rather to glorifie his justice then his grace upon thee Admire his goodnesse and admire his patience it was not want of power in God to destroy thee which hath beene thy preservation for had hee but with-held what he hath given thou hadst perished in that thou hast lived all this time upon what thou hast received and hast sinned with nothing but received mercies thy person thy parts thy riches thy honors thy power and thy all are but thy receits thy trusted talents not thy inheritance Thou hast all this while beene proud of that which is not thy owne and hast repined against free-grace for nothing else could have borne with thee all this time and not destroyed thee I hope you can make no other use of all this loving kindnesse but this to looke upon thy selfe as preserved to praise the Lord. O tell forth the fulnesse of his love the greatnesse of his power and the exceeding riches of his grace to thy soule and body Take up Davids resolution all that is within thee and all that comes from thee to praise the Lord because all this thou receivest first from him If ever thou be asked this question who maketh thee to differ from others acknowledge God Nay if thou art not asked it yet declare it by thy humble just and holy conversation and by a sweete contentednesse of spirit with all the dispensations of God let the World know from thy lips that it hangs by the power of God who can as soone make it nothing as hee made it what it is that it is the same power which keepes all that made all and that God is alwayes giving otherwise the whole World would cease being Declare this fulnesse of God and thy receiving all from him by thy full relying on him let thy trusting him declare to the World that thou hast tryed him and by experience found that thou receivest all from him and having so sure a fountain to supply thy wants which can never be drawn dry therefore let thy hopes be always greene and thy faith ever flourishing thou livest not upon thy owne stocke but upon Gods fulnesse This Scripture is as reviving as humbling for though it throwes a man out of himselfe yet it throws him into the kindenesse faithfulnessee goodnesse mercy and grace of his God Wee are no loosers though neither in spirituals nor temporals we cannot live by the works of our own hands so long as all is bound up in the grace of God and from this fountain we receive that wherein we differ not only from others but from being nothing for it is with us as with Paul only by the grace of God that we are what we are and this is the answer that Saints have to make to this Scripture Who maketh thee to differ from another what bast thou that thou didst not receive Truly nothing For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 And it is only by the grace of our God that we are what we are CHAP. XIII None but God can be a proper subject for a Saint to glory in 1 Cor. 1. last clause of the 30th vers He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. THE great and supreame end of God in all things ought to be the same in all his people now the great end of God in all the works and workings of his eternall love free-grace mercy holinesse power justice and judgment is for to manifest declare and lift up his own glory this should also be the single end of all Gods people in all their workes and workings namely to manifest declare and lift up the Glory of God in his eternall love free grace mercy holinesse power justice and judgement to follow all glory to its originall which is God then to manifest and declare the glory of the Lord by glorying in the Lord. The holy Ghost by the Apostle gives us in the foregoing verses of this chapter some discoveries of the way of Gods workings in the World in the 26 27 28. verse For you see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty nor many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise And God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are Wee see here when God makes use of instruments to doe his will and to declare his glory he doth not choose after the manner of men or according to the course of the World the wile mighty and noble after theflesh but the foolish weake and despised of the World doth God choose to confound the wise and the mighty and things which are not to bring to naught things that are The 29. verse gives the reason of it That no flesh should glory in his presence As if the holy Ghost had said God hath wrapt up all glory in himselfe so that no flesh shall glory neither in what they are nor in what they doe but in him So in the 30 verse he strips all flesh from glorying in it self concerning spirituals for sayeshe Christ as the gift of God is wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to us And then he quotes this place of Scripture out of the Prophet Jeremy He that glories let him glory in the Lord. So that the Apostles premises and the conclusion he drawes from them runnes all into this one generall That as God makes it his great end in all he doth to lift up his own glory so should his people make it their work and end onely to glory in the Lord. This Scripture is a directing exhortation it exhorts to glory and directs to the proper subject centre of glory namely the Lord as if he had said you soules that glory make the Lord the only subject of your glory and then glory on For edifications sake and that the lowest capacity may gather its portion of Gods Manna in the wildernesse of this world I shall from this Scripture draw up two general observations upon which shall depend what followeth The Observations are these First God is and ought to be the subject of all his peoples glory Or thus That the people of God should glory in none but God Secondly That in God there is fulnesse of glory for all his people Or thus That in God is bound up the fulnesse of his peoples glory For proofe to the first of these take notice of the precepts and practices of the people of God declared in Scripture as first the Lord by the Prophet Jeremiah in his 9. chap. verse 23.24 Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him
A Cluster Of Canaans Grapes BEING Severall experimented truths received through private communion with God by his Spirit grounded on Scripture and presented to open view for publique Edification By Col. ROBERT TICHBOURN 1 Cor. 12.7 The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall Matthew 5.15 Neither doe men light a candle and put it under a bushell but on a candlesticke and it giveth light unto all that are in the house 1 Cor. 1.27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty Decemb. 25. 1648. Imprimatur Joseph Caryll LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons 1469. The Author nothaving leisure to attend and correct the Press desires the Reader to be at so much pains as to peruse these Errata and amend what in some places are necessary to be observed to make the sense compleate ERRATA PAge 6. l. 22. leave out and going before blood p. 7. l. 21. for believer r. being for ever p. 22. l. 5. for 35. 53. p. 29. l. 38. for out r. our p. 37. l. 11. for add r. and p. 42. l. 21. for present r. precept p 50. l. 26. for eive r. live p. 58. l. 17. for 35. r. 53. p. 58 l. 20. for sons r. sun p 69. l 28. r. such such p 83. l 14. r. I comprehend and in l. 15. for but r. not p. 84. l. 29. for falshood r. fashioned p. 85. l. 32. for office r. olive p 95. l 32. for ceter r. center p 95 l 36. for he r. thee p 103. l 32. for I have told I you r. I have told you I p 103. l 35. for doe distrust me r. doe you distrust me p 109. l 25. for inful r sinful p 112. l 34. for receive truth r. receive this truth p 121. l 34. for power of their lives r. power of godlinesse in their lives p 125. l. 23. for eyes pursute r eager pursute p 128. l 30. for return r. return of p 131. l 27. for sin r. sun p 135. l 19. for the spirit r. this spirit p 146. l. 1 for constrained r. cōtrived p 163. l 25. for Jews r. Spouse p. 165. l. 2. for but r and p 168. l last r. the workings or God p 182. l 19. for ceasing r. crossing p 18 2. l 27. for you r. he p 183. for rip up r. crye up p 213. l 10. for sure but r. sure none but p 213. l. 27. for upod r. upon p 206. l 5. for fault r. fall p 134. l 16. for body r. other p. 235. l 15. for in his r. or in his p 137. l 14. for give r. have p 239. l 27. for would it r. would if p 240. l 15. for soule ip r. soule is P. 107. l. 20. left out where it is said as those dead bones could not live before God had united them covered them with skin and breathed life into them this should be added no more could they remain dead bones when God had so united them and breathed life into them p. 131. l 7 to he is best satisfied adde not to eate at all To His EXCELLENCY THOMAS Lord FAIRFAX Commander in Chiefe of all the Land Forces under the pay of the PARLIAMENT within the Kingdome of England and Dominion of Wales and the Islands of GARNSEY and JERSEY MY LORD I HAVE observed that Persons engaged by love have used this way to make their acknowledgmēts that when they give their labours to the Worlds view they present them to that hand which hath by kindenesse most obliged them I judge this practice to arise from ingenuity of spirit that where men cannot pay a debt there they wil acknowledge themselves debters Now I beseech your Excellency to give mee leave to take up this practice I am not able to pay the obligements of your Lord-ships love and kindenesse to mee nor in this doe I attempt any higher thing then to acknowledg my selfe your Lord-ships debter for more undeserved favours then any person I know amongst those many thousands that are fellow-debters with mee And if your Excellency shal be pleased to own and accept of this poore acknowledgement I shall declare it to be the fruites of your owne wonted goodnesse my self not at all the lesse but the more your debter I am the more encouraged to Dedicate this to your Lord-ship from the observation that I have made of your spirit to be willing to owne truth and honesty in the lowest person the meanest dress What I here present to your hands I trust will bee found truths by the word and spirit of truth but I confes unto your Lordship it is in a very mean attire without the ornament of humane learning And I expect Worldlings should slight and scorn it upon that account but if they appear truths as truth is in Jesus I am confident they wil be beautiful in your Excellencies eye I have had much struglings between my flesh spirit whether to bury or to bring forth these breathings of God upon my soule The spirit of God hath made them very sweet to me and my spirit judged they might be so to others therefore was I willing to breath them forth but then my flesh objected that the stile was low and meane and that this subject out of my hand would administer matter of scorne from the World and if one of a thousand did value it yet a thousand for one would slight me and it Til it pleased God to cary me above scorn I could not rise to this resolutiō to bring that forth to the World which God by his Spirit had brought into my soule but when I had resolved the world should have it I was not long to seeke in my self of a hand first to present it to but resolved to presume upon your Excellencies exceeding love and goodnesse so as to present it unto your Lordship as the acknowledgement of my reall affections abundant engagements to your Excellency Sir I blesse the Lord I have no base ends in this appearing to the World for if the reasonings of my flesh could have prevailed this had never beene an object for Worldlings scorne And if the Lord shal give you time to read it I hope it wil appeare to your Excellency and to every spiritual eye that shal looke into it that my designe is to lift up something above my selfe Namely God in Christ And finding the same spirit to be in your bosome I am encouraged to dedicate this following Treatise to your Lordship and take that boldenesse as to subscribe my selfe your Excellencies very much engaged and ever faithful servant ROB TICHBURN To the Readers Readers IF you know what you looke for I will tell you what you shall finde that so you may either save your labours or attaine your ends You shall have truth in a meane attire set before your eyes the truths of
reason is this To give the World a true discovery of my spirit and light in those things which I count weighty and every truth of them to be of more concernment then a thousand Worlds I cannot tell the thoughts of men concerning my selfe nor will presume to take the place of God to judge the thoughts of any but this I can truly tell that in the following truths I have clearely opened my heart to the view of every Reader and have faithfully given to the World what light God hath given to me in those maine truths and fundamentalls of salvation in which my soule lives and what I can cheerefully dye in the next moment This is all I shall say I blesse the Lord I am single hearted in this worke let men judge of me and it according to to their light I have no other end then this That the eternall loving kindnesse and free grace of God may be lifted up in the World and that all his people may know how good a God hee is I confesse these truths of God were in my soule like new Wine in old Bottles my flesh could imprison them no longer and now they are abroad give me leave Reader with them to give thee a word of caution If thou beest spirituall and understandest these truths of God in the spirit and findest them sweet then blesse the Lord let thy heart praise him and thy eye be singly set on him overlooke the creature wholy unlesse it be to glory in the Lord that hath magnified his free grace to so weake a one as my selfe is I acknowledge the truths to be Gods and revealed by his spirit of truth so that the beauty of them must center no where but in him but all the failings and weaknesses from first to last are mine the fruits of my flesh and darknesse I beseech you let God have his due glory though you blame me for my failings let not my weaknesses prejudice any soule against the precious truths of God I trust there is nothing but what are truths of God though weakly managed and if any one amongst those many thousands more descerning eyes then mine shall finde out any thing that is not so I trust if in a spirit of love and meeknesse it be made knowne to me I shall blesse God for that soule and honour his truth by acknowledging my owne errours And to the scorner I shall onely say this I wish you could singly scorne me in it and not God then would your sinne be the lesse and so would my sorrow too for God hath carried me above your scornes and were not your sinnes increased by it the care of either side would be but very small Let me deale plainely with you you wrong your selves not me for I can both live and dye full of joy and rest in the love of God though you shall please your selves in scorning and deriding me and all the returne I shall make to this will be to pity your darknesse and to pray the Lord to give you the light of his spirit by which you may truly know him and Jesus Christ which he hath sent and then I know you will be new creatures I shall hold you no longer in the porch but open every doore of the house that you may both read and see the truths of God made knowne by his spirit to the weakest and one as unworthy as any of his Servants Rob Tichbourne The Contents of the severall Chapters contained in this Booke LOVE to all SAINTS shews union with Christ By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if yee love one another John 13.35 What Christ hath borne for Saints they shall never beare themselves For as many as are of the workes of the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith And the law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree There is neither Jew nor Greeke there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for yee are all one in Christ Jesus And if ye be Christs then are yee Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise Gal. 3.10 11 12 13.28 29. Gods Children have his Spirit to walk and work in For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For yee have not received the spirit of bondage again to feare but yee have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba-Father The Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8.14 15 16. Gods love giveth Saints to know they shall appeare like Christ Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God Therefore the world knows us not because it knew not him Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when hee shall appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as he is 1 John 3.1 2. Christ is the foode of living soules I am that bread of life John 6.48 Christs reigne by his Spirit is the Saints liberty from bondage To redeeme them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba-Father Gal. 4.5 6. Saints are compleate before God in their union with Christ For in him dwels all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and yee are compleat in him Coloss 2.9 Free-grace in God justifieth redeemeth through Christ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 Christ and the new creature are unseparable Therefore if any man be in Christ hee is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Vanity and vexation of spirit compasseth all things under the sunne I have seene all the workes that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.14 A Saints excellency is to have no will in himselfe but the will of God Saying Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me neverthelesse not my will but thine be done Luke 22.42 No man exceedes another in excellency but by received mercies For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive 1 Cor. 4.7 None but God can be a proper subject for a Saint to glory in He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. part of the 30. vers Saints have victory through Christ over Death and by faith glory
in it O Death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15 55 56 57. FINIS Jan. 25. 1648. I Have delightfully looked upon these Clusters of Canaans Grapes and have helped them to the Presse that they may be Wine for Common drinking I onely minde the Reader that these Grapes yeeld the New Wine of the Gospell Let him take heed hee puts it not into the Old Bottles of envy or of malice of prejudice or of contempt if he doe His Bottles will breake and though the Wine because 't is saving Wine cannot but be safe yet himselfe will be a looser yea in danger to be lost Whereas his profit and Salvation are I beleeve on this side the glory of God the highest end of the Author in this publication as they are of the Licenser Joseph Caryl A Cluster of Canaans GRAPES CHAP. I. Love to all Saints shews union with Christ JOHN 13.35 By this shall all men know that yee are my Disciples if yee love one another THE fore-going verse holds out a Command from Christ that all his Disciples those which love and follow him should love oee another And to this command our Saviour holds forth his love as a pattern and incitation to us to love one another That you love one another saith Christ Verse 34 as I have loved you Our Saviour spake these words a little before bis death that they might be of the more force and make the more impression upon the soules of his Disciples as if he should say remember my dying love and let it live in your bosomes as a precept and example for you to love one another In this 35. verse our Saviour advances love holy spirituall love and makes it a Beacon of discovery This love it is the love of Christ within us for without him we can doe nothing Now Christ makes a double discovery by this love The first is he discovers God his Father and our Father and himselfe to us Secondly by this love he makes a discovery of Saintt to the world as they are in union and communion with him the latter of these is that which is held forth in this verse namely A Saint manifesting to the world his union with Christ by his love to every fellow-member as bearing Christs image The point that naturally flowes from these words is this That love to all Saints is a plain manifestation of our union and communion with Christ When I say all Saints I admit of no distinction but only Saintship living in the Spirit up to their interest as Disciples and followers of Christ Not Saints of such or such a judgement in point of worship nor Saints of a higher or lower growth nor Saints distinguished by their various formes of discipsine but as branches of the true Vine which in their union with Christ bring forth the fruits of the beauty of holinesse and the power of godlinesse Christ gives this as a generall command to all his Disciples to love one another Joh. 15.17 our Saviour tells us this As I am in the Father so are you in me and this is a good foundation of love therefore love one another as I have loved you Joh. 15.12 And in 1 John 4.21 And this Commandment have we from him that he who loves God loves his brother also as if the holy Ghost had said Those that truly love God will love his image where-ever they find it Our Saviour in John 17.20 21. prayes upon this principle he prayes for all that shall beleeve in him his love is not stinted onely unto Apostles or Disciples persons of greatest gifts and graces but it runnes as strongly to the weakest beleever So in the 10. verse of that 17. of John All mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them Christ by an eye of love beholds that union which the weakest beleever hath with him and beholds his glory in that union Here wee have Christ the purest founntain of love for our pattern his love runnes to all in union with him so should our distinguishing love extend to all that hold the head Christ Jesus and walk in the light and life of the Spirit This truth is so cleare from the first Text that it needs not any more to prove it though the Scripture be abundant in it 2 Thess 4.9 as that 1 John 4.19 20 21. and John 15.12 So take in 1 Thess 4.9 the Apostle makes it as it were a needlesse thing to write to them their duty in this to love their brethren in Christ For sayes he you your selves are taught of God to love one 〈◊〉 nother as if he had said you know nothing of God if you know not this duty if you know your union with Christ you will know that that love which made you one with him hath made you so with every of his members So in that 1 John 2.10 11. 1 Joh. 2.10 11. the holy Ghost there speakes the same thing with the first Text and makes love to the brethren to be a discovering Beame of Christ the Lord of Light and Glory in us The Text is plain Hee that loves not his brother abides not in the light but is in darknesse and walkes in darknesse not knowing whither be goes because he is without Christ the light of life who is the light of that soule hee lives in which soule loves Christ and all that is like him In all these Scriptures you may observe how the heart of Christ and all those that wrot from the Dictates of the holy Ghost is upon this very thing God calls himself the God of Love fils his children with his Divine nature by his Spirit and would have them beare his Name too that the world may know that the Father of Love hath begotten Children of Love in his own likenesse I am afraid we all live much below this eminent discovery of our interest in Christ by our love to all Saints in that latitude which Christ intends it therefore to stirre up and engage our hearts more in this glorious and heavenly duty and priviledge let us in the Spirit of Christ seriously weigh these Reasons and Considerations following First Reason or Consi ∣ deration 1 the Onenesse of all Elect beleevers in the originall love of God consider if we all have not one Fountaine of life and were not all in the first Adam involved into one death of transgression Was there any fallen soule lesse guilty in the fall of the first Adam then another Or was there any that God saw more worthinesse in then in another to move him to chuse such a soule Surely no For then that Word of eternall Truth could not stand in Ephes 2.8 For by grace are we saved not of our selves 't is the gift of God
if Saints now did resolve with Paul to know neither Christ nor Saints after the flesh I beleeve our formes and our apprehensions of the wayes of God which have in the best of them so much mixture of fleshly darknesse would not be made the foundation and the bounds of our love one to another I know in Scripture-language but of two seeds in the world The seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent Saints are all of one seed though they may differ in light some more in the Spirit and others more in the flesh yet all have the seed of eternall life in them 1 Cor. 1.11 12 13. When the Apostle heard of the contentions that were in the house of Cloé saying that some were of Paul some of Apollo and some of Cephas and some of Christ his answer is this Is Christ divided As if he had said it is your fleshly apprehension that divides you to Paul Apollo and Cephas Did you judge in the Spirit you would see your selves to be one in Christ for Christ is not divided Christ and his people are one as Christ is one with God so are his people one with him Joh. 17.10.21.23 All mine are thine says Christ to his Father and our Father and therefore prayes for a Spiritof union to fall upon all Saints as Saints All that are thine and mine Christs bowells earnes to all his members as members one with himselfe and his Father his heart is not satisfied till they be all with him in glory 24 verse he doth not say Father I will that those which thou hast given me that have the highest light be with me where I am to behold my glory and those of lower light to be kept under the beggerly rudiments of the World but his armes of love doe incompasse all that they all may be one and those which thou hast given me says Christ As if Christ bad said thou art free in thy selfe and mightest choose whom thou pleasest but those which thou hast chosen my heart is fired on them all so that Imust have them all with me in glory Thou wert free in choosing of them and art still a free agent so that thou maist give them light as it pleaseth thee but they have my heart as they are thy gift thou hast given them me and I have given my selfe for them and to this end I dyed for them and live in them that they all might be one in me as I am one in thee Christs love flowes from union in himselfe and not from those apprehensions in Saints which are mixtures of flesh and Spirit he is like his Father he will not quench smoaking flax or break the bruised reed he loves the least of his Fathers image where ever he sees it Christs heart is in the midst of his body he tenders a foote or a hand as well as an eye because it is a member of his body 1 Cor. 12.13 14 15 26 27. And gives it us in charge that as his body we should suffer and rejoyce with every member which must relate to Saints in generall for sayes the 27 verse you are the body of Chrivt and members in particular Every particular Saint is a member of Christ all Saints the body of Christ to be a member of the body a Saint this draws forth Christs love and by this will it appeare that we are Disciples followers of Christ if upon interest in Christ wee love one another By this will all men know that you are my Disciples if you love Saints because of my image and not because of your owne Again consider this if that worldlings finding us contending with and hardly using of our brethren fellow Saints that are below or above our light shall cruelly entreat us will they not have a faire plea to God at the last and great day when God shall lay it to their charge that they have persecuted his Disciples may they not answer Lord we did not know them to be thy Disciples for thou hast told us wee shall know thine by loving one another but we found these contending among themselves their unkindenesse to one another did demonstrate them to be the children of the World not heirs of thy Kingdome and walking like children of the flesh and this world we judged that we might safely lay our iron rods upon them If they should answer thus sure I am this would be as good a reason for the worlds cruelty to us as our differing apprehensions of the mind of God will be for our not loving one another Wee have two examples in the Olde Testament why love and brethren should goe together First Abraham and Lot let not us fall out for we are brethren Secondly Joseph to his brethren in their journey Fall not out by the way for you are brethren To be children of one Father is an argument of love Saints are all in their way to Heaven and Christ is their way the way and the end are both arguments of love The whole current of the Gospel runs this way that which invloves all in one is Christs command Love one another as I have loved you Christ loved us to give us light and life so that light could not be the cause of his love no more should it be the cause of our love for we should love as Christ doth from union with God Thine they were and thou gavest them mee that is enough to Christ if an interest in God he loves them God cals himselfe the God of love and Christ is the manifest testimonie of Gods love now the great testimonie that Saints give to the world of their being in God and Christ is the life of love to God and all that beare his Image even the meanest of his Disciples None can love spiritually and truly but those that live spiritually and truly in God for God is love in the fountaine what ever is love in the streames it is the flowings forth of God into such a soule And the true reason of our little love to Saints as Saints is this our living so much in the flesh and so little in the Spirit so much in a forme of godlinesse and so little in the power of godlinesse laying so much weight upon things that perish and so little upon the rocke of ages and surely when God by the fire of his Spirit shall burn up consume our fleshly principles then will the pantings of our soules be pure like the Spouse in the Canticles Tell me saith shee where is hee whom my soule loveth and this hee was Christ So will our soules say when they seeke an object for their loves tell me where Christ is And if we find Christ in such a soule that is not at our pitch of light and in matter of forme beares not our image yet I have found Christ here and it is hee whom my soule loves so that now my love must runne forth to Christ In this soule is an
cannot fin but it must be without excuse A carnall man may sin I could doe no better in my owne strength I but a Saint cannot plead so he hath Christ for his strength why then in the Spirit of God let Saints consider what a course of sin would be in them it is little less then proclaiming Christ a sinner for a Saint is looked upon to live act in Christ and that Christ doth all in him Oh then if the glory and honour of God and Christ be deare to us how can we that are delivered from sin live any longer to it It is impossible that we can love Christ and sin too therefore where Christ lives by his love he constrains the death of sinne The exhortation is to Saints to live in the Spirit and that is trampling upon all below God and Christ and behold our selves heirs of that glory and co-heirs with Christ in that glory that is God and Christ to all eternity CHAP. IIII. Gods love giveth Saints to know they shall appear like Christ 1 John 3.1.2 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God Therefore the world knowes us not because it knew not him Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall be but wee know that when hee shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is GOds love in the manner of it in making of us his sonnes is here by the holy Ghost set forth with a behold and truly none but such as have received the holy Ghost can behold it It is too bright a glory for any but a spiritual eye to look on therefore the world knowes not Gods children the heires of glory because they know not him the Lord of glory Spirituall objects are only discerned by spirituall eyes and such are here called to behold the originall love of God which hath made us one with Christ in him sonnes of his love and heires of his glory There lyes very much in these two verses I shall only for methods sake put them into two generall heads and make observations from them The first is this That at the glorious appearance of Christ will come the fulnesse of a Saints glory as hee is united to Christ The second generall head is this That this fulness will be the fulnesse of Christ for we shall be like him see him as he is To the first head That at the glorious appearance of Christ will come the fulnesse of a Saints glory as he is united to Christ By this glorious appearance of Christ I understand that appearance when he shall come to judge the world when he shall give the damned their full portion and his children theirs for then sayes the Text wee shall be made like him and see him as he is which is a state of perfection I shall now endeavour to prove this first generall head First take this paralell Scripture as a proofe Colos 3 3 4. For yee are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory Here Christ is said to be a Saints life there is our union with him and at his appearance then we appeare in fulnesse of glory That soule which is one with Christ is united to him in his death and in his life We are dead with Christ sayes one Text and this Text sayes wee are alive in Christ Nay Christ is our life so that when Christ manifests his owne glory he manifests our glory as we are united to him Wee may reade the will of Christ in this point of our glory with him in John 17.24 Father I wil that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me To behold the glory of Christ is to be swallowed up into the glory of Christ yea into Christ himselfe for his glory is not to be beheld out of himselfe and then doth the fulnesse of a Saints glory appeare when he doth come to behold Christ aâ— he is united to him in his fulnesse of glory So likewise Rom 8 17. And if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together The Apostles scope is to shew that in our union with Christ we are heires of glory joynt-heirs with Christ and so have joynt-interest in his glory so that when the fulnesse of Christs glory appeares then the fulnesse of our glory appeares The holy Ghost doth fully cleâ—â—e this point and shews wherein this glory lies in that 1 Thes 4.16 17. For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Arch-Angel and with the trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall we ever be with the Lord. This place speakes of that comming and appearing of Christ which I mentioned in the beginning and it clears this point fully that we shall appear with Christ in glory sayes the Text and so shall wee ever be with the Lord not only appeare with him in glory but also abide for ever with him and so be filled with the fulnesse of his glory These Scriptures instead of many more which might be produced will fully serve to make proofe of the first generall head The second generall head proves it selfe it hath in it a double proofe that our fulnesse is the fulnesse of Christ For first sayes the Text wee shall be like him Now nothing but ouâ—uâ—ion with Christ can make us like Christ to be filled with his fulnesse And another Text sayes Of his fulnesse meaning Christs we received and grace for grace The second proofe in the Text is We shall see him as he is Now Christ is so beight a glory that he can be seene in no light but his owne he is the expresse Image of his Father and the brightness of the glory of God so that his brightnesse darkens all other glories and is discerned in nothing but himselfe I shall now make some observations of this Scripture and these generâ—ll heads And the first observation shall be this namely That a Saints â—oorst condition is in this world When the world shall end then shall all the clouds of the people of God be blown over and the brightnesse of Christs appear and we like him sayes the Text. I when the little world that we carry about us in this body of sinne and death shall give up the ghost then shall a harvest of gaine come in as the holy Ghost tels us in that first Chapter of Paul to the Philippians vers 21. Though to live be Christ yet to dye is gaine Though
the beames of Christ shines through clouds in this world and so maintains life in his members yet here lyes the gaine to be carried above the clouds and to be lodged in the bosome of the Lord of glory As the fore-named Text To be ever with the Lord there lies the gain Gods word tels us of a time when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes but it is not in this world for our Saviour tels us the world will hate us it shall be a place of tribulation It must not seeme hard or strange to those that shall reigne with Christ to suffer with him all our sufferings are in and from the world but the fulnesse of our reigne is with Christ in Heaven Thus are we made conformable to the image of Christ in this world we enjoy least of Christ and therefore must needs be a Saints worst condition That is the darkest day to a Saint in which the least of Christs presence and glory appeares therefore is the world a Saints worst state because it is not able to beare the fulnesse of the glory of Christ which shall be revealed in Heaven There will be no need to enquire for him whom our soule loves for we shall alwayes be in his presence When mortality hath put on immortality then comes in the crown of glory we may have glimpses of glory in this life but the more exceeding and eternall weight of glory is in the life to come The top of our life here is of faith we eive by the faith of the Sonne of God saith the Text. And another Scripture opening the nature of faith sayes It is the evidence of things not seen but in Heaven we know as we are known of God the eye wil then be made sutable to the object and there wil be defect no more on our part to diminish the glory So that you see if wee set aside all the sowr of the world and take a Saints sweetest morsels he hath below yet it is short of the glory shal be revealed Wherefore the observation stands very cleare That a Saints worst condition is in this world The 2d observation is this namely That a Saint hath reliefe from the worst of the world by faith waiting for the appearance of Christ as in the Text. A Saint by faith lookes upon his union with Christ as a Sonne and so satisfies it selfe with the appearance of God So the Apostle Paul in Rom. 8. the latter end he eyes there his union with Christ and so is carried above tribulation or distresse or the worst of the world Hee concludes there was nothing could separate him from Christ and therefore he is at rest as if he should say notwithstanding all these which he named before as tribulation and the rest yet Christ and I shall be one in glory and when his fulnesse of glory appeares then shall mine A Saint by faith can argue thus what-ever may seeme best at present to a carnall eye yet I know when Christ shall appeare that is the righteous Judge of quicke and dead then shall my head be lifted up for my full redemption drawes nigh When a state of good and evill for eternity comes then shall my state and condition appeare good I know whom I have trusted Christ will preserve his owne glory and mine with his my state of glory shall be that which shall accompany the appearance of Christ the best and worst of the world hath but a moment a little time to attend it but the glory of Christ hath eternity with it and this is my portion Thus hath a Saint by faith reliefe from the worst of the world waiting for the appearance of Christ A third observation Love makes the soule quicke-sighted The soule that loves Christ sees by faith his appearance though afarre off and rejoyces in it though no affliction but is grievous for the present yet by faith the soule sees the appearance of Christ though at some distance and in the joy of it is carried above the present affliction Hence it is that Saints can overcome the world even their faith sayes the Text that eyes the appearance of Christ for if they saw nothing but the world the world would overcome them but it is a higher glory that carries them above the world The believing soule sayes he that shall come will come and will not tary and so quickens Christs appearance to the reliefe of his owne soule A fourth observation A Saint values himselfe according to his interest in God and what reliefe comes in by that interest hee eyes it though afarre off and satisfies himselfe with it Let the world value me at as low a rate as they will sayes a Saint yet I will value my selfe according to my interest in God If they say my wisdome is folly yet I will say Christ is my wisdome and so I have true wisdome If they say I shall want bread to eate I can say by experience I have food to feed on which they know not of and when they shall want their huskes I shall finde bread enough in my Fatâ—ers house and love enough in my Fathers heart to satisfie and till my eternall soule I blesse the Lord sayes such a soule I value this above tenne thousand worlds my union with Christ and know there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus and that nothing shall be able to separate mee from this glorious interest Rom. 8. I can value this I am thâ—ough free grâ—ce a childe of God an heire of glory and that which the worâ—d adores I in the Spirit of Christ can trample upon I know God hath freely given me Christ and with him all things the world is an addition and over plus Christ and glory is my portion and when the worldling gluts himselfe with this present dying world I can rejoyce in my interest in the living God and eye my gâ—ory as a sonne of God and an heire wiâ—h Christ as â—t shall be revealed at the great and glorious appearance of the Lord Jesus My soule shall be satisfied with its interest in God when the world and worldlings shall be confounded in their own glory My life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is my life shall appeare then I know I shall appeare with him in glory Through as it is hâ—d in God the world cannot see it yet through the Spirit of God I can see it and rejoyce in it and thus a gracious soule filled with the Spirit values it self according to â—ts interest in God and Christ The fifth observation is this namely That a gracious soule relieves it selfe in bâ—holding Gods love in the originall and the glory of it Hee lookes upon Gods love as it elected and chose him to be a sonne and he lookes on the glory of that love as it shall be manifested at the glorious appearance of Christ In a cloudy day such a soule goes to the Sonne of Righteousnesse for
and feare it lesse it is our carnality that makes it a King and sets it on the Throne and then we fall down and worship it but God hath made the world our foote-stoole as it is Christs for he is our interest and what is his glory as our head is our glory as his members when the world concerning Saints is mentioned by God it is as an additionall thing but Christ and his righteousnesse is a Saints interest The holy Ghost gives the world this title The meate that perishes but Christ is that portion which endures for ever call not that enough which is not enough for a moment a frowne from God can in a moment darken all the world and a smile from God as soon out-shine all the beauty of the world Oh then Saints let this teach us toknow our ful interest in God and the emptinesse of this empty perishing world Lastly This cals all Saints to rejoyce in the glorious appearance of Christ that will be a day of glory that never will have night the sun that will give give light unto that day will be the Sonne of righteousnesse and the God of grace we shall from that to all eternity never behold nor enjoy lesse glory then God himselfe God filling us and all that glorious company above not only revealing but communicating the fulnesse of his glory to us so that our vilde bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body and the whole soule and body made capable to receive and shall be satisfied with the fulnesse of God all the glory of Heaven shall center in our bosomes and that shall be the feast which the Lamb and his Wife shall keep to all eternity Is not this a fit subject for our joy if such a day as this be at hand Oh then rejoyce all you whose interest is in Christ for every moment in this dying world hastens to this day all the clouds we see in this darke world are flying away that this Sun of Righteousnesse may breake forth in its full splendor and glory the world dyes that we may live things that now appeare they perish to make way for this glorious appearance of Christ and therefore live now upon this not only that we are children but knowing that when hee shall appeare we shall be like him for sayes the Text we shall see him as he is CHAP. V. Christ is the foode of living soules John 6.48 I am that bread of life THESE words they are a cleare and plaine testimony of our Saviour concerning himselfe In verse 33. of this Chapter he tels the Jewes that the bread of God came downe from heaven Joh. 6.33 and giveth life unto the world For the bread of God is he which commeth downe from heaven and giveth life unto the world and then in vers 35. and vers 48. So that we must consider these words under these two heads First Head 1 The Lord Jesus Christ to be that bread which came downe from heaven Secondly Head 2 The Lord Jesus Christ to be that bread which gives life to the world For proofe of this first head we need goe no further then this Chapter in which every testimony to this truth is the witnesse of the Lord of truth even Christ himselfe to that of the 33. verse take the 38. verse of this Chapter For I came downe from heaven not to doe my owne will but the will of him that sent me So in vers 52. I am the living bread which came downe from heaven And likewise in vers 58. This is that bread which came downe from heaven Christ speaking in the verse before this of his Fathers sending him these Scriptures prove the truth But it will be said Object every good and perfect gift comes from above and wherein lies the peculiarity of Christ in this more then in other gifts of God I answer that in the consideration of the next head Answ which is that Christ is the bread of life or that bread which gives life to the world In this I say the peculiarity of Christ comming from heaven will appear Thus is the marrow and the life of all our Saviours discourse in this Chapter as it were center'd in this 48. vers I am that bread of life In verse 33. he calls himselfe the bread of God and the life of the world And in vers 38. he shewes how he came to be the life of the world even by the will of God sent by God and his businesse the worke and the will of God In this 39. and 40. verses he tels us And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which hee hath given me I should loose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the sonne and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here our Saviour cleares up whom hee meant by the world namely the elect and chosen of God which are given to Christ by his Father and then declares that his worke is his Fathers will and tels us what it is namely that all which God his Father had given him should have everlasting life in him He tels us how faithfull he will be in this worke so that nothing shall be lost that God hath committed to him and tels us this is the will of God Verse 40. that every soule which hee hath given to Christ should have a discovery of him and believe on him and that in all this wil of God runs the seed of eternal life For that part which is capable of lying downe in the dust to sleepe even that part shal not be lost but shall be raised up at the last day that is the last day of the world which passeth away like a dreame in the night Now if we lay all this together must we not needes acknowledge this truth That Christ is the bread of God the bread of life yea the God of life Our Saviour uses this term of bread indulgently to the weaknesse of our flesh but his work is in the Spirit and if God give us the Spirit with the letter we shal discerne the glory of Christ as he is our life in his own light This appears by our Saviours owne words in vers 63. of this chapter It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake unto you they are spirit and they are life Christs words are spirit life Verse 49. because himself is our spiritual life In vers 49. Christ tels us what he doth mean by this bread of life Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse and are dead As if Christ should say no externals whatsoever is your life you may feede on them all your way in the wildernesse and yet soule and body dye But in the two next verses he speaks plainly what is the bread he meant
his glory to trust under the shadow of his wings to renounce selfe aims and ends and glory to be wise for Christ and not for selfe to use more piety and lesse policie to look upon all things under the Sunne as vanity not to be so vaine as to spend their precious time and spirits in going about to make perishing things permanent not to build Tabernacles and thinke it is good to be here for the Tabernacle that they build withall is perishing and hath but a few moments to be here Ob therefore be wise and whilst it is called to day close with Christ All things below this Sunne is vanity if you trust the World you 'l finde it so The Wise man he tryed the World and found it so such as love the World will finde it loft love and those that serve the World most will finde they serve nothing but vanity and truly that is a very ill Master the latter end of that service will be worse then the beginning it is great pitty then that the World hath so many servants seeing it is so unfaithful a Master how many is there that serve the world as they should serve God with all their soules their spirits and their strength improving their lives liberties and interests to serve vanity and to lift up flish though in that worke they do their utmost to wound Christ in his Members It is a sad employment to blow up those flames that shall burne him that bloweth it to ashes This is the evils of that worke to serve the interest of the World against the interest of God they digge their owne graves they wound their-owne soules and heighten the fury of those flames which will make them cry out for a drop of water to coole their lungs this work in the end will not only make the heart ake but the conscience roare this worke indeed will prove vanity and vexation of spirit To winde up this subject It is God and Christ only that is worthy to be trusted served loved and delighted in there is vanity in all below God but no vanity at all in God we may trust him for hee is faithfull all that ever have trusted him have found him so witnesse the Israelites at the Red Sea hee bid them by Moses to stand still to trust in him and they should see his salvation and he proved himselfe a faithfull God God is worthy to be served because hee commands that which is worthy the service of a holy soule and then he giveth strength to performe the service he requires He giveth his Spirit both to teach and to lead and his service hath life and glory both in the way and end he spirits the soule and then commands spirituall service this is a service worthy to be owned and obeyed God is also worthy to be loved of all his because he loved us first and that first was when wee lay in our blood and no eye could pitty us He is the originall of our love therefore worthy to be loved by that which floweth from himselfe he hath all lovelinesse in him and therefore worthy to have all loves center in him that which is the fountaine of love may justly claime to be the object of love Saints may well say of God and Christ as the Spouse did of Christ that there was no beloved like her beloved for love and lovelinesse the best way of expressing this is to let God and Christ have all our loves By this we plainly tell that there is no object our eyes can looke on so lovely as God and Christ Communion and fellowship with the Father and the Sonne is a place of delight for the soules of Saints Love takes delight in God and Christ for there is banquets of love and banners of love bosomes of love and words of love electing love and redeeming love justifying sanctifying and glorifying love these are objects of delight indeed here we may feede abundantly and be satisfied but can never be cloyed O be wise then stand aside perishing world away with all those vanities under the Sunne there is a brightnesse out-shines it and a glory that swalloweth it up there is no beauty below God nor any excellency out of God and who ever hath a spirituall knowledge thus of God will by the same light be able to say as the Wise man I have seene all the workes under the Sunne and behold all is vanity and vexation of Spirit CHAP. XI A Saints excellency is to have no will in himselfe but the will of God Luke Chap. 22. vers 42. Saying Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me neverthelesse not my will but thine be done THese are our Saviours words when hee was entering into crucifying worke his flesh would have shrunke but his Spirit bore it up and makes this the result of all the thoughts within him to have no will but the will of God and to desire that no other will should be done and fulfilled but the will of God Christ is the head of Saints and it is the glory of Saints to be made like their head this work is too hard for flesh and blood bâ—â— as it was not too hard for Christ no more will it be for a Saint when Christ is in him though it be hard to learn yet it is very sweete in the attaining the paines of the travell will be swallowed up in the birth of this beautiful man-childe The scope of our Saviour in this Scripture to me seemeth to be this That what ever his flesh might desire yet his Spirit leaves all to God and not any will to be done but Gods will Our Saviour in this doth and so should every Saint in conformity to him resigne up the whole soule and body unto the will of God to be and to doe in all times things according to his will so as that in every thing his will may be done That such as read may the better understand take these two heads as a ground-works of the ensuing treaty First That it is the duty of Saints in conformity to Christ their head to have no will but the will of God Secondly So farre as Christ liveth in any soule it is the desire of such a soule that the whole will of God and no other but the will of God may be done in all times and things And first to the first of these That it is the duty of Saints in conformity to Christ their Head to have no will but the will of God The first Scripture makes this cleare that the Lord Christ our Head would own nor stick to no other will but the will of God If there be in my flesh any thing which is not in thy will let it not be done for he confesseth he came to doe the will of his Father So in the fourth of John vers 34. Christ telleth us That his meat is to doe the will of him that sent him and to finish his work
that glories glory in this That he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth This Scripture is a full proofe to the thing in hand both in the Negative and in the Affirmative First in the Negative not to glory in any thing out of God or besides God not in Wisdome Power Riches or any other thing of that nature any thing below God himself is too low for the people of God to glory in if you will glory here is a subject fit for your glory namely God to understand and know him to bee the Lord which exercises loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth he that truly knowes God may glory in God who is the onely fit object of glory God is so glorious that hee makes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise weak things the mighty and despised things to bring to naught things that are Therefore wisdome power riches nobility in the world are not proper subjects for a Saint to glory in no God is the onely and single vubject of his peoples glory and when you finde them glorying it is in the Lord as in the 30. verse of this chapter the Apostle glories in this that through the freegrace of God Christ is made to his people wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption his glory is in God and Christ Christ as the gift and God as the giver Christ made of God and so forth This is my glory Gods wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Christ is all this to Saints of the free grace of God Therefore be that glories let him glory in the Lord. His selfe is nothing but Christ as the gift of God his All and his Glory So the same Apostle in Galat. 6.15 God forhid that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Hee tels them there be such which make a fair shew in the flesh that would have them to be circumcised that they might not suffer persecution But sayes the Apostle tell not me of these poore low shifts or glory for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision not uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new creature And in another place Christ in us the hope of glory I can glory in none of these empty outsides and shadowes of things it is the new Creature Christ in me the crosse of Christ the redemption of free grace the eternall love of God that I can glory in or make the subject of my glory as in that most remarkable place Eph. 2.8 9. For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Mark it and we shall find here is a sure provision to keep all the glory upon Gods head so that who ever glories must glory in God Why because the whole matter of salvation comes of by and from the free grace of God yea even faith the hand that layes hold of the free grace of God is also the gift of Gods free grace worke selfe is wholly excluded because God will have no flesh to boast or glory in his sight or in any thing but himselfe Therefore God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in sinnes hath quickned us together with Christ therefore it is by grace that we are saved He loved us when we lay in our blood when no eye pitied us his love is first to us and from hence he makes a covenant of free grace to be our God and that we shall be his people that he will put his law in our hearts and teach his people by his own Spirit What doth all this prove but thus much That God alone is and ought to be the onely subject of his peoples glory and we shall find the Apostle Paul in this first of the Ephesians not onely in the precept but in the practice of this thing blessing of God and glorying in God in the third verse Blessed be the Lord God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Observe it he blesses and glories in God he mentions nothing to glory in but God in Christ God in himselfe when he speaketh of chusing electing love and glory he doth it in Christ verse 4. Chosen us in him before the foundation of the world and so forward in the fifth verse Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will verse 6. to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us acceptable in the beloved And in the seventh verse according to the riches of his grace verse 8. wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdome and prudence Thus the Apostle spends the whole chapter in declaring the glory of the full love and free grace of God to his in Christ he is in a very glorious frame of spirit full of glory and blessing but God is the subject of all his glory and blessing So we may find him in his triumphing Chariot That Rom. 8. verse 1. No condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus and walk after the Spirit in which there is freedome from the law of sinne and death 33. Nothing to be laid to the charge of Gods elect which God justifies and that nothing can separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Gods love is the subject the Apostle glories in it was the love of God and so everlasting unchangeable love it was justification by the free grace of God therefore above condemnation Mark it God is the subject of his glory God justifies and God loves So in Rom. 11. latter end O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out For of him and to hins and through him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen The Apostle finds all to be in God and God the onely subject for him to glory in and give glory to What ever God doth himselfe is the glory of all his workes and God is a depth of riches wisdome and knowledge he is unsearchable in his judgements and his wayes are so full of glory that man cannot trace them he is so pure a glory that he can bee discerned by no light but his own 2 Cor. 2.14 But the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned God is so greaâ— a glory that he darkens all glory besides himselfe so that nothing but himselfe can be a discovery of himselfe and this the Apostle declares as the glory of God he is an unsearchable and more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Therefore sayes hee