are blessed with this in Christ Jesus 6. Another Spiritual Blessing is this A reserved Inheritance of all full and Spiritual and comprehensive blessednesses My friends here we have to allude to the people of Israel in the wilderness it may be some few Cottages or Tabernacles that are transitory as those People had some moving resting-places Here is a little grace planted a little faith and a little love and this grows up pretty likelily and pretty promisingly but what is this to the inheritance where that which is in part shall be done way where there is no such thing as grace in part no such thing as love in part no such thing as joy in part no such thing as communion in part for that which is in part shall be done away I think the Apostle speaks fully to our purpose where he tells us of an inheritance reserved 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ You see the Apostle mentions the same Relations that are here in the Text why what is the matter Blessed Peter Why says he the matter is this The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you verse 4. Why friends what is this inheritance Why there I shall inherit the Covenant in its fulness I shall not say that either I want any Law in my heart or in my Head in my inward or in my outward man I shall have no reason to complain that I want the least blessing of the least promise Why Christians this is your inheritance and are not here Spiritual Blessings that are the proper matter of this Inheritance Now the Apostle tells us that he hath blessed us with this in Christ verse 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to â—he purpose of him that worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will How far Christ is concerned in this Spiritual blessing â—ou may easily observe if so be that you â—ither consider the type or the antitype as â—o the type which was Joshua or Jesus Moâ—â—s must not bring the people into their Inheritance indeed in Moses's Time they might have some Bunches of the Grapes of the good land but Moses must not bring them in it must be Joshua that must bring them in So I say my Friends it is not this or that or the other but the Lord Jesus alone that must bring his people into the possession of this reserved inheritance here is indeed a Cluster of Spiritual Blessings infinitely exceeding all the capacities of the Sons and Daughters of men though most of all inlightned by the Spirit to comprehend in whom says he we have obtained an Inheritance who is this whom It is the Lord Jesus Christ to gather together in one all things in Christ in whom we have obtained an Inheritance As much as if the Apostle had said as the Apostle doth in Christs own case we see not yet all thingâ— put under him So I may say you have noâ— yet obtained the Inheritance no more had Paul no more had these Ephesians but yeâ— he speaks as one having full assurance in whom we have obtained answerable to that of our Lord in Joh. 14.2 I go to preparâ— a place for you And the Apostle takeâ— it up and otherwise phrases it Heb. 6 2â— Whither the forerunner is for us entred speaking of the Inheritance that is above whither cur forerunner is for us entered so that this another Spiritual Blessing wherewith we are blessed in Christ Jesus 7. But another spiritual blessing wherewith we are blessed in Christ Jesus is this The Seal and Earnest of what is to come and the very Spirit is made the very matter of this Blessing wherewith he hath blessed us in Christ Jesus I pray do but cast your eyes upon verse 13. In whom ye also trusted still he continues his discourse and fixes Christ at the bottom of all in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise verse 14. which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory Here is a comprehensive spiritual blessing indeed which is the Seal of the eternal Inheritance and the Earnest of it as if the Lord should say when he sends forth his Spirit go my holy Spirit go and seize upon such a heart and seal up such a Soul for the eternal Inheritance and as if he should say to his Son Lo my Son I have given my Spirit to such a one whom thou hast shed thy blood for and lo I send him as the Earnest of the Inheritance that thou hast purchased as the Earnest of my eternal love to thee as the Earnest of my eternal Communion with thee as the earnest of my answering of thy prayer and the import of all thy blood Lo I have sent him and lo he is to them an Earnest Now Sirs this is a great blessing a very glorious blessing indeed God might have designed and kept the design in his own breast or he might have divulged it yet have given us no earnest or pledge of it what needed all that between God and us Christ might have taken his word and we had good reason to rest upon any report that the Lord Christ makes of his confidence in the Father but the Lord Christ and the Father did concur together in this that we should have the Blessing notwithstanding all notwithstandings and that it should be sure to all the seed Yet for our further satisfaction says the Lord behold I give my promise and I give the promised Spirit and that Spirit shall be my Seal upon their hearts and my seal upon their understandings so that look into your hearts and into your understandings and upon this inquiry whose are you Do but make a reflection whose Seal whose Image whose Superscription is this You shall find that the Spirit of the Lord is as it were Gods assuring Seal Ay but it may be you will say this is a great while to come It may be Ten or Twenty or Thirty or Forty years to come Well if those do not satisfy you that you are sealed the Spirit also shall be an Earnest of the Inheritance an Earnest of the future personal blessedness and glory which God hath blessed you with in Christ It is not only Heaven but the personal condition and state of Saints in Heaven that is the glory of their Inheritance and this is another thing 8. But then in the 8th place another Spiritual blessing wherewith the God and Father of Jesus Christ does bless Christians is this Practical experiences of the power of Gods grace
but that it should be holy and without blemish God chose us that we might be holy and without blame and Jesus Christ has such a Love to us even as the Father has that we should be holy and without blame and my Friends the Spirit is all one with the Father and the Son Does the Father choose us and does the Son give himself for us that we might be so then comes the Spirit and resolves that he will make us so and therefore you shall find the Apostle in his Epistle to the Galatians giving us an account of the fruits of the Spirit in the fifth Chapter at the 18 verse if so be ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law And then as to the energy the workings of the Spirit why says he in the 17 verse The Spirit lusteth against the flesh The fleshly part in us is an unbelieving part that is against living out of our selves upon Christ ay but the Spirit that works contrary unto these natural lustings and natural workings of the flesh for says the Apostle v. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith c. By comparing these passages together you may raise this observation that even as the Father and the Son are concerned for our practical as well as personal holiness so also is the Spirit he lusts and he works and he strives and he never leaves lusting and striving and working against the flesh until he have brought forth these fruits of Love Joy Peace and Long-suffering and Gentleness and goodness and Faith c. So that this is the first particular God has chosen us unto personal and practical holiness and if you do observe it this Spiritual Blessing is also ensured unto us in Christ with all the contents of it and with all the proper effects of it May a Poor Creature say But how shall I come to attain to this And what security can I have of it Why says he according as he hath chosen us in him he hath Blessed us in him according as he hath chosen us in him and now says he he hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in him But then 2. The Second Blessing that the Apostle takes notice of is the great Spiritual Blessing of Adoption which doth not only discover a Relation to God but also a sutable frame and a sutable becoming sense of the Relation a sense of it and a frame comporting and complying with it This you have an account of in the 5 verse Having predestinated us to the Adoption of Children to himself c. I pray do but observe what the Apostle here doth discover concerning the Nature of this it is the Adoption of Children to himself The God and Father of our Lord Jesus hath ensured our Adoption with all the Priviledges with all the Blessed consequents of it unto us in Christ Jesus 'T is the God and Father of Christ Jesus and he that is so is in Christ Jesus a God adopting us unto himself by Jesus Christ This you shall find the Scripture frequently making mention of says the Apostle to the Romans We have not received the Spirit of Bondage but the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of Sons and what is the proper work of the Spirit of Adoption You shall find what it is Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Says the Apostle ye are Sons ay but the Sonship is managed by the Spirit ye are not only Sons but the Spirit witnesseth with your Spirits that ye are so and that is his proper work and what is the issue of that Why says he ye cry Abba Father you may go to God in your distresses and you may go to God under your Temptations and you may go to God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ under all your straits and troubles and under all your Spiritual wants and you may say unto him Father hear and Father help Says the Apostle ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear Indeed under the Law when they were under the Power of the Spirit of Bondage they stood at a distance from God they were under fear but now says the Apostle ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father It is as natural a Priviledge to a Child of God and it is as Natural Language to gracious hearts to cry Abba Father as it is for a Child to cry to his Father Father or Mother ye have received the Spirit of Adoption says he and the same thing you have the Apostle giving us an account of Gal. 4. v. 4 5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Why what then That we might receive the Adoption of Sons and because ye are Sons says he God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father I would only observe this to you which it may be is not so obvious to every apprehension Compare but these two Scriptures together and you shall find that in the one he is the Spirit of Adoption as he is the Fathers Spirit and in the other he is the Spirit of Adoption as he is the Spirit of the Son for saith he he has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father The Spirit of the Lord Jesus the same Spirit that influenced the Humane Nature and in which Jesus Christ always prayed to God as a Father and always walked with God under all variety of providences as with a Father the same Spirit he hath sent forth and this same Spirit that cryed Abba Father in Christ crys Abba Father also in Christians 3. The third Spiritual Blessing that the Apostle makes mention of in this Chapter is an universal acceptance of Christians in all cases notwithstanding all disobligements one would wonder that a child should sin and though the sin be rejected yet the child stand still in a state of acceptation though the Father scourge the Child yet he doth not unchild the Child This you have an account of verse 6. to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved I pray do but observe it There is nothing that a Christian can propose to himself there is no case that the Devil and the world can expose a Christian to but the Christian is still accepted in Christ Jesus and that notwithstanding all his fears and under all his Jealousies and in the face of all his conscience accusations and his own self-condemnations yet the Child is accepted the Christian is accepted who hath made us says he accepted in the beloved my friends this is a great Spiritual Blessing indeed There are many that have their hearts greatly concerned and their Spirit wonderfully
disquieted about their acceptance O that I did but know that God did accept me O that I did but know that I were accepted in Christ Jesus Why truly Christians this is one of your proper Spiritual Blessings a Blessing which the Spirit is principally concerned in the manage of He hath made us says he accepted Though there be never so little grace in the heart yet it is accepted two Mites that the poor Widow cast into the Treasury you know what acceptation it found with the Lord Jesus Christ Verily says he I say unto you she hath cast in more then they all they of their abundance have cast into the Treasury but she hath cast in even all that she hath O Sirs if you have never so little grace cast it into your prayers and cast it into your Sermons and cast it into imploy it in your conversations Verily will Christ say this man hath done more then such a one he had but a few gifts and he imployed them all he hath but a little grace and behold I see this little iâ— every duty Verily he hath done more like a Christian then others that have a great deal and yet not half so much considering their proportion to be found in their duties The hand of thâ— Lord hath been open and hath fille many of your understandings with a great deal of Gopel light but alas there is but little of it seen in your lives and in your hearts it may be you are filled with grace ay but there is but little of this grace to be seen in your duties There comes a poor humble Christian with his Mite to pray and with his Mite to hear and behold he casts all in and the Lord sees that all the grace that is in his heart he puts forth in every duty and he exerciseth in every Ordinance Verily says Christ I say unto you she hath done more then they all Therefore my friends let me tell you the God Father of Jesus Christ for still we must consider him under that notion I say the God and father of Jesus Christ hath made us accepted in the beloved if there be any thing that is unacceptable in thee if there be nothing to be seen in thee but what is disobliging yet the Lord hath made you that are Christians accepted in the beloved not accepted in your own graces not accepted in your selves not accepted for this or that or the other but all your acceptance is still in Christ who hath made us accepted in the beloved Now my friends that the Spirit of the Lord doth manage this this also is evident if we do but consider what it is wherein our personal acceptation lies doth it lie in our gracious qualifications which we receive from Jesus Christ why those we receive by the Spirit doth the Lord accept us upon the account of the exercise of any grace in any duty why truly all this is also from the same Spirit There are says the Apostle diversity of gifts and diversity of operations ay but still there is one and the same Spirit It is the same Spirit It may be there is a great deal of humility in thy duty or in thy heart and thou art accepted in Jesus Christ but how camest thou by this humility how camest thou by this meekness why the Spirit of the Lord hath rested upon thee in the form of a Dove as the Spirit of meekness and as the Spirit of lowliness and as the Spirit of selfdenial The same spirit that rested upon Christ the same Spirit also hath rested upon thee So that you see also in this third great Spiritual Blessing how far the Spirit and how much the son is also concerned to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved O my friends that there should be such a mystery as this and all the Priviledges advantages of it should be ensured to all the seed in Jesus Christ It is God that makes us and not we our selves accepted in the Beloved wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved I will break off with this one short Reflexion upon what I have already delivered VSE You see my Brethren in the worst of times here is the Best of Blessings ensured in the worst of circumstances here are the gloriousest priviledges in safe hands for you what can you desire more then all Spiritual Blessings of the God and Father of Jesus Christ what can You desire more It may be he hath Blessed such a one with temporal Blessings such a one he hath Blessed with wisdom and such a one with strength and such a one with riches and honour and the like ay but my Friends he hath not blessed every one with all Temporal Blessings says Esau to his Brother Jacob I have enough my Brother ay but it was only Jacob It was only Israel that had prevailed with God that could say I have all My Brother I have all things what did he mean I have God for my exceeding great reward and I have all things in the Covenant I have all things in the blessing I have all things in the promise Now Christians take an occasion from hence to make an estimate of the vast difference that there is between a Christian indeed and one that is but a Christian in shew one that lay under great worldly disadvantages and yet a Christian and one that lay under or that is advanced up to the top of all secular advantages and blessings and preferments even by God himself Would you know Christians where the difference lay why it lies here the one hath all and that for ever and the other hath but what he hath in part and that not secured neither worldlings they have not their greatness in Christ they have not their honour given them in Christ they have not their Relations given them in Christ No no my Friends but now the meanest Christian hath not only all things but all things ensured him in Christ he is not only a better man then the greatest worldling is upon the account of the extent but also upon the account of the Method and Manner wherein all is give him and secured to him There is not a person in the world that can say or ever could say I have all things Nebuchadnezzar in all his glory could not say I have all things But a poor Christian a poor persecuted Paul could cry out I have all things and I can do all things even then when he had nothing at all in comparison says he I have all things and abound Now Christians I pray you rejoyce in your condition And I beseech you sinners become all Christians for whilest you are as you are you have but some things and what you have is all out of Christ but do but become Christians do but give up your heads and hearts to the Lord and then you may say Blessed be the God and father of
though it be to be made a curse Now Christians if the case be so is there not great reason then that the Blessings that we have we should be blessed with them in Christ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us in him 2. But then the Second Illustration of it is this Jesus as a Saviour must not only be a sufferer but a Surety He must be one that must undertake to respond to God for all and to satisfy the justice of God for all Now Sirs what are the Blessings that we receive by his Suretiship Why truly upon the account of that we receive all Spiritual Blessings Christ is Surety that I should live like a Child of Adoption for the substance and main that my heart should be in a frame becoming those that are the Lords Adopted ones O but where is he that hath undertaken it why it is Jesus and therefore you shall find the Apostle fix it upon this very title Heb. 7.22 by so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament by so much was Jesus You see here is the very Title that is given him in the Text Jesus the Saviour and Jesus the Surety for all that are saved and therefore good reason that we should be Blessed with all Spiritual blessings in him And then 5. Lastly The 5th reason that is in the words is this he hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in him because he is the Christ I pray do but observe it he is the Christ And therefore good reason that all our Blessings should be lodged in him There is not another Christ in Heaven there was none of all the Angels of Heaven that were fit to make a Christ of all the Sons and Daughters of men put them all together were not fit to make a Christ of vain are the suppositions and presumptions of the Papists There is none but this Jesus that is fit to make a publick Christ of and this Jesus was anointed with all Spiritual Blessings to this end he was anointed with them in the fountain in the principle I will but turn you to one Scripture for the confirmamation of this that Jesus was anointed with all Spiritual blessings for this purpose I pray do but observe that passage there Isaiah 61.1 verse The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me I pray consider it Sirs The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for or wherewith he hath anointed me And this is the Oyl of gladness wherewith he was anointed above all his fellows 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 the Prison to them that are bound c. I pray do but consider how he brings in the thing to my present purpose all Spiritual Blessings Thou art a poor creature a weak creature not worthy of the least crumb of Bread and yet my Friends all things are given in the Lord Christ because he was anointed with all for us therefore is it that we are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ SERMON IV. Ephesians 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ THe state and Condition of this Church of Christ at Ephesus we have in some measure opened The suitableness of this passage of the Apostle to that their state we have also discovered To be deprived of Temporal Blessings and exposed to Temporal Troubles and Trials as well as Spiritual Temptations is easily ballanced with the discovery the Apostle here makes of being Blessed with all Spiritual Blessings This universal word is not only applied to the kinds but also to the degrees of every kind of these Spiritual Blessings It is all for the kind and all also of every kind not only faith or only love but both not only pardon or only peace but both and not only so but all of all who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings Though you have but little in hand or as I may rather say little in your own hearts yet you have all Spiritual Blessings in the hand of Christ A Third inquiry is this Quest 3 Who is it that doth bless us with all Spiritual Blessings or under what consideration are we to look upon this great Blesser Ans And I pray mind it It is not God at large neither is it God as the Creator of all but here he is discovered as clothed with his principal Gospel relations and that not to us so much as to his Son our Lord Jesus Christ It is not said our God and Father in Jesus Christ the Lord but the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath blessed us Before I enter upon the particular resolve of this I will only premise this in general that both these Relations or Titles that are here attributed to God have an equal respect unto all the Relations under which Jesus Christ is here considered The God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ so that the resolve of this upon this hypothesâ—s will Issue it self in this general proposition or assertion viz. Doct. That God as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ doth bless Christians in Christ with all Spiritual Blessings I would speak these mysteries with all plainness But my Friends there is none of you those that have the greatest advantage of parts and gifts that can understand practically what I shall say without the Spirit of the Lord lead you into the truth which I shall discover to you I hope in the Spirit In the prosecution therefore of it I will only deliver my sense in these Four or Five Generals and then make improvement 1. The first is this when we say that God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ blesses us this seems to be implyed in it That all the advantages that any of the people of God in either Testament have by Gods being their God or that hangeth upon this relation they are all summ'd up in this that he as the God of our Lord Jesus blesses his people with all Spiritual blessings If so be that you reflect upon the Old Testament you shall find Abraham greatly glorying in this and the Lord laying it as a foundation of Abrahams glory Gen. 17.1 says he I am God all sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect and Chap 15. verse 1. you have another appearance of God to Abraham Says he I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Now Sirs I pray Consider The man Jesus the Lord Jesus as betrusted with all our Spiritual blessings lies under the advantage of this relation to God if so be that God be the God of Abraham much more will he be an all sufficient God in the manage of the concerns of Abrahams seed as
content themselves with any lower degree but yet those who have the smallest portion may be supported and comforted by the second Subject viz. That where there is grace but as a grain of Corn the lowest measure yet the Lord hath a high estimation of it And that all grace may be multiplied shall be the Prayer of him who is A Servant of Christ in the Gospel SAM PETTO Octob. 13. 1684. SERMON I. Ephesians 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ IT is the Interest of Christians in all the Circumstances of their lives to enquire after and make sure of something that is Spiritual There is nothing that Satan designs more then either to obstruct their Right or to Cloud their Right to those Blessings that are Spiritual and Eternal Of all lives a Life of Faith conversant in things that are not seen is the most hateful Life to the Devil and the most unknown Life to the World but the properest Life that a Christian can live in and under all the variety of his Condition here below Christians you understand the design of the Devil and of the World upon your temporals how far it will please the Majesty of Heaven to give them leave to prosper in their design I cannot determine but that you and I may have something to bear up our Spirits withal whatever liberty or allowance they have from Heaven That we may have something to rejoyce our hearts withal I have therefore proposed to speak something to you from these words which are a discovery of the unseen blessedness of a Christian in and under all the Circumstances of his Condition in this Life If you should ask me what a Christian is I would tell you as to his state that he is a Spiritual man Blessed with all Spirituall Blessings by the God and Father of Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ This is a Christian and this is a Christians state And surely the Apostle saw great reason to rejoyce upon his view and apprehension of this no sooner did it begin to bubble in his Spirit but so soon as ever it began to work in his heart he breaks forth into Blessings of the author of it Blessed says he be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ I shall only take notice of these 3 things that are principally comprised in the words 1. And the first is the true Gospel Relative and personal state of a Christian he is a Blessed man If there be any personally Blessed it is he if there be any that have any reserve of personal Blessings it is he if there be any that have any Relative Blessings it is he all Blessings all sorts of Blessings he is Blessed with 2. The Second thing that I would observe out of the words is this The security and certainty of these Blessings It is a work not to be done but a work that is already done Blessings not lodged in deceitful hearts but in faithful hands Blessings not betrusted with one that may miscarry but with one whom God knows cannot miscarry and therefore you may observe the Apostle here tells us that the business is done that the Blessings are given Blessed be the God and Father c. Who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Surely our Natural Blessings the Blessings of our Creation were very great Blessings our Moral Blessings were very great Blessings but not to be compared to these Spiritual Blessings neither were they so ensured For God Blessed all the Posterity of Adam with all Natural Blessings in Adam but you know what became of them but the Blessings of the New Covenant they are Spiritual Blessings no more to be trusted in the hands of any but of one whom God dare venture to trust withal therefore says he Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ The third thing that is remarkable in the words is this the Author or the great Blesser Whose Glory the Apostle here doth exemplify and illustrate by his Relation unto the Lord Jesus Christ and that seems to be represented to us under this double consideration First he is the God of the Lord Jesus that died that he might purchase these Spiritual Blessings for us And Secondly He is not only the God of the purchasing Jesus but he is also his Father If there be any security or advantage arising to Christians that God is Christs God the advantage lies here and is improvable in this Case It is hâ— that Blesseth us If there be any advantage that results from the Relation that God has to Christ as a Father that was never dishonoured by him a Father that was never displeased nor grieved with him this redounds also unto Christians to illustrate the Glory of their Blessedness and to evidence the truth and certainty of their Eternal enjoyment of him he is not a God that is a God of distance in concern but he is a God concerned and not only concerned in the Relations of the Gospel to us but in all the Relations of the Gospel unto Christ who is related unto Christians So that a Christian may say the God and Father of my Lord of my head has Blessed me with all Spiritual Blessings in my Lord my head The God and Father of my Husband has Blessed me with all Spiritual Blessings in my Husband The God and Father of my Mediatour has Blessed me with all Spiritual Blessings in my Mediatour So that my Friends you may look upon God not Blessing us as a God at large but as a God engaged in Relation to Christ It is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The same God that Blessed Adam but now God appearing as a Blessing God in another Relation and clothing himself with another Glory he Blessed him as the Creator ay but he is now Blessing Christians as the God and Father of Christ Jesus And thus now I have opened the words to you The Propositions that lie in the words are many but intending this only as an occasional discourse I shall therefore confine my self to these two or three Doct. 1 That the Blessings that properly belong unto Christians and are given to Christians they are all Spiritual Blessings Grace could never content its self infinite grace could never bound its self all the blessings a sinner stands in need of to make him a Saint and all the Blessings a Saint stands in need of to make him an Eternally Blessed Saint these are the Blessings that are the proper portion of Christians Let God dispose of temporal Blessings at his pleasure these are below the grace of God to make them the Childrens Portion Let God give them to whom he please So he do but reserve to you these that are
of a better Nature and these you see are Blessings without Limitation all Spiritual Blessings are bestowed upon Christians Surely then Christians may cry out and have reason to cry out O! What a God have we O what a Father have we O! What Fatherly grace works in the heart of our Father who has Blessed us not with some few but with all Spiritual Blessings there is not a Blessing wanting no one shall want his Blessing Doct. 2 That all the Blessings that God has bestowed upon Christians are all secured to and for Christians in Christ Jesus Christians with all the advantage of all their possible grace on this side Glory are not fit to be trusted that is to be made the sole Trustees of any one Blessing that is wrapt up in any one promise whatsoever They are not fit to be solely trusted with their pardon not fit to be solely trusted with their peace Grace hath found out a better way Grace hath chosen a better method and hath assured all and betrusted all for Christians in the hand of Christ Who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus says the Apostle Doct. 3 That the God and Father as the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath thus Blessed and thus betrusted Christians Blessings in the hands of Jesus Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. You may observe in other Scriptures a like Introduction of the Apostles Epistles with this in 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us c. Has any Christian any comfort why it is the God and Father of Jesus that gives them comfort has any Christian any grace given him Grace be to you and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ He is not only our Father but he is the Father of our Lord Jesus and as he is the Father of Jesus he is the Father and Fountain of all our mercies These are the three principal Propositions that lie in the words It is only the first of these that I design if the Lord please to make the Subject of this days discourses and my design in discoursing upon it is this that I may if it be the Lords pleasure raise up your minds and fix your Hearts upon what is Spiritual and unseen God never estimated a Christian by any visible Blessings he gave him here they are not always the best Christians that are the richest or honourablest but he estimates a Christian in the ballance of the Sanctuary he is weighed with all his Spiritual Blessings if thou beest never so accomplisht if thou beest never so Blessed with temporals yet let me tell thee thou maist be found light and thou maist be found too light too when God comes to weigh thee But God estimates and weighs a Christian by what is Spiritual in him by what is unseen in him And therefore Christians I pray attend unto the opening of this inquiry Qu. What are those Spiritual Blessings wherewith God doth bless Christians in Christ Jesus In the opening of this I shall not exceed the bounds of the discoveries that the Holy-Ghost has made in this Chapter here are Spiritual Blessings enough comprized in this Chapter to take up our minds and to raise our hearts and therefore I shall confine my discourse to what I find herein discovered But before I enter into the particular resolve of it I shall only premise this in general that whatsoever I mention you must take it as the Lord intends it that is with all the advantages that are here discovered who hath Blessed us with all here is an Allness an Universality upon every Spiritual Blessing But you will say what are these Spiritual Blessings Ans I shall give you account of this in these six or seven Observations grounded upon so many several passages in this Chapter And The first is this by Spiritual Blessings I understand Eternal Election And Eternal Election is called Spiritual not because the Spirit is principal in giving being to it but because the Spirit is principal in the manage of it and in the application of it it is the Father that chooses us but it is the Spirit that manages the choice It is the Father that elects us before the Foundations of the World ay but it is the Spirit that is principally concerned in the insuring or in the accomplishing of this Election upon this or that Elect Person This Blessing the Apostle speaks of in verse 4. According says he as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love I pray do but observe it is an Election unto grace it is a choice that God has made from all Eternity A choice of grace and that unto the practice of grace Christians do but consider with your selves you are not only chosen to have your hearts sanctified but to have all the graces of the Spirit in your hearts exercised It is not only a personal but a practical holiness that the grace of God did eye in the Eternal choice that he made of you you it may be are under diverse Temptations under diverse fears of heart sometimes you can see something in your hearts and you bless God for that but you look into your lives and there is but little grace there and you look into you duties and it may be there is as little discoverable there but here is the Blessedness that I have stated ye are chosen that your Conversations should be filled with all practical Holiness and Godliness The Apostle clears it in that passage in the 4 verse That we should be holy and without blame before him Taking us in our whole complex consideration taking Person and Conversation God hath chosen us that we should pray without blame that we should praise him without blame that we should love him without blame and that we should be without blame before him in our whole Conversation and I pray do but observe how our Lord Jesus is concerned in the manage of this in the fifth Chapter of this same Epistle where the Apostle or rather the Holy-Ghost by the Apostle proposeth the Spiritual Husband as a pattern unto Christian temporal Husbands says he Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church verse 25. But wherein doth the excellency or eminency of Christs Love appear unto his Spouse You shall find it in the 27. verse He loved them and he goes on to Love and Love and Love he Loves them and he dyes for them he Loves them he interceeds for them he Loves them and he rules them he Loves them and he enlightens them he Loves them and he strengthens them ay but what is the great manifestation of his Love Why saies he that he might present it a Glorious Church to himself not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing
in every providence and such as lay open to every Ordinance I say practical experiences of the power of Gods grace O what can the grace of God do Nay Christians what is it that the grace of God cannot do That grace that could send Christ out of his eternal mansion in the bosom of his Father what cannot that grace do for thee That grace that can empty as it were the Second person of the Trinity of his glory doest thou think that this grace cannot empty thy heart of sin That grace that can fill the Covenant with such a fulness of Blessings Poor worm doest thou think that this grace cannot fill thy heart with Blessings I pray Christians do but consider what the Apostle saith in the 19 and 20 verses of this Chap. And what is says he the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power If thy heart be hard and be fixed within thee so that thou doest oppose the work of Faith he will work this work of faith with power if it be exceeding hard there is exceeding power that the grace of God has the command of if thou beest exceeding weak there is exceeding grace that hath the dispose of exceeding power ay if thou beest exceeding unworthy there is exceeding grace that can exceedingly overlook all thy unworthiness Now Christians practical experiences of the power of grace under the ministration of the Gospel is a great Spiritual Blessing We have heard much of the grace of God of the respective persons of the blessed Trinity what has this grace done for thy Soul Art thou able to set to thy Seal that there is an exceeding power in the grace of the Father and an exceeding power in the grace of the Son if thou hast not as yet experienced it truly if there be but some beginnings of the power of God and the finger of God hath but been upon thy heart though in lesser power if there be exceeding power wanting that exceeding power shall not always be suspended Practical experiences of the exceeding mighty power of God is that which is a great Spiritual Blessing which we are blessed with in Christ Jesus and for the illustration of this do but compare this power if thou needest as much exceeding power to raise up thy Soul from any Spiritual Death or Deadness as Jesus Christ stood in need of to raise him from the dead that shall be at the dispose of grace that shall be imployed by grace and therefore he adds in the next verse which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead That power that raised the Son of man from the dead and that power that set the Son of man at his own right hand in Heavenly places thou Christian shalt have experience of it and this is the Spiritual Blessing wherewith thou art blessed in Christ Jesus Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Christ that is he hath Blessed us with a Right to an universal and unbounded experience of the power of his grace in all cases 9. But the last that I shall mention is this He hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings that is an universal subjection of all our Spiritual Enemies under us And I think this may be lookt upon as a great Spiritual Blessing It is true indeed my friends all things are put under the feet of Jesus Christ but all things are not yet put under our feet But that you may see the reason of this great priviledge how grace hath laid it in Christ do but observe those passages that you have in v. 21 22 23. of this Chapter at the 20 verse and hath set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principalities and might and dominion and every name that is named both in this World and also in that which is to come And as if these two words could not comprehend all the Apostle adds in general and hath put all things under his feet All things that are enemies to our Spiritual Interest all things that are Enemies unto our purification unto our sanctification unto our inlightning and strengthening and unto any or all of our Spiritual blessings He hath put all things under his feet Obj. Ay but what is all this to us you will say Ans Therefore I pray observe what he says further He hath put all things under his feet with a direct subserviency unto his Church Verse 22. and hath put all things under his feet and hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church head over all principalities over all the powers of darkness over all our Enemies in hell and over all our Spiritual Enemies here on Earth and that unto his Church and People which he calls his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Now my friends this is a great Spiritual blessing and that the Spirit is concerned in this is evident I pray do but observe a passage of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans chap. 8. verseâ— 11. compared with Verse 2. at the 11th verse 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 mortal bodys by his Spirit that dwelleth in you I apprehend that this hath not relation primarily or principally to the last Resurrection of the Body but even to a Spiritual deliverance and freedom of the Body from the remains of the law of sin death which yet abide in it says the Apostle If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in your mortal bodys then you shall be quickened your mortal bodys shall be disposed and influenced so by that Spirit that they shall be readier than now they are to serve the graces of your Souls according to the dictates of the Spirit of Jesus Christ and my reason for this Interpretation is this the Apostle in the conclusion of the former Chapter had been crying out verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death which he had confessed had too long lodged in his members in the former part of the Chapter Now in verse 2. of this Chap. he says But the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death where is the law of sin It is in my body says the Apostle but says he the law of the Spirit of life hath made me free upon this Hypothesis the Apostle doth conclude in verse 11. That if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in us then shall our mortal bodies be quickned and disposed also unto Spiritual service and if you do but observe it the Apostle in the Conclusion of this discourse gives such an exhortation tending to this purpose that
my God I have slighted Ay Christian thou mayest say so but it is Blasphemy for thee to say or think that ever Christ could say so in truth he never provoked his God he never dishonoured his God he never did any thing that might disoblige his God Christ never did He in whom thou art blessed it is God as the God of Christ that hath blessed thee and therefore Christian great encouragement there is unto thy Soul Secondly As he is Christs God all the promises were not only summed up in him that were made to Christians but the Blessedness of all the promises have a primary respect and relation unto him My meaning plainly is this God hath promised thee peace Ay but this peace hath reference unto the honouring and glorifying of the man Jesus Whose God hath Blessed thee with this peace in him Jesus hath the glory of all and God eyes the glory of Jesus in all the promises he makes to us and so my friends all the promises were not only designedly given for the advancement of him but all the promises were summed up in him When God made the promise of a seed to Abraham Abraham had enough he was under some discontent before but now says God I will not only give thee a Child one to be thine Heir but I will give thee a Son and that Son that I will give thee shall be my Heir One in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be Blessed Now Abraham had enough you never find Abraham seeking any more Children at the hands of God no having an Isaac a seed in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Now Abraham is satisfyed and therefore the Lord in the prophesy of the Prophet Isaiah doth thus explain himself when he promiseth the Lord Jesus Christ Isa 55.4 Behold I have given him for a witness or a Covenant to the people I will give him Who I will give my Son Jesus for a Covenant to the people That is as much as if God should say I will give him for All he is as it were the Sums and Substance of all say but Christ and you say All. When God gives Christ to a poor Creature he gives all the Promises all the Covenants and all the Blessings of Earth and all the Blessings of Heaven all the Blessings of providence and all the Blessings that are reserved in the everlasting Mansions And thus now you see in these respects upon what account it is that the Apostle seems to lay the Emphasis upon this word Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings c. I shall give you but 3 or 4 inferences USE 1 Is it so my friends that God as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath Blessed Christians with all Spiritual Blessings Then In the first place Vain are the attempts of any of the enemies of Christians to interpose between them and their Blessings Though they may sometimes interpose between them and some of the means of their Blessings yet I say vain are the attempts of their enemies against their Blessings Why Because that God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ hath blessed them with all Blessings Now you may observe that the Devil hath been all along at it and he makes it his design business from time to time from age to age and from dispensation to dispensation to interpose between the Lords people and their Blessings but still in vain and therefore the Psalmist eyeing the Lord Jesus and eying by faith this blessedness wherewith the God of the man Jesus should bless Christians he cryes out in the 2 Psal 1. Why do the heathen Rage and the people imagine a vain thing Their great design was to keep the people of God from those Blessings that God had designed by promise to give to them There they were imagining and consulting and there they were designing well but observe it that very thing that they thought would be the compleatment of all their designes tending to this purpose was the greatest in-let to all these Blessings Certainly they were in great Joy and had much satisfaction upon their Spirits when they got Christ nailed upon the Cross but their very nailing and crucifying of him made way for all these Blessings It opened as it were all the treasures of grace it opened all the Relations that were discovered and the Blessings upon the death of the Lord Jesus Christ came flowing out of the promises and flowing out of Relations and the World was filled with these Blessings So that I say whatsoever devises the World hath to interpose between Christians and their Blessings they will be in vain if they take up one conduit God will lay many more And if they give an obstruction one way he will proceed other waies and manage it It is the God of Jesus Christ that hath blessed Christians and therefore Christians have their Blessings sure USE 2 Secondly Then methinks Christians you should look unto God as the God and Father of Christ under all the discouragements that arise upon your own Spirits from your own violations of the obligations of his Relation to you My meaning is this when you cannot comfortably go to God as your God for a blessing you may comfortably go to God as Christs God for any Blessing Why my friends here lay the case O saies thy conscience thou never comest to the word of God but thou despisest the God of the word and thy heart is shut against the word even from thy Child-hood and in thy Child-hood the Devil shuts up thy heart and the World shuts up thy heart and thy corruptions shut up thy heart but whatsoever it is that shuts up thy heart or whatsoever it is that gives being to any disobligement thou art guilty of be not discouraged though thou canst not go to him for a Blessing as thy God because thy conscience tell thee that thou hast sinned against thy God yet thou mayst go to him at that time as Christs God for God as the God of Christ Jesus hath Blessed thee with all Spiritual Blessings Therefore Christians under all your discouragements that arise from the sense of your own unworthiness let this be your way to look upon God as the God of Christ and go to God for Blessings as the God of Christ VSE 3 Doth God bless us with all Spiritual Blessings as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Then my friends you may here take occasion to magnify the Mystery of the Gospel And you may see great reason why you should glorify these persons that are principally concerned in the mysteries of the Gospel No wonder the Apostle breaks out Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus-Christ And can your hearts hold from breaking out in the praises of God O Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with
that have tendered the grace of Jesus Christ and Christ with all his fulness to you all our Sermons and we shall be brought in as evidences against you Can you bear this You that have heard us with delight and have seemed to take pleasure in what we have spoken and preached to you what think you now to have us one after another with all the Sermons that have been preached in your hearing to be brought in as an evidence against you And not only so but for God to come in against you and say I offered you grace and for Christ to say I offered you my blood and the Spirit to say I strove with you to work a work oâ— grace in you I beseech you sirs consider 〈◊〉 do not speak these things to spend time buâ— this is that my Soul longs after that I might perswade every sinner to become a saint thatevery one that hath gotten a littlegrace might make it his business to get more grace For sinners you can never have grace too soon and Saints you can never have grace too much I shall only urge all that I have said with these 2 things First If sinners you will now come in and close with Christ to day while it is called to day Be you young or old I value it not be you what you will be whatsoever your condition be As soon as ever you come in and get the least grace all the Trinity that is concerned in the promise will according to their respective Relations pursue the design and intendment of the promise upon you and for you in all the succeeding circumstances of your lives Why is not this a thing that is desirable It may be a wicked man may make a promise to thee thou art his Child and he a wicked Father if thou wilt not do so and so he will not do this and that for thee Why I pray now is it not better for you to have the promise of one God for good and to be in the reach of one of the promises of the blessed Trinity than to be incompassed and invironed with all the promises of them that are enemies to God and also to you for Gods sake Here now is a promise yet shall not the least Grain fall to the Earth when God sifts the Nations I pray ballance this with all the promises of the Word when God comes a sifting either by Temptation or Persecution or afflictions when God comes a sifting I pray who can keep you in the Sieve Who can keep you out of Hell can all your rich friends and great friends can all the powers of the World keep you out of everlasting burnings No It is only God can do it yet shall not the least Grain fall upon the Earth For my part I think that one promise made by the Blessed God is better then to have a thousand promises though they were in a capacity to fulfil them made by the greatest Powers in the the World 2. The last thing that I shall leave upon you is this That the sooner you close with Christ the sooner you will be safe The sooner you get grace the sooner you will have the security of grace Great are the distractions of the minds of men under various apprehensions of approaching dangers and my friends in a time and hour wherein the Lord says come Christ says come and the Spirit says come and the Gospel says come and Ministers say come why do not you come Sirs to day while it is called to day For my part I think it is never too soon for a Soul to be safe for ever from everlasting burnings and therefore if you do believe the things that I have delivered you that are Saints of a little attainment carry it as becomes you You that are Saints of a greater attainment carry it as becomes you and you that have attained no grace at all carry it as becomes you And this is that that becomes you To come unto Jesus Christ and be restless till the Lord make you one of his graines though never so little A Catalogue of Books printed for and are to be sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market Place SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence A Word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most Fiery Darts Sermon upon the whole first and second Chapters of the Canticles 13 Sermons upon several useful Subjects all published by John Collings D. D. The way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ sett forth with the necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Thomas Allen late pastor of a Church at Norwich Enochs walk with God and Christ a Christians gain by Mr. Timothy Armitage late Minister in Norwich A Discourse of the preciousness of Precious promiseâ—s the portion of overcomers Faith and of the preciousness of Christ both by Mr. John Lougher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer by Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saint speaking being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcome The English Presbyterian The ordinary matter of prayers drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises The first of rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all cases and Conditions The second of a Christians hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended by Jonathan Clapham Rector of Wramplingham Norfolk A Present for youth and Example for the Aged FINIS