the earnest of the Spirit Therefore if Gods own earnest may give good hope then Christ in beleeving Christians giveth good hope of glory especially because the earnest it self is of so great value the receiving whereof is happinesse begun upon earth 2. Because of that near relation and close union which is betwixt Christ and them whom he inhabiteth They are not only related unto him as servants unto their Master though that would give ground of good hope Seeing he himself who is taken up into glory hath said Where I am there shall my servant be Neither are they only one with him Ioh. 12. 26. Joh. 15 5. Col. 1. 18. Ephes 1. 23. He in them and they in him as the branches in the Vine But he is united unto beleevers as the head unto the body which is called his fullnesse Therefore if there be hope that Christ will have a compleat body without the defect of any member in heaven or that every individuall member of Christ his mysticall body shall be glorified then Christ in beleevers is the infallible hope of glory 3. Because Christ by abiding in Beleevers doth prepare them for participation in glory The Apostle Paul is clear in his expressions to this purpose Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you and if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life Rom. 8. 9 10 11. because of righteousnesse But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Wheresoever Christ dwels spiritually his Spirit operateth effectually for the subduing of sinfull principles and for the advancing of the power of sanctification And thus he preparing the vessels of mercy for glory and making them meet to be made pantakers of the inheritance of Rom. 8. 23. Col. 1. 12. Saints in light he giveth them sure hope of glory This by way of application may serve as a good touchstone Vse 1 to try the truth of heavens hopes Not Christ in the Sermons which we hear nor Christ in the Chapters which we reade nor Christ in the Sacrament which we receive will administer ground of hope of future glory Though Christ be in our heads by high notions and in our mouths by frequent glorious expressions yet if he be not in our bosomes by spirituall inhabitation he is not unto us the hope of glory It is said of hypocrites that God is near in their mouths Jer. 12. 2. Mat. 15. 8. but farre from their reins And that with their lips they honour him but their heart is farre from him At the last day many shall pleade their profession of Christ calling him Lord Lord and talking of great works done in his Name who yet shall shall be rejected with doleful disappointments I will professe unto them saith Christ I never knew you depart from Mat. 7. 23. me Here then the question will be how may Christ his being in us be discovered I answer briefly 1. By the grace of Per fidem habitans virtute sua agens Hunnius in Text. Joh. 1. 12. faith whereby he is received 2. By the room into which he is welcomed 3. And by the effects of his entertainment First Whereas true Beleevers are the only receivers of Jesus Christ This faith will evidence it self partly by the incomparable value which it puts upon Christ To you who beleeve saith the Apostle Peter he is precious and partly by opposing 1 Pet. 2. 7. and purging out sinfull pollution that Christ may not be annoyed by it The heart is purified by faith Therefore ask your Act. 15. 9. selves as in Gods presence whether there be any thing in the world which you prize more then Christ or so much as Christ and whether you do indulge any wickedness within your bosomes without bitter complaints and vigorous opposition Secondly Christ dwelleth in the heart by faith The Spouse Eph. 3. 17. Can. 1. 13. saith He shall lie as a bundle of Myrrhe betwixt my breasts Therefore consider into what place Christ is welcomed Do you admit him into some out-house only As at his birth he was laid in a manger because there was no room for him in Luk. 2. 7. the Inne Or do you put him into a cock-loft only I mean Do you only fill your fancies with notions and tip your tongues with talk of Christ or is he indeed received with warm welcome into your hearts by longings loves and rejoycings Thirdly Whereas Christ is influentially operative in the soul where he resideth as the soul in the body where it is Christ is our life saith Paul and I am crucified with Christ Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Enquire Col. 3. 4 Gal. 2. 20. therefore exactly whether by such spirituall breathings sense and motions as were in Jesus Christ whilest upon earth you can make out your union and communion with him He 1 Joh. 2. 6. that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked what gaspings are in you after conformity to Gods will and the glory of his Name what sighs under sin with the expressions of divine displeasure what complacency in Gods service and the smiles of his face in the use of holy Ordinances what motions what progresse do you endeavour to make from sinne towards God in the mortifying of inward lusts and the advancing of the power of godlinesse in your conversations Sincere answers returned unto such like demands will suggest whether Christ be efficaciously present in you This truth administreth matter of much comfort unto all Vse 2 them who finde upon due examination the Lord Jesus dwelling in them When Zacheus heard that Christ would abide Luk. 19. 6. in his house he received him joyfully Greater cause of joy have they who have already lodged him in their hearts Now to quicken the belevevers joy upon that account viz. that Christ in them is the hope of glory these comfortable consequences may be considered 1. Hence they may assuredly expect the supply of all outward wants whether they look upon themselves as possessed of Christ or entitled by him unto glory The holy Scripture holds forth this inference as deducible from both these grounds Christ is the owner the heir of all things and therefore if God hath given us his Sonne how shall he not with him freely give us all things And if the Lord by the right Rom. 8. 32. of Christ hath been pleased to give interest in heavens glory he will certainly vouchsafe all earthly needfull accommodations This conclusion Christ himself gathers from the premises Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure Luk. 12. 32. to give you the Kingdom And the Apostle doth from the same
the handling of the point of doctrine here propounded And because the doctrine hath two branches the one necessarily implied the other openly expressed I shall distinctly speak unto them both The truth implied in the first branch of the doctrine is 1. Branch of Doctrine Joh. 1. 12. Eph. 3. 17. this viz. that Christ is in Beleevers As beleevers do receive him so he dwelleth in their hearts by faith And therefore it is noteable that the Apostle having moved the Corinthians to prove themselves whether in the faith he addeth Know 2 Cor. 13. 5. ye not that Jesus Christ is in you This in-being of Christ in beleevers is to be understood not of an abode in them or any where else on earth corporally for in that sense the Heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of Act. 3. 21. all things but of an habitation spirituall according to the testimony of the Apostle Because ye are Sonnes God hath Gal. 4. 6. sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts Thereby intending to teach us that Christ is in beleeving Christians spiritually And this truth is by various metaphors suggested in the holy Scriptures 1. By being compared unto showrs which descending from heaven do sink and soak into the bowels of the earth He shall come down like rain 2. And his Name Psa 72. 6. Cant. 1. 3. Psa 109. 18. is like unto ointment poured forth which worketh it self into the bones not staying upon the outside of the person receiving it 3. He is meat and drink indeed unto the soul from Joh. 6. 55 56. whence he himself concludeth my doctrine He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him 4. Hereto might be added that he is the soul of our souls whereby we live spiritually Christ is our Life And mans life Col. 3. 4. Dan. 7. 15. is said to be in him 2 Sam. 1. 9. The body is called the sheath of the Soul which expression hinteth that the soul is in the body as the sword in the scabbard In like manner Christ who is the Christians life is in all them whom he enliveneth Having thus cleared the truth that Christ is in beleeving Vse 1 Christians I proceed to the application of it under three heads of Uses First For Instruction in four particulars 1. Hence the Godhead of Jesus Christ may be concluded undeniably for this spirituall ubiquity of Christ in the souls of all reall Saints in all the places of the world cannot belong unto any meer creature whatsoever This argument Saint Paul produced Act. 17. 23 24 27 28. to distinguish the true God from all Idol-gods He is not far from every one of us Omnipresence proveth Deity And the conclusion followeth with like strength when beleevers assert this truth He is in every one of us 2. This discovereth the unparellel'd condescentions of Jesus Jesus Christ being willing to abase himself thus low as to be within poor sinfull creatures This was a matter of admiration 1 King 8. 27. Mat. 8. 8. unto Solomon But will God indeed dwell on earth The good Centurion said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof And the Psalmist with much affection calleth upon all the servants of the Lord to praise him and Psa 113. 1 3 5 6. praise him again upon this account Who is like unto the Lord God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth Did God humble himself in looking out of himself off from his own infinite beauties and perfections to view either men on earth or Angels and Saints in heaven How much greater is this condescention in Christ to make his abode in the souls of sinners Let me here dart only two thoughts into your mindes 1. That Christ came out of his Fathers bosome where he Joh. 1. 18. Prov. 8. 30. was daily his delight rejoycing alwaies before him 2. That the hearts of the best upon earth wherein he inhabits are like dark dungeons in regard of the clouds of ignorance not dispersed 1 Cor. 13. 12. Isa 64. 6. and like unsavoury dunghils in respect of many noysome lusts not fully subdued Therefore guess with gratitude how low our blessed Lord doth stoop in being content to dwell in us even in us every way so vile and so unworthy 3. This giveth us to understand the dignity of all true beleevers As they are precious excellent more excellent then Isa 43. 4. Psa 16. 2. Prov. 12. 26. others in many other respects which I now have not occasion to mention so upon this account that the Lord Jesus Christ is in them Moses the man of God judgeth Israel in this regard in a condition farre better then any other people For what Nation hath God so nigh unto them And how Deut. 4. 7. much was Zacheus affected with the apprehension of this favour this honour when Christ promised to abide at his house When he had climed into a tree to take a view of Luk. 19. 5. Christ and Christ telleth him that he should not only have a transient sight of him but also enjoy him as his guest oh how was Zacheus think you elevated by this entertainment Now such and greater honour have all his Saints Psa 149. 9. It was no doubt a very great honour put upon the blessed Virgin Mary both in her own account and in the judgement Luk. 1. 42 43 48 49. of all Christians that she did bear the holy body of Christ in her womb for a time He that is mighty hath magnified me and certainly the inhabitation of Christ by his Spirit in the souls of his servants is not a priviledge inferiour 4. This whispereth the madnesse and misery of all such who do dare to make opposition against beleevers for seeing Christ is in them therefore in so doing they seek as it were to pluck down Christ his house upon his head I shall not enlarge this Use 1. Either by shewing the various waies whereby wrong is done unto the servants of the Most High viz. by secret plots and open persecutions either by abating their comforts or encreasing their sufferings either by corrupting their judgements or drawing them to sin 2. Or by manifesting Christs knowledge and sensiblenesse of these their injuries together with his severity against their enemies witnessed both by judgements threatned in his Word and executed in the world from generation to generation But I only wish those who are herein guilty to minde the Item given by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians If any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy 1 Cor. 3. 17. for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are The second Use is for the comfort of all true beleevers Vse 2 seeing Christ is in them I remember what is recorded concerning Paul that the
Divines do conjecture wherefore David who mourned excessively upon Absaloms death was more comfortable when he heard that his young childe was dead Now he is dead wherefore should I fast 2 Sam. 1â— 23. I shall go to him God gave into his heart assurance of his childes happinesse in heaven whereas the wickednesse wherein Absalom lived and died did suggest rather doubts concerning his future condition This Use puts a fair opportunity into my hand to reach forth a Cordiall unto the Father Mother Grand-mother and other Relations of the ingenuous gracious Childe whose Funerall hath occasioned this Assembly and whose affectionate minding of this Text upon which I have discoursed was the Argument which induced me to undertake it at this time He was but nine years old and a half when God translated him and above five years since this Text Christ in you the hope of glory took such hold upon his heart that he frequently spake of it and often entreated his Father to preach of it And doubtlesse it is not a thing usuall for a childe so young to be thus affected with thoughts of Christ and glory to be hoped for through him Some few things more I will adde 1. To relieve the sad hearts of his nearest friends 2. To move them with others unto thankfulnesse to the Lord for that which his Spirit had wrought in this hopefull childe 3. As also to quicken young ones unto the imitation of his vertues First His loving honourable respect to his dear Parents and dutifull observance of them was very great which was evidenced by these particulars 1. Having quick parts and an aptnesse to learning he was willing to apply himself unto any thing wherein they judged it meet to have him instructed 2. As he himself was afraid to offend his Parents so â—e was carefull to prevent amongst Servants that which â—ight trouble them and to keep from their knowledge whatsoever he thought would be grievous unto their spirits 3. When under griping pains by reason of the winde-Colick he would labour to forbear groans and outcries lest they should be over-much afflicted with his Lamentations 4. Being asked whether he desired prayers for the lengthening of his life his answer was I would live that I might glorifie God and be a comfort to my Father and mother And all these expressions of his tender love towards his Parents are the more considerable because there was reason to hope that they were encreased in him by their care of his Religious Education In all these particulars he was a rare example especially if his childehood be remembred of Childrens obedience to their Parents Secondly He was like young Timothy knowing the holy Scriptures in his Childehood Though his bodily distempers did often take him off from Reading in the Bible yet he had read it twice throughout and was the third time gotten into the New Testament before his last Sicknesse He was able also to give a good account both of the Chapters which he read and of the Sermons which he heard And I will here mention three Passages which manifest that he minded and was affected with the Word of God 1. Having been taught a short Prayer by his Parents his manner was to adde thereto Scripture-sentences from time to time Two I shall report The one from Psal 119. 68. Thou art good and dost good Teach me thy Statutes The other from Psa 120. 2. Deliver my Soul O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitfull tongue Were not these his desires of knowledge and of preservation from lying a sinne to which Children are subject very commendable 2. Hearing of the misery of wicked ones and Hypocrites laid open in a Sermon on the Sabbath-morning he durst not go to his diner till he had gone aside to praier whereas thousands of riper age have no obedientiall bents wrought by divine threatnings 3. And being once reproached some years since because the hair of his head was short he readily returned this Answer That Gods Word speaketh against long hair remembring those words of the Apostle Doth not even Nature it self teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him 1 Cor. 11. 14. May not this give a check unto many both Ministers and others whose Ruffian-like locks are very offensive unto multitudes who fear the Lord Thirdly As he was a Childe of many Praiers not only being much praied for by his Parents and their Godly Friends but also because he himself did pray daily seeming also to make conscience of this duty And here I shall relate some things which I account considerable 1. Sundry years since he made this as a matter of complaint that he could not order his thoughts while he was at prayer How may this shame multitudes of people much elder to whom roving thoughts in prayer were never troublesom 2. Not long before his death staying at home on the Sabbath-morning with a maid-Servant he desired as he had done formerly that they might sing a Psalm and go to prayer And in his prayer he made this Petition Lord grant that we may leave our sinnes not as people do their old clothes with purpose to put them on again but that we may forsake our sins as rags with resolution to wear them no more Many times when sick and in pain he would use these words Lord help me He was thankfull to my self as to others for our prayers and that night before his death having been once praied for by them who watched with him who discerned the approach of his change he himself of his own accord entreated them to pray with him and for him again Do not these things speak his sensible apprehensions of dependance upon God with expectations of favour from him by means of praier Fourthly This must not be forgotten That for divers years before his death he would expresse much estimation of those Texts of Scripture which speak of heavens glory the glory provided for Gods Servants for ever He would often commend the grace of contentment saying that it was better then riches and that mans life consisted not in abundance If unto all these things we adde that with which I did begin viz. the words of my Text which did run much in his minde Christ in you the hope of glory we may thence charitably and probably conjecture that notwithstanding his religious education and the many things praise-worthy in his life yet he grounded his hope of glory alone upon the Lord Jesus These particulars I have judged meet to mention as I before hinted with respect to Gods honour the comfort of his mourning friends and the edification both of children and their Parents who may be herewith acquainted Now the practicall improvement both of my Sermon and this Narration I humbly commend unto the blessing of God through Jesus Christ FINIS