there he findes nothing but happinesse and holinesse as in hell there is nothing but sin and misery As no good can goe to hell so he sees no bad no sinfull and uncleane thing can get entrance into heaven Revel 21.27 saving grace tels him and he beleeves it that without holinesse he shall not see Gods face in heaven Heb. 12.14 and therfore he followes it with such earnestnesse of desire and endeavour and prizeth Christ in whom all holinesse is stored up for us above all things whatsoever Fourthly saving grace taketh a mans heart off from his own ends in all things and teacheth him to seek Christ not so much for selfe-ends as Christs ends When the Lord doth convert a soule to him and workes saving grace in his heart as he gives him a new principle to worke by so he gives him new ends to worke for Before conversion Selfe is all in all to a man Selfe sets him at worke and he workes altogether by selfe principles and to selfe ends God is not in all his thoughts Psa 10.4 for indeed selfe is his God But when God comes to take his place againe in the heart and to be God to a soule then he becomes the utmost end of that soule also so that as he will do nothing but by him commanding and strengthning so he does all to him and for him the soule is now lifted up above it selfe it soares aloft at greater matters then belong to selfe Selfematters are but as flies in his Eagle eye he stoops not to them but as the ponderous flesh makes him his alme is altogether at the glory of God magnifying Christ forwarding the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus building up his Church and repairing the breaches thereof c. Like as good and true Statesmen looke not so much at their owne profits as the common good so the true Christian aimes at the publike good of Christ the advancing of his Kingdome here more then at their owne advancement by him He doth not desire Christ so much to be saved by him as that Christ may be served by him The soul that prizeth Christ above al only for justification seeks him for selfe ends that is for happinesse and salvation by him and thus a soule doth before he hath saving grace But to desire him above all for sanctification is to prize and desire Christ for Christ's owne ends that we may be made holy by him and so become zealous of good workes Titus 2.14 and that we may serve him all the dayes of our life in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1.7 4 75. And thus to desire Christ for Christ saving grace teacheth the soule and to doe all for him because such a soule makes Christ its Master and self must be his servant so that selfe must now wait till his Master is served Selfe may attend at the doore of the heart but Christ as Master beares all the sway there and as he will so the heart saith he shall be served whosoever goes unserved and as for selfe such a soule as is principled with saving grace looks at selfe as best served when his Master is most served There is a sweet and holy emulation betweet such a soule and Christ that as Christ takes all that is done to that soule as done to himselfe so that soule takes all done to Christ as done to himselfe and therfore is of opinion that he serves himself best when he serves Christ most Yea he leaves selfe to Christ's disposall and good will knowing that he is a good loving and free master indeed that will suffer his servant to want no good thing Psal 84.11 Fifthly saving grace frames the heart to a conjugall affection of Christ to such a love of him as is between husband and wife so that the soule loves the person of Christ as well as his portion yea and desires him more for his persons sake then for his portions sake all the note of such a soule is that with the Spouse in Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his this heart is enamoured with Christ because of that exceeding beauty of holinesse in him he is to her the fairest of ten thousand This soule loves not Christ so much for that which comes by him as for that shee sees in him when God married us as he saith he hath married us Jer. 3.14 his free grace had respect only to our persons and not for any portion of ours whereby he might be enriched and benefited Hence we find a love of mankind for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ascribed to him Titus 3.4 Job 14.15 which Job's words doe well interpret to us saying Thou O Lord hast a desire to the worke of thine hands Wherein is hinted the reason of Gods affection to us not any worth in us but his right to us it is his free grace which makes him owne that his right and the same free grace in the heart of a man reflects on God the same work that soule affects more Christ's person then any or all the things that come by him It is but a kind of whorish spirit to love him onely for what he hath and to get by him that Spouse that loves her Husband's person as shee ought will love him when he is poore as well as rich when sick as well will cleave to him in his necessity content to live in prison with him to goe a begging and be banished with him so where saving grace is the heart loves Christs person so impotently as shee will cleave to him in all his necessities when naked and poore shee will love him as well as when rich and bravely attired with outward pompe if he goe to prison shee will goe too rather then part with her best beloved shee will go a begging with him into banishment with him into the midst of fire any faggot yea into hell too rather then leave him for shee knowes hell would be no hell to her if he be with her and that a heaven would be a hell if he be not in it or shee find him not therein A sixth Reason why such a heart as hath saving grace doth prize Christ above all in matter of Sanctification is because it knowes and feeles as great a want of Gods free grace therein as in matter of Justification For we are as unable to sanctifie our selves as to justifie our selves yea we can doe more to procure sanctification to our selves then to obtaine justification wherefore as we find the good work of sanctification in us ascribed to the Lord both for the beginning and perfecting of it in Phil. 1.6 so we find it attributed to his good pleasure that is his free grace Phil. 2.13 and indeed if we doe seriously weigh things Gods free grace seems to abound more in the sanctification of a soule then in his justification of it for by justification he doth onely acquit it of the guilt of sinne committed but by sanctification he doth not onely
CHRIST ABOVE ALL EXALTED AS IN JVSTIFICATION SO IN SANCTIFICATION Where in severall Passages in Dr. CRISPS Sermons are Answered Delivered in a SERMON at RYE in the County of Sussex By JOHN BENBRIGGE Minister of Gods Word at Ashburnham in the same County 1 COR. 1.30 But you are of him in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdome and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption LONDON Printed for John Stafford and are to be sold at his House in Brides Church-yard 1645. TO MY WORTHY AVNT Mistresse SARAH NOWELL All Peace Externall Amen All Peace Eternall Amen All Peace Internall Amen Endeared Aunt WHOM I love not onely in the Flesh but also and especially in the Truth and not I onely but also all they that have known the truth for the thuth's sake which dwelleth in us and shall be with us for ever 2 John 1 2. Peter's Watch-word must never be forgotten whilst our warfare lasteth Be sober 1 Pet. 5.8 be vigilant saith he and his reason is Because your adversary the devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour and as the world drawes nearer to an end so he mends his pace and bestirs himselfe the more because his time growes shorter Revel 12.12 1 Cor. 10.11 Eph. 5.15 16. 17 18. wherefore we on whom the ends of the world are come more neere ought to walke more circumspectly both in sobriety and watchfulnesse for new he makes more use of his severall turns and fetches then heretofore that phrase of walking or going about implies he hath many of them and truly I think the world never saw more of them in one age then may be seene in ours As an old souldier hath many stratagems to circumvent his enemie and such as suit best with time place and power he puts in execution to make way for an assault like politick stratagems and engines hath the spirituall adversary of our soules and salvation to set upon us and undoe us The Apostle cals them sometimes his devices at other times his wiles his devices are fine devices 2 Cor. 2.11 1 phes 6.11 spun out in a curious thred his wiles are subtill for cunning both are one though the letters of the words differ yet their sense fully agrees for his wiles are fine devices and his devices sultill wiles This latter word as it is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 duly considered opens unto us the mystery of both shewing where in this his fine cunning doth chiefly lye namely in his marshalling of those his subtill devices that is the method he useth and followeth in acting them For first he labours to prevent the planting of grace in the heart and if he faile of his project therein then he in the next place casts about to hinder the growth of grace in heart and life Repentance faith and obedience are the totall of Christianity beyond which we have nothing to do or professe in these three are summed up all the Prophets and Apostles and the devil seeks as much to hinder as all they doe to further them to prevent the implanting of grace he seeks to keep them from repentance which if he cannot doe then to starve grace that it may have no sustenance he endeavours to overthrow their faith and obedience before a man acted by saving grace sets himselfe to repent all his work is to strengthen his faith that is to make him beleeve he is in a goad and safe condition though indeed he be nothing lesse and this is to keep him from repenting and when he sees the man will repent for the grace of God constraines him thereto then he wheels about and to weaken his faith he sets in order before him all his sinnes which before he hid from his eyes yea he aggravates them as much as he can both for manner and measure for quality quantity and number desirous to bring him to conceive them greater then can be pardoned but when he finds this his device frustrated by the soules cleaving to and laying hold on Gods free grace in Christ justifying and acquitting him from the guilt of all his sinnes then his last piece of policy is to kinder his sanctification and to lay stumbling-blocks in his way of new obedience that he may fall him into actuall transgressions thereby to dishonour God wound his owne conscience and dishearten others from walking godly righteously and soberly in this present world many are the rubs he layes in this soules course of Christianity but none of the least are the totall casting away of the law as unusefull and not belonging to him and the unfruitfulnesse of duty to the doer thereof in any kind These flones with their like he had cast in the wayes of Gods people heretofore but by the power of Christs spirit in some of his worthies they were removed and have laine hid till of late Satan finding an opportunity hath againe tumbled them in And herein his cunning craftinesse appeares yet greater to such as seriously observe things with a spirituall eye that he carries his matters so slyly as he gets some of his knowne enemies to countenance and defend them and so to help and fight for him like as the Papists taught indeed of him have carried on their fine devices so wilily as to delude maâ—y Protestants their knowne and sworne adversaries so farre as to make them take part with him against their owne Christ his Gospell and servants their Brethren is not this Satans Master-piece to bring Gods servants to fight against him to make good men with stand good works Yet this is no new matter for he got once into Peter's mouth and made him speak against Christs doing that good work of our salvation Peter indeed spake out of love to Christ and he meant to save Christ as he thought but the truth is he spake then he knew not what In like manner those good soules who neglect sanctification to extoll justification who reject the law casting it behind their backs as of no use to advance the Gospell who heat downe all duty of a true beleever as no way beneficiall to him to exalt Christ I beare them record that they have a zeale of God but not according to knowledge they under stand no more what they say then Peter did when Christ said to him get thee behind me Satan for the Law is as much Christ's as the Gospell and Gods free grace in Christ is as much seene and magnified in our Sanctification as our Justification he gave Christ for both and Christ dyed for both they therefore that beat downe the Law throw downe Christs Scepter and lay his honour in the dust doth not our present dayly experience shew what will become of a Kingdome if the lawes thereof be taken away and they which extoll Gods onely free grace in justification clip Gods Coyne our onely riches they set up but half a Christ so by halving him they whittle him to
nothing Paul knew this very well if his Epistles be seriously scanned if the matter of them be sifted well into the two maine parts thereof justification and sanctification by Christ Jesus and each part weighed by it selfe the greatest quantity of them would be in sanctifications scale True indeed in his Epistle to the Romans and Galatians he is much on free grace in justification against Jewish confidence in Pharisaicall performances but in those and in all his other Epistles he is as much and sometimes more insisting on Gods free grace in sanctification and exhorting thereunto against that loosnesse and carelesnesse of walking which he saw in many Christians truely to me his greatest care seems to be for the maintainance of good works both in himselfe and others In others as appeares by Titus 3.8 and many other places in himself Rom. 7. ch if there were no more testimonies makes it evident now his example should herein be a leading rule to us Ministers his successors both for practice to our selves and for doctrine unto others wherefore having as you know yeelded to importunity to speak a word of exhortation to my native Towne the holy spirit directed me to pitch on such a portion of Scripture as led me to the maintainance of sanctification and setting forth of the necessity of Gods free grace in Christ therefore to be as great as in matter of justification a poynt directly crossing those mishapen opinions of those new-fashioned Christians for so they be to us that are called Antinomians and therefore a poynt most fit for Rye wherein many of that sect were voted to be by reason of those frequent loud and bitter exclamations against them by name in the Pulpit joyned with as earnest and vehement exhortations to take heed of them and dehortations from their society as most dangerous infectious persons I thought now with my self being to come into that place it would be my duty to fight against the doctrine as others had done against the name of the Antinomians and so I did and I hope my labour was not in vaine to the Auditory I am sure it is not in vaine in the Lords account whose truth it was that I delivered and I delivered it as his and none of mine and would not a man conceive this would have been very acceptable to him who seems such a professed enemy to the Antinomians but the contrary appeared to the weakest of his Auditors Whereupon who can but think that either he mistooke the persons he so called or that he did not understand what the Lord delivered by me for mine owne part I must needs say it seems to me as cleere as the Sunne at noon-day that he hath mistaken both them me so abused both with that scandalous name of Antinomian the Lord open his eyes to see the great wrong he hath done me and them hereby that he may repent thereof and have his pardon sealed before he goe hence in the meane time it is more then probable that he which durst snarle at the truth of Christ before my face will behind my back take more liberty to himselfe to let the reines loose to his unruly tongue a fit interpreter to his passionate mind both to bark louder and bite deeper by altering the phrase and corrupting the sense of my words wherefore I thought it necessary in Christian wisdome by way if not of prevention yet of answering to such envious and malicious dealing to communicate the notes of my discourse under mine own hand and into whose hand could I more fitly put them then into yours not only in regard of the outward relation I have to you but also because you have been accused falsly as farre as I can conceive to be one of them that are looked at as Antinomians so that mine intent in publishing this my labour under your name is not so much to manifest my due respects of you as to let the credulous world which is ready to embrace any reports that may scandalize the servants of Christ see how it hath been mis-informed concerning you and such others as with you lye at this present clouded with that black aspersion of Antinomianisme for instead of crying downe the Law Sanctification and Duty I found you upon diligent enquiry both in opinion and practice chiefe pillars thereof The Lord comfort your hearts more and more with his free grace and stablish you in every good word and work 2 Thel 2.17 2 Cor. 7.1 that you may thereby perfect holinesse in his feare here and hereafter be perfected in happinesse Amen Your younger Brother in Christ and affectionate Nephew in the Flesh JOHN BENBRIGGE CHRIST ABOVE ALL EXALTED PHILIPPIANS 3. 7. But what things were gaine to me those I counted losse for Christ 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may win Christ 9. And be found in him Not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith 10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death IN these words we have Saul compared with Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles doth herein compare himself with himself seting forth to us both what he was and what he is what he was when he was Saul and what he is now he is Paul what he was before Conversion what he is since his Calling and this description of himselfe then and and now is delineated by the difference of his judgement now and then For men are according to their judgements and in the sight of the Al seeing eye as these change and alter so doe they to be carnall or spirituall the Apostle in 1 Cor. 2.14 15. doth distinguish of other men as he did of himselfe by their judgement of things A carnall man judgeth carnally of all things but a spirituall man spiritually Thus carnall Saul had a carnall opinion of things he had an high esteem of his owne righteousnesse which was by the Law his Pharisaicall performances of duty and of his Jewish priviledges yea these were his gaine he did not onely esteem of them but also confide in them he hoped to gaine Heaven by them but as for Christ then he was a poore Christ to him worth nothing yea worse then nothing in his account then and therefore he persecuted then this dispised Christ in his Members But now he is spirituall Paul he is quite of another mind for now he looks at his owne righteousnesse Pharisaicall works and fleshly Prerogatives yea all things of this world as losse and dung and poor Christ is now most rich and the true yea onely gaine and therefore he had lost to himselfe all things that he might in their
thy selfe up with thine owne righteousnesse thou prizest not Christ at all for Justification Secondly aske thine owne heart what opinion it hath of thy good works in procuring thy pardon from God's Justice if they be thy gaine then Christ is losse to thee if thou thinkest with the Papist to merit and gaine Heaven or the least part of Heaven by them Christ is nothing worth to thee I know the Papists say they exclude not Christ by including their works in matter of Justification but what they say not that they doe for by their making of works to be sharers with Christ they doe really exclude Christ and so themselves from Justification If you cry up works in Justification you cry downe Christ the Apostle Paul in our Text prizing Christ above all for Justification beats downe works to the ground for indeed therein Christ must be alone all in all or else nothing at all as all sound and learned Protestants have and doe continually maintaine against the Popish Doctrine of Merit and therefore I shall not need to insist any further on this particular The second is more necessary for us who take that for granted among us but little think of this latter which yet is as necessary to be knowne and learned as the former as hath been proved and whether we have learned to prize Christ above all for Sanctification if we deale truly with our owne soules we may know by these Rules of examination First see how thine heart stands affected with the dishonour of Christ is Christ's disgrace and losse more to thee then thine own for what we desire most we shall grieve most for if we fall short thereof never was Christ more dishonoured by his own people then in these times both in private and publike in families in churches and Kingdomes feele therefore the pulse of thy soule in these diseased times wherein the world seemes to draw nigh apace unto its end Christ is dishonoured in thy family this church and Kingdome and how doest thou take it doest thou not see his Gospell neglected yea opposed are not his Sacraments even by such as goe for his servants cast behind their backs and laid aside as of no use are not his Sabbaths prophaned his Name blasphemed his servants abused and many more horrid indignities put on him and how takest thou it to heart It may be thou wilt say it doth much break your heart to see things so much disordered but be advised here that you may not be mistaken in your griefe see whether it be not more for thy selfe then for Christ's sake now thou seest the ship of the State crackt and sinking to a ship-wrack yea and Church too by the many rents in it if the Lord save not both it may well be thought that thou art deeply affected but I pray weigh the matter throughly in your own soul is it not because thou art a passenger therein and thou hast a venture in this Barke that is split and thou knowest if that sink thou canst not escape but thou and all that is thine must be quite lost and therefore thou settest thy hand to help save the Barke that thou and thine may be saved therein But if thou wert out of the ship and embarqued in another Kingdome and church with all thy venture wouldst thou be so much troubled for the losse of Christ's Vessell here would it come so neer to thy heart then to heare of all the dishonour that Christ suffers by broaching of Errours and Heresies to the great impeachment of his truth and by the great dissention between his best servants Then it is a signe thou prizest Christ above all in Sanctification for a soule that doth so seeks to advance Christ's glory most of all and that Christ may be more and more served by him and all others Secondly consider how thy heart standeth affected towards sin If thou seek Christ above all for holinesse thou wilt be at utter emnity with the greatest enemy thereto and that is sinne every sinne even thy bosome-sin thy darling-sin will become as odious to thee as the foulest Toad neither wilt thou be at defiance onely with outward actuall sinnes but also with those that are more hidden and inward the sinnes of thy nature yea and truly these will be most offensive to thee because they are as fountaines of iniquity and roots of bitternesse in thee thus we find David more complaining of his naughty and corrupt heart then of his actuall transgressions of murther adultery drunkennesse and idlenesse and Paul cryes out of the body of death in him Rom. 7. a soul that seeks Christ for Sanctification would digge up sinne by the roots another man may top and lop lust in the branches thereof try therefore your selves by this rule Thirdly examine your selves what entertainment the doctrine of walking exactly and precisely finds with your hearts truly if you seek Christ above all for holinesse you will prize his strictest lawes at the highest rate if Christ's Commandements be grievous to thee and thou wouldest cast off his lawes as bonds with them in Psal 2. thou hast no esteem of Christ at all for Sanctification His Yoake is light and easie to such as seeke Christ for holinesse Fourthly he that prizeth Christ above all for Sanctification doth not only prize his strictest commands but also practice them he loves to walk in the strictest way his best Beloved hath chalked out to him bring therefore your lives and conversations and lay them to that rule in Titus 2.12 doe you deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts doe you live godly righteously and soberly in this present world is this your endeavour to give both God and man his due and to keep your selves from being overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life Then thou doest seek Christ for holinesse for such a soules desire is to walk altogether in the wayes of holinesse doing of duty in a newnesse of life is all its delight and why because this is the readiest way to grow up in holinesse and to become more and more like to Christ whom he desires above all for this very purpose that he might be perfect in holinesse Lastly take a scantling of your Humiliations Fastings and Prayers and thereby you may judge of your selves concerning your estimation of Christ for holinesse we have fasted and prayed often humbled our selves publikely and privately many times once a moneth at the least for the space of three yeers almost but let us try wherefore we have been so often in humiliation fasting and prayer what hath been the first wheel that hath moved therein Have we sought Christ for our Sanctification in all our Fast-dayes what bottome hath our sorrow stood upon no other ground but the sense of God's wrath a feare of that great judgement of the sword destruction here and damnation hereafter truly if our humiliation hath sprung from no other cause then this we have not prized Christ above
by Christ made one of the richest Kings Revel 1.6 2. And besides this dignity to his person Christ also dignifies all their performances of duty making them acceptable to God for all the filth that cleaves to their sacrifices holy things he washeth off by rincing them in his blood all their prayers and other presents offered to God by them Christ perfumes with the odours of his Merits and so represents them as sweet Incense to his Father Rev. 8.34 That soul which hath put on Christ finds him a Garment not onely to cover his nakednesse but also to beautifie and adorne him and this makes the soule also to prize Christ above all as a man is more choyce of his best Apparrell Lastly the soule that hath saving grace finds this admirable commodity also by Christ that he gaines by all his losses he sees all other men lose by their very gaines Paul in our Text affirmes it in his owne particular case he found now that he lost by all his supposed gaines and that he now did gaine by his supposed losses Take a soule that hath Christ and he will say with David It was good for me that I was afflicted Psal 119 71. I got well by it a prison will be as gainfull to such a soule as it was to Manasses who thrived more in the prison at Babylon 2 Chron. 33.11 12 13. then in his Pallace at Ierusalem for in his adversity he sought and found his God he lost in his prosperity such a soule will with the three children dance in a fiery furnace Dan. 3.25 it will doe him so much good all losses and crosses whatsoever outward and inward spirituall and bodily bring him in gaine and enrich him for all things work to his good Rom. 8.28 and this not onely all his life long but also at death when other men lose most then he gaines most when men out of Christ dye and goe hence they doe not onely leave their goods as they call them behind them but also all that little goodnesse was in them and so goe to that place where is nothing but sinne and its punishment misery a great losse indeed they suffer when their fraile Barke of the flesh shipwracks on the mercilesse Rock of death but such as have Christ saving grace informes them and they beleeve it as Gods truth that they shall lose nothing then but what is worse then nothing Heb. 12.1 their sinnes and sinfulnesse which they would faine have parted with before but could not it hung so fast to the flesh but for that little goodnesse which was in them that shall be encreased and perfected yea and their goods they shall not lose but exchange for better for Parents he shall have God his heavenly Father for brethren and sisters Jesus Christ his eldest brother and the blessed Saints for friends the holy Angels for faiding wealth the true riches for momentany pleasures the everlasting for vain titles of honour immortall glory yea for sorrow joy for labour rest for mortality immortality and in one word for his hell here his Heaven for ever Is not this a happy change yet this Christ brings to the soul thetfore you see good reason it hath to prize him above all and thus you have the first part of the truth made good to you there is as much reason for The second part thereof why saving grace makes the soule prize Christ above all in Justification and Sanctification Reas 1 For Justification because saving grace doth enlighten the soule to see the perfection of the Law which requires an exact performance according to its Rule in every the least particular and that for want thereof it pronounceth a curse on it as guilty of the breach of all Gal. 3.10 Iames 2.10 And Secondly the soule by saving grace being quickned with spirituall life is sensible of its owne weaknesse and imperfection whereby it is dis-inabled to answer the law to its perfect commands ever in its best performances he finds he cannot doe what he would much lesse what he should and yet doth much what he both would not and should not Hence it is that in matter of Justification to obtaine pardon he renounceth all his owne righteousnesse as dung and filthy rags and would not be found in the same but in Christ Jesus the righteous whose righteousnesse which is by faith ours to our selves he sees must as it only can free him from guilt of sinne before Gods Justice and therefore he prizeth Christ so much above all herein But this particular hath been so clearly manifested of late by others as I shall not need further to insist thereon come we therfore to the Reasons why saving Grace makes the heart prize Christ above all in sanctification They are seaven The first is because saving grace discovers to the soul not onely the guilt of sinne but also the filth of sinne and as justification takes away the guilt so sanctification doth away the filth of sinne And as for the taking away of the guilt the soule denies it selfe and its owne right so for the doing away of the filth the soule abhorres it selfe in dust and ashes as Job 42.6 So that saving grace works not onely self-deniall but also a self-loathing as in Paul Rom. 7.24 he is even sicke of himselfe the filthinesse of sin that cleaves to him makes him out of love with himselfe and not to endure himself with patience and to sweeten him both to God and himselfe he prizeth Christ above all he finds now his owne garments so spotted with the flesh as he would fain change them and none in his account like to Christs white robes of holinesse and righteousnesse when a soule is sick of sinne as all soules are when endued with saving grace a bare pardon will not serve their turne that alone doth not cure them the Lord must heale their transgressions also now this is by sanctification as the former is by justification Another reason is because saving grace works the heart to a desire and longing after the image of God that it may become like God as our Saviour often cals us to be Such a soule knows by Adams example that it shall not get into a state of innocency till it obtaine the image of God stampt on it Now this image of God consisted in holinesse and righteousnesse Ephes 4.24 and both these are by the new man Christ Jesus in whom we are created to the good works of them Eph. 2.10 for he is the image of the Father Col. 1.15 and therefore that the soule may be holy as his heavenly Father 1 Pet. 1.16 and righteous as he is righteous Mat. 5. last he prizeth Christ above all as being the treasury of all grace from whom he must receive grace for grace John 1.16 A third Reason is from the discovery of heaven to the soule that hath saving grace for hereby as through a perspective Glasse he can looke into heaven and
he imployes in both our Justification and Sanctification are the same for as we justified by his Active and Passive Obedience by his death and sufferings by his resurrection c. so we are sanctified by them for the vertue of them as Paul in our Text cals it doth work in us to the killing of sinne in us and quickning of us to new Obedience As Christ died for our Justification so for our Sanctification Titus 2.14 Luke 1.75 as they take away the guilt of sinne so they free us from the filth and dominion of sinne so that you must know this for a truth that you cannot be assured of Christ's living to you in your Justification untill you can find him living in you by Sanctification Our Apostle knew so much and therefore when he would have the Corinthians to get assurance of their salvation by Christ he sends them home into themselves saying prove your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 examine your selves whether you be in the Faith that is in the estate of the faithfull which we call Salvatione And how shall they know this He tels them by adding for know you not that except Christ be in you you are Reprobates that is such as are excluded from that happinesse Now by Christ being in us is meant our Sanctification as to speak strictly our being in Christ looks at and chiefly implies our Justification though indeed this phrase in Christ is used sometimes in a large sense for both but to draw this particular to a close the Apostle sends the Corinthians to their sanctification for a proofe justification and till they can find Christ in them by his sanctifying them they cannot conclude any thing but that for all they know as yet they are Reprobates and hence it is that a good soule earnestly lahouring for assurance which is the very soule and life of a Christians comfort here doth so highly prize Christ for sanctification and thus you have the truth confirmed in both parts come we now to Application Vse The Use that at this time I shall desire you with me to make of that truth we have heard is to goe to a tryall of our selves whether we have saving grace or no Truly my Beloved self-examination is a duty of great consequence and necessary to the wel-being yea to the very being of a Christian indeed it is the very key of the work of assurance Hence the Apostle when he sets them about the work of assurance first directs them to take examination of themselves in hand Let us not then trust to the reports of our deceitfull hearts who will be ready enough to sooth us up with a vain and fruitlesse hrpe of God's free grace in Christ Alas how many are gone to hell with this hope that Christ dyed for them their salfe hearts told them they should be saved and they beleeving them sate down in security and sought no further till it was too late so late as Heaven gate was shut against them as the foolish Virgins Mat. 25.10 11. But this is a truth that if we be in the state of salvation and so may assure our selves we shall be saved for ever then there is saving grace in us and if we have saving grace in us we prize Christ above all things both for Justification and Sanctification so then the point whereof we are to examine our selves is our prizing of Christ above all in the particulars before mentioned and for the cleerer discovery of the truth therein we will draw up the rules of our examination into two ranks answerable to the proofe of the position delivered As First whether we prize Christ above all Secondly whether we prize Christ above all both in Justification and Sanctification First Whether we prize Christ above all If saving grace be in us so will we esteem of Christ as more worth then all we have not time to instance in every particular saving grace we shall therefore at this time but mention one which is accounted as a Mother grace and that is faith Have we but that saving grace Christ will be a Pearle of great price in our eye and you have a cleare proofe thereof by the Testimony of Peter who sayth To you that beleeve he Christ is precious but to them that beleeve not he is a stone of offence 1 Pet. 2.7 Now to beleeve is to receive Christ John 1.12 and by the rule of contraries not to beleeve is not to receive Cstrist wherefore the Apostles words hold forth to us that Christ is precious onely to such as have received him and to such as have not received him he is but as a peble stone nay which is worse a rock of offence whereon they strike in despight and make an utter shipwrack of their soules So then if we prize Christ we have received him now the Question will be whether we have received Christ or no to determine this case we will onely consider the manner of our receiving him for that is so remarkable as it will resolve this doubt if we can find it to have beene in us If you ask what is the true manner of receiving Christ I answer that the soule which receives Christ truly and savingly takes him with a holy kind of greedinesse we receive him with so much earnestnesse of affection as they which took Heaven by violence Mat. 11.12 as if we took Christ by force out of the armes of his Father even when he freely holds him out to us a kind of behaviour displeasing to men but herein most acceptable to God We are like hunger-starven men whose hot appetite doth make them so earnest after victuals as when offered by a charitable hand they doe take them with such earnestnesse as they seeme rather violently to snatch then civilly to receive them such a disposition God loves to see in us and therefore hath called such persons blessed and prommised them a full satisfaction Matth. 5.6 Yea he knowes that till we be such we will not truly receive him and therefore he cals onely such to take him Isa 55.1 But least you should wonder at this I will briefly shew you how it comes to passe The Lord poures the healing Oyle of saving grace into none but broken Vessels he brings down such as he intends to exalt and before he bestowes his Christ on any soule he will make that soul know and feel his want of Christ And why because the sight of his want of Christ will make him prize Christ seeke Christ and to praise his free grace for Christ given to him Now to make a soule see his want of Christ he sets all his sinnes in order before him Psal 50.21 reckons with him to the utmost farthing and so shewes him how much he is endebted to his justice which cals for execution on him to bind him here with great manacles and fetters of temporall and spirituall plagues and judgements and so to lead him to the infernall prison of hell He
not first but the second then he is none of thy Master Divide the ends of thy action and then see if thou wouldst have done it if there had beene none but Cstrist as thy end many men in these dayes have done much in shew for Christ and his Cause but that they may not delude their owne soules let them examine what was that which first set them on worke whether it were Christ or any by-self-ends as profit crenit c. let them consider whether they could goe an end with the good work they have begun if that profit credit c. faile therefrom Beloved this will tell us the truth concerning our actions which we say are for Christ to whom bring we forth if to Christ then he is our Master but if to our selves all we doe is voyd of goodnesse and worth in his account Hos 10.1 Fiftly he that prizeth Christ above all can and will part with all for him this may seeme a riddle to a carnall heart but the beleeving soule can both read it and doe it That in Mat. 13.45 46. makes it cleere Every may that comes into the world is a Merchant for something or other some trade for profit some for credit others for pleasure and truly these three take up the imploymenss of all men before conversion because they know of no better commodities but when a man is converted his eyes are enlightned to see the vanity and emptinesse of them and the excellency of Christ and thereupon he leaves off his old trade and now trafiques onely for Christ and for him he parts with all that cannot stand with him or his having of him his affections are tooke off from all things here below and set on things above Christ is all in all in his eye and therefore if Christ will have his Husband Wife Isaac he shall if Christ will have his Goods his Liberty yea and life too he shall and he will thank Christ also for accepting of them he will rejoyce with the Apostles in Acts 5.41 that he was accounted worthy to suffer for his Christ so did the beleeving Hebrewes take the spoyling of their goods for Christ joyfully Heb. 10.34 These are spoyling times wherein happily some of you here have suffered for Christ and in the defence of his cause how doe you take the plundering of your goods by sea or by land for Christ's sake doe you rejoyce at it or doe you murmure and repine is it a griefe and a vexation to you then thou prizest thy goods above Christ and hast indeed no saving grace in thee Sixtly he that prizeth Christ aright highly esteemes all that doth but smell of Christ if any thing look but toward Christ as having the least relation to him such a soule will make exceeding much thereof If any of you have a noble friend that you highly reverence and esteeme you will bid welcome and give free entertainment to the meanest of his followers so if you prize Christ as you ought you wil not shut out of doors and that belongs to him but in it shall come and be bid heartily welcome for his Masters sake as well yea more then for its owne yet for its owne sake too because such a soule sees an excellency in every thing that is Christs and hath a dependency on him for as when a servant is bound Apprentice his Master then discovers to him the mystery of his trade the worth and price of every commodity he deales in so when a soule hath given up it selfe to Christ he teacheth him the mystery of godlinesse his trade and the worth of every spirituall commodity so that such a soule knowes what a Sabbath is worth what a Sacrament is worth what a good Sermon is worth what a poore Saint is worth c. I. As for the Sabbath that will be a delight to such a soule as prizeth Christ and it will be honourable in his sight because it is Christ's day and he loves it for Christ's sakes because it is a day of Christ's appearing to his holy ones like as you see amongst earthly Kings and Princes they have their set festivall times wherein they shew themselves to their people bestowing upon them great largesses throwing among them plenty of gold and silver so the King of Kings and Lord of Lord hath his owne appointed day which is now the first of the seven which he hath set apart therein to manifest himselfe to his chosen ones and bestow his grace on them in a more abundant measure then at other times as is evident from Exod. 31.13 such a soule therefore as prizeth Christ prizeth the Sabbath highly because he shall meet Christ then according to his promise in his Ordinances Truly Beloved if any of you prize not the day of the Lord you doe not prize the Lord of the day neither have you any saving grace in you II. The Word of Christ is very precious to such a soule for it is to him the lively picture of his Beloved he is much in hearing and reading of it because of his love to Christ who lies wrapt up therein that he may conferre with his Christ and behold the beauty of his Christ when friends are parted they love to hear of one another and their Letters are much set by for that purpose so the soule that accounteth Christ his best friend loves to heare of Christ now in his absence and therefore he reads his Love-letter to him peruseth it often for so Christ hath bid him to search the Scriptures because they testifie of him and as he loves to read Christ in his Word so to heare Christ preached out of his Word and truly he prizeth Christ preached more then Christ read because there is usually more in the former then in the latter more of the life and light and quickning power of Christ and what hath most of Christ hath most of this soules love because he loves and prizeth Christ most of all is there any here that slights the reading or hearing of the Word of Christ that soule prizeth not Christ Col. 3.16 for such a soule as prizeth Christ will delight therein yea and to have it dwell richly in him he looks at it as a rich Word because his Pearle is treasured up therein III. The Sacraments are precious to him each Sacrament is to him a rich Cabinet because his Jewell Christ crucified is in it A Diamond is rich in it selfe but when cut most precious and so Christ most precious to a soule that hath saving grace because cut and indeed cut with the sense of his Fathers wrath for his sake truly he had beene of little price to us if not so cut and therefore Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.2 he was determined not to know any thing but Jesus Christ and him crucified marke and him crucified as if therein lay the excellency of Christ to a poore soule Now his crucifying is lively represented in both Sacraments and therefore the soule