So that we may consider these words either as a Doctrinal Assertion That such as are in Christ Jesus are always New Creatures Or as a Seasonable Exhortation That they should manifest that they are in Christ by discovering themselves to be New Creatures In both senses the New Creature is a necessary Consequent of Vnion to Christ The connexion is inseparable between these two So that we may truly affirm That all such are so And we may rationally exhort all that pretend to such a Priviledge that they would be so and show it But whether considered as a Doctrinal Proposition or as an Exhortation whether consider'd as a Command from God or as a wish and Prayer of the Apostle There are three things obvious enough to be explained and spoken to 1. Something concerning this Priviledge of being in Christ and the import of it 2. Concerning this New Creation which is to be Connected with it And 3. Of the Connexion between them and the Vniversal Obligation upon all that are in Christ to be New Creatures That if any Man be in Christ he is he must be a New Creature or where there is no such Change it is in vain to pretend to be in Christ Or he that is not a New Creature he is not in Jesus Christ he hath no part in him and shall have no benefit by him Every Man's Title and Claim to a special Interest in Christ and Relation to him must be tryed by this Rule This is more fully exprest Ephes 4.20 21 22 23. But you have not so learned Christ if so be you have been taught of him as the Truth is in Jesus that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness 1. If any man be in Christ Something it will be necessary to speak concerning this Vnion to Christ from which we are said to be in him as sometimes Christ is said to be in us And both are sometimes joyned together John 6.56 He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him There are three sorts of Vnion which we cannot sufficiently admire The first from all Eternity in the impenetrable Secrets of inaccessible Light The second in the fulness of Time in the Womb of the Virgin The third is made daily by the Spirit and Grace of Christ. The first of these is the Essential Vnion between the Eternal Father and the Eternal Word in the Adorable Mystery of the ever blessed Trinity The second is the Personal Vnion of the Humane Nature with the Divine in that unspeakable Mystery of the Incarnation The third is the Spiritual Vnion between Christ and Christians which depends on the two former and hath some dark resemblance of them Concerning which let me mention a few things 1. That there is a real Vnion between Christ and the Souls of Believers how difficult soever it be to understand the manner of it He is not only Emanuel God with us as partaker of Flesh and Blood having assumed our Nature He is not only for us in the Work of Redemption by giving himself to God a Ransom and Sacrifice for us But he is said to be in us and to dwell in our hearts and we are said to be in him and dwell in him as the Branches are in the Vine and by many other Images and Idaea's of Union is this set forth by Allusions and Metaphors and Similitudes of many sorts to signifie and represent to us this blessed Union between Christ and real Christians And as he did partake with us of Flesh and Blood Heb. 2 14. We are said to be made partakers of Christ Heb. 14. as the Principle and Measure of all * Mr. Polhill Christus in Corde p. 10.12 our Spiritual Enjoyments and Expectations And to be in h m that is true in Jesus Christ John 1.5.20 It is sometimes set forth by the natural Union between Head Members At other times by the Marriage union and both are discoursed of together Eph 5.25.30 We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones By Allusion to what is said of Eve as to the first Adam He is set forth as a Foundation for never failing Support as a Husband for the dearest Love as a Vine as an Head for Vital Influence as Food and Nourishment for the most intimate Conjunction He is said to be one flesh with us and we are said to be one spirit with him Yea as Christ is said to be in the Father Believers are said to be in him and he in them John 14.20 Yea further he is said to be one with them as he and the Father are one John 17.21 And he is said also to live in them and they to live in him Gal. 2.20 Insomuch that sometimes the Scripture speaks of Christ and the Church as of one Person 1 Cor. 12.12 where the Church is called Christ How amazing and admirable is the Expression Christ in us and we in him What Riches and Glory is there in this Mystery as the Apostle speaks 1 Colos 27. Who ever heard before of a Servant's being in his Master or a Disciple in his Lord or the Members being in the Head But here is a Mystery of Divine Love and Grace which the Apostle seems with some kind of Affectation to speak of at every turn and upon every occasion to mention it several times in one Chapter in one Verse yea and over and over in the same Verse So unfeigned and so fervent was his Love to Christ if he fight or triumph it is in Christ Jesus If he bless God or God bless him it is still spoken of as in Christ Jesus He speaks as if he could do nothing without him His Life his Motion his very Being is to be in Christ We must silently Adore this Wonder of Divine Love and cover our Faces in humble Adoration for such an Honour which the blessed Angels might envy if they were capable of it For however Christ be there Head they are yet at his Feet they are not in him as Believers are It is true the Angels serve him and worship in his presence they follow him by Millions they encompass his Throne with Flames of Love they quit Heaven to obey his Orders they flye swift as the Wind to execute his pleasure But Christ is not in them as he is in us nor they in him as we are said to be The Name Emanuel is to them an inexpressible Name they cannot say God with us in the sense that we can For he took not the Nature of Angels at first and he hath not taken them into such an union with himself as he has the Sons of men But 2. That you may not mistake remember that all Christians are not in Christ in a like manner Some
our will to love what he loves to hate what he hates to have the same Friends and Enemies with our Blessed Lord. For here we put God in mind of his Covenant with us through Jesus Christ and our selves in mind of our Covenant with God And upon renewed Repentance for any sins we have committed after any Instance of Vnfaithfulness to our Solemn Engagements by unsuitable walking we here implore his Mercy and Grace to pardon us We declare at the same time that we desire to take hold of his Covenant that tho we are Sinners we are not Apostates we confess our sins and beg Forgiveness and repeat our Resolutions of Fidelity to him We trust in the unshaken Faithfulness and Truth of God to his gracious Promises We place our hope and confidence in the stability of his Everlasting Covenant which the Blood of Jesus the Blood of the Covenant hath confirmed and made Everlasting Not Trusting in our own Faith but in his Free Mercy and invariable Truth not in our Repentance but his Gracious Pardon not in our own Preparations but his Merciful Acceptance of us in his Beloved Son not in any thing we our selves can do but in the Merits of Christ the Fruits of his Death and the Purchase of his Cross as dispensed and applied according to the rule method and tenor of the Gospel-Promise This is our Priviledge and this our Employment at the Table of our Lord. And there is hardly any Subject will better bear to be treated of in several different methods than this or upon which repeated Discourses by several Persons may be more useful I grant there are many Excellent Books already written to Instruct Men in the Nature and to direct and assist their Devotion in the Observation of this Holy Sacrament I design not to wrest them out of their hands into whose this may fall I pretend not to add but to urge and prosecute the same Great End and sometimes by the same Arguments and Expressions I acknowledge my having profited by the Writings of others I hope 't is what they design'd These Discourses were acceptable to many when Preacht and being since reviewed some of them with some Enlargement I hope they may be of use at least to those who heard 'em and desired their Publication And it must be granted that what is of so Universal and Important a Concern as a due Participation of this Ordinance ought to be Treated and Inculcated in as many different ways as may best suit the Various capacites of several Persons It may be a shorter Account of the Doctrine of the Lord's Supper with Meditations and Devotions adapted thereto would be more proper for the Younger and more Ignorant Sort this I have promised and intend but have not yet had time to perfect The Lord follow this and all Endeavours for the Furtherance of Real Godliness with an Abundant Blessing London May 9th 1693. J. S. THE CONTENTS The First Discourse OF Vnion to Christ and the New Creature Or a Preparatory Sermon to the Lord's Supper on the First Day of the Year From 2 Cor. 5.17 If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature p. 1. The Second Discourse Of Christ's passing over the Brook Kedron and entring into the Garden of Gethsemine After the Lords Supper From John 18.1 2. When Jesus had spoken these words he went forth with his Disciples over the Brook Cedron where was a Garden into which he entred and his Disciples and Judas also knew the place For Jesus oft times resorted thither with his Disciples p. 49. The Third Discourse Concerning Spiritual Washing the Nature Means and Evidences of it Before the Lords Supper From 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but you are washed but you are Sanctified but you are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God p. 89 The Fourth Discourse Of the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood After the Lord's Supper From 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of Blessing which we bless Is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ p. 129 The Fifth Discourse The Sin and Danger of Unworthy Receiving Before the Lord's Supper From 1 Cor. 11.29 He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself p. 163 The Sixth Discourse Of Christ's Last Passover And its Accomplishment After the Lord's Supper From Luke 22.15 16 17 18. With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer For I say unto you I will not many more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God And he took the Cup and gave thanks and said Take this and divide it among your selves For I say unto you I will not drink of the Fruit of the Vine until the Kingdom of God shall come p. 199 The Seventh Discourse Before the Lord's Supper From Cant. 2.4 He brought me into the Banquetting-house and his Banner over me was Love p. 243 The Eighth Discourse After the Lord's Supper From St. John 20.27 28. Then said he unto Thomas Reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be not faithless but believing And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and My God p. 281 A Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer Our Father c. The First Discourse Of Vnion to Christ and the New Creature OR A SERMON Preparatory to the Lord's Supper On the First Day of the YEAR From 2 COR. V. 17. If any Man be in Christ he is a New-Creature THROUGH the Merciful Forbearance of God we now begin another Year and have outlived several who a twelve month ago were as like to have seen this New years-day as any of us That we may begin it with some Serious Reflexions suitable to the beginning of the Year and the approaching Solemnity of the Lord's Supper I have chosen these words as proper unto both They are brought in as one Inference among others from the constraining Love of Christ which the Apostle had mentioned in the 14th Verse Many useful things might be observed in explaining the Context and shewing the Connexion of this with the preceding Verses But I shall at present consider them more absolutely and in the General If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature or Let him be a New Creature He ought to be so The Original will bear either sense The words may be taken imperatively or affirmatively For we find not Is in the Original It is true that whoever is in Christ is a New Creature And it is true that he is obliged thereby to prove his Union to Christ he ought to be a New Creature Neither sense is to be excluded That the State of such as are in Christ and likewise their Obligation may be comprehended It is the Character and Qualification of such as are in Christ and it is their Duty
are so only by Baptism and a visible profession others by a living union Such a difference our Saviour makes John 15. v. 6. where he tells us there are some Branches of a Tree that have only Influence enough to bring forth Leaves and no Fruit and are cast off as Branches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They seemed to be Branches in Christ they appeared as Branches they profest union to him but were not what they seemed to be In this sense I understand the being in Christ spoken of Gal. 1.22 I was known by face to the Churches that are in Judea that are in Christ Jesus That is to the Body of professing Christians there as distinguished from the Jews though there were many rotten Members amongst them that were not in Christ by a lively Faith Therefore 3. The great Bonds of Vnion between Christ and real Christians or true Believers are the Spirit on his part and Faith and Love on ours On which account Christ is said to dwell in us by his Spirit and we are said to dwell in him by Faith By the Spirit he comes down to us by Faith we ascend up to him It is by Faith we are joyned to Christ as our Foundation 1 Pet. 2.6 And by the Spirit we are built together for an habitation of God Ephes 2 v. 22. And he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6.17 Our Union unto Christ immediately ariseth from the Communication of his Spirit to us and our Participation of the same Spirit with him by which Spirit the Divine Nature as the Image of Christ is formed in us 2 Pet. 1.4 Gal. 4.19 And the Introduction this new spiritual form gives denomination to the Person Christ enters into us by Faith and inhabits in us by his holy Spirit And of these two Bonds the Spirit is the primary one as being the Author of the other And therefore Believers are said to live in the Spirit of Christ and to walk in the Spirit and after the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit Hereby says the Apostle We know that we dwel in him and he in us because he has give us of his Spirit 1 John 4.13 2 Corinth 13 14. I confess it is hard to conceive any Vnion nearer than that between God and every creature For God as Creator is as near to every Creature as that Creature is to it self and yet distinct from that Creature for that Creature is not God But the different sort of Vnion must be distinguished by different Operations God is nearer to Creatures in their Natural State worketh on them as the God of Nature Christ is nearer to the Souls of Believers by his Spirit worketh on them as an Head of holy gracious Influences The different Operations make the great difference Though we shall not fully understand this till we come to that Place and State where that which is imperfect shall be done away However we are said to be built on him as on a Foundation to be inserted into him as Branches into a Vine to be incorporated with him as an Head and what words can be used more significant of an Intimate Vnion Therefore 4. We may add That it is more than a Relative and Political Vnion such as is between King and Subjects It exceeds it in the Intimacy of the Union as well as the Benefits of it The Similitude between Head and Members making one Natural Body amounts to more Besides his Kingdom is not of the same sort and he rules his Subjects after another manner And the Mystery of the Trinity in Vnity to which it hath some Resemblance carries it yet higher and further It is therefore a most near and immediate Spiritual Vnion whereby every particular Believer is joyned to the Lord. This is a Great Mystery Ephes 5.32 Oh how †Mr. How 's Funeral Sermon of Mrs. Baxter p. 10. mysterious and ineffable is this Vnion of the Lord and the Soul Who would not admire at their proud disdainful Folly that while they cannot explain the Union between Soul and Body are ready to jeer at their just humble and modest Ignorance who call this other a Mystical Vnion Or because they know not what to make of it would make nothing and will not allow there should be any such Thing at all or would have it to be next to nothing But have those words no sense belonging to them or not a Great Sense 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit This is a Mystery saith the Apostle that hath Riches of Glory in it 1 Col. 27. And that Vnion is the Foundation of Fellowship and Communion with him as the Apostle speaks 1 John 1.3 That he may have Fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ That is That you may have like Fellowship with God and Christ as we have Not that our Union and Communion is first with the Church and then with Christ as some of late have Argued though therein they contradict a Learned Man whose Opinions in other Instances they are very fond of I mean Episcopius For upon that place he says That this sense is carefully to be avoided That we are first united to the Apostles and then to God and Christ It is both absurd in it self and of very ill consequence It is in it self absurd because we and the Apostles themselves are but Brethren in respect of Union unto Christ They are united to him in the same manner with us And there are very ill consequences would follow from that Opinion For then there must be Union and Communion with some Men and Company of Men before we can have Union and Communion with Christ which Error by degrees was serviceable to introduce the Papacy Let me add 5. This Union is not to be supposed without Regeneration without the Renovation of our corrupt Nature by the Spirit of Christ in order to Communion with him The Union otherwise between Christ and us would be like Nebuchadnezzar's Image the Head of gold and the Arms of silver and the Feet of clay If there be not Spiritual Life from Christ by the quickening Spirit the Body of Christ would be partly dead And who would ever indure a dead Body to be joined to him though it were the Carkase of one he never so dearly loved 6. This must also be remembred That this Union between Christ and us is to be brought about by mutual consent and therefore often set forth by the Conjugal Union to which Consent is necessary Our Lord has laid the Foundation and declared his readiness to receive us into Union with him by the publication of his Gospel And it is the work of his Spirit to make us willing to yield our selves to the Lord that we may enter into Union with him and be brought under the Bond of the Covenant We must know him chuse him and accept him for our Teacher Saviour
Pardon I now unfeignedly acknowledge own and avow Thee for my Saviour my Lord my God Though he professed his Unbelief in larger Words Except I see the print of the Nails and thrust my Finger c. Yet this Expression of his Repentance is equally significant He only stammers out two or three words My Lord my God But such as prove his Conversion and his Cure As the voice of the Patient will sometimes discover the Cure of a Disease in the Head When the Heart is full the Expressions are many times short and abrupt The Groans Desires and Inward Affections of the Soul are unutterable He had much more to say but he could not bring it out His Penitent shame on the one hand and his Zeal and Admiration on the other stopt his Mouth But the little he doth say is very much to the purpose He calls him Lord and God which upon the Resurrection of Christ every Tongue was to Confess The Truth of his Repentance Love and Zeal he afterwards more abundantly proved by labour and diligence and travelling up and down the World to spread the Gospel into * See Dr. Cave's Life of St. Thomas Parthia and afterwards among the Medes and Persians passing through the Asian Ethiopia says Chrysostom and at last came to India perswading them to Renounce their Idolatry and receive the Faith of Christ Some Remainders of this there are in some parts of India to this day And at last he was thrust through with Lances by the Command of an Indian King If we may believe the Account of some of the Jesuits * Relatione della Cina del P. A. Semedo 12. Parte Prima cap. 31. and other Missionaries of the Roman Church into China and those parts they do Ascribe the Preaching of the Gospel there to this Apostle and his Followers And the Chaldee Books concerning the Indian Christianity Cultivated by his Means are mentioned to this Purpose and Preserved to this Day by an A. Bishop of Granganour or Della Serra and Translated into Latin by a Jesuit One of those Books is a Breviary wherein are these words By the Means of St. Thomas the Errors of the Idolatry of the Indians were scattered By the Means of St. Thomas the Chineses and the Aethiopians were converted to the Truth By the Means of St. Thomas they obtained the Vertue of Baptism and the Adoption of Sons and kept the Faith which they promised to God By Means of St. Thomas the Beams of the Knowledge of Life enlightened all India and the Kingdom of Heaven entred into China And presently there follows an Antiphona which saith The Indians the Chineses the Persians and other Islanders those of Syria Armenia Grecia and Romania in Commemoration of St. Thomas do offer their Adoration unto thy Most Holy Name O Great God 2. Let us Consider the Reality of his Faith in this short Confession of it For upon these Words My Lord my God our Saviour owns in the next Verse the Truth of his Faith Blessed art thou who hast seen and hast believed Though a more ample and abundant Blessing be pronounced on such as did also believe without that help of Sight and Sense But here is an Excellent Faith and all the Essential parts of it comprehended in this Expression My Lord my God 1. An Assent to this Truth that Jesus is the Christ the true Meissah who had Risen again as he foretold 2. An acknowledgment that this Jesus is both Lord and God that absolute Supremacy Power and Dominion belong to him that he is true God 3. An Appropriation of him to himself as his Lord and his God which following upon the former two contain the Essentials of true Faith 4. In this Expression we have an Evidence of the Two Natures of Christ the Reality of his Humane Nature and the Truth of his Divine 1. The Reality of his Humane Nature The Method our Lord uses to prove his Resurrection to this Apostle doth suppose that he was true man Partaker of Human Nature that his Body was of such a kind that our Senses might judge of it for else he would not have bid Thomas behold him and reach hither his Hand This may easily be improved to overthrow the Popish Fancy of Transubstantiation that the Body and Blood of Christ are in the Lord's Supper under the Accidents of Bread and Wine For at that rate Thomas might have still objected That what he saw and touched was not the Body of Christ but the Accidents of it and that he was not obliged to believe on the Testimony of his Senses that the Body of Christ was present But his Obligation so to believe is implyed in our Saviour's Words Reach hither thy Hand and be not faithless but believing And on the same Testimony of Sense we are bound to believe that it is Bread after Consecration and not Flesh that it is Wine and not Blood 2. The truth of his Godhead is also evident that he is really and truly God This Title My God as well as My Lord is very observable because it hath the Article before the Word God And it is commonly granted by the Adversaries of the Deity of Christ that where-ever the Word God is used with the Article before it it there imports the True and Eternal God So is the Expression here which our English Translation does not reach for it may rather be read The Lord mine the God mine My Lord my God From his Office as Lord and Christ he Riseth to his Divine Nature and the Dignity of his Essence He had reason to own him to be Christ the Lord by his Resurrection and other things which he had observed before and from that Dignity he owns him to be true God worthy of the Highest Homage and Adoration Had it been otherwise the Apostle would not have given the Title of God unto Jesus Christ nor would he have received it For the Greater any Person is the greater Danger there is of giving him such Titles as belong not to him As to give to One that is next to the King the Title of King Especially to ascribe Divinity and Godhead to a Creature What can be more provoking to him who is Jealous of his Honour and will not give his Glory to another Isa 42. It cannot well be supposed that (a) See Placaei disput in loc Tom. 3. 4 to Thomas who was brought up in the Jewish Religion could be ignorant of the Doctrine of the Vnity of the Godhead He must needs know what Moses and the Prophets teaâ—h concerning it Hear O Israel the Lord thy God is one Lord Deut. 6.4 This was one of the Sentences written on the Fringes of their Garments and quoted by Christ as a known thing Mark 12.32 Neither can it be imagined that our Saviour would have permitted such a thing without Rebuking him if he had not been true God as well as real Man But so this Apostle does acknowledge him and so must we