one and as thus furnished is giving himself to us in his Gospel and with himself all things that we might for the excellency of the knowledg of him suffer the loss of all things and count them but dung and dogs-meat that we might win him and be sound in him Now then doth not this render a man unworthy of him that shall preferr his own wisdom which is brutish his righteousness which is filthy his works which are empty and unprofitable his glory which is vain his Mammon which is false and uncertain and his pleasures which are 〈◊〉 and but for a little time to be injoyed before him who is altogether lovely only satisfying and inriching and who rendereth and maketh them eternally happy and blessed that receive and retain him Do not such men by observing lying vanities sorsake and deprive themselves of their own mercy Jona 2. 8. Are they not unworthy of him and worthy of the severest punishment that trample under foot the Son of God and count the blood of the covenant a common and profane thing Heb. 10. 29. Is not their sin herein like unto and yet much greater then was the sin of Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthwright Heb. 12. 16 17. Is not this justly the condemnation the cause of mens condemnation that Christ the true light hath come and men loved darkness rather then light to wit preferred their sins and idols before Christ in whom God hath taken up all his well pleasedness and whom he hath to loved that he hath given all things into his hand Ioh. 3. 19 35 36. Is not men's iniquity herein like that of the Iows who would not have this man to reign over them but rejected Christ and preserred a murderer before the Prince of life Acts 3. 14 15. And are not they unmeet for and unworthy of him who when called to the waters wine milk bread that which is good fatness to a feast of fat things refuse this because it must be bought though without money and price and yet willingly spend and weigh money for that which is not bread and labour for that which satisfieth not Isa 55. 1 2 3. Surely this is great unworthiness and unthankfulness a most foolish and unkind requital of his goodness who in his love and pity hath redeemed us and is now calling us to the injoyment of himself by his grace and it must needs provoke the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to anger that men so lightly esteem the Son of his love as to prefer lies before him who is the truth and empty appearances before the substance Yea they shall all be damned persisting herein who believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2. 10-12 How shall they escape who neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. Them that honour him who give unto him the precedency and preeminence in all things to whom the Father hath given it he will honour But those that despise him who preser Wives or Children or their own wisdom or righteousness or lives before him shall be lightly esteemed Mark 10. 29 30. 1 Sam. 2. 30. O Lord the hope of Israel saith the Prophet all that for sake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the Earth not in Heaven because they have for saken the Lord the fountain of living waters Jer. 2. 10-13 17. 13. 18. 14 15. Oh! That this may be so considered by us that we may not render our selves so foolish and demean our selves so unworthily as to love other things rather then him which is hatred of him Joh. 3. 19 20. But that we may so consider his infinite and incomparable worthiness that we may hate all for his sake that we may gain him and be made partakers of him and may abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 3. Yea it is needful this Gold and White raiment be bought in the present time and opportunity therefore this gracious and faithful counsellour instructeth us to do it in the present time I Counsel thee to buy c. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Now is the Mart as it were in which these inriching commodities are set to sale and may be had and bought by us And if the present opportunity be neglected and let slip by us we may deprive our selves hereof and be guilty of the greatest folly and madness imaginable They were truly called foolish Virgins and were so with a witness who slumbred and slept when there was an opportune season for buying and afterwards while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and those that had formerly bought and were ready went in with him and the door was shut and these foolish ones were excluded Matt. 25. 6-12 What cause have we therefore to watch and redeem the time for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man cometh Matt. 25. 13. Certainly our life-time is the only time allotted us for buying In the grave whither we are going there is no work nor device nor wisdom nor knowledg Eccles 9. 10. The night is then come when no man can work and our times are in the hand of the Lord and not in our own There is no man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit and there is no discharge in that war but when he pleaseth he can take away our breath and then we return to our dust and in that day all our thoughts perish Oh! that we may therefore seek the Lord and this gold and white raiment while he and it may be found and whatever our hand findeth to do let us do it with our might Isa 55. 6. Eccles 9. 10. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Strive now to enter in at the straight gate for many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. Go to then ye that say to morrow we will buy we will seek after those heavenly treasures when we have more convenient season Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life It is even as a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away but now hear counsel this gracious and needful counsel and be wise and refuse it not And do like that wise man spoken of Matt. 13. 44. The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that be hath and presently buyeth that field So let us do Walk we circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the opportunity because the days are evil Ephes 5. 15 16. Let us in the present season and perpetually while we are here in this world buy the truth even Christ and those unsearchable riches
though they wash them with Nitre and take to them much Sope yet their iniquity is marked before the Lord. Jer. 2. 20-22 Isa 66. 17. Though they should wash themselves with Snow water and make themselves never so clean yet God will plunge them into the ditch again their own clothes will make them to be abhorred Their coverings will but make them more shameful Job 9. 30 31. He hath declared that our works and our righteousness shall not profit us our Webs shall not become Garments nor shall we be able to cover our selves with our own works Isa 57. 12. 59. 6. By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God Rom. 3. 19 20. This covering will appear too narrow to wrap our selves in when the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim Isa 28. 13-15 20 21. We cannot make our Peace with God by any Sacrifices or works of our own nor establish to our selves such a righteousness as will render us acceptable before God but those that sought after righteousness as it were by the works of the Law they attained not righteousness they obtained not what they sought after Rom. 9. 31-33 10. 2 3. 11. 7. Hence saith the Apostle We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles not so notoriously wicked as they knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ the word of faith heartily believed even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and noâ— by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Gal. 2. 15 16. If righteousness could have come by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2. 21. Nor can any hide their sin and shame by any outward professions and practices by their being hearers only of the word of truth and making a trade of hearing by their prophecyings in Christs name oâ— casting out Devils or doing many wonderful works in his name or by their eating and drinking in his presence and using and observing his ordinances Those that would cover themselves with those things will appear to be workers of iniquity notwithstanding such like clothings of themselves for they cover themselves with a covering but not of Gods Spirit and so even add sin to sin Mat. 7. 22-24 Luke 13. 24-27 Isa 30. 1. Oh! that we may all so consider the unprofitableness and insufficiency of all our own works of righteousness and of our coverings of our selves that we may cease from confiding and trusting in them and may seek the Lord and in him seek righteousness in whom God hath prepared it for us and for all And this leadeth us to the next thing viz. 3. This white raiment that is to be bought of this gracious and faithful Counsellor is that wherewith we may be clothed so as the shame of our nakedness may not appear We cannot cloth our selves nor cover the shame of our own nakedness as is before said But there is excellent raiment prepared for all men by him who gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice for a sweet smelling Savour to God And so much might be typically signified by Gods covering and clothing our first parents when they had sinned and thought to have hid their shame with fig-leaves like whereto are all our coverings and hidings of our shameful nakedness Gen. 3. 7. The Lord God after he in denouncing the curse on the Serpent had promised That the seed of the woman should break the head of the Serpent And after Adam in closing therewith and belief thereof called his wives name Evah clothed the man and the woman with Coats of Skins probably with the Skins of the beasts that were offered by faith in Sacrifice to type out and point forth that our clothing and covering must be prepared and made by the Lamb of God which he prepared himself for a Burnt-Offering and by his Sacrifice who is sacrificed for us and thereby indeed is white raiment prepared for us and for all as is before shewn Gen. 3. 15-21 22. Now then in this instruction contained in the end proposed to move us to buy this White raiment viz. that thou mayst be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear is further signified unto us 1. That this raiment is proper and sufficient to cover the shame of our nakedness so as it appear not namely the righteousness which Christ hath brought in and compleated through his personal abasement and sufferings who in the virtue thereof is raised again and which he himself is become and it doth cover their shame that have it and put it on even from the face of the Lord viz. there is contained herein the forgiveness of our sins and blotting them out so as they shall no longer be remembred or retained in Heaven and giving unto and making them partakers of forgiveness by faith that believe on Christ for this is the blessedness the believers on his name do receive To Christ give all the Prophets witness as the sum and end of their Testimony that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive the forgiveness of their sins Acts. 10. 43. And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 39. If we in belief of his goodness and of the truth of his Testimony in reproving and discovering our vileness and sinfulness confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 7-9 And this forgiveness of sins as it is an imputing righteousness without works so it is expressed by covering sin even as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Rom. 4. 6 7 8. with Psal 32. 1 2-5 To the same purpose also the Psalmist speaketh when he acknowledgeth to the praise of Gods Grace and as a ground of incouragement to desire his further mercy Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sins Psal 25. 2. And indeed the righteousness of Christ which he hath brought in and is become is to this end a compleat clothing and covering for all our shame inasmuch as there is contained therein both an acquittance and justification from the guilt of our first sin and sinfulness aswell as also plenteous redemption even the forgiveness of mens following and personal sins in which they sin after the likeness and similitude of Adams transgression yea and in him there is perfect innocency integrity immortality and eternal life which the believer is now receiving by faith and in some first-fruits of the Spirit but the adoption the redemption of the body and the Harvest of the Spirit is to
repentance Rom. 2. 4. So it is used in this sense in the beginning of every of the messages to the Churches And in that he saith I know I take notice of thy works he signifieth 1. That he doth not pass sentence upon men or their works he doth not approve or reprove till first he considereth their works he taketh notice of them and pondereth all their goings before he justifieth or condemneth Prov. 5. 21. Hence in every of the Epistles to the Seven Churches after he directeth them and giveth a description of himself he first saith I know thy works Rev. 2. 2 9 13 19. chap. 3. 1 8 15. The Lord is a God of judgment and by him Actions are weighed 1 Sam. 2. 3. So when the cry of Sodom was great and their sin grievous he saith I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know Gen. 18. 21. He is excellent in power and in judgment and in plenty of justice he will not afflict men do therefore fear him Job 37. 23 24. And this is for instruction to us that we should not reprove or fault another till we consider what his works are and know and take notice that they are such as are condemnable by the light of the glorious Gospel but to be imitatours of Christ Jesus according to the instructions of his Grace 2. In that he saith I know thy works he signifieth his love to us and care of us such is his love and kindness towards us that he considereth our works that if they be not perfect before him and in his sight he may rebuke us and not suffer sin upon us Levit. 19. 17. So great is his charity towards us that he covereth our sins so as to seek and pursue our good and such is his charity that it leadeth him to take notice of our works that when need is he may reprove us and sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of water by the word So when he declareth his love and faithfulness towards Israel he saith I have been a rebuker of them all and addeth I know I take notice of Ephraim and Israel is not hid from me They will not frame their doings to turn unto the Lord. Hos 5. 2 4. 3. He herein gives us to understand whose works he knoweth especially and taketh notice of I know thy works their works that have had means and advantages He knoweth not in this sense mens works till he preventeth them with his goodness he looketh not to gather Grapes of Thornes nor Figs of Thistles he knoweth that in us as of us dwelleth no good thing and that our works must needs be evil and unprofitable before his Grace bringeth salvation to men as it doth to all men in due time Titus 2. 11. But when he hath vouchsafed some means and afforded some light to men then he looketh down from Heaven to see if there be any that understand and seek after God Psal 14. 2. He fashioneth mens hearts alike and then he considereth all their works Psal 33. 15. But especially when men are brought unto and planted in his Vineyard then he pondereth what their doings are He expecteth that there should be some return from them suitable to the means used pains taken and care exercised towards and about them So he saith for instruction to us also Behold mind this well and give attention to it these three years I come seeking Fruit of this Fig-tree Luk. 13. 7. So when he telleth us what he had done to his Vineyard that he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Towre in the midst of it and also made a Wine-press therein he addeth and he looked that it should bring forth Grapes Isa 5. 1. 2. Matt. 21. 33 37. He taketh notice of them especially whether there be with them the work of faith and labour of love he expecteth that that earth which is so inclosed and ordered and which drinketh in the rain that oft cometh upon it should bring forth herbs meet for him by whom it is dressed even the work and labour of love that it may receive further blessing from God Heb. 6. 7 10. His eye is continually upon his Church and Churches as to preserve and deliver them from evil and to dispence to them whatever may fit them for fruitfulness before him that they may shew forth his praises who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light So to observe what impression his Grace hath upon them how it is received by them and what it produceth in them or whether it be received in vain That so he may rebuke and chasten them as he doth as many as he loveth Rev. 3. 19. You only saith he have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your transgressions Amos. 3. 2. Hence when John in vision saw Christ in the midst of the Seven Candlesticks he saith his eyes were as a flame of fire Rev. 1. 14. To denote unto us the piercingness of them and that he is very exact and observant in his inspections amongst the Churches to see and take notice what their works are and to manifest the evil of what he doth reprove amongst them for answerable to the greater priviledges and advantages they have above others accordingly he doth expect more from them unto whom much is given of them shall much be required and to whom men have committed much of them they will ask the more Luk. 12. 48. 4. And here he signifieth what he knoweth and taketh notice of thy Works not their profession only Men may profess to know God trust in him love him cleave to him and yet in works deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate and void of judgment Titus 1. 16. Men may say they believe the Testimony of God concerning Christ yea they may be perswaded of the goodness and truth of it and have some love to it and hold it forth as their opinion and plead for it against opposers and yet not so receive the love of the truth as to be saved thereby or to suffer it to work effectually in them and to bring forth the work of faith and labour of love as it doth in those that heartily receive it and suffer it to dwell richly in them 1 Thes 1. 3. 2. 13. But what doth is profit my Brethren saith the Apostle though a man say he hath faith and have not works Faith if it have not works its proper works is dead being alone Jam 2. 14 26. They are not mens pretences and professions simply he taketh notice of but whether the word of God be received by them as it is in truth the word of God so as to work effectually in them to redeem them from their iniquities and turn them to God from
it is needful That they anoint their eyes with this Eye-salve that they may see This is intimated to us in the counsel here given and in the end of it And indeed this branch of the counsel may give answer unto and remove a doubt that may be and arise in our jealous hearts on the hearing of this counsel given to such wretched piteous persons as these were For they might be ready to say Question How may we be perswaded to believe the contents of this Counsel This Counsellour threatneth to spue us out of his mouth and telleth us that we are poor miserable creatures and speaketh as if he were highly offended with us and greatly incensed against us How can we then believe that he should in earnest propose to us such enriching gold and such excellent raiment as is here commended to us Whence should such grace be to such unworthy ill deserving ones as we are It is possible that that which he here calleth upon us to buy is nothing else but counterfeit and not so excellent as he would perswade us it is how shall we know whether this be right gold or such excellent raiment as it is signified to be Answer To give answer to such a jealousie and suspicious thought this may be added or however it is proper to purge it out of us It is indeed admirable grace excellent loving kindness such as cannot be expressed or conceived and it may well be marvellous in our eyes if it be duly considered by us Psal 36. 7. But yet to the end we might be assured of and satisfied in the goodness and reality of the Treasures here commended to us before he requireth us to buy he first in order of nature willeth us to anoint our eyes with this Eye-salve that we may see He might upon his own authority as being our Lord have commanded us to buy and to have depended wholly upon his word for what he saith without seeing with our eyes but he condescendeth to us in a more gracious way and instructeth us to open our eyes that we might be satisfied And in some sort though not fully he dealeth with us as he did with Thomas when he was so slow of heart to believe yea resolved not to believe that Christ was raised again except he saw such things as might remove all doubtfulness out of him our Saviour was then pleased to give him such an evident demonstration and infallible proof of the truth of what he was doubtful concerning that he crieth out as one abundantly convinced of his former evil My Lord and my God So in some sort he dealeth here though he presenteth not himself to our bodily eyes yet he counselleth us to anoint the eyes of our understanding that we may see and might no longer have any doubtfulness remain in us John 1. 39-46 In this Instruction then let us consider these two things which are needful to be spoken to 1. What is that we should anoint our eyes for that we may see 2. Why is it needful to anoint our eyes herewith that we may see 1. What is that we should anoint our eyes for that we may see What is it that is needful to be seen by us To this we may say it is needful to our buying those excellent Treasures to see 1. The Lord Jesus Christ himself and that durable riches and righteousness in him and the means whereby he is become such a rich treasury and store-house of all the fulness of grace and truth that of his fulness we might receive and grace for grace to wit his humbling himself and becoming obedient to death the death of the cross for all this is the price of his blood and procurement of his sufferings for us This is needful for us to see even those heavenly and blessed commodities that are here to be bought by his Angels and Churches It is but a reasonable thing we should see what we are invited to buy in parting with all for And Christ and the unsearchable riches of him are discovered to us in and by this eye-salve the testimony of Jesus and we are thereby inabled to behold them As well as also here is shewn unto us the abasement of Christ where-through he hath obtained all things into his hand for us here we may see the great sufferings he indured for us so the Apostle signifieth that in this Gospel Jesus Christ was evidently set forth crucified before their eyes the eyes of their souls Gal. 3. 1. So the Author 〈◊〉 the Hebrews saith we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels that by the grace of God he should tast death for every man Heb. 2. 9. Here we may see that he who was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation and was made flesh Joh. 1. 14. That he bare our sins in his own body 1 Pet. 2. 24. And the great sorrows and sufferings which he indured for our sakes how he was tormented for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities how his soul was in hell and his flesh in the grave that he indured such great sorrows that there was no sorrow like unto his sorrow wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce wrath Lam. 1. 12. Here we may also see the preciousness of his sufferings and blood whereby he hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law and obtained into himself eternal life eternal redemption a full and compleat treasury of all things that pertain to life and godliness and his beauty and glory his excellency and comeliness is here presented to us that it might be seen by us Here we may see Jesus who was made a little while inferiour to the Angels crowned with glory and honour Heb. 2. 9. Here with open face as in a glass we may behold the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Here we may see that he is become a good foundation of faith a rich fountain of all spiritual and eternal blessings wisdome and righteousness and sanctification and redemption That he is more precious then rubies and that all the things we can desire are not to be compared unto him Prov. 3. 15. That he is more glorious and excellent then the mountains of Prey Psal 76 4. That he is more precious then gold yea then the golden wedge of Ophir Isa 13. 12. That God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2. 7-9 That he hath given him the preeminence in all things and amongst all persons Col. 1. 18 19. That the Father so loveth him that he hath given all things into his hand so as he that looketh up to and believeth in him hath everlasting life Joh. 3. 35 36. Matt. 11. 27 28. Here we may see that he is the chiefest of ten thousands that he is altogether lovely and that none are to be compared unto him Cant. 5. 11-16 And this we are called upon