is the spirit of the Gospel where it comes in Life Truth and Power thus it is For the clearing of this great Truth unto you First I shall spend a little time in the Explication and shew ye What it is for a man to deny himself in spiritual things Secondly I shall labor to give you some Demonstrations of the Truth Thirdly Answer One Objection And Fourthly shew ye What there is in the Gospel or the way of the Gospel that can work a mans heart to this frame Quest 1 First If ye aske me What it is for a man to deny himself in Spiritual things Answ Ye know that there is a Three-fold Self mentioned by Divines A Natural Self as a mans Parts Wit Reason Will Affections and Inclination are called ones Self Then there is a Sinful Self and so a mans Corruption Lust and Sinful Disposition is called ones Self And then there is a Religious Self and so a mans Duties Graces Obedience Righteousness and Holiness are called ones Self Now though a man is to deny all these yet I am not at this time to speak of the Common-place of Self-Denial this Scripture does not lead me to it but only of Self-Denial in Spiritual things Denial of Religious Self There is a great difference between a mans denying of his Sinful and of his Religious Self When a man does deny his Sinful Self for Christ then he is wholly to leave and forsake his sin and that Self But when a man is to deny his Religious Self for Christ he is not to leave and forsake his Duty only in point of Justification he is to renounce all and in point of Sanctification he is to attribute the strength the power and the glory of all his Graces and Duties unto Jesus Christ and to himself nothing and when a man in point of Justification does renounce all and in point of Sanctification does attribute the strength the power and the glory of all unto Jesus Christ and unto himself nothing then he denies himself in Spiritual things For there is a Two-fold denial of ones self even in Spiritual things One that is opposed to Self-Seeking And another that is opposed to Self-Advancing When a man seeks himself he makes himself his End When a man does Advance himself he makes himself his Prey Now though a man be to deny himself in opposition to all Self-Seeking yet that is not the Argument that lies here it is not the Argument of this Scripture but a man is called upon by this Scripture to deny himself in opposition to Self-Advancing I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me But yet again that we may rightly understand things Though every Beleever is to deny himself in spiritual things and so to depress himself yet notwithstanding he is not to speak evil of the grace of God within him For there are Two things in every Duty or Service There is something of Gods something of a mans own something of the Spirit of God somthing of a mans own Now though a man may trample upon all his Duties and upon all his Graces as to the point of Justification yet as to the point of Sanctification he may not mis-cal the Graces of God in him and his Duties saying These are nothing but the fruits of Hypocrisy for then he should speak evil of the Spirit whose works they are A man tramples and treads upon the Dirt but he will not trample upon Money upon Gold and Silver why because that is a precious mettal or hath the stamp or the image of the Prince upon it Now our own Duties our own Righteousness and Holiness as to the matter of Justification they are nothing worth and so we trample upon all but as to the matter of Sanctification they have the image of Christ upon them they are precious mettal and therefore for a man to say This is Hypocrisie and all is nothing but Hypocrisie this is not Self-Denial properly Self-Denial in Spiritual things is as to the matter of Justification to renounce all and as to the matter of Sanctification to attribute the strength the power and the glory of all unto Jesus Christ and to ones self nothing and when a man does attribute all the strength the power the glory of all to Jesus Christ and to himself nothing then he is said to deny himself in Spiritual things This by way of Explication Quest 2 But now Secondly Whereby may it appear that the Gospel works this grace in the heart of man Answ 1 If the Law and the preaching of the Law cannot make a man to deny himself in Spiritual things then the Gospel must do it for this grace is to be obtained and found some where something must work it Now the Law and the preaching of the Law can never make a man to Deny himself in Spiritual things but rather it will make a man to Seek himself in Spiritual things For what is it to preach the Law but when I shall come from God and tell ye That if ye do keep the Ten Commandements and fail in nothing ye shall be Saved but if ye fail in any one point ye shall be Damned and lost for ever This will not make a man to Deny his own Righteousness but rather to Seek himself his own Salvation to avoid Damnation and seek himself in Spiritual things But now when I come to ye and speak thus unto ye from the Lord That if you do throw down all your own Righteousness at the feet of Christ and rest only upon him ye shall be saved this will make a man to deny all his own Righteousness and deny himself in Spiritual things and this is the Gospel And the Gospel must needs do it For what is the Gospel but the Voyce of Christ the Preachings and the Sermons of Christ Now look as it was with the first Adam the first lesson that the first Adam did learn practice and teach his posterity was To Advance himself in Spiritual things Gen. 3.5 The day that thou eatest saies Satan to him thou shalt not die but thine eyes shall be opened and thou shalt be as God Which he beleeved and did eat and so laboured to Advance himself in Spiritual things The first lesson that ever he learn'd and taught his posterity was to Advance himself So the second Adam the first lesson that ever the Second Adam Christ put in practice was Self-Denial in Spiritual things Phil. 2.6 7. For saies the Apostle He thought it no robbery to be equal with God and yet humbled himself unto the form of a servant and became of no reputation This was the first thing Now I say the Gospel is nothing else but the Voyce of Christ the Sermons and Preachings of Jesus Christ the Second Adam and there and there only is this lesson to be learned Secondly Every Godly Gracious man that lives under the Gospel Is of a spirit and disposition contrary to the world This is the disposition
Faith laies aside all its own Righteousness Page 202 As temptations encrease so also shall faith encrease Page 206 Faith riseth above nature Page 209 Faith commends Christ above all other graces Page 210 The strength of faith doth not lie in the assurance of our salvation Page 212 See Justification Fall see Perfection Froward Froward spirits do little good in a common wealth Page L. 30 G Grace Growth in grace how it is known Page 17 Gracious The reason why men are no more gracious Page 39 The Saints should live gracious lives Page 114 See Quality God Gods willingnesse to hide his people in time of his anger Page L. 11 See Faith promise anger Godly Every godly man is a living man Page 3 Godly men reflect upon their own actions Page 8 Difference between wicked and godly men Page 112 Godly see Preachers Gospel How the Gospel causeth Self-denial Page 58 Gospel see Learned Growth see Grace H Heaven see Kingdom Hide Whom the Lord will hide in times of danger Page L. 14 Holy The reason why men are no more holy Page 39 Holiness see Original Justification House God hath 3. houses 1. A house of instruction Page L. 7 2. A house of Correction Page L. 7 3. A house of destruction Page L. 7 Humble see Beleever Humility Christ is an example of humility Page 60 Hypocrite What a Beleever hath more than an Hypocrite Page 85 Hypocrisie It is an evil thing to call Duties by the name of Hypocrisie Page 113 I In-Being What the In-being of Christ in a beleever is Page 76 The In-being of Christ in a beleever is hard to be understood Page 77 Limitations concerning the In-being of Christ in a beleever Page 78 In-being see Benefit Christ Incertainty Gods people must trust in him in incertainties Page L. 18 Injustice see Oppression Infinite The infinite love of Christ manifested Page 114 Justification The cause of our Justification Page 26 Justification by faith is a friend to Holiness Page 28 Justification by the works of the Law is an enemy to Holiness Page 29 How Justification by faith advanceth our holiness Page 36 Our Justification may be hidden from our sence Page 43 Visible Characters of Justification laid down Page 44 How a man may stand cleer to himself in Justification by faith alone Page 46 K Kingdom How the Kingdom of Heaven is taken in Scripture Page C. 1 L Law see Faith Justification Law how taken in Scripture Page 34 The preaching of the Law cannot make a man deny himself Page 52 Learned Learned men are most opposite to the Gospel Page 199 Living see Duty Life Life is the greatest good Page 4 How vegetative life is in Sants Page 5 How sensitive life is in Saints Page 6 How rational life is in Saints Page 7 Life see Spiritual Wicked Motion Little There is nothing little between God and man Page 41 Love The infinite love of Christ to man Page 87 Love see Infinite M Man see Godly Meditations Practical Meditations for beleevers Page 112 Meek Meek men do much good in the earth and why Page L. 30 Mercy Difference between Gods Mercy and his anger Page L. 5 Mercy see Temptation Mystery Mysteries that are in self-denial Page 57 Monument Monuments of praise erected and why Page C. 13 Morral Difference in self-denial between morral men and Christians Page 55 Mortification Whence mortification comes Page 33 Motion All motion comes from life Page 9 N Nation see Wrath Nature see Faith Natural see Perfection Notion Vnder what Notion the Lord looks vpon the sins of the Saints Page 13 O Obedience Obedience whence it comes Page 24 Objections against the smalness of obedience answered Page 42 Observations Waking observations for sleeping people Page C. 20 Oppression Oppression and injustice reign still in this kingdom Page L. 22 Ordinances How Ordinances are needful Page 100 Original What the Original of all our holiness is Page 28 P Papists How Papists deny themselves Page 55 People Why godly people are exposed to danger Page L. 12 Gods people are often left at great incertainties Page L. 16 Why Gods people are so often left at incertainties Page L. 18 Perfection There is some natural perfection still left in man from the fall Page 9 Pleasant The pleasant lives of the Saints Page 12 Prayers The Saints may have no present answer of their prayrs Page 204 The Saints duties when they have no present answer to their prayers Page 205 Prayer see Temptation Preachers Godly Preachers ought to be sent out and why Page L. 9 Preservation see Angel Present see Prayer Profession see Saints Promise Gods dealing sometimes seems to run cross to his promise Page 206 True faith finds out a promise in the refusal Page 208 Q Quallity The quallity of a gracious man Page 54 R Rational see Life Religion Men lose Religion by seeking after Religion Page L. 29 Repentance Repentance whenee it comes Page 33 Righteousness How Righteousness must be sought Page L. 24 Righteousness see Faith S Saints It is a desperate thing to oppose the Saints and why Page 112 Wherein Saints and carnal professors agree Page C. 2 Wherein Saints and carnal professors disagree Page C. 3 A shelter for Saints in the midst of a storm Page L. 13 Saints see Conversion Comfort Life Pleasure Self How self creeps into all actions Page 63 How self acts in man Page 10 Self-denial Self-denial what it is Page 50 Every beleever is a self-denying person Page 49 Tryal of self-denial Page 64 Self-denial is a hard duty Page 70 How self-denial may be attained Page 71 Self-denial see Beleever Law Moral Mystery Gospel Security A caution against Security Page C. 11 Sence see Justification Sensitive see Life Sleep see Desperate Sleepers Two sorts of sleepers their difference and events Page C. 21 Spirit The Spirit of Christ is in every beleever Page 98 The Spirit is the free gift of God Page 104 Spiritual What spiritual life is Page 3 Duties flowing from spiritual life Page 20 How to get spiritual life Page 23 Strength see faith Sudden see Christ T Temptations Temptations may rise higher after prayer Page 206 Temptations sometime come about Election Page 206 When Temptations come about Election the best way is to lay aside dispute and fly to prayer Page 206 Temptation see Faith Thankfulness An exhortation to thankfulness Page C. 16 Truth No truth to be dispised Page L. 27 U Vegitative see life Union Union of Christ with beleevers Page 75 Uncertainties What to do in uncertainties Page L. 24 W Wicked Wicked men are not in the state of life proved Page 8 Wicked see Godly Witness Three that bear witness in Heaven opened Page 85 Wonderful see Dispensation World The danger of the world Page 19 Wrath Gods wrath is not yet pacified towards this Nation Page L. 20 FINIS
4 Prescribe waies to the Lord ibid 5 Have strange repetitions to themselves ib. 6 Were never sensible of their owne pride in spirituall things Page 66 Motives to Self-denial 1 The more you deny your selves in spiritual things the surer you shall be to keep them Page 68 2 The more humble you will be in other things Page 69 3 The more you deny your selves in spiritual things the more ye shall be exalted in them ibid How may we be able to deny our selves in spiritual things 1 Reflect upon thy defects in every duty thou performest Page 70 2 Observe much the incomes of the Spirit of the Lord upon thy soul Page 71 3 Study the way of the Gospel much ibid SERMON IV Gal. 2.20 Doctrine Christ is in all beleevers Page 74 Explication How Christ may be said to be in a beleever 1. By way of power ib. 2. By way of presence ib. 3. In regard of his essence ib. 4. By way of spiritual manifestation Page 75 5. By way of personal union ibid Objection Then a beleever may say I am Christ Answered 1. This union is a voluntary not a natural act Page 78 2. It is by contact not by composition ibid 3. It is by application not by mixture Page 79 4. There is a great difference between the in-being of a spiritual thing in a material and the in-being of one material thing in another ibid Objection What difference is there between this union and and the hypostatical union Answered 1 Though we are united yet are we not assumed Page 81 2 There is no personal Vnion ibid 3 It is accidental ibid 4 It is only to make him a member of the body not a Mediator Page 82 Object How doth it appear that Christ is really in the soul of a Beleever Answ 1 Faith laies hold upon Christ Himself Page 83 2 Christ is in a Beleever as a Beleever is in Christ ibid 3 How would there else be three that bear witness ib. What benefit comes from this 1 A Beleever shall have glorious Communion with Christ Page 84 2 Christ's love is infinite towards Beleevers Page 85 3. A Beleever hath something more than any Hypocrite can attain unto ib. 4 Then a beleever shall never spiritually die again Page 86 5 He may come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace ib. Application 1 Admire at the unspeakable love of Christ Page 87 2 No wicked man dares to oppose any of the people of God Page 88 3 Abundance of comfort to beleevers ibid Object I fear Christ is not in me because I do not find him working in me Answ 1 Whose servants are they that ordinarily come into and go out of your souls Page 89 2 Do you find your souls in some measure naturalized to the work of Christ ib. 3 Did you ever find that Christ was in you Page 90 4 Do you not find some workings of grace according to that station you have in the body of Christ Page 91 Duties flowing from hence 1 Why should we meddle with any thing that is distastful to Christ Page 93 2 Why should we not be contented with our condition whatsoever it be ib. 3 Why should we not venture upon any service of God all though it be beyond our strength Page 94 Exhortation Labor to get a share in this great mercy Page 95 SERMON V Gal. 2.20 Doctrine Christ hath a greater hand in the spiritual actions of a beleever than himselfe hath Page 98 Explication 1 Christ liveth in each Beleever ibid Object What need then have they of Ordinances Answered Page 100 Object What need of Teaching Answered Page 102 2 How it may appear that Christ liveth so in each Beleever that he hath a greater hand in his actions than himself 1 By scripture Page 104 2 By instances in our 1 Conversion Page 105 2 Performences ib. 3 Obedience Page 106 4 Suffering ib. 5 Assurence ib. Reason Because man should not have wherein to boast Page 106 Objection Surely there are few beleevers in the world Answered Page 107 Questions propounded 1. What doth ordinarily sway the great actions of your lives Page 108 2. Do you find a secret disposition to all the Commandements of God ib. 3. Do you find your souls carried to what is good beyond your own disposition Page 109 4. Do you find your soul is carried to what is good beyond what is intended ib. 5. Were you never perswaded that Christ lived in you Page 110 Practical Meditations 1. Now I see the in-being of Christ in the soul is no fancy Page 112 2. Here 's a vast difference between a godly and a wicked man ibid 3. What desperateness is it to oppose the Saints of God ibid 4. What an evil it is for a Saint to say his duties are hypocrisie Page 113 5. What reason a beleever hath to be thankeful to God ibid 6. What an engagement here is for a poor beleever to come to duty though his heart be dead ibid 7. What heavenly lives beleevers should lead Page 114 8. We all should admire the infinite love of Christ ibid THE CONTENTS Of the WOMAN Of CANAAN c. On Matthew 15.21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. DIvision of the text 1. From whence Christ came Page 198 Observation None more rigorous opposers of of the Gospel than learned men Page 199 2. Whither he went ib. Observation The wonderful dispensation of God Page 200 3. The plaintive a woman Page 201 Observation If faith be true it laies aside all one 's own righteousness 4. Her first temptation Page 202 Observation It is no new thing for beleevers to have no present visible answer of their prayers Page 204 If this temptation fall upon you do as she did 1. she still acknowledgeth he was able to help her ib. 2. That it is his Office to help ib. 3. She doth not rest upon her own duty ib. 4. She propounds her misery ib. 5. She continues praying Page 205 5. Her second Temptation ib. Observation 1. A mans temptations may rise higher after prayer and yet he pray aright Page 206 2. Gods dealing with man may sometimes run cross to his promise ib. 3. Gods people may be tempted about their election ib. 4. When a Saint is so tempted his best way is to lay by dispute and fly to mercy ib. 5. As temptations arise so shall faith increase ib. 6. Her third Temptation Page 207 Observation It is no new thing for beleevers to have their unworthiness objected to them ib. Her answer Page 208 Observations 1. You cannot speak so meanly of a beleever but he speaks as meanly of himself ib. 2. A true beleever thinks honorably of Jesus Christ even then when he suffers the greatest reproaches to be cast upon him ib. 3. True saith finds out a promise even in the very refusal ib. 4. The least of Christ is highly prized with a true beleever Page 209 5. Faith riseth above our nature ib. Hence you see if you be tempted with
By this justification I mean That act of Gods grace wherby through the imputation of our sins to Christ and Christs righteousness unto us God the father doth pronounce us righteous in his sight This is justification And this is done by the Righteousness and the Blood of Christ only as the Material and Meritorious cause 'T is done only by Faith as the Instrumental cause so we are said to be justified by Faith alone Yet not so as that a man is justified by faith which hath no works for all justifying faith is full of works but these works do not come into our justification As now a mans servants they have him to bed Servants have their Master and Mistris to bed tend upon them to bed but they do not go into the bed with them They are with them again in the morning they bring them water and necessary things but they do not come to bed to them Now saies Luther Justification is that bed where Christ and a Beleeving soul lies though good works Duties and Prayers tend upon Christ and where ever there is faith there are these yet this bed of Justification is kept free and entire and only for the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and they come not to bed they come not into this work Or if you will thus Ye know that when an Israelite was stung in the wilderness by a fiery biting serpent he was then to look upon the Brasen serpent and by the beholding of the Brasen-serpent he was cured the looking of his eyes cured him He had other members there was the Arms and the Legs and other members that did accompany the Eyes but though there were other members that did accompany the Eyes it was the seeing of the Eyes that did cure the person And so though works do accompany faith and there is no saving justifying faith but works accompany it yet it is only the beholding of this Brasen-serpent by the eye of faith that does cure the soul as to the point of Justification When Abraham went up into the mountain to offer up his son he spake to his servants to stay below Gen. 22.5 Stay you here till I come again at the foot and the bottom of this hill and so they did Servants he had but they stayed below And so when a man goes up into this hil of justification this high mountain he takes only his faith with him and he sayes unto all his works and unto all his duties stay you below at the bottom of the hil and there they attend So that faith justifying faith though it hath alwaies works yet they come not into this matter of Justification 'T is Faith alone that justifies This by way of Explication Quest 2 But Secondly You will say How may it appear now that this free-justification of a poor sinner by Faith alone is the original of all our Holiness and Spiritual life Answ 1 Thus it appears by contraries Contraries have contrary Consequences If the Law and Justification thereby be no friend but a real enemy unto all our Grace and Holinesse then Justification by faith alone is a friend to it But now take the Law and you shall find that justification thereby is no friend but a real enemy unto all our Holiness and the power of godliness What greater enemies had the world ever to the power of godliness than the Jews were and they sought to establish their own Righteousness and to be justified by the Law And now a dayes What more bitter more fel enemy unto the power of godliness than a Moral Civil man Why Because though he do not understand himself yet he doth secretly seek his acceptance with God by his own doing and good meaning A man can never live to God that lives in himself So long as a man seeks Justification by his own doing working he lives in himself Therefore saies the Apostle Phil. 3.9 I desire not to be found in mine own righteousness to be found in it Hope is the Spring of action The Plow-man plowes in hope he sows in hope Hope is the Spring of action Now if a man seeks to be justified by the Law or the works of the Law there is no hope for all works are imperfect and if no hope saies the soul why should I work as good never a whit as never the better That cannot be the Principle of our grace and holiness which can neither Convert a man nor mortifie his sins nor quicken one to what is good nor comfort or free him from temptation Now I pray What is it that Converts a soul to Christ is it the Law or the preaching of the Law Nay Joh. 16.9 saies our Savior I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin But where do I receive the Spirit Saies the Apostle in the next chapter the 3. of the Galatians O ye foolish Galatians this would I know of ye Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Not by the preaching of the Law And as for Mortification of sin Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle in the 8. of the Romans The Law is weak What the Law could not do being weak God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh So that the Law cannot mortifie sin the Law cannot do it And as for our Quickening unto what is good Can the Law do that Nay saies the Apostle The Law is a dead letter and the Law is the ministration of death And can that which is a dead letter and the ministraction of death quicken us unto what is good certainly it cannot And as for our Temptations and freedom from them Does the Law do that Ye know the Apostle triumphs Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And who shall lay any thing to may charge shall the Anger and Wrath of God shall Satan or mine own Conscience I will not be much afflicted saies he why for It is God that justifies He does not say for it is Moses that justifies but 't is Christ that died and God justifies not Moses Sampson ye know found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon not in hives at home or trees abroad but he found honey-combs in the body of the dead lyon So does a poor tempted soul find all the honey-combs of comfort in the body of the dead Lyon of the tribe of Judah not in his own hive I have read of a certain man that was much in prayer fasting and reading and the Devil came to him and told him Friend Why doest thou Pray so much and Reade so much and Fast so much 't is all to n purpose for thou shalt go to Hell at the last thou shalt never go to Heaven Saies he As for that I leave that to God it is not my Question whether I shall go to Heaven or Hell but my Question is How shall I serve God
Zacheus so with the Jailor so with Paul and so with divers others But then ye must know That a work is great or small according to the opposition that it does meet withal Though a Work or Duty be small in it self yet if it meet with great opposition and break through it it is a great work It was no great matter for the poor Woman to give one or two mites into the Treasury but she having no more and it being all her livelihood it was a great matter It is no great matter for a man to pray and to pray constantly and to frequent the Ordinances but when a poor creature shall meet with all opposition from his Relations then it may be a great matter to do this It is no great matter comparatively for to stay ones soul upon Jesus Christ But in the time of temptation when ones soul is full of Fears and a man does look upon Christ as his enemy then to cast himself into the arms of Christ and to stay the soul upon Christ then this is a greater work So that the work is great though small in it self it is meet with great opposition and break through all But whosoever you are that make this Objection fearing that you are not in Christ and so have not the comfort of this Doctrine Give me leave to propound Three or Four Questions to you First Who and what are those and whose servants are they that do come into and go out of your souls are they not the retinue and the servants of Jesus Christ Ye say such a man or a Noble man lives here for his servants go in and out daily And what Words come out of your mouth and what Words go in at your ear whose servants are they ordinarily are you ever better than when you are thinking or speaking of Jesus Christ hearing from Christ Certainly if his servants do most ordinarily come in and go out the Master is within Christ is within Secondly Do not ye find your souls in some measure Naturallized unto the Work of Christ the Things of Christ and the Work of Christ in some measure Naturallized unto your souls Adam ye know was the first man the father of us all we were in Him as your Root and he in Us as his Seed and his Works they are Naturallized to us We being in him as in the Root and he being in us as in his Seed his Works are Naturallized to us It 's Natural to See and to Hear and to Speak it 's natural for a man to Sin Sometimes ye have a Wicked man hating of a Godly Gracious man and he can give you no reason for it I cannot tell why saith he but my heart is against him But I 'le tell ye why and what the reason is The Old Man is in him the Old Adam is in him and the work of Adam is Naturallized to a Wicked man and he can give you no reason many times why he does so because the Work is Naturallized to him So on the contrary The Lord Jesus Christ is our second Adam and beleevers being in him as in their Root and he in them as in his Seed his Works also are Naturallized unto a beleever in a great measure that a beleever sometimes his heart does stand unto the good Work of God and he can give you no reason for it why I should love this or that Godly man I can give you no reason but so it is my heart stands towards him The reason is this because that Christ the Second Adam is within and so his Work and Things are naturallized unto the soul and in some measure is it not so with you Thirdly Whoever you are that make this Objection Did ye ever find perceive or think that Christ is in you It may be now ye are under some present Fear Doubting but were you never perswaded of this In-being did ye never think or were ye never perswaded that Christ was in you Yes sometimes I have and sometimes I have not again Sometimes I do think that Christ is in me of a truth and sometimes I do not Then look into the 14. chapter of John ye shall see what our Savior promises I will pray the Father at the 16. verse and he shall give you another Comforter And what then He describes him in he 17. verse And at the 20. saies he At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you At that day It may be for the present you cannot say that Christ is in you you in him and he in you but did ye never think yet in all your life that Christ was in you Yes once or twice or sometimes I confess I did think that Christ was in me and I was strongly perswaded too that Christ was in me but now I have lost those perswasions But how came ye to be so perswaded at that time that Christ was in you Thus it was with me My heart was Dead Hard and I could not pray I thought that God and Mercy was gone that I should never see the face of God again and all on a sudden when my soul was in this sad condition I know not how but all on a sudden a strange and unspeakable comfort came upon my soul and my soul stood up as it were from the dead and then I had that perswasion that Christ was in me Well soul be of good comfort this was Christs time that was Christs time and though now for the present thou canst not say that Christ is in thee I tell thee from the Lord that time shall come again and Christ will send the Comforter again and then shalt thou know that thou art in the Father and Christ is in thee and thou art in Jesus Christ for what he said unto those Disciples he said unto other of the Disciples Wait but a little and thoug I be absent for a little time I will send the Comforter and then shall you know although you do not know now yet there is a time when the Comforter shall come and then shalt thou know that Christ is in thee and thou art in Jesus Christ Fourthly Although for the present you do not find those workings of Christ in you and those powerful operations of the Spirit which should argue this same In being Yet do ye not find some workings of grace in your soul according unto that Place Room and Station that you have in the Body of Christ The soul ye know is in the body yet the soul does not put forth such power in one Member as it puts forth in another the soul does not act in one Member as it does in another it does not put forth so much strength in the little Finger or in the Thumb as it puts forth in the Arm The soul does not act in the Eye as it acts in the Mouth neither does it act in the Tongue as it acts in the Ear Should
But yet will some say What need of these things If Christ liveth in each Beleever really by his Spirit what need of Commandements or Teachings without for is it not said Ye shall be all taught of God and ye shall no longer teach your neighbor is it not so said in Scripture Answ 1 No not just so for if you look into that 31. of Jeremy from whence the place is fetched and the 8. chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews ye shall find that the words run thus This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel verse the 10. after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Lawes into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother Saying Know the Lord For all shall know me from the least to the greatest Mark how the words run It is not barely said thus They shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother but that clause is added to it Saying Know the Lord They shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother Saying Know the Lord. As if he had said I will now make a Covenant of grace and mercy with you I will write my Laws in your hearts and ye shall all know me and though you have been taught heretofore as ignorant people that have not known the Lord yet now because I will write my Laws in your hearts and my Law shall be there ye shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother Saying Know the Lord as if ye were ignorant but my Law shall be within your hearts and you shall be taught as a knowing people Secondly Ye must know that although the Spirit of Christ live in every Christian and so God Yet the Spirit is the free gift of God and therefore it acts and works no further than it pleaseth God to give it Now look into the Scripture and you shall find that the Lord was never pleased to give the Spirit for this end that it should be the only Rule of a mans life but for this end that it should be an help to a man to know the Rule and to keep the Rule Look into the Word and you shall find that the Spirit of the Lord was never given to be the only Rule for a man to live by but it was given to be an help to understand keep and fulfil the Rule And therefore Chrysostom doth well observe It is with Christ in us saith he as with Christ without us In the times of the old Testament the great Promise was of giving Christ in the times of the New Testament the great Promise is the giving of the Spirit Now therefore looke as it was with Christ when he came into the world so with the Spirit when he cometh into the heart Christ in us Now when Christ came into the World he came not to destroy the Law but he came to fulfill the Law So when the Spirit cometh into the heart the Spirit cometh not to destroy the Gospel or the Ordinances of the Gospel but he comes to fulfil the Gospel Christus impletio legis Spiritus impletio Evangelii Christ the fulfilling of the Law the Spirit the fulfilling of the Gospel Quaecunque sunt in Legi c. Whatsoever things are in the Law Christ fulfilleth whatsoever things are in the Doctrine of the Gospel the Spirit fulfilleth And as when Christ came he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it Mat. 5.17 for he saith himself I came to fulfil the Law so when the Spirit comes into any soul saith the Spirit also I come not to destroy the Gospel or the Commandements of the Gospel but I come into this poor soule to help it to fulfill the Commandements of the Gospel Now when I do take away the Commandements and make the Commandements no Commandements to me I mean the Commandements without then I destroy the Commandements as to me When I do make the Ordinances of Christ as no Ordinances to me then I do destroy them as to me And when I make the Rule without to be no Rule as to me then I destroy it as to me and when I that am a Beleever say thus I have the Spirit and therefore I have no need of any Commandement from without for the Spirit is Rule enough here I take away the Commandement as to me I take away the Ordinances as to me I take away the Rule as to me and therfore I destroy them Certainly Christ within us is not contrary to Christ without us Christ without us did not destroy the Law Christ within us doth not destroy the Gospel Therefore for any now to throw up Ordinances upon this account because they have the Spirit to lead and guide them this is to walk contrary to all the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament Oh! that people would think of this one thing The Spirit was never given to be the only Rule of a mans life but it was given to help us to understand and to enable us to keep the Rule Thus you see Ordinances and Christ living in a Christian can stand together And so you have the First thing cleared and proved Christ liveth in all Beleevers Quest 2 Secondly Whereby may it appear That the Lord Jesus Christ doth so live in a Beleever as that he hath a greater hand and stroke in all the actions of his Spiritual life than a Beleever hath himself that Jesus Christ doth live more in a Beleever than himself doth Answ 1 The Scripture is very plain If you look into the 1. chap. of Paul to the Ephesians and the last verse there you find these words speaking of Christ and his Church Which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Our Understandings our Wils our Affections our Duties they are but empty vessels til Christ doth fill them he filleth all he filleth all in all If ye have any Sails spread in any Dutie it is Christ that filleth them Look into the 3. chap. of that Epistle to the Colossians ye shal find at the 11. ver it is said of Christ He is all in all The words are But Christ is all and in all He is all in all men so it may be read Or he is all in all things Either way it may be read and it signifies both He is al in al men and he is all in al things Take the first All for all men and so he is all in all them Take the last All for all things and so he is all in al them in al things Now if the Lord Jesus Christ be al in al things and in al men then certainly he hath a greater hand and stroke in the actions the spiritual actions of Beleevers than themselves have Secondly To make this clear to
withal that he will write his Law in our hearts and when he promiseth in the Covenant of grace that he will write his Law in our hearts he doth also promise for to give his Spirit As when the Lord gave out the Law at first to man-kind he did write the Moral Law in mans heart so that the Heathen now have the Law written in their hearts the Moral Law whereby they are disposed and inclined to Morallity and Civillity So when the Lord comes and makes a Covenant of grace with the soul then he doth give out his Spirit to the soul and then he doth write his Law the Law of grace love and of the Gospel in that soul and that soul hath a secret disposition unto all the Commandements of the Gospel Now do ye not find it thus with you when sometimes you are tempted to what is evil do not ye say thus I cannot do it Oh! Lord thou knowest I cannot live as I have done and I cannot want the presence of God and Christ What means this Cannot but a Law within that God hath written in the heart there is the Spirit and there is Christ Thirdly Do not you find your souls sometimes carried out to what is good beyond and contrary to your own dispositions and natural inclinations It is written of Irajan the Emperor that He was an exceeding meek loving quiet good natured man and yet He was one of the greatest Persecutors in the Primitive times He had his hand in two as bloody actions against the Saints as any Persecutor in those times yet a man of a quiet loving sweet nature and disposition How came this to passe He was acted by Satan and being thus acted beyond his own disposition and inclination it argued that Satan had a greater hand and stroke in his action than himself had So when a man shall be carried on to what is good even contrary to his own nature and disposition what doth this argue but that the Lord Christ hath a greater hand and stroke in that action than himself hath Fourthly Do not you find sometimes who ever you are that make this Objection or lie under this fear That Christ doth not live in you do not you find that sometimes your soul is carried out to what is good beyond what you intended When Zacheus went up into the Sycamore-tree he only went up to see the outside of Christ but he comes down receives Christ into his house there he bids him welcome and saith Lord Behold Luke 19.8 the half of my goods I give to the poor Zacheus never intended this when he went up to see Christ What 's the reason The Lord Christ was upon his soul the Lord Christ was at work upon him and because he was carried out farther in this good work than ever he intended it thereby doth appear that the Lord Jesus Christ had a greater stroke in this spiritual action of his than himself had As on the other side A wicked man sometimes he begins to sin and saith he within himself I will do it but a little I will not goe very farre I will never do it again I will now take my leave of this sin it shall never be acted by me any more But he goes farther in it than ever he intended Why because the Devil hath a greater stroke upon him than himself hath So here when as a mans soul shall be carried out unto what is good beyond what he intended this argues that the Lord Jesus Christ is at work upon his soul and hath a greater hand and stroke upon his actions his spiritual actions than himself hath Now is it not thus with thee Fiftly Who ever thou art man or woman that makes this Objection and lies under this fear That the Lord Christ doth not live in thee Were you never perswaded of this did you never yet think that Christ was in you did you never yet beleeve that Christ lived in you Yes I confesse I had such thoughts once but oh I have lost those thoughts I have lost those perswasions But when you had those thoughts and when you had those perswasions how came you by them My soul was lying in a sad dark dead hardned condition my soul was ready to sink with despair and all on a sudden my soul was raised up within me to this perswasion for to think that Christ was in me and that Christ liveth in me Wel Either these thoughts were from Satan or from Christ Either this perswasion of yours was from Satan or it was from Christ Not from Satan for Satan doth not use to be so loving to a poor tempted soul to bear it up when it is ready to sink under Temptation Satan doth not use to be so loving to a poor soul to free it from Despair Then it was from Christ and if it were from Jesus Christ then Christ had a greater hand and stroke in this perswasion than thy own soul for thou sayest I was dead dull hardened ready to sink and I said Mercy is gone I shall never see the face of Christ again and all on a sudden these perswasions were raised in me Here Christ plainly hath a greater stroke in this perswasion than thine own soul Upon all this I do now appeal unto you who ever you are that lie under any of these Fears Hath it not been thus with you That all on a sudden you have been raised to these perswasions Do not you find That sometimes your soul hath been carried out to God even contrary to your own inclination and disposition Do not you find That sometimes your soul hath been carried out to what is good beyond all that you intended you thought to begin Prayer a little while and hath not the Lord sometimes come in and carried out your soul farther than ever you intended Do you not find a secret disposition or inclination to all the Commandements of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Do you not find That in the greatest actions and turnings of your lives Christ hath been at the end thereof Oh! yes If I should speak true I must needs say this Although I have not seen Christ at the end of every action yet as for the great actions and turnings of my life I must needs say Christ hath been there And the Lord knows I have a secret disposition to the Commandements of the Gospel And O Lord thou knowest that I have been carried out many times to what is good contrary to mine own disposition O Lord thou knowest I have been carried further in a way of good than ever I intended O Lord thou knowest When my soul hath been dead hardened and I have said Now mercy is gone and I am driven from mercy then then hath there been perswasions raised in me that Jesus Christ is in me Well be of good comfort soul be of good comfort from the Lord if thou hast these perswasions do not check them and if for the present you have