for first r. last p. 108. l. 12. for Dominus reginae r. Domina regina p. 109. l. 13. dele two p. 199. l. 13. for rigorous r. vigorous THE CONTENTS Of the Third VOLVMNE SERMON I GALATIANS 2.20 TEXT Opened Page 2 Doctrine 1 Every godly gracious man is a living man and lives a spiritual life Page 3 Explication 1 What this spiritual life is 1. A supernatual perfection Page 3 2 It ariseth from our Vnion with Christ by the Spirit Page 4 3 By it we act move and work towards God Ibid 2 How it may appear that every godly gracious man is thus a living man Proved 1 By vegetative life Page 5 2 By sensitive life ib. 1 They are sensible of their sins Page 6 2 Of the hiding of Gods face ibid 3 Of the miseries of the Churches Page 7 3 By rational life ibid How it may appear that others are not in this state of life Page 8 Objections answered Page 9. 10 Application Comforts for the Saints 1. It is above the life of Adam in innocency Page 12 2. It is the most pleasant life ibid 3. It is the most communicative life Page 13 4. The Lord looks upon all our former sins under a mollifying consideration ibid Object I am afraid I have not this spiritual life because I am dead cold and stiff Answered There is a deadness opposite to liveliness as well as a death opposite to life Page 15 There is a difference between the coldness of a living man and the coldness of a dead man ibid Object I am afraid I am not alive because I do not grow Answered 1. Do you grow out of love with your own righteousness Page 16 2. Are you less subject to be offended than before Page 17 3. Do you grow more off from youth ful things that godly men look to ibid Object I am alive to the world Answered Page 18 Duties flowing from this spiritual life 1. We should live at a higher rate than the world doth Page 20 2. Our hearts should not run too much after the things of this world Page 21 3. Our comunion and fellowship should be more with the living ibid Exhortation to those that are dead in sins to come to Christ Page 23 SERMON II. Gal. 2.20 Doctrine 2. Our Justification by faith alone is no enemy but a real friend to our spiritual life Page 26 Explication 1. What is meant by Justification by faith alone Page 27 2. How doth it appear that free Justification by faith alone is the original of all our holiness 1. By contraries Page 29 2. By the paralel between the first and second Adam Page 31 3. By the sence of free remission of sin Page 32 Instanced in 1. Repentance Page 33 2. Mortification ibid 3. Obedience Page 34 3. Objections Answered Page 34. 35 4. What there is in free Justification by faith that doth advance our holiness 1. The more a man forsakes his own good for Christ the more is Christ engaged to give his good to him Page 36 2. God doth never suffer any man to pass under relation but he writes the Law of that relation in his heart ibid 3. The more a man agrees with God the fitter he is to walk with God Page 36 4. As by seeking Justification by works a man is estated in the covenant of works so by seeking Justification by faith alone a man is estated in the covenant of grace Page 37 Application Hence we see the reason why men are no more gracious Page 39 Object I fear my obedience was never right because I have turned aside to a covenant of works Answered Page 41 Object My obedience is not right because it is so little Answer 1. Doest thou limit thy self Page 42 2 Doest thou oppose them that have much ibid Object My obedience is not right because I do not find the visible characters of Justification upon my Sanctification Answered 1. Doest thou mourn for sin because 't is pardoned Page 44 2. Is there a meeting of all graces in thee ibid Object Suppose I have not stood cleer from my own doings in matter of Justification how shall I do to do it Answered 1. Be humbled in the sight of God Page 46 2. Study much the transaction of things between God the father and Jesus Christ ib. 3. Acquaint your souls with the difference between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace ibid 4. When your duties are highest let your souls go beyond them ibid 5. When they are lowest you have an opportunity to stand cleer from them Page 47 SERMON III. Gal. 2.20 Doctrine Every true beleever that seeks Justification by faith alone is a self-denying person Page 50 Explication 1. What it is for a man to deny himself Answered Page 51 2. Whereby it may appear that the Gospel works this grace in the heart of man Answered 1. If the Law cannot do it the Gospel must Page 52 2. He that lives under the Gospel is of a disposition contrary to the world Page 53 3. He is tender of intrenching upon Gods prerogative Page 54 4. The more truly a man repents the more sensible he is of his own unworthiness ibid An objection How doth the Gospel only do this seeing moral men Heathens and Papists have spoken and written much for humility and self-denial Answer 1 Though they be humble yet they are proud of humility Page 56 2 'T is only in some particulars ibid 3 He is ruled by reason and not by the spirit ibid 4 There is no mysterie in it as there is in a Christians For 1 A Christian cries out what shall he do to be saved and yet he expects not to be saved by doing Page 57 2 He accounts himself lesse than the least of all Gods mercies and yet he thinks God hath done more for him than if he had given him all the world ib. 3 He prizes every duty though never so small and yet counts all dung in respect of Jesus Christ ib. 4 He looks upon himslf as the greatest of sinners yet would not change condition with a Drunkard c. for all the world ib. 5 He mourns under reproaches and yet triumphs over them ib. 6 He counts all he doth nothing and yet praiseth God for every thing ib. 4 What there is in the Gospel to being a mans heart to this frame Answered 1 The more of Gods glory a man sees the more humble he is Page 58 2 The more self-denial a man sees in Christ the more he denies himself Page 60 3 The more a man sees himself a debter to Christ the more humble he is Page 61 4 When Christ comes into the soule all other things must out ib. Application How hard a thing it is to Beleeve Page 62 Reply We hope we all have faith Answer Are there not some that 1 Cannot deny themselves in outward things Page 64 2 Seek themselves in spiritual things ib. 3 Stint themselves in the service of God Page 65
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
from one Scripture turn ye both to the 17. of John the last vers Saies our Lord and Savior Christ praying unto his father And I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them I in them Mind the words Here are these Three things observable in them First of all Here ye have this Doctrine that I have been speaking of all this while Christ in each beleever I in them Secondly That God the Father does love a Beleever though not so much as Christ yet with the same love that he loveth Christ That the love wherewith thou hast loved me way be in them and I in them Thirdly That the way to procure this love and this In-being is To have the Name of God declared And I have declared unto them thy Name and I will declare it Why that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them So then the way for to get this In-being is to have the Name of God declared unto poor souls What is this Name the Name of God the Father that Christ declares It was the Love of God his Free-grace and Love Saies Christ Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world c. and stil Christ preach'd the love of God to poor lost man This was the Name of God that is declared Now then do any of your souls complain That you want this In-being of Christ in you or that you have not room in your souls to entertain such a guest Observe where this Name of God is declared and manifested this Free love of God is manifested and declared and there set thy soul under the spout under the declaration under the manifestation of the Name of God and look upon it as if Christ were there preaching and declaring the Name of God to thy soul and there Christ shall come in unto thee and there thy poor narrowed and straitned soul shal be enlarged and made more capacious for Jesus Christ Wherefore I beseech you then receive this Word of Exhortation and let every soul go unto Jesus Christ and say to this purpose Lord Jesus Thy work is to declare the Name of the Father to poor sinners that so thou maiest be in them now O Lord I am a poor sinner Lord declare the Name of the Father to me Lord declare the Name of the Father to me I have a straitned heart I have not room enough for thee in my soul Oh! that it were enlarged for thee now therefore declare this Name of thy Father to me that so the love wherewith thy Father hath loved thee may be in me and I in thee also Thus I say go unto Jesus Christ And study study much this In-being of Christ in your souls you that have it not labor to get it and you that have this In-being labor to be thankful for it improve it and get your souls more and more enlarged under it SERMON V. Preached at Christs-Church Aug. 25. 1648. GALATIANS 2. part of the 20. vers Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me I Intend at this time to speak on these words But Christ liveth in me Wherein ye have these Three things First The In-being of Christ in a Beleever Christ in me Secondly The Efficacy of this In-being Christ Liveth in me Thirdly The Constancy thereof he doth not stay for a night or two but he Liveth or Abideth in me Accordingly there are Three Notes or Observations First Christ is in each Beleever Christ is in every Christian For when he saies I live yet not I he personates a Beleever all along speaks not in his own person but in the person of a Beleever one Justified by Faith alone Secondly That Christ liveth in all Beleevers Christ liveth in me Thirdly That Christ liveth more in Beleevers than themselves do I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Christ hath a greater hand and stroke in the Spiritual actions of beleevers than themselves have I have spoken of the former of these in another place and now I will speak unto the other and therefore I shall put them both together in one Doctrine or Observation thus Doct. Christ doth so live in a Beleever that he hath a greater hand and stroke in the Spiritual actions of a Beleever than a Beleever himself hath Christ lives in a Beleever more than himself as to his Spiritual actions For the opening and clearing of this Truth First I shall labor to shew you that Christ liveth in each Beleever Secondly That he hath a greater hand and stroke in the actions of his Spiritual life then a Beleever hath himself First That Christ liveth in each Beleever A man liveth where he worketh and staieth or abideth A man doth not live where he lieth he may come and stay for a day or two and yet not be said to live there but where a man works and staies or abides there he lives Now both these ye shall find Christ doth the first in that known place the 7. of John 38. verse He that beleeveth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive Where the Spirit of Christ is there is Christ And this is a promise made to all Beleevers more or lesse to be fulfilled unto them Out of their bellies shall flow rivers of living water Which is to be understood of the Spirit So that the Spirit of Christ shall be in them and be working in them And as for the other you know what is said in that 14. of John and the 23. verse Saith our Savior there If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him It 's the same word that is used before for Mansions In my fathers house are many Mansions verse 2. We will come and take up our Mansions with him And this was so received a Principle in the Apostles time that he saies to the Corinthians in the 1 Epistle 3. chapter 16. verse Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you But if you look into the 8. chapter of the Romans you shall see all proved together verse the 10 11. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Here are Three or Four things observable First That Christ in you and the Spirit in you is all one And therefore having said in the 10. ver If Christ be in you at the 11. verse he saies If the Spirit of him that raised
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
obedience Thirdly The more a man does agree with God and the Law the more fit he is to walk with God and observe the Law when a man is justified by faith then he is agreed with God Amos 3.3 Can two walk together unless they be agreed Now when a man is justified by faith he is Reconciled to God reconciled to the Justice of God reconciled to the Anger of God reconciled to the Law of God the Law is his friend Now before a man was justified the Anger of God was his enemy and the Justice of God his enemy and the Law his enemy but now being justified he is reconciled to God reconciled to his Anger that is satisfied by Christ reconciled to the Law that is satisfied by Christ thus he is made a friend to God he is agreed with God and with the Law and so he can walk with God and so he is the more obedient But Fourthly and especially thus As by Works and seeking Justification by Works a man is Estated in the Covenant of Works So by Faith and seeking Justification by Faith alone a man is Estated in the Covenant of Grace When a man is Estated in the Covenant of grace God is engaged to give grace unto him to make him Holy For that I pray do but reade what ye have in that 36. Chapter of Ezekiel at the 25. verse and so downwards Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I wil give you an heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them First I pray mark here That the Lord does promise Remission of sin although it be never so great I will sprinkle clean water upon you and wash ye from all your filthiness and from all your idols wil I cleanse you But saies a poor doubting soul Though the Lord do thus wash me I am so foule and so unclean that I am afraid I shall never be cleansed Yes saies the Lord I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean But though I be clean and cleansed from my guilt and my sin pardoned yet notwithstanding I have such a naughty filthy heart as I shall foul my self again See what follows A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Oh! but my heart is so hard like a stone that I shall resist this mercy of God Nay saies he And I will take away the stony heart cut of your flesh I will take away the Resistance the stony heart out of your flesh But though it be so as long as my nature is unchanged I shal never do that which is right Saies God I will change your nature for you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh I wil make such a change in you That whereas before Naturally ye were as hard as a stone now I wil make you as soft as flesh But though the Lord do thus change my Nature yet notwithstanding I shall never be able to order my conversation aright I shall never be obedient Mark what follows I will put my Spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes I will make you obedient saies God Oh! what streams of mercy are here But I pray mind the Fountain whence these flow They al flow from this fountain of Free-remission The first is I will sprinkle clean water upon you and cleanse you from all your idols I will forgive you freely I but though this be set first it may be this is not the Cause of the rest how shal it appear that this Free-remission is the Cause of all our holiness Then I pray look into the 8. chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrews where this Covenant of grace is repeated at the 10. verse For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel saith the Lord I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest Why for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more So that Remission is the Cause of Sanctification I will thus and thus sanctifie saies the Lord For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more this is the Cause of all that Now I say When a man is once estated in this Covenant of grace the Lord ye see is engaged then for to make him holy And as by works and seeking Justification by works a man is estated in the Covenant of works So by faith and seeking Justification by faith alone a man is estated in the Covenant of grace and so the Lord is engaged for to make him holy So that thus you see now This Free-grace of God Justification of a poor sinner by faith alone it is no enemy but a real friend unto all our Holiness and Spiritual life No wonder therefore that the Apostle saies And now I live Applyca By way of Application If all these things be so Then here we see the reason why men are no more Gracious no more Heavenly no more Holy no more Spiritual in their lives because they think not of this they study not this they never had the true sence of this Even because they do not stand cleer from their own Duties and their own Doings as to the great matter of Justification and acceptance with God Is the Free-remission of sin and Justification by faith alone the Fountain and Original of all our Holiness Then why stand ye gazing upon your own Duties upon your own Prayers and Mournings Would ye live I know you would Skin for skin Job 2.4 and all that a man hath will he give for his life But would you live Spiritually would you live an Eternal life that life that never dies that Communicative life that life that is better than you should have had in the State of innocencie Then do you stand clear from all your own Doings and Duties and Workings as to this great matter of your Acceptance with God the Father Do ye think that Jesus Christ will present a Duty or a service unto God the Father that steps into his room and place and Office What is the Place and room of Christ He is our Saviour and the Mediator between God and man that stands between God and man for to cause Acceptance with God the Father if then you Pray Hear Reade Mourn and think
Sanctified in a large sence but where do ye find in al the Bible of any Hypocrite that Christ is said to be in him really united unto an Hypocrite No this is the great Priviledge of a beleever only Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory Fourthly If Jesus Christ be really united unto each beleever by his Spirit Then a beleever shal never die again spiritually die again I have read of a Woman that when her Husband was dead she would eat and drink the ashes of her Husband have his bodie burnt to ashes and so eat and drink the ashes of her husband and being asked the reason because saies she I mean to part with him no more I have parted with him once already when we were one but now I will be made one with him in another way and I will part no more with him So if Christ be in a Beleever really in a Beleever Christ really united unto each Beleever by his Spirit Then Christ and that Beleever shal never part again that Beleever shal die no more for the same Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead dwelling in a Beleever shal also raise up a poor beleever yea though he fal into the grave of sin he shal never die spiritually again upon this account Fiftly If Christ be really united unto al beleevers by his Spirit Then they may come with boldness unto the throne of grace and with unlimitted expectations of mercie from God the Father and from Christ Jesus The nearer ye are unto any Person the more boldness ye have towards him and the larger will your expectations be from him If a man marry his Servant whilst she was his maid she was not so bold nor could expect so much from him when she becomes the Wife then she is more bold and can expect more because now she is nearer A Child may have more boldnes and expect more from the Father than the servant and the servant that is within doors more than the servant that works in the field but the Wife that is nearest she is most bold comes with most boldness into the presence of the man and hath the largest expectations from him because she is nearest to him So the nearer that the soul of a beleever does get unto God the more boldness he may have when he comes to God and the largen expectations of mercy from him Now if Christ were in a beleever only by the Habit of grace and Christ in the soul were nothing else but the Habit of grace here were yet a great distance from Christ but now if Jesus Christ be really United unto each Beleever by his Spirit here is a close Union indeed And therefore upon this account every beleever may come with boldness now and with Unlimitted expectations of mercy from God the Father being brought thus neer that Christ Himself is really in the beleevers soul And what a Glorious and Blessed Condition is every beleever in now upon this account Applyca First Here I would stand admire and call upon you all to admire the Condescending Glorious and Unspeakable love of Christ It was infinite love in Christ to condescend so far as to come down into our Nature when he was incarnate but as if he were not neer enough to us then he comes down into the heart of a beleever by his Spirit When Christ was upon the Earth we were in him as in a common Person Now Christ is in Heaven he is in us by his Spirit What Glorious Condescending love is here If a Father Portion a Child set him up in a good Trade and the child decay through his own folly the Father will not Portion him again possibly he may help him but he will not give him ordinarily parents do not give so great a Portion to help him up again somewhat the parent will do but not so much as at the first The Lord of Heaven he put a great Portion into our hands at first and we decayed and broke and behold the Lord does not only give us as good a Portion as we had at the first but infinitely better for now the Lord Christ is United unto each Beleever now he comes and dwels in the soul of a beleever by his Spirit The Psalmist wondered and admired at the love of God to Man Psal 8.1 4. O LOrd saies the Psalmist how excellent is thy Name Lord what is man Why Lord what is man that thou visitest him He wondred at the love of God that would visit man But behold a greater love than so to visit poor man for Christ is come down into the soul of a beleever he is come into him by his Spirit not only come to visit him but Christ really United unto each beleever by his Spirit What Glorious and Condescending love is here Secondly Upon this account no Wicked man should dare to oppose any of the children of God Why because Christ is in them Christ not only in his Graces but Christ really in all beleevers by his Spirit And will a man dare to speak evil of him that is one with Christ or to defile the Temple of the Lord and the dwelling place of the Lord 1 Cor. 3.17 He that defiles the Temple of the Lord him will God destroy Take heed what you do if there be any opposers here Thirdly What abundance of Comfort is here unto all beleevers Christ is in you of a truth not only by the infusion of his Grace but Christ really in you by his Spirit It is some comfort to a sickly man that he hath a Physitian alwaies in the house with him and to a woman that is neer her time of travail that the Mid-wife is in the house with her What comfort is it then unto a poor soul that Christ is alwaies in him really in him by his Spirit You that are beleevers will not this content you He is too Covetous whom God cannot suffice He hath all things that hath him that hath all things Now every beleever hath Christ Christ really in a beleever by his Spirit not Notionally not by the Habit of grace only but Christ is really United unto each beleever by the Spirit Here is Comfort Comfort Comfort unto all those that are beleevers Object But I fear that Christ is not in me I do not find or perceive that Christ is in me and therefore I can have none of the comfort of this Doctrine were Christ really in me by the Spirit Christ would be working in me but I do not find these workings of Jesus Christ in me and were the Spirit in me it is quick lively and powerful I should do great things for God but alas I do nothing for him and therefore I fear that the Lord Christ is not in me of a truth Answ 1 First I grant That where Christ comes into the soul he does cause the soul to do great things for God greater than it could do before So it was with
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