be considered Four ways 1. In the promise of the seed of the Woman made to Adam at least in his hearing couched in the threatning denounced against the Serpent Gen. 3. 15. 2. In the Promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. 7. 3. In the Mount Sinai-Covenant with all Israel Exod. 19. 8. this Covenant had the nature of a Testament therefore confirmed by Death hence beasts slain in Sacrifice Heb. 9. 16 18. 4. In the New Covenant with Jews and Gentiles now under the Gospel CHAP. II. SEcondly See Mr. Petto â—n this Subject The comparison of the New Covenant made with Jews and Gentiles now under the Gospel with the Mount Sinai-Covenant made with the Jews only under the Law When Abraham's Posterity grew numerous even into a Nation then commenced the Mount Sinai-Covenant containing the moral judicial and ceremonial Laws given not with an intent to disannul the Promise made Four hundred and thirty
the true Vine bring forth much fruit John 15. 5. The efficacy of Christ's Mediation and the effectual Application of the Merits of his Blood to us in our Justification appears 1. In our Regeneration Tit. 3. 5 6. 2. By preserving us from final Apostacy John 10. 28. John 17. 12. 3. By raising us up unto glory at the last day John 6. 39 40. John 17. 22. In order to all this God chose us in Christ our Mediator from Eternity Eph. 1. 4. The office of a Mediator lies in Trans acting all things with God that concerns the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2. 17. That he may save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. Christ is Mediator of Redemption to man 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 2. 16. Of Conservation and Confirmation unto Angels who need such a Mediator Job 4. 10. Angels were mutable Creatures till Confirmed by Christ for which they are no doubt very thankful unto God We ought to be thankful not only for deliverance out of evils already come upon us but also for being kept from many evils that might have befallen us as Psal 86. 12 13 Psal. 144. 9 10 11. Upon this account Christ is to be worshipped not only by men but by Angels Heb. 1 6. And Angels being sensible of so great a benefit by Christ their Head they do willingly Minister to his Members Mat. 18. 10. Heb. 1. 14. They rejoyce at the Conversion of sinners Luke 15. 10. They gain more knowledge in Gospel Mysteries by the Church Eph. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 12. They have all Prophetick Revelations from Christ Rev. 19. 10. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy All such Gospel discoveries are called the Revelation of Jesus Christ Rev. 1. 1. The word of God and the testimony of Jesus v. 2. Who is the faithful witness v. 5. Men and Angels bare record to the truth of this John did Rev. 1. 2. That Heavenly Host of Angels did it Luk. 2. 13. 14. Angels are a part of the Church which is preserved by Christ Heb. 12. 22. They are called the Sons of God Job 1. 6 Job 2. 1. Elect and therefore in Christ 1 Tim. 5. 21. Therefore that the Angels stand and that fallen man is raised up again both are from Christ our great Mediator and Intercessor whose Prayers are always heard for the Church Zech. 1. 12 13 c. Because Christ hath the same will with the Father John 10. 30. Because Christ is well beloved his Person is Accepted and we in him Ephes. 1. 6. and his Prayers are offered on the Altar of his Godhead Heb. 9. 14. 6. Answer Some Popish Objections and open some Scriptures very much perverted by them 1. Obj. Christ is Mediator in respect of his Humane Nature only as man from 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediator between God and men tbe Man Christ Jesus Answ. Man here is taken in the concrete for the whole Person of the Mediator not in the abstract for his Humane Nature only in saying the man Christ we don't exclude his Divinity quia in homine Deus est Ambros. The Man Christ and Christ as a man differ very much the First signifies God-man the Second only Man Therefore we say against the Lutherans That though Christ who is man be every where yet Christ as man is not every where these Two Propositions are not equipollent The First is true the Second is false 't is the Error of the Vbiquitarians If Christ were only God or only Man then not medius inter Deum hominem and consequently no Mediator Therefore how can Saints who are only men become fit Mediators When we say the Man Christ the Species is explained and limited by the individuum to such a man who is the Christ of God God and Man 2. Obj. Since Christ our Mediator is Ascended and Glorified and is to resign up his Mediatory Kingdom 't is necessary that others be preferred to that Office v. 9. the Virgin Mary the Apostles Martyrs and Confessors c. Answ. 1. Christ has not yet resigned up his Mediatory Kingdom 2. The Apostle 1 John 2. 1 2. confutes this and says We now have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous So Psal. 110. 4. Thou art a priest for ever always making intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 9. 24. I grant indeed according to 1 Cor. 15. 24. that Christ will resign up his Mediatory Kingdom to the Father when Sin Death and all the Enemies of the Church are overcome there will be no need of such a Mediator then as Christ now is riding on conquering and to conquer Rev. 6. 2. So long as there are any to be conquered Christ is in a Warlike posture on Horseback but when all are subdued then he possesses the Kingdom in peace with his Father Reigns with him as God to Eternity Triumphing in the final overthrow of all his Enemies Though he then cease from those Mediatory acts which the present necessities of his suffering Church and People call for yet he continues a Mediator still he did not finish that Office in the Garden or upon the Cross that he should be no more a Mediator When 't is said Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father this is not to be so taken as if the Father did not now Reign or that the Son should not Reign afterwards But because while the Prince of Darkness reigns and the far greater part of the World goes after him God seems not to reign while they won't own him for their King But when Christ shall have conquered all his Enemies and brought all the Elect into a due subjection to God then he shall deliver up the Kingdom in a quiet setled state to the Father so as the Son shall Reign with him for ever for of his kingdom there is no end Luke 1. 33. The subjection spoken of here is not any thing unworthy of Christ but makes rather for his glory to have his humanity more visibly subject to the Divine Nature For as long as Christ holds his Mediatory Kingdom having all Judgment committed to himself doing all himself though by Commission from his Father yet while he is exerting this Regal Authority by virtue of his Mediatory Office it does not so well appear how as Man he is subject to the Father as it will do when God shall be all in all Yet still the Efficacy of Christ's Offices is eternal though the present Execution of them may in divers respects then cease Obj. 3. The Papists hold That though there be but one Mediator of Redemption yet there may be many Mediators of Intercession Answ. If many Mediators in any sense had been necessary to save man this had reflected upon the Grace of God since the sin of one man was enough to damn all mankind By one man's disobedience many were made sinners Rom 5. 19. Wy should not the Obedience of one especially such a Man
imperfect Obedience pleases God 3. Whether God allows the free use of all indifferent things These are the puzzling points that are apt to disturb our Consciences till we rightly understand the nature of Christian Liberty which does not countenance that excess that too many of the Richer sort run into vying who shall be finest in their Apparel most sumptuous in their Entertainments these things are not forbidden say they 'T is true the things themselves are not forbidden but the immoderate use of them is forbidden Therefore let your moderation be seen in all things and know that your Christian Liberty lies as well in abstaining from indifferent things when inexpedient as in using them Christian Liberty relates to Conscience both thy own and thy Brothers So use your Estates that you may glorifie God and edifie your Brother and we shall not question your Liberty 't is not for nothing that so many woes are pronounced against the Rich Luke 6. 24 25 26. Read that place and also Amos 6. to v. 7. I don't quote these places that you should throw away your Riches and lay aside all Mirth no do but throw out the sin that is in all these and I have nothing to say against the lawful use of the things themselves but see you don't abuse them CHAP. V. The APPLICATION LET us labour to live in the comfortable sense of our Adoption as the only way to walk worthy of it Mal. 1. 6. 'T is a shame to do otherwise Deut. 32. 6. The best way to keep up a sense of our Adoption and of all the high priviledges belonging to it Is 1. To attend to the witness of the Spirit within us Our Adoption is a great mystery the grounds and reasons of it lie very deep quite out of the reach of a mere Humane understanding that cannot discern the deep things of God we shall certainly be at a loss in our own thoughts how to clear up our Adoption if the Spirit do not help us and make it out plainly to our Spirit from the word and when that is done we sit down astonished at the greatness of God's Love when the Spirit has satisfied us that it is so we can give no reason why it should be so but must resolve all into the Love of God in Christ that passes our knowledg Behold what manner of love is this 1 John 3. 1. That we should not only be called but really be the Children of God We must observe what inward evidence and demonstration the Spirit gives of our particular Adoption by name that is properly the work of the Spirit in witnessing to us the Spirit applies in particular the promises of Life and Pardon they are generally propounded by Ministers but there comes a word behind from the Spirit Isa. 30. 21. privily assuring a man of his Adoption You may know 't is not a delusion of your own Spirit nor of Satan Not of your own Spirit because this testimony to the truth of our interest in Christ is usually given in when we have no sensible apprehension or feeling of the Love of God to us as Mat. 27. 46. The Spirit comes in to comfort us when we are most cast down and overwhelmed in our own spirits and so not in a condition to speak comfort to our selves Not from Satan who at such a season seeks to drive you to utter despair but the Spirit strengthens our Faith at such a time sets it against all discouragement 't is not said he that feels but He that believes has everlasting life John 3. 36. And there is a feeling that belongs to Faith that none but the Spirit of God can give us the sense of hence it is that the Saints know more certainly that they are the children of God than the men of the World do that they are the Children of those whom they call their Fathers in the Flesh. The witness of the Spirit is a secret information of the Love of God and his Fatherly affection to us a still voice from Heaven that God is thy God which the heart rests in and is fully satisfied 't is more than if an Angel should come from Heaven and tell thee Thou art greatly beloved as Dan. 9. 23. The earnest of the Spirit in our hearts is more than all this 2 Cor. 1. 22. We may without this testimony of the Spirit know that there is such a thing as Adoption spoken of in Scripture but that we in particular are Adopted none can assure us of this but the Spirit by a particular application of this Grace to our selves The Spirit of God in us speaks particularly to us to our case to our state to our Souls I hope he is so speaking to you now so speaking in you at this time shewing you what interest you have in Christ and what follows upon it reasoning you into a belief of the thing in reference to your selves When the Spirit comes in as a witness 't will be believed the Spirit comes on purpose to answer all our doubts and objections to make the matter plain and evident to us else the Spirit could not be so effectual a Comforter if he did not bring convincing light along with him into our dark Souls You may put by all that we can say to you and remain unsatisfied after all the arguments that Ministers may use to convince you of your Adoption you may hang down your heads every one of you and say notwithstanding all this I fear I am not a Child of God But when the Spirit himself comes into that Soul there is no resisting the wisdom of the Holy Ghost Ministers have not wisdom enough to quiet a troubled Conscience We may set outward light before a dark Soul and yet that Soul be as dark as ever for want of inward light we may speak the truth as it is in Jesus but we cannot give you a discerning of that truth we may hold the object before you but cannot give you eyes to see it but the Spirit does both gives us a capacity to learn and take in what he teaches us I grant an enlightned mind may reason it self into some present sense of his Adoption but seeing so many things contrary to the Divine Nature in himself he doubts again and questions his Adoption and will be ever and anon at a loss wavering in this matter 'till the testimony of the Spirit confirm him which is distinct from all his own spiritual reasonings from all the right inferences that his Faith draws from the word I mean the testimony of the Spirit hath a greater cogency and force with him than all the apprehensions of his Faith can have though Faith and the Spirit both go upon the same grounds and quote the same Scriptures yet the testimony of the Spirit is stronger than the bare apprehensions of our Faith and makes deeper impression upon the mind of Believers than their Faith can which impressions are more easily retained and remembred than all the
before Do you find Christ hath had a quickning influence upon your Hearts is indeed become your life He savingly knows Jesus Christ who doth act towards him according to what he believes of him Let men talk of this or that concerning Christ and pretend to understand all Mysteries to have all knowledge yet unless they can shew the work of the Gospel written in their hearts as the Apostle speaks of the work of the Law Rom. 2. 15. I say unless they can shew the work of the Gospel written in their hearts I am sure they are nothing For it is impossible to receive Christ by the saving knowledge of Faith and not to have his Image impressed upon all the faculties of the Soul by that Faith which first brought it in The very conceptions of Faith concerning Christ are the very thoughts of a mans own heart so he is so he thinks so he acts even as he believes Gospel truths cannot enter into our rational Nature at any other door than that of Faith When Faith comes there needs nothing else to turn that Soul unto God Every man is an his Faith is Faith contains the true inward sense of the Soul about Jesus Christ And God is the Author and Finisher of this Faith and understood to be so by all true Believers Pray let us close up all with this for I am only now labouring as well as I can to shew you in general how Faith lets Christ into the Soul The main thing in Conversion is Faith and the main thing in Faith is the Power of God in working it These two things are principally taken notice of by all Believers They observe them in others much more in themselves Acts 11. 17 18. compared with Acts 14. 23. What notice did they take there of the Faith God had wrought in those They perceived they had received the same Faith with themselves that God had granted unto the Gentiles Repentance unto life Faith is the main thing in Conversion Christ is the same in himself both before and after Conversion So are all Gospel-truths the same in themselves only then we did not believe them and now we do It is Faith makes all the difference and the principal thing in Faith is the power of God in working it How doth Paul admire the goodness of God to him that he should obtain Mercy and believe in Jesus Lord saith he What wilt thou have me to do He never called him Lord before The High Priest was his Lord and Master before from whom he received his orders what to do against the Saints Now he is Sick of that imployment he lays down his Commission at the feet of Christ and desires he would give him instructions what to do None should be his Lord None should now command him but Christ Lord what wilt thou have me to do The beginning of Faith and Conversion lyes in looking unto Christ for Power to believe And our first Faith usually breaks out in an Outcry to God to help our unbebelief All true Converts are sensible of this they in Acts 7. 47. How did they Praise God for their Conversion They ascribe it all to him I say our first Faith in the Lord Jesus comes in with a sense of God's Power in working it and Faith is known to be the gift of God by those who have it They who begin their Faith in the strength of their own Reason thinking to take in such considerations of God and Christ and to draw such arguments from Scripture as can induce them to believe will find themselves mistaken I am persuaded the doubts and fears of many Believers have their rise from hence That they did not begin their Faith in such an humble dependance upon God for strength to believe they did not I say do this as they should And it appears that that is the cause of their fears because nothing but such a dependance upon Christ for Grace does cure them When once they have learned the right way of believing and trusting in Christ they enter into rest there is an end of all their fears There are Promises in Scripture made unto Faith and there are Promises made of Faith These so far as we may be concerned in them seem to be made to Believers quite void of Faith Though to Unbelievers remaining in unbelief nothing is promised yet all things are promised to Unbelievers going out by Faith unto Jesus Christ Or if you will I had rather express it thus These promises of our first faith of the first Grace of giving the Spirit and the like they are made to Christ in the behalf of Unbelievers such who were from Eternity ordained unto Life so many of them whose Names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life The Covenant of Grace made between God and us doth respect the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and the Son This first Faith is wrought in us in such a manner that we are sensible of the Divine Power and Efficacy of God's Grace in working it Though God doth lead out our Souls into rational considerations of Himself and his Son yet we find that these considerations do flow into our Minds from an inward Revelation made of Christ. We do know that such thoughts of God and Christ could never have come into our minds if the Holy Ghost had not suggested them In his Light we see Light and our coming to Christ is always by the Father's drawing CHAP. II. More Particularly How Christ is in us by Faith How Faith brings Christ into the Soul Or how Christ conveys himself into our hearts through Faith And also How we may discern this in our selves THis is the Point and a Point of greatest concernment it is unto us all And therefore I beseech you follow me with your strictest Attention First That Christ may be in us it is necessary that he should be first outwardly proposed unto us There is an outward Light of the letter proposing Christ to us and there is an inward Light of the Spirit revealing Christ in us It is one thing to speak Notionally from the outward Light of the Letter another thing to speak Experimentally from an inward Light of the thing it self in our own Souls Besides the outward Light of the Word there is in every true Believer an inward Light flowing through the Word from the Object or thing spoken of The Spirit reveals Christ the Object and so making us Light in the Lord in his Light we see Light As we cannot see the Sun but by its own Light so neither can we see Christ but in his own Light By Faith we go unto Christ by Faith we go into Christ and we sit down in his Light entertaining our selves with Spiritual Contemplations of his Glory I say that Christ presents himself to us in a Gospel Promise as our God and Saviour He offers himself to us as such and by offering himself or under that proposal he doth act as a Gracious
God towards us Here lyes the Converting point the effectual working of the Word when together with the outward proposal Christ lets forth some Virtue from himself to draw in the Heart unto him When God owns us for his Children who were not his Children before yet his Adoption makes us Children that is the time of our effectual Calling When under the outward Preaching of the Gospel Christ doth so powerfully impress his own first act of Love upon us in dying for us that we cannot but be sensible of it His Love is shed abroad in our hearts we are overcome by it we cannot but call him Father who by calling us Children hath made us so letting in at the same time the Spirit of the Son into our hearts God's owning us for his Children is a sufficient proof that he is our Father we cannot but call him so ever after Zec. 13. 9. Thus Christ makes himself inwardly known to us by giving us Faith in himself for there is no other way of knowing Christ but by believing Sense and Reason cannot bring Christ into the Soul but Faith can giving that account of him from the Word that is fully satisfactory How Glorious is Christ in the Eye of Faith How is a believing Soul taken with him as the Fairest of Ten thousand And this is the first step according to the Method of the Holy Ghost that God takes in bringing Christ into the Soul Secondly Christ is let into the Soul by an appropriating act of Faith by which we do take him into our hearts as our Jesus Every Believer saith for himself the Lord Jesus my Righteousness and my Life and my Salvation my God and my Lord The Soul knows this by that sense that Faith gives of that act by which we do receive him I say by that sense that Faith gives of that appropriating act by which we do receive Christ as our Jesus Those who understand themselves in an act of believing know it to be so Saving Faith so far as it reaches is all evidence it carries conviction along with it of those Truths which we believe Heb. 11. 1. I told you the last time How Faith doth Spiritually draw in the object upon which it acts into every believing Soul Faith is in us Christ is in our Faith as the object of it always in the view and eye of Faith Faith hath nothing else to act upon for Justification but Christ held forth in the Word Now Faith takes Christ out of the Word into the Heart And this I would a little open to you for here lyes the Mystery of your Faith this is the critical Act of Faith I say thus Faith takes in the Promise and in and with the Promise Christ himself who is wrapt up in it Faith takes in the Promise and in and with the Promise the Mercy it self that is Promised Our Title to and Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ it doth arise out of this Act of Faith By this Act of Faith all is compleated both on God's part and our part that may confirm our Title to Christ. God hath past his word in the Promise Faith lays hold upon that Promise receives Christ from the hand of the Father as his Gift hath it from God's own Mouth that Christ is ours and Faith doth so interpret the Promise of God to the Soul by a particular application of it unto us by Name which gives us that security of mind about our real Interest in Christ that we do no longer doubt of it We are under a sense of the greatness of the Gift of the free Grace of the Donor of our Propriety and Interest in so great a Gift and all this by our actual receiving the Promise and in and with the Promise Christ himself promised Faith draws both into the heart together Christ and the Promise and Faith keeps them together it is impossible to have and to hold one without the other A Promise of Christ is Christ to a Believer Faith takes hold of Christ in and by the Promise Faith carries in the Promise as well as Christ into the Soul To prevent all after challenges The Devil is ready to question our Interest in Christ How came you by Christ By Peace And Pardon What have you to shew that Christ is yours Then the Soul holds up a Promise Here is the offer that God hath made of Christ to me saith a Believer and what should hinder my acceptance of it I have accepted it and I will keep my hold on this Promise It is the Word of God to me who cannot lye and what have you Satan to say against this Thus by resisting the Devil we make him fly from us And this Armour of Light doth so dazzle the Eyes of the Prince of darkness that he is not able to stand before it Many complain that Christ is not theirs but they do not consider that it is long of themselves because they don't receive him To as many as received him to them he gives power to become the Childreu of Cod. You will never be able to apprehend your self to be a Child of God till you receive Christ do that and you will quickly find the Spirit witnessing with your spirit that you are a true Child of God Thirdly We always have in this appropriating act of Faith by which we take Christ into our Souls a respect and reference to Christ without us to him as actually Incarnate according to the Word and personally Glorified now in Heaven yet Spiritually present in us I speak this against a late Generation of Men who speak so much of the Light within them and would seem to understand the same that we do by Christ in us though it is evident they put a mere natural Principle for Christ it is not the Person of Christ as God-Man who dyed at Jerusalem and is now Glorified in Heaven and in our Nature in Heaven it is not this Christ whom they rely upon but a Principle of Light in themselves which they call Christ a mere imaginary Christ. If our Faith doth not terminate upon the Person of Christ without us and fix distinctly upon him observing what was done in by and upon his Person as Dying for us Rising Ascending up to Heaven continually making Intercession there for us I say if our Faith doth not begin with the Person of Christ and end in the Person of Christ we may be mistaken in all our seeming Spiritual apprehensions of Christ. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of a real Person of the second Person in the Trinity who is very God and very Man To talk of the Spirit of Christ without any relation and reference to the Divine Person of Christ is mere Enthusiasm and overthrows the foundation of Christian Religion When the Scriptures speak of Christ as dwelling in us it still refers to the Person of Christ to what was really done and acted by and upon that Person Rom. 8. 11. His Spirit dwells
is really in us we must needs be in him there is a mutual in-being in each other John 17. 21. That they may be all one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they may be one in us This is meant not of a Personal but of a Mystical Union a Spiritual Union Christ letting in the Virtue the Power of his Resurrection upon us Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. so purging our hearts from corruption and redeeming us from our vain conversation Secondly Christ must be in us because Christ hath much to do within us He hath a kingdom to set up Luke 17. 21. Many strong holds of Satan to pull down the strong man to cast out many lusts and corruptions to mortifie many Graces to raise up and strengthen He sanctifies us throughout not only in Body but in Mind and Spirit and therefore he must deal inwardly with us He takes away an heart of stone and gives an heart of flesh and this is inward work The Spirit of Christ strives with our Spirits about this deals with the hearts of men to turn them unto himself Many Checks many Calls many Pangs many Throws before Christ be formed in us Gal. 2. 19. He is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter Rom. 2. 29. This inward man is renewed and strengthned day by day by Christ living in us Gal. 2. 20. comp with 2 Cor. 4. 16. Tho Christ hath done much without us in dying for us yet if he did not come into us by his Spirit we should be little the better for all he hath done without us Christ is a Saviour out of us by his Merit and in us by the Virtue and Efficacy of his Spirit He makes a powerful entrance at our first Conversion he creates new Principles by which he works further and further upon the heart till he hath reduced it to perfect conformity to himself Now here may come in a Query Possibly some may say Could not Christ have done all within us What need he do any thing without us Might he not come and live in us without dying for us Might he not enter in the Soul and sanctifie us though he had not first suffered outwardly for us I answer No 1. Because the Justice of God had been then unsatisfied God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were all unsatisfied They could have nothing to do with fallen Man in a way of Mercy till Satisfaction was made to Divine Justice 2. Supposing such a Sanctification man must be damned notwithstanding for his former sins Now no man will be at the pains to wash and cleanse a Vessel that must presently be broken in pieces and thrown away What Christ did in Person in our Nature without us that he doth Spiritually in our Hearts As he suffered on the Cross for us truly so he suffers much in us and by us meets with much opposition from in-dwelling Corruption The Fight of Faith is great and long even to our lives end our Warfare is not accomplished till then Tho Christ hath satisfied the Law and Justice of God in dying for us yet the same power must be put forth to make us believe this as in raising up Christ from the dead Christ meets with a Legal Conscience in every man that will not readily admit of the Grace of God till it be over-powered by the Spirit of Christ and sprinkled with his Blood It is a mighty work of Divine Power to bring over a trembling convinced sinner to trust in Christ for the Pardon of all his Sins There are many carnal Reasonings against this many thoughts and imaginations that do with a great deal of confidence exalt themselves against the Mystery of God's Grace in Christ. Now all these Thoughts must be brought into Captivity to the Obedience of Christ And this is a mighty work of Divine Power like levelling of Mountains and breaking Rocks asunder giving hearts of Flesh that may take in Impressions of God's Love to us in Christ and thankfully accept of Eternal Life as the Free Gift of God When it pleases God to open the wonderful Mysteries of his Grace to us by shining into our hearts he doth at last fully convince us of that which we could never believe before Were there more of this inward Religion among us more of the Power and Efficacy of the Gospel experienced in the hearts of Professors the savour of it would be much stronger in our lives Christ within makes every thing in the Soul bow down before him Let us not then keep at a distance from Christ but gather up nearer and nearer to him by Faith till we are united and joined to the Lord in one Spirit and then the Power of Christ will rest upon us 2 Cor. 12. 11. We shall be strengthned with might in our inward man Eph. 3. 16 17. It must needs be so if Christ be in us How strong is the Devil in the hearts of Wicked Men How doth he rage and rule in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. Let Satan enter into Iudas what bold Attempts doth he make upon his Master How ready to betray him Thus when the Devil is in men how mad are they How doth he hurry them on to all manner of Wickedness till Christ who is stronger than this strong man enters in and binds him casting him forth Matt. 12. 25. Unconverted men act like so many mad-men the Devil is in them Satan reigns in them and it will never be otherwise till Christ comes into them The Power of Satan's Kingdom is founded in the Darkness of our Minds and when one beam of Saving Gospel-Light shines in upon us we are turned from the Power of Satan unto God the whole Soul is subjected to him every rebellious Thought is captivated to the Obedience of Christ. Till we feel Christ thus living in us we know not where we are nor what our state is If Christ be not in you I am sure you are not in Christ and what the sad consequence of that is you may see Ephes. 2. 12. At that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise without God in the world having no Hope But Christ in us is our Hope of Glory CHAP. III. I Shall now draw both Parts of the Text into one Doctrinal Observation which is plainly this That Christ in us is our Hope of Glory or Christ dwelling in our hearts by Faith now is the only sure ground and foundation of our Hope of Glory hereafter And therefore 1 Tim. 1. 1. Christ is called our Hope Why he is so called and how our Hope is grounded upon him I am now to shew 1. From the Nature of Faith by which we receive Christ. And 2. From the Object of Faith Christ received or Christ in us I shall shew you How Faith by receiving
Holiness inclines him to hate Sin and his Justice to punish it And till these Two Attributes of God be for us there is no Hope of Glory Christ by taking our Nature put himself into a capacity of suffering for us He took not on him the Nature of Angels this is some ground of Hope to Man and having drawn his heart to believe in him rely upon him it is a sure sign he intends good unto him Christ being become Man he doth through our own nature convey himself to us in the most intimate familiar manner that can be His Spirit enters into us passes through all the Faculties of our Souls leaving a Spiritual Inclination in them all towards God which by degrees prevails over all the sinful inclinations of our corrupt natures making us at last perfectly conformable to the Son of God and this is our Sanctification Christ in us demonstrates the Love of God to us sheds it abroad in our hearts by his Spirit We hope for little from those who have no kindness for us no love to us But the love of God most eminently appears to us in Christ Ephes. 2. 4. God having given us his Son how shall he not with him give us all things There is ground enough for Hope Faith having Christ raises our Hope for every thing else If Christ be ours all is ours Thirdly Christ hath given us a famous Instance in himself of the full actual accomplishment of his whole Undertaking for us which I find insisted upon in Scripture as an Encouragement to Believers Saith the Apostle Heb. 2. 9. There are many Promises and Prophesies not yet come to pass many things we do not see fulfilled But do we see nothing fulfilled Ay saith he we see Jesus entred into Glory that is enough for us so 1 Pet. 1. 21. saith he God hath raised up Christ from the dead and given him Glory to what end pray That your Faith and Hope might be in God Believers by virtue of their Union to Christ their Head and Representative they are in Heaven already made to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Ephes. 2. 6. All is already fulfilled in Christ that you hope for You hope for full pardon of Sin full sense of Comfort full sense of your Justification you hope for thorough Mortification of your Sin perfect Sanctification you hope for full deliverance from all afflictions for a Resurrection from the Grave you hope to ascend up to Heaven to be Glorified there All this is past upon Christ already he hath finished Transgression as to what concerns the business of our sins Christ hath finished it he hath finished Transgression and brought in Everlasting Righteousness It is not a thing to be done but already actually done he hath finished Transgression Sin when finished brings forth death saith James this is the perfection of Sin in the utmost extent of its fatal Energy and Efficacy when it is finished it brings forth Death But Christ's finishing Sin was to prevent Death the dispatching it out of the World He by finishing Sin utterly abolished Death and Sin too by the infinite Merit of his precious Blood Christ's finishing Transgression was the blotting it out the undoing and reversing of all that Evil that Sin had brought upon us that it might not be able to bring down a Curse upon us any more The consideration of this famous instance is a wonderful support to our Faith Let me tell you this that a bare word of Promise concerning things to be done for us by God without this famous instance of their being done and actually accomplished in the Man Christ Jesus would not have been such a confirmation of our Faith tho in it self it ought to be yet through our weakness and infirmity it would not have been such a convincing confirmation as now it is in conjunction with this undeniable instance It strengthens the very Word of God and helps us with more confidence to settle upon it There is nothing we hope for but the Man Christ Jesus is already possessed of he is Risen he is Ascended he is sate down at the right Hand of God upon his Throne he is Glorified in our Nature and what is done to man may be done again So that Christ is the most rational ground of a Christians Hope that can be Fourthly Christ hath not only given us a famous instance in himself of the coming to pass of all that is promised to us but in the Fourth place he gives us present earnest of all this in our selves We have the first fruits the earnest of the spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1. 22. We are sealed by the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 1. 13 14. They who are so sealed do walk in the comfort of the Holy-Ghost Acts 9. 31. as well they may under so great an Assurance of Glory hereafter Some Rays of this Glory do shine in upon the hearts of Believers here A spirit of glory rests upon them now 1 Pet. 4. 14. Now from these Beginnings we may hope for all that is to follow Our Light is come and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon us in some measure already and is continually rising higher and higher towards a Noon-day Light which is our perfect day Thus we are transformed now from Glory to Glory Believers find it so in themselves And therefore experience should beget Hope Rom. 5. 4. And then Lastly Lest Death should dash all our Hopes Christ hath assured us of a Glorious Resurrection If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. Christ hath taken off this Objection that we might not be in bondage through fear of death Heb. 2. 16. It is evident he hath power to raise the dead as he hath raised himself from the Grave They deny matter of Fact who deny the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 13. If there be no resurrection then Christ is not risen but that is matter of fact he is risen we know it Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep in the Grave The first begotten of the dead Rev. 1. 5. The first who rose from the dead Acts 26. 23. He is the first-born from the dead Col. 1. 18. And he will change our vile body that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. See what ground there is for your Hope of Glory from the Resurrection of Christ. That which is sown in dishonour shall be raised in glory 1 Cor. 15. 43. This still maintains your Hope of Glory Therefore my beloved brethren saith Paul be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know your labour is not in vain in the Lord v. 58. Were there no Resurrection all the pains we take in Religion would be labour in vain but we know our labour is not in vain Thus you see how Christ in us is our Hope
of Glory because Christ without us is now personally in Heaven And if since his Ascension and Glorification he is pleased to descend down into us by his Spirit and dwell in us this is a sure sign he intends to bring us to the same place of Glory with himself Christ was to bring many sons to glory Heb. 2. 7. And he sends his Spirit as an earnest to assure us of this The Spirit never quite leaves that soul into whom he once comes He abides with us for ever John 14. 16. He comes to take possession for Christ he enters in in his name he sets his mark upon the Soul casts out the Devil seals up the Soul for Christ Thou art mine saith the Spirit of Christ The Spirit it self bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Saints are sensible of this and do give themselves unto the Lord As Christ gives himself unto the Saints so they give themselves unto the Lord. My beloved is mine and I am his they do mutually own each other And this is the happy day of our Espousals we are married unto the Lord and he is become an husband to us and ever after we dwell comfortably together in Love Brethren If we set our minds to know these things the Spirit will shew us out of the Word what Christ is now doing for us in Heaven That he is gone to prepare a place for us John 14. 2. To make intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. He is entred in for us as a forerunner Heb. 6. 20. that we may follow after He will come again and receive us to himself John 14. 3. We shall partake of his glory Joh. 17. 22. We shall sit down with him on his Throne Rev. 3. 21. These are good grounds of Hope we should seriously weigh and consider these things we should ponder them well in our hearts Some apply themselves with great earnestness to outward Duties of Religion Others they study the Controversial part and rest in an Orthodox Judgment in the bare knowledge of the Truth And may be neither the one nor the other do attend to the acting of their Faith upon Christ which only brings down Religion to our selves engages our Hearts and Consciences in it And I am sure till then let our Profession and Knowledge be what it will we are not real Christians in the sight of God Christ is not in us of a truth I see many Professors wrapt up close in their several Forms crying Lo here and Lo there each one contending for his own Opinion pleasing themselves with their different ways and methods of outward Devotion Here they rest and are no further concerned in Religion than to join to such or such a Party going under such or such a Name We may see many Professorts of all sorts and forms walking softly to Hell talking of Christ all the way they go This is Truth This is Gospel This is the Protestant Religion This and that is a good Sermon And yet it is visible that the most important Truths of the Gospel have not that weight with them as they should They do not carry on the grand design of their Profession They don't live and walk as if they really believed what they so solemnly profess This is the Charge I have against the Professors of this Age I am afraid of them I am afraid of you I am afraid of my self Let every one examine himself If you know these things happy are ye if you do them Let us either resolve to live up to our Christian Principles or lay aside that Name to live by which we deceive both our selves and others Let us lay aside all Hope of Salvation by Christ or study Christ more who is the only sure Ground and Foundation of our Hope of Glory CHAP. IV. THAT I may take occasion to look a little further into the Text I shall put this Query from the running of the Words as they lye before us Christ in us our Hope of Glory The Query is this If Christ be in us can we hope for any thing more If Christ be ours all is ours How then can Christ in us beget Hope of any thing further Is there any thing more than Christ Can Christ be nearer to us than to be within us Is any thing beyond Christ Any thing more desirable than Christ One would think that Christ in us should compleat our Fruition and not lead out our Souls to a Hope and Expectation of something else This is the Query I answer We must distinguish between the Spiritual and Personal Presence of Christ Christ is present with us in Spirit here but he will be personally present with us in Glory hereafter It is a great deal more or as the Apostle speaks far better for us to be with Christ that is with his Glorified Person than for Christ to be in us now by his Spirit This is in order to that to fit us for himself and to make us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light All is ours if Christ be ours All ours How Not in hand not in full possession but only in Hope in the account and reckoning of Faith all is made over and secured to us our Title is firm and good to the whole Inheritance and all that God hath promised but still the Inheritance is reserved 1 Pet. 1. 4. We are not yet entred into it are not yet invested with all that belongs to us God hath begun a good work here which he will not finish till the Resurrection Our Grace lies in the Spiritual Presence of Christ in us here our Glory lies in the Personal Presence of Christ with us in Heaven hereafter We must speak of these things as men and you must bear with our infirmity and with the weakness of our expression I beseech you consider what I am now saying The Glorified Person of Christ will not bear that which the Spirit of Christ bears now in the Saints The Spirit comes to sanctifie us comes where Sin is and casts it out Tho the Spirit never mingles with our Sins yet the Spirit will hold Communion with those in whom Sin dwells which the Glorified Person of Christ will not No unclean thing shall enter Heaven We must not think to come so near to the Person of Christ till we are perfectly sanctified We must be without spot or blemish or wrinkle or any such thing before we can have immediate Fellowship with the Father and the Son in Glory The Presence of the Spirit now tho it be an inward intimate Presence yet it is but a mediate Presence through the Word through Gospel-Ordinances But the mutual Presence of God and the Saints with each other in Heaven is an immediate Presence face to face We had need have no spot upon our face then but be throughly washed and cleansed that no filth may be found in our skirts Christ hath espoused us now by his Spirit to
himself here under all our Infirmities And he sends his Spirit to put a Beauty and a Comeliness upon us to adorn the Bride to clothe her with beautiful garments against the day of his coming that she may be fit to stand in the Presence of the Bridegroom as the king's daughter all glorious within and without too then being perfectly sanctified both in Body Mind and Spirit The Spirit of Christ gives us access now into the Grace of God but nothing but the glorified Person of Christ can gives us access into the Glory of God Come ye blessed All are admitted into Heaven by the glorified Person of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Christ acting now through the Word in the Absence of the Person of Christ prepares us for his coming keeps us waiting for that blessed day Rev. 22. 17. The spirit and the bride say Come The spirit saith so in the Word saith so in the hearts of the Saints that is makes them to say so The whole Church and every particular Member saith the same thing for himself Amen so come Lord Jesus come quickly If Believers were asked one by one Whether they desire the Coming of their Lord they would all agree with John and say Amen so come Lord Jesus they care not how soon Come quickly They are all of a mind in that thing The earnest longings of every gracious Soul after Christ are from the Spirit of Christ breathing in Believers kindling and keeping up strong desires in them after Christ They retain these desires in their Spirits after death The Souls under the Altar cry out How long Lord holy and true c. Rev. 6. 9 10. We are still to conceive of the Spirit as the Spirit of Christ. It is Christ in us shedding abroad his Love in our hearts uniting them to himself He will see we shall not forget him therefore he dwells in us by his Spirit to keep up love in our hearts to his Person And is not this a good ground of hope That Christ and Saints shall have a joyful meeting ere long who do thus continually remember each other The heart of Christ is towards them and their hearts are towards him They are joined together in one spirit now The Glory of the Saints lies in beholding the Glorified Person of Christ because in him they see the Human Nature so highly dignified and exalted in the Divine Person of Christ. They see the express Image of God in Christ shining out in the brightness of Glory They see the Image of Christ in themselves shining out in the Perfection of Grace When he shall appear they shall be like him which is their Glory Thus Christ dwelling in us now by his Spirit raises our Souls to the Hope of this Glory in the Text. The Application contains a Threefold Exhortation 1. That you would be persuaded to examine and prove your Hopes Whether they be well grounded yea or no. 2. If you find them otherwise not sufficiently grounded upon Christ that you would be persuaded to throw away those vain Hopes to lay them aside And 3. That you would earnestly labour every one of you to come under the Power of this true Christian Hope in the Text and then you will know where you are I begin with the First Let us examine and prove our Hope to be well-grounded upon Christ within us 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you of a truth except ye be Reprobates that is such who dying in that state God will reject at the last day We should do all we can to secure our Hopes lest our Crown be taken from us Hope rises out of Faith yet we must not so take it upon trust as not to be able to give a Reason of it 1 Pet 3. 15. Hope without Faith is Presumption Hope without Faith is without a Reason a foolish Hope Till we are justified by Faith we can have no Hope but we lye under all the damning Circumstances of our sins exposed to the Wrath and Vengeance of God To be without Christ implies all misery Then we have no hope Eph. 2. 12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life nor shall ever see life 1 John 5. 12. We should not rest till we know this because it may be known The Spirit is given us to this very end 1 John 3 24. To shew us that we are in Christ and Christ in us John 14. 20 21. Such a manifestation of Christ to us is a great Argument of his love to us ver 21. The Spirit doth testifie of Christ John 15. 26. Besides it is a Glory to Christ to make him our Hope of Glory We render him great in the eyes of men when we look upon him as one who makes us great The generality of men know nothing of Christ but what the Faith and Hope of Christians speak him to be They understand the Language of your Hope who have none themselves How mean thoughts soever they have of Christ yet they cannot but look upon him as one greatly admired by others whose expectations from him are so high Ambition is natural to men all would have Glory tho few take the right way to obtain it The present satisfaction men take in sins may be great yet their Hopes of any future good from them are very small When they give themselves time to think they are usually surprized with some fear of the ill consequence of their sins they are under some secret bodings of some evil that will follow Let them ask their Consciences if it be not so Therefore that you may have more solid grounds of Future Blessedness search for Christ within you rest not till you feel the quicking Influences of his Divine Power and Spirit in your selves till you feel Christ living in you It is one thing to walk as men another thing to walk as Christians in the Spirit of Christ. Did we pray more to the Father to reveal his Son in us form Christ in us make us Partakers of the Divine Nature waiting for the coming down of the Spirit upon us we should be endued with Power from on High we should know what it is to do all things in the strength of Christ to have all our Works wrought in God What it is to act supernaturally which every Christian should aim at experimentally to know what it is to act supernaturally They who do so will know that they do so They cannot be well ignorant of that which is so new so much another thing from all that is Natural They are lifted up above themselves they are carried away by the Spirit of God and they may know that they are in that Spirit every such appearance of God in the Soul is a manifestation of the Spirit not only to others but more especially to our selves The Spirit bears Witness that the Spirit is truth The Spirit witnesseth with and to
there we may sing as prisoners of hope Zech. 9. 12. It is an helmet to receive all Blows securing the head from hurt Ephes. 6. 17. It is an anchor to keep the Soul steady in a tempestuous season Heb. 6. 19. Great is the patience of Hope 1 Thes. 1. 3. It bespeaks a troubled Soul as Psal. 42. Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God There is little comfort for a Christian in this world if the hope of eternal life be cut off 1 Cor. 15. 19. First The usual Effects of this Hope when it is in any other Power are these 1. Hope of Glory and an earnest expectation of the coming of Christ are joyned together and indeed they are almost the same Waiting for his Coming looking for and hastning to the Coming of the Day of the Lord Christ was called the hope of Israel Acts 28. 20. Because our Fathers looked for his first Coming and so he is now called the Hope of Glory because the Saints do so earnestly look for his second Coming 1 Cor. 17. 2 Pet. 3. 12. 2. This Hope and Prayer go together The Schools tell us that Petitio is Interpretativa spei we cannot better express our Hopes than by wishing Praying and earnest breathing after what we Hope for Would you know whether you shall enter into Glory and be Eternally Saved If you have the Spirit of Prayer you will certainly be Saved But mistake not the gift of Prayer which may be nothing but words for the grace of Prayer that lies in the inward earnestness of the heart sometimes in Groans that are unutterable If you can pray inwardly in the frame of your Hearts with Fervency and Affection in the Name of Christ this is Praying in the Holy Ghost let your words be never so few and your expressions never so broken and imperfect if the desire of your Souls be after Christ it is laid down as an infallible Mark of your title to Heaven Gal. 4. 6 7. Because you are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Wherefore we are no more servants but Sons and if sons then heirs of God through Christ. The Spirit of Prayer is a convincing Evidence to those that have it or else the Spirit of God would miss of his end if he did not assure us by that assuring act which is put forth for that very purpose Therefore be much in Prayer If you are not in that measure of lively Hope as you would be much in Prayer for Hope Saints can't but Pray much under Hope Hope invites to Prayer and disposes to it if it be but to tell God what we Hope for which we cannot do but under some present renewed Acts of Hope which possibly we may not perceive in our selves Yet however Pray under all your despondencies for Hope that God would raise it and kindle it in you Though you pray but faintly weakly through fear and diffidence yet pray on God usually comes in with strengthning Grace in the time of Prayer He saith to the fearful Soul Fear not there is a sudden reviving a shedding abroad of the Love of God in our hearts by the Holy Ghost We may be under dismal apprehensions of of the Wrath of God in the beginning of Prayer and yet conclude with rejoying and triumphing in his Grace towards us There are many instances of this in the Psalms Faith if it be right knows not how to conclude a Prayer till it hath taken some hold of Christ for relief we cannot say Amen till then we cannot come to the conclusion till then and then the Soul rises up in a comfortable frame under some Hope of Mercy Thus Hope is raised nourished and increased in us by earnest fervent Prayer 3. Hope of Glory and Mortification of Sin go together He that hath this hope saith the Apostle purifies himself as God is pure 1 Joh. 1. 3. Every Sin in any measure Mortified brings on a further degree of Glory upon us and leaves a deeper impression of the Image of God upon the Soul you resemble him more which brings you nearer to your Heavenly State when you shall be exactly like him 4. Hope of Glory and Chearfulness under all outward Afflictions go together 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. We faint not because of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory You should always hold fast the rejoycing of your hope firm unto the end Heb. 3. 6. Gird up the loyns of your mind be sober and hope unto the End for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 13. We are often assaulted by Temptations outward Afflictions and inward Desertions are ready to sink our hope We say sometimes as the Church did Lament 3. 18. My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Our hopes seems to be plucked up even by the roots as a tree that is removed Job 19. 10. yet revives again and springs up as God turns his face towards us filling us with joy and peace in believing then we abound in hope tbrough the power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. Directions how to get under the Power of this Cristian Hope for a Power it hath and it is nothing to us till we come under that Power 1. Labour to understand your Hopes What it is you look for from Christ how great the inheritance is A Minor under Age who is born to a great Estate is little affected with it till he comes to know what he is Heir to what Houses Mannors and Lordships belong to him then he counts himself rich indeed The Apostle prays for this Ephes. 1. 17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him The eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the Glory of his inheritance in the Saints Did you know what a rich Glorious Inheritance is reserved for you this would mightily raise quicken strengthen your Hope You would count your Hope something then and rejoyce more in it That is the First Direction Labour to understand your Hopes Read over the Inventory of God's Gifts bequeathed to you in the Covenant of Grace till you can say This is mine and that is mine and all is mine through Christ. 2. Call over former experiences What God hath already done for you Experience begets Hope as in Jacob Gen. 32. 10 11 12. With my staff did I come over this Jordan and now I am become two Bands Lord I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies deliver me from the hand of my Brother Esau Thou that hast done such great things for me go on and deliver me Be not afraid of present danger but remember what the Lord hath done for you suppress
13. that believe in the Name of the Son of God that you may know that ye have eternal life John wrote this Epistle purposely to satisfie weak Believers that whatsoever they thought of themselves they had Eternal Life and he would have them know as much Put then the Trial of your state upon this very point Whether you have Christ and in him Eternal Life Do you make good the former and we who are Ministers of the Gospel may by the Blessing of God undertake to prove the latter to your great Comfort and Satisfaction These things have I written to you that believe that you may know you have eternal life Then Believers themselves stand in need of such Writings and Sermons as may help to open the Mysteries of Christ to them and to this end is a Gospel-Ministry appointed to make manifest a savour of his knowledg in every place 2 Cor. 2. 14 15. We are a sweet savour of Christ unto God in them that perish under our ministry saith he We must seek to please God in our Preaching and not men whatever the issue be Men have no savour don't savour such Sermons and Gospel-Discourses that do lead them into the Mysteries of the Gospel they are for a more Rational way of Preaching they love Moral Preaching but this Mystical Mysterious Preaching of Christ and Faith in him and Union to him this they count foolishness they don't savour it but saith he we are a sweet savour of Christ to God even in them that perish 2. The Spirit doth not only teach us to know Christ in us but confirms us in that knowledge by an after-Testimony bearing witness with our spirits that so it is This fixes and settles our minds in a firm persuasion of the Truth Had we no other witness but our own Spirits we should vary and fluctuate in our minds about these great Points of the Gospel we should be of one mind to day and of another to morrow Reason is not always consistent with it self varies in its apprehensions of things argues pro and con according to the different appearance of things the different Impressions that contrary Reasonings make upon our unstable minds I say all these things make Reason very uncertain Fancy and Imagination are very uncertain and variable and do strongly influence mens understandings It is hard to know whether Sense or Reason do lead us but the Testimony of the Spirit of God is a more uniform Testimony doth never vary from it self always passes the same Judgment about the same point It is not yea and nay it doth not say and unsay but stands to the first judgment it is purposely given to testifie of Christ and of the infallible consequents of our Faith in him which must needs beget Hope The oftner we appeal to this witness and hear the Testimony of the Spirit in our hearts concerning Christ the more are we confirmed in our Faith and Hope They who are full of the Holy Ghost they are full of Faith and Hope When we have found out Christ within us we should appeal to the Spirit of God Whether it be not so indeed Whether Christ be not in us of a Truth None knows the Son but the Father and it is by his Spirit he reveals him in us Ask the Spirit then Whether this be the Christ of God which your Faith hath taken hold of and brought into your Soul to Live Rule and Reign there Did we live in more Communion with the Holy Ghost we could not be so much estranged from the Life of Christ we should not be so unacquainted with Christ. No man can say That Jesus is the Lord but by the Spirit Say what you will of Christ you understand not what you say till the Spirit reveal him in you There is no thinking talking no meditating on Christ in our own Light and Strength if the Holy Ghost doth not help us Believers have a sense of this that God hath taught them and shined into their hearts it is in his Light they see Light and have a true Spiritual Discerning of the Mystery of God in Christ. You know in the first days of the Gospel the Spirit bore witness unto the Divine Person of Christ That he came from God and was God for the world could believe neither John 15. 26 27. comp with Acts 5. 32. It was the great business of the Spirit I say to testifie to the world That Christ was sent of God and that he was very God This the Holy Ghost did by many signs and wonderful effects of the Divine Power of Christ wrought through Faith in his Name And so ever since the same Spirit breathing in the Consciences of Believers doth testifie of Christ in them with that Evidence and Power that they cannot withstand they are convinced and satisfied That Salvation is only by him and that relying upon him their Souls are secured to all Eternity This begets Peace in their before affrightned Consciences If you ask how doth the Holy Ghost bring over the Mind of a man to be so fully persuaded of the truth of that which Flesh and Blood cannot reveal unto him I Answer The Holy Ghost doth this as a Spirit of Power Luk. 24. 49. Christ is said to Teach us as one having Authority There is Power and Authority as well as Teaching Reasoning and Objective light I say the Spirit acts as a Spirit of Power impressing a sense of God's Love so upon our Hearts that we cannot but count upon it rejoyce in it feeling it shed abroad into our Hearts The Testimony of the Spirit is a convincing undeniable Evidence able to persuade of the truth of that he bears witness to against all surmises of Flesh and Blood Were not the Spirit of Christ a Spirit of Power it would be impossible he should ever establish such a a Doctrine so contrary to all the sentiments of Nature and to all rational Inferences men can make from any principles of Reason The Spirit comes as a Spirit of Power will have the Heart open will bring over Man to assent though it be to what his Understanding cannot reach and this the Spirit of God doth by particular Application of the Blood of Christ to us by Name so revealing Christ in us that we cannot but feel the Virtue of his Blood in our Conscience cannot but know him and own him as our Jesus In all Hope there is a peculiar Application of Promises to our selves He that believes hath eternal Life John 3. 36. Is not only persuaded there is such a thing but that he hath it already begun in him and shall be further let into it ere long We shall be like him 1 John 3. 2. We shall be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Tit. 3. 7. For the hope which is laid up for you Col. 1. 5. There is a particular Application to our selves of those things we Hope for It is impossible for a man to Hope and be no
is Let me tell you the wisest among you cannot comprehend God you cannot know him to Perfection but the weakest among you may be made to Believe what you can't Comprehend If there be any Atheists or Scepticks here who either deny or doubt of the Being of a God let them be persuaded for once to make trial of Christ to cast themselves upon the Infinite Almighty Incomprehensible God held forth by Christ in the Gospel We stand in need of that which none can do for us but an Infinite God let us not then be startled when we hear of such a God but get under the shadow of the Almighty as fast as we can then we shall count our selves safe to Eternity We may as soon comprehend the Trinity of Persons as the Infinite Essence of God both are alike incomprehensible Three finite Persons have each of them an Essence numerically different from each other but the Three Persons in the Trinity have but one and the same numerical Essence of the Godhead among them all else there would not be One only God but as many Gods as Persons From what hath been said it appears that God in Christ is the true God God indeed Which is the first thing implyed in a saving-knowledge of God The second is this viz. CHAP. V. God in Christ the ONLY True God 2. WHat it is to know him as the only true God They know not God aright who do not know that there is and can be but One only God none like him this takes us off from all Idolatry and directs our Worship to the true object of all Divine Worship This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17. 3. The Lord our God is one Lord Deut. 6. 4. I even I am he and there is no God with me i. e. none besides me none equal to me Deut. 32. 39. Who is God save the Lord Who is a rock save our God Psal. 18. 31. We are strictly commanded to have no other gods before him Exod. 20. 3. Because there is none other God but one To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him 1 Cor. 8. 4 6. There is one God and one Mediator 1 Tim. 2. 5. To Worship many gods as the Heathens did is to Blaspheme them all to ascribe Impotency and Insufficiency to them one hand is too weak where many are required there can be but one infinite Supreme God What we ascribe to other gods we detract from the true God we are commanded to Love God with all our hearts soul and strength Luke 10. 27. If all be due unto one God What remains for any other We never truly rely upon God when we put confidence in any thing else He only is my rock and my salvation my soul wait thou upon God Psal. 62. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal. 77. 25. God is one there is none like him therefore to be worshiped with a peculiar singular Worship appropriated to him only which for the height and spirituality of it belongs to him and to none else he will not give his Glory to another There is a Glory belonging to God that is truly Divine that is too much and too great to be ascribed unto any Creature When we come before the Lord if our hearts are not enlarged and extended to a further Degree of Zeal and Fervency deriving some elevation more than ordinary from the greatness and excellency of the object that inflames our Devotions makes us to be otherwise affected towards God than we find our selves to be towards other things we are not under a true sense of the Greatness and Majesty of God neither do we know him as we ought to know him they who know God in Christ do love him more fear him more rejoyce in him more than we do in other things they are carried out in an extraordinary manner towards him from the high apprehensions they have of his glorious Majesty What made the Angels and Elders Rev. 5. 12. ad finem raise their Note so high in that Doxology but because they thought him worthy of the highest Honour more worthy than all Creatures in Heaven or Earth So Rev. 4. 8. ad finem There is that in God that calls for the highest Adoration and Worship Thou art worthy i. e. It is most decent fit and convenient to pay this just Reveretce to the great God 'T is highly rational the worth and excellency of the Object calls for it 't is injustice towards God to rob him of his Glory by not rendring to him the Praises due unto his Name How was Paul affected with the consideration of God in Christ Jesus 1. Tim. 1. 17. We shall be apt to come in a slight common Spirit to the worship of God till we apprehend it to be a special peculiar Service of a higher Nature requiring more intenseness of Spirit more zeal and ardency of Affection then we exert and put forth upon any other occasion because we have to do with God who is above all If your Hearts are not now fixed upon God wholly taken up with serious thoughts of God Trembling at his Word You do not behave your selves wisely in the House of God This one only true God is known by this distinguishing Character as the Father of Jesus Christ to be convinced of the truth of a Deity and of the Mystery of Christ's Incarnation holding forth this God unto us are the Two points upon which all our Religion hangs every Gospel-truth hath relation to both these depending upon 'em and naturally flowing from them Since we all profess our selves to be Worshippers of God it highly concerns us to know that true God and that this God is but one even he who hath appeared in Christ Jesus To Worship God out of Christ is to Woiship as the Heathens do in plain English 't is to Worship the Devil 1 Cor. 10. 20. The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to devils and not to God I would not you should have fellowship with devils I am afraid there is a great deal of Heathenish Worship among us the Devil carries away all that Worship that is not directed to God in Christ. There is no other medium of Worship but Christ 't is not the intention of Worshipping the True God in or by an Image that will justifie Image-worship from being down-right Idolatry We may be mistaken in Worshipping one God if that prove a False one Nay if we intend the True God yet as represented by that which by nature is no God Gal. 4. 8. 't is a false object of Worship All Creatures but the Devil do pay a Worship to something which they call God he only is a constant Blasphemer though he be no Atheist yet
Promise so he becomes our God he makes a Covenant with us in Christ to be our God that for his sake he will freely pardon our sins and receive us into a state of Grace and Favour again thus God offers himself in the Covenant to be our God But an outward tender of grace if not closed in with and accepted is but a bare offer not a gift till we receive it when God intends to give grace he secretly joyns with the outward call speaks himself to the heart and inclines us to receive it herein lyes the difference between an outward and an inward effectual Call An effectual Call is that which hath its effect upon the Soul makes us answer to the call and obey it we are called to come to Christ and when we actually come then is the Call effectual and not before when God offered himself to Abraham it was with a purpose not to be refused and therefore he inclined the heart of Abraham to believe You may live long under an outward Call and not be effectually called i. e. not called with such a Call as God gives his Elect at thir Conversion many are called but few chosen i. e. few called with such a Call as God gives his Elect. We cannot be sure of our Election till we are thus effectually called To be frequent Hearers of the word calling us to Christ and yet find no inclinations in our hearts to come to him is a sign that God hath not yet spoken to us himself Ministers have but God hath not yet by his Spirit set home his word upon our hearts The inclinations of the Soul towards Christ that arise from an effectually Call are very strong they put the Soul upon coming to Christ urge us to it every day there is something writ upon the heart whch he that runs may read Conscience is reading over that inward Writing every day to the Soul calls for a speedy answer why is not this done that God requires that God has left upon record in thy heart Why so backward why so slow of heart to believe Arise arise away to Christ as fast as you can run for your life to the City of refuge that God has appointed They who know what an inward Call is cannot resist it an awakened Conscience is in hast will have the business dispatched out of hand nothing can stop that man who is effectually called O that every one here present were under such a Call this day God is able to give it and I am sure none of you are able to resist it Christ is offered to us in the New Covenant as our Peace-maker and Mediator therefore called the covenant of the people Isa. 42. 6. the sure foundation of it Isa. 26. 16. The Covenant made with Abraham is said to be confirmed of God in Christ before his Incarnation Gal. 3. 17. This Covenant was made between the Father and the Son from Eternity Isa. 42. 6. Tit. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 9. The first outward declaration or revelation of it was in time Gen. 3. 15. The actual application of this Grace to our selves is when we first Believe We enter into Covenant by Faith we set our seal to the truth of the Promise and receive that right that Christ Believed on gives to Eternal life Faith it self gives no right to Salvation unto us but what it first receives from Christ we have nothing to do with the promise till we are in Christ by Faith Eph. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 32. Faith discerns the Grace and Love of God to us in Christ and accepts of the offer of life upon Gospel terms which the Soul could never be brought to till Faith came Who has believed the report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been reveal'd i. e. to beget Faith which wins over a Sinner to Christ We should be much in the first direct acts of Faith coming to Christ casting our selves on Christ relying on Christ these direct acts of Faith often repeated will sooner clear up our Interest in Christ than our judging by marks signs effects and fruits which can give no clearer Evidence of their truth than Faith does of its truth in a real closing with Christ in an absolute Promise this is the first act of Saving Grace antecedent to all qualifications in us or conditions performed by us this alters our State They understand not the Gospel who keep off from Christ for want of such and such qualifications which Christ expects not we should bring to him but derive from him an humble sense of our vileness and unworthiness is qualification enough for a Sinner to come to Christ and cast himself upon him When God has once said he will be our God he is ever after minding us of that speaking it over again and again upon all occasions Isa. 43. 1 2 3. c. Isa. 41. 10. Heb. 8. 11 12. I will and they shall God undertakes both parts of the Covenant The Covenant in the first initial Grace of it must be first executed on God's part towards us before it can be executed on our part towards God God begins with us doth his part first and that enables us to do our part i. e. we cannot give up our selves to him to be his people till he has writ his Laws in our Hearts and put his Spirit within us thereby declaring himself to be our God and strongly inclining us to give up our selves to him as his People God first enters into Covenant with us brings us under the bond of it and then governs us ever after by the Grace of that Covenant freely conferred upon us There may be conditions in the Covenant that speak out the order of it what is first and what follows upon it according to the method of the All-wise God in bringing hom-Sinners to Christ But I do not conceive there are any conditions previously required in us in order to our first entring into Covenant God takes whom he will into Covenant and leaves out whom he will 't is not of him that wills nor of him that runs but of God that shews Mercy 't is a Covenant of Free Grace consisting of absolute Promises what God will do our doing comes afterwards as a fruit and effect of God's work in us That which is done by us in the virtue and power of that which is first done in us by God must be ascribed to him and not to our selves Turn thou me and I shall be turned God gives the first turn before we can perceive any such thing as Conversion in our selves God lays in the principle and then draws us in the Power of it after himself The Terms of the Covenant may be outwardly propounded to many who never enter into Covenant with God nor God with them the Covenant is never executed in them and towards them though it be often preacht to them How often would I have gathered you and you would not Mat. 23. 37. When the word of
God's grace comes to us we either receive it or put it from us and 't will be no joy of heart to us in a dying Hour to think how often we have refused our own Mercies offered to us which nothing but our final unbelief can hinder us of you who do not now believe know assuredly that you will never believe 'till God turn your hearts and he then begins to turn them when he puts you upon seeking earnestly to him for it as that which none can do besides I wish this sign of Conversion were more apparent in us all how diligently should we wait upon God for converting Grace in the use of means the reason why many receive so little benefit from the word is because they expect so little from it they do not come with raised expectations of a powerful Revelation of the Arm of God upon their hearts you that do have I doubt not seen and felt the mighty works of God upon your Souls Faith begins at the promises is raised from thence and ever after waits for the performance of them it shall be done according to your Faith Some think they must bring Faith to the Covenant as a preparatory Qualification for all the Grace that is there promised whereas we must come to the Covenant for our first Faith and fetch it thence the Spirit by the outward proposal of the Covenant kindles Faith in us by which we cast our selves upon the free Grace of God in Christ We have nothing to believe till then Do this and then look for the Law written in your hearts for the Spirit of God and all the fruits of the Spirit in your repentance Love Obedience and holy walking with God all Graces flow from the Covenant of Grace Pray that God will give you a heart to assent to and close with Christ upon the terms of the Covenant and then see if all be not made good to you God will do much for the Glory of his Grace but he will do nothing to nourish your Pride and Conceitedness of your selves and your own righteousness seek all from Grace and you have all but if you go about to establish your own righteousness you will never attain unto righteousness if you seek it not by Faith Rom. 9. 32. 3. How come we to discern God to be our God in Christ or what is there in Christ that makes out this unto us 1. Christ as Man does own God to be his God and the God of all who are in him My Father and your Father my God and your God John 20. 17. God is not only the God of Christ Personal but of Christ Mystical his Head both ways 1 Cor. 11. 3. When we are one in Christ then the God of Christ is our God we cannot since the fall have an Interest in God but through a Mediator he is the great Peace maker 't is Christ makes God to be ours who otherwise would be against us not for us God is in Christ reconciling the World unto himself As Christ owns God to be his God so God the Father owns Christ incarnate as his wellbelovedSon and the same love he beareth to him he beareth to all his Members John 17. 23 26. We can have no immediate Knowledg of God in his own Divine Essence So he is perfectly known only to himself all that concerns us to know of him he has revealed in Christ Without a personal knowledge of God in Christ we cannot act our Faith upon him nor have any real Communion with him Notions are not Persons or Subsistencies but Mental Conceptions neither can we apply our selves to those Speculations if we know not the Person to whom they belong all Divine Attributes relate to their proper Subject nay more all Divine Attributes are of the essence of God they are God himself neither do our thoughts of Omnipotency Allsufficiency c. signify any thing to our relief unless we know him who is all this we cannot know Omnipotency to be God himself unless we see it acted and expressed by him who is God 't is a hard matter to prove the reality of that which was never acted and 't is impossible to know that such Attributes have been exerted unless we know by whom None of the idol gods were ever able to act over any one of the essential Attributes of God by the help of the Devil they pretended something that way but it was a mere pretence easily disproved by any considering man strictly examining either their Predictions of future Events or their feigned Miracles which were all mere Delusions false and groundless Christ out-did them all he did the works of God indeed and for his work-sake ought to be believed to be God indeed 2. In Christ we see God's Wrath appeased his Justice satisfied for all our Offences all causes of Enmity between God and us are taken away by Christ Eph. 2. 13 14. The body of sin destroyed Rom. 6. 6. We Crucified to the World Gal. 6. 14. The Image of God restored his Law writ in our hearts 3. The Spirit of Christ dwelling in us tells us so teaches us to cry Abba Father As no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. So none can say that God is their God but by the Holy Ghost By the Spirit of Christ which is the Spirit of God Rom. 8. 9. When God himself tells you by his own Spirit that he is your God he makes you to understand what he says and to see how happy you are in having God for your God Till we come to some sense of this we lose the comfort of our Religion it has little Influence upon us whence does the power of godliness arise but from the power of God who is the Author of true Religion and puts that power into it that belongs to true godliness take away the relation that is between Godliness and God and you quite destroy the power of godliness Religion is a weak thing if it be not maintained and supported by the authority and power of God himself 4. We see that of God in Jesus Christ that makes us fall down and Worship him as our God crying out with Thomas John 20. 28. My Lord and my God When we look upon Christ with an eye of Faith we do with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. God causes his glory to pass before us le ts out some beams of his Divine Majesty that we may know him to be the Lord such Manifestations of God to the Soul through Christ have I hope fallen under your own experience many a time and that you are not now without such a sight of God in Christ as does create in you a holy Reverence towards him a holy trembling at his word if you receive it as the word of God of your God it must have this effect upon you any thing from our God that bears his
Name comes with authority commands a due respect from us Since we are redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 19. Justified by his Blood saved from Wrath through him reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 9 10. We may conclude from all that has passed between God and Christ concerning our Salvation that God is our God Christ has made him so When we know who is our God what he will be unto us and do for us we may enter into rest for ever rejoycing in his Salvation Two things prove God to be ours 1. His giving himself to us in a Promise 2. Our receiving him in that Promise by Faith which holds him fast will not let him go neither will God wrest himself out of the hand of our Faith for that would be to recede from his own Promise to deny himself no he will approve himself to be every way ours taking a universal Care of us and providing eternally for us causing his fulness to flow in upon our Souls more and more every day Jer. 17. 8. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters that spreadeth her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green nor shall cease from yeilding fruit CHAP. VII Some further Evidences of God's being OVR God 1. LOOK into your own hearts for this see what impressions of his Love and Fear you can find there what measure of the Spirit of his Son breathing in you examine prove your own selves that you may know whether Christ be in you of a truth he who has God for his God his heart is much set upon Christ who has brought this about and by a Spirit of Adoption made it known to us that God is our Father the Spirit does not tell us this only by an external Declaration of it in the word but by an internal operation or breathing in our hearts as the Spirit of the Son inclining us to go to God as Children of our Heavenly Father We know God to be our Father by a Divine Instinct the spirit of the Son leads us naturally to our Heavenly Father the Spirit of the Son knows no other Father but God and God acts as a Father towards all in whom he sees the Spirit of his Son when we are joyned to the Lord in one Spirit we stand in the same relation to God the Father as Christ our elder Brother does then it is I and the children which thou hast given me Heb. 2. 13. All Children of the same Father I the first born and these my Brethren Being partakers of the Divine Nature that Nature tells us who is our Heavenly Father we need not say with Philip shew us the Father we shall see the Father in the Son and move towards him in the Spirit of the Son feeling in our selves such childlike affections towards God as will make us call him Father We must be clear in the actings of our Faith upon Christ before we can apprehend God to be our Father still remembring that it 's the Father of Christ who is our Father 2. By that inward satisfaction and rest we find in our selves under this new Covenant-relation to God he that believes doth enter into rest Heb. 4. 3. Soul take thine ease a Child of God may truly say so upon our believing in Christ there is a secret shedding abroad of that love of God in the Soul when we turn to God God turns about to us looks pleasingly upon us we tast and see that God is gracious this is the sinners welcome into a state of Grace he sees it much better with him than before 3. By the confidence we put in him for help and comfort in all our times of need The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want Psalm 23. 1. We see that in God that answers all our fears do we want strength the Lord is our strength would a rock or fortress stand us in any stead God is both would a Buckler a high Tower the Lord is all this to a Believer and Faith understands as much Psal. 18. 1 2. And therefore is confident in God knows that every Promise will be established God will act like a God towards us like a God to Israel as 1 Chron. 17 24 25. We may safely trust in him Dan. 3. 17. Our God is the God of Salvation Psal. 68. 20. Isa. 41. 10. We should apply to him for help upon all occasions Isa. 8. 19. And let others have a care of medling with the people of God to their hurt Jer. 2. 3. All that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. They are sensible how God stands engaged to them and they to God God promises to do great things for them and they promise to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes Deut. 26. 16. ad finem Not to do this is to deny God Josh. 24. 27. You say he is your God don't unsay it again by your wilful Disobedience When God owns any for his people he makes them to own him for their God he works answerable Dispositions in their hearts towards himself as he avouches them to be his people so they avouch him to be their God Hos. 2. 23. I will say i. e. I will make them my people Dei dicere est efficere our saying is to believe and obey when we disobey God we disown him we set up something else for our God we say unto God Depart from us Job 21. 14 15. 4. By his appearing for us against all our sworn Enemies as he did for Israel of old bringing them out of Egypt with a Mighty hand when things come to extremities between God and his People he will then save them because he is their God Psalm 3. 7. For his own name sake Isa. 43. 25. David knew the strength of the Argument Psal. 119. 94. Though God may severely Chastise his people yet he will not take away his Loving kindness utterly from them he will not make an utter end of them God cannot do this Hos. 11. 8. 5. By our zealous appearing for God upon all occasions The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10. 29. The people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits Dan. 11. 32. 6. The Apostle Phil. 3. 3. when he would prove himself and the Philippians to be the peculiar people of God to belong to him indeed he gives Three Signs of it viz. Worship God in the spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus have no confidence in the flesh They who say God is their God from a true saving Knowledg of God in Christ they believe there is no other God that he is the only true God Who is God save the Lord who is a rock save our God Psal. 18. 31. Above all gods 2 Chron. 2. 5. And him only will they serve Mat. 4. 10. He is their guide unto death Psal. 48. 14. They
manifest by the Scriptures Rom. 16. 25 26. That no man knows this but by a Scripture-light appears by these Texts Act. 2. 37. Men and brethren what shall we do They knew not what to do Sirs what must I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. and 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit When we were yet without strength and could do nothing to help our selves in due time Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. This outward revelation in the letter of the Scripture 3. Obs. of God's intended Grace towards Sinners is little regarded by the generality of men they cast the Word of God behind their backs and count the Doctrine of the Cross foolishness There are Two Causes of this 1. They are not convinced of their lost Estate Rev. 3. 17. The whole need not a physician Mat. 9. 12. 2. When they are convinced I mean when they are under the highest degree of Conviction that a natural man is capable of yet they can't reach the mystery of the Gospel 't is foolishness to them nay the more they are Convinced of the sinfulness of sin the further they see into the horrid nature of it the more improbable nay impossible does it seem to them that ever their sins should be pardoned 'T is an easier matter to convince them of sin than it is under that Conviction to perswade them to believe in Christ for the pardon of sin there is something in Nature that helps forward the Conviction of sin natural Conscience joyns with the Law to accuse for sin but there is nothing in Nature that does any way promote our belief of the Gospel the first is a common work of the Spirit this latter a special saving work Therefore 4. Obs. Besides the written word which God has put into every man's hand who lives under the outward light of the Gospel God ordained and appointed Ministers to go up and down as his Embassadors to beseech and intreat sinners to be reconciled unto God and put them in mind of what is written in the Word to exhort them to read it to hear it to consider seriously of it God sends his Ministers to discourse them to expostulate the case with them so unwilling is God that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and live If any object Why may not the written word suffice without the Ministry to bring men to the knowledge of Salvation I answer All cannot read therefore they must be spoken to and instructed by Preaching Besides 'T is not for us to prescribe unto God what means he should use to fit us for Heaven he hath appointed this Ordinance of Preaching It preased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1. 21. Therefore let it not displease us Besides should God speak to us immediately in his own voice we should not be able to bear it as they Deut. 5. 25 26 27. Therefore he speaks in our voice and language to us that he may more secretly and silently convey himself to our hearts by the ministry of man speaking in his Name and uttering his words which are capable of more of the Spirit of God than our hearts can well bear the Word of God and the Spirit of God do perfectly agree but it is not so between the Spirit of God and our hearts the Spirit enters not without opposition therefore to avoid all clamour abroad and noise in the streets God chuses this more soft easie way by putting his power into the word preached by man so making it effectual to what degree he pleases Thus God gets within us ere we are aware his word spoken by man comes home to our hearts with power in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit shewing us the way of Salvation Having thus led you to the Text by these things that are impli'd in it and must be first supposed in order to a right understanding of the words read to you which I shall now speak more directly to 1. As relating to John's Ministry in particular The words of the Text are part of that Prophecy which Zacharias uttered when he was filled with the Holy-Ghost vers 67. Concerning Christ and concerning John he begins with Christ great things he speaks of him lays open the whole mystery of the Gospel and of the Churches Salvation by Christ. Then in the same breath continuing his Discourse he makes a sudden Transition and directs his Speech to the Infant John then present as I suppose And thou child shalt be called and here is a description of his Person and thou child And of his Office shalt be called a Prophet of the highest John was to teach them the way of Salvation to tell them the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand and to call them to Faith and Repentance in order to the remission of sin The time of John's Ministry was a middle state between the Law and Gospel between Moses and Christ he is preferred before all the Prophets Mat. 11. 11. And yet as to clearness of light inferior to the Apostles and Gospel-Ministers in the renewed state of the Church though he knew more than all that were before him yet he saw less than they who came after him This John is the voice of one crying in the wilderness exhorting the people to believe on him that should come after him Acts 19. 4. Christ as Man was six Months younger than John came a little after into the world and a little after him into the Ministry it was meet it should be so John being his fore-runner a Messenger sent before to prepare the way Mark begins his Gospel from the Ministry of John because then the Judaical worship began to cease The Law and the Prophets were until John Luk. 16. 16. i. e. All the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John Mat. 11. 13. They spoke of the Messiah to come John shews he is already come in the flesh points to him Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world John 1. 29. Therefore John's Ministry is called the beginning in the Gospel of Jesus Christ Mark 1. 1. This Gospel-Administration we are now under began in John the Baptist who brought that New-Testament Ordinance of Baptism into the Church Thus much of that which peculiarly relates to John I am now come to that which relates 2. To a Gospel Ministry in general and shall shew you from this Text what it is what you are to expect from it what you should aim at in your attendance upon it which is briefly this viz. The knowledge of Salvation for the remission of sin this is that which we are sent to teach and which you come hither to learn if you propose to your selves any other end than his you are not like
witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son and with a pure conscience 2 Tim. 1. 3. void of offence towards God Acts 24. 16. In simplicity and godly sincerity 2 Cor. 1. 12. When with our minds we serve the law of God Rom. 7. 25. God is a Spirit and will be Worshipped in spirit and truth You have reason to enure your selves to this Spiritual worship because ere long you will be all Spirit when you have laid down these earthly tabernacles I mean it is the will of God that the Souls of men should after death live a while out of the body in a separate state till the Resurrection conversing with an innumerable company of Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect Though Believers now are Spiritually joined to the general Assembly of the First-born and in the apprehensions of their Faith do rejoyce in that relation they stand in to the Church-triumphant yet after death they will have actual communion with those blessed Spirits above though we cannot so clearly apprehend what this happy Paradisical state is after death yet those who are spiritually minded conceive so much of it by Faith as makes them long to be dissolved and to be with Christ they grow weary of all earthly converses waiting till their change comes that they may enter into rest from all their Labours and from that hard travel of Soul which they cannot be freed from till their warfare be fully accomplish'd then they put off their Armour as more than Conquerors and sit down in an everlasting Peace with palms in their hands and crowns upon their heads triumphing in the Grace of Christ to all Eternity Could we look through the dark Entry of the Grace into Eternity lifting up our heads within the Vail we should see a Glorious Light that would dazzle our eyes we should have a stronger taste of the powers of the world to come The wiser sort of Heathens were not without some thoughts of a future happy estate they did praesentire in posterum They had some bodings in their minds of some great good or evil that should befal them after death What a shame is it for Christians to be so little affected with the future eternal state of their Immortal Souls Believers while they are in this world are joyned to the Lord in one Spirit i. e. in one spiritual body or in the same spiritual nature with Christ Heb. 2. 11. We live the life of Christ the Head and the Members being acted by the same Spirit Christians have not every one a diverse spirit as every man hath a divers Soul numerically distinct from the Soul of another man but as all Members of the Body have the same Soul though each of them divers operations Rom. 12. 4. so we have all of us one and the same Spirit though the operations of it be divers 1 Cor. 12. 4 13. Therefore if there be any fellowship of the Spirit let us glorifie God in our bodies and in our spirits which are God's CHRIST The ONLY MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT HEB. XII 24. And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant BEfore I speak to the Words of the Text I shall premise Two Things 1. Compare the Covenant of Grace with the Covenant of Works shewing in what they agree and in what they differ 2. Compare the New Covenant with the Mount Sinai-Covenant CHAP. I. Christ the ONLY Mediator c. FIRST I shall Compare the Covenant of Works with the Covenant of Grace in sundry particulars 1. The Covenant of Grace frees a Sinner from two things which by the Covenant of Works are in force against him 1. From the Curse 2. From perfect Obedience as a Condition of life to be performed by man himself My meaning is That the Covenant of Grace does not take away the Condition of perfect obedience but only the Performance of it by us It is enough that Christ hath performed it for us by whose Obedience we are made Righteous 2. The Covenant of Grace is so far a friend to the Covenant of Works or rather to the Good Works commanded by that Covenant that it takes in all the moral Duties of that Covenant they are as much our Duty now under the Gospel as they were under the Law and our coming short in any of them is as much our sin now as then we ought as much to strive against it nay which is more than could be expected under the Law we are called to repent of it The Law neither gave Grace to repent neither did it admit of any Repentance You see how little countenance the Covenant of Grace rightly understood gives to Licentiousness how much it promotes Holiness even the perfection of Holiness For when all the Grace of that Covenant is given forth it will issue in Perfection then the Saints will be perfect The reason why under the Gospel imperfect Obedience is accepted is not because the Imperfections of it are approved but because they are pardoned and covered 3. The Covenant of Works shews what man must do to be justified The Covenant of Grace what a justified man ought to do how he should carry himself ever after towards God Holiness of life by the Covenant of Works went before Justification as the procuring meritorious cause of it but according to the Covenant of Grace it is the consequent or effect of Justification 4. The Covenant of Grace in the application of it to us begins in the pardon of sin No Grace reaches us till pardoning Grace begins with us we are under a curse till then concluded or shut up under wrath but pardoning Mercy opens the door for all manner of Mercies to enter in turns the whole stream and course of God's Grace towards us Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven c. Psalm 32. 1. This leads the way to all other blessings 5. In the Covenant of Grace God declares what he will be to us and do for us and also what he will enable us to be to him and to do for his Glory his free Grace undertakes both Parts of the Covenant 6. The Covenant of Grace presupposes full satisfaction made by Christ for all our sins against the Covenant of Works else God would not be just in justifying a Believer Rom. 3. 25 26. 7. The Covenant of Grace finds nothing in man to commed him to God but what it brings along with it To suppose any preparatory qualifications conditions causes or motives to make way for us into the favour of God does quite overthrow the nature of free Grace and take off greatly from the glory of it 1. None can have an interest in the Covenant of Grace or be said in a Gospel sence to be in Covenant in whom the essential parts of the Covenant are not already in some measure fulfilled viz. To have the Law written in their heart to have a right Spirit put into us to own God for our God to delight in
17. The Law was given 430 Years after the promise made to Abraham threatning the sinner not with an intent that the Curse should be executed or the hand-writing against us fulfilled but rather blotted out Col. 2. 14. Is the law then against the promises Gal. 3. 21. 'T is certain the Law as threatning is against the Promises against us and contrary to us as Col. 2. 14. But not so against the Promises as to vacate and abolish them but is rather subservient to them stirring up the sinner to fly to the Promise for a Pardon When the people just after the giving of the Law had grievously sinned in making the Calf and God threatned to consume them Exod. 32. 9 10. Moses does not plead the Mount Sinai Covenant but the Covenant made with Abraham vers 13. So Deut. 9. 27. 2 Kings 13. 23. The condition of the Sinai-Covenant being performed by Christ the New Covenant becomes absolute to us nothing more can be demanded of us in a way of satisfaction for sin Heb. 10. 14. Christ as our Advocate pleads this and that we ought to be discharged from the Curse of the Law All doing for life is over in the New Covenant our Surety has done that and therefore is become the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8. 6. Having made way for our receiving the Promise Heb. 9. 15. This full satisfaction is the main thing we are to believe in order to our Salvation this is the sense of every act of Justifying-Faith to which Salvation is annexed we must mean this in believing or we mean nothing neither do we understand those Scriptures Mark 6. 16. Joh. 3. 16 36. The Obedience of Christ comes instead of our doing for life he is the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. Christ being made of God our Righteousness for Justification it is the will of God that he should by his Spirit sanctifie us and make us inherently holy Our Mediator does not only take away the guilt of sin which legal Sacrifices could not do they only purified the Flesh Heb. 9. 13. but not the Conscience the Blood of Christ only does this v. 14. So the Spirit of Christ by Faith purifies the Heart sanctifies the whole person 1 Thes. 5. 23. since we are come to the Mediator of the New Covenant let us see we don't abuse the free Grace of God Heb. 12. 25. In the New Covenant great Grace is revealed to Believers and great wrath against all Unbelievers Mat. 3. 7 10 12. Isa. 61. 2. vide 3. The necessity of a Mediator between God and Fallen man If one man sin against another the judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him 1 Sam. 2. 25. This necessity appears 1. From God's just anger against us 2. From our inability to appease his wrath I put them both together Adam was the Son of God by Creation Luk. 1. ult but soon alienated himself and all his Posterity from God his Father and Creator neither could we ever become the Children of God again but by Christ John 1. 12. Heb. 2. 10 c. Angels though they need no Redeemer yet they need a Mediator a Head in and through whom they have access to God and communion with him much more does fallen man need a Mediator by whom he may come unto the Father Joh. 14. 6. 'T is impossible to see God any otherwise than through Christ John 1. 18. if any man sin as every man does let him not despair for we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. in whom God is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. We cannot have immediate access to God himself but through a Mediator we may 3. By those terrors of Conscience which we are under when our hearts smite us for any sin accusing us Rom. 2. 15. telling us that God knows all this evil and much more by us 1 John 3. 20. Then whither shall I go from thy spirit whither shall I flee from thy presence Psalm 139. 7. How terrible is God out of Christ to a convinced sinner 4. The dreadful Punishments that are inflicted upon sinners upon the fallen Angels upon the old word many particular instances in former and latter times do render it a very fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. When a guilty sinner has none to speak for him what trembling must needs seize upon him lest God tear him in peices and there be none to deliver him Psal. 50. 22. 5. By the Sacrifices of the Old Testament and also of the Heathens which were designed to pacifie God some means was to be used all the Sacrifices of old appointed by God himself could never expiate sin nor pacifie God but as they pointed to the great Sacrifice in the New Testament Christ is the great Reconciler Col. 1. 20. We come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant to be freed from the curse of the Old and invested in the priviledges of the New The Covenant of Works made at the Creation with Adam in Innocency being broken and the legal Administration of the Mount Sinai-Covenant being faulty and unprofitable Heb. 8. 7 13. Our Father 's not continuing in it God regarded them not Heb. 8. 9. And being thus alienated and enemies in their minds by wicked Works God thus provoked gave up man a child of wrath to be a slave to sin Satan and Death Rom. 1. 28. Heb. 2. 14 15. Yet God so loved the world John 3. 16. Whilst we were yet without strength Rom. 5. 6. when we were sinners v. 8. and enemies v. 10. Then did God reconcile us to himself by the death of his Son entring into a New Covenant with us by appointing Christ to be the Mediator 1 Tim. 2. 5. and Surety of a better Covenant Heb. 7. 22. Heb. 8. 6. so reconciling us to himself 2 Cor. 5. 18. God the Father provided this Mediator John 3. 16. Rom. 3. 25. Isa. 49. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 30. You may see the greatness of the sin and of the Punishment too in the greatness of the Mediator God himself in the person of his Son became our Mediator and Redeemer 6. The Law was ordained in the hand of a Mediator to shew that 't is not in the power of any man since the Fall to satisfie the Law Gal. 3. 19. By the hand of a Mediator we must understand not only Moses but the virtue and power of the great Mediator Christ of whom Moses was a Type Thus you see the necessity of a Mediator Fallen man himself could not deal with God because of sin Angels could not being not of Humane nature and since there is but one God then either the Majesty of Heaven must descend down to us immediately which could not be or else this one God must become our Mediator our Immanuel his Godhead and our humane Nature being joyned together in the Divine Person of the Son The low estate
is the exemplar the Spirit impressing upon us the similitude of that exemplar we become the Children of God I shall open this a little and shew you what influence Christ has into our Adoption God gives the Elect to Christ as his Children as the Heirs of God and joint-Heirs with Christ they lostt-heir Inheritance in the first Adam and recovered it in the second Adam they now stand in the same relation to God in their measure as Christ does I and the children thou hast given me Heb. 2. 13. The Son of God must become the Son of Man that we might be made the Sons of God in him Gal. 4 4 5. Here comes in our Adoption by vertue of our relation to Christ our elder Brother as one with him Gal. 3. 28. All God's Adopted Children are found in his natural Son mystically united to him deriving from him that filial relation which they have to God Al God's Chidren are of one mould of one shape and fashion all conformable to the image of his Son this is the Mark by which they are known and distinguished from others The great enquiry that God makes is What of Christ there is in us what of Christ there is held forth by us God owns none for his Children but such as resemble Christ Christ is the express Image of the Father and Christians are the express Image of Christ. The reason why God the Father is so well pleased with the man Christ is because he sees his own Image in him he sees himself his own essence in Christ not so in the Saints the Image of the Father in Christ and the Image of Christ in the Saints do agree in many things yet they differ in some the Image of Christ in the Saints is not the essence of God for that is incommunicable to any mere Creature but it is a lively resemblance of all the communicable attributes of God in some degree and measure drawn from the very face of Christ upon the faces hearts and lives of all Christians yet still Christ is the original by eternal Generation the Saints are but so many Copies drawn in time from that Original and they are drawn to the life not only in a way of outward resemblance but by a real inward participation of the Life and Spirit of Christ according to their finite capacity As the humane Nature does subsist in the Divine Person of Christ so our humane Persons so far as we are new Creatures do Subsist in Christ in whom we spiritually live move and have our Being as New Creatures the Divine Graces of Christ do subsist in the Saints by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them i. e. They act the same Graces finitely which Christ acts infinitely they receive of his fulness but cannot contain all his fulness they have not a capacity for that they enter into his fulness but all his fulness cannot enter into them 3. Our Adoption is brought about not only by the Father and the Son but also by the Spirit bearing Witness with our spirit to the truth of the Image of Christ drawn upon the Soul inferring from thence our Adoption The same Image bears the same name implies in a measure the same nature and Spirit to be in us that is in Christ puts us into the same relation to God that the Man Christ stands in the names of things would never occur to our memories if the likeness of the object we look upon did not teach us what to call it conveniunt rebus Nomina c. The Spirit witnesses by inward impressins tho no voice be heard and these impressions are always according to the word the Spirit does not speak from himself suggesting any thing to us not contained in the word but of this more hereafter I am now shewing how Adoption is carried on by the Spirit therefore called the Spirit of Adoption because given only to the Adopted and because he bears witness to them of the good Will of God wherewith the Father hath accepted them in the beloved that he might be a Father to them Tho the Spirit works all other saving Graces in us yet because Adoption is the prime and chief work of the Spirit therefore he is called the Spirit of Adoption 2. The manner of it This is clearly set down Gal. 3. 25. ad finem 'T is Faith makes us the Children of God by joyning us to Christ our union to and communion with Christ the natural Son of God is the Foundation of our Adoption Gal. 3. 29. Christ by coming into the World in our Nature made way for our Adoption of which Baptism is the symbol or sign we are Baptized into Christ we put on Christ are incorporated into him by Faith are all one in him Gal. 3. 27 28. If ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise Gal. 3. 29. All Abraham's believing Posterity are blessed in Isaac i. e. in Christ Gal. 3. 16. They are Children and remain in the House of God i. e. in the Church for ever John 8. 35. 3. The time of it 1. From Eternity in the purpose of God This is virtual Adoption Eph. 1. 5. Hence the Elect not yet called are said to be the Children of God John 11. 52. compare with John 10. 16. God intended Adoption in Predestination and in the fulness of time sent Christ to effect it Gal. 4. 4 5. And his Spirit to evidence it Gal. 4. 6. We were Adopted in the purpose of God before we were born this is virtual Adoption 2. At our effectual vocation then actual Adoption begins we receive the first fruits of it here it follows Faith at least as to our sense of it Ephesians 1. 13. 3. At our Glorification then will our Adoption be compleated and perfected in our Bodies and Souls we shall actually enjoy all the Priviledges of it then there will be a clearer manifestation of the Sons of God the glorious Liberty of the Children of God will more fully appear then now it does Rom. 8. 19 21. Hence the Consummation of our Redemption at the last day is called Adoption Rom. 8. 23. 24. But I now speak only of the present fruits of Adoption which the Saints enjoy in this life CHAP. II. Thirdly How it differs from humane Adoption 1. DIVINE Adoption presupposes a Title to the Heavenly Inneritance by Justification John 1. 12. Humane Adoption gives all the Title that a Man otherwise a Stranger to the Blood hath to the Inheritance of him who adopts him 2. Humane Adoption conveys only outward goods to a person does not change his nature but the Father communicates to us the Spirit and likeness of his natural Son Rom. 8. 29. 3. Humane Adoption is for want of a natural Son 't is an act of law imitating nature for the comfort of those who have no Children But Divine Adoption is from the abounding love of God to us making us joint heirs with his well-beloved Son Though God
way fitted for the Office of a Mediator touched with the feeling of our Infirmities in all points tempted as we are Heb. 4. 15. A body hast thou prepared me Heb. 10. 5. i. e. Framed to such a temper that Christ through our nature might best express God's love to man Christ acted over the life of God in man's nature therefore it was necessary that the humane Nature of Christ should be adapted and suited to the Divine Nature which was done three ways viz. First By the perfection of it being free from all contagion of sin by a miraculous conception the Holy Ghost over-shadowing the Virgin Mary and separating humane Nature in the first conception of Christ from original sin that descends down upon it in all who come into the World by natural Generation Secondly By the Hypostatical union of the humane Nature to the Divine in the second Person of the Trinity which eternally secures our humane Nature in Christ from all possibility of the least defection puts it quite out of the power of the Devil any way to corrupt or vitiate it by all his subtil contrivances and temptations by which he did vainly attempt such a thing perfect Nature in the first Adam I don't say could not but did not preserve it self Adam did not fall for want of light and knowledge no he could never have fallen unless he would 't was from the mutability of his Will that he fell but the humane Nature of Christ the second Adam being under the Government of a Divine immutable Will can never fall hence it is that our standing in Christ is secured to eternity Thirdly By the pouring out of the Spirit without measure upon him that so strengthned all his humane Faculties that 't was impossible the Devil should ever impose upon him such an overflowing fulness of the Spirit leaves no room for any carnal impression to be made upon him his humane Nature received such a Divine tincture from the essence of the Godhead so powerfully influencing his Manhood that the Devil found nothing in him to work upon he met with God in every thought in every word in every Action of Christ in every motion and affection of his heart and finding one so much greater than himself continually aiding and strengthning the Man Christ he despairs of Victory and leaves him The Devil was not mistaken in the Nature of the Man Christ which was really humane but he was mistaken in the Person of Christ which was solely Divine such a Person in such a Nature he never thought to meet with that which posed the Devil was the Person of Christ he might know him to be God and yet apply himself to him as Man that he is sure he was he could not conceive how humane Nature could subsist but in a humane Person and as such a Person he set upon him but found it hard to kick against the pricks such a mighty Man he never grapled with before he was so shamefully foyled in this encounter that he never durst look Christ in the face afterwards he came behind him often like a Coward in disguise and by his wicked Instruments annoyed him all he could but durst not send him a second Challenge to fight it out with him once more hand to hand no he had enough of that already now he foams and rages at a distance throws his fiery darts here and there strikes at the Image of Christ in the Saints where ever he sees it but dares not come up to his Person face to face the great thing that the Devil dreads in the second coming of Christ he knows that is the time of his torment Therefore having such a high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens Heb. 8. 1. who is not ashamed to call us Brethren let us not be ashamed to call God Father Christ will bear us out in it the Children of God as such are not known to the World 1 John 3. 1. Have hard usage from the World 2 Cor. 48. 9 10. Yet God knows them is kind to them and tender of them Isa. 54. 11. Behold now we are the sons of God 1 John 3. 2. Now under all our infirmities and afflictions God is with us in the fire and in the water he has a great love to and very high esteem of all his Children since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee Isa. 43. 2 3 4. He will by no means take away his loving kindness utterly from them Psal. 89 32 33. Deut. 8. 5. We are apt to think otherwise Isa. 49. 14. Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me my Lord hath forgotten me We shall be apt to entertain hard thoughts of God upon all occasions if we live not under the daily sense of our Adoption in which we see the Fatherly love of God flowing down so strongly towards us through Christ that we cannot but greatly rejoyce in it THE NECESSITY OF Preaching CHRIST I COR. I. 23 24. But we preach Christ crucified c. THE design of the Apostle here is to vindicate the Doctrine of our Salvation by Christ from all those Aspersions that were cast upon it both by the Jews and Gentiles the Gospel then was as much cry'd down by some as it was cry'd up by others The Apostle tells you who were for it and who were against it he divides all men into two ranks viz. The Called and Uncalled the Converted and Unconverted he tells you that they who were effectually Called and Converted were for the Gospel but the Uncalled and Unconverted were against it and as it was then so it is now Hence note Obs. That all unregenerate Persons whether Jews or Gentiles will have a fling at the Gospel 't is contrary to them and they are as contrary to it they can't reach the Mystery of it and therefore do slight and contemn it but all who are effectually called and savingly enlightned do highly prize it they see much of the Power and Wisdom of God in that excellent contrivance of Man's Salvation by Christ they desire to know nothing but Christ and him Crucified Let us have a care we do not darken the evidence of our Conversion by a Spirit of opposition to the Gospel in the main fundamental points of it I shall do little else in this Exercise but open the terms of the text observing some things by the way But we preach Christ crucified c. He shews the matter and manner of his Preaching in this Chapter what he Preached and how 1. The matter of his Preaching or what he Preached viz. The Gospel v. 17. The Cross v. 18. Or Christ Crucified v. 23. 2. The manner of his Preaching v. 17. Not with Wisdom of words So 1 Cor. 2. 4. vide Vnto the Jews a stumbling-block they were offended at Christ's low mean humble state in the flesh they did not look for any great matter from such