walk after our own devices Ier. 18. 11 12. and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart Or if the razing of hopes foundations doth not produce such wretched wicked resolutions with what sinkings and dolefull despondency will the awakened Soul be overwhelmed Our Proverb saith Was it not for hope the heart would break Therefore sleight not mine advice neither delay the use of Gods means to gain a well-grounded hope Isa 38. 18. of your eternal salvation your life is both short and uncertain And they who go down into the pit cannot hope for Gods truth Now for your help herein I shall in my next doctrine leade you to Christ who is the true Christians hope of glory That Christ is unto faithfull Christians the hope of glory Doct. 3 As my Text speaks this truth in open words so elsewhere our Apostle thus expresseth himself The Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 1. 1. Luk. 2. 28 29 30. which is our hope And here Simeon anchored his hope of heaven for he taking Christ in his arms said Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation For the clearing of this Point there are two things enquirable 1. What is meant by Hope of glory 2. How Christ is to be accounted the Christians Hope of glory First The hope of glory 1. Either signifieth the glory hoped for as it 's taken in many other Scriptures The hope laid up for you in heaven ver 5. Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2. Or the glorious hope the grace of hope whereby the Soul desirously expecteth future everlasting glory according to the words of this our Apostle I know that this shall tend to my salvation according to my earnest expectation and Phil. 1. 19 20. hope Secondly Christ may truly be called the hope of glory in both these senses 1. Being the glory of his people Israel viz. the matter the Luk. 2. 32. Gloriam quam speramus Christus est gloria quam habemus quam habituri simus Rolloc in Text Ioh. 1. 16. 2 Cor. 3. 18. object of their chiefest glory both here and hereafter He is the Christians All both upon earth and in heaven Christ is the glory of heaven the very heaven of heaven 2. And being the root from whence holy hope and all other graces do spring From his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace And whom we beholding as in a glasse we all are changed from glory to glory Grace is glory begun and glory is grace perfited and both these we have from Jesus Christ For the further opening and evidencing of this Doctrine viz. That Christ is the hope of glory Consider that a Christians hope is attributed 1. Efficiently to God the Father working it by the holy Ghost The God of hope cause you to abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost 2. Instrumentally Rom. 15. 13. to the word of God which is the word of his grace Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written that Rom. 15. 4. we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 3. Evidentially to the work of saving grace in the soul manifesting it self by its operations there God gives good 2 The. 2. 16. hope through grace whether faith Rom. 15. 13. or love 1 Joh. 3. 14. or any other sanctifying frame of heart 4. And yet in a way of peculiarity Christ is the Christians hope which our Apostle intends in this Text wherein there is some Emphasis The hope that hope He is singularly eminently the hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 1. 3. of glory Fundamentally our hope of heaven is built upon him Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ saith the Apostle Now the true Christians hope of glory is raised out of Christ 1. Upon that federall transaction which passed betwixt God the Father and Christ his Sonne The Apostle speaking of the Covenant thus expresseth himself To Abraham Gal. 3. 16. and his Seed were the Promises made He saith not And to his Seeds as of many but as of one And to thy Seed which is Christ And hither as I humbly conceive we may referre that passage in our Saviours Prayer unto his Father relating to himself Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should Ioh. 17. 2. give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him Upon this account the Apostle seemeth to encourage hope In hope of Tit. 1. 2. eternall life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began For unto whom besides Christ could the Almighty then viz. before the world began be engaged by any promise Prov. 8. 22 32 33. Solomon doth suggest transactions betwixt God and Christ his essentiall wisedom before the Creation concerning the welfare of man amongst which transactions doubtlesse this was one that through him beleevers should have hope of glory 2. Because of his satisfactory Passion For whereas sinne committed against God and Gods wrath kindled against man Heb. 3. 17 18. are the only hindrances of entrance into glory Against them who sinned God sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest The Lord Jesus by his sufferings did break into pieces those barres and made way for Christians admission into Heb. 9. 26. 1 Thes 1. 10. glory For he took away sinne by the Sacrifice of himself and Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come As he removeth guilt by satisfying divine justice so he quenched the flames of Gods anger by the shedding of his bloud And hereupon followeth hope of glory 3. By vertue of his meritorious purchase The Apostle Eph. 1. 14. calleth a glorified estate in heaven The purchased possession received by Redemption whereas man had made forfeiture of his happinesse which consisted in communion with God and was altogether unable to ransome it the Lord Jesus bought it back again by his perfect obedience which was esteemed of valuable consideration for so great a purchase because of the infinite excellency of his person being both Heb. 10. 7 9 44. God and man Though man through the worthlesnesse of his person and weaknesses of his best performances cannot deserve the least accommodation from the Lord yet mans hope of glory is upheld by the deserts of Emmanuell of Rom. 8. 3 4. Christ God with us 4. Through the effectuall prevalency of his prayer Christ said with confidence unto his Father I know that thou hearest me alwaies And this was one great Request which Ioh. 11. 42. he made Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory Ioh. 17. 24. which thou hast given me for thou hast loved me before the Foundation of the world This Petition is a good prop to support hope of glory in a
the handling of the point of doctrine here propounded And because the doctrine hath two branches the one necessarily implied the other openly expressed I shall distinctly speak unto them both The truth implied in the first branch of the doctrine is 1. Branch of Doctrine Joh. 1. 12. Eph. 3. 17. this viz. that Christ is in Beleevers As beleevers do receive him so he dwelleth in their hearts by faith And therefore it is noteable that the Apostle having moved the Corinthians to prove themselves whether in the faith he addeth Know 2 Cor. 13. 5. ye not that Jesus Christ is in you This in-being of Christ in beleevers is to be understood not of an abode in them or any where else on earth corporally for in that sense the Heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of Act. 3. 21. all things but of an habitation spirituall according to the testimony of the Apostle Because ye are Sonnes God hath Gal. 4. 6. sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts Thereby intending to teach us that Christ is in beleeving Christians spiritually And this truth is by various metaphors suggested in the holy Scriptures 1. By being compared unto showrs which descending from heaven do sink and soak into the bowels of the earth He shall come down like rain 2. And his Name Psa 72. 6. Cant. 1. 3. Psa 109. 18. is like unto ointment poured forth which worketh it self into the bones not staying upon the outside of the person receiving it 3. He is meat and drink indeed unto the soul from Joh. 6. 55 56. whence he himself concludeth my doctrine He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him 4. Hereto might be added that he is the soul of our souls whereby we live spiritually Christ is our Life And mans life Col. 3. 4. Dan. 7. 15. is said to be in him 2 Sam. 1. 9. The body is called the sheath of the Soul which expression hinteth that the soul is in the body as the sword in the scabbard In like manner Christ who is the Christians life is in all them whom he enliveneth Having thus cleared the truth that Christ is in beleeving Vse 1 Christians I proceed to the application of it under three heads of Uses First For Instruction in four particulars 1. Hence the Godhead of Jesus Christ may be concluded undeniably for this spirituall ubiquity of Christ in the souls of all reall Saints in all the places of the world cannot belong unto any meer creature whatsoever This argument Saint Paul produced Act. 17. 23 24 27 28. to distinguish the true God from all Idol-gods He is not far from every one of us Omnipresence proveth Deity And the conclusion followeth with like strength when beleevers assert this truth He is in every one of us 2. This discovereth the unparellel'd condescentions of Jesus Jesus Christ being willing to abase himself thus low as to be within poor sinfull creatures This was a matter of admiration 1 King 8. 27. Mat. 8. 8. unto Solomon But will God indeed dwell on earth The good Centurion said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof And the Psalmist with much affection calleth upon all the servants of the Lord to praise him and Psa 113. 1 3 5 6. praise him again upon this account Who is like unto the Lord God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth Did God humble himself in looking out of himself off from his own infinite beauties and perfections to view either men on earth or Angels and Saints in heaven How much greater is this condescention in Christ to make his abode in the souls of sinners Let me here dart only two thoughts into your mindes 1. That Christ came out of his Fathers bosome where he Joh. 1. 18. Prov. 8. 30. was daily his delight rejoycing alwaies before him 2. That the hearts of the best upon earth wherein he inhabits are like dark dungeons in regard of the clouds of ignorance not dispersed 1 Cor. 13. 12. Isa 64. 6. and like unsavoury dunghils in respect of many noysome lusts not fully subdued Therefore guess with gratitude how low our blessed Lord doth stoop in being content to dwell in us even in us every way so vile and so unworthy 3. This giveth us to understand the dignity of all true beleevers As they are precious excellent more excellent then Isa 43. 4. Psa 16. 2. Prov. 12. 26. others in many other respects which I now have not occasion to mention so upon this account that the Lord Jesus Christ is in them Moses the man of God judgeth Israel in this regard in a condition farre better then any other people For what Nation hath God so nigh unto them And how Deut. 4. 7. much was Zacheus affected with the apprehension of this favour this honour when Christ promised to abide at his house When he had climed into a tree to take a view of Luk. 19. 5. Christ and Christ telleth him that he should not only have a transient sight of him but also enjoy him as his guest oh how was Zacheus think you elevated by this entertainment Now such and greater honour have all his Saints Psa 149. 9. It was no doubt a very great honour put upon the blessed Virgin Mary both in her own account and in the judgement Luk. 1. 42 43 48 49. of all Christians that she did bear the holy body of Christ in her womb for a time He that is mighty hath magnified me and certainly the inhabitation of Christ by his Spirit in the souls of his servants is not a priviledge inferiour 4. This whispereth the madnesse and misery of all such who do dare to make opposition against beleevers for seeing Christ is in them therefore in so doing they seek as it were to pluck down Christ his house upon his head I shall not enlarge this Use 1. Either by shewing the various waies whereby wrong is done unto the servants of the Most High viz. by secret plots and open persecutions either by abating their comforts or encreasing their sufferings either by corrupting their judgements or drawing them to sin 2. Or by manifesting Christs knowledge and sensiblenesse of these their injuries together with his severity against their enemies witnessed both by judgements threatned in his Word and executed in the world from generation to generation But I only wish those who are herein guilty to minde the Item given by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians If any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy 1 Cor. 3. 17. for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are The second Use is for the comfort of all true beleevers Vse 2 seeing Christ is in them I remember what is recorded concerning Paul that the
gracious heart 5. From the end of his Ascention We all do beleeve that Christ is received up into glory And himself before his 1 Tim. 3. 16. departure from earth said I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive Ioh. 14. 2 3. you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Here is good Anchor-hold for hope which entreth into that within the veil whither the forerunner is for us entred Christ Heb. 6. 19 20. is gone into Heaven as our Harbinger to provide glorious mansions for us and to take possession in our behalf And the Apostle Peter writeth thus unto the scattered Christian Jews God raised Christ from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God From all these considerations jointly considered this conclusion is confirmed by Scripture-strength and evidence That Christ is unto beleeving Christians the hope of glory The application followeth Vse 1 Therefore without Christ there cannot be any well-grounded 1 Pet. 1. 21. Extra Christum non gloria sed ignominia expectanda est Hun. in Text. Eph. 2. 12. Iob 21. 7 13. Psa 73. 7 Iob 7. 6. expectation of future glory As this smart inference followeth undeniably from the Text under hand so the same Apostle is open and expresse for this truth elsewhere Suggesting to the Ephesians their sad condition in an unchristian estate he connecteth these two particulars viz. ye were without Christ having no hope Although prophane godlesse and Christlesse men may have their expectations of outward comforts accomplished and possesse more then heart could wish yet in regard of spirituals and eternals we may be confident that they spend their daies without hope In which respect they should rather be looked upon as objects of pity then of envy when they are in their greatest jollity and prosperity because being Christlesse they are poor hopelesse creatures Take man in his best estate imaginable out of Christ and upon the serious Survey of himself he shall have cause to say What is my strength that I should hope Iob 6. 11. And as Paul said in reference to himself and them who sailed with him in a sad Sea-voyage that when neither Sunne nor Starres in many daies appeared and no small tempest lay on Act. 17. 20. us all hope that we should be saved was then taken away So let the chiefest Sonnes of men with their highest parts be laid under the storms of divine displeasure without Gospel-light discovering Christ and all hope of salvation will be quite removed Hence fair occasion is offered to discover their dangerous Vse 2 delusion who build their hopes of heaven upon creaturefoundations As the Papists who in their Ave-Maries call Spes nostra the Virgin the mother of Christs humanity Our Hope who also trust unto their works as meritorious causes of Salvation So others also who imagine happinesse attainable from the right improvement of Natures abilities without the meritorious satisfaction of Jesus Christ whereas the Scripture doth not only assert that there is not salvation in Act. 4. 12. Gal. 5. 4. Sclus Christus is est per quem vitam aeternam expect are licet Piscat in Text. any other besides Christ but doth also affirm that Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law Oh that this short sharp expression from an Apostolical pen might warn the wanton wits of these unwary times to take heed of crying up Nature and morall abilities with the neglect of Jesus Christ who alone is the foundation hope of future glory Vse 3 Therefore the communication of glory is from meer mercy Rom. 6. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donum gratis datum Eternall life is the gift of Gods grace through Jesus Christ Although I touched upon this before yet I take it up again upon a double account partly because the Apostle in this Text intends a check unto them who mixed their own righteousnesse with Christ and partly because many in these daies not only Papists but other proud Opinionists do derogate from Gospel-mercy by ascribing too much unto mans naturall strength morally improved whereby Gods design in making man happy by Christ is directly crossed and disappointed Let the words of the Apostle Paul be seriously considered Ye are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto 1 Cor. 1. 29 30 31. us wisedom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that no flesh should glory in his presence that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord Our All in tendency unto peace comfort and glory is therefore from Christ according to divine project and purpose that man when at the highest might be abased in himself being necessitated to acknowledge that all his advantagious incomes both in regard of glory begun on earth and compleated in heaven are from Christ Now that I may more clearly advance Gods rich grace and free mercy in bringing beleevers to glory by Christ I heartily desire that these three things may be observed viz. 1. That Christ himself was the gift of God Vnto us a Isa 9. 6. Sonne is given saith the Gospel-Prophet And our Saviour himself in his conference with the woman of Samaria calleth himself That gift of God by way of superlative eminency Ioh. 4. 10. being the richest and freest gift that ever God bestowed upon the children of men 2. That the grace of faith whereby the Soul receiveth Christ and happinesse by him is the free gift of God likewise To you saith Saint Paul to the Philippians it is given to beleeve Phil. 1. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 18. 27. The Originall suggests that it was given of grace which our Translation doth elsewhere expresse Apollo is said to help them much who had beleeved through grace And this our Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans affirming that our Justification is from mercy not merit addeth these words Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 4. 16. 4. That all our spirituall priviledges received from Christ himself are from him upon terms of mercy and grace Forgivenesse Eph. 1. 7. Tit. 3. 7. Eph. 1. 6. Joh. 17. 22. Jude 21. of sin is according to the riches of his grace We are justified by his grace We are accepted in the beloved to the praise of the glory of his grace And himself in his prayer to the Father saith The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Answerable hereunto is the advice of Saint Jude Keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternall life It 's meer mercy not merit that holdeth up the heart in expectation of Heaven All these particulars being put together will undenably evidence the strength of this my Inference viz. That Because the Christians hope of glory
is rooted in Christ therefore Heavens glory with all the requisites belonging thereto are from grace and mercy And this will make way for the Use following To perswade Christians the heirs of glory to praise God Vse 4 for Jesus Christ because all their hopes do spring from him As Simeon expecting salvation by Christ blessed God All Luk. 2. 28. our hearts should breathe forth Saint Peters doxology Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who 1. Pet. 1. 3 4. according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Hence I might note to quicken gratitude 1. The admirable worth of the inheritance in glory which hope expecteth viz an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away 2. The means whereby this hope is begotten in us viz. the death and resurrection of Christ 3. And the motive moving the Lord in this way to give us ground of hope viz. His abundant mercy In all which regards it may well become us to joyn with our souls in Zacharies Song Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he Luk. 1. 68 69. hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David This thankfulnesse may be perswaded by a double consideration the one more generall and the other more particular In generall because this ground of hope is revealed to us Gentiles and that upon no other account but Gods good pleasure â—his is M. Bains his Observation from the words before the Text God maketh known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles This was an high priviledge peculiar to the Jews that to them were committed the Rom. 3. 1. Eph. 1. 9. Oracles of God but how much greater is our preferment in these times God having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself And the Apostle elsewhere discoursing of some differences betwixt Old-Testament and New-Testament dispensations telleth us that the Gospel bringeth in a better hope by which we draw nigh to God More particularly in Heb. 7. 19. reference to our own persons take notice of these things 1. That the revelation of this should reach our understandings when multitudes of more pregnant capacities Mat. 11. 25 26 continue ignorant hereof I thank thee O Father said Christ Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Evenso Father for it seemeth good in thy sight 2. That we do not only perceive but also participate personally in this hope through Jesus Christ whereas there are millions whose heads are full of this light and yet their hearts are empty of this lively hope of glory by Christ And if I by grace be a partaker saith Saint Paul I give God 1 Cor. 10. 30. thanks 3. That the riches of the glory of this Inheritance hoped for by the Saints is unexpressible And that we may be abundantly Eph. 1. 18. thankfull for this hope in Christ as we should pray for a more clear apprehension thereof so should we endeavour to know assuredly our peculiar interest therein by finding the Lord Jesus dwelling in our hearts by his Spirit Because my Text tels us That Christ in us is the hope of glory which is the next and last Doctrine here considerable That Christ by being in beleevers is unto them the hope of Doct. 4 glory The existency of Christ in beleeving Christians giveth existency to their hopes of glory This connexion of Christ in them and of their glory through him is considerable in his most heavenly Prayer in which having spoken of the glory given unto them with the same breath as it were he suggests Joh. 17. 22 23. Vnde colligimus nos unum cum Christo esse non quia suam in nos substantiam transfundat sed quia Spiritus sui virtute nobiscum vitam suam quicquid accepit a Patre bonorum communicet Calvin in Joh. 17. 22. Act. 20. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 19. his being in them The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them c. Before I proceed in the further handling of this doctrine These words which speak the in-being of Christ in Christians do call for some explication Therefore let us enquire 1. Both what the phrase doth not 2. And what it doth hold forth to our consideration First It doth not intimate such a being of Christ in any Christian as of the Godhead in Christ by reason whereof Godhead and Manhood in Christ made one person in regard whereof he was from his conception absolutely free from the least tincture of sinne and was made able to compleat the work of Mediatorship both by bearing up under the infinite weight of Gods displeasure without sinking and also to give sufficient vertue and value unto his obedience active and passive that it might be satisfactory and meritorious Gal. 4. 6. Eph. 2. 22. â— Joh. 1. 12. But it doth suggest Christs peculiar abode in beleevers by his Spirit being received by faith whereby he dwelleth and operateth spiritually in their hearts Naturae nomen hic non substantiam sed qualitatem designat Naturae divinae mundi corruptionem opponit Vt siâ—us unum cum Deo quantum modulus noster fâ—ret Calvio in 2 Pet. 1. 4. which union betwixt him and them doth in some measure by way of similitude though not fully in way of parity represent the union betwixt his father and himself And whereas the Apostle Peter speaketh of our being made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. which words are much abused There are two things notable from that Scripture to manifest the difference betwixt Christ and Christians in that participation 1. The words are not we are made partakers of the God-head but of the divine nature viz. of the qualities of God according to our capacity whereby we escape that corruption which is in the world through lust and do in holy dispositions resemble God so far as such creatures can As David speaketh of shewing the kindenesse of God unto Jonathans posterity 2 Sam. 20. 15. whereas God-head it self was in such sort in Christ 1 Tim. 3. 16. that he was God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. coequall with God the Father Phil. 2. 6. 2. The Apostle Peter is open and expresse that Christians are partakers of the divine nature in the sense aforesaid by means of the exceeding great and precious promises of Gods grace whereas Christ was God by an eternall naturall unexpressible generation Having thus briefly explicated the expression in the Text and the like used by our Saviour I proceed to