for a Christian the blood of Jesus is said to be a pleading blood Heb. 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then the blood of Abel It is a pleading blood and it saies Father Remember the merits of the Sacrifice of my death remember the satisfaction that thou hast received and do thou continue to love and continue to bless and continue to delight in and to acknowledge these poor ones though they fail and though they provoke thee The believer it may be is so ashamed of himself upon an overcome that he hath not one word to say for himself he can give no reason why a decree of justice should not come out against him but the blood of Jesus that is alwaies speaking and alwaies interceeding whereby we are kept in that justified peace-state with God that in our first coming over to God we are stated in and this may satisfie the Christian under all the disquiets troubles turmoils and unsettlements that he meets withal in this world Secondly Jesus Christ is a powerful Intercessor in Heaven daily urging the merits of his Death and improving the Interest that he hath with God for the compleating of the work begun in the hearts of Believers whereby they are growing up to perfection Jesus Christ is not only an Advocate with the Father silencing and answering all accusations and charges and so maintaining of the Believer in his justified Peace-state with God but as a lively and living Intercessor he is alwaies urging the merits of his Death and improving the Interest that he hath with God for the compleating of the good work of his Grace that is begun Jesus Christ hath not only a Fountain of all Grace for your constant supply but he acts the part of an Intercessor and improves the merits of his Death for the managing of the work of Grace that is begun in your Souls This you have Heb. 9.24 Jesus Christ is gone into Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us And he is not there to appear only as an Advocate or an Attorney but he is there as a mighty Intercessor pleading with God in the strength of the merits of his own Death improving all his Interest with the Father for you Rev. 5.6 In the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain having seven Horns c. This Lamb is Christ Now Christ Jesus he is in Heaven advanced upon a Throne for you He is in the midst of the Throne near unto his Father and how doth he sit or how doth he appear Why says he he appears as a Lamb as it had been slain that is Christ he bears the marks of his Death before his Father upon the Throne he is there to make a fresh commemoration of his sufferings presenting his bloody death and his bloody Sacrifice before his Father As Jesus Christ after he was risen said unto Thomas Come says he behold my wounds and see the print of the Nails in my hands and in my feet So Jesus Christ saies as it were to his Father Father behold these wounds behold how I was pierced behold how I was wounded for these people and as one says so many wounds so many cries Every wound hath a crying mouth that is daily pleading with God for the Believer Jesus alwaies stands as a Lamb as it were slain urging his death urging his agony urging the greatness of his sufferings when justice had him under the lash when he trode the Wine-press of his Fathers wrath alone and he is urging the value of his death for the succeeding of the work of grace begun for the encreasing of strength for the carrying on of your Souls unto perfection Jesus Christ lives upon the Throne carrying on this work and for this great end he considers the Christians state in all his dangers and in all his weakness and under all his wants and he is improving his death for more grace and for an increase of spiritual blessings he knows your dangers by reason of your temptations in the world and he is praying for you there and improving his interest with his Father on that account John 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil O Father saies he they cannot stand against the temptations of the world in their trades and concerns in the world not alone let thy grace be sufficient and let thy strength be sufficient to secure them in their dangers he sees that your grace is yet but small and will hardly stand against a small encounter and therefore he prays that it may be encreased as Luke 22.31 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not as if he had said I know that thy grace will be sorely tryed and will meet with great opposition but I have prayed that it may not fail he pleads with the Father for a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit upon the hearts of his people John 14.16 17. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth c. And when Jesus Christ does pray for the Spirit he prays that he may come in the royalties of his office into your hearts bringing in the fruits of grace of peace and of joy and of spiritual comfort And thus he in Heaven looks after the work that is begun and upon that account he is called not only the Author but the Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 The intercessory work of Christ is not only at your first coming over to God to give you favour with God peace with God but it is a continued act over your whole state till you come in glory Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost or to carry on salvation work till he hath compleated it Why because he ever liveth to make intercession for us Jesus Christ by his intercession does deliver out of one streight to day and he will continue in the same work and if a new streight does appear to morrow he will aid through that also and he will go on so until he hath setled thy Soul in a compleat salvation state Jesus Christ does daily exhibit and urge and present the merits of his death for the carrying on and managing of the work that he hâ—th begun And here take notice by the way that when we say Jesus Christ continueth to interceed you must know that he doth not interceed in a way of free Grace as we do at the throne of Grace he doth not interceed in a precarious way as believers do but he interceeds in the merit of his own sufferings his interceeding is an authoritative act he doth not only pray the Father for Grace and for acceptance for us but he urges the Father upon the account of the infinite price of his own sufferings that
and shall further be glorified upon him and in him I have thought sometimes that many a poor Believer is just as Hagar was when her Bottle was empty and she sate down weeping that now she must die Why she need not fear famishing when there was a well of water near her that she and the Lad might drink their fill Ay but she did not know this well of water to be so near her So the Believer's state is safe and good ay but he does not know it Jesus Christ deals with his People as Joseph did by his Brethren he fed them and nourished them and comforted them a great while but would not discover himself to them that he was Joseph their Brother A Believer that hath an Interest may yet want the evidence of that Interest Thirdly Evidence of Interest is attainable and it is the will of God that Believers should give all diligence to make it clear It is possible that a Soul may come to see his own standing in Christ Jesus and know unto his full satisfaction and rejoycing in all conditions that he is interested in him Many Scripture-Saints have delivered it to us upon record that they did attain to an evidence of their Interest The Spouse in the Cant. did attain an evidence of her Interest Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his Job had a clear sight of his Interest Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth c. David had his Interest cleared up to him The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear Psal 27.1 Paul was assured of his Interest in Christ 2 Cor. 5.1 2. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven And it is the mind and will of God that Believers should give all diligence to clear their Interest 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates And 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and your election sure There is the command which implies a possibility of attaining it The possibility of it doth further appear in that the Father and the Son have both sent forth the Spirit to be a Comforter to be a Witnesser to those that are in Christ and his Office it is an Ensuring Office The Spirit he comes being sent forth by the Father and the Son into a poor heart that is full of fears doubts questionings and misgivings and doth settle this Soul in the stedfast belief of his abiding Interest in Christ Jesus and Christ's everlasting relation unto it This you may see Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God And Ephes 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise And a considerable part of the Scripture is given forth to this end to clear up a Believers Interest in and Relation unto Christ that he may know his standing in him 1 John 5.12 13. There is Life in the Son says he and I write unto you that ye may know that ye have an Interest in the Son and so have life from him and this is that which the Lord's People have gloried in Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth ' us not c. And this is one end of that grand Ordinance of the Lord's Supper to seal and ensure Believers It is not only an Ordinance of Communion but it is a sealing Ordinance wherein the Lord Jesus does come and set upon the heart clearing up the Soul's Interest in himself and telling of him what he hath done for him and sealing all that hath past upon his Soul It is sometimes hereupon made a feast of fat things It is an Ordinance of Joy It is not a converting Ordinance but it is an Ordinance of comfort unto those that are converted being often owned by the Lord as a sealing Ordinance to confirm all that hath formerly past between God and the Soul So as an evidence of Interest is attainable and it is the will of God that Believers give all diligence to make it clear Fourthly The Interest and Relation that one Believer is owned in with Christ is not different in its nature and properties from what every Believer is owned in but all that are interested in Christ are equally interested in him If you speak of the Interest and Relation absolutely it is the same Jesus Christ is not more one believers than he is anothers Jesus Christ hath not given one believer a greater propriety in himself then he hath given another believer but all are equally interested in and related unto Christ all have an equal share in Christ All have an equal standing in Christ in point of interest and relation Indeed if you speak of interest and relation quo ad effectum as we say if you speak of it in reference to improvement and effects there indeed there is a difference between believer and believer One believer may improve Christ more than another and one believer may grow up in Christ more then another and one believer may in point of application and enjoyment possess more of Christ more of the Grace of Christ then another believer doth but they are all equally interested in and related unto Christ Jesus and the interest that one believer hath is as pleadable and as improvable as the interest that another believer hath Jesus Christ is equally a Head and a Husband and a Brother unto all his People and they are equally Members of the same body in point of interest though not in point of growth saies the Apostle in 1 Cor. 6.17 But he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit It is spoken in general let him be an Apostle let him be an eminent Saint or let him be a meaner or more obscure Saint let him be a strong believer or let him be a weak believer if he be joyned to the Lord he is one Spirit alike joyned alike related and alike interested Fifthly The believers interest in Christ is abiding and can never be crush't it can never be broken it can never be violated but the evidence of interest though once obtained and seem clear may be obscured and darkned A Christians joy that is passing away it is transient but as to his interest that is inviolable and inseparable none can disunite Christ and the believer being once Gospelly joined So you have it spoken out by the Apostle Rom. 8.35 and so on Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword No saies he they
full my Jesus is full though I am robbed he is not robbed though I have little or nothing Jesus Christ he hath all and Christ is all and all his fulness is mine Sense of Interest will raise your hopes and expectations upon Christ Jesus My friends now we look upon Christ and have low thoughts of him we look upon Christ and our expectations are not raised upon Christ We come to an Ordinance where Christ is discovered and displayed in the riches of his Death and in the glories of his Life and our hearts are not raised upon this why but because we have not the sense of our Interest The sense of Interest will raise your expectations and will comfort you against the thoughts of death Now Lord says good old Simeon lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Luk. 2.29.30 And says the Apostle I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all The sense of Interest will lay you in against all fears of the approaching Judgment instead of being afraid of it it will make you long for it when the Soul comes to see and know and be ascertained that the judge of the Court is his friend and is in relation to him and hath loved him so as to lay down his life for him and hath ever been designing upon him in a way of love and grace this Soul will not be afraid to appear before him but will long for the day when he shall come to see his Jesus clothed with glory So as a clear evidence of interest in Christ obtained maintained and gospelly managed will be of singular advantage unto a Christian in his whole Christian course SERMON V. Habakkuk 3.18 Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation THe Proposition was this Doct. That there is enough in Jesus Christ alone for the Souls full rejoycing and triumph whatsoever his state and condition is in this world Now we proposed First To give you several introductory particulars by way of premise These we have dispatched And shall now proceed to consider what are the grounds of a believers darkness about his interest 2. It may be said in the second place if there be such solid and substantial grounds of joy in Christ Jesus for the believing Soul at all times and in all conditions what is the reason then that believers are so often in a dark dubious uncomfortable shattered state that they are seldom able in any stedfastness of spirit to look up unto Christ Jesus and glory in him Ans 1. I answer The darkness of the believers interest doth oft-times arise from a looking more unto such things in the examination of himself as argue the height of an interest then to such things as do discover the truth of an interest They do fix upon such things as are discoveries of a grown state in Christ when as they should fix upon such things as do discover an in-being in Christ they propose to themselves that corruption must be so and so brought under and mortifying work must be carried on to such a height or else they can have no grounds of their interest in Christ they propose to themselves such a measure of love as must be flaming to Christ at all times or else they think they have no love at all they think they must have such a measure of faith as to believe without staggering or else they have no part in Christ Now hereby they â—o ensnare their own Spirits and encrease their darkness But you should look more at such things as argue the truth of an interest then at those things that do argue the growth and improvement of that interest Secondly Darkness of evidence doth oft-times arise from the believers viewing his wants and overlooking his present receits Jesus Christ hath done a great deal for him and hath given out a great deal to him and hath made a wonderful change in him he cannot deny it if he be put to it but he overlooks all this and considers his present wants his weaknesses his short comings his failings his smallness of strength his staggering before a temptation the uncertainty of his Spirit in his walking with God and he bears the stress of his condition upon his present wants not considering what Jesus Christ hath already done nor considering that the work is gradually carried on Now Christians if you would lay your selves fair for the Spirits Gospel evidence in your souls then you must take in the encouragements of your condition as well as your discouragements you must not only insist upon your discouragements but consider also what Jesus Christ hath done and what a change he hath begun to work and what have been the movings of your souls towards him from divine influences upon your Spirits Thirdly The darkness of evidence or obscurity of interest do oft-times arise from the prevailings of sin in the heart upon which Christ suspends Sin that rallies that gathers head in the Soul that presses forward and the Soul gives way to the temptation and is overcome and upon it darkness does arise this was Davids case David was assured ay but sin prevailing in his heart drove him into the dark that all the joys of the holy Spirit were for a time taken from him 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. And Nathan said unto David thou art the man thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul c. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight I have done all this for thee saith the Lord thou hast despised my commandment and done evil in my sight So the Lord Jesus speaks unto the Soul I have thus and thus manifested my self to thee I thought it not too much to take thee into communion with my self I thought it not too much to dandle thee upon my knee and to give thee the assurance of all that I have done for thee But thou hast wickedly departed from me and broken my Commandments and it is just with the Lord now to suspend prevailings of sin will cause a suspense You know that Absolom upon his rebellion was excluded for a while from his Fathers House he must not see his Fathers face just thus it is with a Soul when it hath turned aside into some way of folly after it hath provoked the Lord the Lord he hides himself from him he won't let him see his face he must not come into his presence to see him and to rejoyce in the light of his countenance as formerly he had done The prevailings of sin after Grace do many times cause a suspense Fourthly Darkness of evidence is occasioned from the Souls crediting the reports of Satan that lead him to deny what Jesus Christ hath done for him and in him upon undenyable demonstrations of the power of his Grace in his
great reflection upon a passive captivity upon an active surrender he may when he hath sold himself to work wickedness he may be made ashamed of his folly Ay but a Hypocrite a false heart will never deeply mourn for a passive captivity but there he will say Well I could not help it it was not my fault and so will be excusing of it as the Woman did The Serpent beguiled me I intended no such thing I was seduced and overcome a passive Captivity bears no great sway in a false heart but an upright Soul he mourns over sin how passive soever he is in the prevailings of it when he cannot prevent sin he will mourn over the prevailings of it It will be his constant grief that he was led Captive and that when he would do good evil was present with him and that he is overcome when he strives to overcome And again consider Soul whether there be any thing less then the returns of death will satisfy thee in thy pursuits of sin for the gracious Soul that is interested in Christ will pursue sin unto death restraining grace will not serve him pardoning grace won't do but he will be for the crucifying of the lusts of the flesh for the mortifying of sin in his Soul for the utter ruine and extirpation of it Now Sirs if you can find those things in you it doth speak for you and will help to clear your interest in Christ Jesus Fifthly The Soul that is interested in Christ will prize the least of Christ above the greatest enjoyments out of Christ A little of Christ will be more to him then a great deal of the Creature nay a little of Christ will be more to him then all the Creature a little of Christs grace a little of Christs love a little of Christs Spirit a small income from Christ the least love token from Christ the least saving Gospel manifestation and discovery of Christ O 't is the sweetest discovery and the most blessed enjoyment that ever his Soul had Thus it was with David if he be the Author of Psal 73. and Asaph only the Pen-man David at once overlookt his Crown and his Kingdom and all his Treasures that he had in the world and the whole world that was before him and saies he Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 And so the Apostle Paul saies he I count all things but dross and dung in comparison of Christ Jesus my Lord Phil. 3.8 Christ was more to him than all other things and verily Christians so will it be with you if your hearts be right a little of Christ will be more to you then all the treasures pleasures and the glories and enjoyments of this whole world and you will esteem your selves more honourable with a little grace in your hearts then with your Houses full of wealth Now to close do but bring thy heart to this touchstone and do but consider what it is that thy heart is most set upon and what it is that will satisfy thee if this world and the comforts of it can satisfy thee without Christ thou hast no part in Christ nay if thou preferrest other enjoyments before a participation in Christ thou hast none of Christ if thou hast a saving interest in Christ the manifestations of Christ to thy Soul will be the most blessed manifestations O the least incomes of Christ will be as life from the dead The least love token the least intimation of his love the least saving effect and operation of his grace upon thy heart and the encrease of communion with him These things will be the life and the joy of thy Spirit If thou canst find it thus with thee really and in truth that a little of Christ is prized in thy heart above the greatest enjoyments out of Christ it is a sign and evidence that thou art interested in Christ It may be Soul thou hast but a little of Christ in thy heart very little of Christ but a little of the grace of Christ and but a little of the Spirit of Christ and canst do but little for Christ ay but the least incomes of Christ they are the sweetest incomes to thee and thy enjoyments of Christ are the most satisfying enjoyments and thy Soul will prefer an opportunity of communion with the Lord Jesus before great advantages otherwise If it be thus with thee it is an evident sign that thou art interested in Christ and thou mayest take comfort in thy present standing in him SERMON VII Habakkuk 3.18 Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation THe Proposition is this Doct. That there is enough in Christ Jesus alone for the Souls full rejoycing and triumph whatsoever his condition and exigency is in this world This we have cleared to you and are now upon clearing up of the Souls state that he may know whether he hath interest in this full Jesus We have already given you five particulars that may be as so many evidences of a Christians interest in Christ and shall now proceed Sixthly In the sixth place The Soul that is interested in Christ is under an over-ruling influence from Christ that secures the habitual inclinations of his Soul for Christ against all contrary invitations and drawings Particular acts are not a sufficient conclusive ground of our state one way or another A Soul that hath no interest in Christ may seem choice and singular in some actions and there may be a seeming lovely desirable sanctity upon him and a Soul that is really interested in Christ may by the power of a temptation be drawn into some unbecoming acts so as particular acts are no sufficient ground of an interest and if you judge by them you may easily be deceived but he that is really united to Christ is under a divine influence from Christ that secures the habitual inclinations of his heart for him that so the blass of his heart is towards Christ and the full purpose of the Soul in its secret breathings and inclinings are after the Lord Jesus alone It may be when the temptation comes he may be almost staggered but yet his heart stands right for Christ in the main in whom he is interested and though temptations may have a great power upon him yet the biass of his heart will winde through all temptations unto Christ alone thus it was with Paul there were contrary drawings in the heart of Paul and the temptations that he met withal from the remains of indwelling sin were very great yet his heart under all stood right and the habitual inclinations of his heart were for and towards Christ Jesus and this was the Characteristical note of his in-being in Christ Romans 7.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22. You may see it at large For that which I do saies he I allow not for what I would do I do not but what I
these things that we have laid down in truth though not in high degrees and measures you may be comforted Many Persons they wrong their case and so darken themselves thereupon by looking more unto the height of those things that are notes of evidence then the truth of them Now examine your selves I say by the truth of these things though you cannot yet find that you have overcome temptation that you have got into an holy triumph over temptation yet if that you can find that under all contrary inclinations and drawings the habitual frame and inclination of your heart is secured for Christ you may be comforted though you cannot find that you are able to do much towards the repairing of the glory of Christ in your place yet if you have a heart that is deeply affected with the dishonour that is done to Christ because Christ is dishonoured thereby you may be comfotted Though Christians you can find in your searches but very little of Christ in your hearts yet if your Souls are restlesly carried out after Christ in all your seekings of him that you must compass something of Christ or you cannot be satisfied this seeking heart and restless Spirit after Christ is a note of evidence to you and though you cannot live up to Christ as you would yet if your preparations and reformations be heart-preparations and heart-reformations that the work is begun and going on in you this may be matter of comfort to you and so you may go on to all the other particulars that I have given you look more to the truth of them then to the height and degree of them if you would upon them come to a right understanding of your present state Secondly If upon a search you can find but some of those things that have been given you as evidential of an interest you may be comforted though for the present you cannot speak of them all upon a particular experimental sense The Lord he speaks unto one Soul by one word and he speaks unto another Soul by another word and we don't know what particular word the Lord will make use of nor what particular of all these the Lord hath singled out and made of use advantage and comfort unto any of you but if the Spirit of the Lord hath singled out any one of them and given you a hint of interest thereupon you have cause to rejoice in the Lord and if the Lord hath given you but the least hint of his love and the least intimation by any word of Grace of your interest let not this be lookt upon as a small thing Take heed of refusing the consolations of the Lord when they are offered to you remember him of whom it is said Psal 77.2 My Soul refused to be comforted Thirdly Know this that full assurance and clear evidence of interest is gradually brought into the heart as the light of Grace comes in gradually so also does the light of comfort which is a light unto your Souls to discern Christ and to take comfort in him now the Lord it may be at first let in a little light as it were through the cravis don't set light by this thus doth the Lord work he gives in a little light at one time that doth as it were put the Soul between hope and fear and by and by he comes in with a little more light and then with a little more light and so gradually he carries on the Soul until he hath led him unto a clear evidence and given him a full assurance of interest so as if you have but yet the day star in your hearts don't despise it if you have yet but the beginnings of the light of consolation don't judge this small though comparatively to what some do enjoy it is but small yet let it not be small in your apprehensions but know that the light of interest gradually comes in encreases I may liken the light of interest unto the Prophets Cloud that was at first but like a mans hand and it was a great way off there was some hope of rain upon it but they did not know what would come of it but this was the beginning of such a Cloud that brought abundance of rain So thou hast Christian a little light that is glimmering in thy heart that sets thee it may be between hope and fear well let not this be small to thee for though for the present thou canst not come to a full assurance yet thou dost not know what this will come to thou doest not know what a growing light this is and how much it may encrease in thy heart Now unto those that have as yet but a little light in their Souls some small hopes through grace of an interest but they dare not positively conclude nor they dare not absolutely deny they have not that full assurance that some have neither are they left wholly in the dark unto these Souls I would speak something by way of encouragement and something by way of direction First By way of encouragement to those that have a little hope through grace and have some small glimmerings of their interest and some buddings of their evidence though it is not yet fully blown let such hearts consider First That if thou hast any thing that is a note of evidence or gives thee hope through grace any thing I mean that is in truth know that though it be never so small yet thy interest in Christ is as great as his is that dwells in the height of assurance my friends your interest in Christ is not the less because your evidence of interest is very small but your little evidence that is in truth or this little word of grace that the Spirit hath spoken that gives you some hopes about your condition doth give you as full an interest in Christ as he hath that hath the highest measures of assurance in this world The young Child that can but run to his Father and cry Father Father he hath as full an interest in and relation to his Father as the grown Child that in understanding and judgment is able to reflect upon and improve the relation and so it is with thy Soul in thy union with Christ though thou canst but look up unto the Lord and cry unto him that he would help thee though thou canst but just cry Father though thou art not able to improve thy interest as some others can yet if upon the least hint of grace from the Spirit thou art able to cry Father thy interest is as good and as great as that Souls that is able to rejoyce in Christ in full evidence Christ is yours and you are Sons you are heirs as well as others and you have the same Spirit and the same Fountain of Grace to go to under the smallness of the evidence of your interest Secondly You are under the same preservable maintainable care that those are that dwell upon the top of
all believers and Jesus Christ doth not live and spend upon the fulness of grace that he hath received but he discovers it to the Saints that they may have it to live upon and he lieth under indispensible obligations to dispense it to those that come unto him and Jesus Christ will not debar any Soul that comes unto him for spiritual relief he is engaged in faithfulness unto his Father to relieve those that come and he must deny his office which he can never do should he not do it for the Father hath entrusted him with grace that he might dispense it and he hath given him his fulness that he might communicate of his fulness to those that are in want Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts for men Jesus Christ he hath received great gifts from his Father he hath received grace gifts office gifts and he hath received personal gifts and all these gifts that he hath received they are for men and 1 Cor. 3.21 All is yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or things present or things to come all is yours all that Christ hath received from his Father or is ordained to dispense he must dispense and he will dispense Isaiah 61 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound c. saies Christ there is a poor Soul that I must deliver and there is a wounded heart that I must heal and there is a bruised reed that I must bind up and there is one weak in grace that I must strengthen and why must I do it Why saies he I am anointed to do this the Father hath commissionated him to do this he hath ordained him hereunto and he must deny his ordination and refuse the office that he is to act in should he refuse a poor Soul and not give liberally to those that come to him John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat that endureth to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father Sealed in these expressions are discovered the great blessings of the Gospel that are dispensible by the hands of Christ now go unto Christ Jesus if you be hungry if you be thirsty go unto Christ Jesus if you be naked go unto Christ Jesus if you be empty why will he bless such an one as I am will he look upon such an one as I am yes saies the Father go and you shall speed my Son shall give these things to you for I have sealed him or you may consider these words as spoken by Christ and as the indispensible obligation that lies upon the Son from the charge that he hath received an Office-charge of all that grace that the Father hath designed should be dispensed do not question therefore the Lord Jesus Christ but let your applications be frequent to him he will be faithful unto his Office Eightly There is an exceeding tenderness in the heart of Christ unto distressed Sinners according to all the concernments of his Office There is a very great willingness and forwardness in the Lord Jesus Christ to be dealing out his grace unto those for whom grace was designed or to whom grace is to be dispensed there is an unexpressible desire in the Soul of Christ Jesus to be dealing out the grace that he hath received the charge of all Office-work is most desirable work to Christ though never so hard therefore when he speaks concerning his death saies he I have a Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I streightned till it be accomplished But now we may conceive that there is much more a desire in the heart of Christ to dispense the grace of his death Psal 16.3 Thou art my Lord my goodness extendeth not unto thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight My delight saies Christ it is with the Saints to be relieving the Saints and to be comforting of the Saints and to be blessing and strengthening of the Saints The heart of Christ takes great delight in this my delight is with them saies he as to all my goodness as to all my kindness as to all the gifts of grace that I have received and as to all my fountain fulness it doth not extend to the Lord but it is to the Saints and my delight is with the Saints on the consideration of the grace that I have to dispense to them and Heb. 4.25 Jesus Christ he is touched with us he hath a feeling of our infirmities not a feeling in a way of passion and suffering but a feeling in a way of compassion and tenderness that is his feeling as the Mother hath a feeling of the pain and sickness and weakness of the Child through the sympathy of her spirit and the yernings of her bowels over it so the Lord Jesus Christ stands with yerning bowels over his Children and he is touched with our infirmities You have not a weight upon your spirit but in compassion and tenderness Jesus Christ feels it and you have not a burthen on this respect or the other but Jesus Christ feels it such are the compassions of his spirit towards you in all the concernments of his Office It may be you are ready to say in a great strait or under a sore Trial O that such a friend knew how it is with me O that my Father were here or such a Relation were here that they did but know how it is with me Why Soul Jesus Christ he knows and he feels the weight of thy troubles sympathiseth with thee under all thy sorrows We have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities Now this tenderness of spirit this sympathy of Christ does influence his hand unto a liberal and free discharge of his Office So that whatever are your losses in the creature and however your outward condition is broken you may go to the Lord Jesus you see he is such a one as you may take comfort in Ninthly Faith is the great instrumental means that receives from Christ and that establishes the Soul in Christ All our blessings they are lodged in the Lord Jesus Christ and there they meet as in a fountain Now faith that is the drawing grace that draws out of this fountain for the Soul's supply The Father hath placed all in Christ and faith is the receiving grace that takes all out of the hand of Jesus Christ that he offers to the Soul by faith we are united to Christ and by faith we receive from Christ upon the union As the Pipe that is laid unto the mouth of the fountain doth receive and
reason suggested to them under some providence or other that disquieted their spirits it was through the suggestion of sense and reason that Zachartas questioned the truth of the Word of God sent to him by the Angel about having a Son Luk 1.18 And Zacharias said to the Angel whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my Wife well stricken in years It was from the instigation of sense and reason that that unbelieving Lord did question that great plenty that the Prophet told him should be the next day 2 King 7.1 2 Thus saith the Lord To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flower be sold for a shekel c. Then a Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the man of God and said If the Lord should make windows in Heaven might this thing be He only argued upon the Prophecy in his own reason and in his own sense and this made him so unbelieving as to reject the Prophecy of the Prophet This sense and reason made the Disciples themselves to question the intention of the Lord about feeding so great a multitude as there was with such small provision as they had Mark 8.1 2. In those daies the multitude being very great c. At the 14th verse his Disciples said unto him From whence shall we buy bread that these may eat So that if you would get into this life of Faith keep down sense and reason and cast out their suggestions which will not bring you near to but set you further off from the Lord. Do not say upon a new difficulty here is no way to escape or upon a loss this or that is gone and can never be made up to me again but throw out the reasonings of sense if the discouraging suggestions of sense be resisted and set by Faith will then get up and speak in the heart 9. Look through and beyond the discouragements of second Causes unto the encouragements of the first Cause that is alwaies absolute and independent and there fix your eye in a strait Second Causes they are failable but so is not the first Cause that is the efficient of all and the Lord who is the first Cause and efficient of all oftentimes dries up all creature streams and causes visible humane help to fail that we may see how great the first Cause is Though the Lord doth ordinarily make use of second Causes yet the Lord will so walk towards us to discover to us that he is not tyed to means that he is not tyed to second Causes and he oft-times causeth visible helps to fail that our eyes may be upon him as the first absolute independent Cause of all I will give you an instance for this and it is that of Israel Israel was in the way of the Lord marching towards the Land of Promise and as soon as ever they were come into the way of the Lord that they were entered into the wilderness they were brought to the mouth of the Red Sea Now all second Causes failed for help there was not a Ship nor a Boat to be got to carry the Hosts of Israel over the water but the first Cause was not at a strait and therefore says Moses from the Lord Israel stand still and see the Salvation of God Now let not your eyes be upon the second Cause but upon the first Cause and you shall see what a deliverance God can make for you and he carried all the Host of Israel men women and children through the drowning Sea and not a man woman nor child was lost in the passage and yet there was neither Ship nor Boat to aid them over And so afterwards when they came at Jordan the waters were before them there was no Boat to swift them over the waters but the Lord he commands Israel to go on and the waters made a lane for them they run on heaps on both sides and Israel hath a path made in the great deep for them And I will give you an instance now of a good man a man of great Faith and that was Moses Moses in a considerable strait fixes his eye upon the second Cause and pored upon the discouragements of that and was lost in his spirit by not looking beyond unto the first Cause and the encouragements that the first Cause did administer It is Numb 11.19 20.21 and so on The people in the preceding verses they murmured against Moses because they had no flesh they were come from their full Tables in Egypt and they had not now their dainties to live upon and they did not know now how to be content why says God you shall not eat one day nor two but even a whole month Now see what Moses said at the 21th verse The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month Shall the Flocks and the Herds be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the Fishes of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them c. Here is the relation God tells this whole Congregation that they should have Flesh to eat for a month they should eat their bellies full they should eat till they could eat no more Moses had his eye fixed upon second Causes and not upon the first Cause and he questions this Lord says he how can this be So many hundred thousands of us and what shall we all have flesh to eat Now on the other hand we read of Asa when a mighty Host came out against him 2 Chron. 14.11 An Host of a thousand thousand that came out against him he lookt beyond the discouragements of second Causes unto the encouragements of the first Cause that is absolute and independent and see how his spirit held up And Asa cryed unto the Lord his God and said Lord it is nothing with thee to save whether with many or with those that have no might help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name we go against this multitude c. He looks unto God the first Cause of all and he saw there the Power of God was enough to charge this whole Army and to engage against this great multitude that came out against him And this was the Prophet's Spirit and the course that he took here in the Text all second Causes failed and frowned and administred only discouragement The Figg-tree that blossomed not there was no fruit in the Vine the labour of the Olive failed the Fields yielded no meat the Flocks were cut off from the fold and there was no herd in the stall Here was a failure of all second Causes now saith he I will look unto the first Cause I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Christians let me tell you that if you lay the weight of your case upon second Causes you will never come to rejoyce in Christ Jesus
in Isa 9.6 Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and his name shall be called Wonderful Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father So Isaiah 8.18 Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel behold I and the Children we are the Lords Children And Isaiah 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not O Lord thou art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from everlasting this is spoken of Christ Jesus Now the relation of a Father it is a relation of pity it is a relation of love it is a relation of tenderness when the Lord tells us he stands in this relation unto us he tells us that he will exercise the tenderness the pity and the kindness of a Father unto his Child Now a Father a tender-hearted Father he will consider his Child in all conditions in all his streights and though it be a rebellious Child yet still he will consider it and he will exercise the pity and the tenderness of a Father to it this you may see in David to Absolom Absolom was a rebellious Son that proclaimed war against his Father and would have cut off his Father and yet see how Davids bowels did work towards his rebellious Son when he heard he was dead O Absolom my Son my Son would to God I had died for thee O Absolom my Son my Son these were the workings of his heart towards rebellious Absolom now if there be so much tenderness in a Father in the flesh towards his Children much more in Christ to his Children Saies Christ Luke 11.13 If ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Why the Fathers in the flesh cannot out-love Jesus Christ they have not a larger heart for their Children then Christ hath for his again Jesus Christ he is stiled the Husband of Believers now that is a relation of great care and tenderness the faithful wise able loving Husband how will he defend his Wife and how will he provide for his Wife and how will he safeguard his Wife and how will he pity his Wife in all her exigencies she shall be as his own Soul Eph. 5.28 29 30. So ought men to love their Wives even as their own bodies he that loveth his Wife loveth himself and no man ever yet hated his own flesh this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church So as all believers they are betrothed and married unto Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ as a loving able wise tender-hearted Husband will secure and defend and provide for those that are married to him much more then the Husbands in the flesh can do for their Wives Again Jesus Christ he is our Brother our elder Brother Now a Brother under the law was not to see any of his younger Brethren under decay and in a low condition but he was to relieve him if thy Brother be waxen poor and fall into decay then thou shalt relieve him was a Scripture law now saies Christ I am not ashamed to call thâ—m Brethren and he will be a most loving tender-hearted faithful Brother unto all his Brethren whatsoever their streights and their trials are Christians do but propose those aiding relieving auxiliary relations of grace that Christ stands in to your Souls and exercise faith upon them propose them I say to your faith and exercise faith upon them do you consider in your own imaginations what if you had such a Father so wise so able so loving so tender hearted how should your heart rejoice in him why Christian you have all that you can imagine in Christ as a Father to you O you would think if you had such a tender Husband such a kind hearted Husband how would you take comfort in him Christian thou hast all in Christ Jesus that thou canst imagine and much more abundantly imagine the lovingest faithfullest Brother that ever was upon earth and thou hast more in Christ Jesus then can be imagined Christ stands in all these relations to thee and these relations are obligations unto him according to the relation will he act and dispense and according to the obligation of every relation shall the dispense be so as he is not only a Husband but you may believe that he will do all for you being betrothed to him that the relation of a Husband obligeth him to and he will do all as a Father for you that the relation obligeth him to he will do all as a Brother that the relation binds him to And know Christians that you can never out-live the love and the grace of the relations of Christ neither can you ever burthen the love of any of his relations you can never overcharge his love there is a natural love arising in the heart of a Father towards his Children a growing springing love every day that notwithstanding many provocations still the Father keeps his heart upon his Child so though there are provocations in your way unto your heavenly Father yet his heart is kept towards you and his heart is the heart of a Father and his heart is the heart of a Husband and his heart is the heart of a Brother and you can never burthen his love nor out-live his grace nor over-believe the fulness of these relations of grace that he stands in to your Souls Now then if you would come to an exercise of faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ then consider the auxiliary relations of grace that he stands in to your Souls and what is dispensible upon those relations and wait upon him for the fulfilment of all 12. Again If you would come to live a life of faith upon Christ Jesus rejoycing in him under a strait and trial of providence then take up a promise and believe it upon the bare faithfulness of God and never dispute with the difficulty or apprehended impossibility of it There are sometimes great mountains of difficulty that lye before the promise you must not consult with these Christians but consult with the promises as they are in the hands of the faithfulness of God and believe the truth of every promise because God hath spoken it how unlikely and improbable soever unto sense and reason the accomplishment of it is don't say how can this be how can such a promise be fulfilled It is not likely it should be fulfilled to me so unsuitable and so unanswerable but eye the faithfulness of God that made the promise and believe it upon Gods bare truth because he hath spoken it when you have nothing else to encourage you to take it up Thus it was with Abraham the Father of believers Rom. 4.18 19 20 21. Who against hope believed in hope and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about
beloved Son of God all the while but yet there is a time a coming when all those that are discharged in Gods Court in Heaven shall be cleared both in the Court of their own consciences and also before the whole world We shall observe this method in our brief handling of it 1. To shew you the truth of it from Scripture 2. To give you the properties of this discharge that is given out by God to believers 3. The ground upon which God proceeds in the discharge 4. The time when the Soul is taken into this priviledge and hath the discharge given out to him And then the Application 1. Scripture clears this That there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ they are absolved they are discharged by God Believers are so but as for all those that are in their Sins they are under the sentence of condemnation it hangs over them and it follows them where-ever they go John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already really condemned he hath the sentence really denounced against him he is really declared a dead man in the sense of the law as we say when the judge hath denounced sentence of death against a Malefactor he is a dead man so every one in his sins is a dead man he is condemned already There is indeed this difference between him and one that is in Hell he that is in Hell is condemned and executed but the sinner upon Earth is condemned and not executed The Sinner in Hell is condemned and executed and there remains no hope for him The Sinner upon Earth he is condemned and yet there is hope that comes in at the door of the Gospel which gives some probability that if he will bestir himself the sentence may be removed the patience of God is exercised and it is drawn out into a great length and it is to lead the Sinner to repentance Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance After the Sentence God waits upon the Sinner and will not suffer the law presently to take hold and to do its work the hand of Justice that is held from smiting the Sinner is not presently executed and in the patience in the forbearance and long-suffering of God there is a pardon that is tendered and a way discovered whereby the Sinner may come to get free from the doom that was upon him but the sentence that hangs over the head of every unbeliever as John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not sâ—e life but the wrath of God abideth on him the wrath of God that hangs over his head it hangs over his head in that ancient sentence that was denounced against man upon his first transgression Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or thou shalt die the death here is the sentence here is the doom and God abideth by his word to this day hereupon saies the Apostle Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them being under the works of the law you are under the curse because the broken law doth denounce a curse against all the breakers of it so as all those that are unbelievers all those that are under the first Covenant all those that are in a state of sin before God they are condemned already But now all those that are in Christ Jesus have this sentence of death taken off they are absolved and discharged by the Lord saies the Prophet Isaiah 38.17 For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back It is spoken by God after the manner of men when a man gives out the bond of another and freely dischargeth him of the Debt the Bond is cancelled and thrown away it is cast behind his back for wast-paper never more to be made use of the Debt never more to be brought into question again nor yet the Debtor upon the account of the Debt Now says he thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back thou hast given me a discharge that they shall no more lie against me Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna Manna of old was a type of Christ The Apostle to the Corinthians clears it Now says he he shall eat of the hidden Manna he shall feed upon Christ every overcomer shall have communion and fellowship with Christ and that is not all but I will give him a white stone The Lord in this expression doth allude unto the Custom that was amongst the Romans when a person upon his tryal was found guilty he had a black stone given him in token of his condemnation and he that was discharged and cleared he had a white stone given him in token of his absolution Now says he I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which none knows but he that receiveth it I will discharge him says the Lord Every overcomer every one in Christ he hath a white stone given him by the Lord. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus 2. We shall proceed to shew you what are the properties of this discharge that the Lord grants unto those that are in Christ First It is a real discharge It is no imaginary thing It is a real truth that the Apostle doth here affirm There is says he therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus The absolution of a Believer is as real as his sinning was real as his condemnation was real he was really a sinner and he was really condemned on the account of his sin and he is as really discharged You have the word of the Lord for it The same word of truth that tells us there is condemnation to every Unbeliever tells us that there is no condemnation to the Believer But you have not only the Word of God for it but you have your discharge under hand and seal And therefore the Apostle tells us that those that believe they are sealed by the Spirit of the Lord. The Seal of the Spirit it is God's Seal Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after that you believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise And again Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed to the day of Redemption He comes and gives you a sealed pardon he gives you the Seal of God's pardon upon your own hearts And hence the Apostle speaks with as much confidence as man can speak upon a sure testimony 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that