Christ after his Resurrection he was full of the Spirit he was enlivened immediately by the Spirit of God which flowed into him and that supplied the absence of all other things 6. He had an agile body it was in his pleasure to move as well upwards as downwards as it may appear by the ascension of his Body into heaven which was not caused by constrainâ— or by any violent motion but a property agreeing to all bodies glorified Aug. liâ— 22. de Câ—v Dei cap. ult Augustine hath an expression concerning the glorified Saints that they shall move to any place they wâ—ll and assoon as they will they shall move up and down like a thought how much more mâ—y it be said of the Body of Christ 7. He had a glorious body this appeared in his Transfiguration when his face did shine as the Sun Mat. 17.2 and his rayment was white as light but especially after his Resurrection and Ascension Rev. 1.14 15. Phil. 3.21 when his head and his hairs were white like wool as white as snow and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace the glorified bodies of Saints which are fashioned like unto his glorious body are said to shine like stars Dan. 12.3 or like the Sun it self Matth. 13.43 O then how glorious is the Sun of righteousness from whence all those Suns and Stars do borrow their Light It is true that from his Resurrection until his Ascension his body appeared not thus glorious unto them that saw it But whâ—ther his Glory was delaied and he was not possessed of it duâ—ing his forty daies abode upon the earth or whether he so far condescended for his Disciples sake as to keep in his Glory that it might not dazle them and therefore appeared sometimes in the form of a Gardiner John 20.15 John 20.15 and sometimes in the form of a stranger Luke 24 18. Luke 24.18 and sometimes in another form Mark 16.12 Mark 16.12 and sometimes in his own form in the same form wherein he lived before he was crucified John 20.20 27. Joh. 20.20 27 is hard to determine I am apt to think that in some sort he might draw in the beams of his Glory and yet that he was not entred into that sulness of glory as after his Ascension and so some expound those words of Christ to Mary Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father q. d. fix not thy thoughts so much upon my present condition for I am not yet attained to the highest pitch of my exaltation nor shall I until I ascend unto my Father Vse Rom. 1.4 From this Resurrection of Christ how are we informed that Christ is the Son of God Thus Paul speaks he was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead And how are we informed that Christ is Lord over all things that are Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived 1 Cor. 15.20 that he might be Lord both of the dead and living And how are we informed that Christ rose again for us as one that stood instead and room of all the Elect but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that sleep And how are we informed that by his resurrection we are justified Rom. 4.25 1 Pet. 1.5 who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification and that by his resurrection we are regenerate for he hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead And that by his resurrection we are sanctified for as he was raised up from the dead by the glory of his Father Rom. 6.4 even so we also should walk in newness of life and that by his resurrection at the last day we shall be raised Rom. 8.11 for if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies and that by his resurrection finally we shall be saved for after we are raised we shall never die any more but be equal unto the Angels and be the children of God Luke 20.36 as being the children of the resurrection of Christ Thus far the position Christ rose again the third day Now for the proof SECT IV. Of the Arguments of Christ 's Resurrection CHrist after his passion shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs Acts 1.3 And so he had need to perswade men into the faith of so strange a truth if we consult with antiquity or novelty with primitive times or later times never was matter carried on with more scruple and slowness of belief with more doubts and difficulties than was this truth of Christ's resurrection Mary Magdalen saw it first and reported it But they believed her not Mark 16.10 the two Disciples that went to Emmaus they saw it also and reported it but they believed them not Luke 24.37 divers women together saw him and came and told the Disciples but their words seemed to them as idle tales and they believed them not Luke 24.11 They all saw him and even seeing him Yet they believed not for joy but wondred Luke 24.41 When the wonder was over and the rest told it but to one that happened to be absent you know how peremptory he was Not he except he saw in his hands the print of the nails and put his fingers into the print of the nails and thrust his hands into his side he would not believe John 20.25 In after-times the whole world stopt their ears at this report of the resurrection of Christ it was with the Grecians at Athens a very scorn When they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked Acts 17.32 It was with Festus the great Roman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sickness of the brain a plain phrenzy Festus said with a loud voice Paul thou art besides thy self much learning doth make thee mad Acts 28.24 But come we to our own times the resurrection of Christ is to this day as much opposed by Jews and Atheists as any one Article of our Creed And surely we had need to look to it for if Christ be not risen as the Apostle argues then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain 1 Cor. 15.14 If Christ be not risen ye are yet in your sins and they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished 1 Cor. 15.17 18. Of all the precious truths in the Book of God we had need to preserve this truth and to be well skilled in the defending of this truth of the resurrection of Christ Some talk of a tolleration of all Religions and some desire that the Jews may have free commerce amongst us it will then be time as I think to be well armed at this point Let the ordinary Professors of our times
any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his but if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you then he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodyes and I may add your mortal souls by his spirit that dwelleth in you Christs Spirit if Christs resurrection be ours will have the same operation and effect in our souls that it had in his body as it raised up the one so it will raise up the other as it quickened the one so it will quicken the other But the question here will run on how shall we know whether we have received this quickning Spirit many pretend to the Spirit never more than at this day but how may we be assured that the Spirit is ours I answer 1. The Spirit is a Spirit of illumination here is the beginning of his work he begins in light as in the first creation the first-born of God's works was light Gen. 1.3 God said let there be light and there was light so in this new creation the first work is light God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Hence the state of nature is called darkness and the state of grace is called light Ye were sometimes darkness but now ye have light in the Lord. Eph. 5.8 1 Pet. 2.9 And he hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light There is a light in the mind and a light in the heart of those who have the Spirit of Christ there is a speculative and an affective knowledg not only to know the truth but to love it believe it embrace it O my soul wouldst thou know whether Christs Spirit be thine consider and see then whether any of this new light of Jesus Christ hath shined into thy heart take heed deceive not thy self thou mayest have a great deal of wit and knowledg and understanding and yet go to hell this light is a light shining into thy heart this light is a Christ-discovering light this light is a sin-discoverings light this light will cause thee to find out thy hypocrisy deadness dulness in spiritual duties if thou hast not this light thou art near to eternal burnings darkness is one of the properties of hell and without this light inward darkness will to utter darkness where is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth 2. This quickening spirit is a spirit of faith as it reveals Christ so it inclines mens hearts to close with Christ upon those Gospel-terms as he is offered I know there are degrees and measures of faith but the least measure of faith is a desiring panting breathing after the Lord Jesus and no sooner hath the soul received that new light from the spirit of Christ but it is presently at the same instant exceedingly affected with Jesus Christ O it desires Christ above all desires I know not a more undeceiving sign than this read over the whole Bible and where ever there was any soul-saving discoveries there ever followed inward desires soul-longings after Jesus Christ when Paul preached of the resurrection of Christ some there were that mocked jeered and slighted that doctrine but others whose heart the Lord stirred they were exceedingly taken with it saying we will hear thee again of this matter yea this very Sermon so wrought on some that they believed among whom was Dyonysius the Areopagite a woman named Damaris and others with them Acts 17.32 34. and when he preaced another Sermon on the same subject at Antioch the Jews were much offended but the Gentiles were so exceedingly taken with it that they besought Paul that these words the very same resurrection Sermon might be preached to them the next Sabbath day Their very hearts did so long after Christ whom Paul had preached that when the congregation was broken up Acts 13.42 many of the Jews and religious Procelites followed Paul and Barnabas and the next Sabbath day came almost the whole City together to hear the same Sermon O my soul 43. dost thou hear these Sermons of Christs resurrection dost thou hear sweet-Gospel-preaching 44. dost thou hear the free tenders and offers of Christ with all his glory and excellency to poor sinners to vile lost undone souls and art thou no whit taken with them canst thou sleep away such Sermons as these hast thou no heart-risings no stirrings workings longings desires in thy soul O take heed this is a dangerous case but on the contrary if thou sayest in thy heart Oh that I could hear this Sermon again O the sweet vertues of Christs resurrection I had not thought such honey could have dropped out of this rock O the blessed beginnings and springings of grace which I felt in my soul on such a meditation Oh the desire the delight O the longings O the comforts of Christs resurrection O the drawings of the Spirit inclining my heart to receive Jesus Christ to close with him and to rest on him and to give up my self to him why this Spirit of faith doth argue thy title and interest to the quickening spirit of Christ 3. Thy quickening Spirit is a Spirit of sanctification such was the Spirit whereby Christ was raised he was declared mightily to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 according to the Spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead That same Spirit which raised up Jesus Christ was that same divine Spirit which sanctified his humane nature wherein it dwelt and such is that quickening Spirit to all in whom it dwelleth it is a Spirit of holiness and it works holiness changing the heart and turning the bent of it from sin to holiness 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new q. d. When once the believer is by an act of faith passed over unto Christ there goes immediately from the Spirit of Christ into his soul an effectual power which alters and changes the frame of the whole man now he is not the same that he was he is changed in his company in his discourse in his practise he is changed in his nature judgment will affections he is sanctified throughout in soul body and Spirit O my soul try thy self by this sign dost thou find such an inward change wrought in the soul dost thou find the law of God a law of holiness written on thy hearr dost thou find a law within thee contrary to the law of sin commanding with authority that which is holy and good so that thou canst say with the Apostle I delight in the law of God after the inward man Rom. 7.23 25. Rom. 8.1 and with my mind I my self serve the law of God if so surely this is no other but the
say was a saving work of God some one that sate with me in the same seat found much stirings of God Oh what meltings chearings warmings of the spirit had such a one and such a one the Word was to them as hony and as the hony comb but to me iâ— was as dry bread I found no sweet I got no good at all Or you have been often tossing the Bible and you have observed this or that promise but O what in-come hath appeared Surely nothing at all I wonder at Saints that tell of so much sweetness and comfort and ravishing of heart that with joy they should draw water out of these Wells of salvation Whereas I find therein no joy no refreshing at all Ah poor soul thou art in a sad case thou art not yet vivified thou hast not the life of God in thee After vivification thou wilt in the use of Ordinances at least sometimes if not frequently feel the saving in-comes of God In prayer thou wilt feel the spirit breathing in and carrying up thy soul above it self plainly declaring there is another power than thy own which makes thee not only to exceed others but thy self also in hearing of the Word thou wilt see the Windows of heaven set wide open and all manner of spiritual comforts showred down upon thee thou wilt hear the rich treasury of everlasting glory and imortality unlocked and opened so that thou mayst tumble thy self amidst the mountains of heavenly pearls and golden pleasures joyes that no heart can comprehend but that which is weaned from all worldly pleasures As it is written Rom. 10.15 how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things In meditation of the promises or of Divine love thou wilt find meltings quickenings encouragings filling thy heart with gladness and glorying and thy mouth with praises and songs of rejoycings O What fountains of life are the promises to a living man to a soul that is vivified what food what strength what life is a thought of Christ of Heaven and of God's love to a spiritual man whereas all these glorious things of the Gospel are to the natural man but as a withered flower a sealed book a dry and empty cistern he hath no use of them 6. It is a life of another kind or manner Before vivification our life was but death because we our selves were but dead in sin even whilest alive 1 Tim. 5.6 Col 2.13 She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth and you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh But after vivification we live how live a spiritual life Gal. 2.20 Phil. 3.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God an heavenly life for our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ an immortal life Rom. 6.9 11. Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him likewise reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 11.26 You know the meaning of Christ Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye he shall never dye a spiritual death never come under the dominion of sin never totally fall away from grace Rom. 8.10 that incorruptible seed by which he is regenerate shall abide in him for ever If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness the body indeed is subject to corporal death through the remainders of sin but the Spirit it life even that little spark of grace through the most perfect righteousness of Christ imputed is life here and shall be life hereafter even for ever And herein is our vivification answerable to Christ's resurrection like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 raised up to a new life even so we also should walk in the newness of life For the second question how is this conformity or vivification wrought I shall answer only to the state and so our vivification is usually wrought in us in this manner As first in the understanding Secondly in the will First the understanding lets in the verity and truth of what the Gospel hath recorded John 1.4 John 6.35 John 11.25 In him was life and the life was the light of men I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live I am the way John 14.6 1 John 5.11 12. the truth and the life And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 2. This light let in the understanding thence inferreth as to a man 's own self that by the assistance of the Spirit of holiness who raised up Jesus from the dead it 's possible for him to attain this life Eph. 2.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. others have attained it and why not he You hath he quickened who were dead in traspasses and sins here 's a president for a sin-sick soul In time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience this was the state of the Ephesians But were they all no no ye and we also among whom also we had all our conversation in times past But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ that in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Mat. 8.2 9 21. Ezek. 37.4 5. Christ's dealings with some are as flags and patterns of mâ—rcy hung forth to tell and to bring others in whence the understanding infers it 's possible for a dead soul yea for my dead soul to live others have lived and why may not I I discover in those Scriptures even in these presidents a door of hope to my self why Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean yea if I may but touch thy garment I shall be whole if thou wouldst but say O ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord then breath would enter into me and I should live surely if Christ be risen again from the dead there 's no impossibility but I may rise if others have been raised by the vertue of Christ's resurrection why may not I However this may seem to be little or nothing yet considering the soul in a mourning dark disconsolate frame under deep apprehensions of sin guilt and wrath full of
confusions distractions despondences staggering and sinking terrors Mat. 11.28 it will find it something yea it will look on it as a glorious work to discover but the morning Star through so much darkness any thing of life in such a valley and shadow of death 3. The understanding hath yet some brighter believing beams it confidently closeth with this truth that it is the will of the Lord that he should come and live and believe and lay hold on Christ it apprehends the particular designs of mercy to him and doth really principle the soul with this that God doth particularly call invite and bid him come to Christ the Fountain of life for life Now the understanding takes in general Gospel-calls in particular to himself It is my poor languishing soul which the Lord speaks to when he sayes come to me all yea that are weary and I will give you rest Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Surely this is a great work when set home by the Lord that the soul acts in its addresses to Christ in the strength of a particular call from God 2. And now the answer to this call is wrought up in the renewed will as thus 1. The will summons all its confidences and calls them off from every other bottom to bestow them wholly upon Christ and this consists in our voluntary renouncing of all other helps excepting Jesus Christ alone now the soul sayes to Idols Get ye hence Hos 14.3 Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the works of our hands ye are our Gods Ashur shall not save us Not only cannot but shall not save us now as the soul is dissatisfied in Judgment as to the resting on any thing but Christ alone so the heart and will is disaffected to all other helps but Christ alone now it renounceth its own righteousness and worthyness not only because of their inability to save but mainly because their glory is swallowed up in that unmatchable excellency which appears in the way of life and salvation by Jesus Christ It calls home dependance from every other object 2. Hereupon there is a willing and chearfull receiving of Christ and resignation of our selves to his actual dispose to quicken us and save us in his own way A great part of the answer of Faith to the call of Christ lyes in this for as Faith sees life and salvation in the hands of Christ so it considers it to be given forth in the methods of Christ and so believing lyes not only in assent but consent of heart John 1 1â— that Christ shall save us in his own way this is called A receiving of Christ As many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God Many a soul would be saved by Christ that sticks and boggles at his methods they will not pass to happiness by holiness nor set him up as a King and Lord whom they could consent to set up as a Saviour Oh but now Christ that stood at the door and knocked Rev. 3.10 is received in consent hath made up the match and the door is opened that never shall be shut again 3. Upon this follows the souls resting and relying the souls confidence and dependance upon Jesus Christ for life and for salvation this closeth up the whole business of believing unto righteousness those various expressions used in Scripture of committing our way and selves to God of casting our care upon God of rolling our selves on him of trusting in him of hoping in his mercy c. wrapt up faith in this affiance dependance not without some mixture of confidence and resolved resting upon Jesus Christ a clear beholding of God in Christ and of Christ in the promises doth present such variety and fulness of Arguments to bear up hope and affiance that the heart is resolved and so resolved that we commit our selves and give our souls in charge to Christ I know whom I have believed 1 Pet. 4.19 2 Tim. 1.12 and I am perswaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 4. The upshot of all is this that the same close which the soul makes in believing with Jesus Christ as to justification and righteousness is not fruitless to this effect of conveying life and vertue from Jesus Christ as to grace and holiness for that union which then and thereby comes to be enjoyned with Christ is such an union as is fruitful in begetting a quickening power and principle in the heart and this is that which we ordinarily intend by saying saving faith to be operative James 2.16 that faith which brings forth nothing of holiness what is it but a dead faith As the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Justification and sanctification are twins of a birth and hence it is that vivification which is one part of sanctification is wrought in the soul after the self-same manner As first the understanding is illighttened 2. The will is changed 3. All the Affections are renewed 4. The internals being quickened there ensueth the renewing of the body with the outward actions life and conversation And now is fulfilled that saying of Christ in a spiritual sense John 5.25 The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Now is the soul vivified now it begins to live the life of God now it feels the power of Christ's resurrection and is made conformable to it And immediately upon this joy is made in heaven by the Angels Luke 15.24 God himself applauding it For this my Son was dead and is alive he was lost and is found Thus is the state of vivification wrought I know it is not in all men after one manner for every circumstance the methods of God are exceeding various and we cannot limit the holy one of Israel I have sometimes concerning this desired the communication of other thoughts whom I looked upon as such who had more than ordinary communication with Christ's Spirit and from one of such I received this answer I must profess to you I have in all my speculations in divinity found dissatisfaction in the writings of men in nothing more than is the work of clear and distinct conceptions concerning regeneration which yet is of such a Cardinal importance is that the great doors of heaven move upon the hinges of it the Lord enlighten us more for we see but in part and prophesie but in part For the third question what are the means of this conformity or vivification which we must use on our parts I shall answer herein both to the state and growth of our vivification As 1. Wait and Attend upon God in the ministry of the word this is a means whereby Christ ordinarily effecteth
whence all those rivers of living waters flow And therefore saith the Evangelist expresly This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe should receive of what Spirit even of the Holy Ghost which in full measure was not yet given because that Christ was not yet glorified it is the same spirit which believers receive whence all these rivers of living waters flow but those rivers flow not from habital grace nor from any of the graces of the Holy Ghost but from the Holy Ghost himself Again When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth John 16 1â— and he will shew you things to come Now the habits of grace cannot guide or teach or shew a man things to come the habits of grace cannot speak and hear as it is there written He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak This can be no other than the spirit in his own Person this is the Comforter that hears and speaks and guides into all truth and shews us things to come Again The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Besides the grace of the Spirit which is the love of God the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 or the Spirit it self is said to be given unto us And Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit Rom. 8.9 If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Here 's a plain distinction betwixt the new man our being in the Spirit and the Spirit dwelling in us Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ i.e. the same holy Spirit which dwelleth in our head and Saviour Jesus Christ he is none of his But if the spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in you v. 11. he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you This Spirit cannot be meant of habitual grace for habitual grace did not raise up Jesus from the dead no no it was the same Spirit that dwelt in Christ and that dwels in us Again Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 6.19 and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you And know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you now gifts and graces are not properly said to dwell in Temples this belongs rather to persons than qualities and therefore it is meant of the holy Ghost himself Ye are the Temples of the living God surely graces are not the living God 2 Cor. 6.16 But ye are the Temples of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2. The arguments to confirm this are such as these 1. Actions are ascribed to the Holy Ghost as given unto us or dwelling in us Joh. 16.8 13. Rom. 8.15 16 When the spirit is come he will reprove the World of sin And when the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth And yea have received the spirit of adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father And this spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God These actions are usually given to the Holy Ghost I mean to that Holy Ghost which we receive and dwelleth in us it reproves it guides it helps it satisfies it witnesseth now actiones sunt suppositorum actions are of persons and not of qualities habitual grace cannot reprove or guide or teach or help our infirmities these are the actions of the Spirit himself in his own person 2. The spirit it self is the bond of our mistical union with Jesus Christ and therefore it is the Spirit it self that dwelleth in us Look as it is in our body there is head and members yet all are but one natural body because they are animated and quickned by one and the self-same soul so it is in the mistical body Christ is our head and we are his members and yet both of us are but one mystical body by reason of the self-same Spirit dwelling in both And hence it is said that Christ dwelleth in us by his spirit 2 Cor. 13.5 John 6.26 Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except ye be reprobates he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him And I live saith Paul yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me How in me not corporally for in that sense The Heavens must receive him untill the time of the restitution of all things but spiritually according to the testimony of the Apostle Acts 3.21 because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts Gal. 4.6 This is the mystery that should be known among the Gentiles the glorious mystery yea the rich and glorious mystery Col. 1.2 the Apostle gives it all these Epithetes the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ in you the hope of glory 3. As Satan keeps his residence in wicked men working them unto all manner of sin and holding them captive to do his will so the spirit of God coming and thrusting him out of possession dwelleth in us leading us into all truth replenishing us with all graces and enclining us to all holy Obedience There is little question but whilest men remain in the state of infidelity the strong man Satan keeps possession and dwelleth in them though not after a gross and sinsible manner as in Demoniacks yet invisibly and spiritually ruling and reigning in them and making them his slavâ— to do his will and therefore by the same reason when a stronger than he cometh even the good spirit of God he casts him out and takes possession and dwells and reigns and rules in our souls and bodies If the spirit it self dwell not in us then how would there be three that bear witness the Apostle tells us 1 John 5.8 There are three that bear witness in earth or in our hearts the Spirit the water and blood now by water is meant sanctification it is our sanctification that bears witness with us that we are the Children of God and this sanctification consists either in the habit of grace or in the actings of grace if therefore the spirit of Christ in a believer were nothing else but grace then it were all one with the testimony of water but there are three that bear witness there 's the testimony of the spirit of blood and of water not only justification and sanctification which are but two witnesses but the spirit is superadded and that also bears witness in our Consciences that we are the Children of God and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Christians think me not tedious in these proofs these are not speculative notional poynts that tend not to edification but are
not here but risen Mat. 28.6 as they said Come see the place where the Lord lay Others think it was to do their office of duty and service to Christ Jesus to make way for his body to pass out of the grave without any penetration of other Bodies for my part I adhere to these though we need not to exclude the former for the stone might be removed both that Christ might come forth and that the women might be convinc'd that he was risen again But as for the opinion of them who think the stone was not removed till after the resurrection that the body of Christ went through the grave-stone when he rose again it is without all warrant the very order of nature will not permiâ— that one body should pass through another without corruption or alteration of either We say two bodies cannot be together and at once in one proper place no more than one body can be together and at once in an hundred or a thousand places now that Angelical argument is full for this he is not here for he is risen he is not in the grave Mat. 28.6 for he is risen out of the grave he could not be in the grave and out of the grave at one and the same time But I mean not to dwell on controversial Points Mat. 27.52 53. 5. That Christ rose again accompanied with others and the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints wâ—ich slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many It may be the graves were opened when Christ was laid down in his grave yet the spirits came not into the dead bodies till Christ's Resurrection the Text iâ— plain that they came not out of their graves till Christ was raised Christ is the beginning saith the Apostle the first-born from the dead Col. 1.18 how the first-born I answer both in time and efficacy 1. In time he rose to eternal life the first of all men This was the sum of Paul's preaching that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead It is true indeed Acts 26.2 3. that Lazarus and fundry others rose before Christ but they rose to live a mortal life and to die again Christ was the first of all that rose to eternal life never any in the world rose before Christ in this manner 2. In respect of efficacy Christ rose first that by his power all the rest might rise there is in Christ's resurrection a reviving and a quickning vertue and herein is a main difference betwixt the Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of any other man the Resurrection of Abraham availes nothing to the resurrection of Isaâ—c or of Jacob but the resurrection of Christ availes to the resurrection of all that have believed or that shall believe in him is not Christ called a quickning Spirit how then should he but quicken all his members 1 Cor. 15.45 when a man is cast into the Sea and all his body is under water there is nothing to be looked for but present death but if he carry his head above the water there is good hope then of a recovery now Christ is the head unto his Church and therefore he being raised all his members must follow in their time no sooner did Christ arise but many of the bodies of the Saints arose not all that were dead but only some to shew the resurrection of all to come the time for the whole Churches rising being not yet till the great resurrection day It is a question what became of those bodies which now arose Some think they died again but it is more probable that seeing they rose to manifest the quickning vertue of Christ's resurrection that they were also glorified with Christ and as they rose with Christ arising so they ascended up into heaven with Christ ascending 6. That Christ rose again with a true perfect incorruptible powerful spiritual agile and glorious body 1. He had a true body consisting of flesh and blood and bone so he told his Disciples when they supposed him a Spirit Handle me Luke 24.39 and see said he for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have I know this body after his resurrection was comparatively a spiritual body yet for all that he never laid aside the essential properties of a true body as length and breadth and visibility and locality and the like he still keepeth these because they serve to the being of a true body 2. He had a perfect body however he was cut and bored and mangled before his death yet after his resurrection all was perfect Eusebius tells of one of the Children of the Machabees that were put to death for the profession of the Truth and when they cut off his members saies he I have received these from heaven and now I do give them unto the God of heaven and I hope I shall have them again Not a member of Christ was wanting not a bone out of joint but all was perfect 3. He had an incorruptible immortal body To this end saith the Apostle Christ both died and rose and revived and why revived but to shew that he rose never to die again The Apostle is yet more express Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Consonant hereunto is that of Christ I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen Rom. 14.9 Rom. 6.9 Rev. 1.18 And herein the body of Lazarus and the rest whom Christ raised differed from his for after they were raised they died again but Christ died no more 4. He had a powerful body Luther could say of the glorified Saints that they had a power so great as to toss the greatest mountains in the world like a Ball And Anselm hath an expression not much unlike that they have such a power Anselm lib. de simil cap. 52. as they are able to shake the whole earth at their pleasure How much more could Christ cause that great Earth-quake at the rising of his Body O it was powerful 5. He had a spiritual body it needed not to meat drink or refreshings as it did before it is true that the Disciples gave him a piece of a broiled fish Luk. 24.42 43 and of an honey-comb and he took it and did eat before them but this he did only to confirm their faith that he appeared solidly and not imaginarily he Ate out of power and not out of necessity even as the Sun sucks up thâ— water out of power but the earth out of want he Ate not as standing in need of food but to shew the truth of his being risen again as the Saints in heaven neither eat nor drink nor sleep nor have Magistrates nor Ministers but the Spirit of God is all in all to them so it was with
life In some sence then and in a Mystery Christ was a Gardiner but Maries mistake was in supposing him the Gardiner of that only place and not the Gardiner of our souls Souls in desertion are full of mistakes though in their mistakes are sometimes many mysteries 2. Her speech upon her mistake If thou hast born him hence c. we may observe 1. That her words to Christ are not much unlike the answer she gave the Angels only she seems to speak more harsh to Christ than she did to the Angels to them she complains of others They have taken away my Lord but to Christ she speaks as if she would charge him with the fact as if he looked like one that had been a breaker up of graves a carrier away of Corpses out of their place of rest Sir if thou hast born him hence But pardon love as it fears where it needs not so it suspects very often where it hath no cause When love is at a loss he or any that comes but in our way hath done it hath taken him away 2. That something she spoke now to Christ which she had not mentioned to the Angels She said not unto them tell me where he is but reserved that question for himself to answer Come tell me where thou hast laid him q. d. thou art privy to the place and with the action of removing Christ my Lord Oh how she errs and yet how she hits the truth Jesus must tell her what he had done with himself sure it was fittest for his own speech to utter what was only possible for his own power to do 3. That the conclusion of her speech was a meer vant or flourish And I will take him away Alas poor woman she was not able to lift him up there are more than one or two allowed to the carrying of a corps and as for his it had more than an hundred pound weight of myrrhe and other odours upon it sure she had forgotten that women are weak and that she her self was but a woman how was it possible that she should take him away she could not do it well but she would do it though there is no essay too hard for love she exempts no place she esteems no person she speaks without fear she promises without condition she makes no exception as if nothing were impossible that love suggesteth the darkness could not fright her from setting out before day the watch could not fear her from coming to the Tomb where Christ was laid she resolved to break open the seals and to remove the stone far above her strength and now her love being more incensed with the fresh wound of her loss she speaks resolutely I will take him away never considering whether she could or no love is not ruled with reason but with love it neither regards what can be nor what should be but only what it self desireth to do 4. That through all this speech she omits the principal verb she enquires for Jesus but she never names him whom she enquires after She could say to the Angels they have taken away my Lord but now she talks of one under the term of him if thou hast born him hence tell me where thou hast layd him and I will take him away him him him but she never names him or tells who he is this is solaecismus amoris an irregular speech but loves one dialect q.d. who knows not him why all the world is bound to take notice of him he is worthy to be the owner of all thoughts no thought in my conceit can be well bestowed upon any other than him And therefore Sir Gardiner whosoever thou art if thou hast born him hence thou knowest who I mean thou canst not be ignorant of whom I love there is not such another among the sons of men as the psalmist Psal 45.2 he is the fairest among the Children of men or as the Spouse he is the chiefest of ten thousands and therefore tell me some news of him of none but him of him and only of him O tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away A soul sick of love thinks all the world knows her beloved and is therefore bound to tell her where he is the daughters of Jerusalem were very ignorant of Christ Can. 5.9 and yet I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem said the Spouse if ye find my beloved that ye tell him I am sick of love Can. 5.8 Iohn 20.16 2. Christ appears as unknown Jesus saith unto her Mary she turned her self and saith unto him Rabboni which is to say Master Sorrow may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning she that hitherto had sought without finding and wept without comfort and called without answer even to her Christ now appears and at his apparition these passages are betwixt them first he speaks unto her Mary and then she replies unto him Rabboni which is to say Master 1. He speaks unto her Mary it was but a word but O what life what Spirit what quickening and reviving was in the word the voice of Christ is powerful if the Spirit of Christ come alone with the Word it will rouse hearts raise spirits work wonders Ah poor Mary what a case was she in before Christ speak unto her she ran up and down the Garden with O my Lord where have they layd my Lord but no sooner Christ comes and speaks to her by his Spirit and with power but her mind is enlightened her heart is quickened and her soul is revived Observe here the difference betwixt the Word of the Lord and the Lord speaking that word with power and Spirit we find sometimes the hearts of Saints are quickened fed cherished healed comforted in the use of the means and sometimes again they are dead sensless heavy and hardened nay which is more the very same truth which they hear at one time it may be affects them and at another time it doth not the reason is they hear but the Word of the Lord at one time and they hear the Lord himself speaking that word at another time Mary heard the Word of the Lord by an Angel woman why weepest thou but her tears dropped still she heard again the word of the Lord by Christ himself woman why weepest thou and yet she weeps and will not be comforted but now Christ speaks and he speaks with power Mary and at this word her tears are dried up no more tears now unless they be tears for joy and yet again observe the way how you may know and discern the effectual voice of Jesus Christ if it be effectual it usually singles a man out yea though it be generally spoken by a Minister yet the voice of Christ will speak particularly to the very heart of a man with a marvelous kind of Majesty and Glory stampt upon it and shining in it take an humble broken drooping Spirit he hears of the free offer of
obedience and death depends upon Christ's resurrection for then it was that Christ himself was justified and then he was justified as a common person representing us therein so that we were then justified with him and in him and we are said to be risen with him and to sit with him in heavenly places Burges one admirably judicious saith that justification is given to Christ's resurrection as a priviledge flowing from its efficient cause Indeed Christ's death is the meritorious cause of our justification but Christ's resurrection is in some sence saith he the efficient cause because by his rising again the Spirit of God doth make us capable of justification and thâ—n bestoweth it on us I know there is some difference amongst these Worthies but they all agree in this that the resurrection of Christ was for our justification and that by the resurrection of Christ all the merits of his death were made appliable unto us As there was a price and ransome to be paid by Christ for the redemption of man so it was necessary that the fruit effect and benefit of Christ's redemption should be applied and conferred now this work of application and actual collation of the fruit of Christ's death began to be in fieri upon the resurrection day but it was not then finished and perfected for to the consummation thereof the Ascension of Christ the Mission of the holy Ghost Apostolical preaching of the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles the Donation of Heavenly grace and Christ's Intercession at the right hand of God were very necessary 1 Cor. 15.17 O the benefit of Christ's resurrection as to our justification If Christ be not risen again ye are yet in your sins and your faith is in vain Remission of sin which is a part of our justification though purchased by Christ's death yet could not he applied to us or possibly be made ours without Christ's resurrection and and in this respect oh how desirable is it Eph. 2.5 6. 2. He rose again for our sanctification So the Apostle He hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised up together with Christ Our first resurrection is from Christ's resurrection if you would know how you that were blind in heart uncircumcised in spirit utterly unacquainted with the life of God are now light in the Lord affecting heavenly things walking in righteousness it comes from this blessed resurrection of Jesus Christ we are quickened with Christ it is Christ's resurrection that raised our souls Rom. 6.11 being stark dead with such a resurrection as that they shall never die more Whence the Apostle Reckon your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are dead to sin and alive unto God by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we may reckon thus for our selves that if we be in Christ there comes a vertue from Christ an effectual working of Christ by his Spirit into our hearts and it is such a work as will conform us to Christ dead and to Christ risen why reckon thus saith the Apostle go not by guess and say I hope it will be better with me than it hath been no no but reckon Rom. 6.4 conclude make account I must live to God I must live the life of grace for Christ is risen To the same purpose he speaks before Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Christ rose again to a new life and herein his resurrection differed from the resurrection of those others raised by him as of Lazarus Jairus Daughter the Widow of Naims Son for they were but raised to the same life which formerly they lived but Jesus Christ was raised up to a new life and according to this exâ—mplar we should now walk in newness of life this is the end of Christ's resurrection that we should be new creatures of new lives new principles new conversations he rose again for our sanctification 3. He rose again for our resurrection to eternal life Christ is the patern and pledg and cause of the resurrection of our bodies for since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all dye 1 Cor. 15.21 22 even so in Christ shall all be made alive There is a vertue flowing from Christ to his Saints by which they shall be raised up at the latter day as there is a vertue flowing from the head to the members or from the root to the branches so those that are Christ's shall be raised up by Christ 1 John 5.28 29. Not but that all the wicked in the world shall be raised again by the power of Christ as he is a judg for all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and they shall come forth yet with this difference they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation In this respect the Saints shall have a peculiar resurrection and therefore they are called the Children of the resurrection because they shall obtain a better resurrection Luke 20.36 Heb. 11.35 as the Apostle calls it And is not Christ's resurrection desirable in this very respect if we should think these bodyes of ours being dust must never return from their dusts it might discourage but here is our hope Christ is risen and therefore we must rise it is the Apostles own argument against those that held there was no resurrection of the dead why saith the Apostle if there be no resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.12 13 16 20. then is not Christ risen If the dead rise not then is not Christ raised But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that sleep he argues plainly that Christs resurrection is the principal efficient cause of the resurrection of the just I am the resurrection and the life saith Christ i.e. I am the Author John 11.25 John 5.21 and worker of the resurrection to life As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them even so the Son quickeneth whom he will and hence it is that Christ is called a quickning Spirit Christ is the head and stock of all the Elect Christ is the Author procurer conveyor of life to all his off-spring by the communication of his Spirit Christ is a quickening Spirit quickening dead souls and quickening dead bodies 1 Cor. 15.45 the Author both of the first and second resurrection And is not this desireable He rose again for the assurance of our justification sanctification and salvation This is the reason why the Apostle useth these words to prove the resurrection of Christ I will give you the sure mercies of David Acts 13.34 none of Gods mercies had been sure to us if Christ had not risen again from the dead But now all is made sure his work of redemption being
the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part by his death of all these before 5. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the directive and penal part of the Law and as quickened by the Spirit He was put to death in the flesh saith Peter and quickened by the Spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 And accordingly must be the method and order of our faith after we have looked on Christ as dead in the flesh we must go on to see him as quickened by the Spirit 1 Cor. 15.17 if Christ was not raised or quickened saith the Apostle your faith were in vain q. d. to believe in Christ as only in respect of his birth life death and to go no further were but a vain faith and therefore shore up your faith to this pitch that Christ who dyed is risen from the dead to this purpose all the Sermons of the Apostles represented Christ not only as crucified but as raised In that first Sermon after the mission of the holy Ghost ye have crucified Christ said Peter to the Jews and then it follows whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains or chains of death Acts 2.23 24. because it was not possible that he should be holden of it In that next Sermon Peter tells them again ye have killed the Prince of life and then it follows whom God hath raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses In the next Sermon after this be it known unto you all said Peter and to all the people of Israel Acts 3.15 that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazzareth whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead is this man whole And in the next Sermon after this the God of our Fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Acts 4.10 And as thus he preached to the Jews so in his first Sermon to the Gentiles he tells them we are witnesses of all things which Jesus did both in the land of the Jews Acts 5.30 and in Jerusalem whom they slew and hanged on a tree him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly And as thus Peter preached so in that first Sermon of Paul at Antioch Acts 10.39 40. Acts 13.30 he tells them of the Jews crucifying Jesus and then it follows but God raised him from the dead And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure Mercies of David Ver. 34 35. and thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption And after this Paul as his manner was went into the Synagogue at Thesalonica and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs suffer and rise from the dead This was the way of the Apostles preaching they told them an history I speak it with reverence of one Jesus Christ that was the word of God and that was become man Acts 17.2 3. and how he was crucified at Jerusalem and how he was raised from the dead and all this in a plain simple spiritual way and manner and while they were telling those blessed truths the Spirit fell upon the people and they believed and had faith wrought in them Faith is not wrought so much in the way of ratiocination as by the Spirit of God coming upon the souls of people by the Relation or representation of Jesus Christ to the soul And this our Lord himself hints as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up John 3.14 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life When the people were stung God so ordered that the very beholding of the brazen Serpent should bring help though we know not how to those that were wounded and stung by those fiery Serpents so God hath ordained in his blessed wisdom that the discovery of Jesus Christ as crucified and raised as humbled and exalted should be a means of faith come then set we before us Christ raised not only Christ crucified but Christ raised is the object of faith and in that respect we must look up to Jesus 6. Faith in going to Christ is raised from the dead or as quickned by the Spirit it is principally and mainly to look to the end purpose intent and design of Christ in his resurrection very devils may believe the history of Christ's resurrection Jam. 2.19 they believe and tremble but the Saints and people of God are to look at the meaning of Christ why he rose from the dead now the ends are either supream or subordinate 1. The supream end was God's Glory and that was the meaning of Christ's prayer Father John 17.1 Rom. 6.4 the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee with which agrees the Apostle he rose again from the dead to the glory of the Father 2. The subordinate ends were many As 1. That he might tread on the Serpents head 2. That he might destroy the works of the Devil 3. That he might be the first fruits of them that sleep 4. That he might assure our faith that he is the word and that he is able to keep that which we have committed to him against that day 5. That he might be justified in the Spirit as he was begotten in the womb by the Spirit led up and down in the Spirit offered up by the eternal Spirit so he was raised from the dead by the Spirit and justified in the Spirit at his resurrection Christ was under the greatest attainder that ever man was he stood publickly charged with the guilt of a world of sins and if he had not been justified by the Spirit he had still lyen under the blame of all and had been liable to the execution of all and therefore he was raised up from the power of death that he might be declared as a righteous person 6. That he might justifie us in his justificaon when he was justified all the elect were vertually and really justified in him that act of God which past on him was drawn up in the name of all his Saints as whatever benefit or priviledge God meant for us he first of all bestowed it on Christ thus God meaning to sanctifie us he sanctified Christ first and God meaning to justifie us he justifies Christ first so whatever benefit or priviledg he bestowed on Christ he bestowed it not on him for himself but as he was a common Person and one re-resenting us Thus Christ was sanctified instead of us for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through thy truth and thus Christ was justified in stead of us for as by the offence of one judgment came upon all
yet time might injure them and these words he would have last for ever O that they were graven in the rock for ever Moses and Job are said to have lived at one time now Moses writ the Law in stone and considering that these words were Gospel there was no reason the Law should be in tables of stone and the Gospel in sheets of paper no no it were fit that this should be as firm and durable as that Oh that my words were written Oh that they were printed in a book c. 2. The matter wished or the words he would have written are these I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall live again Here 's first his Redeemer and his rising 2. His own rising and his seeing God O this was the matter of his joy his Redeemer must rise again and he must rise too and see his Redeemer it was a point that exceedingly ravished and revived Job and therefore he iterates the same thing over and over I shall see God and I shall see him for my self and I shall see him with my eyes Job 8.56 and not with others As Christ said of Abraham Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad So it appears of his Servant Job he saw Christ's day both his first day and his latter day and he rejoyced and was glad Away away all scrupulous doubtfull dumpish thoughts consider what joyes were of old at the foresight of Christs resurrection but especially what joy was all the World over when he rose again from the dead Greg. hom in pasca Job 20.20 Luke 24.41 Apostoli die dominico exhilirati non solum ipsum festivissimam esse voluerunt verum etiam per omnes hebdomadas frequentandum esse duxerunt Juno cent 1 Epist ad Decent 11. 4. then came the Angels from heaven and appeared in white then the Sun danced for joy so it is storyed or shone sooner and brighter than ever it did before then I am sure the Diciples were exceeding glad when they saw the Lord yea so glad that they believed not for joy it is worthy our observing to see how all the primitive Saints were affected with this news and because of it with the very day on which Christ arose some call it The first day of joy and gladness and because of the joy occasioned on this day the Apostles say they devoted the first day of the week to the honour and service of Jesus Christ Augustine applyes the words of the Psalm unto this day This is the day which the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in it Psal 118.24 Ignatus who lived in the Apostles age and was John's Disciple calls it the Queen the Princess the Lady Paramount among the other weekly dayes Chrysostom calls it a Royal day and Gregory Nazianzen orat 42. saith it is higher than the highest and with admiration wonderfull above other dayes Certainly the Lord's day was in high esteem with the antient Church and the principle motive was because of Christs resurrection from the dead O that on these dayes we could rejoyce in the Lord and again rejoyce it is observed that Many Christians look upon broken-heartedness and much grieving and weeping for sin as if it were the great thing that God delighteth in and requireth of them Baxters method for a setled Peace and therefore they bend all their endeavours that way they are still striving with their hearts to break them more and they think no Sermon no Prayer no Meditation speed so well with them as that which can help them to grieve or weep but O Christians understand and consider saith my Authour that all your sorrows are but preparatives for your joyes and that it is an higher and sweeter work that God calls you to and would have you spend your time and strength in Delight thy self in the Lord psal 37.4 and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart Never take your hearts to be right till they be delighting themselves in their God when you kneel down in Prayer labour so to conceive of God and bespeak him that he may be your delight do so in hearing and reading and meditating and in your feasting on the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ at his Supper Especially improve the happy opportunity of the Lords day wherein you may wholly devote your selves unto this work O spend more of this day in spiritual rejoycing especially in commemoration of Christ's resurrection yea and of the whole work of redemption or else you will not answer the institution of the Lord. SECT VIII Of Calling on Jesus in that Respect 8. LEt us Call on Jesus that is to say 1. Let us pray that Christ's resurrection may be ours and that we may be more and more assured of it Phil. 3.10 Let us say with the Apostle O that I may know him and the power of his resurrection O that I may find the working of that power in my soul which was shewed in the resurrection of Christ from the dead O that the Spirit of holiness which quickened Christ from the dead would by the same glorious power beget holiness and faith and love and all other graces in my poor soul O that Christ would by his resurrection apply his active and passive obedience to me O that he would be to me the Lord of the living and the Prince of life that he would overcome in me the death of sin and that he would regenerate quicken renew and fashion me by the power of godliness to become like himself O that all the vertue power priviledges and influences of Christ's resurrection might be conferred on me and that I might feel them working in me every day more and more 2. Let us praise God for Christ's resurrection and for all the priviledges flowing from Christ's resurrection into our souls 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath begotten us again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Christ is risen by his resurrection he hath justified sanctified quickened saved our souls and therefore Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ surely God requires a thousand thousand Hallelujah's and that we should bless him upon a thousand-stringed instrument here is fewel enough the Lord kindle a great fire in every one of our hearts to burn out all our lusts and to enflame all our hearts with a love to Jesus Christ Can we ever too much praise him for all his actings in our behalf are not all God's creatures called upon to rejoyce with us and to bless God for his redeeming of us Sing O ye heavens for the Lord hath done it shout ye lower part of the earth Isa 44.23 break forth into singing ye mountains O forrest and every tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Israel This is the duty we shall do in heaven and
some Pastors and Teachers Three of these gifts are now gone and their date is out but in the same place we find Pastors and Teachers and them we have still Oh how may this teach us to think of such even of Pastors and Teachers as of the special gifts and favours of Jesus Christ if one special friend should but send us from a far Countrey one of his chief servants would we not welcome him Christ now is in Heaven and he sends us Ministers as the stewards of his house sure if we have any love to Christ The vâ—ry feet of them would be precious and beautifull Rom. 10.15 who bring us glad tydings of peace Again the Apostle tells us in another place that there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit and diversities of calling but the same Lord or Christ 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 and diversities of works but the same God and Father worketh all in all Christs errand being done and he gone up on high the Spirit came down and in Christ's stead established order in the Church which order or establishment is here set down by gifts callings and works Here is first a Gift Secondly a Calling Thirdly a Work Gifts are ascribed to the Spirit Callings to Christ and Works to God even to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ where the Spirit ends Christ begins and where Christ ends God begins if no gift we must stay there and never meddle with the calling and if no calling we must stay there and never meddle with the Work first the Spirit comes and bestows the Gift and then Christ comes and bestows the Calling and then God the Father comes and sets us to the Work the gift is for the calling and the gift and calling are both for the Work And if this be the order established by the Spirit in his Church Oh what shall we say of them that either have no gifts yet step into the calling as if there were no need of the Holy Ghost or that have no calling and yet will fall upon the work utterly against the mind and rule of Jesus Christ Oh what the poor Church of Christ suffers at this time in these respects certainly these men have no commission from the holy spirit he was never sent to them that brâ—ak this order first gifts and then Calling and then the Work But why doth the Spirit endow men with gifts surely saith the Apostle to this end 1 Cor. 12.7 to profit withall Gifts are given for the good of others gifts are for edifying we should not contemn them gifts are a blessing of God and therefore we aâ—e to endeavour after them 1 Tim. 4.15 1 Cor. 12.31 Let thy profiting appear to all and covet earnestly the bâ—st gifts And yet sayes Paul I shew unto you a more excellent way and that was true grace of which he discourseth in the next Chapter and this brings in another reason of the Spirits mission 5. That the Holy Ghost might according to his Office endow men with graces In doing this he first gives the inward principle and habit of grace and then the fruit or actings of grace 1. He gives a Power an Habit a spiritual Ability a Seed a Spring a principle of Grace whatsoever we call it I cannot conceive it to be a nâ—w faculty added to those which are in men by nature A man when he is regenerate hath no more faculties in his soul than he had before he was regenerate only in the work of â—egeneration those abilities which the man had are Improved to work spiritually as before naturally as our Bodies in the resurrection from the dead shall have no more nor other parts than they have at present only those which are now natural shall thâ—n by the Power of God be made Spiritual 1 Cor. 15.44 Now this Principle is infused or poured in by the Spirit of God and hence he is called The spirit of sanctification 2. He gives the fruit or actings of Grace 2 Thes 2.13 Gal. 5.22.23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Some call these the diversifications of the actings of that spiritual principle within us certainly the spirit doth not only at first infuse the principles of grace but he doth also enable us to act and improve those blessed principles Phil. 2.13 he doth not only give us power to Holy actions but he works also the Holy actions themselves God works in us not only to will but to do God hath a two-fold grace psal 119.88 initial and converting exciting and quickning in respect of this last David prayes Quicken me after thy loving kindness O Lord and so shall I keep thy testimonies This is the actuating grace that we need every hour and every moment and must pray for more earnestly than we would pray for our daily bread Two priviledges more especially flow from this Heb. 4.16 As 1. Hereby the soul will be kept from negligence and dulness from gross and soul sins the Apostle calls it grace to help in time of need Oh this is admirable when grace comes in the very nick of need it may be sometime or other thou wert even falling into such and such a sin it may be thou wert sometime or other drowning in such and such a wickedness and this exciting quickning grace came in and kept up thy head above the waters 2. Hereby the soul will be kept in a frame for every duty if the spirit come but with exciting quickning grace then it is ready to say My heart is prepared O Lord my heart is prepared I can now do and suffer thy Will sometimes the principle of grace lies still within us and begins to rust but then comes the Holy Ghost and breaths upon our souls and so it excites and quickens and commands faith patience zeal and other graces to be in exercise and this is as it were the file to take off the rust it s the whetting of the edge it s the stirring up of the coals into a mighty flame Christians have you not clear â—xperimental demonstrations of this truth sometimes you are on the wing of duty and sometimes you are dull and dead sometimes the least temptation the least snare is ready to make you fall and sometimes again though strong winds and tempests blow upon you yet you are able to stand like Mount Zion that cannot be removed Oh what 's the reason of the difference surely according to the incomes of the Spirit of God this difference comes not from our selves but from the Spirit as this exciting quickning grace is ready or a far off so is our condition you know what changes David usually found in his own heart sometimes he was able to trust in God and at other times he was so cast down as if he had no strength within him and whence all this but from the ebbings and flowings of exciting quickning
Experiences when you look up to Jesus and lean on Jesus are you not best at rest O then why do you not always rest and lean upon him sometime you say his Bread is sweet and his Cup is pleasant how amiable is his Presence At such a time you have never done wondering at him O the sweet impression that are even then on your spirits why do you not then always look unto him or at least why are you not frequent in his disciples posture who looked stedfastly towards Heaven as Christ went up Act. 1.10 How richly might your idle hours and spare time be laid out here to the supply of all necessities bodily or spiritual 3. Consider that an eye an heart on Christ is one of your most unquestionable Evidences of sincerity Where your Treasure is there will your hearts be also Matth. 6.21 If Christ be your Treasure your hearts will be on Christ and surely an heart set upon God in Christ is a true evidence of saving Grace External actions are easiest discovered but those of the heart are surest Evidences when thy learning will be no good proof of thy Grace when thy arguments from thy tongue and hand may be confuted yet then will this Argument from the bent of thy heart prove thee sincere Take a poor Christian that hath a weak judgment a failing memory a stammering tongue yet if his heart be set on Christ I had rather die in this mans condition and have my soul in his souls case than in the case of him without such an heart though he had the most eminent gifts and parts and abilities of any in the world Christians as you would have a sure testimony of the love of God and a sure proof of your title to glory labour to get your hearts on Christ O look on Jesus You may be sure Christ will acknowledg that you really love him when he sees your hearts are set upon him 4. Consider that your looking on Jesus will strengthen patience under the Cross of Christ This is the very particular Motive of the Text Heb. 11.1 2 3. Let us run with patience the Race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right Hand of the Throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your mind It is storied of a Martyr that having offered him a Cup of spirits to sustain him when he seemed to faint under his greatest Trial he returned this answer My Lord and Master had Gall and Vinegar given him to drink as if he had been astonished to see himself fare better than Jesus Christ How may it strengthen your patience in sufferings to think of Christs patience What are you served ill Ay but Jesus Christ was not served so well can you suffer so much as he hath done I tell you nay O then do you stay your murmurings and repinings bear with patience the little you endure and to this end Consider him that hath endured the contradictions of sinners 5. Consider that a through-sight of Christ will encrease your inward joy in Christ Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad Joh 8.56 A right sight of Christ will make a right-sighted Christian glad at heart I wonder not that you walk uncomfortably if you never tried this Art of Christ-contemplation can you have comfort from Christ and never think of Christ doth any thing in the world glad you when you do not remember it If you were possessed of all the Treasure in the Earth if you had title to the highest Dignities and never thought of them sure they would never rejoyce you Come look up unto Jesus fix your eyes thoughts and hearts on that blessed objects and then you may expect Davids experience Psa 63.5 my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate of thee in the night watches A frequent access to Christ in a way of meditation cannot but warm the soul in spiritual comforts When the Sun in the spring draws near our part of the earth how do all things congratulate its approach the earth looks green the trees shoot forth the plants revive the birds sing sweetly the face of all things smiles upon us and all the creatures below rejoyce Christians if you would but draw near and look on this Son of Righteousness Jesus Christ what a spring of joy would be within you how would your Graces be fresh and green how would you forget your winter sorrows how early would you rise as those Birds in the spring to sing the Praise of our great Creatour and dear Redeemer 6. Consider that your Eye on Jesus will preserve the vigour of all your Graces As the body is apt to be changed into the temper of the air it breaths in and the food it lives on so will your spirits receive an alteration according to the Objects which they are exercised about You that complain of deadness and dulness that you cannot love Christ nor rejoyce in his loves that you have no life in Prayer nor any other Duty and yet you never tried this quickning course or at least you were careless and unconstant in it what are not you the cause of your own complaints say is not your life hid with Christ in God O whether must you go but to Christ for it If you would have light and heat why then are you not more in the Sun-shine if you would have more of that grace which flowes from Christ why are you no more with Christ for it for want of this recourse to Jesus Christ your Souls are as candles that are not lighted and your duties are as Sacrifices which have no fire fetch one coal daily from this Altar and see if your Offerings will not burn keep close to this reviving Fire and see if your affections will not warm Surely if there be any comfort of hope if any flames of love if any life of faith if any vigor of dispositions if any motions towards God if any meltings of a softned Heart they flow from hence men are apt to bewail their want of desire and hope and joy and faith and love to Jesus Christ whilest this very duty would nourish all these 7. Consider it 's but equal that your hearts should be on Christ when the heart of Christ is so much on you Christ is our Friend and in that respect he loves us and bears us in his heart and shall not he be ours Surely this is ill requital this is a great contradiction to the law of Friendship But Christ is our Lord as well as Friend and if the Lord of glory can stoop so low as to set his heart on sinful dust one would think we should easily
be perswaded to set our hearts on Jesus Christ Christians do you not perceive that the heart of Christ is set upon you and that he is still minding you with tender love even when you forget both your selves and him Do you not find him following you with daily mercies moving on your souls providing for your bodies and preserving both doth he not bear you continually in the armes of love and promise that all shall work together for your good doth he not give his Angels charge over you and suit all his dealings to your greatest advantage and can you find in your hearts to cast him by can you forget your Lord who forgets not you Fie upon this unkind Ingratitude When the Lord speaks of his thoughts and respects to us he gives this language Can a woman forget her sucking-child Isa 49.15 16. that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me But when he speaks of our thoughts to him the case is otherwise Jer. 2 32. can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attire yet my People have forgotten me days without number q. d. you would not forget the cloaths on your backs you would not forget your braveries your Ornaments your Attires and are these of more worth than Christ yet you can forget me day after day 8. Consider it 's a command of Christ that we should look to Jesus Behold me behold me lo I lo I A command not only backt with Authority but accompanied with special Ordinances appointed to this end what is Baptism and what is the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.24 25. but the representation of Jesus Christ Is it not Christs command in his last Supper Do this in remembrance of me and this do ye as oft as ye drink in remembrance of me In this Ordinance we have Christ crucified before our Eyes and can we forget him Or can we hold our eyes off him can we see the Bread broken the Wine distinctly severed from the bread and not call to mind according to the Scripture Christs Agony in the Garden and on the Cross can we take and eat the bread and take and drink the cup and not apprehend Christ stooping down from Heaven to feed our souls At such a time if we forget the Lord Jesus Christ it will argue our disaffection our ingratitude our disobedience every way Psa 73.28 Psal 104.34 9. Consider it 's both work and wages to look up unto Jesus Hence David professed it is good for me to draw near to thee and my meditation of him shall be sweet the word imports a sweetness with mixture like compound spices or many flowers Every thought of Jesus is sweet and pleasant nay it 's better than wine Cant. 1.4 we will remember thy love more than Wine there is more content in contemplating on Christ more refreshing to the spirit than wine gives to the body How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God Psa 139.17 look in what kind soever you account a thing precious so precious are the thoughts of God and Christ to a man whose heart is in a right frame Such a one loves every glance of Christ and the more it sees the more it loves It is said of one Eudoxius that he wished he might be admitted to come near the body of the Sun to have a full view of it though it devoured him he was somthing rash in his wish but there is somthing proportionable in a godly spirit he so loves Christ that he could be content to be swallowed up in the beholding of him Certainly there is a blessing in this work when we are bid to look unto Jesus it is but to receive from Jesus is it any thing else but to call and invite us to look on the most pleasing and delightful object That in the beholding of it it may convey it self unto us and we be delighted and filled with it it is all one as if he should bid us sit down by a well of Life and drink or if he should bid us be as the Angels are who are blessed in the beholding of this Jesus why come then if this be a blessed work why will we unbless our selves If the work will exalt us why will we debase our selves in not closing with it If we might live above heaven why will we live below certainly when thoughts of Christ are moving in us Christ himself is not far off he will come and enter too and how sweet is it for Christ to come and take up his habitation in our souls 10. Consider how the Angels exceedingly desire to look on Jesus they stoop down and pry into the Nature Offices and graces of Jesus Christ which things saith the Apostle the Angels desire to look into He alludes to the manner of the Cherubims looking down into the Mercy-Seat this is the study 1 Pet. 1.12 yea this is the delight and recreation of the Elect Angels to look on Jesus and to look into the several scopes of our salvation by Jesus Christ to behold the whole frame and fabrick of it to observe all the parts of it from the beginning to the end to consider all the glorious Attributes of God his Wisdome Power Justice Mercy all shining and glittering in it like bright Stars in the Firmament this I say is their work yea this is their Festivity and Pastime And shall not we imitate the Angels shall not we think it our honour to be admitted to the same priviledge with the Angels 11. Consider that looking unto Jesus is the work of Heaven Vâ—ta contemplativa incipit in hoc seculo proficitur in futuâ—o Bern. it is begun in this life saith Bernard but it is perfected in that life to come not only Angels but the Saints in glory do ever behold the face of God and Christ if then we like not this work how will we live in Heaven the dislike of this Duty is a bar against our entrance for the life of a blessedness is a life of Vision surely if we take no delight in this heaven is no place for us 12. Consider that nothing else is in comparison worth the minding or looking after If Christ have not your hearts who or what should have them O that any Christian should rather delight to have his heart among Thornes and Briers than in the Bosom of his dearest Jesus Why should you follow after drops and neglect the Fountain why should you fly after shadowes and neglect him who is the true substance if the mind have its currant from Christ toward other things these things are not only of less concernment but destructive they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity Jer. 2.5 and are become vain How unworthy the world is of the look of Christians especially when it
Cloaths against cold and nakedness House against wind and weather Riches against poverty Physick against sickness Friends against solitariness but God is an alsufficient good he is all in all both to the inner and outward man Are we guilty of Sin there is mercy in God to pardon us Are we full of infirmities there is Grace in God to heal us Are we strong in Corruptions there is power in God to subdue them in us Are we disquieted in Conscience there is that Spirit in God that is the Comforter that can fill us with Joy unspeakable and glorious And for our outward man all our welfare is laid up in God he is the God of our Life Psal 42.8 he is the strength of our Life Psal 27.1 he is a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 Which though it be in regard of the inner man yet there it is spoken of the inward man which the Lord shall quicken after death and doth now keep alive by his mighty power for in him we live Acts. 17.28 and move and have our being O my Soul that thou wouldst but ruminate and meditate and consider this promise in all thy wants discontents when means fail and the streames run no more O that thou wouldest then go to the Fountain where the waters run sweeter and more sure Gen. 41.16 for as Joseph said to Pharaoh it is not in me God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace So may Silver and Gold and such things say to thee It is not in us God shall give enough out of himself have God and have all want God and there is no content in the enjoyment of all It was the Apostles case as having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 Surely he lived to God and enjoyed God and he was an all-sufficient good unto him God may be enjoyed in any condition in the meanest as well as the greatest in the poorest as well as the richest God will go into a wilderness into a prison with his people and there he will make up all that they are cut short of Thy discontents therefore arise not from the want of outward means but from want of inward fellowship with God and if thou dost not find a sufficiency it is because thou dost not enjoy him who is thy all-sufficient good O stir up Faith and consider the Covenant think seriously on this promise I am God all-sufficient I am the Lord thy God 2. Here is the propriety of Saints the Lord thy God O what is this that God is thy God Heaven and Earth Angels and Men may stand astonished at it What that the Great and Mighty God God Almighty and God all-sufficient should be called thy God! Heb. 11.16 It is observable what the Apostle speaks God is not ashamed to be called their God Would not a prince be ashamed to take a Beggar a Runagate a base and adulterous Woman to be his Wife But we are worse than so and God is better than so sin hath made us worse than the worst of women and God is better holier higher than the best of Princes and yet God is not ashamed to own us nor ashamed that we own him as our own I am thy God It is as if the Lord should say use me and all my Power Grace Mercy Kindness as thine own go through all my Attributes consider my Almighty Power consider my Wisdom Councel Understanding consider my Goodness Truth Faithfulness consider my Patience Long-suffering Forbearance all these are thine as thus My Power is thine to work all thy works for thee and in thee to make passage for thee in all thy straits to deliver thee out of six troubles and out of seven my Wisdom is thine to counsel thee in any difficult cases to instruct thee in things that be obscure to reveal to thee the Mysteries of Grace and the wonderfull things contained in my Law my Justice is thine to deliver thee when thou art oppressed to defend thee in thy Innocency and to vindicate thee from the injuries of men what needs more O my Soul think of these all other Gods Attributes say in thy self all these are mine nay more think of God in Christ for otherwise what hast thou to do with God in a Covenant of grace and say in thy heart Jesus Christ is mine my Saviour my Redeemer my head my elder brother his doings are mine and his sufferings are mine his Life and his Death his Resurrection and Ascention his Session and Intercession all are mine nay more if Christ be mine why then all good things are mine in Christ I say in Christ for they come not immediatly but through the hands of a sweet Redeemer and though he be a man who redeemed us yet because he is God as well as Man there is more of God and Heaven and free-love in all our good things than if we received them immediately from God Ravens have their food and Devils have their being from God by creature-right but we have all we have from God in Christ by Covenant-right this surely this very promise is the main and principal promise of the Covenant it is the very substance Soul and life of all O then how careful shouldest thou be to improve the strength of thy mind thoughts and affections on this only subject 4. Consider Jesus in that promise made to David 1 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure 1. An everlasting Covenant consider this in the eternal efficacy and not in the outward administration it is Christ that hath built and prepared a Kingdom that shall never fade a spiritual and an heavenly Kingdom which shall never cease and as he hath prepared it so if thou believest he hath entred into a Covenant with thy soul to bestow it on thee it is an everlasting Covenant and he will give thee everlasting Life 2. It is ordered in all things the Covenant of grace is so marshalled and ordered that it stands at best advantage to receive and repel all thy objections Many and many an objection hast thou raised how often have such thoughts been in thee Oh I am miserable I shall not live but die my sins will damn me I am lost for ever And again If God hath made with me a Covenant why then have I something to do on my part for this is the nature of the Covenant to bind on both parts but alas I have failed I can do nothing I can as well dissolve a Rock as make my heart of stone a heart of flesh I can as well reach heaven with a finger as lay hold on Christ by the hand of Faith Have not such arguings as these been many and many a time in thy heart O consider how the Covenant is ordered and marshalled in respect of the Author of it of the Persons interested in it of the parts of which it consists of the end and aim to which it refers
us And we know that the Son of God is come This is the true God and eternal Life And without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the Flesh 2. Unanswerable Reasons drawn from Scriptures prove him God Thus it appears 1. From those incommunicable properties of the Diety which are properly ascribed unto him He is eternal as God Rev. 1.17 He is infinite as God Mat 28.20 He is omniscient as God Mat. 9 4. He is omnipotent as God He that cometh from above is above all John 3.41 Phil. 3.21 Rev. 1.18 He is able to subdue all things unto himself He hath the keys of hell and death 2. From these Relations he hath with God as to be the only begotten Son of God John 1.18 The Image of the Father 2 Cor. 4.4 Col. 1.15 3. From those Acts ascribed to him which are only agreeable to the divine Nature as to be the Author of our Election John 13.18 To know the Secrets of our Hearts Ma. 9.4 To hear the prayers of his people John 14.14 To judge the quick and the dead John 5.22 And thus he creates as God John 1.4 He commands as God Mat. 8.26 He forgives as God Mat. 9.6 He sanctifies as God John 1.12 He glorifies as God John 10.28 4. From all those acknowledgments given to him by the Saints which are only proper unto God and thus he is believed on as God John 3.18 He is loved as God 1 Cor. 16.22 He is obeyed as God Mat. 17.5 He is prayed to as God Acts 7.59 He is praised as God Rev. 5.13 He is adored as God Heb. 1.6 Phil. 2.10 Surely all these are strong demonstrations and prove clearly enough that Christ Jesus is God But why was it requisite that our Saviour should be God I answer 1. Because none can save Souls nor satisfie for sin but God alone There is none saith the Psalmist that can by any means redeem his Brother or give a ransom for him Psal 49.7.15 but God will redeem my soul from the power of Hell 2. Because the satisfaction which is made for sin must be infinitely meritorious an infinite wrath cannot be appeased but by an infinite merit and hence our Saviour must needs be God to the end that his obedience and sufferings might be of infinite price and worth 3 Because the burden of God's wrath cannot be endured and run through by a finite Creature Christ therefore must be God that he might abide the burden and sustain the Manhood by his divine power 4. Because the enemies of our salvation were too strong for us How could any creature overcome Satan Death Hell Damnation Ah! this required the power of God there 's none but God that could destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil 2. As Christ is God so he is true man he was born as man and bred as man and fed as man and slept as man and wept as man and sorrowed as man and suffered as man and died as man and therefore he is man But more particularly 1. Christ had a humane body Heb. 10.5 Wherefore when he came into the world he said Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared me And when the Apostles thought they had seen a Phantasm or a Spirit he said unto them Handle me and see because a Spirit hath no flesh and bones as you see me have Luke 24.39 Here 's a truth clear as the Son and yet O wonder Some in our times as Cochlaeus witnesseth do now avouch that he had but an imaginary body an aerial body a phantasm only in shew and no true body 2. Christ had an humane reasonable Soul My Soul is heavy unto Death said Christ Mat. 26.38 Luke 23.46 and again Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Surely saith Nazianzen either he had a Soul or he will not save a Soul The Arrians opposed this saying Christ had no humane Soul but only a living flesh because the Evangelist saith that the Word was made flesh but this is a Synechdoche John 1.14 very usual in Scripture to put the part for the whole and signifieth as much as that he had said the Word was made man I know some reasons are rendred why the Evangelist saith he was made flesh rather than he was made man as 1. To shew what part of Christ was made of his Mother not his Deity nor his Soul but only his flesh 2. To express the greatness of Gods Love who for our sakes would be contented to be made the vilest thing flesh which is compared to grass Isa 40.6 All flesh is grass 3. To shew the greatness of Chirsts humility in that he would be named by the meanest name and basest part of man the soul is excellent but the flesh is base 4. To give us some confidence of his love and favour towards us because our flesh which was the part most corrupted is now united to the Son of God 3. Christ had all the properties that belong either to the soul or body of a man nay more than so Christ had all the infirmities of out Nature sin only excepted I say the infirmities of our nature as cold and heat and hunger and thirst and weariness and weakness and pain and the like but I cannot say that Christ took upon him all our personal infirmities infirmities are either natural common to all men or personal and proper to some men as to be born lame blind diseased as to be affected with Melancholy Infirmity Deformity how many deformed Creatures have we amongst us Christ was not thus his Body was framed by the holy Ghost of the purest Virgins Blood and therefore I question not it was proportioned in a most equal symetry and correspondency of parts He was fairer than the sons of men his countenance carried in it an hidden vailed star like brightness saith Jerome which being but a little revealed it so ravished his Disciples hearts that at the first sight thereof they left all and followed him and it so astonished his enemies that they stumbled and fell to the ground So then he had not our personal infirmities but only our natural and good reason for indeed he took not upon him an humane person but only an humane nature united to the person of his Godhead But why was it requisite that our Saviour should be Man I answer 1. Because our Saviour must suffer and die for our sins which the Godhead could not do 2. Because our Saviour must perform obedience to the Law which was not agreeable to the Law-giver the Godhead certainly is free from all manner of subjection 3. Because our Saviour must satisfie the justice of God in the same nature wherein it was offended For since by man came death 1 Cor. 5 21. by man came also the resurrection of the dead 4. Because by this means we might have free access to the Throne of Grace and might
table or behind a solid partition it stirreth the needle as effectually as if it were within view Shall not he contradict his sences that will say It cannot work because I see it not Oh my Saviour thou art more mine than my Body is mine my sense feels that present but so as that I must lose it but my faith so feels and sees thee present with me as that I shall never be parted from thee 2. It is a very near union You will say how near If an Angel were to speak to you he cannot satisfie you in this only as far as our understanding can reach it and the Creatures can serve to illustrate these things take it thus Whatsoever by way of comparison can be alledged concerning the combination of any one thing with another that and much more may be said of our union with Jesus Christ To give instance out of the Scripture see what one stick is to another being glewed together see what one friend is to another as Jonathan and David who were said to be woven and knit each one to other see how near the father and the child are how near the husband and the wife are 1 Cor. 6 17. 1 Sam. 18.1 Isa 62.5 see what union is between the Branches and the Vine the members and the head nay one thing more see what the the soul is to the body such is Christ and so near is Christ and nearer to the person of every true believer I live yet not I saith Paul but Christ liveth in me John 15.5 1 Cor. 12 12. Gal. 2.20 q. d. as the soul is to the body of a natural man that acts and enlivens it naturally so is Jesus Christ to my soul and body O there is a marvellous nearness in this mystical union 3. It is a total union i.e. whole Christ is united to the whole believer soul and body If thou art united to Christ thou hast all Christ thou art one with him in his nature in his name thou hast the same Image Grace and Spirit in thee as he hath the same precious Promises the same access to God by prayer as he thou hast the same love of the Father all that he did or suffered thou hast a share in it thou hast his life and death all is thine so on thy part he hath thee wholly thy nature thy sins the punishment of thy sins thy wrath thy curse thy shame yea thy wit and wealth and strength all that thou art or hast or canst do possibly for him It is a total union My beloved is mine and I am his whole Christ from top to toe is mine and all that I am have or can do for evermore is his 4. It is an inseparable union it can never be broken I will make saith God an everlasting Covenant with them Jer. 32.40 and I will not turn away from them to do them good I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me This is a glorious promise some poor souls may say True Lord thou wilt not turn away from me I know thou wilt not Oh but I fear I shall turn away from thee Oh alass I turn every day towards sin and Satan Nay saith God I will put my fear in their heart that thou shalt not turn away from me q. d. We shall be kept together for evermore and never be separated Hence Paul triumphantly challenges all enemies on earth or rather in hell to do their worst to break this knot Rom. 8.5 Who shall separate us from the love of God in Christ shall tribulation Distress Famine Nakedness Peril or Sword Come all that can come and see if that blessed union betwixt me and Christ shall ever be broken by all that you can do Thus for this union 2. There is a spiritual communion with God in Christ Both these are the effects of Christs personal or hypostatical union first union to his person and then communion with his benefits union in proper speaking is not unto any of the benefits flowing to us from Christ we are not united to forgiveness of Sin Holiness Peace of Conscience but unto the person of the Son of God himself and then secondly comes this communication of all the benefits arising immediately from this union to the Lord Jesus that as Christ was Priest Prophet and King so we also by him are after a sort Priests Prophets and Kings for being made one with him we are thereby possessed of all things that are his as the Wife is of the wealth of her Husband now all things are yours saith the Apostle whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World c. Hitherto have we took a view of Christ in his Mothers Womb 1 Cor. 3 21.23 and O what marvails there Did ever womb carry such a fruit Well might the Angel say Blessed art thou amongst Women and well might Elizabeth say Blessed is the Fruit of thy Womb but the blessing is not only in conceiving but in bearing and therefore we proceed SECT VI. Of the Birth of Christ 6. THe birth of Christ now follows Now was it that the Son of Righteousness should break forth from his bed where nine months he had hid himself as behind a fruitful cloud this was the worlds wonder a thing so wonderful that it was given for a sign unto believers seven hundred and forty years before it was accomplished Isa 7.14 therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son A wonder indeed and great beyond all comparison that the Son of God should be born of a Woman that he who is the true Melchizedech without Father and without Mother must yet have a mother-Virgin that he that is before Abraham was should yet be born after Abraham a matter of two thousand years that he who was Davids Son therefore born in Bethlehem should yet be Davids Lord wonderful things are spoken of thee Heb. 7.3 O thou Son of God before he was born the Prophets sing the Sybils prophesie the Patriarchs typisie the Types foretel God promiseth and the Son of God performeth when he was born Angels run errands Gabriel brings tidings the glory of Heaven shines a Star displaies and wise men are the Heralds that proclaim his Birth But come yet a little nearer Let us go to Bethlehem as the Shepherds said and see this thing which is come to pass if we step but one step into his loding Heavens wonder is before our eyes now Look upon Jesus Luke 2.15 look on him as in fulness of time he carried on the great work of our Salvation here now you may read the meaning of Adams Covenant Abrahams promise Moses revelation Davids succession these were but vailes but now shall we draw aside the Curtains come take a view of the truth it self O wonder of wonders whom find we in this lodging a Babe in a Cratch a Mother-maid a
these words we find first a meeting of Gods blessed Attributes and secondly this meeting at a birth the birth of Truth at which meeting thirdly was that glorious effect that Righteousness looked down and indeed came down from Heaven I desire a little to invert the words and shall first speak to Christs Birth secondly to the effects of his Birth of Righteousness looking down from Heaven thirdly to the meeting and agreement of all Gods Attributes as the issue and effect of all When Mercy and Truth met together and Righteousness and Peace kissed each other 1. For his Birth our Vine doth Bud Truth shall Bud out of the Earth i. Christ shall be born upon the Earth or Christ shall be born of a Woman for Truth is Christ Bud is born and the Earth is a Woman 1. Truth is Christ I am the Way and Truth John 1.4 6 said Christ he is the truth of all Types and the truth of all Prophesies and the truth of all promises for in him are all the Promises Yea and Amen 2. Bud is born the Vine budding is the first putting forth of the Grape so Christ being born was Truth budding out of the Earth he then first shewed himself to the World and was first seen like the Vine springing forth above ground 3. The Earth is the Woman Isa 45.8 thus some render that Text Let the Earth bring forth a Saviour look how the Field-flowers spring forth of themselves without any Seed cast in by the hand of Man so the Virgin brings forth Christ It is observable that in the Creation of Adam was laid the Prognosticks of this future birth begin with the first Man Adam and you may see him parallell'd in this second Adam Christ Adam was created of the Virgin-Earth Christ was born of a Virgin-Mother the Earth had no Husbandman yet brought forth without Seed Mary had no Husband yet brought forth without Seed of Man in the Creation God said Let us make Man and now saith the Holy Ghost the Word is made flesh Gen. 1.26 John 1.14 or the Word is Man indeed those were but Types but Christ is the Truth he is the Vine that Buds the Messias born the Angels own him the Star designes him the Prophets foreshew him the Devils confess him his Miracles declare him the Sages seek him and Heaven and Earth Rings with the News that Truth is Budded out of the Earth 2. For the effect of this Birth Righteousness shall look down from Heaven No sooner Christ born but Righteousness looked down from Heaven she cast her eye upon Earth and seeing Truth freshly sprung there she looked and looked again certainly it was a sight to draw all the eyes of Heaven to it It is said of the Angels that they desired to look into these things they looked wishly at them 1 Pet. 1 12â— as if they would look through them no question but Righteousness looked as narrowly and piercingly as the Angels Some observe that the Hebrew word she looked down signifies that she beat out a window so desirous was Righteousness to behold the sight of the Vine Budding of Christ being born that she beats out a Window in Heaven before this time she would not so much as look down towards the Earth Righteousness had no prospect no window open this way she turned away her eyes and clapt to the Casement and would not abide so much as to look on such sinful wretches forlorn sinners as we are her eye was purer than to behold Iniquity she abhorred it and us for it and therefore would not vouchsafe us once to cast off her eye O but now the case is altered no sooner doth our Vine Bud upon the Earth but she is willing to condescend and so willing that she breaks a Window through the Walls of Heaven to look down upon this Bud and nomarvail for what could Righteousness desire to see and satifie her self in that was not to be seen in Jesus Christ He was all righteous there was not the least spot of sin to be found in him his Birth was clean and his Life was holy and his Death was innocent both his Soul and Body were without all sin both his Spirit and his Mouth were without all guile whatsoever satisfaction Righteousness would have she might have it in him lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Balance and there is nothing in Jesus but Streight for the Line and full Weight for the Balance 3. For the meeting and agreement of all Gods Attributes as the issue and the least effect of this budding Vine the Verse before tells us that Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other This meeting presupposeth a distance before they met for they that meet come from divers coasts Here then are two things considerable first the distance and secondly the meeting But you will say how came this distance Are they not all the Attributes of Gods undivided essence are they not all four in the bosom of God from all eternity I answer Yes they are undivided in themselves but they were divided about us it was Adam's sin and ours in him that first divided Heaven yea the very Attributes of God and in a sort God himself I shall speak to both these that you may first see the Differences and then the Agreement and blessed Harmony of these glorious Attributes 1. The Difference immediately after the Fall the great question which before you heard of in the Decree and Councils of God was actually propounded What should be done with sinful Man in this case we must speak of God after the manner of men and I hope you will give me the liberty that others I suppose warrantably take Come saith God What shall be done with sinful Man He hath violated my Law broken my Command and as much as lies in him unpinn'd the Fabrick of the World spoiled my Glorious Work of Heaven and Earth and Sea and all therein undone himself for ever and ever and ever O what shall be done with this sinful rebellious forlorn unhappy Creature Man Silence being a while in Heaven and all struck into amaze to see the great God of Heaven stirred up in wrath at last Mercy and Peace stand up and they seek with sweet gentle intreaties to pacifie Gods Anger but Righteousness and Truth are on the contrary side and they provoke God Almighty to go on and to manifest himself as he is indeed a consuming Fire a sin-revenging God The Plea is drawn up and reported at large by Bernard Andrews and others 1. Mercy began for out of her readiness to do good she is ever formost her inclination is to pitty or rather she her self is an inclination to pity those that are in misery and if she can but relieve them let them deserve what they will be sure she will relieve them for she looks not to the party what he is nor what he hath done nor what he he
Humane Nature incourageth us to come unto him even after his Resurrection he was pleased to send this comfortable message to the sons of men Iohn 20.17 Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God now as long as he is not ashamed to call us Brethren Heb. 11.16 God is not ashamed to be called our God O the sweet fruit that we may gather of this Tree the real distinction of two Natures in Christ As long as Christ is man as well as God we have a motive strong enough to appease his Father and to turn his favourable countenance towards us here is our happiness that there is one Mediator between God and Man 1 Tim. 1.5 the Man Christ Jesus 5. consider the Union of the two natures of Christ in one and the same Person as he was the branch of the Lord and the fruit of the Earth so these two natures were tied with such a Gordian knot as sin hell and the grave were never able to untie yea though in the death of Christ there was a separation of the soul from the body yet in that separation the hypostatical Union remained firm unshaken and indissoluble in this Meditation thou hast great cause O my Soul to admire and adore wonderful things are spoken of thee O Christ he is God in a Person of a God-head so as neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost were made flesh and he is man in the nature of man not properly the Person the humane nature of Christ never having any Personal subsistence out of the God-head this is a mystery that no Angel much less man is able to comprehend we have not another example of such an Union as you have heard only the nearest similitude or resemblance we can find is that of the Branch and Tree into which it is ingraffed we see one Tree may be set into another and it groweth in the Stock thereof and becometh one and the same Tree though there be two natures or kinds of fruit still remaining therein so in the Son of God made man though there be two natures yet both being united into one Person there is but one Son of God and one Jesus Christ If thou wilt consider this great mystery of Godliness any further review what hath been said in the object propounded where this union is set forth more largely and particularly but especially consider the blessed effects of this union in reference to thy self as our nature in the person of Christ is united to the God-head so our persons in and by this Union of Christ are brought nigh to God Hence it is that God doth set his Sanctuary and Tabernacle among us and that he dwells with us and which is more that he makes us houses and habitations wherein he himself is pleased to dwell by his holy Spirit Ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dewll in them and walk in them and I will be their God John 17 20 21 22 23. and they shall be my People 2. Cor. 6.16 Was not this Christs Prayer in our behalf I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me I in them and thou in me that they may be perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me By reason of this hypostatical union of Christ Gal. 4.6 the Spirit of Christ is given to us in the very moment of our regeneration And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father and hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit As the members of the Body howsoever distinct amongst themselves and all differing from the head yet by reason of one soul informing both the head and members they all make one compositum or man so all believers in Christ howsoever distinct Persons amongst themselves and all distinct from the Person of Christ and especially from the Godhead which is incommunicable yet by one and the same spirit abiding in Christ Eph. 4.4 1 Cor. 6.17 and all his Members they become one there is one body and one spirit he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit O my Soul consider of this and in considering believe thy part in this and the rather because the means of this union on thy part is a true and lively faith faith is the first effect and instrument of the Spirit of Christ disposing and enabling thy soul to cleave unto Christ and for this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith Eph. 3.14 17. 6. Consider the birth of Christ this man-God God-man who in his divine generation was the Son of God in his humane generation was born in a stable for the saving of the Children of men who were as the oxe and mule having no understanding It were a fruitful meditation to consider over and over that sweet resemblance of Christ being a Vine me-thinks I hear the Voice of my beloved Cant. 2.10 13. rise up my love the fig-tree putteth forth her green figs and the vine with the tender grapes gives a good smell arise my love my fair one and come away if Christ knocks at the door who will not awake and arise if Christ comes in view who will not look unto Jesus if Christ the Vine calls us to come see the vine with the tender grape who will not taste the goodness smell the sweetness and after a little taste of that goodness and sweetness that is in him who would not long after more till we come from the first fruits to the last-fruits of the Spirit even to those visions and fruitions of Christ in Glory Consider O my soul of this Vine till thou hast brought Christ near and close unto thy self Suppose thy heart the Garden wherein this Vine was planted wherein it budded blossomed and bare fruit suppose the holy Ghost to come upon thee and to form and fashion in thee Jesus Christ thus Paul bespeaks the Galathians my little Children of whom I travel in Birth again untill Christ be formed in you would not this affect would not the whole soul be taken up with this come receive Christ into thy soul or if that work be done if Christ be formed in thee O Cherish him I speak of the Spiritual birth O keep him in thy heart let him there bud and blossome and bear fruit let him fill thy soul with his Divine Graces O that thou couldst say it feelingly I live yet not I but Christ
the Spirit of our God As every man is so is he affected so he speaks and so he lives if thy life be supernatural so is thy affections so is thy words so is thy conversation Paul lived a life once of a bloody persecutor he breathed out threatenings against all the Professors of the Lord Jesus but now it is otherwise The life which I now live in the flesh Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me O my soul Hast thou the old conversation the old affections the old discourse the old passions thou used to have What Is thy heart a den of lusts a cage of unclean imaginations Then fear thy self there cannot from a sweet fountain come forth bitter streams there cannot from a refined spirit as refined come forth corrupted actions or imaginations a Thorn cannot send forth Grapes saith Christ so neither can a Vine send forth Thornes say we I know there is in the best something of flesh as well as of the spirit but if thou art new born then thou canst not but strive against it and wilt endeavour to conquer it 1 Pet. 3.4 2 Pet. 1.4 Rom. 7.22 2 Cor. 5.17 3. Where this new birth is there is a new nature a new principle Peter calls it the hidden man of the heart the divine nature Paul calls it the inward man the new creature it is compared to a root to a fountain to a foundation and for want of this foundation we see now in these sad times so much inconstancy and unsetledness in some professors themselves many have gotten new and strange notions but they have not new natures new principles of grace if grace were but rooted in their hearts though the winds did blow and storms arise they would continue firm and stable as being founded upon a Rock Never tell me of profession shew outward action outward conversation outward duties of Religion all this may be and yet no new creature you have some bruits that can act many things like men but because they have not an humane nature they are still brutish so many things may be done in a way of holiness which yet come not from this inward principle of renovation and therefore it is but copper and not gold mistake not O my soul in this which is thy best and surest evidence though I call the new birth a new creature my meaning is not as if a new faculty were infused into him that is new born a man when he is regenerate hath no more faculties in his soul than he had before his regeneration only in the work of regeneration those ablities which the man had before are now improved and made spiritual and so they work now spiritually which before wrought naturally As in the resurrection from the dead our bodies shall have no more nor other parts and members than they had before only those parts and members which now are natural shall then by the power of God be made spiritual 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body so the same faculties and the same abilities which before regeneration were but natural are now spiritual and work spiritually they are all brought under the government of the Spirit of Christ a lively resemblance of this change in the faculties of the soul we may discern in those natural and sensitive faculties which we have common with beasts as to live to move to desire to feel the beasts having no higher principle than sense use them sensually but a man enjoying the same faculties under the command of a reasonable soul he useth them rationally so is it in a regenerate man his understanding will and affections when they had no other command but reason he only used them rationally but now being under the guiding of the Spirit of Christ they work spiritually and he useth them spiritually and hence it is that a regenerate man is every where in Scripture Rom. 8.1 Gal. 5.18 25. said to Walk after the Spirit to be led by the Spirit to walk in the Spirit the Spirit by way of infusing or shedding gives power an ability a seed a principle of spiritual life which the soul had not before and from this principle of spiritual life planted in the Soul flows or springs those spiritual motions and operations as the Spirit leads them out according to the habit or principle of the new creature the divine nature the spiritual life infused Come then look to it O my soul What is thy principle within consider not so much the outward actions the outward duties of Religion as that root from whence they grow that principle from whence they come they are fixed ones setled ones by way of life in thee Clocks have their motions but they are not motions of life because they have no principles of life within Is there life within then art thou born again yea even unto thee a Child is born This is one evidence 2. From the latter words I lay down this position unto us a Son is given if we are Gods Sons The best way to know our Interest in the Son of God it is to know our selves to be Gods Sons by grace as Christ was Gods Son by nature Christians to whom Christ is given are coheirs with Christ only Christ is the first-born and hath the preheminence in all things our sonship is an effect of Christs sonship and a sure sign that unto us a Son is given Say then O my soul Art thou a Son of God Dost thou resemble God according to thy capacity being holy even as he is holy Why then Christ was incarnate for thee he was given to thee If thy sonship be not clear enough thou mayst try it further by these following Rules 1. The Sons of God Fear God If I be a Father Where is my Honour Mal. 1.6 saith God if I be a Master Where is my Fear If I be a Son of God there will be an holy Fear and Trembling upon me in all my approaches unto God I know there is a servile mercinary Fear and that is unworthy and unbeseeming the Son of God but there is a filial Fear and that is an excellent check and bridle to all our wantonness What Son will not Fear the frowns and anger of his loving Father 1 Pet. 1.17 I dare not do this will he say my Father will be offended and I whether shall I go Agreeable to this is the Apostles advice If ye call on the Father pass your sojourning here with Fear 2. The Sons of God Love God and Obey God out of a principle of Love Suppose there were no Heaven or Glory to bestow upon a regenerate person yet would he Obey God out of a principle of Love not that it is unlawful for the Child of God to have an Eye unto the recompence of reward Heb.
what then Command that these stones be made Bread He knew Jesus was hungry and therefore he invites him to eat Bread only of his own providing that so he might refresh his Humanity and prove his Divinity Come sayes he break thy fast upon the expence of a Miracle turn these stones into Bread and it will be some Argument thou art the Son of God There is nothing more ordinary with our Spiritual enemy than by occasion of want to move us to unwarrantable courses If thou art poor then steal if thou canst not rise by honest meanes then use indirect means I know Christ might as lawfully have turned stones into Bread as he turned water into Wine but to do this in a distrust of his Fathers Providence to work a Miracle of Satans choice and at Satans bidding it could not be agreeable with the Son of God And hence Jesus refuseth to be relieved he would rather deny to manifest the Divinity of his Person than he would do any act which had in it the intimation of a different spirit O Christians it is a sinfull impious wicked care to take evil courses to provide for our necessities Come it may be thou hast found a way to thrive which thou couldst not do before O take heed was it not of the Devils prompting to change stones into Bread sadness into sensual Comforts if so then Satan hath prevailed alas alas he cannot endure thou shouldst live a life of austerity or self-denial or of mortification if he can but get thee to satisfie thy sences and to please thy natural desires he then hath a fair field for the Battle it were a thousand times better for us to make stones our meat and tears our drink than to swim in our ill-gotten Goods and in the fulness of Voluptuousness But what was Christ's Answer why thus it is written man shall not live by Bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the month of God 1. It is written He easily could have confounded Satan by the Power of his Godhead but he rather chuses to vanquish him by the Sword of the Spirit surely this was for our Instruction by this means he teacheth us how to resist and to overcome nothing in Heaven or Earth can beat the Forces of Hell if the Word of God cannot do it O then how should we pray with David Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and take not from me the words of truth let them be my songs in the house of my pilgrimage so shall I make answer to my blasphemers 2. Man shall not live by bread c. Whiles we are in Gods work God hath made a promise of the supply of all provisions necessary for us now this was the present case of Jesus he was now in his Father's work and promoting of our interest and therefore he was sure to be provided for according to God's Word Christians are we in God's service God will certainly give us bread and till he does we can live by the breath of his mouth by the light of his countinance by the refreshment of his promises by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God every word of God's mouth can create a grace and every grace can supply two necessities both of the body and of the Spirit I remember one kept straitly in prison and sorely threatened with famine he replied That if he must have no bread God would so provide that he should have no stomach if our stock be spent God can lessen our necessities If a Tyrant will take away our meat God our Father knows how to alter our faint and feeble and hungry appetites The second temptation is not so sensual the Devil sees that was too low for Christ and therefore he comes again with a temptation something more spiritual Ver. 5 6. He sets him on a Pinacle of the Temple and saith unto him if thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee c. He that was content to be led from Jordan into the Wilderness for the advantage of the first temptation he yields to be led from the Wilderness to Jerusalem for advantage of the second the Wilderness was fit for a temptation arising from want and Jerusalem is fit for a temptation arising from vain-glory Jerusalem was the glory of the World the Temple was the glory of Jerusalem the pinacle was the highest piece of the Temple and there is Christ content to be set for the opportunity of temptation O that Christ would suffer his pure and sacred body to be transported and hurried through the air by the malicious hand of the old Tempter But all this was for us he cared not what the Devil did in this way with him so that he might but free us from the Devil Methinks it is a sweet contemplation of an Holy Divine He supposed as if he had seen Christ on the highest Battlements of the Temple and Satan standing by him with this Speech in his mouth Well then since in the matter of nourishment Dr. Hall thou wilt needs depend upon thy Fathers providence take now a further tryal of that providence in thy miraculous preservation cast down thy self from this height behold thou art here in Jerusalem the famous and holy City of the World here thou art on the top of the Pinacle of that Temple which was dedicated to thy Father and if thou beest God why now the eyes of all men are fix'd upon thee there cannot be devised a more ready way to spread thy Glory and to proclaim thy Deity than by casting thy self headlong to the Earth all the World will say there is more in thee than a man and for danger if thou art the Son of God there can be none what can hurt him that is the Son of God and wherefore serves that glorious Guard of Angels which have by Divine Commission taken upon them the Charge of thy Humanity Come cast thy self down here lies the temptation Come cast thy self down saith Satan but why did not Satan cast him down He carried him up thither and was it not more easie to throw him down thence O no the Devil may perswade us to a fall but he cannot percipitate us without our own act his malice is infinite but his power is limitted he cannot do us any harm but by perswading us to do it our selves and therefore saith he to Christ cast thy self down To this Christ answers Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Though it is true Ver. 7. that God must be trusted in yet he must not be tempted if means be allowed we must not throw them away upon a pretence of God's protection we read of one Heron an Inhabitant of the Desert that he suffered the same temptation and was overcome by it he would needs cast himself down presuming on God's promise and he sinfully died with his fall Christ knew well
his descent from Heaven of his Passion and Ascension and of the Mercy of Redemption which he came to work and effect for all that believe of the Love of the Father the Mission of the Son the Rewards of Faith and Glories of Eternity and this was the Sum of his Sermon to Nichodemus which was the fullest of mystery and speculation that ever he made except that which he made immediately before his death 3. Now was it that the throng of Auditors forcing Christ to leave the shore he makes Peter's ship his Pulpit Luke 5.1 2 3 4 never were there such Nets cast out of that Fisher-boat before whiles he was upon land he healed the Sick bodies by his touch and now he was upon Sea he cured the sick souls by his Doctrine he that made both Sea and Land causeth both to conspire to the opportunities of doing good to the souls and bodies of men Luke 4.18 4. Now it was that he Preached that blessed Sermon on that text The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to Preach the Gospel to the Poor no question but he Preached both to poor and rich Christ Preached to all but for the Power and Fruit of his Preaching it was only received and entertained by the poor in spirit In the following particulars his Office is set out still in an higher tenour To heal the broken hearted to Preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blind or as it is in Isa 61.1 the opening of the Prison to them that are bound a sad thing to be in captivity but sadder to be bound in chains or lockt up in a prison there but 't is most sad of all to be imprisoned having ones eyes put out as it was the case of Sampson and Zedekiah Now the Evangelist willing to render the Prophet to the highest comfortable sence that might be he useth an expression that meets with the highest mystery that is when a man is not only shut up in a blinded Prison when he himself also hath his eyes put out and to such Christ should Preach Preach what not only deliverance to the Captives Luke 4.48 but also restoring of Light to Captive Prisoners nay yet more recovering of sight to blinded Prisoners as the Evangelist renders it 5. Now it was that he delivered the admirable sermon called The Sermon upon the Mount It is a breviary of all those Precepts which are truly called Christian it contains in it all the moral Precepts given by Moses and opens a stricter sence and more severe exposition than the Scribes and Pharisees had given it holds forth the Doctrines of meekness poverty of spirit Christian mourning desire of Holy things mercy and purity peace and patience and suffering of injuries he teacheth us how to pray how to fast how to give Alms how to contemn the world and how to seek the Kingdom of God and its appendent righteousness And thus Christ being entred upon his Prophetical Office in these and the rest of his sermons he gives a clear testimony that he was not only an interpreter of the Law but a Law-giver and that this Law of Christ might retain some proportion at least with the Law of Moses Christ in his last sermon went up into a Mountain and from thence gave the Oracle I cannot stand to paraphrase on this or any other of his sermons but seeing now we find Christ in the exercise of his Prophetical Office let us observe first his Titles in this respect 2. The reasons of his being a Prophet 3. The Excellency of Christ above all other Prophets and then we have done SECT III. Of Christ's Prophetical Office 1. THe Titles of Christ in respect of his Prophetical Office were these 1. Sometimes he is called Doctor or Master Be ye not called Masters Mat. 23.10 for one is your Master even Christ The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Doctor Moderator teaching-Master a guide of the way 2. Sometimes he is called a Law-giver James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy the Apostle speaks of the internal Government of the Conscience in which case the Lord is our Judge Isa 33.22 The Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us we must hear no voice in our Consciences but Gods no Doctrine in the Church but Christs No Offices institutions and worship must be allowed but such as he hath appointed and therefore when men brought in Forreign Doctrines it is said that they did not hold the head 3. Col. 2 19. Isa 9.6 Prov. 8.14 Sometimes he is called a Councellor and his name shall be called Wonderful Councellor Counsel is mine and sound Wisdom saith Christ I am understanding and I have strength Christ by his Office counsels men how to fly sin and how to please God and how to escape Hell Heb. 3.1 and how to be saved 4. Sometimes he is called the Apostle of our profession Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Christ Jesus God sent him as an Embassadour to make known his will he came not unsent the very word imports a Mission a sending Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent let all those who run before they be sent take notice of this for this would not Christ do he was sent he was the Apostle of our profession 5. Sometimes he is called the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 even the Angel of the Covenant whom ye delight in Christ was the publisher of the Gospel-Covenant he declared the Gracious purpose of God towards the Elect held forth in the Covenant and in this respect he is called a Prophet Acts 3.22 and the Prophet John 7.40 and that Prophet John 6.14 John 6.14 this is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the World whose Office it was to impart Gods will unto the Sons of Men according unto the name Angel 6. Sometimes he is called the Mediatour of the New-Covenant Heb. 9.15 for this cause he is the Mediatour of the New-Testament saith the Apostle now a Mediatour is such a one as goes betwixt two parties at variance imparting the mind of the one to the other so as to breed a right understanding and thereby to work a complyance betwixt both and thus Christ is a Mediatour betwixt God and us By him it is that the mind and will of God is imparted to man no man hath seen God at any time John 1.18 the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and by him it is that we impart our mind unto God The smoak of the incense which goes with the prayers of the Saints ascends up before God out of the Angels hand This was typified in Moses Rev. 8.4 I stood between the Lord and you at that time to
shew you the Word of the Lord. Deut. 5 5. The Vulgar renders it thus Ego sequestor medius I was a Mediatour a Midler betwixt God and you and so Christ Jesus he is a Mediatour a Midler an Interpreter an Inter-messenger betwixt God and his People 2. The Reasons of Christs being a Prophet were these 1. That he might reveal and deliver to his people the will of his Father 2. That he might open and expound the same being once delivered 3. That he might make his Saints to understand and to believe the same being once opened 1. As a Prophet he delivers to the people his Fathers will both in his own Person and by his Servants the Ministers In his own Person when he was upon earth as a Minister of the Circumcision Rom. 15.8 Heb. 2 3. and by his Servants the Ministers from the beginning of their mission till the end of the World Thus the Gospel is called A great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Christ in his own personal preaching is said but to have begun to teach Acts 1.1 and the consummate publication was the sending of the holy Ghost to these Select Vessels who were to carry abroad this Treasure unto all the world it was begun by the Lord and it was confirmed by them that were the Disciples of the Lord. In this respect we cannot look on the publishing of the Gospel to the world but as very glorious was there not a resemblance of state and glory in the preaching of Christ You have heard how a forerunner was sent to prepare his way as an Herald to proclaim his approach and then was revealed the glory of the Lord but because the publication was not consummate till afterwards Eph. 4.8 Christ carries it on in greater state afterwards than he did before When he ascended up on high he then led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men as Princes in time of their solemn inauguration do some special Acts of magnificence and Honour they proclaim Pardons open Prisons Create Nobles fill Conduits with wine so Christ to testifie the glory of his Gospel at the day of his instalment and solemn readmission into his Fathers glory he proclaims the Gospel gives gifts unto men for the perfecting of the Saints Ver. 12. for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ 2. As a Prophet he opens and expounds the Gospel Thus being in the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day Luke 4.17 18 21. he opened the book and he found the place where it was written the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor c. and then he closed the book and said Luke 24.27 this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And thus joyning himself with two of his Disciples going towards Emmaus he begun at Moses and all the Prophets and he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself the Prophesies of Christ were dark and hard to be understood and therefore Christ came down from Heaven to discover such truths John 3.13 No man hath ascended up to Heaven i.e. to be acquainted with Gods secrets but he that came down from Heaven the gracious purpose of God towards lost mankind was a secret locked up in the breast of the Father and so it had been even to this day had not Christ who was in the bosome of the Father and one of his Privy Council revealed it unto us hence Christ is called the Interpreter of God Mat. 11.27 no man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him by his interpretation Luke 24.45 Acts 10.14 3. As a Prophet he gives us to understand and to believe the Gospel Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and thus was the Case of Lydia whose heart the Lord opened he that first opens Scriptures at last opens hearts He is that true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 he enlightens every believer not only with a common natural light but with a special supernatural light of saving spiritual and effectual knowledge now there is no Prophet can do this save only Jesus Christ he only is able to cause our hearts to believe and to understand the matter which he doth teach and reveal other Prophets may plant and water Paul may plant and Apollo may water but he and only he can give the increase other Prophets may teach and Baptize but unless Christ come in by the powerful presence of his Spirit 1 Pet. 2.5 Psal 127.1 they can never be able to save any one poor soul We as lively stones are built up a spiritual house saith Peter but except the Lord do build this house they labour in vain that build it O alas who is able to breath the Spirit of life into these dead stones John 5.25 but he of whom it is written The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live Who can awaken a dead soul out of a dead sleep And who can give light unto these blind eyes of ours but he of whom it is written Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light 3. The Excellencies of Christ above all other Prophets are in these respects 1. Other Prophets were but Types and shadows of this great Prophet even Moses himself was but a figure of him Acts 7.37 A Prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me saith Moses these words Like unto me do plainly shew that Moses was at the best but an image and shadow of Christ now as substances do far excel shadows so doth Christ far excel all the Prophets they were but shadows and forerunners to him 2. Other Prophets revealed but some part of Gods will and only at sometimes God saith the Apostle at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time-past unto the Fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1.1 i.e. he let out his light by little and little till the Day-star and Sun of Righteousness arose Ver. 2. but in these last dayes he hath spoken by his Son i.e. he had spoken more fully and plainly in this respect saith the Apostle the heirs of Life and Salvation were but children before Christs incarnation Gal. 14.1 2. As now we see but through a glass darkly towards what we shall do in the life to come so did they of old in comparison of us their light in comparison of ours was but an obscure and glimmering light Christs discovery of himself then was but a standing behind the wall a looking forth of the window Cant. 2.9 a shewing of himself through the
suffer but also to do for he both satisfied the Curse and fulfilled the Commandments O remember this as Christ and as Christ in the flesh so Christ in the flesh made under the Law is principally to be in the eye of of our Faith If we put all together our first view of Faith is to look on Christ God in the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith going to Christ as God in the flesh and as made under the Law it is principally to look to the end and meaning of Christ as being God in the flesh and as fulfilling the Law Now if we would know the meaning of Christ in all this the Apostle tells us of a remote and of a more immediate end 1. Of a remote end God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons This was Christ's meaning or the remote end of Christ Alas we were strangers from the Adoption and we lay under the Law as men whom sentence had passed on Now from this latter we are redeemed he was under the Law that we might be redeemed from under the Law nor is that all but as we are redeemed so are we adopted the Children of God And this end I rather attribute to the Life of Christ that we might receive the Adoption i.e. from the estate of Prisoners condemned that we might be translated into the estate of children adopted O the mercy of God! who ever heard of a condemned man to be afterwards adopted would not a condemned Prisoner think himself happy to escape with Life But the zeal of the Lord of Hosts hath performed this we are in Christ both pardoned and adopted and by this means the joy and glory of Gods heavenly inheritance is estated upon us O let our Faith look mainly to this design and plot of Christ he was made under the Law yea and under the directive part of the Law by his life he fulfilled every jot and title of the Law by his active obedience that we might be entitled to glory that we might be adopted to the inheritance of the Saints in glory 2. For the more immediate end of Christ the Apostle tells us Christ was made under the Law Rom. 8.4 or fulfilled all Righteousness that the Law might be fulfilled in us In Christ's life were we represented and so this fulfilling of all righteousness is accounted ours that the Law might be fulfilled in us O my soul look to this Herein lies the pith and the marrow of thy Justification of thy self thou canst do nothing that good is but Christ fulfilled the Law in thy stead and if now thou wilt but act and exercise thy Faith thou mayst thereby find and feel the vertue and efficacy of Christ's righteousness and actual obedience flowing into thy own soul But here is the question how should I manage my Faith or how should I act it to feel Christ's righteousness my righteousness I answer 1. Thy way is to discover and discern this righteousness of Christ this holy and perfect life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the whole and in all the parts of it as it is laid down in the written Word Much hath been said of it in those four years of Christ's Ministry but especially in the last year I shall say more anon in our conformity unto Christ whither also thou mayst have recourse 2. Thy way is to believe and to receive this discovery as sacred and unqestionable in reference to thy own soul as intended for thee for thy use and benefit 3. Thy way is to apprehend apply and to improve this discovery according to that judgment and proposal to those uses ends and benefits to which thou believest they were designed Yea but there lies the question how may that be done I answer 1. Setting before thee that discovery that perfect life of Christ in the whole and all the parts of it thou must first endeavour to be deeply humbled for thy great inconformity thereto in whole and in part 1. Still keeping thy Spirit intent on the Pattern thou must quicken provoke and encrease thy sluggish and drowsie soul with renewed redoubled vigilancy and industry to come up higher towards it and if it were possible compleatly to it 3. Yet having the same discovery rule and copy before thee thou must exercise faith thereupon as that which was performed and is accepted on thy behalf And so go to God and there represent offer and tender Christ's holy life and active obedience unto him And that first to fill up the defects of thy utmost endeavour Secondly to put a righteousness price value and worth upon what thou dost and attainest to Thirdly to make Christ's righteousness thy own that thou may'st say with the Psalmist in way of assurance O God my righteousness O my soul if thou would'st thus live by Faith or thus act thy Faith on Christ's Life Christ's Righteousness Christ's active obedience what a blessed life would'st thou live then mightst thou find and feel Christ's righteousness thy righteousness I say thy Righteousness in respect of its efficacy but not in respect of its formality for so sinners would be their own Mediators But of some of these Particulars I shall speak more largely in our conformity to Christ's holy Life 2. For encouragements to bring on souls thus to believe on Christ consider 1. The fulness of this Object Christ's life is full it is very comprehensive it contains holiness and happiness sanctification and justification if Christ's Garments were healing how much more so main and essential a part of Christ even the half of Christ as it were for so is Christ's Life It is vehemently to be suspected that the true reason why so much is said of his Death and so little in comparison of his Life it is either because we understand not the fulness of his life or because we are carnal and selfish affecting freedom from hell more than holiness on earth some benefit by Christ more than conformity to Christ O come see the fulness of Christ's life in reference to our sanctification was it not an exact model of perfection a most curious exemplification of Gods whole Word an express Idea Image Representation of the whole mind of God a full president for all others to walk by to work by to live by and in reference to justification is not Christ's life the object of Faith and justifying nay is not Christ's life the object of justifying faith as well as Christ's death resurrection ascension session intercession The assertors of Christ's active and passive obedience for us can tell us of two things in the Law intended one principal viz. Obedience and another secondary viz. malediction upon supposition of disobedience so that sin being once committed there must be a double act to justification the suffering of the Curse and the fulfilling of Righteousness anew the one is satisfaction for
of the paradise of delights who hath thus troubled thee it is my sins O Lord that have so troubled thee my sins were the Thorns that pricked thee the lashes that whipped thee the purple that cloathed thee it is I Lord that am thy tormentor and the very cause of these thy pains 8. Consider Pilate's sentence that Jesus should be Crucified as the Jews required Now they had him in their will and they did to him what seemed them good Follow him from Gabbatha to Golgotha see how they lay the heavy Cross upon his tender shoulders that were so pitifully rent and torn with whips accompany him all the way to the Execution and help to carry his Cross to Mount Calvary And there as if thou hadst been frozen hitherto thaw into tears see him lifted up on that engine of torture the bloody Cross he hangs on nails and as he hangs his own weight becomes his own affliction O see how his arms and legs were racked with voilent pulls his hands and feet boared with nails his whole body torn with stripes and gored with blood And now O my soul run with all thy might into his arms held out at their full length to receive thee Oh weigh the matter because sin entred by the senses therefore the head in which the senses flourish is crowned with searching thorns because the hands and feet are more especially the instruments of sin therefore his hands and feet are nailed to the Cross for satisfaction O marvellous what King is he or of what Countrey that wears a Crown of Thorns what man is he or where lives he whose hands and feet are not only bored but digged into as if they had been digging with Spades in a ditch surely here 's matter for a serious meditation be enlarged O my thoughts and dwell upon it consider it and consider it again 9. Consider the darkness that spread over all the Earth now was the Sun ashamed to shew his brightness considering that the Father of lights was darkned with such disgrace the Heavens discoloured their beauty and are in mourning robes the Lamp of Heaven is immantled with a miraculous Eclipse the Sun in the firmament will simpathize with the Sun of Righteousness it will not appear in glory though it be mid-day because the Lord of Glory is thus disgraced And now hear the voice that comes from the Son of God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Christ in the Garden tasted the bitter cup of God's fierce wrath but now he drunk the dregs of it he then sipped off the top but now he drunk all off top and bottom and all O but what 's the meaning of this My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Surely 1. This was not a total but a partial dereliction this was not a perpetual but a temporary forsaking of him the Godhead was not took away from the manhood but the union remained still even now when the Manhood was forsaken 2. This was not a forsaking on Christ's part but only on the Father's part the Father forsook Christ but Christ went after him God took away the sense of his love but the Son of God laid hold upon him crying and saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 3. This forsaking was not in respect of his being but in respect of the feeling of God's favour love and mercy certainly God loved him still Oh but his sense of comfort was now quite gone so as it never was before In his agony there was some inklings of God's mercy now and then at least there was some star-light some little flash of lightning to cheer him up but now all the sense and feeling of God's love was gone and not so much as any little star-light of the same appeared Christ now took the place of sinners and God the Father shut him out as it were amongst the sinners he drew his mercy out of sight and out of hearing and therefore he cryed out in a kind of wonderment My God my God why hast thou forsaken me After this he speaks but a few words more and he gives up the Ghost He dyes that we might live he is dissolved in himself that we might be united to his Father O my soul see him now if thou canst for weeping his eyes are dim his cheeks are wan his face is pale his head is bowing his heart is panting himself is dying come come and dye with him by a most exact mortification look pale like him with grief and sorrow and trouble for thy sins 10. Consider the piercing of his side with a spear whence came out a stream of blood and water O Fountain of everlasting waters methinks I see the blood running out of his side more freshly than those golden streams which ran out of the Garden of Eden and watered the whole World Consider the taking of his body down by Joseph the burying of it by Joseph and Nicodemus O here 's excellent matter for our meditation O my spirit go with me a little Christ being dead it is pitty but he should have a funeral according to the letter let Joseph and Nicodemus bear his corps let the blessed Virgin go after it sighing and weeping and at every other place looking up to Heaven let Mary Magdalen follow after with a box of precious Ointment in her hand and with her hair hanging ready if need were to wipe his feet again or that in this meditation I may be more spiritual let the Usurer come first with Judas's bag and distribute to the poor as he goes along let the Drunkard follow after with the spunge that was filled with gall and vinegar and check his wanton thirst let the young Gallant or voluptuous man come like his Master with bare foot and with the cown of thorns set also upon his head let the wanton person bear the rods and whips and wiers wherewith Christ was scourged and fright his own flesh let the ambitious man be cladin the purple robe the angry Person in the seamless coat my meaning is let every sinner according to the nature of his sin draw something or other from the passion of Christ to the mortifying of his sin yea let all turn mourners let all bow their heads and be ready to give up the Ghost for the Name of Christ and let not Christ be buried without a Sermon neither and let the Text be this John 10.11 The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep and in the end of the Sermon whether it be in use or no let the Preacher take occasion to speak a word or two in the praise of Christ let him say with the Spouse that he was the chiefest among ten thousands that he was altogether lovely Cant. 5.10 16. that being God above all Gods he became man beneath all men that when he spake he began ordinarily with verily verily I say unto you that he was an holy man that he never sinned in all his
and the fellowship of his sufferings now by the Grace of Christ I am made conformable to his death As he died for sin so I die to sin and here is the ground of my hope that Christs death is mine For the second whether we encrease and grow in our mortification this question is needfull as the former to satisfie our souls interest in the death of Christ As true Grace is growing Grace so true mortification is that which grows Now that we may be resolved in this point also the growth of our mortification will appear by these following signs 1. Growing Mortification hath its chiefest conflicts in spiritual lusts At first we mortifie grosser evils such as Oaths Drunkenness Uncleanness worldly-mindedness or the like but when we grow in this Blessed duty we then set our selves against spiritual wickednesses as Pride Presumption Self-carnal confidence in a man 's own graces or the like 2 Cor. 7.1 this Method the Apostle sets down let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit first from all filthiness of the flesh or body and then from all filthiness of the spirit or soul as the children of Israel in their entrance into the land of Promise first they sate upon the frontiers and skirts of the Land and then they sought it out and prevailed in the heart of the Country so Christians in their mortification they first set upon worldly lusts gross evils outward sins and when they have encountred them at the frontiers they then conflict with such corruptions as lie more inwardly in the very heart spiritual wickednesses that are within Now if this be our case here is one sign of our growth 2. Growing mortification is more even constant lasting durable when there is in the heart a sudden flowing and reflowing it comes from those vast Seas of Corruptions that are within us many souls have their Ague-fits sometimes hot and sometimes cold it may be now they are in a very good frame and within an hour or two a mighty Tide comes in and they are born down by sin and corruption in this case mortification is very weak But on the contrary if we find our standing more firm and sure if for the main we walk evenly and keep closely to the Lord it carries with it an evidence that our mortification grows 3. Growing mortification feels Lust more weak and the Spirit more strong in its ordinary actings If we would know the truth of growth let us look to our usual fits of sinning for then a man's strength or weakness is discerned most as a man's weakness to good is discerned when he comes to act it Rom. 7.18 to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not so a man's weakness to sin is best discerned when he comes to act it Mark then the ordinary fits as we call them of sinning sometimes God is pleased to appoint some more frequent assaults as if he would on purpose suffer the law of the members to war and to muster up all their forces that so we might the rather know what is in our hearts at such a time if we find that resistance against sin grows stronger that sin cannot advance and carry on his Army so as formerly that sin is encountâ—ed at first or met withal at the frontiers and there overthrown this is a good sign that now our mortification grows as suppose it be a Lust of Fancy it cannot boyl up to such gross fancies as it was wont or suppose it be a Lust of Pride it boyls not up to such a spirit of Pride as formerly in stead of bringing forth fruit it now brings forth blossomes or instead of bringing forth blossomes it now brings forth nothing but Leaves why this is a sure sign that this Lust is withering more and more when the inordinate thirst is not so great in the time of the Fit when the inward lusts pitch upon lower acts than they had wont when the waters abate and fall short and lessen and overflow less ground we may conclude certainly that mortification grows 4. Growing mortification hath more ability to abstain from the very occasions and beginnings of lust Ioâ— 31.1 Thus Job whom we look on as a man much mortified made a Covenant with his eyes that he would not think upon a Maid and no question as he made a covenant so he kept his Covenant Oh! when a man cannot endure to come where such a one is that he loves not when he cannot endure the fight of him or any thing that puts him in mind of him not so much as to parlie or speak with him this is a sign of a strong hatred and so when a man hates the very garment spotted with the flesh here 's a good sign I know this height is not easie to attain to and therefore some in imitation of Job and David have bound themselves with vows and promises as much as might be to abstain from the appearance of evil to crush the Cockatrice Egg before the Serpent could creep out of it to avoid sin in its first rise but alas how have they broken their vows from time to time For all this I dare not speak against vows provided that 1. They be of things lawful 2. That we esteem them not as duties of absolute necessiâ—y And 3. Thâ—t we bind not our selves perpetually left our vows should become burdens unto us but only for some short time and so renew them as occasion requires in this way our vows might much help us in our mortification and if once through the help of vows or prayer or looking unto Jesus or going to the Cross of Jesus Christ or by any other means we feel our selves more able to resist sin to hate sin in its first rise first motions first on-set we may assuredly hope that now our mortification grows O my Soul try now the growth of thy mortification by these signs hast thou overcome grosser sins and is now thy chiefest coâ—flâ—t with spiritual wickednesses is thy standing and walking with God more close and even and constant than sometimes it hath been is thy lusts more weak and thy Grace more strong in ordinary actings I say in ordinary actings for the estimate of thy growth must not be taken for a turn or two but by a constanst course hast thou now more ability to quench the flame of sin in the very spark to dash Babylon's Brats against the stones even whilst they are little to abstain from sin in its first motion or beginning why then is the promise accomplished he will subdue our iniquities Surely thou art a growing Christian Micah 7.19 thou hast fellowship with Christ in his sufferings thy ground is solid firm and stable thy hope hath a rock-foundation and thou maiest build upon it that Christ's death and blood and sufferings are thine even thine he loved thee and gave himself for thee SECT V. Of Believing in Jesus in
with man I know no reason why we should exclude civil peace out of Christ's wish many many a promise and precept we have in the Word scattered here and there to this purpose Lev. 26.6 Job 5.23.24 And I will give peace in the land and ye shall lye down and none shall make you afraid and thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace Ier. 29.7 Heb. 12.14 and seek the peace of the City and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace And follow peace and holiness without which no man shall see God Orbem pecatum was ever a clause in the prayers of the primitive Church Rom. 12.13 that the world might be quiet I am sure it is Christ's command if it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men 3. It speaks there peace among themselves peace one with another such is or should be the condition of the Church Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compact together Psal 122.3 or unity within it self the Apostle dwells in this unity there is one body Eph. 4.4 5 6. and one Spirit and one hope and one Lord and one faith and one baptism and one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all The Church is a Court whose very pillars are peace the building of Christianity knows no other material to work upon if we look upon the Church it self there is one body if upon the very soul of it there is one Spirit if upon the endowment of it there is one hope if upon the head of it there is one Lord if upon the life of it there is one faith if upon the door of it there is one Baptism if upon the Father so it there is one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark 9.50 It was sometimes Christ's commands unto his Apostles have salt in your selves and have peace one with another and as a blessed effect of this salutation for I look upon them as words full of vertue the Apostles and Churches of Christ in primitive times kept a most sweet harmony the multitude of them that believed were of one heart Acts. 4.32 and of one soul 4. It speaks peace within peace of conscience the Apostles had exceedingly fallen from Christ one betrayed him and another denyed him but all run away and left him alone in the midst of all his enemies and yet to them he speaks this salutation peace be unto you I know not a better ground for comfort of poor humbled sinners than this is it may be you have dealt very unkindly with Jesus Christ you have forsook him denyed him forsworn him O but consider all this hindred not Christ's apparition to his Apostles he comes unexpected and quiets their spirits he stayes not till they had sued to him for mercy or pardon but of his meer love and free grace he speaks kindly to them all he stills the waves and becalmes their troubled Spirits working in them according to his words peace be unto you O the sweet of peace it is all wishes in one this little word is a breviary of all that is good what can they more than to have peace with God and peace with men and peace within Luke 2.14 sure there is much in it because Christâ— is so much upon it at his birth the Angels sung Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace at his baptism the form of a dove lighted upon him and what meant this but peace in his life the sort of integrity was his court and what was here but peace near his death he gives peace as a legacy to his Church Iohn 14.27 peace I leave with you my peace I give you at his resurrection his first salutation to his Apostles is a wish of peace peace be unto you what can I say more to make us in love with peace Ioh. 17.2021 why all Christ did and all Christ suffered was for peace Luke 19.42 he prayed for it neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us And he wept for it if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which do belong unto thy peace And he dyed to 〈…〉 but ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace Eph. 2 13 14. Of this we need no other proof or sign but that of the Prophet Jonah when the sea wrought and was tempestuous what shall we do unto thee said the Mariners that the sea may be calm unto us and he said take me up and cast me into the sea so shall the sea be calm Jona 1.11 12. when that great enmity was betwixt God and us what shall I do said God that my justice may be satisfied and my wrath appeased and that there may be a calm why take me said Christ and cast me forth into the sea let all thy waves and thy billows go over me make me a peace offâ—ring and kill me that when I am dead there may be a calm and when I am risen I may proclame it saying peace be unto you You hear what he said 3. What he shewed this is the next passage he shewed unto them his hands and his side I look upon this as a true and real manifestation of his resurrection And we find that without this Thomas professed he would never have believed except I shall see in his hands the print of the nayls and put my finger into the print of the nayls John 20.25 and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe But a question or two is here raised as whether these wounds and prints of the nayls spear can possibly agree with a glorified body and why Christ retained those wounds and prints for the first whether those prints could agree with a glorified boâ—y some affirm it with much boldness and they say that Christ not only retained those prints whilest he abode upon earth but now that he is ascended into heaven he still retains them for my part I dare not go so far because Scripture is silent but the day is a coming when we shall see Christ face to face and then we shall know the truth of this only I conceive that Christ's body yet remaining on earth was not entred into that fulness of glory as it is now in heaven and therefore he might then retain some skars or blemishes to manifest the truth of his resurrection unto his Disciples which are not agreeable to his state in heaven But this I deliver not as matter of Faith reasons are produced both
fully finished the mercy which thereupon depended was now made certain and as the Apostle speaks sure unto all the seed Methinks a thought of this object in respect of it self and in respect of us should put our souls into a longing frame Rom. 4.16 is it not a desirable thing to see the King in his beauty were not the Daughters of Zion glad to go forth Cant. 3.11 and to behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother Crowned him in the day of his espousalls If Christ incarnate and in humane frailty was the desire of Nations how much more is Christ exalted and in his glory if it was Augustines great wish to have seen Christ in the flesh how should we but wish to see Christ as risen again from the dead he is altogether lovely or he is altogether desireable desireable in the womb Cant. 5.16 desireable in the cratch desireable on the Cross even when despised and numbred with thieves desireable in his resurrection yea all desirable yea above all desirable as risen exalted glorified in this consideration we cannot fathom the thousand thousand part of the worth and incomparable excellency of Jesus Christ Or if Christ's resurrection in it self will not stir up our lazy desires as it not desirable as in reference unto us what that he should rise again for our justification that by vertue of his resurrection thy soul should appear righteous before the judgment seat of God O what a ravishing word is that what a triumphing challeng Rom. 8.33 34. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again O the stings that many have saying what shall I do when I dye and go down to the dust may not the Lord have something against me at the day of reckoning why no poor soul if thou art in Christ it is he that dyed yea rather that is risen again for thy justification by his resurrection he hath cleared all reckonings so that now who shall condemn not sin Christ hath took it away not the law Christ hath fulfilled it for us not Satan for if the Judge acquit us what can the Jaylor do O my soul that thy portion may be with theirs who hath right and title to this blessed resurrection of Jesus Christ But thou sayest again what is it to me if I be justified in Christ and yet my heart remain unholy and unsubdued to Christ it is true thou findest a wofull sinful nature within thee cross and contrary to holiness and leading thee dayly into captivity yet remember it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again and by vertue of his resurrection he hath given thee a new nature another nature which makes thee wrestle against sin and shall in time prevail over all sin But thou sayst again what if I be justified and sanctified if after death I shall not be raised to life why fear not O my soul for if Christ be risen thou shalt rise and rise to eternal life John 14.19 I am the resurrection and the life not only the resurrection but life is in him originally as water is in the fountain and from him it is derived to us because I live ye shall live also But thou sayst again O that I were assured of this many doubts and jealousies are upon me from day to day Sometimes indeed I have a comfortable hope of my justification Psal 88.14 sanctification salvation and sometimes again I am forced to cry Lord why caâ—test thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me O consider of the ends of Christ's resurrection was it not to give thee the sure mercies of David was it not to apply the merits of Christ's active and passive obedience and to bring them home to thy soul 1 Cor. 15.17 was it not to confirm and to ratifie thy faith else were it in vain O the Person of Christ and O the priviledges of Christ as being raised from the dead O my soul that thou wert on the wing in thy desires after Christ O that thy motions were as swift as the Eagles that hasted to eat O that feelingly thou knewest him and the power of his resurrection that thou wert resolved to give no sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eye-lids until thou couldst say Christs resurrection is mine why Lord that I should long after vanities trifles toyes pleasures profits earthly contentments that I should long like some women with Child for a deal of baggage coles or ashes very lothsome food and yet that I should feel no pantings breathings hungerings thirstings after Christs resurrection to feed upon it and to be satisfied with it come here 's a blessed object here 's delights O stir up thy appetite suck and be satisfied drink ye drink abundantly O my beloved SECT IV. Of hoping in Jesus in that respect LEt us hope in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his resurrection Only remember I mean not a fluctuating wavering unsetled unestablished hope no no let us hope firmly surely fixedly let us come up to that plerophory or full assurance of hope that we may conclude comfortably and confidently Christs resurrection is ours and yet that our conclusion may not be rash but upon right grounds we may examine the firmness solidness substantialness of our hope in Christs resurrection by these following signs 1. If Christs resurrection be mine then is Christs death mine the fruits or effects of Christs death and resurrection cannot be severed if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death Rom. 6.5 we shall be in the likeness of his resurrection Mortification and vivification are twins of one and the same spirit depart from evil and do good Cease to do evil learn to do well Many may think they have their part in the first resurrection Psal 34.14 Isa 1.16 17. but can they prove their death unto sin as there cannot be a resurrection before a man dye so there cannot be a resurrection to a new life but there must be a separation of the soul from the body of sin what shall a man cleave to sin be wedded to sin yea shall a man like it love it live in it and yet say or imagine that Christs resurrection is his O be not deceived God is not mocked come scearch try examine hast thou any share in Christs passion knowest thou the fellowship of his sufferings art thou made conformable to his death that as he dyed for sin so thou dyest to sin if herein thou art at a stand peruse those Characters laid down in his sufferings and death the truth and growth of our mortification or of our death unto sin is discovered before 2. If Christs resurrection be mine then is Christ's Spirit mine yea then am I quickened by the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 11. If
law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ or the law of this quickening Spirit communicated from Christ unto thy soul 3. If Christ's resurrection be mine then am I planted together in the likness of Christ's resurrection then do I resemble and am made conformable to Christ in his resurrection now if we would know wherein that resemblance is the Apostle tells us that like as Christ was rised up from the dead by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.5 even so we also should walk in newness of life Our mortification is a resemblance of Christ's death and our vivification is a resemblance of Christs resurrection In this ground of our hope concerning our interest in the resurrection of Christ I shall propound these questions Rom. 6.4 1. Whether indeed and in truth our souls are vivified 2. Whether we increase and grow in our vivification For the first the truth and certainty of our vivification will appear by these rules 1. True vivification is general both in respect of us and in respect of Grace 1. In respect of us it is diffused throughout the whole man the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly saith the Apostle and I pray God that your whole spirit 1 Thes 5.23 soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And. 2. In respect of Grace it is in every Grace I know it is a question whether all Graces are so connexed and chained together that possible they cannot be severed but I suppose it is truly answered that in respect of habit they cannot be severed though in respect of the act or exercise they may be severed some Graces are more radical than others as faith and love and therefore they first appear but as a man lives first the life of a plant then of sense then of reason though all were radically there at first so it is in graces experience tells us that some Christians are eminent in some graces and some in other graces some have more love and some more knowledg and some more patience and some more self-denial but all that are true Christians have each of these graces in some measure or other or at least they have them in habit though not in the act if vivication be true there is a whole work of grace both in heart and life as the light in the ayre runs through the whole hemisphere so the whole work of grace runs through and is diffused through the whole man soul body and spirit O my soul this may put thee to thy study because of the several constitutions or tempers of graces thou mayest find this or that grace this or that image of Christ clearly stampt on thy heart but thou canst not find such and such graces in this case fear not for if in truth and sincerity thou hast but one grace thou hast the whole chaine of graces But to speak to some graces in particular Gal. 2.20 2. True vivification is a new life acting upon a new principle of Faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God They are the words of a man pursued by the law unto Christ Paul seeing he was dead by the law he speaks for a better husband the law finds him dead and leaves him dead Nevertheless I live saith Paul what means he a natural life why so he lived before now no no it is a better life than a natural life such a life is no contentment to a soul pursued by the law very heathens and infidels have such a life and in that respect are as happy as the best of Saints Paul's life is a spiritual life and the Spring of his life is the Son of God Jesus Christ is esscentially radically fundamentally life it self and by his incarnation passion resurrection he is life for his Saints they live by him and in him and for him and through him he is the heart and liver of their Spiritual life But as from the heart and liver there must be arteryes and vains for maintenance of life and conveyance of blood throughout all the body so from Christ there must be some conveyance to bring this to life unto us and this is by faith I live by the faith of the Son of God O my soul dost thou live this life of faith on the Son of God canst thou make use of Christ in every state and in every condition As for instance in thy particular calling dost thou look to Christ for wisdome success blessing ability dost thou say if I have ill success I will yet go to Christ it is he that set me here and it is he will enable me in case of provision dost thou run to Christ and dost thou hang upon him for all things needful dost thou say If I want means God will create means he commands all means and he can suddenly do whatsoever he will In case of protection dost thou look unto Jesus to be thy shield and protector dost thou mind the word of God to Abraham Fear not Abraham for I am God all-sufficient Gen. 15.1 thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward In case of thy Children goest thou to Christ saying Are not my Children thy Children and wilt thou not provide for thy own it is true thou must do what thou canst but for the rest despair not cast thy burthen upon him who hath commanded thee in nothing to be careful Phil. 4.6 Phil. 27.10 but in all things to make thy suits known with prayer and supplication when my Father and Mother forsake me God will take me up saith David He is a Father to the Fatherless he provided for them in the womb he provided brests for them ere they saw the Sun and therefore how should he but have care and compassion over thy Children in case of prosperity dost thou see Christ's love in that state dost thou set him in the first place receiving all and joyning in all as coming from him is this it that makes thy prosperity sweet because thou knowest and believest that thy sins are pardoned otherwise what is thy silver and gold so long as thy pardon is not sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ if a prisoner condemned to dye should abound in all outward plenty what comfort could he have so long as his pardon were not sealed it is the life of faith that sweetens prosperity who are better Christians than they who know they enjoy these things with God's favour and blessing faith sees Gods love in all and so is abundantly thankful faith makes a man to eat and drink and sleep and to do all in Christ as it cost Christ dear to purchase our liberty to the creatures so faith ever sets Christ in the first place it receives all as coming from him it returns all as to the glory of him in case of disgrace dost thou commit thy credit to Jesus Christ dost thou look up to Jesus and
exalted without some preceding decent and humiliation Ephes 49. That he ascended saith the Apostle what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth 4. In respect of our evidence and assurance this is the sign that Christ hath finished the work of our redemption upon the earth first he was to act as our Surety and then he was to ascend as our Head our Advocate as the first-fruits the Captain the Prince of life the Author of salvation the forerunner of his people 4. That he might throughly convince the world of believers of their perfect righteousness The Spirit when he comes saith Christ shall convince the world of sin and righteousness and of judgment of sin because they believe not on me of of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more John 16.8 9 10. If Christ had not fulfilled all righteousness there had been no going to heaven for him nor remaining there certainly God would have sent him down again to have done the rest and the disciples should have seen him with shame sent back again but his ascension to heaven proclaims openly 1. That he hath compleatly finished the work he had to do for us here that no more was to be done in this world for us that the satisfactory work to justice was in it self finished 2. That God was well pleased with Jesus Christ and with what he had done and suffered for us yea God was so infinitely taken with him and his oblation after his sufferings as that he thinks it not fit to let him stay above forty days longer in this world he cannot be without him in heaven but he takes him up into glory and gives him a name above every name 3. That we have our share in heaven with him he went not up as a single person but vertually or mystically he carried up all the Elect with him into glory or otherwise how should the Spirit convince the world by his ascension of their righteousness or otherwise how should the Son of God convince his Father by his Ascension of his righteousness I look upon Jesus Christ going into Heaven as a confident Debtor after payment going into a Court and saying Who hath any thing to lay to his charge all is paid let the law take his course when Christ entred into heaven he seemed thus to challenge Justice Make room here for me and mine who should hinder hath the law any thing to say to these poor souls for whom I dyed if any in heaven can make objection Rev. 8.1 here I am to answer in their behalf Methinks I imagine a silence in heaven as John speaks at this speech only Mercy smiles and Justice gives in the Acquittance and God sets Christ down at his right hand 4. That he hath a new design to be acted in heaven for us he is taken up into glory that he may act gloriously the second part of out righteousness I mean that he might apply it and send down his Spirit to convince us of it He acted one part in the flesh in the habit of a beggar cloathed with rags but now he is gone to act the person of a Prince in robes of glory and all this to manage our salvation in the richest way that may be Three great things Christ acts for us now in glory First he is in place of an advocate for us He liveth to intercede for us Heb. 7.25 He is always begging of favour and love for us he lyes there to stop whatever plea may be brought in against us by the devil or Law yea he is there to get our fresh pardons for new sins Secondly he is the great provider and caterer for us John 14.2 he is laying in a great stock and store of glory for us against we come there In my Fathers house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you Jesus Christ went before to take up God's heart for us and now he is drawing out the riches of love from God his Father and laying them in bank for us Phil. 4.19 which made the Apostle say My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Thirdly he sends down his Spirit to convince us that Christs righteousness is ours indeed the means of procuring this was the life and death of Christ but the means of applying this righteousness are those following acts of Christ's Resurrection Ascension Session Intercession c. By his death he obtained righteousness for us but by his Ascension he applies righteousness to us now it is that in especial manner he convinceth us of righteousness Because he is gone to his Father and we shall see him no more 5. That he might receive his Kingdom over us in the place appointed for it look as Kings are crowned in the chief Cities of their Kingdoms and keep their residence in their palaces near unto them so it was decent that our Saviour should be Crowned in Heaven and there sit down at Gods right hand which immediatly follows after his Ascension to which we now come SECT IV. Of God's right hand and of Christ's Session there 2. FOr the Session of Christ at God's right hand which is a consequent following after his ascension into Heaven I shall examine 1. What is God's right hand 2. What is it to sit there 3. According to what nature doth Christ sit there 4. Why is it that he sits at the right hand of God his Father in Glory 1. What is this right hand of God I answer 1. Negatively it is not any Corporal right hand of God if we speak properly God hath neither right hand nor left hand for God is not a body but a spirit or spiritual substance 2. Positively the right hand of God is the Majesty Dignity Dominion Power and â—lâ—â—y of God The right hand of the Lord is exalted Psal 118.15 Exod. 15.6 Psal 89.13 Isa 48.13 the right hand of the Lord doth valianity Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in Power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in pieces the enemy Thou hast a mighty arm Strong is thy hand and high iâ— thy right hand Mine hand hath laid the foundations of the earth and my right hand hath spanned the Heavens I know some of our Divines make this right hand of God something inferior to God's own power but others speak of it as every way equal and I know no absurdity to follow on it 2. What is it to sit at the right hand of God I answer it is not any corporal Session at Gods right hand as some picture him with a crown of gold on his head sitting on a Throne as if he had no other gesture in Heaven but sitting still which Stephen contradicts Acts 7.56 saying I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on thâ— right hand of God The words sitting or standing are both metaphorical and borrowed
exceeding profitable Only concerning the manner of the indwelling of this spirit in us it is most difficult to conceive Certainly it dwells not in us as in Christ viz. bodily Col. 2.9 unmeasurably Joh. 3.34 Originally 2 Cor. 3.17 the spirit is in Christ as light in the sun but the spirit is in us as light in the air In Christo ut lux in sole in nobis ut lumen in aere Ezek. 36.27 37.14 neither dare I affirm that the spirit is in us more essentially than in any other men or creatures for the essence thereof is indivisible and omnipresent But this I say that the spirit is in the faithful above all others 1. In respect of Covenant the Saints have the spirit by God's free Grace and Covenant I will put my spirit within you saith God in the Covenant which is not only to be understood of the gifts and graces of the spirit but also of the spirit it self 2. In respect of intimate familiarity and near acquaintance the spirit is in the faithful like an inmate or coinhabitant comforting directing ruling strengthning and cherishing them in which respect they are said to be his houses and Temples in which he dwelleth whereas contrariwise worldlings and infidels to all these purposes are meer strangers unto him the world cannot receive him saith Christ because it seeth him not neither knoweth him John 14.17 but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 3. In respect of vertue and efficacy the spirit works efficaciously in his Saints he chooseth them for his own people he possesseth them as of his own right he rules in their hearts as in the chief seat of his Kingdom he purgeth and purifieth them from their sins he replenisheth and filleth them with his saving graces he guides and directs them in the way of holiness and never leaves them till he brings them to his Kingdom 4. In respect of union it was an old errour of the heathens that the soul remaineth in the body after Death which opinion of theirs though false because it contradicts the Word yet the thing it self is possible and doth not contradict reason for the soul may have its local being in the body and yet not give life to the body for it is not the souls being in the body but its being united to the body which makes the body live so it is not the Spirits being locally with the soul but being mystically united to the soul that gives it spiritual life Now in all these respects the spirit is in the faithful above all others I know the objections As 1. If the Spirit be united to a believers soul and so made one with him then may a believer say I am the spirit or I am equal with God in respect of the spirit in me though not as Peter Thomas c. But I answer this follows not for though the spirit be really united to a believers spirit so that he may say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit or hath one spirit yet first this union is a voluntary act and not a natural act and in that respect the Spirit may unite himself to the soul so far as he pleaseth and no further And certainly thus far he is not pleased to unite himself to a believer as that a believer should say properly I am the Spirit or I am equal with God in respect of the spirit for then a believer might be worshipped with Divine worship 2. This union is by way of application and not by way of mixture if an heap of Wheat and a stone should be joyned together there is an union they make both one heap but the Wheat cannot say I am a stone nor can the stone say I am wheat because this union is only by way of Application but if Wine and Water should be joyned together then every part may say I am Water and I am Wine because this union is not only by application but by way of mixture Certainly there is a great union betwixt the Spirit and a believers soul yet cannot the believer say properly I am the Spirit or I am equal with God because their union is only by way of application and not by way of mixture 2. Object No more was the union of Christ as God with our nature as man any union by way of mixture yeâ— could he say I am God and I am man But I answer Christ's union was not only spiritual or mystical but hypostatical or personal and in that respect though there was no mixture yet there was such an union as cannot be parallel'd in all the world Our souls union with the spirit of Christ goes very far and indeed so far as we cannot express it though we had the tongues and heads and hearts of men and Angels yet comes it short of that union betwixt the second person in the Trinity and the soul and body of Christ his union was personal but so is not ours a believer is a person before he is united to the spirit of Christ but now Christ's soul and body were not a person before united to the person of the Godhead Go we therefore as far as we can and I shall easily yeild that our union with the spirit is a true real essential substantial spiritual invisible mystical intimate union yet is it not a personal or hypostatical union the spirit doth not assume the soul or body of a believer as the second person assumed the soul and body of Christ Away away with these cavils and blasphemies wherewith too many unstable souls are now infected I have done with this Reason 4. That the holy Ghost might according to his Office endow men with gifts no sooner he bestows his person but immediatly he fills us with his train Now the gifts of the Spirit are of these two sorts some are common to good and bad others are proper to the Elect only Those gifts which are common are again two-fold for some of them are given but to certain men and at certain times as the gift of Miracles of Tongues of Prophesies and these were necessary for the Apostles and the Primitive Church when the Gospel was first to be dispersed others are given to all the members of the Church and at all times as the gifts of Interpretation Sciences Arts Prudence Learning Knowledg Eloquence and such like the former gifts we have not but these latter are now given to every member of the Church according to the measure of Christ's gift as the calling and vocation of every member needeth As for those gifts and saving graces which are proper to the godly I shall speak of them anon Now here is another reason of the spirits mission Eph. 4.8 that he might give gifts unto men if you ask what are those gifts the Apostle tells you in one place He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists v. 11. and
2 Cor. 6.16 Cant. 7.5 but as a Temple for himself to dwell in as a Gallery for himself to walk in Oh what longings Oh what pantings and gaspings Oh what faintings and swoonings should there be in thy spirit after this Spirit Come holy spirit O come and dwell in my soul I know thou wilt make the place of thy feet glorious if I have but thy presence I shall be all glorious within O come come holy Spirit SECT IV. Of hoping on Jesus in that respect 4. LEt us hope in Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in these particulars thus was the Apostles Prayer Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and Peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost could we abound in hope that Christ's Ascension Session and Mission of his Spirit did belong to us we should never be ashamed Hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.5 O then let us look to our hope and be sure that it be of the right stamp which in reference to every of these passages we may examine thus As 1. If Christ's Ascension be mine then am I ascended with Christ I mean not in respect of any bodily Ascension for that must not be untill the last day nor in respect of any essential substantial soul-ascension for that must not be before the separation of soul and body at our deaths-day but in respect of our spiritual ascension for so we may ascend into heaven by faith and love though for the present we are on earth Col. 3.1 2. if ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth If Christ our Head be ascended then we that are his Members must needs follow after him in our affections Christ tells us Where our treasure is there will our hearts be also Mat. 6.21 If Christ our Treasure be ascended into heaven our loves our affections our hearts will follow after him and if our hearts be in heaven no question but we our selves both souls and bodies shall at last ascend when Christ ascended we ascended virtually with him now we ascend spiritually and at last we shall ascend bodily for he that ascended shall descend and then we shall meet him in the ayr and so shall we be ever with the Lord. 1 Thes 4.17 In the mean time to maintain our hope let us ascend dayly by faith and love and this is our character that Christ's Ascension is truly ours 2. If Christ's Session be mine then am I set down with Christ in heavenly places I mean not bodily but by faith which faith makes it as sure to my soul as if I had a foot already in heaven Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 and the evidence of things not seen By faith I now sit in heavenly places in that I verily believe I shall do it one day my hope is now certain in that I am as sure of that I look for as I am of that I have already received it is the common objection We see it not As the Apostle said of Christ We see not yet all things put under him but he presently answers We see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels crowned with glory and honour Heb. 2.8 9. and so we may be sure the thing is as good as done for if he be above all must come under in like manner we see not our selves in present possession but we see Christ crowned and our selves sitting with him virtually and therefore at last we shall see our selves actually crowned and sitting together with Christ in heavenly places In the mean time faith takes possession of the Kingdom of Heaven saith makes the soul even now to converse with God 1 Tim. 6.19 and Christ and Saints and Angels Faith layes hold upon eternal life it puts the soul as it were into heaven and sets it down at the right hand of Christ and this is our character that Christ's Session is truly ours 3. if Christs spirit be mine and sent to me then have I both the person and train of the spirit of Christ it is the having the spirit and the working of the spirit in me that is my evidence of the Spirits mission I look upon this as the greatest Question and the weightiest and most important case of conscience that can be propounded or known of us viz. Whether the spirit of Christ doth reside in us or whether we have a well-grounded hope to say of our selves that we have the in-dwelling of the spirit of God Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God saith the Apostle and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 6.19 And again Know ye not that your bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost In this Question he seems to put it out of Question that true Christians should know and in right temper do know that the spirit of God dwells in them if we know not this we cannot know that we have any part in Christ because the holy spirit is the principal bond of our union betwixt Christ and us if we know not this we cannot know that we are justified for we have nothing to do with Christ's Righteousness by which we are justified untill by our spiritual union Christ is made ours if we know not this we cannot know we are the adopted Children of God for it is the spirit of adoption Rom. 8.15 whereby we cry in our hearts Abba Father if we know not this we cannot know that we are sanctified for it is the spirit which is the beginner and perfecter of our sanctification if we know not this we cannot know that our prayers are heard for it is the spirit that helps our infirmities Rom. 8.26 and that makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered if we know not this we cannot know whether we are in error or truth or whether our religion which we profess be true or false for it is the spirit who enlightens us and teacheth us and leadeth us into all truth if we know not this we cannot know our own comforts for he is the only true Comforter from whom all sound comfort springs Come then and put we our selves to the trial Let us search whether we have the spirit of Christ which we may resolve if we will not deal deceitfully with our own hearts by these following signs 1. The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of illumination if he dwell in us he will enlighten our eyes reveal to us those saving truths of God as they are in Jesus But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost John 14.6 1 Joh 2.20 v. 27. whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things But ye have an unction from
the holy One and ye know all things But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and hence it is that this holy spirit is called the Spirit of wisdom Eph. 1.17 and revelation in the knowledge of God 2. The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of adoption it brings our souls into that blessed estate that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father Zach. 12.10 Rom. 8.16 3. The spirit of Christ is a spirit of prayer I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered It is not said that the spirit teacheth us words and fluent phrases but it teacheth us to pray in the heart and spirit with sighs and groans 4. The spirit of Christ is a spirit of sanctification the Apostle having told the Corinthians that they had been notorious sinners 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 1.4 saith further that they were washed and sanctified by the spirit of God Hence the holy spirit is called The spirit of holiness because he makes us holy who were in our selves corrupt and sinful If we have thiâ— spirit it inclines our hearts to the things above it mortifies our lusts it brings us nearer unto God the spirit therefore that is impure and encourageth men in sin and cries up carnal Liberty is certainly none of the spirit of Christ and by this one sign many carnal pretenders of our times may be justly convicted 5. The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of love God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God 1 John 4.16 Gal. 5.22 and God in him as the spirit is love so it begets love in the hearts of his people The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance All these graces are the fruits of the spirit but the first grace in the link is love by his spirit we are taught to love God not only for his benefits but in respect of his nature for his goodness mercy justice holiness and all other his saving attributes by his spirit we are taught to love any thing that hath but the stamp and image of God upon it but as touching brotherly love 1 Thes 4.2 ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another the most of the Heretical spirits of these times do hereby shew that they have not the Spirit their very religion lyeth in rayling at ministers and reproaching those that are not in their way this is far from the Spirit of love that is in God's Children certainly where there is malice hatred strife bitter-envyings raylings revilings for such kind of persons to lay claim to the Spirit of unity it is a piece of impudent vanity and a false suggestion from their own corrupt erring spirit or from the spirit of error himself who is an hater reviler and the accuser of the brethren 6. The Spirit of Christ is a leading Spirit Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God But what is this leading of the Spirit I Answer 1. It is a drawing of the soul Christ-ward Cant. 1.4 Draw me saith the Spouse and we will run after thee There must be a drawing of the soul in every duty to Jesus Christ I say to Jesus Christ for a man may be furnished with eminent gifts and with suitable assistance in the laying out of those gifts from the Spirit and yet he may be without the leadings of the spirit gifts exercised cannot suppress corruptions in a man 's own heart and hence they that used their gifts are called workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Jer. 30.21 gifts do not carry out the heart towards Christ but graces do I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord. 2. It is a giving liberty to the soul to walk in the wayes of Christ 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty I mean not a liberty to sin but to duty nor yet every liberty to duty for a man may exercise himself in the external part of all duties and yet be without the leadings of the spirit but I mean such a liberty as when a soul accounts it an high favour from the Lord if he will but use him in any services for himself when it finds more delectation in these than in any other wayes Psal 119.34 173 174. Rom. 7.22 Rom. 8.2 I have chosen the way of truth saith David and therein is my delight And I delight in the law of God after the inner man saith Paul for the law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death 3. It is a corroberating or strengthening of the soul against all those impediments that would hinder it in the wayes of Christ Isa 63.11 12 13 14. Israel is said to be led by the spirit of the Lord and how did he lead them but by dividing the waters before them and by keeping them that they should not stumble many times God's holy ones are beset with temptations they find their hearts full of deadness hardness unbelief and all manner of distempers now if at such a time the mountains have been made planes if at such a time corruptions have been born down and their hearts have been let out towards Christ certainly these are the leadings of the spirit Rom. 8.13 14. If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God the particular for argues mortification to appertain unto the leadings of the spirit There is in the Saints a constant opposition between the works of the flesh and the works of the spirit Gal. 5.17 18. now when the works of the flesh are kept underneath and prevailed against then a soul enjoyeth the leadings of the spirit I know such oppositions are not in any but Saints carnal men would wonder that any should complain for want of strength unto duties why they can easily come up to them and be in the exercise of them but alas this arises either from Satans not molesting them in the performance of duty because they look not
with men and he will dwell with them Surely it was a miraculous mercy that heaven should come down upon earth and that God should come down to men but Oh what is this that Earth should go up to Heaven that men should ascend up to God yea that my soul with Christ and by Christ should ascend to God and sit down with God in heavenly places yea that my soul should have for its inmate the very same spirit that Christ himself hath Oh I cannot I will not I dare not believe Scrupulous souls be not faithless but believing there is none of these particulars for which we have not a warrant out of the Word of God and therefore believe But that I may perswade to purpose I shall lay down 1. Some directions and 2. Some encouragements of faith 1. For directions of Faith observe these particulars As 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the Flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the Flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ not only as made under the directive part of the Law by his life but under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ not only as put to death in the Flesh but as quickned by the spirit of all these before 6. Faith must not only go to Christ as quickened by the spirit but as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending the holy Ghost Faith should eye Christ as far as he goes if he be ascended so should faith if he go into glory and sit down there and act there for his people so should faith and so should we in a way of believing follow after him and take a view of all his transactions where he is we have heard before how faith should go to Christ as dying and as rising again but yet faith is low while it doth not go within the vail and see him in glory it is not enough to have only a faith of Justification but of Glorification O come let us see Christ in Heaven and we can have no less than a glorious saith how many are there that never yet came to act saith in Christ as a glorified Christ we are yet still in the lower form many of us take in no more of Christ than what was done on the cross or what some natural and common resemblances of him can hold forth we seldom follow Christ into Heaven to see what he is doing these for us O my soul and O my faith mount up and be on the wing Christ is gone up to heaven Christ is set down at God's right hand Christ hath sent down his holy spirit to this purpose it was expedient that he should go away and now he is gone away to do something that remains to be done for thee in his Kingdom he had still some glorious piece to frame for thy salvation and therefore he left this world and went to his Father that he might act it in glory and now he is invested with all the riches of Heaven he hath all the keyes of Heaven and Hell he hath all power to command he hath received all the promise to himself and all that he hath to do it is to let out of himself again unto his Saints he hath not only got his Fathers heart for them but he hath got all his riches to bestow upon them when he came to Heaven the Father bid him sit down at his right hand and take what he would and bestow what he would upon his Saints and thereupon he gave gifts unto men yea he gave the gift of gifts even the Holy Ghost himself What art not thou a partaker of this gift O then Look up unto Jesus in reference to all these actings set him before thee Christ in all these particulars is a right object for thy faith to act upon 7. Faith in going to Christ his ascension session and mission of the holy spirit it is principally to look to the purpose intent and design of Christ in each of these particulars Christ did nothing but he had an end a meaning in it for our good and here is the life of Faith to eye the meaning of Christ in all his doings Now the ends of Christ's ascension session and mission of his spirit were several I shall instance onely in these few As 1. Christ ascended that we might ascend look whatever God acted on Christ's person that he did as in our behalf and he means to act the same on us was Christ crucified so are we is Christ risen again so are we risen together with him is Christ gone up into glory so are we Heaven is now opened and possessed by Jesus Christ for us and at last we shall ascend even as he ascended Christ cannot be content with that glory he hath himself John 17.25 until we be with him Father I will that those also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold or enjoy my glory which thou hast given me Christ as our head is in glory and so we are there already with him and Christ as our advocate is in glory and there he is pleading and praying for us that we may actually be received and brought up to him Father I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me Christ's crown of glory is as it were a burthen on his own head untill it be set on the heads of all his â—aints O the blessed end of Christ's Ascension how should faith pry into this Believers you see your object you know his person never be quiet untill ye come into his condition as we must go through all ordinances and creatures till we come to Christ so through all conditions of Christ untill we come to glory 2 Christ sate down that we might sit with him in heavenly places what is the end of Christ's Session but â—hat we mâ—ghâ— invest all his â—aints with the same priviledge In this height of glory Christ is the pattern and plat-form and Idea of what we shall be surely this is the very top of Heaven Chriâ—t is exalted above the Heavens that we might in our measure and proportion be exalted with Christ it was Christ's Prayer that his Father and he and we might all be one As thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Oh how should faith stand John 17.21 and gaze on Jesus Christ in this respect â—hâ—t is he on Gods right hand and is he there preparing a room a seat a mansion for my soul What shall I sit at the right hand of Christ shall I sit as an assessor on his udgment-seat to Judge the world wiâ—h Jesus Christ when the Son of man shall sit oâ— the Throne of his Glory Mat. 19.28 ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel O what
is this had not Christ said it how could I have believed it admire O my soul at this aim of Christ the meaning of his exalting himself it was to exalt thee and the meaning of his exalting thee on this manner it is to mâ—nifest to all the World what the Son of God is able to do in raising so poor a creature to so rich a glory O the end of Christ's sitting at God's right hand hereby thâ— Saints are Christ's ass ssors Lord's of the higher house the Kings Peers to judge the World with him Christ divides as it were the throne with them I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me Luk. 22.29 30. that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 3. Christ sent down the Holy Ghost that he might dwell in our souls endow us with gifts and graces that he might comfort us seal us unto the day of redemption fit us for glorâ— amongst the many ends for which Christ sent down his holy spirit I shall insist only on these two 1. That he might help us to cry Abba Father and make us to come boldly to the Throne of grace as Chilâ—ren to a Father It is the spirit that takâ—s us by the hand and leads us to the Father when others stand at a distance and cannot come near As a Princes Son is admitted at all times though others are kept our by Oâ—ficers and Guards so though there be never so much darkness and fire and terrour about God yet the adopted child who hath received the spirit of adoption can say make way there and let me come to my Father guards are appointed to keep out strangers but not Sons And no wonder for the spirit makes intercession for us Rom. 8.26 with groanings which cannot be uttered the spirit teacheth us what to pray and how to pray as â—e ought the spirit puts a courage and boldness into the hearts of his Sâ—ints even to admiration this appears in that sometimes they have beset God with his promises that he could no way get off Quicken me according to thy word Psal 119.25.28.29.116.169 And strengthen me acâ—ording to thy word And be mercifull unto me according to thy word And uphold me according to thy word And give me understanding according to thy word And sometimes they have beset God with their challenges of his Justice Faithfulness and Righteousness so David Deliver me in thy righteousness Psal 31.1.35.24.119.40.143.1 And judge me according to thy righteoâ—sness An quicken me according to thy righteousness And in thy faithfulness answer me and in thy righteousness Why this is the â—pirits work he helps our infirmities he imboldens our spirits in their approaches to God surely it is one end of the spirits mission Beâ—ause ye are sons Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying Abba Father I will not deny but that bastards strangers without the Covenant having no right to God as their Father may yet petition God as a subdued people do their Conqueror or as Ravens cry to God for food or as some howl upon their beds for Corn and Wine but they cannot pray Hos 7.14 in right Prayer there is not only required gracious ingredients in the action but also a new state of adoption and filiation many speaks words to God who do not pray many tell over their sins who confess not their sins to God many speak good of God who do not praise God thousands claim Fathership in God where there is no Sonship nor ground in the thing it self A new nature is only that best bottom of Prayer that takes it off from being a taking of God's Name in vain Now this is the fruit of the spirit and one of those ends of the spirits mission 2. That he might guide us into all Truth I mean into all necessary Fundamental saving Truths in this respect we have need of the spirit in these dayes He it is that Dictates to us which is the true Religion he it is that transcribes upon our hearts that which was before onely written in our books he it is that not onely reveals truth from without but imprints it also on the soul as a man doth a seal by impressing it on the wax 1 John 5.10 to this purpose saith the Apostle He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself how in himself I answer 1. In that the Spirit gives him a habit of faith 2. In that the Spirit causeth him to bring it forth into act 3. In that the Spirit stamps on the soul all those other impressions of desire hope love joy or whatever else we call the new nature so that now there is a new nature within him he hath new thoughts new designs new desires new hopes new loves new delights he drives a new trade as it were in this world for another world he is become in Christ a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are passed away and all things are become new And from hence we may soundly argue the truth of our religion Mark this as the Written word is the testimony without us so are these impressions of the spirit the testimony within us by which we may know every necessary truth as it is in Jesus this is the meaning of the Apostle He that believeth hath the witness in himself unbelievers have indeed a testimony without them but believers have a double testimony one with out and one within and this witness within us will go with us which way soever we go it will accompany us through all straits and difficulties The external testimony may be taken from us men may take from us our Bibles our Teachers our Friends or they may imprison us where we cannot enjoy them but they cannot take from us the Spirit of Christ this witness within is a permanent setled habituate standing witness O what an excellent help is here that a poor Christian beyond all the furniture of the most Learned Men that want this testimony of the spirit of Christ surely this advantage will exceedingly furnish us against all temptations to any errour that is plainly contrary to the essentials of religion One of our late Divines puts a case Mr. Baxters Spirits witness to the truth of Christianity If the Devill or any seducer would draw us to doubt whither there be indeed a Christ or whither he did rise again ascend sate down at God's right hand and thence sent down the holy Ghost what an excellent advantage is it against this temptation when we can repair to our own hearts and there find a Christ or a Spirit of Christ within us O saith the sanctified soul have I felt Christ relieving me in my lost condition delivering me from my captivity reconciling me to God and bringing me with boldness into his glorious presence and now
for these things will help our conversation to be heaven-ward Certainly the day is a coming when Jesus Christ shall come with his Angels in his glory and then shall the bodies of the Saints shine gloriously before the Face of God and Jesus Christ O the wonder of this day the glory of Christ shall then darken the glory of the Sun and Moon and Stars but my body shall not be darkned but rather it shall shine like the glorious body of Christ Jesus if a candle should be raised to have so much lustre and beauty as if you should put it into the midst of the Sun yet it would shine you would think it a strange kind of light surely it shall be so with the bodies of Saints for though they are put into the midst of the glory of God and of his Son Jesus Christ yet their bodies shall shine in beauty and lustre there now did we believe this and wait for it every day How would it change us how would it work us to an heavenly conversation I have a diseased and lumpish body and my body hinders me in every duty of God's worship but within a while Christ will come in his glory and then he will make my body like unto his glorious body so that I shall be able to look upon the face of God and to be exercised in holy duties to all eternity without weariness without intermission I have many things here that trouble my mind and spirit and that hinder me in my converse with Heaven and heavenly things but within a while Christ will appear with his mighty Angels to be admitted of his Saints and then shall I sit as an assessor on the Throne with Jesus Christ to judge the world and then shall I live for ever with him to be where he is and enjoy all he has yea all that he hath purchased for me by his blood oh let me wait for this let me look for it every day God hath but a little work for me here on Earth and when that is done this shall be my condition Christians if but every day we would work these things on our souls it would be a mighty help to make our conversations heavenly conversations 5. Let us observe the drawings and movings and mindings of the Spirit and follow his dictates to this purpose Christ ascended and sate down at God's right hand and sent down the holy Spirit that the Holy Ghost being come down he might do his office in bringing on our souls towards salvation and if ever our souls get above this earth and get acquainted with this living in Heaven it is the Spirit of God that must be at the chariot of Elijah yea the very living principle by which we must move and ascend O then take heed of quenching its motions or resisting its workings take we heed of grieving our guide or of knocking off the chariot-wheels of this holy Spirit We little think how much the life of graces and the happiness of our souls doth depend upon our ready and cordial obedience to the Spirit of God when he forbids us our own known transgressions and we will go on when he tells us which is the way and which is not and we will not regard no wonder if we are strangers to an heavenly conversation if we will not follow the Spirit while it would draw us to Christ how should it lead us to Heaven or bring our hearts into the presence of God O learn we this lesson and let not only the motions of our bodies but also the very thoughts of our hearts be at the Spirits beck do we not sometimes feel a strong impulsion to retire from the world and to draw near to God O let us not despise or disobey but take we the offer and hoise up our sail while we may have this blessed gale if we cherish these motions and hearken to the Spirit O what a supernatural help should we find to this heavenly mindedness or heavenly conversation Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his Ascension Session and Mission of his holy Spirit our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his Intercession which he makes and will make to his Father on our behalf till his second coming to judgment LOOKING UNTO JESUS In his Intercession Book IX Part VI. CHAP. I. Heb. 3.1 Rom. 8.34 Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession Christ Jesus who also maketh intercession for us SECT I. What the Intercession of Christ is WE have spoken of Christ's entrance into Heaven and of his immediate actings after his entrance there that transaction which yet remains and will remain untill his coming again it is his Intercession for the Saints In these actings of Christ in Heaven if we will follow him we must go from glory to glory no sooner come we out of one room of glory but presently we step into another as glorious as that before one would think enough had been said already of the glory of Christ and of our glory in Christ who would not willingly sit down under the shadow of this happiness and go no further but yet this is not all so thick and fast doth the glory of Christ break in upon us that no sooner out of one but presently we are led into the bosom of another Oh what a blessed thing is it to be viewing Christ and to be looking up to Jesus Christ Saints might do nothing else if they pleased but ravish their hearts with the diversity of heavenly light and comfort which breaks forth from the bosom of Jesus Christ Here is now another mystery as great and amazing as the former which springs out before our eyes in this transaction of Christ's Intercession And in prosecution of this as in the former I shall first lay down the object and secondly direct you how to look upon it The object is Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation in his Intercession in ordering of which I shall examine these particulars 1. What is this intercession of Christ 2. According to what nature doth Christ intercede 3. To whom is Christ's intercession directed 4. For whom is the intercession made 5. What agreement betwixt Christ's intercessions and the intercessions of the High-Priests of old 6. Wâ—â—t is the difference betwixt Christ's intercession and the intercessions of those High-Priests 7. What are the properties of this intercession of Jesus Christ 8. Wherein more especially doth the intercessions of Christ consist 9. How powerful and prevailing are Christ's intercessions with God his Father 10. What are the reasons of this great transaction of Christ's intercession for his people 1. What is the intercession of Christ some define it thus Christ's intercession is that part of his Priestly office whereby Christ is Advocate and intreater of God the Father for the faithful I shall give it thus Christ's intercession is his gracious will fervently
wide Ocean of delights there is room enough but herein I must leave thee in the duty for I can but point at the several particulars whereon thou mayst enlarge O think on it that Christ and Christ's blood and Christ's prayers should be all at work that Christ should play the Advocate and plead thy cause and perfume thy duties with his Incense and take thy person in an unperceivable way to God his Father and cry there O my Father be merciful to this sinner pardon his sin and save his soul for the sake of Jesus O blessed mediation O blessed is the man that on this blessed object knows how to meditate both day and night 8. Consider of the power and prevalency of Christ's intercessions with his Father Is he not to this puropose a Priest to God and called thereto by God is he not the Son of God yea God himself is he not God's Darling God's Commander as well as Petitioner nay is not the hand of God himself in this design is not the Fathers heart as much towards us and our salvation as Christ's own heart as sure then as Christ is gone into Heaven with thy name engraven on his heart so sure shalt thou follow him and be with him where he is Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect who is he that condemneth where Christ becomes Patron to defend against the sentence of damnation it is in vain for Sin or Law or Sathan to attempt any thing for as an innocent person is safe so long as he hath his learned Advocate to answer all Objections so it is with Believers who have Christ himself both Judge and Advocate a sure Advocate he ever prevails in whatsoever he undertakes he was never yet cast in any suit he hath for these Sixteen Hundred years carried away all the causes of hundreds thousands and millions of souls why he is so dear and near to his Father that he can work him to any thing he will And O my soul if thou hast any relation to Jesus Christ is not here comfort I dare in the Name of Christ be thy warrant and give it under my hand that if Christ pray for thee Christ will be sure to save thee he never yet failed he never will fail in any of his suits to God Oh consider of this 9. Consider of the reasons of Christ's intercession many are given but this may be sufficient It is Gods own Ordinance the very wisdom of God found out this way to save our souls viz. that an High-Priest should be appointed who should die for sinners and afterward present his death to his Father by way of intercession in their behalf Some may look upon this as needless what could not God have pardoned our sins and saved our souls without a Priest I shall not dispute God's power but if any will let such a one tell me what way could his own wisdome have found out to heaven between the wrath of God and the sin of man I believe it would have posed all the wisdom of the world of Men and Angels to have reconciled God's mercy in the salvation of man and his justice in the condemnation of sin to have poured out hell upon the sin and yet to have bestowed heaven upon the sinner now then if God himself did study to find out this way and that he hath said This is my pleasure that Christ my Son shall be a Priest and that he shall offer himself and Present himself and his offering and his prayer to me for his People O my soul rest on this as the very ordination of God admire at the contrivance of God say O the depth question no further only Meditate and ponder and consider of it till thou feelest Christ's intercession darting its influence and efficacy on thy sin-sick soul SECT III. Of desiring after Jesus in that respect 3. LEt us desire after Jesus carrying on this work of our salvation in his intercession I cannot but wonder what a dulness seizeth on my heart and on all the hearts of the Sons of men that we have no more longings after Christ whose heart is ever panting and longing after us Surely we do not set our selves to find out experimentally the sweetness that is in Christ if there were not another object to think upon but only this one of Christ's intercession is not here enough to put us all into a teeming longing frame O my soul rouze up and set this blessed object before thy face take a full view of it untill thy affections begin to warm and thou beginst to cry Oh for my part in Christ's intercession Oh I would not be left out of Christ's heavenly prayers for ten thousand worlds come and be serious the object is admirably sweet and precious long for it pant after it God understands the Rhetorick of thy breathing as well as of thy cry But what is there in Christ's intercession that is so desirable I answer 1. In Christ's intercession lyes the present transaction of our souls salvation Such passages as hitherto we have spoken of are done and past the transactions of eternity were at an end when time began the transactions of Christ promised had their period when Christ was incarnate the transactions of Christ's Birth and life and death and resurrection and ascension are now above a thousand and six hundred years old I know the vertue and influence of all these transactions continue and will continue for ever and ever but the several actings had their periods and only Christ's session and mission of his spirit and his blessed intercession both were and now are the very present imployment of Jesus Christ If it were possible that we could see into Heaven if with Stephen we could look up steadfastly and see the Heavens opened if our eyes by an extraordinary power were carryed through that azure sky and through all till we come to the Holy of Holies and to Jesus Christ in his glory what should we see but Christ interceding Christ busie with his Father in his poor Saints behalf now he prayes now he presents his person merits intercession interpellation q. d. Father here are a company of Rebels justly fallen under thy displeasure they deserve to be set at an eternal distance from thee but I must needs have them pardoned and received into thy bosom come make thine own terms let justice require never so great satisfaction I have paid a price sufficient for all and effectual for them give them what laws thou pleasest I will undertake they shall observe them and to this purpose away away holy spirit go to such and such souls enable them to their duties yea enable them in duty and sanctifie them throughout in souls bodies and spirits Why this is the present transaction of Jesus Christ and therefore most desirable methinks I long to know what Christ is now a doing in Heaven for my soul and is it not thus is not all his time spent either
believe on the Son are we sanctified in some measure are we kept from the evil that sin may not have dominion over us hath Christ put up these prayers in our behalf that now we feel as it were and experience the truth of Christ's prevailings with his Father in our hearts and lives O sure signs that Christ's intercession is ours away away all diffidence doubting wavering fluctuating hopes a soul thus grounded may with Paul cast the ganlet and bid defiance to all the world Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God and who also maketh intercession for us SECT V. Of believing in Jesus in that respect 5. LEt us believe in Jesus as carrying on this great work of our salvation in his intercession wounded spirits are full of scruples and thus they cry My sins will never be forgiven have not I sinned against God and Christ and the Spirit of Christ had I not my hands imbrued in the blood of his Son and have not I trodden under foot the blood of God and will that blood that I have shed and trod on intercede for my pardon Had I but gone so far as the Jews did who indeed killed and crucified Christ I might have had some hopes because they knew not what they did and therefore Christ prayed Father forgive them for they know not what they do But alas I sinned 1 Cor. 2.8 and I knew well enough what and wherein I have sinned had they known saith the Apostle they would not have crucified the Lord of glory but alas I knew it and I was fully convinced that the commission of every sin is a crucifying of Christ and yet against knowledge and judgment and light and checks of my own conscience I have crucified the Lord of glory Heb. 6.4 6. and is not the Apostle express it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Oh I fear my name is not in the roll of those for whom Christ intercedes I have crucified him afresh and will he intercede for such a dead dog as I am I cannot believe Silence unbelief be not tyrannical to thy self for Christ will not sin shall do thee no hurt nor Sathan no nor God himself for Jesus-Christ can work him to any thing if he but open his wounds in heaven he will so work his Father that thy wounds on earth shall close up presently O but I have sinned against light and what then I hope thou hast not sinned willfully maliciously despightfully against the light the Apostle tells us that if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth Heb. 10.26 27. there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain looking for of judgment and fiery indignation These two Texts in Heb. 6.4 and 10.26 are parallel and give light to each other and therefore unless thy sin be the unpardonable sin unless willfully maliciously and despightfully thou hast crucified Christ as some of the Jews did never pass a doom of final condemnation on thy soul what is there no difference betwixt a sin done willfully or purposely of malice with delight and aginst the feeling of thy own conscience and a sin done of meer ignorance inconsideracy infirmity or through a strong temptation though against light it self I know there is a light given in by God's Word and some beam of the Holy Ghost which yet never penetrated so far as to transform and regenerate the soul wholly to God's Image and in such a case a man may fall away even into an universal fall a general Apostasie but dost thou not hope better things of thy self than so I suppose thou dost O then believe O believe thy part in Christ's intercession and for the directions of thy faith that thou mayst know how or in what manner to believe observe these particulars in their order As 1. Faith must directly go to Christ 2. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh 3. Faith must go to Christ as God in the flesh made under the Law 4. Faith must go to Christ made under the directive part of the Law by his life and under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the flesh and as quickned by the Spirit 6. Faith must go to Christ as quickened by the Spirit and as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending the Holy Ghost of all these before 7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his Saints this act of Christ is for the application of all the former acts on Christ's part and our faith closing with it is for the application of this and all other the actings of Christ on our part Now is our faith led up very high if we can but reach this we may say our faith stands very lofty when it may at once see earth and heaven when it may see all that Christ hath acted for it here and all that Christ doth act and will act in heaven for it hereafter It is not an ordinary single particular act of faith that will come up to this glorious mystery no no it is a comprehensive perfective act it is such an act as puts the soul into a condition of glorious triumph Who shall condemne Goodwin Christ set forth it is Christ that will save me to the uttermost seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for me That same word to the uttermost is a good word and well put in it is a reaching word and extends it self so far that thou canst not look beyond it let thy soul be set on the highest mountain that ever any creature was yet set on and there let thy soul take in and view the most spacious prospect both of sin and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poor humbled soul did east within it self yea joyn to these all the objections and hinderances of thy salvation that the heart of man can suppose or invent against it self lift up thy eyes and look to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his intercession is able to save thee beyond the horizon and furthest compass of thy thoughts even to the utmost and worst case the heart of man can possibly suppose it is not thy having lain long in sin or long under terrors and despairs it is not thy having sinned often under many enlightnings that can hinder thee from being saved by Christ Do but remember this same word to the uttermost and then put in what exception thou wilt or canst O the holy triumphs of that soul that can but act its saith on
made is a curious question and sets many wits on work in this Scripture it is set out by the sound of a Trumpet * Anselmus in elucidario Suarez tuba ex aere Doctor Slater who faith I see not but we may take it properly c. Cornelius a lapide Mat. 24.31 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 Now some would have it to be a material Trumpet because the Scriptures frequently call it a Trumpet He shall send his Angels with the sound of a Trumpet saith Christ and in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump we shall be changed saith Paul for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised And the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout and with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God But whether this Trumpet shall be of Silver or of Brass or of the Air or of the Cloud and Meteors whereon Christ rides they cannot agree †Piscator Estius Aretius alii fere omnes others more probably look upon this Trumpet as nothing else but a metaphor or a sound formed in the Air like the sound of a Trumpet A voice it is without all controversie and metaphorically it may be called a trumpet both from the clearness and greatness of the sound so loud shall it be that 't will pierce into the ears of the dead in their graves It will shake the world rend the rocks break the mountains dissolve the bonds of Death Cui omnia obediunt elementa petras scindit inferos aperit c. Chrysost in 1 Cor. 15. burst down the gates of Hell and unite all spirits to their own Bodies An horrible terrible voice shall it be But how should Angels who are spirits make a voice by a collision of the Air which the Angels can move at their pleasure and who can tell say some but there may be some new-created instrument trumpet-like adapted for the Angels at the sides of which by a force and collision of the air this great shout may be to convene all the World or who knows say others but that the Lord Jesus may fill the Angels even as trumpets are filled with a loud blast and that through them this loud blast shall come rushing like a mighty wind upon the dead Saints and so awaken their bodies out of the dust we all know this was usual in all the Jews solemnities to convene the people by the found of a trumpet And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Make thee two trumpets of silver Numb 10 1 2 3 9. That thou mayest use them for the calling of the Assembly And when thou shalt blow them all the Assembly shall assemble themselves and if ye go to war then ye shall blow an alarme with the Trumpets and in the same way say they Christ now will convene all the World with the sound of a trumpet or with the sound of some such instrument of divine power and vertue whereby the dead shall be raised and their bodies and souls re-united Amidst all those Authors if I may deliver my opinion I suppose the Text that will clear all to us above all that is written is that of 1 Thessalonians 4.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout 1 Thes 4.16 with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God Give me leave to insist on it that we may come up yet to a more full and perfect knowledg of this passage In these words is shewed or held forth the coming of Christ in three particulars with a shout with a voice and with a trumpet some think this to be one and the same set out in variety of expressions but I am of another mind It is agreed by most that the transactions at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai were a representation of the proceedings which shall be at the great day of Judgment now in that transaction we read of a three-fold voice The voice of God the voice of Thunder and the voice of a Trumpet Exod. 19.16 compared with Exod. 20.1 and accordingly we find the Apostle speaking of a three-fold voice Of the voice of Christ of the voice of Thunder and of the voice of a Trumpet 1. The Lord himself shall descend with a shout Arius Montanus and the vulgar translate it with a command Lyra and others think this to be the voice of Christ himself saying John 11.48 with a loud voice Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Thus Jesus cryed with a loud voice Lazarus come forth and with such a voice will he call on the dead at the last day Jâ—hn 5.25 So much Christ himself hath taught us The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live The hour is because by his voice he raised some at his first coming and the hour is coming because in the like manner he will raise up all men at the last day Marvel not at this saith Christ for the hour is coming John 5.28 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and they shall come forth As at the creation of the World he said Let there be light and there was light so at the dissolution of the World he will say Let the dead arise let the Sea give up the dead that are in it and Death and Hell deliver up the dead which are in them and it will be so 2. The Lord shall descend with the voice of the Archangel Two questions here 1. Who is this Archangel 2. What is this voice For the first some argue this Archangel to be Gabriel others Raphael others Michael The Jews have an antient tradition that there are seven principal Angels that minister before the throne of God and therefore called Archangels The Scriptures seem to speak much that way Revel 4.5 Rev. 5.6 Zach 4.10 Rev. 8.2 calling them seven Lamps of fire burning before the throne and seven hornes and seven eyes of the Lamb and the seven spirits of God sent forâ—h into all the earth and seven eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth and yet more plainly seven Angels that stand before God Now which of these Seven is the Archangel here spoken of is hard to determine only probable it is that all the Archangels and all the angels are hereby understood as comprehended under that one to which agrees Matth. 24.31 Mr. Aynsworth observes that when things are done by a multitude where one is chief that the action is frequently ascribed either to the multitude or to him that is chief indifferently as Jehoiadah brought forth the Kings Son and he put the Crown upon him 2 Kings 11.12 or they brought forth the Kings son and they put upon him the Crown 2 Chron. 23.11 so David offered burnt-offerings 2 Sam. 6.17 or they offered burnt offerings 1 Chron. 16.1 and
Word and Sacraments and the like but when that Kingdom where these Administrations are made use of shall be delivered up then shall God himself be all in all without means without defect without end It is observable that Christ in his mediatory Kingdom hath some such things as bear an Analogy to the means and instruments of governing in the Kingdomes of men As 1. He hath his Militia and his Laws with threatnings and promises in the ordinances of his Word 2. He hath his grants and seals with many priviledges to confirm his people in the Ordinances of his Sacraments 3. He hath his Officers and Embassadours for the management of spiritual affairs in the Ordinances of his Ministry but the ceasing of Christ's Kingdom is the ceasing of all these and he therefore ceaseth his Kingdom that God may immediately succeed all these without any means or without any Mediatour at all he himself may be instead of all or all in all In prosecution of this I shall discuss 1. The meaning what it is for God to be all in all 2. The particulars wherein more especially is God all in all 1. For the meaning it is a periphrasis of our compleat enjoyment of God that God may be all in all is as much as to say that we may enjoy God alone to all purposes neither wanting nor willing any thing besides himself for a person to be all in all to me it is to have an enjoyment of that person to all purposes so that I neither do nor need I to enjoy any thing besides himself thus God is to the Saints in glory he is their exceeding great reward they need nothing else besides himself their very droughts of happiness is taken in immediately from the fountain and they have as much of the fountain as their souls in their widest capacity can possibly hold 2. For the particulars wherein more especially is God our all in all I answer 1. In our enjoying God immediately here we enjoy God by means either he communicates himself unto us through his Creatures or through his Ordinances and hence it is that we know him but in part we see him but in a glass darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 1 John 3.2 but when he shall be our all in all we shall see him face to face we shall then see God as he is clearly and immediately Oh how excellent is this enjoyment above all present enjoyments here below as the enjoyment of a friend in his picture letters tokens is short of what we enjoy when we have his personal presence or as the heat and light of the Sun through a cloud is beneath that heat and light when the glorious body of it is open to us without any interposition even so all the injoyments of God in the use of means graces blessings ordinances are infinitely inferior to that enjoyment of God which shall be without all means all the ravishments of our spirit in prayer hearing reading meditating is but a sip of those Rivers which we shall have in heaven I know the remembrance of God in a private meditation is sweet Psal 104.34 and communion with God in any Ordinance is a feast of sweetness and marrow and fatness Psal 63.5 6. But when the soul shall immediately possess God when this Kingdom of grace shall expire and all the Administrations of it shall vanish away will not the fountain be much more sweet then all the streams surely feasts and sweetness and marrow and fatness are terms exceedingly too diminitive to give us any more than a small hint of that incomprehensible satisfaction by immediate communion O the wonders of Heaven there shall be Light without a candle and a perpetual day without a Sun there shall be health without physick and strength of Body without use of food there shall be knowledge without Scriptures and setled government without a written Law there shall be Comunion without Sacraments and Joy without promises to be its fewel the soul in glory shall go streight unto God and immediately perticipate his glory and happiness 'T is the comparison of a Learned Divine suppose you saw a company of Chrystal Globes placed in a parallel line because their posture will not admit the Suns immediate beams we 'll suppose another single Globe set by the middle of them to transmit the Sun-beams unto all those Globes by this means they all shine though it be only by reflection but when the Sun shall so come about as that they may immediately receive its beams there 's no further use of the single Globe then so here while we through our distance from God are uncapable of immediate enjoyment there 's a necessity of Christ's Mediation but when all things that cause the distance are removed and we brought into the presence-chamber of God himself ther 's no such need of a Mediator then Now here is one thing wherein he is our all in all shall enjoy him immediately 2. It consists in our enjoying of God fully Now I know in part saith the Apostle but then I shall know even as I am known 1 Cor. 13.12 our enjoyment of God is but here in its infancy there it will be in its full age here it is in drops there it will be in the Ocean here we see God's back parts and we can see no more but there we shall see his face not his second face as some distinguish which is his grace and favour enjoyed by Faith but his first face which is his Divine essence enjoyed by sight Yet I mean not so as if the soul which is a creature could take in the whole Essence of God which is incomprehencible but the soul shall and must be so full of God as that it shall not be able to receive or desire one jot more And oh how excellent is this enjoyment above all present enjoyments it is now our highest happiness to have some glimpses of his glory shining on us and some drops of his favour distilled into us oh but when God shall be our all in all we shall have as much of God as our souls can hold we shall have the glory of God so poured in till we shall be able to receive no more And here is that which gives the soul a full satisfaction never would it be satisfied till it came to this suppose that God would draw out all the beauty sweetness goodness that he hath communicated to all Creatures in the world and bring the quintessence of all and communicate that unto the soul of one poor Saint certainly it would not serve the turn there must be a greater comunication before the soul be fully satisfied and rest content only once admit it into the glorious presence of him who is all in all and presently it expires its infinite desire into the bosome of that God for there 's enough to fill his spirit he cannot desire so much but there is more and yet infinitely more if there be enough in God for
and destroys the sense as the Sun by its brightness darkens the eye and other things by mighty sounds bring deafness to the ear Paul indeed had a vision of glory but because his faculties were not glorified he was he knew not how whether in the body or out of the body whether alive or dead he did not know certainly the sight of the glory of the other world would amaze distract and destroy us if we had a sight of it as now we are but in heaven the eye shall have great pleasure in beholding the brightest light because it shall be advanced to the highest pitch of strength that may be 2. As the eye shall be glorified so it shall act in a glorified body and this will make the sight of the glory of Christ in stead of hurting us to leave upon us a more sweet enlivening and powerful impression By this means all the impediments that hinder the conveyance of divine influences from that heavenly object will be removed To illustrate this let the most excellent sight be set before a man that is defective in his bodily state and it doth not take him what should a sick man do with such things he makes nothing of the most pleasant gardens orchards buildings nor of the most glorious sights that are when he is sick they are but sick things to him and of none effect but in heaven the body shall be glorified and stript of all corruptions and imperfections so that there shall be no bar unto the influences of the glory of Christ which shall there be seen 3. As there shall be a glorified eye acting in a glorified body so it shall be acted by a glorified Spirit the eye is but the organ or instrument of sight and without the spirit would conveigh no more then a glass doth it is the Spirit of a man that gives life to vision it is the Spirit of a man that discovers things and sets them forth in their worth vertues ends now in heaven the spirit of men shall be glorified and enabled to perform all those offices in perfection so that when a man shall look on the man Christ Jesus by vertue of a glorified spirit he shall see more know more taste more than any other can As a man of understanding when he looks on a diamond or a wedge of gold he hath other apprehensions of it and a further touch upon his spirit then a beast or a child in a cradle hath so where the sight of the eye is acted by a glorified mind it takes in more from the sight of every thing which is to be seen unexpressibly more then what can be done here by the most sanctified Spirit in the World Now in these respects Christ's glorified body though it be the brightest visible thing in the Heaven of Heavens yet may it be the object of the eye of Saints for they shall have glorified eyes in glorified bodies and acted by their glorified spirits 2. There is a mental vision a sight of Christ by the eyes of our understandings and surely this exceeds the former the eye of the body is only on the body of Christ but the eye of the soul is on the body and soul on the Humanity and Deity of Jesus Christ This is the very top of heaven when Saints shall be illightned with a clear and glorious sight of Christ as God Divines usually call it Beatifical vision Quest But how shall Saints behold the glorious Essence or God-head of Christ Answ 1. Some say Christ as God or the God-head of Christ shall be known by the Humanity of Christ such a lustre of his Deity shall shine through his humanity as that thereby and by no other means shall the Essential glory of Christ appear 2. Others say That besides the Humanity of Christ there shall be a species representing the Divine Essence of Christ and a light of glory elevating the understanding by a Supernatural strength and that thereby the glorious Essence of Christ shall be discovered 3. Others say That the Divine Essence shall be represented to the glorified understanding not by Christs humanity nor by any species but immediately by it self yet they also require a light of glory to elevate and fortifie the understanding by reason of its weakness and infinite disproportion and distance from the incomprehensible Deity 4. Others hold that to the clear vision of Christ as God there is not required a sight of Christ's humanity as the first suppose nor a species representing the Divine Essence as the second suppose nor any created light elevating the understanding as the third suppose but only a change of the natural order of knowing It is sufficient say they that the Divine Essence be immediately represented to a created understanding which though it cannot be done according to the order of nature as experience tells us for so we conceive things as first having passed the sense and imagination yet it may be done according to the order of Divine grace I shall not enter into these Scholastical disputes 1 Cor. 13.12 Rev. 22.4 it is enough for a sober man to know that in heaven we shall see him face to face his Servants shall serve him and they shall see his face Quest His face what 's that I answer Answ 1. They shall see Christ as God of the same Essence with the Father and the holy Ghost and yet a distinct Person from them both they shall see the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity they shall see how the Son is begotten of the Father and how the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son they shall see the difference between the generation of the Son and procession of the Spirit These are mysteries in which we are blind and know very little or nothing but in seeing his face we shall see all these 2. They shall see Christ at their first being or principle of all the good that is in the World they shall see how all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made they shall see all the good in the creature as flowing from Christ John 1.3 and as contained in the absolute perfection of Christ's Divine Nature they shall see in one Christ all the excellencies of all the creatures united which is indeed to see him in his eminency if there be any beauty riches honour goodness in any creature that is eminently transcendently and originally in Christ and that shall be seen 3. They shall see Christ in all his ways counsels decrees executions transactions from everlasting to everlasting that great business of Election and Reprobation will then be discovered it is an expression of Augustine They shall then see the reason why one is Elected and another Reprobated why one is rich and another poor they shall then see all the works that ever God did or that ever God will do it is not yet Six thousand years since
excellencies meet together rest in Christ and Christ is all good things to all his Saints in Heaven he is Beauty to their Eyes Musick to their Ears Honey to their mouths Perfume to their Nostrils Health to their Bodyes Joy to their Souls Light to their Understandings Content to their Wills he is Time without sliding Society without loathing Desire without fainting Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending wanting both needing neither yet the Author of them both he is All in all from one not all Even all the Strength Wit Pleasure Vertues Colours Beauties Harmony and goodness that are in Men Beasts Fishes Fouls Trees Herbs and all Creatures are nothing but sparkles of those things which are in Christ Christ himself will then supply their use so that the best Creatures which now serve the Saints shall not have the honour to serve them then Rev. 21.23 There will be no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in that City for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And hence the beholding of Christ is the All in all to his glorified Saints this was Christ's Prayer Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am to what end John 17.24 that they may behold my glory Christ's heavenly presence is conspicuous he is not present as some things that are not seen and yet are present but his presence is or certainly shall be conspicuous to all his Saints when he was in the world his glory was covered under a mean outside he was like a bright light in a dark-Lanthern and there were very few that knew him then but in Heaven he shall be as a Cabinet opened or as the Sun in his full glory We shall know him as we are known and behold him face to face 1 John 3.2 and we shall see him as he is Nor only will he be conspicuous but his presence shall be vital a stone may be with us and seen clearly but there 's little in the sight of that in the beholding of Christ there will be an acting of kindness upon the Saints there will be visions with life and dear refreshing O the influences that the sight of Christ will have on his Saints in Heaven nor onely will he be conspicuous and vital but his presence shall be fixed he shall abide with the Saints that they may for ever behold him Oh if there was such running after Christ in this world some getting on hills and others on trees that they might behold him when he passed by what will the sight of Christ in Heaven be when he shall be alwayes in the eye of his Saints and never out of sight when they shall be alwayes viewing of him and be alwayes satisfied with that view nor only will he be conspicuous vital fixed but his very presence shall transform They shall see his face and they shall reign for ever and ever O the influence of this sight Revel 22.4 5. it is of such a transforming Nature that to see the King will make Kings this vision of glory amounts unto a fruition of glory if ever thou art a spectator of Christ thou art sure to be a partaker of Christ in all his glory I shall be satisfied Psal 17.15 1 John 3.2 when I awake with thy likeness It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him why so for we shall see him as he is And no wonder for if the imperfect beholding of his glory in the glass of his Gospel change the soul into the same image from glory to glory how much more shall the full view of his glory in Heaven transform both the souls and bodies of his Saints into a fulness of glory 1 Cor. 13.12 Here then is the top of Heaven here is the All in all here is the satisfaction of souls to the very uttermost if Christs glory in his transfiguration was so satisfactory to Peter as that he desired his sight of it might never have end or interruption O it is good to be here let us here build Tabernacles and yet Peter was onely a spectator of this glory for he had himself no share in it O then what infinite satisfaction mayst thou expect in the beholding of Christ's Glory in Heaven which will be accompanyed with an everlasting enjoyment the lusture of his glory will be diffused unto all so that some shall enjoy the glory of the Sun others of the Moon and others of the Stars O my soul if thou art but a Star there yet if thou art filled with that light that comes from the Sun of righteousness it is enough O remember oh consider oh never forget this Looking unto Jesus as it is thy duty on Earth so it is thy priviledge and highest happiness in Heaven for ever and ever SECT III. Of desiring after Jesus in that respect 3. LET us desire after Jesus carrying on this work of man's Salvation at his second coming It is true many shrink at the thoughts of death and judgment and 't is an high pitch to desire the dissolution of our selves and of this world the best Christians are compounded of flesh and spirit and if the spirit long to be in Heaven yet the Flesh is loath to leave this Earth Speak out of my soul thou prayest daily Come Lord Jesus let thy Kingdome come but is not the Flesh afraid lest God should hear thy Prayers Oh that we could loath our loathness in that respect oh that we could long for this second coming of Christ to Judgment And Christians this is attainable or otherwise I should not perswade you to it Phil. 1 2â— I am in a strait said Paul between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better And this is the voice of the desolate Bride Come for the spirit of Christ within her saith come The Spirit and the Bride say come Yea the whole Creation saith come Rev. 12.17 Rom. 8 21 23. Waiting to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and not onely they but our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body Oh that we could groan oh that we could come up to this high pitch even to sigh out not our breath but our spirits even to groan out not some vapours but our hearts I know it is suitable to flesh and blood to tremble at the thoughts of judgment When Paul reasoned of righteousness temperance and of Judgment to come Felix trembled Acts 24.25 Weak Christians as well as Heathens may have many terrible fancies and notions of that day Oh to think of a time When there shall be a great earthquake Rev. 6.12 13 14 15 16 17 when the Sun shall become
this day of the Lord we look for it and hasten unto it we are glad it is so near and we do what we can to have it nearer with an holy kind of impatience we beg of the Lord Rom 8.22 23 Come Lord Jesu come quickly This was Paul's character We know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now and not onely they but our selves also which have the first-fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies God's children such as have the first-fruits of the spirit the beginnings of true saving grace in them they constantly look and long for the day of full deliverance or of the coming of Christ This the Apostle instanceth in his Corinthians ye come behind in no gift 1 Cor. 1.7 waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and in like manner he writes to his Philippians Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Tit. 2.13 And to Titus himself he writes the same things We look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Now Christians lay this character to heart do you long pant and look for this glorious and second coming of Christ have you any such wishes and sayings of heart and mind as these are Oh that Christ would appear Oh that Christ would now break the Heavens and come to Judgment oh that I could see him in the Cloud and on his Throne oh that his enemies were ruined my sins subdued my soul saved that I might serve him without weariness for ever and ever Surely if these elongations of soul be in you it is a comfortable evidence that your hopes are sound and that Christ will come to receive you to himsâ—lf and to bring you to glory 3. If we love Christ's appearing then will he appear on our side 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing A true Christian loves Christ's appearing in ordinances and in all the means of grace how much more in his own person but how should we love that we see not O yes there 's a kind of an Idea of Christ and of his glorious appearing in every sanctified soul and in that respect we love him though we cannot see him Who having not seen ye love 1 Pet. 1.8 Verse 7. saith the Apostle and so your love and faith at the appearing of Jesus Christ shall be found unto praise and honour and glory Those that have not seen Christ and yet love the Idea of his sight even they shall appear at the appearing of Christ in praise and honour and glory Is not the Crown laid up for them that love the appearing of Christ is it not a sign of a good cause to love a day of hearing surely the love of Christ's coming cannot consist without some assurance that a soul shall stand upright in the Judgdment He that hath not a confidence in his cause loves not the coming of the Judge no guilty prisoner loves the Sessions or loves the judges presence it is the cry of Reprobates Rev. 6.16 O ye mountains and O ye Rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne But as for Christ and his Saints O the mutual loves and mutual longings in their breasts The last words that Christ speaks in the Bible and amongst us last words make deepest impressions are Surely I come quickly and the last answer that is made in our behalf is Amen even so come Lord Jesus I know this Character is near the former and therefore I shall pass it over 4. If our works be good then will he reward us according to our works At that great day this will be the trial works are no works Mat. 25.33 34 35 36. Then will he say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdom prepared for you for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Here were works Verse 46. upon which followed the rewards of Heaven for these went into eternal life I know Works are not meritorious and yet they are evidences I know works without Faith are but glisterrings sins and yet works done in faith are signs and fore-runners of eternal glory I know that if all the excellencies of all the moralities of all the men in the world were put together these could never reach glory and yet a cup of cold water given to one of Christ's little ones in the name of a Disciple of Christ shall not lose its reward Mat. 10.24 If a Christian doubt how should I know that my works are of a right stamp I answer 1. Look at the principle is there not something above nature do I not find some new light let out by God that shews a glory and excellency and beauty in good works is there not something in me that makes the same to be sweet or pleasant or agreeable to me 2. Look at the end natural works have no better end than self and creature-respects but in my works is there no aim at something higher than self whatever I do is not this in mine eye that all I do may tend to the honour and glory of God I had need take heed of vain-glory and self applause the Godly at the day of Judgment do not know the good works they did if my aim be at God I shall forget my self as if all I did were swallowed up in God 3. Look at the manner of my doing works Vzzah had a good intention but his work was not good because the manner was not good are my works according to the rule do they carry a conformity to the Law of God Let every man try his own work in this O my soul bring thy works to the touch-stone the Scripture the Rule of goodness is not all thy gold then discovered to be dross the Scripture doth not onely tell of works but tells us the manner of performing them as for instance if rightly done they must be done in zeal in fervency in activity thus Gods people are called a peculiar people zealous of good works a formal customary superficial performance of holy works fails in the manner of performing them what are my works performed in zeal is there not too much of coldness emptiness formality in all I do why thus may I know whether my works are of a right stamp certainly all works duties actings which are not done by a gracious heart through
directive part of the Law by his life and under the penal part of the Law by his death 5. Faith must go to Christ as put to death in the Flesh and as quickned by the spirit 6. Faith must go to Christ as going up into glory as sitting down at God's right hand and as sending down the holy Ghost 7. Faith must go to Christ as interceding for his Saints in which work he continues till his coming again Of all these before 8. Faith must go to Christ as coming again into this neather world to judge the quick and the dead This is the last act of Faith in reference to Christ From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead The coming of Christ the resurrection of the dead the change of the living the last judgment and the glory of Christ with his Saints to all eternity is that transaction which must be dispatched at the end of the world now this is the object of faith as well as the former Christ's work is not fully perfected till all these be finished nor is our work of Faith fully compleated till it reach to the very last act of Christ in saving souls Oh what an excellent worker is Jesus Christ he doth all his works throughly and perfectly the greatest work that ever Christ under took was the work of redemption that work would have broken Men and Angels and yet Jesus Christ will carry it on to the end and then will he say not onely prophetically but expresly I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do John 17.46 Now Faith should eye Christ as far as he goes if Christ will not have done till he comes again and receive us to himself and settle us in glory no more should Faith it should still follow after him and take a veiw of all his transactions from first to last what will Christ come again will he summon all the elect to come under judgment will he sentence or judge them to eternal life will he conduct them into glory present them to his Father and be their all in all to all eternity why then let our faith act it self upon all these promises or if I may instance in one for all Christ's coming is the most comprehensive of all and is not the coming of Christ very frequently mentioned in the pâ—omises as the great support and stay of his peoples spirits till then do not the Apostles usually quicken us to duty and encourage us to waiting by the mentioning of this glorious coming of Jesus Christ why then let us act our faith on this glorious Object Christians what do we believe and hope and wait for but to see this coming this was Pauls encouragement to rejoycing and moderation Phil. 4.4 5. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and let your moderation be known to all the Lord is at hand To think and speak of that day with horror doth well beseem the impenitent sinner but doth ill beseem the beliâ—ving Saint such may be the voice of an unbeliever and it may be of a believer in desertion or temptation but it 's not the voice of faith O believe on Christ as carrying on our salvation at his coming again For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and he will not tarry Heb. 10.37 9. Faith must principally and mainly look to the purpose design intent and end of Christ in his second coming to Judgment Now the ends are 1. In respect of the wicked that they may be destroyed for he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet He shall come with flaming fire 2 Thes 1.8 and then he will take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power O miserable men now it is God's design to be revenged on you This is the day when the wicked shall suddenly start out of sleep and meet with gastly amazedness at the mouth of their sepulchers above them stands the Judge condemning beneath Hell gaping on the right had justice threatning on all sides the world burning to go forward is intollerable to go backward is impossible to turn aside is unavailable which way then Heaven gates are shut Hell mouth is open where they must end their endless misery the last torment lasteth ever O the shrikes of the wicked at every passage of this day when the Prophet Joel was describing the formidable accidents of his day he was not able to express it but stammered like a Child or an amazed imperfect person A. A. A. for the day of the Lord is at hand We translate it Alas Joel 1.17 for the day of the Lord is at hand But Lyra Ribera the Vulgar Latine and others translate it A.A.A. in Hebrew it is indeed but one word and sounds as Aha which howsoever so written yet is it pronounced without any aspiration as Aharon is pronounced Aaron The best Criticâ—s would but have it one word and so they write it A-a-a for the day of the Lord is at hand thus they that stammer and cannot suddenly speak say A-a-a it is not sense at first the Prophet was so amazed that he knew not what to say the stammering tongue that is full of fear can best speak that terror which will make all the wicked of the world to cry and shrike and speak fearfull accents oh the shrikes oh the fearful sounds that will then be heard sure that noise must needs be terrible when millions of men and women at the same instant shall fearfully cry out and when their cryes shall mingle with the thunders of the dying and groaning Heavens and with the crack of the dissolving World when the whole fabrick of nature shall shake into dissolution Psal 51.21 and eternal ashes Now consider this ye that forget God lest he tare you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Shall not the consideration of these things awake your spirits and raise you from the death of sin what do you believe these things or do you not if you do not believe these things where is your saith if you do believe them and sin on where is your prudence and where is your hope but enough of this it belongs to the wicked 2. In respect of the Godly that they may be saved Now this contains several steps As 1. They must be regenerated It is true they partake of this grace before but now is the full perfection and manifestation of it Mat. 19.28 and therefore the last day is called the day of regeneration Col. 1.13 14. 2. They must be redeemed So they are in this life Paul could tell his Colossians that Christ had delivered them from the power of darkness and that in him they had redemption through his blood Yet the Scripture calls the day of judgment
way of judging our selves we see nothing but Hell and damnation in our selves but then we fling down our selves at God's gate of mercy we despair not in God though in our selves God in Christ is gracious and merciful forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and hence we make bold to intreat the Lord for Christ's sake to be merciful to us surely herein lies the difference betwixt nature and grace the natural man may see his sins and confess his sins and judge himself for his sins thus Saul did and thus Judas did but then they despaired in God and were damned indeed now the gracious man hath a conscience within that represents to him his damned estate but withal it represents to him the free grace of God in Jesus Christ and so he onely despairs in himself and not in his God now thus far good come Christians do we despair in our selves do we fling off all our own hopes and our own dependencies hangings holdings on duties purposes graces performances and do we go to God in Christ and tell him We hang upon nothing but the mere mercy the free grace of God in Christ and therefore Lord pardon Lord forgive for thy Names sake promise sake mercies sake and for the Lord Jesus sake O let free grace have his work Lord glorifie thy Name and glorifie the riches of thy grace in saving us Why this is the best hold in the World though the World cannot abide it surely if we thus judge our selves we should not be judged 4. Christ at his coming will be glorified in his Saints not onely in himself but in his Saints also whose glory as it comes from him so it will redound to him Oh let him now be glorified in us let us now in some high way conform to the image of his glory let us look on Christ till we are like Christ not onely in grace but in glory and this glory as it comes from him so let it redound to him I will not say that the Kingdom of Heaven and glory is in this life I leave this opinion to the dreamers of this time I mean to the Familists Quakers and such like but this I say that even in this life the Saints of God enjoy a begun and imperfect conformity to Christ's glory and this is that I would now press upon us let us so behold the glory of the Lord in the glass of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.18 as that we may be changed into the same image from glory to glory from a lesser measure to an higher measure of glory The day is a coming that Christ will be glorified in himself and he will be glorified in his Saints O the glories that will then be accumulated and heaped upon Jesus Christ come now let us behold this glory of Christ till we are changed in some high measure into the same glory with Christ Christ's glory rightly viewed is a changing glory And herein the views of Christ surpass all creature-views if we behold the Sun we cannot possibly be changed into another Sun but if with the eye of knowledge and faith we behold Jesus Christ we shall be changed into the glorious image of Jesus Christ if the Sun of righteousness cast forth his golden beams upon us and we enjoy this light why then Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning as Aurora the first birth of the day fair as the Moon clear as the Sun I know this glorious change is but a growing change by degrees from glory to glory and yet who can deny but there is some conformity to Christ's glory even in this life do not these very Texts speak the self same thing These things have I spoken to you John 15.11 1 John 1.4 John 16.24 Isa 66.10 11. that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full And ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full And rejoyce with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the brests of her consolations that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory Rom. 5.13 And the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Surely all joy and peace are synechdochically put for all other inchoations of glorification But how is a Saint in this life filled with all joy I answer 1. In regard of the obiect God and Christ 2. In regard of the degrees though not absolutely yet so far forth as the measure of ioy is in this life attainable I might instance in the joy of Mr. Peacock Mrs Brettergh and of some Martyrs who sung in the fires 3. In regard of duration rejoyce always Phil. 4.4 not onely in the calm of peace but in the storm of violent opposition A Saint may have his troubles but these troubles can never totally or finally extinguish his joy John 16.22 your joy no man taketh from you He rejoyceth always O that something of the glory of Christ might rest upon us oh that having this glory of Christ in our thoughts we could now feel a change from glory to glory Is it so that the Lord Jesus will be glorified in all his Saints and shall we have in-glorious souls base and unworthy affections and conversations or shall we content our selves with a little measure of grace O be we holy even as he is holy let our conversations be heavenly let us purifie our selves even as he is pure let us resemble him in some high measure of grace And lastly let us glorifie him in bodies and spirits all our glory is from him and therefore let all our glory redound to him let us now begin that Gospel-tune of the eternal song of free grace which one day we shall more perfectly chant in glory Allelujah and again Allelujah and Amen Allelujah salvation and glory and power and praise and thanksgiving and obedience be unto him that sits on the throne the Lamb blessed for ever and ever Amen The Conclusion And now my brethren I have done the errand which Christ sent me on I verily believe I have now delivered this work of the everlasting Gospel or of Christ's carrying on the great work of man's salvation hath been somewhat long in speaking but oh how long in acting may I give you a short view of what I have said and of what hath been acted from eternity and will yet be acted to eternity you may remember that God in his eternity laid a plot or design to glorifie the riches of his grace in saving sinners and to that purpose first he decreed a Christ 2. Presently after the fall he promised the Christ he had decreed 3. In fulness of time he exhibited the Christ that he had promised then it was that the same Christ took upon him out nature and joyned it to his God-head to
into Faith I cannot tell but one would think that unbelief should be strangled quite slain upon this consideration all this O my soul thou hearest in the Gospel there is Christ incarnate set forth to the life there is Christ suing thy Loves and offering himself as thy beloved in thy own naure there it is written that God is come down in flesh with an Olive-branch of eternal peace in his hand and bids you all be witness he is not come to destroy but to save Oh that this encouragement might be of force to improve Christs glorious design to the supplying of all thy wants and to the making up of all thy losses believe Oh believe thy part in Christ incarnate SECT VI. Of loving Jesus in that respect LEt us love Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation at his first Coming or Incarnation Now what is Love but an expansion or egress of the heart and spirits to the Object loved or to the Object whereby it is drawn or attracted Mark O my soul whatsoever hath an attractive power it is in that respect an Object or general cause of Love and canst thou possibly light on any Object more attractive than the Incarnation of Jesus Christ If Love be the Load-stone of Love what an attractive is this before thee methinks the very sight of Christ incarnate is enough to ravish thee with the apprehension of his infinite goodness see how he calls out or as it were draws out the soul to Union Vision and Participation of his Glory O come and yield up thy self unto him give him thy self and conform all thy Affections and Actions to his Will O love him not with a divided but with all thy heart But to excite this Love I shall only propound the Object which will be Argument enough Love causeth Love now as Gods first Love to man was in making man like himself so his second great Love was in making himself like to man stay then a while upon this Love for I take it this is the greater Love of the two Nay if I must speak freely I believe this was the fullest visible demonstration of Gods Love that ever was The Evangelist expresseth it thus God so loved the World John 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son he gave him to be incarnate to be made flesh and to suffer Death but the extention of his Love lies in that expression he so loved So how Why so fully so fatherly so freely as no Tongue can tell no heart can think In this Love God did not only let out a mercy give out a bare grace in self but he took our nature upon him It is usually said that it is a greater love of God to save a soul than to make a World and I think it was a greater Love of God to take our nature than simply to save our souls for a King to dispense with the Law and by his own prerogative to save a Murderer from the Gallows is not such an Act of Love and Mercy as to take the Murderers Cloaths and to wear them as their Richest Livery Why God in taking our nature hath done thus and more than thus he would not save us by his meer Prerogative but he takes our Cloaths our Flesh and in that Flesh he personates us and in that Flesh he will die for us that we might not die but live through him for evermore Surely this was Love that God will be no more God as it were simply but he will take up another nature rather than the brightness of his Glory shall undo our souls It will not be amiss whil'st I am endeavouring to draw a Line of Gods love in Christ from first to last in saving Souls that here we look back a little and summarily contract the passages of Love from that eternity before all Worlds unto this present 1. God had an eternal design to discover his infinite love to some besides himself O the wonder of this was there any need or necessity of such a discovery Though God was one Deus unus licet solus non solitarius and in that respect alone as we may imagine yet God was not solitary in that eternity within his own proper essence or substance there were three Divine Persons and betwixt them there was a blessed Communication of Love Christ on Earth could say I am not alone because the Father is with me and then before the Earth was might the Father say I am not alone for the Son is with me and the Son might say I am not alone John 16.32 for the Father is with me and the Holy Ghost might say I am not alone for both the Father and the Son are with me though in that eternity there was no Creature to whom these three Persons should communicate their Love yet was there a glorious communication and breaking out of Love from one to another before there was a World the Father John 17.15 Son and Holy Ghost did infinitely glorifie themselves Joh. 17.5 Surely they loved one another and they rejoyced in the fruition of one another Prov. 8.30 Prov. 8.30 What need then was there of the discovery of Gods love to any one besides himself O my soul I know no necessity for it only thus was the pleasure of God Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight such was the love of God that it would not contain it self within that infinite Ocean of himself but it would needs have Rivers and Channels into which it might run and overflow 2. God in prosecution of his design creates a World of Creatures some rational and only capable of Love others irrational and serviceable to that one Creature which he makes the top of the whole Creation then it was that he set up one man Adam as a common person to represent the rest to him he gives abundance of glorious qualifications and him he sets over all the work of his hands as if he were the very Darling of Love if we should view the excellency of this Creature either in the outward or the inner man who would not wonder his body had its excellency which made the Psalmist say I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made and curiously wrought in the lowest part of the Earth Psal 139.14 15. It is a speech borrowed from those who work Arras-work the body of man is a piece of curious Tapestry or Arras-work consisting of Skin Bones Muscles Sinews and the like what a goodly thing the body of man was before the Fall may be guessed by the excellent gifts found in the bodies of some men since the Fall as the Complection of David 1 Sam. 16.12 the swiftness of Hazael 2 Sam. 2.18 the beauty of Absolom 2 Sam. 14.25 If all these were but joyned in one as certainly they were in Adam what a rare Body would such a one be but what was this body in comparison of that soul
the soul was it that was especially made after the Image of God the soul was it that was tempered in the same Mortar with the Heavenly Spirits the soul was Gods sparkle a beam of his divine Glory a ray or emanation of God himself as man was the principal part of the Creation so the Soul was the principal part of man here was it that Gods Love and Glory were centred for the time here was it that Gods love set and fixt it self in a special man whence flowed that Communion of God with Adam and that familiarity of Adam with God 3. Within a while this man the object of Gods Love fell away from God and as he fell so all that were in him even the whole World fell together with him and hereupon Gods Face was hid not a sight of him but in flaming fire ready to seize on the Sons of Men. And yet Gods Love would not thus leave the Object he had yet a further reach of Love and out of this dark Cloud he le ts fall some glimpses of another discovery These glimpses were sweet but alas they were so dark that very few could spell them or make any sense or comfortable application of them but by degrees God hints it out more he points it out with the Finger by Types and Shadows he makes some models of it in outward Ceremonies and yet so hid and dark that in four thousand years men were but guessing and hoping through promises for a manifestation of Gods Love this is the meaning of the Apostle who tells us of the Mystery that was hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints Col. 1.26 This Love of God was hid in the breast of God from the Sons of Men for an Age so that they knew not what to make of this great Design I speak of the generality of men for in respect of some Particulars as to Adam and Abraham and Moses and David and the Patriarchs you have heard the Lord made his Loves clear to them in a Covenant-Way and still the nearer to Christ the clearer and clearer was the Covenant of Grace 4. At last God fully opens himself in the fulness of time God takes the flesh of those poor sinners which he had so loved and joins it to himself and calls it Christ a Saviour O! now was it that God descended and lay in the Womb of a Virgin now was it that he is born as we are born now was it that he joined our Flesh so nigh to himself as that there is a Communication of properties betwixt them both that being attributed to God which is proper to Flesh as to be born to suffer and that being attributed to flesh which is proper to God as to create to redeem who can chuse but wonder when he thinks of this phrase that a piece of Flesh should be called God and that God should be made flesh and dwell amongst us that flesh should infinitely provoke God and yet God in the same flesh should be infinitely pleased that God should veile himself and darken his Glory with our flesh and yet unveile at the same time the deepest and darkest of his designs in a comfortable way to our souls O my soul how shouldst thou contain thy self within thy self how shouldst thou but leap out of thy self if I may so speak as one that is lost in the admiration of this Love Surely God never manifested himself in such a strain of Love as this before herein was love manifested and commended indeed that God would come down in our nature to us One observes sweetly that God did so love the very Nature of his Elect that though for the present he had them not all with him in Heaven yet he must have their Picture in his Son to see them in and love them in in this respect I may call Christ incarnate a Statue and Monument of Gods own infinite Love unto his Elect for ever Well hitherto we have followed the passages of his Love and now we see it in the Spring or at full Sea If any thing will beget our love to God surely Christ incarnate will do it Come then O my Soul I cannot but call on thee to love thy Jesus and to provoke thy Love O fix thy eye on this lovely Object come put thy Candle to this Flame what doth not thy heart yet burn within thee dost thou not at least begin to warm why draw yet a little nearer consider what an heart of Love is in this Design God is in thy own nature to take upon him all the miseries of thy Nature mark it well this is none other than Gods heart leaping out of it self into our bosoms q. d. Poor souls I cannot keep from you I love your very Nature I will be nothing so you may be something my Glory shall not hinder me but I will vail it rather than it shall hurt you so I may but shew my self kind and tender unto you and so I may but have Communion with you and you with me I care not if I become one with you and live with you in your very flesh Oh my heart art thou yet cold in thy Loves to Jesus Christ canst thou love him but a little who hath loved thee so much how should I then but complain of thee to Christ and for thy sake beg hard of God Oh thou sweet Jesus that cloathest thy self with the Clouds as with a garment and as now thou cloathest thy self with the Nature of a man O thou that wouldest inflame my Spirit with a Love of thee that nothing but thy self might be dear unto me because it so pleased thee to vilifie thy self thine own self for my sake SECT VII Of joying in Jesus in that respect 7. LEt us joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us at his Coming or Incarnation If it be so that by our Desire and Hope and Faith and Love we have indeed and truth reached the Object which our souls pant after how then should we but joy and delight therein the end of our motion is to attain quiet and rest now what is joy but a sweet and delightfull Tranquility of mind resting in the fruition and possession of some good what hast thou in some measure attained the presence and fruition of Christ as God incarnate in thy Soul it is then time to joy in Jesus it is then time to keep a Sabbath of thy thoughts and to be quiet and calm in thy Spirit But you will say how should this be before we come to Heaven I answer there is not indeed any perfection of joy whilest we are here because there is no perfection of Union on this side Heaven but so far as Union is our joy must be examine the grounds of thy Hope and the actings of thy Faith and if thou art but satisfied in them why then lead up thy joy and bring it up to this