Christ for they were lifted up with high thoughts and conceits of themselves They said They were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing they needed therefore to buy and to be clothed with this Garment that their shame might not appear namely to put on and be clothed especially and firstly with all humility of mind Acts. 20. 19. To put on humbleness of mind Col. 3. 12. And needful it is for us all to be inwardly apparalled herewith to have a low esteem of our selves of our knowledge parts gifts attainments or otherwise we shall sit loose from Christ as they We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Jer. 2. 31. Those that are puft up with their fleshly mind notwithstanding their voluntary humility do not hold the head Jesus Christ but treacherously depart from him Col. 2. 18 19. Good therefore it is for us all and especially for the Angels 1 Pet. 5. 1-5 To put on this to judge our selves unworthy Creatures less then the least of God's mercies and favours Gen. 32 10. The chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. The least of Saints Ephes 3. 8. To count that we have not yet attained neither are already perfect Philip. 3. 12 13. To say when we have done all that is commanded us we are unprofitable servants Luke 17. 9 10. To be nothing 2 Cor. 12. 11. And therefore to come to Christ as the only foundation of our faith as he died for sinners ungodly ones and enemies yea as by the Grace of God he tasted death for every man and is raised again as the reason of our hope as the beginning of our confidence To come unto and abide in him as the fountain of our light and teaching as our only Rabbi and to learn the truth as it is taught in Jesus To put on him as our righteousness to appear before God in whose righteousness is prepared for all that have sinned To feed upon him as our bread even on his flesh as given for the life of the world To have our approch to God by and through him as our only way and to come in through that low door opened for every poor sinful Creature of Mankind to be comforted in all our tribulations and sadnesses with Gods consolations even with the consolations of and in Christ and not to have some secret thing with us to comfort us Job 15. 11. with 2 Cor 1. 3-5 To have our rejoycing in Christ where all may rejoyce with us and to have no confidence in the flesh in any priviledges thereof or in any works of righteousness of our own Philip. 3. 3-8 And to think soberly of our selves yea and this humility is also to be exercised in all our words and demeanour Ephes 4. 2. And this humility is the Spirit effecting and bringing unto us that it might be put on by us in glorifying Christ and commending unto us the freeness of Gods love in him shewing that he hath prepared righteousness for us and imputeth it to every one that believeth freely without any works of ours Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of works Nay but by the Law of faith Rom 3. 21-28 And that he saved us from our ignorance of him and enmity unto him according to the rule of his mercy and so not by any works of righteousness of ours By Grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast It is by Grace as the motive whereby he was moved to bring salvation to us as opposed to debt he was not indebted to us for any goodness of ours or by any purpose or promise on his part necessitating him thereto but it was freely by his Grace he saved us and by Grace as the Argument and motive wherewith he prevailed with us even through the discovery of the freeness and greatness of his love as commended to us continually in this that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Ephes 2. 1-8 with Rom. 4. 4. Tit. 3. 3-5 And so what ever the believers have received it is by Grace for who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it 1 Cor. 4. 7. And so his forgiving the sins of those that come to God by him and cleansing them from their filthiness and giving unto them a new heart and new Spirit it is not for their sakes but for his own name sake and were this known and taken notice of by them it would cause them to be ashamed and confounded and powerfully hide pride from them and cloth them with humility Ezek. 36. 21-32 And indeed nothing doth so powerfully work and tend to the humbling of us as his Grace and to this end he giveth more Grace Grace abounding our natural pollution and corruption wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth Grace to the humble Jam. 4. 5 6. yea and to the effecting this humility in us he proposeth to us and setteth before us the humility of Christ That we might learn of him who was lowly not in his outward carriage only but also in heart and in so doing we shall find rest to our Souls Mat. 11. 29. Philip. 2. 4-6 7. Zeal for God to be clad therewith as with a Cloak Isa 49. 7. This was that which this Angel and Church were much wanting in and destitute of they were Luke-warm and neither Cold nor Hot as we have seen before This was needful therefore to be bought by them in and with humility and unless that be put on this cannot be had by us for while men have high thoughts of themselves and their attainments this disposeth them to lukewarmness and hindreth them from being zealous Now that zeal that is to be bought of Christ it is principally Fervency of Spirit in selling all that we have for Christ that we may win him and be found in him as before is shewn And fervency of Spirit in seeking after the knowledg of him and promoting the things of his Kingdom contending earnestly and fervently for the faith of the common salvation and not giving place by subjection no not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel may continue with us and so highly valuing and prizing Christ and his Gospel and fervently loving him and it as not to love our lives unto the death for his sake and his Gospels but willingly to lay them down and lose them when called thereunto The zeal of Gods house did even eat up Christ and such zeal is to be bought of him as whereby we may not please our selves but deny our own wisdoms wills designs affections enterprizes yea and forsake all that we have that we may be his Disciples and follow him in the regeneration Rom. 12. 11. Luke 14. 26 27-33 And this zeal he is effecting in us especially and principally by
their Hearts the Spirit of his Son Gal 4. 6. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said saith Christ out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Waters But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive Hence Christ's being in the believers and the Spirit 's being in them are used indifferently to signifie in having him we may and shall have the Spirit also for it is given to him without measure and put upon him and resteth on him to fit and furnish him for the work the father hath appointed him to do and to dispense to us according to our needs conditions and capacities John 7. 37 39. Rom. 8. 9 11. John 3. 34. Isa 42. 1. 61. 1. 11 1 3. And in being made Sons they have by virtue of their union with and relation to Christ right and title to and interest in that inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away If Sons then Heirs Heirs of God and Co heirs with Christ and if Christ's then are they Abraham's seed and Heirs according to Promise Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 3. 17. He that hath the Son hath life hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation 1 John 5. 11. John 3. 36. He that hath him is a Subject of God's peculiar Love and Grace loved with other manner of love then any of those without him are loved withall God will love him and Christ will love him and manifest himself unto him He that findeth him findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Prov. 8. 35. In having him we have the promises to Abraham and his Seed they were made not to seeds as of many but to one even Christ they were originally made to him and confirmed in him and established by his Blood for he is the Amen and secondarily in coming unto and believing in him to all believers In being Christ's they are Abraham's seed and so the Promises are theirs Gal. 3. 16 17 26 29 Those that are born of him are the Children of the Promise .. Rom 9. 7 8. Yea in receiving him in the Testimony they receive him also who sent him Mat. 10. 40. They have fellowship with Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1. 9. And so his father is their father his Spirit is their Spirit his Gospel their Gospel his promises their promises his inheritance their inheritance his servants their servants his Glory their Glory his Brethren and Companions their Brethren and Companions his receivers their receivers and his Enemies their Enemies Yea as all things are delivered to him of the father so by faith all things are theirs whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas whether those that had the Gospel of the Circumcision committed to them or the Gospel of the Uncircumcision or whether such who as wise Master-builders laid the foundation or such as built thereupon or the world the men and things of the world or life to be maintained and continued as and while it may be good for them or death all afflictions trials temptations necessities straits poverty persecutions yea death it self is gain to them or things present those things now acted done and enjoyed or things to come at the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ all is theirs and they are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 21 23. Even as in Earthly and natural Gold all the things of this world are summarily included and infolded as it were and are had in having it a man may have such Food Raiment Physick Habitation Honour Friendship as he desireth so and much more truly and compleatly may it be said of and applied to Jesus Christ as with respect to durable and Heavenly things In him God hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly things yea he himself is said to be the things themselves which are in him because they are infolded in him and may be and shall be certainly had and partaken of in receiving and enjoying him As to instance a little particularly as in him is redemption so he is made of God to the believer redemption Eph. 1. 7. with 1 Cor 1. 30. As in him is life God hath given us Eternal life and this life is in his Son So he is our life he is the true God and Eternal life 1 John 5. 11. with Col. 3. 3 4. 1 John 5. 20. As in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom so he is made of God to them that are in him Wisdom Christ is the Wisdom of God Col. 2. 3. with 1 Cor. 1. 24. 30. As in him is righteousness so he is the righteousness of God And his name is Jehovah our righteousness Isa 45. 24. with Rom. 3. 21. Jer. 23. 6. As in him is Salvation Neither is there Salvation in any other so he is the Salvation of God which he hath prepared before the face of all people Acts 4. 12. with Luke 2. 30 31. As in him is Peace so he is our Peace This man shall be the Peace c. John 26. 33. with Ephes 2 14. Mica 5. 5. As in him there is Consolation so he is Consolation fit and proper to comfort any one in any tribulations and the Consolation of Israel Phil. 2. 1. with Luke 2. 25. Yea as in him is all fulness so he is all Col. 1. 19. with Chap. 3. 11. And hence the Spouse rejoyceth in this and declareth this to be the sum and compleatment of her blessedness and happiness My beloved is mine I am his Cant. 2. 16. 6. 3. And the Psalmist crieth out Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73 25. And the Prophet The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore I will hope in him Lam. 3. 24. Yea this word of the Lord who in the last Ages was made flesh setteth this as compleat and satisfying consolation and incouragement before Abraham Fear not Abraham I am thy Shield and thy exceeding great reward Gen. 15. 1. And indeed this is the sum of all blessedness now and hereafter to have him to be ours Oh Blessed is every such an one who hath the Lord for his God For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield he will give Grace and Glory c. Psal 33. 12. 146. 5. 84. 10 11. Gen. 17. 7. 2 Cor. 6. 16 17. Rev. 21. 3 7. Yea in having him we shall not only have in and with him all things that are Spiritual and Heavenly but in seeking first his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof all other things shall be added to us which are good and needful thereto such meat drink and apparel such food and raiment and all accomodations as may conduce unto our seeking more to know him win him and be found in him Mat. 6. 33. Godliness even God who was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit who is the root and foundation of Godliness and
reputation and became obedient to death the death of the Cross not for himself but for us and for our sakes surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows the chastisement of our peace was upon him it was our good he designed and not his own and rather then we should suffer the curse we had deserved he indured the Cross and suffered the curse he bare our sins in his own body on the Tree How might this move and prevail with us to bear one anothers burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. Herein perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren even in the room and stead of them and for their good But who so hath the worlds good and seeth his brother have need and shutteth his bowels from him how dwelleth the love of God in him My Brethren let us not love in word neither in Tongue but in deed and in truth 1 John 3. 16 17 18. 4. In that he here commendeth himself to us under the name of Gold and proposeth such an end to us to move and perswade us to buy it that we may be rich herein is intimated and signified to us his willingness and cordial desire that we should listen to him receive and obey his gracious counsel imbrace and close with him and part with and suffer the loss of all things for the excellency of him therefore doth he so aptly and enamouringly present himself to us and make use of such ingaging alluring Arguments and Motives he knoweth we all naturally love riches our hearts are taken with Gold and our eyes set upon that as a most desirable and delightful and desirable thing and which is very pleasant to behold he knoweth we would fain be rich and our wisdom moveth and leadeth us to desire so to be and to labour to that end Prov. 23. 4 Now then he thus in the first place describeth himself and calleth himself and commendeth himself to us under the name of Gold tried in the fire and counselleth us to buy it that we may be truly and indeed inriched that we might be assured of his good will to us and earnest desire that we should listen to him and that he may out-bid all other persons and things that we might be taken with and enamoured on and give our hearts and affections unto him he thus representeth himself to us as such a delightful and desirable Object that we might receive his heavenly and advantagious counsel and open unto and give entertainment unto him so when the Spirit of errour and delusion useth many alluring Arguments to perswade men to listen unto and imbrace her that she may seduce and destroy them that she hath deckt her bed with coverings of Tapistry with carved works with fine linnen of Egypt that she hath perfumed her self with Myrrhe Aloes and Cynamon and thence inviteth Come let us take our fill of love until the morning let us solace our selves with loves To the end none might listen thereto and be inticed and deceived by her the Wisdom of God calleth also and glorifieth her self by her Spirit unto the Sons of men Doth not wisdom cry and understanding put forth her voice she standeth in the top of high places that her voice may be heard far and near by the way in the places of the paths unto you O men I call and my voice is to the Sons of man hear for I will speak of excellent things such things as excel what the whorish woman proposeth and presenteth and the opening of my lips shall be right things receive my instruction and not Silver and Knowledge rather then choise Gold though those seducers and deceivers should set before you and promise to you Gold and Silver to corrupt you yet my instruction is better for Wisdom is better then Rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it yea and also Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches My fruit is better then Gold yea then fine Gold and those that love me shall inherit substance c. Prov. 7. 10-27 8 1-21 So when sinners such as miss their way and mark are inticeing and saying Come with us let us lay Wait for Blood We shall find all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil cast in thy lot amongst us that we might not consent or imbrace their evil counsel though they set motives of profit before us Wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the Streets she cryeth in the chief places of concourse in the openings of the Gates in the City she uttereth her words in which she sheweth how precious and inriching she is and how happy they are that listen to her that whoso findeth her findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord and saith Turn at my reproofs Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you which are pure words as Gold tried in a Furnace of Earth purified seven times To the end we might hear and receive his counsel that we might be wise for our selves and inriched by him Prov. 1. 10-22 Psal 12. 6. His willingness that we should be made partakers of himself and his readiness to communicate and impart this Gold is signified to us in his thus commending it and using such Motives and Arguments as are most taking with and pleasing to and desirable of us all which might provoke and perswade us to buy this Gold But we shall adde no more to this first branch of the counsel In the the next place we come to the second branch viz. And White raiment that thou mayst be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear This is a further branch of the good and wholsom counsel given by the Amen the Faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God who is the Counsellor of Peace that giveth this good counsel In which consider we 1. The thing further counselled unto by this excellent one and that is White raiment 2. The end why this Angel and Church is counselled to buy this White raiment That thou mayst be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear 1. The thing which this Counsellor further counselleth this Angel and Church to buy and that is White raiment or Whâ—te Garments They were not only wretched miserable poor but naked also and there is that provided which answereth to that part of their need namely a cloathing for their nakedness a covering for their shame that it might not appear That we may have some understanding and usefulness of this branch of the counsel let us God assisting inquire into and consider 1. What is this White raiment here counselled unto 2. Why this Raiment is said to be White and what is imported therein 1. What is this White raiment here counselled unto In general we may
and those that deny and contend against it they have a soul and a soul two souls one inclined toward them that preach the Gospel of Christ and another towards those that bring another doctrine and preach another Gospel though these doctrines are as farr different from one another as Heaven and Earth as some that are enemies to the grace of God in Christ to every man have said and acknowledged yet these can love both and commend both and receive good from both as they pretend Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty Hos 10. 2. Yea this is that they call charity to have a good opinion and esteem of all that make a fair face in the flesh though many of them preach another Jesus or Spirit or Gospel besides him whom the Apostles have preached or that the believers have received and accepted when as indeed it is not charity For charity rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth but it is the fruit of their instability and want of fervent love to Christ and his Gospel which were it in them would cause them not to indure evil doctrines nor those that bring them Rev. 2. 2-6 These persons are like the waves of the sea driven with the winds and tossed and unstable in all their ways and walkings ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth Let not such persons think they shall receive any thing of the Lord though he giveth liberally to all men and upbraideth not for former or present unworthiness yet this will deprive the soul of good and hinder such manner of men from receiving what God is giving liberally unto them Jam. 1. 6-8 O that we may all cleanse our hearts herefrom in that fountain prepared and opened in and through the blood of Christ Christ being ascended up on high hath in these last days especially given such excellent gifts to men that thereby we might know which are sound and wholesom words and which are evil and pernicious that we might abhor the evil and cleave to the good with full purpose of heart and might not henceforth be Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive that our hearts might not be so simple as to be beguiled and deceived by the good words and fair speeches of them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the Apostles doctrine but might be established with grace and receive and abide in the doctrine of Christ in which whosoever abideth he hath both the Father and the Son And that if any man how appearingly holy or learned soever he be bring not this doctrine whatever doctrine else he bring if this be not the sum of his message we should not receive him into our house give no entertainment to him as a bringer of another doctrine nor bid him God speed say not the blessing of the Lord be upon you the Lord prosper you for he that biddeth such an one God speed is partaker of his evil deeds He is a sharer with him in all the mischif he doth to others Be not therefore carried about with divers and strange doctrines for it is a good thing the heart be established with grace Ephes 4 8-11 14. Rom â—6 17 18. Heb. 13. 7 8 9. 2 Joh. 9 10 11. 1 Joh. 2. 24-26 Gal. 1. 6-9 2 Cor. 11. 1-3 4. The wisdom of this world also our own and others must be ceased from and parted with otherwise this will pervert us and hinder us from coming unto and following after Jesus Christ Isa 47. 10. 1 Cor. 3. 19 20. Hence that instruction and admonition Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding be not wise in thâ—â—e own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil As intimating to us that our own wisdom and understanding will hinder us from trusting in him heartily and fearing and worshipping him Prov. 3. 5-7 The preaching of Christ and him crucified the commending and proclaiming the excellency and excellent ends and vertues of his personal abasement and sufferings and of what he hath done and obtained into himself and is become This is a sapless unsavoury thing to our wisdom and to them that seek it and follow after it and our wisdom causeth such to depart from or wander out of the way of understanding Hence whereas the Apostle in one verse saith The preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness he saith in another The preaching of Christ crucified is to the Greeks who seek after wisdom foolishness to signify to us That those that seek after the wisdom of this world they are such as perish as their sin go astray from the right way and while they are so doing the Cross of Christ and the preaching thereof is a foolish thing to them they perceive no form or comeliness no beauty or excellency no desirableness in his sufferings or in him who by means thereof is become the habitation of the fulness of the Godhead bodily and in our nature Compare 1 Cor. 1 17 18. with vers 22. 23. Col. 2. 9 10. It is an unsavouâ—â— thing to our wisdom to be directed always unto Christ and to come unto him continually as the only foundation of faith reason of hope fountain of light and teaching answer of the conscience towards God matter of seeding robe of righteousness Our wisdom leadeth us rather to do somewhat that we may have our life in and acceptation by and dependence upon And therefore that we may be wise in eâ—â—â—n the flesh of the Son of Man which was given for the 〈…〉 e of the world and drinking his blood in the discoveries consolations operations teachings requirings and admonitions thereof needful it is for us to become fools and to cease from our own wisdom that we may thus be made wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. with Prov. 9. 4-6 12. Matt. 11. 25 28. Rom. 1. 20-22 or our wisdom will lead us to have our fear toward God taught by the precepts of men or to have our faith standing in their wisdom Isa 29. 13 14. 1 Cor. 2. 1-5 This is a great Idol in the World and too much set up in the Temple of God to the polluting and defiling it and that which God is staining the pride of and famishing now in glorifying and exalting Christ Jesus as the Wisdom of God and that which he will make lean and wholly famish in due season Oh! that it may now be so considered by us that we may cease there-from and so flee from idolatry 1 Cor. 1. 19-30 31. 3. 17 18. Zeph. 2. 11. Prov. 23. 4. We must also cease from and sell our own righteousness that of our own working in our own wisdom and strength even all confidence in and dependance upon that for life and acceptation otherwise this will hinder us from heartily imbracing and putting on