Christ is to come too Are there Tryals to come Christ is to come too Are there Difficulties and Temptations to come Christ is to come too Are there Storms and Tempests to come Christ is to come too And while Christ is to come fear not only close with him in a Marriage-Covenant and make him thine then come what will come come what can come all will be well Thus Christ is every way acceptable and infinitely acceptable and as ever Soul thou wouldst be indeed espoused to him dwell much in the study and contemplation of his acceptableness Labour to be possest with a deep and daily renewed sense of it which will sweetly draw and allure thy Soul to him VI. Wouldst thou indeed be espoused to Christ then be sure that thou pitchest thy Faith aright upon him and closest in effectually with him in a way of believing 'T is Faith that is both the great uniting and the great interesting Grace it unites us to Christ and interests us in Christ 'T is that as has been formerly declared and evinced that puts Christ and the Soul into the bosom and embraces of each others love and by which the Marriage-Knot is tyed between them If ever therefore thou wouldst be indeed espoused unto him look well to thy Faith see that thou dost pitch that aright upon him closing with him and embracing of him not by halves but throughly not feignedly but intimately and cordially But here some may say How may we do to pitch our Faith aright upon Christ so as to get conjugal Union and Communion with him Three things must be done in order hereunto which I desire you to look well to I. See that you wholly quit and renounce your selves II. Labour to get a right notion and apprehension of Christ III. Be sure to make a right choice of him being so apprehended I. Would you pitch your Faith aright upon Christ and be indeed espoused to him Then see that you wholly quit and renounce your selves Self and believing are at the utmost distance from and enmity with each other that is imaginable they are irreconcilably opposit each to other and where Faith takes place there Self vanishes and dies away and that in all its notions and with all its accomplishments Hence sayes Christ If any man will come after me believe on me be espoused to me let him deny himself Mat. 16.24 Let him deny himself renounce himself go out of himself let Self become nothing with him And indeed the Soul that believes in Christ does go quite out of himself he sees and feels himself to be a poor empty Nothing in all respects he sees and finds his Strength to be Weakness his Wisdom Folly his Beauty Blackness his Righteousness Sin his All Nothing And thus must we if ever we indeed believe and get Union with Christ O my Beloved one of the great things which stands between Faith and us Christ and us is Self This indeed is the Souls Darling the first Born as one calls it of his Love and Delights and he is loth to part with it but part with it he must and renounce it he must or he can never believe aright nor is he ever like to have any part or lot in Christ Every step out of Self is a step towards Christ and Faith in Christ and we must be divorced from the one if ever we be married to the other particularly you must quit and renounce Self especially in this three-fold Notion Self-Will Self-Worth Self-Interest 1. You must quit and renounce Self-Will He that indeed believes must in a sort have no Will of his own but his Will must be wholly melted and resigned up into the Will of Christ Hence the Church is said to be subject unto Christ Ephes 5.24 We are apt to live in our own Wills and are exceeding fond of and set upon having our Wills and that how cross and contrary soever they be to the Will of Christ But if ever we believe so as to get union with Christ our stubborn Wills must bow our proud Wills must down and must in all things as much as is possible be refer'd and resign'd into Christ's Will and good reason for his Will is the rule of goodness as well as the first cause of all things We must not think to say we are Lords but we must bow to Christ as the great and only Lord. 2. You must quit and renounce Self-Worth Self-Rightcousness you must renounce all Worth and Righteousness of your own in point of justification and acceptation with God 'T is a great word which I shall speak Mens duties living under the Gospel keep almost as many from Christ and believing as their sins do My meaning is as the love of sin keeps some so confidence in Duties a confidence in Self-Worth Self-Righteousness keeps multitudes of others from Christ and believing And the truth is my Beloved this piece of Self is the great Idol of the Soul and that which men are marvellously loth to quit and renounce and indeed 't is oftentimes so painted and as it were spiritualliz'd acted with so much state and set out with so many ornaments that it would make any one in love with it but yet this Idol so dear as 't is to the Soul must be denyed and renounced this Darling must be cast off and that with loathing and abomination in respect of Soul-saving if ever you believe and are united to Christ And the Soul that indeed does believe looks upon himself to be the poorest despicablest and undonest Creature in the World notwithstanding all he throws away not only his Rags but his Robes too all his Priviledges all his Performances all his moral Excellencies and Attainments as to a dependance upon them for Life and Salvation as you know Paul did Phil. 3.8 9. of which more hereafter The Soul's language in the Work of believing is such as this I am a poor vile empty nothing in my self I am nothing I can do nothing and I deserve nothing I am nothing but sin I can do nothing but offend and provoke God and I deserve nothing but frowns and death from him If ever I be saved 't is Free Grace must save me if ever I find favour in Gods sight it must be purely from Grace in Christ Alas I have walked contrary to God all my dayes my heart and life both have been full of eumity and provocation against him and my very Duties are damning my best Righteousness being as filthy Rags Isa 64.6 And indeed till it comes to this with us we are like to remain strangers to Christ and Faith in Christ I shall only say this further as to this particular That no men in the World are further off from Christ and union with him through believing then such as trust in their own Worth their own Righteousness Christ himself tells us That Publicans and Harlots do enter the Kingdom of Heaven before such Mat. 21.31 3. You must quit and renounce
Christ hath given us his Bond his promise and that feal'd with his Blood and to all added his Oath for the further incouragement of our Faith and what can we desire more If you have a mans promise to you for the performance of this or that you think you are well you judging him to be both able and Faithful but if you have his Seal added to his promise then you look upon your selves secure of the business indeed but if to both these you have his Oath added then you look on the business past all doubt and you dare not question it why lo Christ has given poor Sinners all this to assure them that he will imbrace and accept them coming to him and Oh how firm may their Faith stand upon all this and what horred wickedness must it be so much as once to question it true neither his seal nor his Oath addes any thing to the truth and certainty of the promise in it self 1a dco tam dicere quam jurace immntabile est sed en quam indulgenter ut oâ—timum paâ—â—em decet se deus accommodet nostrae tarditati qtoia nos videt simplici suo sermoni non acquiescore ut cum plenius sanciat in cordibus nostris addit jusjuraudum Cal. in Locum but to our sense and apprehension it does and meerly out of indulgence to us our weakness is the one and the other added so the Apostle tells us Heb. 6.17 18. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his Councell confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us Mark 't was not to confirm or add any thing to the truth and certainty of God's councell or Covenant that his Oath was added but 't was to confirm and incourage our Faith Thus you see Christ is under Bonds to receive and accept of sinners if they come to him and are willing of an Espousal with him and how much does this argue his heart to be in the business O let none ever say will Christ accept and receive me coming to him for indeed Bonds bind him so to do The truth is were he under no bonds we need not question it for his bowels would constrain him and had he no Bowels we need not to doubt it for Bonds would bind him to it Christ must deny his Word Promise Seal Oath and all if he refuse any soul that indeed comes to him and desires to close in a Marriage-Covenant with him Oh what encouragement is this 5. Such is the heart of Christ and so set upon an Espousal with sinners as that he has given them a full and unquestionable assurance that nothing what ever shall stand between him and them nor prejudice their acceptance with him in care they be willing to be Espoused unto him should a man not onely make love to a person wait long upon her in the tenders thereof and the like but also given full assurance that nothing shall stand between him and her to hinder the Match in case she be willing to accept of him this would argue his heart to be much upon het indeed Now his also Christ hath done He hath given sinners a full and firm a urance that nothing shall prejudice their acceptance with him nor hinder the Match between him their souls in case they be willing of it and is not his heart then much upon the business this is no other then what he himself declares Jâ—l 6.37 And certainly he doth not delude souls with vain words Him that cometh an 〈◊〉 Saâ—â— he i.e. He that believeâ—h on me he that is willing to be mine him I will iâ— no wise cost out in no wise or by no means upon no accounts whatever Nothing shall obstruct his acceptance with me but I will receive him with a notwithstanding notwithstanding all his Vileness all his unworthiness all his unâ—indness all his unsuitableness Notwithstanding all that either Men or Devils Law or Conscience can charge upon him yea or that unbelief its self can preâ—end or alledge be it what it will notwithstanding all I 'le receive him into the Bosome of my love Christ language to poor sinners in this promise of his and many more of like import is such as this come poor souls be not afraid of me what ever your condition be and how ever things stand and are stated with you yet if you have a mind to me and an Espousal with me assure your selves that nothing shall obstruct your acceptance with me nothing shall shut up my Bosome against you but I will betroth you â—o my self for ever Oh what encouragement is here Come to Christ and close with Christ in a Marriage-Covenant who would not do that may some say but alas there are a thousand things that will hinder the Match and stand between him and me should I go to him poor soul this is apparently the plea and Language of unbelief and let it be silenced for ever Christ having as thou seest fully assured us of the contrary But besides what is it that thou fearest or that any soul can fear will stand between Christ and thee to hinder an Espousal with him Bring forth thy strong pleas and see if they will bear any weight in the Sanctuary-ballance 1. Is it outward meanness and baseness possibly thou art low and mean and base in the World thou art a poor forlorn despicable Creature and this thou thinkest will stand between Christ and thee surely sayest thou Christ will never take such a Contemptible Worm as I am into such a Relation with himself But sinner this shall not hinder in the least for Christ is no respecter of Persons High and Low Rich and Poor Bond and free are all one in Christ and to Christ Gal. 3.28 Yea does not the word tell us that he chooses the poor of this World Heires of the Kingdom and rich in Faith Jam. 2.5 And again ye see your calling Brethren Says the Apostle how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called but God chooses Foolish and weak and baseoneâ— 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. As greatness is no furtherance so meanness and baseness is no hinderance in this case Men indeed mind Honour and greatness they will have such as are sutable to themselves But 't is otherwise with Christ Poor sinner though thou beest never so low and mean and base in the World though thou shouldst be cloathed with Rags yet if thou hast a mind to Christ he will accept thee and Marry thee to himself yea and thy soul will be as dear to him and as precious in his sight as the soul of the greatest Prince or Monarch in the World 2. Is it inward Blackness and desormity perhaps sinner if thou art not outwardly mean and base yet
profanare Calv. in Loc. was the work and undertaking of Christ as our Mediator and great were the things which he both did and suffer'd in the discharge of that work and undertaking great also was his Grace and Love towards us in all and accordingly great must our sin and guilt be in pouring contempt thereon which we do by our refusing of him Hereby we pour contempt upon all his acts and all his offices as Mediator upon all his Merits and all his Purchases upon all his Grace and Love in bleeding and Dying for us We do hereby in effect say that neither Christ nor any thing which he has purchas'd is worth accepting and embracing That we had rather that he had never 〈◊〉 never become a days-man between God and us that he might have keept his Blood to himself and we will not thank him for shedding of it that we need neither him nor any thing that is his Hereby we do in effect say that the whole Gospel is a Cheat a lie a meer Delusion That Christ is an hard Master and rules with Rigour that Salvation is little worth and the like O what horred contempt of Christ is this 3. This sin plainly preferrs a poor Base Vile lust before Christ and all the Glorious Riches and Treasures of Christ and O what contempt of him is this Why do men refuse Christ and the offers of his Love Surely 't is for the sake and from the Love of some lust or other either the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eye or the pride of Life and if so then by refusing of him they do really prefer this Lust before him and all the Treasures of his Grace and Love And thus indeed you find it to be Mat. 22. Reginning as also Luke 14.18 19 20. Where Christ offers himself withall his Treasures to poor Sinners who yet slight and refuse both him and them And why so The one hath a farm the other a Merchandize and all have some carnal concern to mind the Sum is they have a lust to be satisfied and therefore Christ and all the Treasures of his Love must be rejected By refusing of Christ we do in effect say that there is more good more sweetness more happiness in a lust in a little carnall worldly pleasure and advantage then there is in Christ and all that is his Hereby we do in effect say that men are deceiv'd in Christ that the Word of God makes a false report of him that he is not such a Saviour nor is his Salvation so great as the one and the other is represented to be O what contempt is this to be cast upon Christ Esau yow know is said to despise his Birth right and how By preferring a mess of pottage or a morsel of Meat before it Gen. 25.34 But O how much more do we contemn Christ and his Love by preferring a base vile lust before him and it Surely greater contempt of Christ than this can't well be found And how great then must the sin of the refusal of Christ be and how much should we tremble at it 3. Consider that the neglect and refusal of Christ is a sin which in an eminent manner darkens and opposes the Glory of God and reflects the highest Dishonour upon him of all others and therefore a great sin The more any sin darkens and opposes the Glory of God the greater the guilt of that sin is For first the more any sin opposes the Glory of God and reflects Dishonour upon him the more contrary it is to the highest good and the more contrary any sin is to the highest good the greater the guilt of it must needs be And Secondly the more any sin opposes the Glory of God and reflects Dishonour upon him the more it thwarts and contradicts the highest end of Man and the more any sin thwarts and contradicts the highest end of Man the greater the guilt of that sin is Now the neglect and refusal of Christ is what eminently opposes the Glory of God and reflects Dishonour upon him The reception and entertainment of Christ puts an honour upon the Father Indeed every act of Faith honours God Rom. 4.20 And especially this great and Fundamental act of Faith in embracing Christ So on the other hand the neglect and refusal of Christ is what reflects Dishonour upon God it throws his Glory in the dust and hence 't is that this sin is so exceeding provoking to him as in the Scripture it is represented to be Particularly take here two things 1. This sin of refusing Christ is what slights and contemns all the Glorious excellencies and perfections of God at once and so can't but cast very great Dishonour upon him and be very opposite to his Glory In Christ my Beloved all the Glorious excellencies and perfections of God are eminently manifested and displayed In him do all the Glorious counsels of his Grace and Love meet and in refusing him we despise and poure contempt upon all In him does his love eminently shine forth and the fulness of it rest 1 Jol. 4.9 10. Tota aeterni pâ—â— is complacontia in solo silio incamato acquitscit resideâ— qâ—asi deposiâ—a est Chemn In him is his Justice Righteousness and Holiness eminently manifested and displayed Rom. 3.25 26. In him does his wisdom yea his manifold wisdom appear and reveal its self In a word whole God is manifested and revealed in him and withall tender'd to the embraces of our Faith and Love In every offer of Christ made to us in the Gospel God does in effect say to us what ever I am or can do as God that I l'e be to and do for you to make you happy for ever accordingly to refuse Christ must needs poure contempt upon all It slights and poures contempt upon the Grace of God the wisdom of God the power of God the justice of God the Holiness of God the Fulness and All-sufficiency of God and all the Ancient Glorious counsels of his Love concerning Souls to refuse Christ is in effect to say that the Grace of God is no Grace at least not worthy of our acceptance That his justice and holiness are not to be regarded and that we value them not That his wisdom is folly and his power weakness that his fulness has little in it and is no way able to satisfie us and make us happy that a broken Cistern is as good as that Fountain of living waters And hereby we down-right deny his Faithfulness and put the lie upon him 1 Joh. 5.10 We do in effect say that the God of truth is a liar that his witness and testimony is not to be credited that his word of promise is a meer delusion and for no other use then to beguile Souls O what contempt what Dishonour must all this cast upon the blessed God and what horrible wickedness must it be to make God a liar sayes a Learned Man is an horrible and execrable impiety
them that if they will have any thing of their own to bear share with Christ in the matter of their Salvation they are Debtors to do the whole Law If they will have their obedience to the Law to have any share in their acceptation with God then they must keep the whole Law for else all were nothing 'T is a great Speech of a Learned Interpreter upon these words Qui debitor est totius legis faciendae mortem nunquam effugiet quia semper manebit sub reatu Nemo enim unquam reperietur qui legi satisfaciat talis igitur obligatio certa est damnatio hominis Id. Whoever sayes he is a Debtor to do the whole Law can never escape death because he will alwayes remain under guilt for no one will ever be found who will be able to fulfil or satisfie the Law such an Obligation therefore is the certain damnation of the man that lies under it Thus you see there must be nothing else of our own joyned with Christ in the matter of our Righteousness and Justification with God but our Faith must cleave singly and nakedly to Christ alone The truth is Christ's Righteousness alone is sufficient to save and justifie the worst of sinners 't is the Righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5.21 and the Righteousness of the Law Rom. 8.3 A Righteousness every way adequate and commensurate to the strictest demands of Law and Justice a Righteousness as long as broad as deep as high as the sin and guilt of the most Scarlet Crimson Sinners can be and why should any think of joyning any thing therewith Truly so to do is to reflect great dishonour upon it and upon the Wisdom and Grace of God in ordaining it for our Justification and Salvation And as we must joyn nothing with Christ in the matter of Righteousness and Justification so neither must we joyn any thing with him in the matter of our Sanctification and Holiness We should look for no Grace no Holiness but what comes from him and is wrought in us by him Nor indeed will God own any thing for Grace and Holiness in us at last that does not come from him In all respects therefore let the language of your Souls be O none but Christ none but Christ 4. Be sure that you chuse Christ and embrace him as your Rest and Happiness and not only as one that is to bring you unto Rest and Happiness Christ my Beloved is not only the way and means to bring men unto Happiness but he also is himself their Happiness and as such he is tendered to us and should be chosen and embraced by us I am the Way the Truth and the Life sayes he John 14.16 that is as one glosses upon it I am the Beginning the Progress and Perfection of a Christians Happiness Sure I am as Christ considered as the Way is the Means and what leads us unto Happiness so Christ considered as the Life is himself our Happiness our supream Happiness and indeed we come to Christ as the Life by Christ as the Way Sweet is that saying which I have read in one of the Ancients on this place We thy People sayes he Nos populus tuus sequamur te per te ad te quia tu es via veritas vita via in exemplo veritas in promisso vita in praeâ—nio Bern. speaking to Christ do come by thee to thee because thou art the Way the Truth and the Life the Way in thy Example the Truth in the Promise the Life in the Reward I am the Way the Truth and the Life i. e. Ego sum via rectissima veritas suprema vita vera vita beata vita increata Tho à Kemp. lib. 3. de imitat Christi as another expounds it I am the onely right Way the supream Truth the true Life the blessed Life the increated Life And sutable hereunto is Calvin's observation upon these words Summa hujus sententiae est quisquis potitur Christo nihil illi deesse idioque ultra ultimam perfectionem eniti quisquis eo uno contentus non est Et siquis a Christo deflectas nihil poterit quam errare siquis in eo â—on acquiescat nihil quam vento vanitate alibi pascetur Siquis ultra eum rendat mortem vita loco inveniet Calv. in loc The sum sayes he of this Sentence is this He whoever he be that obtains and possesses Christ can want nothing whoever therefore is not content with him alone aspires after something beyond the ultimate and highest perfection And then he concludes thus If any one turns aside from Christ he can do nothing but err if any one does not rest in him he else-where feeds upon nothing but wind and vanity If any one makes out after any thing beyond him he will find Death instead of Life O there are infinite Beauties Delights and Perfections in Christ whereby he is able to fill and satisfie us and make us happy And for my own part as I desire never to be happy if Christ be not able to bring me to happiness so I desire no better or greater happiness than what Christ is or can be to me O there 's all in him all to fill all to comfort all to delight and ravish all to solace and satisfie the largest faculties of eternal Souls May I have but Christ sayes Rutherford I shall think my self as well Heaven'd as any whatever Truly he and he alone is centrum quietativum as the Schools speak the quieting resting center of the Soul And so the Psalmist tells us Psal 116.7 Indeed he in his presence and our enjoyment of him is Heaven and Happiness 'T is the highest happiness which Christ promises his People here Joh. 14.21 and 't is the highest happiness which his People reckon upon or hope for hereafter Phil. 1.23 Answerable whereunto is the Observation of one upon those words of Christ to the Thief upon the Cross Luke 23.43 Mecum eris in Paradiso mecum inquit mira benignitas non dicit simpliciter eris in Paradiso vel cum Angelis erâ—s sed mecumeris satiaberis eo quem desiderias Bern. de Pass Dom. This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise With me sayes he O wonderful goodness he does not say simply thou shalt be in Paradise or thou shalt be with Angels but thou shalt be with Me thou shalt be satisfied with him whom thou desirest Thus Christ is the Rest and supream Happiness of Souls and accordingly our Faith should chuse and embrace him I will not say there is not true Faith where the Soul does not come up to such a choice of Christ as this is But this I 'le say That though Faith at first may not thus chuse Christ yet afterwards as it grows up more towards perfection it does come to chuse Christ under this notion And the more distinct it is in chusing Christ as the supream Rest and Happiness of the Soul the