place why all that profess Christ are bound to imitate his example and then apply the whole Now the necessity of this imitation of Christ will convincingly appear diverse ways First From the established order of salvation which is fixed and unalterable God that hath appointed the end hath also 1. established the means and order by which men shall attain the ultimate end Now Conformity to Christ is the established method in which God will bring souls to glory Rom. 8. 29. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many brethren The same God who hath predestinated men to salvation hath in order thereunto predestinated them unto Conformity to Christ and this order of heaven is never to be reversed we may as well hope to be saved without Christ as to be saved without Conformity to Christ. Secondly The nature of Christ mystical requires this Conformity 2. and renders it indispensably necessary Otherwise the body of Christ must be heterogeneous of a nature different from the head and how monstrous and uncomely would this be This would represent Christ to the world in an image or Idea much like that Dan. 2. 32 33. The head of fine gold the breast and arms of silver the thighs of brass the legs of iron the feet part of iron part of clay Christ the head is pure and holy and therefore very unsuitable to sensual and earthly members And therefore the Apostle in his description of mystical Christ describes the members of Christ as they ought to be of the same nature and quality with the head 1 Cor. 15. 48. As is the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly and as we have born the image of the earthy so we shall also bear the image of the heavenly That image or resemblance of Christ which shall be compleat and perfect after the Resurrection must be begun in its first draught here by the work of regeneration Thirdly This resemblance and conformity to Christ appears 3. necessary from the communion which all believers have with Christ in the same Spirit of grace and holiness Believers are called Christs fellows or copartners Psal. 45. 7. from their participation with him of the same spirit as it is 1 Thes. 4. 8. God giveth the same spirit unto us which he more plentifully poured out upon Christ. Now where the same spirit and principle is there the same fruits and operations must be produced according to the proportions and measures of the spirit of grace communicated and this reason is farther enforced by the very design and end of God in the infusion of the spirit of grace for it is plain from Ezek. 36. 27. that practical holiness and obedience is the scope and design of that infusion of the spirit The very innaâ—… property of the spirit of God in men is to elevate their minds and set their affections upon heavenly things to purge their hearts from earthly dross and fit them for a life of holiness and obedience its nature also is assimilating and changeth them in whom it is into the same image with Jesus Christ their heavenly head 2 Cor. 3. 18. Fourthly The necessity of this imitation of Christ may be argued from the design and end of Christs exhibition to the 4. world in a body of flesh For though we detest that doctrine of the Socinians which makes the exemplary life of Christ to be upon the matter the whole end of his incarnation yet we must not run so far from an error as to lose a precious truth We say the satisfaction of his blood was a main and principal end of his Incarnation according to Mat. 20. 28. We affirm also that it was a great design and end of the Incarnation of Christ to set before us a pattern of holiness for our imitation For so speaks the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 21. He hath left us an example that we should follow his steps And this example of Christ greatly obliges believers to his imitation Phil. 2. 5. Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus Fifthly our imitation of Christ is one of those great Articles which every man is to subscribe whom Christ will admit 5. into the number of his disciples Luke 14. 27. Whosoever doth not come after me cannot be my disciple And again John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me To this condition we have submitted if we be sincere believers and therefore are strictly bound to the imitation of Christ not only by Gods command but by our own consent But if we profess interest in Christ when our hearts never consented to follow and imitate his example then are we self-deceiving hypocrites wholly disagreeing from the scripture character of believers Rom. 8. 1. They that are Christs being there described to be such as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit and Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the spirit let us walk in the spirit Sixthly The honour of Christ necessitates the conformity of Christians to his example else what way is there left 6. to stop detracting mouths and vindicate the name of Christ from the reproaches of the world how can wisdom be justified of her children except it be this way by what means shall we cut off occasion from such as desire occasion but by regulating our lives by Christs example The world hath eyes to see what we practise as well as ears to hear what we profess Therefore either shew the consistency betwixt your profession and practice or you can never hope to vindicate the name and honour of the Lord Jesus The uses follow For 1. Information 2. Exhortation 3. Consolation 1. Use for Information Use 1. Inference 1. If all that profess interest in Christ be strictly bound to imitate his holy example then it follows that Religion is very unjustly charged Inference 1. by the world with the scandals and evils of them that profess it Nothing can be more unjust and irrational if we consider First That Christian Religion severely censures loose and scandalous actions in all professors and therefore is not to be censured for them 'T is absurd to condemn Religion for what it self condemns Looseness no way flowes from the principles of Christianity but is most opposite and contrary to it Titus 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Secondly It is an argument of the excellency of Christian Religion that even wicked men themselves covet the name and profession of it though they only cloak and cover their evils under it I confess it is a great abuse of such an excellent thing as Religion is but yet if it had not an awful reverence paid it by the consciences of all men it would
every Creature is suitable to its nature You see divers Creatures feeding upon several parts of the same herb the Bee upon the flower the Bird upon the seed the Sheep upon the stalk and the Swine upon the root according to their nature so is their food sensual men feed upon sensual things spiritual men upon spiritual things as your food is so are you If carnal comforts can content thy heart sure thy heart must then be a very carnal heart yea and let Christians themselves take heed that they fetch not their Consolations out of themselves instead of Christ. Your graces and duties are excellent means and instruments but not the ground-work and foundation of your Comfort they are useful buckets to draw but not the well it self in which the springs of consolation rise If you put your duties in the room of Christ Christ will put your comforts out of the reach of your duties Inference 3. If Christ be the Consolation of Believers what a comfortable Inference 3. life should all Believers live in this world Certainly if the fault be not your own you might live the happiest and comfortablest lives of all men in the world If you would not be a discomfort to Christ he would be a comfort to you every day and in every condition to the end of your lives your condition abounds with all the helps and advantages of consolation you have the command of Christ to warrant your comforts Phil. 4. 4. You have the Spirit of Christ for a spring of comfort you have the Scriptures of Christ for the rules of comfort you have the duties of Religion for the means of comfort why is it then that you go comfortless If your afflictions be many in the world yet your encouragements be more in Christ your troubles in the world may be turned into joy but your comforts in Christ can never be turned into trouble Why should troubles obstruct your comfort when the blessing of Christ upon your troubles makes them subservient to promote your happiness Rom. 8. 28. Shake off despondency then and live up to the principles of Religion your dejected life is uncomfortable to your selves and of very ill use to others Inference 4. If Christ be the Consolation of Believers then let all that desire Inference 4. comfort in this world or in that to come imbrace Jesus Christ and get real union with him The same hour you shall be in Christ you shall also be at the fountain head of all Consolations Thy soul shall be then a pardoned soul and a pardoned soul hath all reason in the world to be a joyful soul in that day thy Conscience shall be sprinkled with the blood of Christ and a sprinkled Conscience hath all the reason in the world to be a comforting Conscience in that day you become the Children of your Father in Heaven and he that hath a Father in Heaven hath all reason to be the joyfullest man upon earth in that day you are delivered from the sting and hurt of death and he that is delivered from the sting of death hath the best reason to take in the comfort of life O come to Christ come to Christ till you come to Christ no true comfort can come to you The Sixteenth SERMON Sermon 16. EPHES. 1. 7. Text. Enforcing the general exhortation by a seventh motive drawn from the first benefit purchased by Christ. In whom we have redemption through his blood the remission of sins according to the riches of his grace SIx great Motives have been presented already from the Titles of Christ to draw the hearts of sinners to him more are now to be offered from the benefits redounding to Believers by Christ. Essaying by all means to win the hearts of men to Christ. To this end I shall in the first place open that glorious priviledge of Gospel remission freely and fully conferred upon all that come to Christ by faith in whom we have redemption by faith c. In which words we have first a singular benefit or choice mercy bestowed viz. Redemption interpreted by way of apposition the remission of sins this is a priviledge of the first rank a mercy by it self none sweeter none more desirable among all the benefits that come by Christ. And therefore Secondly You have the price of this mercy an account what it cost even the blood of Christ in whom we have redemption through his blood Precious things are of great price the blood of Christ is the meritorious cause of remission Thirdly You have here also the impulsive cause moving God to grant pardons at this rate to sinners and that is said to be the riches of his grace Where by the way you see that the freeness of the grace of God and the fulness of the satisfaction of Christ meet together without the least jar in the remission of sin contrary to the vain cavil of the Socinian adversaries In whom we have redemption even the remission of sins according to the riches of his grace Fourthly You have the qualified subjects of this blessed priviledge viz. Believers in whose name he here speaks we have remission i. e. we the Saints and faithful in Christ Jesus vers 1. we whom he hath chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and predestinated unto the adoption of Children vers 4 5. we that are made accepted in the beloved vers 6. 't is we and we only who have redemption through his blood Hence observe DOCT. That all Believers and none but Believers receive the remission Doct. of their sins through the riches of grace by the blood of Jesus Christ. In the explication of this point three things must be spoken to 1. That all that are in Christ are in a pardoned state 2. That their pardon is the purchase of the blood of Christ. 3. That the riches of Grace are manifested in remission First That all that are in Christ are in a pardoned state where I will first shew you what pardon or the remission of sin is Secondly That this is the priviledge of none but Believers First Now remission of sin is the gracious act of God in and through Christ discharging a believing sinner from all the guilt and punishment of his sin both temporal and eternal 'T is the act of God he is the author of remission none can forgive sins but God only Mark 2. 7. against him only i. e. principally and essentially the offence is committed Psal. 51. 4. To his Judgement guilt binds over the soul and who can remit the debt but the Creditor Mat. 6. 12. 'T is an act of God discharging the sinner it is Gods loosing of one that stood bound the cancelling of his bond or obligation called therefore remission or releasing in the Text the blotting out of our iniquities or the removing our sins from us as it 's called in other Scriptures see Psal. 103. 11. Mica 7. 18 19. It is a gracious act of God the
saved For he comes in the Fathers and in the Sons name and authority to put the last hand to our Salvation work by bringing all the fruits of election and redemption home to our souls in this work of effectual vocation hence the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 2. noting the order of causes in their operations for the bringing about of our Salvation thus states it Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ here you find Gods election and Christs blood the two great causes of Salvation and yet neither of these alone nor both together can save us there must be added the Sanctification of the Spirit by which Gods decree is executed and the sprinkling i. e. the personal application of Christs blood as well as the shedding of it before we can have the saving benefit of either of the former causes Propos. 4. The application of Christ with his saving benefits is exactly of the same extent and latitude with the Fathers election and the Sons intention Propos. 4. in dying and cannot possibly be extended to one soul farther Whom he did predestinate them he also called Rom. 8. 30. And Acts 13. 48. as many as were ordained to eternal life believed 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world The Father Son and Spirit betwixt whom was the council of peace work out their design in a perfect harmony and consent as there was no jarr in their council so there can be none in the execution of it those whom the Father before all time did chuse they and they only are the persons whom the Son when the fulness of time for the execution of that decree was come dyed for John 17. 6. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and ver 19. for their sakes I sanctifie my self i. e. consecrate devote or set my self apart for a sacrifice for them And those for whom Christ died are the persons to whom the Spirit effectually applys the benefits and purchases of his blood 〈◊〉 comes in the name of the Father and Son but the world cannot receive him for it neither sees nor knows him Joh. 14. 17. they that are not of Christs sheep believe not Joh. 10. 26. Christ hath indeed a fulness of saving power but the dispensation thereof is limited by the Fathers will therefore he tells us Matth. 20. 23. it is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father in which words he no way denies his authority to give glory as well as grace only shews that in the dispensation proper to him as mediator he was limited by his Fathers will and counsel And thus also are the dispensations of grace by the Spirit in like manner limited both by the counsel and will of the Father and Son For as he proceeds from them so he acts in the administration proper to him by commission from both Joh. 14. 26. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name and as he comes forth into the world by this joynt Commission so his dispensations are limited in his Commission for it 's said John 16. 13. he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak i. e. he shall in all things act according to his Commission which the Father and I have given him The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do Joh. 5. 19. And the Spirit can do nothing of himself but what he hears from the Father and Son and it 's impossible it should be otherwise considering not only the Unity of their Nature but also of their will and design So that you see the applications of Christ and benefits by the Spirit are commensurable with the Fathers secret counsel and the Sons design in dying which are the rule model and pattern of the Spirits working Propos. 5. The Application of Christ to Souls by the regenerating work of the Spirit is that which makes the first internal difference and distinction Propos. 5. among men It is very true that in respect of Gods fore-knowledge and purpose there was a distinction betwixt one man and another before any man had a being one was taken another left and with respect to the death of Christ there is a great difference betwixt one and another he laid down his life for the sheep he pray'd for them and not for the world but all this while as to any relative change of state or real change of temper they are upon a level with the rest of the miserable world The Elect themselves are by nature children of wrath even as others Eph. 2. 3. and to the same purpose the Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6. 11. when he had given in that black bill describing the most Iewd profligate abominable wretches in the world men whose practices did stink in the very nostrils of nature and were able to make the more sober Heathens blush after this he tells the Corinthians And such were some of you but ye are washed c. q. d. look these were your Companions once as they are you lately were The work of the Spirit doth not only evidence and manifest that difference which Gods Election hath made between man and man as the Apostle speaks 1 Thes. 1. 4 5. but it also makes a twofold difference it self namely in state and temper whereby they visibly differ not only from other men but also from themselves after this work though a man be the who yet not the what he was This work of the spirit makes us new creatures namely for quality and temper 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Propos. 6. The Application of Christ by the work of regeneration is that which yields unto men all the sensible sweetness and refreshing comforts Propos. 6. that they have in Christ and in all that he hath done suffered or purchased for sinners An unsanctified person may relish the natural sweetness of the creature as well as he that is sanctified he may also seem to relish and tast some sweetness in the delicious promises and discoveries of the Gospel by a misapplication of them to himself but this is like the joy of a beggar dreaming he is a King but he awakes and finds himself a beggar still but for the rational solid and genuine delights and comforts of religion no man tasts it till this work of the Spirit have first past upon his soul it is an enclosed pleasure a stranger intermeddles not with it The white stone and the new
corruptions abide and work in the very same faculties where grace hath its residence it cannot be that our Sanctification should be so perfect and compleat as our Justification is which inheres only in Christ. See Gal. 5. 17. thus are righteousness and sanctification communicated and made ours but then For Redemption that is to say absolute and plenary deliverance from all the sad remains effects and consequents of Sin both upon soul and body this is made ours or to keep to the terms Christ is made redemption to us by glorification then and not before are these miserable effects removed we put off these together with the body So that look as Justification cures the guilt of Sin and Sanctification the dominion and power of Sin so glorification removes together with its existence and being all those miseries which it let in as at a floodgate upon our whole man Eph. 5. 26 27. And thus of God Christ is made unto us wisdome and righteousness sauctification and redemption namely by imputation regeneration and glorification I shall next improve the point in some useful Inferences Inference 1. Learn from hence what a naked destitute and empty thing a poor sinner is in his natural and unregenerate state Infer 1. He is one that naturally and inherently hath neither wisdome nor righteousness sanctification nor redemption all Quin dicitur eum factum esse nobis sapieâ—…tiam justitiam sanctitatem redemptionem rursus nostra dignitas meritum excluduntur ex hoc etiam consequitur ante perceptionem ejus nos fuisse slultos injustos profanos diaboli maâ—…cipia Muscul. inloc these must come from without himself even from Christ who is made all this to a sinner or else he must eternally perish As no creature in respect of external abilities comes under more natural weakness into the world than man naked and empty and more shiftless and helpless than any other creature so it is with his soul yea much more than so all our excellencies are borrowed excellencies no reason therefore to be proud of any of them 1 Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not received now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it q. d. what intolerable insolence and vanity would it be for a man that wears the rich and costly robe of Christ's righteousness in which there is not one thred of his own spinning but all made by free grace and not by free will to jett proudly up and down the world in it as if himself had made it and he were beholding to none for it O man thine excellencies whatever they are are borrowed from Christ they oblige thee to him but he can be no more obliged to thee who wearest them than the Sun is obliged to him that borrows its light or the fountain to him that draws its water for his use and benefit And it hath ever been the care of holy men when they have viewed their own gracious principles or best performances still to disclaim themselves and own free grace as the sole author of all Thus holy Paul viewing the principles of divine life in himself the richest gift bestowed upon man in this world by Jesus Christ how doth he renounce himself and deny the least part of the praise and glory as belonging to him Gal. 2. 20. Now I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and so for the best duties that ever he performed for God and what meer man ever did more for God yet when in a just and necessary defence he was constrain'd to mention them 1 Cor. 15. 10. how carefully is the like Yet not I presently added I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Well then let the sense of your own emptiness by nature humble and oblige you the more to Christ from whom you receive all you have Inference 2. Hence again we are informed that none can claim benefit by impilted Infer 2. righteousness but those only that live in the power of inherent holiness to whomsoever Christ is made righteousness to him he is also made sanctification The Gospel hath not the least favour for licentiousness it is every way as careful to press men to their duties as to instruct them in their priviledges Titus 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly That they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works It is a loose principle divulged by Libertines to the reproach of Christ and his Gospel that sanctification is not the evidence of our justification and Christ is as much wronged by them who separate holiness from righteousness as if a sensual vile life were consistent with a justified state as he is in the contrary extream by those who confound Christs righteousness with mans holiness in the point of Justification or that own no other righteousness but what is inherent in themselves the former opinion makes him a cloak for sin the later a needless sacrifice for sin It 's true our Sanctification can't justifie us before God but what then can't it evidence our Justification before men is there no necessity or use for holiness because it hath no hand in our Justification is the preparation of the soul for heaven by altering its frame and temper nothing is the glorifying of our Redeemer by the exercises of grace in this world nothing doth the work of Christ render the work of the Spirit needless God forbid he came not by blood only but by water also 1 Joh. 5. 6. And when the Apostle saith in Rom. 4. 5. but unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness the scope of it is neither to characterize and describe the justified person as one that is lazy and slothful and hath no mind to work or rebellious and refractory refusing obedience to the commands of God but to represent him as an humbled sinner who is convinced of his inability to work out his own righteousness by the Law and sees all his endeavours to obey the Law fall short of righteousness and therefore is said in a Law sense not to work because he doth not work so as to answer the purpose and end of the Law which accepts of nothing beneath perfect obedience And when in the same Text the ungodly are said to be Deus justâ—… impium antecedenter non consequenter Pareus justified that character describes not the temper and frame of their hearts and lives after their justification but what it was before not as it leaves but as it found them Infer 3. How unreasonable and worse than bruitish is the sin of infidelity by which the Sinner rejects Christ and with him all those mercies Infer 3. and benefits which alone can relieve and cure his misery He is by nature blind and ignorant and
head is above water therefore you cannot be lost nay he is not only risen from the dead himself but Templum Dei in quo spiritus inhabitat patris membrâ—… Christi non participare saâ—…utem sed in perditionem redigi dicere quomodo non maximae est blasphemiae Iren. lib. 5. is also become the first-fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. 20. Believers are his members his fulness he cannot therefore be compleat without you a part of Christ cannot perish in the grave much less burn in hell remember when you feel the Natural Union dissolving that this Mystical Union can never be dissolved the pangs of death cannot break this tye as there is a peculiar excellency in the believers life so there is a singular support and peculiar comfort in his death to me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1. 21. Infer 8. If there be such a Union betwixt Christ and believers how doth it concern every man to try and examin his Estate Infer 8. whether he be really united with Christ or not by the natural and proper effects which alwayes flow from this Union As First The real Communication of Christs holiness to the soul we cannot be United with this root and not partake of the vital sap of sanctification from him all that are planted into him are planted into the likeness of his death and of his resurrection Rom. 6. 5 6. viz. by mortification and vivification Secondly They that are so nearly united to him as members to the head cannot but love him and value him above their own lives as we see in nature the hand and arm will interpose to save the head the nearer the Union the stronger always is the affection Thirdly The members are subject to the head Dominion in the head must needs infer subjection in the members Eph. 5. 24. in vain do we claim Union with Christ as our head whilst we are governed by our own wills and our Lusts give us law Fourthly All that are United to Christ do bear fruit to God Rom. 7. 4. fruitfulness is the next end of our Union there are no barren branches growing upon this fruitful root Infer 9. Lastly how much are believers engaged to walk as the members Infer 9. of Christ in the visible exercises of all those graces and duties which the consideration of their near relation to him exacts from them As First How contented and well pleased should we be with our outward lot however providence hath cast it for us in this world O do not repine God hath dealt bountifully with you upon others he hath bestowed the good things of this world upon you himself in Christ. Secondly How humble and lowly in spirit should you be under your great advancement It 's true God hath magnified you greatly by this Union but yet don't swell You bear not the root but the root you Rom. 11. 18. You shine but it is as the Stars with a borrowed light Thirdly How Zealous should you be to honour Christ who hath put so much honour upon you Be willing to give glory to Christ though his glory should rise out of your shame Never reckon that glory that goes to Christ to be lost to you when you lye at his feet in the most particular heart-breaking confessions ofsin yet let this please you that therein you have given him glory Fourthly how exact and circumspect should you be in all your wayes remembring whose you are and whom you represent Shall it be said that a member of Christ was convicted of unrighteous and unholy actions God forbid if we say we have fellowship with him and walkin darkness we lye 1 Joh. 1. 6. and he that saith he abideth in him ought also himself to walk even as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 6. Fifthly how studious should you be of peace among your selves who are all so nearly united to such a head and thereby are made fellow-members in the same body The heathen world was never acquainted with such an Argument as the Apostle urges for Unity in Eph. 4. 3 4. Sixthly and Lastly how joyful and comfortable should you be to whom Christ with all his treasures and benefits is effectually applyed in this blessed Union of your souls with him This brings him into your possession oh how great how glorious a person do the little weak arms of your faith embrace Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. The Third SERMON Serm. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Opening the nature and use of of the Gospel Ministry as an external means of applying Christ. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God THe Effectual Application of Christ principally consists in our Union with him but ordinarily there can be no Union without a Gospel tender and overture of him to our souls for how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall he preach except he be sent Rom. 10. 14. IF God be upon a design of marrying poor sinners to his Son there must be a treaty in order to it that treaty requires interlocution betwixt both the parties concerned in it but such is our frailty that should God speak immediately to us himself it would confound and overwhelm us God therefore graciously condescends and accommodates himself to our infirmity in treating with us in order to our Union with Christ by his Ambassadors and these not Angels whose converses we cannot bear but men like our selves who are commissionated for the effecting of this great business betwixt Christ and us Now then we are Ambassadors for God c. In which words you have First Christs Ambassadors commissionated Secondly Their Commission opened First Christs Ambassadors commissionated Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ. The Lord Jesus thought it not sufficient to print the law of grace and blessed terms of our Union with him in the scriptures where men may read his willingness to receive them and see the just and gracious terms and conditions upon which he offers to become theirs but hath also set up and established a standing office in the Church to expound that Law inculcate the precepts and urge the promises thereof to wooe and espouse souls to Christ I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 20. and this not simply from their own affections and compassions to miserable sinners but also by vertue of their office and Commission whereby they are authorized and appointed to that work We then are Ambassadors for Christ. Secondly Their Commission opened wherein we find 1. Their work appointed 2. Their Capacity described 3. And the manner of their acting in that Capacity prescribed First The work whereunto the Ministers of the Gospel are appointed is to reconcile the world to God to work these sinful vain rebellious
Inference 2. What enemies are they to God and the souls of men that do all they can to discourage and hinder the Conversion of men to Christ Infer 2. God draws forward and these do all that in them lyes to draw backward i. e. to prejudice and discourage them from coming to Jesus Christ in the way of faith this is a direct opposition to God and a plain Confederacy with the Devil O how many have been thus discouraged in their way to Christ by their carnal relations I cannot say friends their greatest enemies have been the men of their own house these have pleaded as if the Devil had hired and fee'd them against the everlasting welfare of their own flesh O cruel parents brethren and sisters that jeer frown and threaten where they should encourage assist and rejoyce such parents are the Devils children Satan chuses such instruments as you are above all others for this work he knows that influence and authority you have upon them and over them and what fear love and dependance they have for you and upon you so that none in all the world are like to manage the design of their damnation so effectually as you are like to do it Will you neither come to Christ your selves nor suffer your dear relations that would had you rather find them in the Ale-house than in the Closet did you instrumentally give them their being and will you now be the instruments of ruining for ever those beings they had from you did you so earnestly desire children so tenderly nurse and provide for them take such delight in them and after all this do what in you lies to damn and destroy them if these lines shall fall into any such hands O that God would set home the conviction and sense of this horrid evil upon their hearts And no less guilty of this sin are scandalous and Ioose professors who serve to furnish the Devil with the greatest arguments he hath to dissuade men from coming to Christ 't is your looseness and hypocrisie by which he hopes to scare others from Christ. It 's said Cant. 2. 7. I charge you by the Roes and Hinds of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my beloved till he please Roes and Hinds like young Converts and comers towards Christ are shy and timerous Creatures that start at the least sound or yelp of a dog and flye away take heed what you do in this case lest you go down to hell under the guilt of damning more souls than your own Infer 3. Learn hence the true ground and reason of those strange amazing and supernatural effects that you behold and so admire in the Infer 3. world as often as you see sinners for saking their pleasant profitable corruptions and companions and embracing the ways of Christ godliness and mortification It is said 1 Pet. 4. 4. they think it strange that you run not with them into the same excess of riot the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they stand at a gaze as the hen that hath hatcht Patridge eggs doth when she sees them take the wing and flye away from her Beloved it is the worlds wonder to see their Companions in sin forsake them those that were once as prophane and vain as themselves it may be more to forsake their society retire into their Closets mourn for sin spend their time in meditation and prayer embrace the severest duties and content to run the greatest hazards in the world for Christ but they see not that almighty power that draws them which is too strong for all the sinful tyes and engagements in the world to with-hold and detain them A man would have wonder'd to see Elisha leave the Oxen and run after Elijah saying Let me go I pray thee and kiss my Father and my Mother and then I will follow thee when Elijah had said nothing to persuade him to follow him only as he past by him he cast his mantle on him 1 Kings 10. 19 20. Surely that soul whom God draws must needs leave all and follow Christ for the power of God resteth on it all carnal tyes and engagements to sin break and give way when the Father draws the soul to Christ in the day of his power Inference 4. Is this the first spring of spiritual motion after Christ learn then from hence how it comes to pass that so many excellent Sermons and Infer 4. powerful persuasions are ineffectual and cannot draw or win one soul to Christ. Surely it is because ministers draw alone and the special saving power of God goes not forth at all times alike with their endeavours Paul was a chosen Vessel fill'd with a greater measure of gifts and graces by the Spirit than any that went before him or followed after him and as his talents so his diligence in improving them was beyond any recorded example we read of amongst men he rather * flew like a Seraphim than travelled upon his masters errand about the world Apollo was an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. eloquent preacher and mighty in the Scriptures yet Paul is nothing and Apollo nothing but God that gives the increase 1 Cor. 3. 7. We are too apt to admire men yea and the best men are but too apt to go forth in the strength of their own parts and preparations but God secures his own glory and magnifies his own power frequently in giving success to weaker endeavours and men of lower abilities when he withholds it from men of more raised refined and excellent gifts and abilities It is our great honour who are the ministers of the Gospel that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers together with God 1 Cor. 3. 9. in his strength we can prevail the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God 2 Cor. 10. 4. but if his presence blessing and assistance be not with us we are nothing we can do nothing If we prepare diligently pray heartily preach zealously and our hearers go as they came without any spiritual effects and fruits of our labours what shall we say but as Martha said to Christ Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not dyed had the Spirit of God gone forth with his especial efficacy and blessing with this prayer or that Sermon these souls had not departed dead and senseless from under it Infer 5. Doth all success and efficacy depend upon the Fathers drawings Infer 5. Let none then despair of their unregenerate and carnal relations over whose obstinacy they do and have cause to mourn What if they have layen as many years under the preaching of the Gospel as that poor man did at the pool of Bethesda and hitherto to no purpose a time may come at last as it did for him when the Spirit of God may move upon the waters I mean put a quickening and converting power into the means and then the desire of your souls for them shall be fulfill'd It may be you have
light Isa. 50. 10. nay a man must be a believer before he know himself to be so the direct act of faith is before the reflex act so that the justifying act of faith lies neither in Assent nor in Assurance Assent saith I believe that Christ is and that he is the Saviour of the elect Assurance saith I believe and am sure that Christ dyed for me and that I shall be saved through him So that Assent widens the nature of faith too much and Assurance upon the other hand straitens it too much but Acceptance which saith I take Christ in all his offices to be mine this fits it exactly and belongs to all true believers and to none but true believers and to all true believers at all times this therefore must be the justifying and saving act of faith Arg. 3. Thirdly That and no other is the justifying and saving act of faith to which the properties and effects of saving faith do Arg. 3. belong or in which they are only found But in the fiducial receiving of Christ are the properties and effects of saving faith only found This therefore must be the justifying and saving act of faith First By saving faith Christ is said to dwell in our hearts Eph. 3. 17. but it is neither by assent nor assurance but by acceptance and receiving him that he dwells in our hearts not by assent for then he would dwell in the unregenerate nor by assurance for he must dwell in our hearts before we can be assured of it Therefore it is by acceptance Secondly By faith we are justified Rom. 5. 1. but neither assent nor assurance for the reasons above do justifie therefore it must be by the receiving act and no other Thirdly The Scripture ascribes great difficulties to that faith by which we are saved as being most cross and opposite to the corrupt nature of man but of all the acts of faith none is clog'd with like difficulties or conflicts with greater oppositions than the receiving act doth about this act hang the greatest difficulties fears and deepest self-denyal In assent a mans reason is convinced and yields to the evidence of truth so that he can do no other but assent to the truth In assurance there is nothing against a mans will or comfort but much for it every one desires it but it is not so in acceptance of Christ upon the self-denying terms of the Gospel as will hereafter be evinced We conclude therefore that in this consists the nature and essence of saving faith Thirdly Having seen what the receiving of Jesus Christ 3. is and that it is the faith by which we are justified and saved I next come to open the Dignity and excellency of this faith whose praises and Encomiums are in all the Scriptures there you find it renowned by the title of precious faith 2 Pet. 1. 7. enriching faith Jam. 2. 5. the work of God Joh. 6. 29. the great mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. with many more rich Epithets throughout the Scriptures bestowed upon it Now faith may be considered two ways viz. either Qualitatively or Relatively Considered qualitatively as a saving grace it hath the same excellency that all other precious saving graces have as it is the fruit of the Spirit it is more precious than Gold Prov. 8. 11 19. and so are all other graces as well as faith in this sense they all shine with equal glory and that a glory transcending all the glory of this world but then consider faith Relatively as the instrument by which the righteousness of Christ is apprehended and made ours and in that consideration it excels all other graces This is the grace that is singled out from among all other graces to receive Christ by which office it is dignified above all its fellows as Moses was honoured above the many thousands of Israel when God took him up into the Mount admitted him nearer to himself than any other of all the Tribes might come for they stood without the Rail while Moses was received into the special presence of God and was admitted to such views as others must not have so faith is honoured above all its fellow graces in being singled out and solemnly anointed to this high office in our Justification this is that precious eye that looks unto Christ as the stung Israelites did to the brazen Serpent and derives healing vertue from him to the soul. It is the grace which instrumentally saves us Eph. 2. 8. as it's Christs glory to be the door of salvation so it 's Faiths glory to be the golden key that opens that door What shall I say of Faith 't is the bond of Union the instrument of justification the spring of spiritual peace and joy the means of spiritual livelihood and subsistence and therefore the great scope and drift of the Gospel which aims at and presseth nothing more than to bring men and women to believe First This is the bond of our Union with Christ that Union is begun in our vivification and compleated in our actual receiving of Christ the first is a bond of Union on the Spirits part the second a bond of Union on our part Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. and herein it is a door opened to let in many rich blessings to the soul for by uniting us to Christ it brings us into special favour and acceptation with God Eph. 1. 6. makes us the special objects of Christs conjugal love and delight Eph. 5. 29. draws from his heart sympathy and tender sense of all our miseries and burdens Heb. 4. 15. Secondly 'T is the instrument of our justification Rom. 5. 1. till Christ be received thus received by us we are in our sins under guilt and condemnation but when faith comes then comes freedome by him all that believe are justified from all things Acts 13. 38. Rom. 8. 1. for it apprehends or receives the pure and perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus wherein the soul how guilty and sinful soever it be in it self stands faultless and spotless before the presence of God all Inveniri in Christo tacitam habet relationem ad dei judicium in iis nullam invenit condemnationem quia justitiâ qualem esse requirit i. e. perfectâ accumulatâ exornatos nos invenit nempe justitia Christi per fidem nobis imputata Bern. in Loc. obligations to punishment are upon believing immediately dissolved a full and final pardon sealed O precious faith who can sufficiently value it What respect Reader wouldst thou have to that hand that should bring thee a Pardon when on the Ladder or Block why that pardon which thou canst not read without tears of joy is brought thee by the hand of faith O inestimable grace that cloaths the pure righteousness of Jesus upon our defiled souls and so causes us to become the righteousness of God in him or as it is 1 Joh. 3. 7. righteous as he is righteous non
mercy God now beseeches you will you not yield to the intreaties of your God O then what wilt thou say for thy self when God will not hear thee when thou shalt intreat and cry for mercy Which brings us to the Motive 3. Consider the sin and danger that there is in refusing or Motive 3. neglecting the present offers of Christ in the Gospel and surely there is much sin in it the very malignity of sin and the summ of all misery lyes here for in refusing Christ First you put the greatest contempt and slight upon all the Attributes of God that it is possible for a creature to do God hath made his justice his mercy his wisdome and all his attributes to shine in their brightest glory in Christ never was there such a display of the glory of God made to the world in any other way O then what is it to reject and despise Jesus Christ but to offer the greatest affront to the glory of God that it is possible for men to put upon him Secondly you hereby frustrate and evacuate the very design and importance of the Gospel to your selves you receive the grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6. 1. as good yea better had it been for you that Christ had never come into the world or if he had that your lot had fallen in the dark places of the earth where you had never heard his name yea good had it been for that man if he had never been born Thirdly hereby a man murthers his own soul. I said therefore unto you that you shall dye in your sins for if ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 8. 24. unbelief is self-murther you are guilty of the blood of your own souls life and salvation was offered you and you rejected it yea Fourthly The refusing of Christ by unbelief will aggravate your damnation above all others that perish in ignorance of Christ. O 't will be more tolerable for heathens than for you the greatest measures of wrath are reserved to punish the worst of sinners and among sinners none will be found worse than unbelievers Secondly To Believers this point is very useful to perswade 2. them to divers excellent duties among which I shall single out two principal ones Viz. 1. To bring up their faith of acceptance to the faith of assurance 2. To bring up their conversations to the principles and rules of faith First You that have received Jesus Christ truly give your selves no rest till you are fully satisfied that you have done so acceptance brings you to heaven hereafter but assurance will bring heaven into your souls now O what a life of delight and pleasure doth the assured believer live what pleasure is it to him to look back and consider where once he was and where now he is to look forward and consider where he now is and where shortly he shall be I was in my sins I am now in Christ I am in Christ now I shall be with Christ and that for ever after a few days I was upon the very brink of hell I am now upon the very borders of heaven I shall be in a little while among the innumerable company of Angels and glorified Saints bearing part with them in the Song of Moses and of the Lamb for evermore And why may not you that have received Christ receive the comfort of your union with him there be all the grounds and helps to assurance furnisht to your hand there is a real union Viget apâ—…d nos spei immobilis virtus firmitas Cypr. Sermone de patientia betwixt Christ and your souls which is the very groundwork of assurance you have the Scriptures before you which contain the signs of faith and the very things within you that answer those signs in the word So you read and so just so you might feel it in your own hearts would you attend to your own experience The spirit of God is ready to seal you 't is his office and his delight so to do O therefore give diligence to this work attend the study of the Scriptures and of your own hearts more and grieve not the holy Spirit of God and you may arrive to the very desire of your hearts Secondly Bring up your conversations to the excellent principles and rules of faith As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Col. 2. 6. live as you believe you received Christ sincerely in your first close with him O maintain the like seriousness and sincerity in all your ways to the end of your lives you received him intirely and undividedly at first let there be no exceptions against any of his commands afterward you received him exclusively to all others see that you watch against all self-righteousness and self-conceitedness now and mingle nothing of your own with his blood whatever gifts or enlargements in duty God shall give you afterwards You received him advisedly at first weighing and considering the self-denying terms upon which he was offered to you O shew that it was real and that you see no cause to repent the bargain whatever you shall meet with in the ways of Christ and duty afterwards Convince the world of your constancy and chearfulness in all your sufferings for Christ that you are still of the same mind you were and that Christ with his cross Christ with a prison Christ with the greatest afflictions is worthy of all acceptation as you have received him so walk ye in him let him be as sweet as lovely as precious to you now as he was the first moment you received him yea let your love to him delights in him and self-denyal for him increase with your acquaintance with him day by day 4 Use of Direction 4. Use. Lastly I will close all with a few words of direction to all that are made willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ and sure it is but need that help were given to poor Christians in this matter it is a time of trouble fear and great temptation mistakes are easily made and of dangerous consequence attend heedfully therefore to a few directions Direction 1. First In your receiving Christ beware you do not mistake Direct 1. the means for the end many do so but see you do not Prayer Sermons Reformations are means to bring you to Christ but they are not Christ to close with those duties is one thing and to close with Christ is another thing if I go into a Boat my design is not to dwell there but to be carried to the place whereon I desire to be landed So it must be in this case all your Duties must land you upon Christ they are but means to bring you to Christ. Direction 2. Secondly See that you receive not Christ for a present shift Direct 2. but for your everlasting portion many do so they will enquire after Christ pray for Christ cast themselves in their
the second we partake with him the former is the remote the later the next cause thereof In the explication of this point I shall speak to these four things 1. What are those things in which Christ and believers have fellowship 2. By what means they come to have such a fellowship with Christ. 3. How great a dignity this is to have fellowship with Jesus Christ. 4. And then apply the whole in divers practical inferences First What are those things in which Christ and believers 1. have fellowship to which I must speak both negatively and positively First The Saints have no fellowship with Jesus Christ in Negatively those things that belong to him as God such as his consubstantiality coequality and coeternity with the father 't is the blasphemy of the wicked Familists to talk of being Godded into God and Christed into Christ neither men or Angels partake in these things they are the proper and incommunicable Justitia Christi fit nostra non quoad universalem valoremsed particularem necessitatem imputatur nobis non ut causis salvationis sed ut subjectis salvandis Bradshaw de justificatione glory of the Lord Jesus Secondlly The Saints have no communion or fellowship in the honour and glory of his mediatory works viz. his satisfaction to God or redemption of the elect 't is true we have the benefit and fruit of his mediation and satisfaction his righteousness also is imputed to us for our personal justification but we share not in the least with Christ in the glory of this work nor have we an inherent righteousness in us as Christ hath nor can we justifie and save others as Christ doth we have nothing to do with his peculiar honour and praise in these things though we have the benefit of being saved we may not pretend to the honour of being Saviours as Christ is to our selves or others Christs righteousness is not made ours as to its universal value but as to our particular necessity nor is it imputed to us as to so many causes of salvation to others but as to so many subjects to be saved by it our selves Secondly But then there are many glorious and excellent Posi ively things which are in common betwixt Christ and believers though in them all he hath the preeminence he shines in the fulness of them as the Sun and we with a borrowed and lesser light but of the same kind and nature as the Stars Some of these I shall particularly and briefly unfold in the following particulars First Believers have communion with Christ in his names and titles they are call'd Christians from Christ Eph. 3. 15. from him the whole family in heaven and earth is named this is that worthy name the Apostle speaks of James 2. 7. He is the son of God and they also by their union with him have power or authority to become the sons of God Joh. 1. 12. He is the heir of all things and they are joynt heirs with him Rom. 8. 17. He is both King and Priest and he hath made them Kings and Priests Rev. 1. 6. but they do not only partake in the names and titles but this communion consists in things as well as titles and therefore Secondly They have communion with him in his righteousness i. e. the righteousness of Christ is made theirs 2 Cor. 5. 21. and he is the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. 'T is true the righteousness of Christ is not inherent in us as it is in him but it is ours by imputation Rom. 4. 5. 11. and our union with him is the ground of the imputation of his righteousness to us 2 Cor. 5. 21. we are made the righteousness of God in him Phil. 3. 9. for Christ and believers are considered as one person in construction of Law as a man and his wife a debtor and surety are one and so his payment or satisfaction is in our name or upon our account Now this is a most inestimable priviledge the very ground of all our other blessings and mercies O what a benefit is this to a poor sinner that owes to God infinitely more than he is ever able to pay him by doing or suffering to have such a rich treasure of merit as lyes in the obedience of Christ to discharge in one entire payment all his debts to the least farthing Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness Isa. 45. 24. even as a poor woman that owes more than she is worth in one moment is discharged of all her obligations by her marriage to a wealthy man Thirdly Believers have communion with Christ in his holiness or Sanctification for of God he is made unto them not only righteousness but Sanctification also and as in the former priviledge they have a stock of merit in the blood of Christ to justifie them so here they have the Spirit of Christ to sanctisie them 1 Cor. 1. 30. and therefore we are said of his fulness to receive grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. i. e. say some grace upon grace manifold graces or abundance of grace or grace for grace that is grace answerable to grace as in the seal and wax there is line for line and cut for cut exactly answerable to each other or grace for grace that is say others the free grace of God in Christ for the sanctification or filling of our souls with grace be it in which sense it will it shews the communion believers have with Jesus Christ in grace and holiness Now holiness is the most precious thing in the world it 's the image of God and chief excellency of man it is our evidence for glory yea and the first-fruits of glory in Christ dwells the fulness of grace and from him our head it is derived and communicated to us thus he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one Heb. 2. 11. You would think it no small priviledge to have Baggs of Gold to go to and enrich your selves with and yet that were but a very trifle in comparison to have Christs righteousness and holiness to go to for your Justification and Sanctification More particularly Fourthly Believers have communion with Christ in his death they dye with him Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ i. e. the death of Christ hath a real killing and mortifying influence upon the lusts and corruptions of my heart and nature true it is he died for sin one way and we dye to sin another way he dyed to expiate it we dye to it when we mortifie it the death of Christ is the death of sin in believers and this is a very glorious priviledge for the death of sin is the life of your souls if sin do not dye in you by mortification you must dye for sin by eternal damnation if Christ had not dyed the Spirit of God by which you now mortifie the deeds of the body could not have been given unto you then you must
them and communicates his favour to them as they are in Christ he is all and in all The gifts and blessings of the Spirit are given to men as they are in Christ and without respect to any external differences made in this world among men hence we find excellent treasures of grace in mean and contemptible persons in the world poor in the world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome and as all believers without difference receive from Christ so they are not debarr'd from any blessing that is in Christ all is yours for ye are Christs 1 Cor. 3. ult with Christ God freely gives us all things Rom. 8. 32. Position 5. The Communion believers have with Christ in spiritual benefits Position 5. is a very great mystery far above the understanding of natural men There are no footsteps of this thing in all the works of creation therefore the Apostle calls it the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies that which hath no footsteps to trace it by yea 't is so deep a mystery that the Angels themselves stoop down to look into it 1 Pet. 1. 12. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. Thirdly and Lastly I shall in a few particulars open the dignity and excellency of this fruit of our Union with Christ and shew you that a greater glory and honour cannot be put upon man than to be thus in fellowship with Jesus Christ Joh. 17. 22. The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one as we are one and therefore more particularly let it be considered First With whom we are associated even the Son of God with him that is over all God blessed for ever Our association with Angels is an high advancement for Angels and Saints are fellow servants in the fame family Rev. 19. 10. and through Christ we are come to an innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12. 22. but what is all this to our fellowship with Jesus Christ himself and that in another manner than Angels have for though Christ be to them an head of dominion yet not an head of vital influence as he is to his mystical body the Church this therefore is to them a great mystery which they greatly affect to study and pry into Secondly What we are that are dignified with this title the fellows or copartners with Jesus Christ not only dust by nature dust thou art but sinful dust such wretched sinners as by nature and the sentence of the Law ought to be associated with devils and partakers with them of the wrath of the almighty God to all eternity Thirdly The benefits we are partakers of in and with the Lord Jesus Christ and indeed they are wonderful and astonishing things so far as they do already appear but yet we see but little of them comparatively to what we shall see 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. Now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is O what will that be to see him as he is and to be transformed into his likeness Fourthly The way and manner in which we are brought into this fellowship with Christ which is yet more admirable The Apostle gives us a strange account of it in 2 Cor. 8. 9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through â—…is poverty might be rich he empties himself of his glory that we might be fill'd he is made a curse that we might enjoy the blessing he submits to be crown'd with thorns that we might be crowned with glory and honour he puts himself into the number of worms Psal. 22. 6. that we might be made equal to the Angels O the unconceivable grace of Christ Fifthly The reciprocal nature of that communion which is betwixt Christ and believers we do not only partake of what is his but he partakes of what is ours he hath fellowship with us in all our wants sorrows miseries and afflictions and we have communion with him in his righteousness grace sonship and glory he takes part of our misery and we take part of his blessedness our sufferings are his sufferings Col. 1. 24. O what an honour is it to thee poor wretch whom a great many would not turn aside to ask how thou doest to have a King yea the Prince of all the Kings of the earth to pity relieve sympathize groan and bleed with thee to sit by thee in all thy troubles and give thee his Cordials to say thy troubles are my troubles and thy afflictions are my afflictions whatever toucheth thee toucheth me also O what name shall we give unto such grace as this is Sixthly and Lastly Consider the perpetuity of this priviledge your fellowship with Christ is interminable and abides for ever Christ and the Saints shall be glorified together Rom. 8. 17. while he hath any glory they shall partake with him 'T is said indeed 1 Cor. 15. 24. that there shall be a time when Christ will deliver up the Kingdome to his father but the meaning is not that ever he will cease to be an head to his Saints or they from being his members no no the relation never cease Justification Sanctification and Adoption are everlasting things and we can never be devested of them Infer 1. Are the Saints Christs fellows what honourable persons then are Infer 1. they and how should they be esteemed and valued in the world If a King who is the fountain of honour do but raise a man by his favour and dignifie him by bestowing some honourable Title upon him what respect and observance is presently paid him by all persons but what are all the vain and empty Titles of honour to the glorious and substantial priviledges with which believers are dignified and raised above all other men by Jesus Christ he is the son of God and they are the sons of God also he is the heir of all things and they are joynt-heirs with Christ. He reigns in glory and they shall reign with him he sits upon the throne and they shall sit with him in his throne O that this vile world did but know the dignity of believers they would never slight hate abuse and persecute them as they do and O that believers did but understand their own happiness and priviledges by Christ they would never droop and sink under every small trouble at tâ—…t rate they do Infer 2. How abundantly hath God provided for all the necessities and wants of believers Christ is a storehouse fill'd with blessings Infer 2. and mercies and it 's all for them from him
they receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness Rom. 5. 17. of his fulness they all receive grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. all the fulness of Christ is made over to them for the supply of their wants my God shall supply all your need saith the Apostle according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Phil. 4. 19. If all the riches of God can supply your needs then they shall be supplyed Say not Christ is in the possession of consummate glory and I am a poor creature struggling with many difficulties and toyling in the midst of many cares and fears in the world for care is taken for all thy needs and orders given from heaven for their supply my God shall supply all your need O say with a melting heart I have a full Christ and he is fill'd for me His pure and perfect righteousness is to justifie me his holiness is to sanctifie me his wisdome is to guide me his comforts are to refresh me his power is to protect me his all-sufficiency is to supply me O be chearful be thankful you have all your hearts can wish and yet be humble it is all from free grace to empty and unworthy creatures Infer 3. How absurd disingenuous and unworthy of a Christian is it to deny or with-hold from Christ any thing he hath or by which he Infer 3. may be served or honoured Doth Christ communicate all he hath to you and can you with-hold any thing from Christ On Christs part it is not mine and thine but ours or mine and yours Joh. 20. 17. I ascend to my Father and your father to my God and your God But O this cursed Idol Self which impropriates all to its own designs and uses How liberal is Christ and how penurious are we to him Some will not part with their credit for Christ when yet Christ abased himself unspeakably for them Some will not part with a drop of blood for Christ when Christ spent the whole treasure of his blood freely for us yea how loth are we to part with a shilling for Christ to relieve him in his distressed members when as yet we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich O ungrateful return O base and disingenuous Spirits The things Christ gives us are great the things we deny to him are small he parts with the greatest and yet is denyed the least The things he communicates to us are none of ours we have no right nor title by nature or any desert of ours to them the things we deny or grudge to Christ are by all titles his own and he hath the fullest and most unquestionable title to them all what he gives to us he gives to them that never deserved it what we with-hold from him we with-hold from one that hath deserved that and infinitely more from us than we have or are He interested you freely in all his riches when you were enemies you stand upon trifles with him and yet call him your best and dearest friend he gave himself and all he hath to you when you could claim nothing from him you deny to part with these things to Christ who may not only claim them upon the highest title his own soveraignty and absolute property but by your own act who profess to have given all in Covenant to him what he gives you returns no profit to him but what you give or part with for him is your greatest advantage O that the consideration of these things might shame and humble our souls Infer 4. Then certainly no man is or can be supposed to be a loser by conversion seeing from that day whatever Christ is or hath becomes Infer 4. his O what an inheritance are men possessed of by their new birth Some men cry out Religion will undo you but with what eyes do these men see surely you could never so reckon except your souls were so incarnated as to reckon pardon peace adoption holiness and heaven for nothing that invisibles are non-entities and temporals the only realities 'T is true the converted soul may lose his estate his liberty yea his life for Christ but what then are they losers that exchange Brass for Gold or part with their present comforts for an hundredfold advantage Mark 10. 29. So that none need scare at religion for the losses that attend it whilest Christ and heaven is gain'd by it they that count religion their loss have their portion in this life Inference 5. How securely is the Saints inheritance settled upon them seeing they are in commons with Jesus Christ Christ and his Saints Infer 5. are joynt-heirs and the inheritance cannot be alienated but by his consent he must lose his interest if you lose yours indeed Adams inheritance was by a single title and moreover it was in his own hand and so he might as indeed he soon did devest himself and his posterity of it but it is not so betwixt Christ and believers we are secured in our inheritance by Christ our co-heir who will never alienate it and therefore it was truly observed by the Father Foelicior Job in sterquilinio quam Adamus in Paradiso Job was happier upon the Dunghil than Adam was in Paradise The covenant of grace is certainly the best tenure as it hath the best mercies so it gives the fullest security to enjoy them Infer 6. How rich and full is Jesus Christ who communicates abundantly to all the Saints and yet hath more still in himself than is Infer 6. communicated to them although all they receive were brought into one heap Take all the faith of Abraham all the meekness of Moses all the patience of Job all the wisdome of Solomon all the zeal of David all the industry of Paul and all the tender-heartedness of Josiah add to this all the grace that is poured though in lesser measure into all the elect vessels in the world yet still it is far short of that which remains in Christ he is anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows and in all things he hath and must ever have the preeminence there be many thousand Stars glittering above your heads and one star differs from another star in glory yet there is more light and glory in one Sun than in the many thousand Stars grace beautifies the children of men exceedingly but still that is true of Christ Psal. 45. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men grace is poured into thy lips for all grace is secondarily and derivatively in the Saints but it is primitively and originally in Christ Joh. 5. 26. Grace is imperfect and defective in them but in him it is in its most absolute perfection and fulness Col. 1. 19. In the Saints it is mixed with abundance of corruption but in Christ it is altogether unmixed and exclusive of its opposite Heb. 7. 26. So
that as the heathen said of moral vertue I may much more say of Christ That were he to be seen with mortal eyes he would compel love and admiration from all men for he is altogether lovely Cant. 5. 16. Infer 7. What delight and singular advantage must needs be in the communion of the Saints who have communion with Jesus Christ in all Infer 7. his graces and benefits That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. O 't is sweet to have fellowship with those that have fellowship with God in Jesus Christ. Christ hath communicated to the Saints varieties of graces in different measures and degrees and as they all receive from Christ the fountain so it 's sweet and most delightful to be improving themselves by spiritual communion one with another yea for that end one is furnisht with one grace more eminently than another that the weak may be assisted by the strong as a Modern Divine well observes Athanasius was prudent and active Basil of an heavenly Mr. Torsâ—…ell sweet temper Chrysostome laborious without affectation Ambrose resolv'd and grave Luther couragious and Calvin acute and judicious thus every one hath his proper gift from Christ the fountain of gifts and graces 1 Cor. 7. 7. One hath quickness of parts another solidity of judgement but not ready and presential one is zealous but ungrounded another well principled but timorous one is wary and prudent another open and plain one is trembling and melting another chearful and joyous one must impart his light another his heat the Eye the knowing man cannot say to the Hand the active man I have no need of thee And O how sweet would it be if gifts graces and experiences were frequently and humbly imparted but idle notions earthly-mindedness self-interests and want of more communion with Christ have almost destroyed the comfort of Christian fellowship every where in the world Infer 8. In a word those only have ground to claim interest in Infer 8. Christ who do really participate of his graces and in whom are found the effects and fruits of their Union and communion with him If you have interest in Christ you have communion in his graces and benefits and if you have such communion it will appear in your maintaining daily actual communion with God in duties whereby will be produced First The increase of your Sanctification by fresh participations from the Fountain as Cloth which is often dipt into the Fat receives the deeper dye and livelier tincture so will your souls by assiduous communion with God It will also be discerned Secondly In your deeper humiliation and spiritual sense of your own vileness the more any man partakes of God and is acquainted with him and assimilated to him the more base and vile in his own sight he still grows Job 42. 5 6. Isa. 6. 5. Thirdly It will appear in your more vehement longings after the full enjoyment of God in heaven 1 Pet. 1. 8. and Rom. 8. 23. you that have the first-fruits will groan within your selves after the full harvest and satisfying fruition you will not be so taken with things below as to be content with the best lot on earth for your everlasting portion O if hese communicated drops be so sweet what is there in Christ the fountain And thus I have opened the method of grace in bringing home Christ and his benefits to Gods elect by Union in order to communion with him Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. The Ninth SERMON Serm. 9. MATTH 11. 28. Text. Containing the first general use of Exhortation inviting all men to apply Jesus Christ. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest THe Impetration of our Redemption by Jesus Christ being finished in the first part and the way and means by which Christ is applied to sinners in the foregoing part of this Treatise I am now orderly come to the general Use of the whole which in the first place shall be by way of Exhortation to invite and perswade all men to come unto Christ who in all the former Sermons hath been represented in his garments of salvation red in his apparel prepared and offered to sinners as their all-sufficient and only remedy and in the following Sermons will be represented in his perfumed garments coming out of his Ivory Palaces Psal. 45. 8. to allure and draw all men unto him For a general head to this Use which will be large I have chosen this Scripture Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest These words are the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ himself in which there is a vital ravishing sound 't is your mercy to have such a joyful sound in your ears this day and in them I will consider their dependance parts and scope As to their dependance it is manifest they have an immediate relation to the foregoing verse wherein Christ opens his Commission and declares the fulness of his authority and saving power and the impossibility of coming to God any other way all things are delivered to me of my Eather and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him v. 27. This 28 verse is brought in proleptically to obviate the discouragements of any poor convinced and humbled soul who might thus object Lord I am fully satisfied of the fulness of thy saving power but greatly doubt whether ever I shall have the benefit thereof For I see so much sin and guilt in my self so great vileness andutter unworthiness that I am over-weighed and even sink under the burden of it my soul is discouraged because of sin This objection is prevented in the words of my Text Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden Q. d. let not the sense of your sin and misery drive you from your only remedy be your sins never so many and the sense and burthen of them never so heavy yet for all that come unto me you are the persons whom I invite and call I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In the words three things are especially remarkable 1. The souls spiritual distress and burthen weary and heavy laden 2. It s invitation to Christ under that barthen come unto me 3. It s incouragement to that great duty I will give you rest First The souls spiritual distress and burthen exprest in 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui laboratis scil ad defatigationem usque hac enim Emphasi differt Tò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod in genere significat laborare Piscator in Loc. i. e. Qui sentitis â—…nus peccatorum sub illo tantâ—…
Sermon 10. MAT. 9. 12. But when Jesus heard that he said unto them Text. Wherein the general Exhortation is enforced by one Motive drawn from the first Title of Christ. They that be whole need not a Physician but they that be sick HAving opened in the former discourses the nature and method of the Application of Christ to sinners it remains now that I press it upon every soul as ever it expects peace and pardon from God to apply and put on Jesus Christ i. e. to get union with him by faith whilst he is yet held forth in the free and gracious tenders of the Gospel to which purpose I shall now labour in this general Use of Exhortation in which my last Subject engaged me wherein divers Arguments will be further urged both from The 1. Titles and of Jesus Christ. 2. Priviledges The Titles of Christ are so many Motives or arguments fitted to perswade men to come unto him Amongst which Christ as the Physician of Souls comes under our first Consideration in the Text before us The occasion of these words of Christ was the call of Matthew the Publican who having first opened his Heart next opened his House to Christ and entertains him there this strange and unexpected change wrought upon Matthew quickly rings in all the Neighbourhood and many Publicans and Sinners resorted thither at which the stomachs of the proud Pharisees began to swell from this occasion they took offence at Christ and in this verse Christ takes off the offence by such an answer as was fitted both for their conviction and his own vindication But when Jesus heard that he said unto them The whole have no need of a Physician but they that be sick He gives it saith one as a reason why he conversed so much with Publicans and Sinners and so little among the Pharisees because there was more work for him men set up where they think Trade will be quickest Christ came to be a Physician to sick souls Pharisees were so well in their own conceit that Christ saw he should have little to do among them and so he applied himself to those who were more sensible of their sickness In the words we have an account of the temper and state both Of 1. The secure and unconvinced Sinner 2. The humbled and convinced And 3. Of the Carriage of Christ and his different respect to either  1. First The secure sinner is here described both with respect to his own apprehensions of himself as one that is whole and also by his low value and esteem for Christ he sees no need of him the whole have no need of the Physician 2. Secondly The Convinced and Humbled Sinner is here also described and that both by his state and condition he is sick and by his valuation of Jesus Christ he greatly needs him they that be sick need the Physician 3. Thirdly We have here Christs carriage and different respect to both the former he rejects and passeth by as those with whom he hath no concernment the later he converses with in order to their cure The words thus opened are fruitful in observations I shall neither note nor insist upon any beside this one which fuits the scope of my Discourse viz. DOCT. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Physician for sick souls The world is a great Hospital full of sick and dying souls Doct. all wounded by one and the same mortal weapon sin Some are senseless of their misery feel not their pains value not a Physician others are full of sense as well as danger mourn under the apprehension of their condition and sadly bewail it The merciful God hath in his abundant compassion to the perishing world sent a Physician from Heaven and given him his Orders under the Great Seal of Heaven for his Office Isai. 61. 1 2. which he opened and read in the audience of the people Luke 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach good tydings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted c. He is the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations he is Jehova Rophe the Lord that healeth us and that as he is Jehovah Tzidkenu the Lord our righteousness The Brazen Serpent that healed the Israelites in the Wilderness was an excellent Type of our Great Physician Christ and is expresly applied to him John 3. 14. he rejects none that come and heals all whom he undertakes but more particularly I will First Point at those Diseases which Christ heals in sick souls and by what means he heals them Secondly the excellency of this Physician above all others there is none like Christ he is the only Physician for wounded souls First We will enquire into the Diseases which Christ the Physician cures and they are reducible to two heads 〈◊〉 viz. 1. Sin and 2. Sorrow First The disease of sin in which three things are found exceeding burthensome to sick souls 1. The Guilt of sin all cured by this Physician and how 2. The Dominion 3. The Inherence First The guilt of sin this is a mortal wound a stab in 1. the very heart of a poor sinner 'T is a fond and groundless distinction that Papists make of sins Mortal and Venial all sin in its own nature is mortal Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death yet though it be so in its own nature Christ can and doth cure it by the Soveraign Balfom of his own precious blood Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace This is the deepest and deadliest wound the soul of man feels in this world what is guilt but the obligation of the soul to everlasting punishment and misery It puts the soul under the sentence of God to eternal wrath the condemning sentence of the great and terrible God than which nothing is found more dreadful and insupportable put all pains all poverty all afflictions all miseries in one Scale and Gods condemnation in the other and you weigh but so many Feathers against a talent of Lead This Disease our great Physician Christ cures by Remission which is the dissolving of the obligation to punishment the loosing of the soul that was bound over to the Wrath and Condemnation of God Coll. 2. 13 14. Heb. 6. 12. Micah 7. 17 18 19. this remission being made the soul is immediately cleared from all its obligations to punishment Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation all Bonds are cancelled the guilt of all sins is healed or removed original and actual great and small This cure is performed upon souls by the blood of Christ nothing is found in Heaven or earth besides his blood that is able to heal this disease Heb. 9. 22. Without shedding of blood there is no remission nor is it any blood that will do it but that only which dropt from
all to be administred in his name Church Officers are Commissioned by him Eph. 4. 11. The Judgement of the world in the great day will be administred by him Mat. 25. 31. Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory To conclude Jesus Christ shall have glory and honour ascribed to him for evermore by Angels and Saints upon the account of his Mediatorial work This some Divines call his passive glory the glory which he is to receive from his redeemed ones Rev. 5. 8 9 10. And when he had taken the Book the four Beasts and the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them Harps and golden Vials full of Odours which are the prayers of the Saints and they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation c. And thus you see that our Lord Jesus Christ is upon all accounts the Lord of Glory The Uses follow Inference 1. How wonderful was the love of Christ the Lord of glory to be so abased and humbled as he was for us vile and sinful Inference 1. dust 'T is astonishing to conceive that ever Jesus Christ should strip himself out of his Robes of Glory to cloath himself with the thread-bare tatters of our flesh Oh what a stoop did he make in his incarnation for us If the most magnificent Monarch upon earth had been degraded into a Toad if the Sun in the Heavens had been turned into a wandring Atom if the most glorious Angel in Heaven had been transformed into a silly Fly it had been nothing to the abasement of the Lord of Glory This act is every where celebrated in Scripture as the great mystery the astonishing wonder of the whole world 2 Tim. 3. 16. Phil. 2. 8. Rom. 8. 3. The Lord of glory looked not like himself when he came in the habit of a man Isai. 53. 3. We hid as it were our faces from him nay rather like a worm than a man Psal. 22. 6. A reproach of men and despised of the people The Birds of the air and Beasts of the earth were here provided of better accommodations than the Lord of glory Mat. 8. 20. Oh stupendious abasement Oh love unspeakable Though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8. 9. He put off the Crown of Glory to put on the Crown of Thorns quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior said Bernard the lower he humbled himself for me the dearer he shall be to me Inference 2. How transcendently glorious is the advancement of Believers by their union with the Lord of Glory This also is an admirable Inference 2. and astonishing mystery 't is the highest dignity of which our nature is capable to be hypostatically united and the greatest glory of which our persons are capable to be mystically united to this Lord of Glory to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh O what is this Christian dost thou know and believe all this and thy heart not burn within thee in love to Christ O then what a heart hast thou What art thou by nature but sinful dust a loathsom sinner viler than the vilest Toad cast out to the loathing of thy person in the day of thy nativity O that ever the Lord of Glory should unite himself to such a lump of vileness take such a wretch into his very bosom Be astonished O Heavens and earth at this this is the great mystery which the Angels stoopt down to look into Such an honour as this could never have entred into the heart of man it would have seemed a rude blasphemy in us once to have thought or spoken of such a thing had not Christ made the first motion thereof Yet how long didst thou make this Lord of Glory wait upon thy undetermined will before he gained thy consent Might he not justly have spurned thee into Hell upon thy first refusal and never have made thee such another offer Wilt thou not say Lord what am I and what is my Fathers house that so great a King should stoop so far beneath himself to such a worm as I am That strength should unite it self to weakness infinite glory to such baseness O grace grace for ever to be admired Inference 3. Is Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory then let no man count Inference 3. himself dishonoured by suffering the vilest indignities for his sake the Lord of Glory puts glory upon the very sufferings you undergo in this world for him Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11. 26. He cast a Kingdom at his heels to be crowned with reproaches for the name of Christ. The Diadem of Egypt was not half so glorious as self-denial for Christ. This Lord of Glory freely degraded himself for thee wilt thou stand huckling with him upon terms 'T is certainly your honour to be dishonoured for Christ Act. 5. 41. To you it is given in behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1. 29. The gift of suffering is there matched with the gift of faith 't is given as an honorarium a badge of Honour to suffer for the Lord of Glory as all have not the honour to wear the Crown of Glory in Heaven so few have the honour to wear the chain of Christ upon earth Thuanus Cur me non quoque torque donas insi nis hujus ordinis mili em creas Thuanus reports of Lodovicus Marsacus a Knight of France that being led to suffer with other Martyrs who were bound and he unbound because a person of Honour he cryed out Why don't you honour me with a Chain too and create me a Knight of that Noble Order My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Jam. 1. 2. i. e. tryals by sufferings David thought it an honour to be vile for God and that 's a true observation that disgrace it self is glorious when endured for the Lord of Glory Inference 4. Is Christ the Lord of Glory How glorious then shall the Saints one day be when they shall be made like this glorious Inference 4. Lord and partake of his glory in Heaven John 17. 22. the glory which thou gavest me I have given them yea the vile bodies of Believers shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. 21. What glory then will be communicated to their souls True his essential glory is incommunicable but there is a glory which Christ will communicate to his people When he comes to judge the world he will come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1. 10. Where he seemeth to account his social glory which shall
before his face but the merciful God casts them all behind his back never to behold them more so as to charge them upon his pardoned people And thus you see what the pardon of sin is what the price that purchaseth pardon is and what riches of grace God manifesteth in the remission of Believers sins which were the things to be explained and opened in the Doctrinal part The improvement of the whole you will have in the following Uses Inference 1. If this be so that all Believers and none but Believers receive Inference 1. the remission of their sins through the riches of grace by the blood of Christ What a happy condition then are Believers in Those that never felt the load of sin may make light of a pardon but so cannot you that have been in the deeps of trouble and fear about it those that have been upon the rack of an accusing and condemning Conscience as David Heman and many of the Saints have been can never sufficiently value a pardon Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Psal. 32. 1 2. or O the blessednesses and felicities of the pardoned man as the Hebrew sounds Remission cannot but appear the wonder of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercies if we consider through what difficulties the grace of God makes way for it to our souls what strong bars the love of God breaks asunder to open our way to this priviledge for there can be no pardon without a Mediator no other Mediator but the Son of God the Son of God cannot discharge our debts but by taking them upon himself as our surety and making full payment by bearing the wrath of God for us and when all this is done there can be no actual pardon except the spirit of grace open our blind eyes break our hard hearts and draw them to Christ in the way of believing And as the mercy of remission comes to us through wonderful difficulties so it is in it self a compleat and perfect mercy God would not be at such vast expence of the riches of his grace Christ would not lay out the invaluable treasures of his precious blood to procure a cheap and common blessing for us Rejoyce then ye pardoned souls God hath done great things for you for which you have cause to be glad Inference 2. Hence it follows That interest in Christ by faith brings the Inference 2. Conscience of a Believer into a state of rest and peace Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God I say not that every Believer is presently brought into actual peace and tranquillity of Conscience there may be many fears and much trouble even in a pardoned soul but this is an undoubted truth that faith brings the pardoned soul into that condition and state where he may find perfect rest in his Conscience with respect to the guilt and danger of sin The blood of Christ sprinkles us from an evil that is an accusing condemning Conscience We are apt to fear that this or that special sin which hath most terrified and affrighted our Consciences is not forgiven but if there be riches enough in the grace of God and efficacy enough in the blood of Christ then the sins of Believers all their sins great as well as small one as well as another without limitation or exception are pardoned For let us but consider if God remits no sin to any man but with respect to the blood of Christ then all sins are pardoned as well as any one sin because the dignity and desert of that blood is infinite and as much deserves an universal pardon for all sins as the particular pardon of any even the least sin Moreover remission is an act of Gods Fatherly love in Christ and if it be so then certainly no sin of any Believer can be retained or excluded from pardon for then the same soul should be in the favour of God so far as it is pardoned and out of the favour of God so far as it is unpardoned and all this at one and the same instant of time which is a thing both repugnant to it self and to the whole stream of the Gospel To Conclude what is the design and end of remission but the saving of the pardoned soul But if any sin be retained or excluded from pardon the retaining of that sin must needs irritate and void the pardon of all other sins and so the acts of God must cross and contradict each other and the design and end of God miscarry and be lost which can never be So then we conclude faith brings the believing soul into a state of rest and peace Inference 3. Hence it also follows That no remission is to be expected by any Inference 3. soul without interest by faith in Jesus Christ no Christ no pardon no faith no Christ. Yet how apt are many poor deluded souls to expect pardon in that way where never any soul yet did or ever can meet it Some look for pardon from the absolute mercy of God without any regard to the blood of Christ or their interest therein we have sinned but God is merciful Some expect remission of sin by vertue of their own duties not Christs merits I have sinned but I will repent restore reform and God will pardon but little do such men know how they therein diminish the evil of sin undervalue the justice of God slight the blood of Christ and put an undoing cheat upon their own souls for-ever to expect pardon from absolute mercy or our own duties is to knock at the wrong dore which God hath shut up to all the world Rom. 3. 20. Whilst these two principles abide firm that the price of pardon is only in the blood of Christ and the benefit of pardon only by the application of his blood to us this must remain a sure conclusion that no remission is to be expected by any soul without interest by faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance restitution and reformation are excellent duties in their kind and in their proper places but they were never meant for saviours or satisfactions to God for sin Inference 4. If the riches of grace be thus manifested in the pardon of sin Inference 4. how vile an abuse is it of the grace of God to take the more liberty to sin because grace abounds in the pardon of it Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid Rom. 6. 1 2. Will no cheaper stuff than the grace of God serve to make a cloak for sin O vile abuse of the most excellent thing in the whole world did Christ shed his blood to expiate our guilt and dare we make that a plea to extenuate our guilt God forbid If it be intolerable ingratitude among men to requite good with evil sure that sin must want a name bad enough to express it which puts the greatest
dishonour upon God for the greatest mercy that ever was given by God to the world there is mercy with thee saith the Psalmist that thou maist be feared not that thou maist be the more abused Psal. 130. 4. Nay let me say the Devils never sinned at this rate they cannot abuse the pardoning grace of God because such grace was never offered unto them And certainly if the abuse of the common mercies of God as meat and drink by gluttony and drunkenness be an hainous sin and highly provoking to God then the abuse of the riches of his grace and the precious blood of his Son must be out of measure sinful and the greatest affront we can put upon the God of mercy Inference 5. To Conclude If this be so as ever you expect pardon and Inference 5. mercy from God come to Christ in the way of faith receive and embrace him now in the tenders of the Gospel To drive home this great Exhortation I beseech you as in the bowels of Christ Jesus and by all the regard and value you have for your own souls let these following Considerations sink down into your hearts First That all Christless persons are actually under the condemnation of God John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already and it must needs be so for every soul is concluded under the curse of the Law till Christ make him free John 8. 36. Till we are in Christ we are dead by Law and when we believe unto justification then we pass from death to life A blind mistaken Conscience may possibly acquit you but assure your selves God condemns you Secondly Consider what a terrible thing it is to lye under the condemnation of God the most terrible things in nature cannot shadow forth the misery of such a state Put all sicknesses all poverty all reproaches the torments invented by all Tyrants into one Scale and the condemnation of God into the other and they will be all found lighter than a Feather Condemnation is the sentence of God the great and terrible God 'T is a sentence shutting you up to everlasting wrath 't is a sentence never to be reversed but by the application of Christ in the season thereof O souls you cannot bear the wrath of God you do not understand it if you think it tolerable one drop of it upon your Consciences now is enough to distract you in the midst of all the pleasures and comforts of this world yet all that are out of Christ are sentenced to the fulness of Gods wrath for ever Thirdly There is yet a possibility of escaping the wrath to come a dore of hope opened to the worst of sinners a day of grace is afforded to the Children of men Heb. 3. 15. God declares himself unwilling that any should perish 2 Pet. 3. 9. O what a mercy is this Who that is on this side Heaven or Hell fully understands the worth of it Fourthly This dore of mercy will be shortly shut Luk. 12. 25. God hath many ways to shut it he sometimes shuts it by withdrawing the means of grace and removing the Candlesticks a judgement at this time to be greatly feared Sometimes shuts he it by withdrawing his Spirit and blessing from the means whereby all Ordinances lose their efficacy 1 Cor. 3. 7. But if he shut it not by removing the means of grace from you certain it is it will be shortly shut by your removal from all the means and opportunities by Salvation by death Fifthly When once the dore of mercy is shut you are gone beyond all the possibilities of pardon and salvation for evermore the night is then come in which no man can work John 9. 4. All the golden seasons you now enjoy will be irrecoverably gone out of your reach Sixthly Pardons are now daily granted to others some and they once as far from mercy as you now are are at this day reading their pardons with tears of joy dropping upon them The world is full of the examples and instances of the riches of pardoning grace And whatever is needful for you to do in the way of repentance and faith to obtain your pardon how easily shall it be done if once the day of Gods power come upon you Psal. 110. 3. Oh therefore lift up your cries to Heaven give the Lord no rest take no denial till he open the blind eye break the stony heart open and bow the stubborn will effectually draw thy soul to Christ and deliver thy pardon signed in his blood The Seventeenth SERMON Sermon 17. EPHES. 1. 6. Text. Opening the eighth motive to come to Christ drawn from the second benefit purchased by Christ for Believers To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved IN our last discourse we opened to you the blessed priviledge of remission of sin from the following verse in this verse lies another glorious priviledge viz. the acceptation that Believers have with God through Jesus Christ both which comprise as the two main branches our justification before God In the words read to omit many things that might be profitably observed from the method and dependance of the Apostles discourse three particulars are observable viz. 1. The Priviledge it self 2. The Meritorous Cause 3. The ultimate end thereof First The priviledge it self which is exceeding rich and 1. sweet in its own nature he hath made us accepted the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath ingratiated us or brought us into the grace favour and acceptance of God the Father endeared us to him so that we find grace in his sight Secondly The meritorious cause purchasing and procuring this benefit for us noted in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2. the beloved which words are a periphrasis of Christ who is here emphatically called the Beloved the great favorite of Heaven the delight of Gods soul the prime object of his love 't is he that obtaineth this benefit for Believers he is accepted for his own sake and we for his Thirdly The ultimate end and aim of conferring this benefit upon Believers to the praise of the glory of his grace or 3. to the end that his grace might be made glorious in praises there are riches of grace in this act of God and the work and business of Believers both in this world and in that to come is to search and admire aknowledge and magnifie God for his abundant grace herein Hence the note is DOCT. That Jesus Christ hath purchased and procured special favour Doct. and acceptation with God for all that are in him This point lies plain in Scripture Ephes. 2. 13. But now in Jesus Christ ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made nigh a term of endearedness nothing is taken into the very bosom and embraces but what is very dear precious and acceptable and in Rev. 1. 5 6.
fortior one Believer can do much many can do more when Daniel designed to get the knowledge of that secret hinted in the obscure dream of the King which none but the God of Heaven could make known it 's said Dan. 2. 17. Then Daniel went to his House and made the thing known to Hanania Mishael and Azaria his Companions that they would desire mercies of the God of Heaven concerning this secret The benefit of such assistance in prayer by the help of other favourites with God is plainly intimated by Jesus Christ unto us Mat. 18. 19. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven God sometimes stands upon a number of voices for the carrying of some publick mercy because he delighteth in the harmony of many praying souls and also loves to oblige and gratifie many in the answer and return of the same prayer I know this usage is grown too formal and complemental among Professors but certainly it is a great advantage to be inward with them who are so with God St. Bernard prescribing rules for effectual prayer closes them up with this wish cum talis fueris memento mei when thy heart is in this frame then remember me Inference 2. If Believers be such favourites in Heaven in what a desperate Inference 2. condition is that Cause and those Persons against whom the generality of Believers are daily engaged in prayers and cries to Heaven Certainly Rome shall feel the dint and force of the many millions of prayers that are gone up to Heaven from the Saints for many generations the cries of the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus joyned with the cries of thousands of Believers will bring down vengeance at last upon the Man of sin 'T is said Rev. 8. 4 5 6. That the smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand and immediately it is added vers 5. And the Angel took the Censer and filled it with fire of the Altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and earth-quakes and the seven Angels which had the seven Trumpets prepared themselves to sound The prayer of a single Saint is sometimes followed with wonderful effects Psal. 18. 6 7. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my voice out of his Temple and my cry came before him even into his ears then the earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth what then can a thundring legion of such praying souls do It was said of Luther iste vir potuit cum Deo quicquid voluit that man could have of God what he would his enemies felt the weight of his prayers and the Church of God reaped the benefits thereof The Queen of Scots professed she was more afraid of the Prayers of Mr. Knox than of an army of ten thousand men these were mighty wrestlers with God howsoever contemned and vilified among their enemies There Jacobus Lanigius the Sorbone Doctor who wrote the lives of Luther Knox and Calvin speaks as if the Devil had hired his pen to abuse those precious servants of Christ. will a time come when God will hear the prayers of his people who are continually crying in his ears How long Lord how long Inference 3. Let no Believer be dejected at the contempts and slightings of Inference 3. men so long as they stand in the grace and favour of God it is the lot of the best men to have the worst usage in this world those of whom the world was not worthy are not thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e the sweepings of the house the filth wiped off any thing Erasmus the dirt that sticks to the Shoos Valla the dung of the Belly as the Syriack translates The condemned man that was tumbled from a steep Rock into the Sea as a sacrifice to Neptune was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Budeus Sit pro nobis 〈◊〉 worthy to live in the world Heb. 11. 38. Paul and his Companions were men of choice and excellent spirits yet saith he 1 Cor 4. 13. Being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day they are words signifying the basest contemptiblest and most abhorred things among men How is Heaven and Earth divided in their Judgements and estimations of the Saints those whom men call filth and dirt God calls a peculiar Treasure a Crown of Glory a Royal Diadem But trouble not thy self Believer for the unjust censures of the blind world they speak evil of the things they know not he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man 1 Cor. 2. 14. You can discern the earthliness and baseness of their spirits they want a faculty to discern the excellency and choiceness of your spirits He that carries a dark Lanthorn in the night can discern him that comes against him and yet is not discerned by him a Courtier regards not a slight in the Country so long as he hath the ear and favour of his Prince Inference 4. Never let Believers fear the want of any good thing necessary Inference 4. for them in this world the favour of God is the fountain of all blessings provisions protections even of all that you need He hath promised that he will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly Psal. 84. 11. He that is bountiful to his enemies will not withhold what is good from his friends The favour of God will not only supply your needs but protect your persons Psal. 5. 12. Thou wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield Inference 5. Hence also it follows that the sins of Believers are very piercing Inference 5. things to the heart of God The unkindness of those whom he hath received into his very bosom upon whom he hath set his special favour and delight who are more obliged to him than all the people of the earth beside O this wounds the very heart of God What a melting expostulation was that which the Lord used with David 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. I anointed thee King over all Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy masters house and thy masters wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and Juda and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord But Reader if thou be a reconciled person a favourite with God and hast grieved him by any eminent transgression how should it melt thy heart to hear the Lord thus expostulating with thee I delivered thee out of
they live so securely and pleasantly as they do in a state of so much danger and misery 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. The God of this world blinds the eyes of them that believe not Thirdly You have seen what the life of the unregenerate is and what maintains that life in the next place I shall 3. give you evidence that this is the life the generality of the world do live a life of carnal security vain hope and false joy this will evidently appear if we consider First The activity and liveliness of mens spirits in pursuit of the world O how lively and vigorous are their hearts in the management of earthly designs Psal. 6. 4. Who will shew us any good The world eats up their hearts time and strength Now this could never be if their eyes were but opened to see the danger and misery their souls be in how few designs for the world run in the thoughts of a condemned man O if God had ever made the light of conviction to shine into their Consciences certainly the temptations would lye the quite contrary way even in too great a neglect of things of this life but this briskness and liveliness plainly shews the great security which is upon most men Secondly The marvellous quietness and stillness that is in the thoughts and consciences of men about their everlasting concernments plainly shews this to be the life of the unregenerate how few scruples doubts or fears shall you hear from them how many years may a man live in carnal families before he shall hear such a question as this seriously propounded What shall I do to be saved There are no questions in their lips because no fear or sense of danger in their hearts Thirdly The general contentedness and profest willingness of carnal men to dye gives clear evidence that such a life of security and vain hope is the life they live Like sheep they are laid in the grave Psal. 49. 14. O how quiet and still are their Consciences when there are but a few breaths more between them and everlasting burnings Had God opened their eyes to apprehend the consequences of death and what follows the pale Horse Rev. 6. 8. it were impossible but that every unregenerate man should make that bed on which he dies shake and tremble under him Fourthly and Lastly The low esteem men have for Christ and the total neglect of at least the meer trifling with those duties in which he is to be found plainly discovers this stupid secure life to be the life that the generality of the world do live for were men sensible of the disease of sin there could be no quieting them without Christ the Physician Phil. 3. 8. All the business they have to do in this world could never keep them from their knees or make them strangers to their Closets all which and much more that might be said of like nature gives too full and clear proof to this sad assertion that this is the life the unregenerate world generally lives Fourthly In the last place I would speak a few words to 4. discover the danger of such a life as hath been described to which purpose let the following brief hints be minded seriously First By these things souls are inevitably betrayed into Hell and eternal ruine this blinding is in order to damning 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded those that are turned over into eternal death are thus generally mop't and hoodwinkt in order thereunto Isai. 6. 9 10. And he said go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed Secondly As damning is the event of blinding so nothing makes Hell a more terrible surprise to the soul than this doth by this means the wrath of God is felt before its danger be apprehended a man is past all hope before he begins to have any fear his eternal ruine like a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall cometh suddenly at an instant Isa. 30. 13. And as it damns surely and surprizingly so Thirdly Nothing more aggravates a mans damnation than to sink suddenly into it from amidst so many hopes and high confidence of safety for a man to find himself in Hell when he thought and concluded himself within a step of Heaven O what a Hell will it be to such men the higher their vain hopes lifted them up the more dreadful must their fall be Mat. 7. 22. And as it damns surely surprizingly and with highest aggravations So Fourthly This life of security and vain hope frustrates all the means of recovery and salvation in the only season wherein they can be useful and beneficial to us by reason of these things the word hath no power to convince mens Consciences nothing can bring them to a sight and sense of their condition therefore Christ told the self-confident and blind Jews Mat. 21. 21. That the Publicans and Harlots go into the kingdom of God before them and the reason is because their hearts lye more open and fair to the strokes of conviction and compunction for sin than those do who are blinded by vain hopes and confidences Inference 1. Is this the life that the unregenerate world lives then it is not to be wondered at that the preaching of the Gospel hath so Inference 1. little success who hath believed our report saith the Prophet and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Isai. 53. 1. Ministers study for truths apt to awaken and convince the Consciences of them that hear them but their words return again to them they turn to God and mourn over the matter we have laboured in vain and spent our strength for nought and this is the cause of all security and vain hopes bar fast the dores of mens hearts against all the convictions and perswasions of the word the greater cause have they to admire the grace of God who have or shall find the convictions of the word sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit to whose hearts God brings home the Commandment by an effectual application Inference 2. If this be the life of the unregenerate world what deadly enemies Inference 2. are they that nourish and strengthen the groundless confidences and vain hopes of salvation in men This the Scripture calls the healing of the hurt of souls slightly by crying peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. 14. the sowing of Pillows under their arm holes Ezech. 13. 18. that they may lye soft and easie under the Ministry and this is the Doctrine which the people love but O what will the end of these things be
destroy the usefulness of humane teachings Subordinata non pugnant the teachings of men are made effectual by the teachings of the Spirit and the Spirit in his teachings will use and honour the Ministry of man Thirdly But to speak positively the teachings of God are nothing else but that spiritual and heavenly light by which the Spirit of God shineth into the hearts of men to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 4. 6. and though this be the proper work of the Spirit yet it is called the teachings of the Father because the Spirit who enlightens us is commissionated and sent by the Father so to do Joh. 14. 26. Now these teachings of the Spirit of God consist in two things viz. In his 1. Sanctifying impressions 2. Gracious assistances First In his Sanctifying impressions or regenerating works upon the soul by vertue whereof it receives marvellous light and insight in spiritual things and that not only as illumination is the first act of the spirit in our conversion Col. 3. 10. but as his whole work of sanctification is Illuminative and instructive to the converted soul 1 Joh. 2. 27. the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you the meaning is that Sanctification gives the soul experience of those Mysterious things which are contained in the Scriptures and that experienâ—… the most excellent key to unlock and open those deep Scripture Mysteries no knowledge is so distinct so clear so sweet as that which the heart communicates to the head Joh. 7. 17. if any man do his will he shall know the doctrine a man that never read the nature of love in books of Philosophy nor the transports and ecstasies thereof in History may yet truly describe and express it by the sensible motions of that passion in his own soul yea he that hath felt much better understands than he that hath only read or heard O what a light doth spiritual sense and experience cast upon a great part of the Scriptures for indeed sanctification is the very copy or transcript of the Word of God upon the heart of man Jer. 31. 33. I will write my Law in their heart so that the Scriptures and the experiences of believers by this means answer to each other as the lines and letters in the Press answer to the impressions made upon the paper or the figures in the wax to the engravings in the Seal When a Sanctified man reads David's Psalms or Pauls Epistles how is he surprised with wonder to find the very workings of his own heart so exactly decyphered and fully expressed there Oh saith he this is my very case these holy men speak what my very heart hath felt Secondly The Spirit of God teacheth us as by his sanctifying impressions so by his gracious assistances which he gives us pro re nata as our need requires Matth. 10. 19. it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak Joh. 14. 26. he shall bring all things to your remembrance he assisteth both the understanding in due apprehensions of truth and the heart in the spiritual improvements of truth and so much briefly of the first particular Secondly In the next place we are to enquire what those special truths are which believers hear and learn of the father 2. when they come to Christ. And there are divers great and necessary truths wherein the Spirit enlightens men in that day I cannot say they are all taught every believer in the same degree and order but it is certain they are taught of God such lessons as these are which they never so understood before Lesson 1. First They are taught of God that there is abundantly more evil in their sinful natures and actions than ever they discerned or understood before the Spirit when he cometh shall convince the world of sin John 16. 8 9. Men have a general notion of sin before so had Paul when a Pharisee but how vastly different were his apprehensions of sin from all that ever he had in his natural state when God brought home the Commandment to his very heart There is a threefold knowledge of Sin viz. Traditional discursive and intuitive The First is in the more rude and illiterate multitude The Second in more rational and knowing men The Third is only found in those that are enlightned and taught of God and there is as great a difference betwixt this intuitive knowledge of sin whereby God makes a soul to discern the nature and evil of it in a spiritual light and the two former as there is betwixt the sight of a painted Lyon upon the wall and the sight of a living Lyon that meets us roaring in the way The intuitive sight of sin is another thing than men imagine it to be 't is such a sight as wounds a man to the very heart Acts 2. 37. for God doth not only shew a man this or that particular sin but in the day of conviction he sets all his sins in order before him Psal. 50. 21. yea the Lord shews him the sinfulness of his nature as well as practice Conviction diggs to the root shews and layes open that original corruption from whence the innumerable evils of the life do spring Jam. 1. 14 15. and which is yet more the Lord shews the man whom he is bringing to Christ the sinful and miserable state which he is in by reason of both Joh. 16. 9. and now all excuses pleas and defences of sin are gone he shews them how their iniquities have exceeded Job 36. 8 9. exceeded in number and in aggravation of sinfulness exceeding many and exceeding vile no such sinner in the world as I can such sins as mine be pardoned the greatness of God greatens my sin the holiness of God makes it beyond measure vile the goodness of God puts unconceivable weight into my guilt O can there be mercy with God for such a wretch as I if there be then there will not be a greater example of the riches of free grace in all the world than I am thus God teacheth the evil of sin Lesson 2. Secondly God teacheth the soul whom he is bringing to Christ what that wrath and misery is which hangs over it in the threatnings because of sin Scripture threatnings were formerly slighted now the soul trembles at them they once apprehended themselves safe enough Isa. 28. 15. Psal. 50. 21. they thought because they heard no more of their sins after the Commission of them that therefore they should never hear more that the effect had been as transient a thing as the act of sin was or if trouble must follow sin they should speed no worse than others the generality of the world being in the same case and beside they hoped to find God more merciful than sowre and precise preachers
represented him but when a light from God enters into the soul to discover the nature of God and of sin then it sees that whatever wrath is treasured up for sinners in the dreadful threatnings of the Law is but the just demerit of sin the recompence that is meet the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. ult the penal evil of damnation is but equal to the moral evil of sin So that in the whole Ocean of Gods eternal wrath there is not one drop of injustice yea the soul doth not only see the Justice of God in its eternal damnation but the wonderful mercy of God in the suspension thereof so long O what is it that hath withheld God from damning me all this while how is it that I am not in hell Now do the fears and awful apprehensions of eternity seize the soul and the worst of sensitive creatures is supposed to be in a better condition than such a soul never do men tremble at the threatnings of God nor rightly apprehend the danger of their condition until sin and wrath and the wages of sin be discovered to them by a light from heaven Lesson 3. Thirdly God teaches the soul whom he brings to Christ that deliverance from sin and wrath to come is the greatest and most important business it hath to do in this world Acts 16. 30. what must I do to be saved q. d. O direct me to some effectual way if there be any to secure my poor wretched soul from the wrath of God Sin and the wrath that follows it are things that swallow up the souls and drink up the very spirit of men their thoughts never conversed with things of more confessed truth and awful solemnity these things float not upon their fancies as matters of meer speculation but settle upon their hearts day and night as the deepest concernment in all the world they now know much better than any meer Scholar the deep sense of that Text Matth. 16. 26. what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Five things shew how weighty the thoughts and cares of salvation are upon their hearts First Their continual thoughtfulness and solicitude about these things if earthly affairs divert them for a while yet they are still returning again to this solemn business Secondly Their careful redeeming of time and saving the very moments thereof to employ about this work those that were prodigal of hours and dayes before look upon every moment of time as a precious and valuable thing now Thirdly Their fears and tremblings lest they should miscarry and come short at last shew how much their hearts are set upon this work Fourthly Their inquisitiveness and readiness to embrace all the help and assistance that they can get from others evidently discovers this to be their great design Fifthly and Lastly The little notice they take of all other troubles and afflictions tells you their hearts are taken up about greater things This is the third Lesson they are taught of God Lesson 4. Fourthly The Lord teaches the soul that is coming to Christ that though it be their duty to strive to the uttermost for salvation yet all strivings in their own strength are insufficient to obtain it This work is quite above the power of nature 't is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy the soul is brought to a full Conviction of this by the discovery of the heinous nature of sin and of the rigour and severity of the Law of God no repentance nor reformation can possibly amount unto a just satisfaction nor are they within the compass and power of our will It was a saying that Dr. Hill often used to his friends speaking about the power of mans will he would lay his hand upon his breast and say every man hath something here to confute the Arminian doctrine this fully takes off the soul from all expectations of deliverance that way it cannot but strive that is its duty but to expect deliverance as the purchase of its own strivings that would be its sin Lesson 5. Fifthly The soul that is coming to Christ by faith is taught of God that though the case it is in be sad yet it is not desperate and remediless there is a door of hope a way of escape for poor sinners how black and fearful soever their own thoughts and apprehensions are There is usually at this time a dawning light of hope in the soul that is under the fathers teachings and this commonly arises from the general and indefinite incouragements and promises of the Gospel which though they do not presently secure the soul from danger yet they prop and mightily support it against despair for though they be not certain that deliverance shall be the event of their trouble yet the possibilities and much more the probabilities of deliverance are a great stay to the sinking soul the troubled soul cannot but acknowledge it self to be in a far better case than the damned are whose hopes are perished from the Lord and a death-pang of despair hath seised their Consciences and herein the merciful and compassionate nature of God is eminently discovered in haftening to open the door of hope almost as soon as the evil of sin is opened it was not long after Adams eyes were opened to see his misery that God opened Christ his remedy in that first promise Gen. 3. 15. and the same method of grace is still continued to his Elect off-spring Gal. 3. 21 22. Rom. 3. 21 22. these supporting hopes the Lord sees necessary to encourage industry in the use of means 't is hope that sets all the world awork if all hope were cut off every soul would sit down in a sullen despair yielding it self for hell Lesson 6. The Lord teaches those that come to Christ that there is a fulness of saving power in him whereby any soul that duely receives him may be perfectly delivered from all its sin and misery Heb. 7. 25. Col. 1. 19. Mat. 28. 18. this is a great and necessary point for every Believer to learn and hear from the Father for unless the soul be satisfied of the fulness of Christs saving power it will never move forward towards him and herein also the goodness of God is most sweetly and seasonably manifested for at this time 't is the great design of Satan to fill the soul with despairing thoughts of a pardon but all those black and heart-sinking thoughts vanish before the discovery of Christs alsufficiency Now the sin-sick soul saith with that woman Mat. 9. 21. If I may but touch the hem of his Garment I shall be healed how deep soever the guilt and stain of sin be yet the soul which acknowledges the infinite dignity of the blood of Christ the offering of it up to God in our room and Gods declared satisfaction in it must
nature but is a pure work of creation The heathen Philosophers could neither understand nor acknowledge the creation of the world because that notion was repugnant to this maxime of reason ex nihilo nihil fit out of nothing nothing can be made thus did they insanire cum ratione befool themselves with their own reasonings and after the same manner some great pretenders to reason among us voting it an absurdity to affirm that the work of grace is not virtually and potentially contained in nature the new Creation in the old Fourthly It was the vertue and efficacy of the spirit of God which gave the natural world its being by Creation Gen. 1. 2. the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters it hovered over the chaos as the wings of a bird do over her eggs as the same word is rendred Deut. 32. 11. cherishing as it were by incubation that rude mass by a secret quickening influence by which it drew all the Creatures into their several forms and particular natures So it is in the new Creation a quickning influence must come from the spirit of God or else the new creature can never be formed in us Joh. 3. 8. So is every one that is born of the Spirit and ver 6. that which is born of the spirit is spirit Fifthly The word of God was the instrument of the first creation Psal. 33. 6 9. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth for he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast the word of God is also the instrument of the new Creation or work of Grace in man 1 Pet. 1. 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever So James 1. 18. Of his own will beg at he us with the word of truth of his own will that was the impulsive cause with the word of truth that is the instrumental cause great respect and honour love and delight is due to the word upon this account that it is the instrument of our regeneration or new Creation Sixthly The same power which created the world still under-props and supports it in its being the world owes its conservation as well as its existence to the power of God without which it could not subsist one moment Just so it is with the new Creation which entirely depends upon the preserving power which first formed it Jude ver 1. Preserved in Christ Jesus and 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who were kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation as in a natural way we live move and have our being in God Acts 17. 28. so in a spiritual way we continue believing repenting loving and delighting in God without whose continued influence upon our souls we could do neither Seventhly In a word God surveyed the first Creation with complacence and great delight he beheld the work of his hands and approved them as very good Gen. 1. 31. so is it also in the second creation nothing pleaseth and delights God more than the works of grace in the souls of his people it is not any outward priviledge of nature or gift of Providence which commends any man to God circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but a new creature Gal. 6. 15. And thus you see upon what grounds the work of regeneration in man is stiled a new Creature which was the first thing to be opened Secondly Next we must enquire in what respects every soul that is in Christ is renewed or made a new Creature 2. and here we shall find a threefold renovation of every man that is in Christ viz. He is renewed 1. In his state and Condition 2. In his frame and Constitution 3. In his practice and Conversation First He is renewed in his state and condition for he passeth from death to life in his Justification 1 Joh. 3. 14. he was condemned by the Law he is now Justified freely by grace through the redemption which is in Christ he was under the curse of the first Covenant he is under the blessing of the new Covenant he was afar off but is now made nigh unto God an alien a stranger once now of the houshold of God Eph. 2. 12 13. O blessed change from a sad to a sweet and comfortable condition There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. Secondly Every man in Christ is renewed in his frame and constitution all the faculties and affections of his soul are renewed by regeneration his understanding was dark but now is light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. his conscience was dead and secure or full of guilt and horrour but is now become tender watchful and full of peace Heb. 9. 14. his will was rebellious stubborn and inflexible but is now made obedient and complying with the will of God Psal. 110. 2. his desires did once pant and spend themselves in the pursuit of vanities now they are set upon God Isa. 26. 8. his Love did fondly dote upon ensnaring earthly objects now it is swallowed up in the infinite excellencies of God and Christ Psal. 119. 97. his joy was once in trifles and things of nought now his rejoycing is in Christ Jesus Phil. 3. 3. his fears once were versant about noxious creatures now God is the object of the fear of reverence Act. 9. 31. and sin the object of the fear of caution 2 Cor. 7. 11. his hopes and expectations were only from the world present but now from that to come Heb. 6. 19. Thus the soul in its faculties and affections is renewed which being done the members and senses of the body must needs be destinated and imployed by it in new services no more to be the weapons of unrighteousness but instruments of service to Jesus Christ Rom. 6. 19. and thus all that are in Christ are renewed in their frame and constitution Thirdly The man in Christ is renewed in his practice and Conversation the manner of operation alwayes follows the nature of beings now the regenerate not being what they were cannot walk and act as once they did Eph. 2. 1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were once dead in trespasses and sins wherein ye walked according to the course of this world c. they were carryed away like water by the strength of the tyde by the influence of their own corrupt natures and the customes and examples of the world but the case is now altered So in 1 Cor. 6. 11. the Apostle shews believers their old companions in sin and tells them such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified c. q. d. the world is now well altered with you thanks be to the grace of God for it This wonderful change of practice which is so universal and remarkable in all the regenerate and immediately consequent to their conversion sets
be in Christ he is a new creature O Reader what ever slight thoughts of this matter and with what a careless and unconcerned eye soever thou readest these lines yet know thou must either be a new creature or a miserable and damned creature for ever If civility without the new creature could save thee why are not the moral Heathens saved also if strictness of life without the new creature could save thee why did it not save the Scribes and Pharisees also if an high profession of Religion without the new creature can save thee why did it not save Judas Hymeneus and Philetus also Nothing is more evident than this that no repentance obedience self-denyal prayers tears reformations or ordinances without the new creation avail any thing to the salvation of thy soul the very blood of Christ himself without the new creature never did and never will save any man Oh how necessary a work is the new creation circumcision avails nothing and uncircumcision nothing but a new creature Fifthly The new Creature is a marvellous and wonderful creature there are many wonders in the first creation the works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Psal. 111. 2. but there are no wonders in nature like those in grace is it not the greatest wonder that ever was seen in the world except the incarnation of the Son of God to see the nature and temper of man so altered and changed as it is by grace to see Lascivious Corinthians and Idolatrous Ephesians become mortified and Heavenly Christians to see a fierce and cruel persecutor become a glorious confessor and sufferer for Christ Gal. 1. 23. to see the carnal-mind of man which was lately fully set in a strong bent to the world to be wholly taken off from its lusts and set upon things that are spiritual and heavenly certainly it was not a greater miracle to see dead Lazarus come out of his Sepulchre than it is to see the dead and carnal mind coming out of its Lusts to embrace Jesus Christ. It was not a greater wonder to see the dead dry bones in the vally to move and come together than it is to see a dead soul moving after God and moving to Christ in the way of faith Sixthly The new creature is an immortal creature a creature that shall never see death Joh. 4. 14. it is in the soul of man a well of water springing up into eternal life I will not adventure to say it is immortal in its own nature for it is but a creature as my Text calls it and we know that essential interminability is the incommunicable property of God the new creature hath both a beginning and succession and therefore might also have an end as to any thing in it self or its own nature experience also shews us that it is capable both of increasing and decreasing and may be brought nigh unto death Rev. 3. 2. the works of the spirit in believers may be ready to dye but though its perpetuity flow not out of its own nature it flows out of Gods Covenant and promises which make it an immortal Creature when all other excellencies in man go away as at death they will Job 4. 21. this excellency only remains our gifts may leave us our friends leave us our estates leave us but our graces will never leave us they ascend with the soul in which they inhere into glory when the stroke of death separates it from the body Seventhly The new Creature is an heavenly creature 't is not born of flesh nor of blood or of the will of man but of God Joh. 1. 13. its descent and original is heavenly it is spirit born of spirit Joh. 3. 6. its center is heaven and thither are all its tendencies Psal. 63. 8. its proper food on which it lives are heavenly things Psal. 4. 6 7. it cannot feed as other creatures do upon earthly things the object of all its delights and loves is in heaven Psal. 73. 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee the hopes and expectations of the new creature are all from heaven it looks for little in this world but waits for the coming of the Lord the life of the new creature upon earth is a life of patient waiting for Christ his desires and longings are after Heaven Phil. 1. 23. The flesh indeed lingers and would delay but the new creature hastens and would fain be gone 2 Cor. 5. 2. it is not at home while it is here it came from Heaven and cannot be quiet nor suffer the soul in which it dwells to be so until it comes thither again Eighthly The new creature is an active and laborious creature no sooner it is born but it is acting in the soul Acts 9. 6. behold he prayeth activity is its very nature Gal. 5. 25. If we live in the spirit let us walk in the spirit Nor is it to be admired that it should be always active and stirring in the soul seeing activity in obedience was the very end for which it was created for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2. 10. and he that is acted in the duties of Religion by this principle of the new creature or nature will so far as that principle acts him delight to do the will of God rejoice in the way of his Commandments and find the sweetest pleasure in the paths of duty Ninthly The new creature is a thriving creature growing from strength to strength 1 Pet. 2. 2. and changing the soul in which it is subjected from glory unto glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. The vigorous tendencies and constant strivings of this new creature is to attain its just perfection and maturity Phil. 3. 11. it can endure no stints and limits to its desires short of perfection every degree of strength it attains doth but whet and sharpen his desires after higher degrees upon this account it greatly delights in the Ordinances of God Duties of Religion and Society of the Saints as they are helps and improvements to it in order to its great design Tenthly The new creature is a creature of wonderful preservations there are many wonders of divine providences in Gratia nec totaliter intermittitur nec finaliter amittitur actus omittitur habitus non amittitur actio pervertitur fides noâ—… sâ—…bvertitur concutitur non excutitur deflâ—…it fructus latâ—… succus effectus justificationis suspenditur at â—…tus justificati non dissolvitur Suffrag Brit. the preservation of our natural lives but none like those whereby the life of the new creature is preserved in our souls there are critical times of temptation and desertion in which it is ready to dye Rev. 3. 2. the degrees of its strength and liveliness are sometimes sadly abated and 〈◊〉 sweet and comfortable workings intermitted Rev. 2. 4. the evidences by which its being in us was wont to be discovered may be and often are darkned 2 Pet. 1. 9.
of obedience for we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2. 10. Rom. 7. 4. there is true spiritual opposition to sin 1 Joh. 5. 18. He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not there is love to the people of God 1 Joh. 4. 7. every one that loveth is born of God there is a conscientious respect to the duties of both Tables for the new creature is created after God in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4. 24. there is perseverance in the ways of God to the very end and victory over all temptations for whosoever is born of God overcometh the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. It were easie to run over all other particular fruits of our union with Christ and shew you every one of them in the new creature And thus much of the Doctrinal part of this point The Twenty sixth SERMON Sermon 26. 2 COR. 5. 17. Text. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new AFter the explication of the sense of this Scripture we observed DOCT. That Gods creating of a new supernatural work of grace in the soul of any man is that mans sure and infallible evidence of a Doct. saving interest in Jesus Christ. You have heard why the regenerating work of the Spirit is called a new creation in what respect every soul in Christ is renewed what the eximious properties of this new creature are the indispensibleness and necessity thereof hath been also proved and how it evidences our interest in Christ was cleared in the doctrinal part which we now come to improve in the several Uses serving for our 1. Information 2. Conviction 3. Examination 4. Exhortation 5. Consolation 1st Use for Information Is the new Creature the sure and infallible evidence of our Use 1. saving interest in Christ from hence then we are informed Inference 1. How miserable and deplorable an estate all unrenewed souls are in who can lay no claim to Christ during that state and Inference 1. therefore are under an impossibility of salvation O Reader if this be the state of thy soul better had it been for thee not to have been Gods natural workmanship as a man except thou be his spiritual workmanship also as a new man I know the Schoolmen determine otherwise and say that damnation is rather to be chosen than an annihilation a miserable being is better than no being and it is very true with respect to the glory of God whose justice shall triumph for ever in the damnation of the unregenerate but with respect to us 't is much better never to have been his creatures in the way of generation than not to be his new creatures in the way of regeneration So Christ speaks of Judas that Son of perdition Mark 14. 21. Good had it been for that man if he had never been born for what is a being without the comfort of it What is life without the joy and pleasure of life A damned being is a being without comfort no glimps of light shines into that darkness they shall indeed see and understand the felicity light and joy of the Saints in glory but not partake in the least measure of the comfort Lukâ—… 13. 28. They shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God but they themselves shut out such a sight is so far from giving any comfort that it will be the aggravation and increase of torment O 't is better to have no being at all than to have a being only to capacitate a man for misery to desire death while death flies from him Rev. 4. 6. The opinion of the Schoolmen will never pass for sound doctrine among the damned think on it Reader and lay it to thine heart better thou hadst dyed from the womb better the knees had prevented thee and the breasts which thou hast sucked than that thou shouldst live and dye a stranger to the new birth or that thy Mother should bring thee forth only to encrease and fill up the number of the damned Inference 2. And on the contrary we may hence learn what cause regenerate Inference 2. souls have to bless God for the day wherein they were born O what a priviledged state doth the new birth bring men into 'T is possible for the present they understand it not for many Believers are like a great Heir lying in the Cradle that knows not to what an estate and honour he is born Nevertheless on the same day wherein we become new creatures by regeneration we have a firm title and solid claim to all the priviledges of the Sons of God Joh. 1. 12 13. God becomes our Father by a treble title not only the Father of our beings by nature which was all the relation we had to him before but our Father by Adoption and by Regeneration which is a much sweeter and more comfortable relation In that day the Image of God is restored Eph. 4. 24. this is both the health and beauty of the soul. In that day we are begotten again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. a hope more worth than ten thousand worlds in the troubles of life and in the straits of death this is a creature which lives for ever and will make thy life happy for ever Some have kept their birth-day as a festival a day of rejoycing but none have more cause to rejoice that ever they were born than those that are new born Inference 3. Learn from hence that the work of grace is wholly supernatural Inference 3. 't is a creation and creation work is above the power of the creature no power but that which gave being to the world can give a being to the new creature almighty power goes forth to give being to the new creature this creature is not born of flesh or of blood nor of the will of man but of God Joh. 1. 13. the nature of this new creature speaks its original to be above the power of nature the very notion of a new creation spoils the proud boasts of the great asserters of the power and ability of the will of man When God therefore puts the question who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou hast not received Let thy soul Reader answer it with all humility and thankfulness 't is thou Lord thou only that madest me to differ from another and what I have received I have received from thy free grace Inference 4. If the work of grace be a new creation let not the parents and friends of the unregenerate utterly despair of the conversion of their Inference 4. relations how great soever their present discouragements are if it had been possible for a man to have seen the rude and indigested Chaos before the Spirit of God moved upon it would he not have said can such a beautiful order of beings such a pleasant variety
Med. Consider what the damned suffer for those sins which the devil now tempteth you to commit it hath deprived them of all Med. 5. good all outward good Luke 16. 25. all spiritual good Mat. 25. 41. and of all hope of enjoying any good for ever And as it hath deprived them of all good so it hath remedilesly plunged them into all positive misery Misery from without the wrath of God being come upon them to the uttermost and misery from within for their worm dieth not Mark 9. 44. The memory of things past the sense of things present and the fearful expectations of things to come are the nibblings and bitings of the worm of conscience at every bite whereof damned souls give a dreadful shriek crying out O the worm the worm Would any man that is not forsaken by reason run the hazard of those eternal miseries for the brutish pleasures of a moment 6. Med. Bethink your selves what inexcusable hypocrisie it will be in Med. 6. you to indulge your selves in the private satisfaction of your lusts under a contrary profession of Religion You are a people that profess holiness and professedly own your selves to be under the Government and Dominion of Christ and must the worthy Name of Christ be only used to cloak and cover your lusts and corruptions which are so hateful to him God forbid You daily pray against sin you confess it to God you bewail it you pour out supplications for pardoning and preventing grace are you in jest or earnest in these solemn duties of Religion Certainly if all those duties produce no mortification you do but flatter God with your lips and put a dreadful cheat upon your own souls Nay do you not frequently censure and condemn those things in others and dare you allow them in your selves What horrid hypocrisie is this Christians are dead to sin Rom. 6. 2. Dâ—…ad to it by profession dead to it by obligation dead to it by relation to Christ who died for it and how shall they that are so many ways dead to sin live any longer therein O think not that God hates sin the less in you because you are his people nay Ipsa delicta peccata fidelium odio sunt displicent Deo sed odio simplici non redundanti in personam Davenant in Col. 1. 10. that very consideration aggravates it the more Amos 3. 2. 7. Med. Consider with your selves what hard things some Christians have chosen to endure and suffer rather than they would defile Med. 7. themselves with guilt and shall every small temptation insnare and take your souls Read over the Eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews and see what the saints have endured to escape sin no torments were so terrible to them as the displeasure of God and woundings of conscience and did God oblige them more by his grace and favour than he hath obliged you O Christians how can you that have found such mercies mercies as free pardons as full as ever any souls found show less care less fear less tenderness of grieving God than others have done Certainly if you did see sin with the same eyes they saw it you would hate it as deeply watch against it as carefully and resist it as vigorously as any of the Saints have done before you 8. Med. Consider with your selves what sweet pleasure rational Med. 8. and solid comfort is to be found in the mortification of sin 'T is not the fulfilling of your lusts can give you the thousandth part of that comfort and contentment that the resistance of them and victory over them will give you Who can express the comfort that is to be found in the chearing testimony of an acquitting and absolving conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. Remember what satisfaction and peace it was to Hezekiah upon his supposed death-bed when he turned to the wall and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isa. 38. 3. 4. Use for Examination In the next place this point naturally puts us upon the Examination and trial of our own hearts whether we Use 4. who so confidently claim a special interest in Christ have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts and because two sorts of persons will be concerned in this Triall viz. the weaker and the stronger Christians I shall therefore lay down two sorts of Evidences of Mortification one respecting the sincerity and truth the other respecting the strength and progress of that work in confirmed and grown Christians and both excluding false pretenders First There are some things that are Evidential of the truth and sincerity of Mortification even in the weakest Christians as First True tenderness of conscience in all known sins one as well as another is a good sign sin hath lost its Dominion in the soul O 't is a special mercy to have a heart that shall smite and reprove us for those things that others make nothing of to check and admonish us for our secret sins which can never turn to our reproach among men this is a good sign that we hate sin as sin however through the weakness of the flesh we may be ensnared by it Rom. 7. 15. What I hate that I do Secondly The sincere and earnest desires of our souls to God in prayer for heart-purging and sin-mortifying grace is a good sign our souls have no love for sin Canst thou say poor believer in the truth of thy heart that if God would give thee thy choice it would please thee better to have sin cast out than to have the world cast in that thy heart is not so earnest with God for daily bread as it is for heart-purging grace this is a comfortable evidence that sin is nayled to the Cross of Christ. Thirdly do you make conscience of guarding against the occasions of sin Do you keep a daily watch over your hearts and senses according to 1 John 5. 18. Job 31. 1. This speaks a true design and purpose of Mortification also Fourthly do you rejoyce and bless God from your hearts when the providence of God orders any means for the prevention of sin Thus did David 1 Sam. 25. 33. And David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with my own hand Fifthly In a word though the thoughts of death may be terrible in themselves yet if the expectation and hope of your deliverance from sin thereby do sweeten the thoughts of it to your souls it will turn unto you for a testimony that you are not the servants and friends of sin And so much briefly of the first sort of Evidences Secondly There are other signs of a more deep and through Mortification of sin in more
only that which is first and best in every kind is the rule and measure of all the rest 'T is the height of Saints ambition to be made conformable to Christ Phil. 3. 10. Christ hath a double perfection a perfection of being and a perfection of working his life was a perfect rule no blot or error could be found therein for he was holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and such an High-Priest became us as the Apostle speaks Heb. 7. 26. The conformity of professors to Christs example is the test and measure of all their graces the nearer any man comes to this pattern the nearer he approaches towards perfection Seventhly The Christians imitation of Christ under penalty of losing his claim to Christ necessarily implies sanctification and obedience to be the evidences of our justification and interest in Christ assurance is unattainable without obedience we can never be comfortable Christians except we be strict and regular Christians Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God A loose and careless conversation can never be productive of true peace and consolation 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoicing the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world Let men talk what they will of the immediate sealings and comforts of the spirit without any regard to holiness or respect to obedience Sure I am whatever delusion they meet with in that way true peace and consolation is only to be expected and found here The fruit of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever We have it not for our holiness but we always have it in the way of holiness And so much of the first particular namely what the imitation of Christ implies and comprizes in it Secondly In the next place we are to enquire in what 2. things all that profess Christ are obliged to the imitation of him or what those excellent graces in the life of Christ were which are propounded as patterns to the Saints The life of Christ was a living law all the graces and Quid vobis cum virtutibus qui virtutem Christi ignoratis Ubinam quaeso vera prudentia nisi in Christi doctrina Ubi vera temperantia nisi in Christi vita Ubi vera fortitudo nisi in Christi passione Bernard vertues of the Spirit were represented in their glory and brightest luster in his conversation upon earth never man spake as he spake never any lived as he lived we beheld his glory saith the Evangelist as the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth John 1. 14. But to descend to the particular imitable excellencies in the life of Christ which are high patterns and excellent rules for the conversations of his people we shall from among many others single out the ten following Particulars which we are obliged to imitate Pattern 1. And first of all the purity and holiness of the life of Christ is proposed as a glorious pattern for the Saints imitation 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every creek and turning of your lives There is a twofold holiness in Christ the holiness of his nature and the holiness of his practice his holy being and his holy working this obligeth all that profess interest in him to a twofold holiness viz. holiness in actu primo in the principles of it in their hearts and holiness in actu secundo in the practice and exercise of it in their conversations 't is very true we cannot in all respects imitate the holiness of Christ for he is essentially holy proceeding by nature as a pure beam of holiness from the Father and when he was incarnate he came into the world immaculate and pure from the least stain of pollution therefore it was said Luke 1. 25. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God in this we can never be like Christ in the way of our production for who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean not one The Lord Jesus was also efficiently holy i. e. he makes others holy therefore his sufferings and blood are called a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness i. e. to cleanse other mens souls Zech. 13. 1. in this Christ also is inimitable no man can make himself or others holy That 's a great truth though it will hardly go down with proud nature minus est te fecisse hominem quam sanctum we may sooner make our selves to be men than to be Saints Beside Christ is infinitely holy as he is God and there are no stints or measures set to his holiness as Mediator John 3. 34. for God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him But notwithstanding these excepted respects the holiness of Christ is propounded as a pattern for our imitation six ways First He was truly and sincerely holy without fiction or simulation and this appeared in the greatest trial of the truth of holiness that ever was made in this world John 14. 30. The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me when he was agitated and shaken with the greatest temptations no Galaxia est maxima frequentia minimarum stellarum quae prae exiguitate ad nostrum aspectum distinctè pervenire nequâ—…unt ut caeterae stellae atque ita inter se lumen commiscent confundunt Conimb de Meteor cap 2. dregs appeared he was like pure fountain-water in a Crystal Glass The hypocrite makes shew of more holiness than he hath but there was more holiness in Christ than ever appeared to the view of men We may say of the way of Christ what the Philosopher saith of the milky way in the Heavens that those faint streams of light which we see there are nothing else but the reflection of innumerable Stars which shine there though they be invisible to us there was much inward beauty in him and so there ought to be in all his followers our holiness like Christs must be sincere and real Eph. 4. 24. shining with inward beauty towards God rather than towards men Secondly Christ was uniformly holy at one time as well as another in one place and company as well as another he was still like himself an holy Christ one and the same tenour of holiness ran thoughout his whole life from first to last so must it be with all his people holy in all manner of conversation Christians look to your copy and be sure to imitate Christ in this write fair after your Copy let there not be here a word and there a blot one part of your life heavenly and pure and another earthly and dreggy or as one expresses it
so I do Thus let all your obedience to God turn upon the hinge of love For love is the fulfilling of the law Rom. 13. 10. Not as if no other duty but love were required in the law but because no act of obedience is acceptable to God but that which is performed in love Fifthly In a word The obedience of Christ was constant he was obedient unto the death he was not weary of his work to the last Such a patient continuance in well doing is one part of your conformity to Christ Rom. 2. 7. 't is laid upon you by his own express command and a command back'd with the most incouraging promise Rev. 2. 10. Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life Pattern 3. The self-denial of Christ is the pattern of believers and their Conformity unto it is their indispensable duty Phil. 2. Vulpibus in saltu rupes excisa latebr as Praebet aereis avibus dat sylva quietem Ast hominis nato nullis succedere tectis Est licitum Heinsius 4 5 6. 2 Cor. 8. 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the love he bare to the elect denied himself all the delights and pleasures of this world Mat. 20. 28. The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many he was all his life long in the world a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Isa. 53. 3. more unprovided of comfortable accommodations than the birds of the air or beasts of the earth Luke 9. 58. The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Yet this was the least part of Christs self-denial what did he not deny when he left the bosom of his Father with the ineffable delights and pleasures he there enjoyed from Eternity and instead thereof to drink the cup the bitter cup of his Fathers wrath for our sakes O Christians look to your pattern and imitate your self-denying Saviour There is a threesold self you are to deny for Christ. First Deny your natural self for him Luke 14. 26. Hate your own life in competition with his glory as well as your natural lusts Titus 2. 12. Secondly Deny your Civil self for Christ whether they be gifts of the mind Phil. 3. 8. or your dearest relations in the world Luke 14. 26. Thirdly deny your moral and religious self for Christ your own righteousness Phil. 3. 10. deny sinful self absolutely Col. 3. 4 5. Deny natural self conditionally i. e. be ready to forsake its interests at the call of God Deny your religious self even your own graces comparatively not in the notion of duties but in the notion of righteousness and to encourage you in this difficult work consider First what great things Christ denied for you and wâ—…at small matters you have to deny for him Secondly how readily he denied all for your sakes making no objections against the difficultest commands Thirdly How uncapable you are to put any obligation upon Christ to deny himself in the least for you and what strong obligations Christ hath put you under to deny your selves in your greatest interests upon earth for him Fourthly Remember that your self-denial is a condition consented to and subscribed by your selves if ever you received Christ aright Fifthly In a word Consider how much your self-denial for Christ makes for your advantage in both worlds Luke 18. 29. O therefore look not every man upon his own things but upon the things that are of Christ let not that be justly charged upon you which was charged upon them Phil. 2. 21. All seek their own not the things which are Christs Pattern 4. The activity and diligence of Christ in finishing the work of God which was committed to him as a pattern for all believers to imitate 'T is said of him Acts 10. 38. He went about doing good O what a great and glorious work did Christ finish in a little time a work to be celebrated to all Eternity by the praises of the redeemed Six things were very remarkable in the diligence of Christ about his Fathers work First That his heart was intently set upon it Psal. 4. 8. Thy Law is in the midst of my heart or bowels Secondly That he never sainted under the many great discouragements he frequently met withal in that work Isa. 42. 4. He shall not fail nor be discouraged Thirdly That the shortness of his time provoked him to the greatest diligence John 9. 4. I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day for the night cometh when no man can work Fourthly That he improved all opportunities companies and occurrences to further the great work which was under his hand John 4. 6 10. Fifthly nothing more displeased him than when he met with disswasions and discouragements in his work upon that accâ—…t it was that he gave Peter so sharp a check Mat. 8. 33. Get thee behind me Satan Sixthly Nothing rejoyced his soul more than the prosperity and success of his work Luke 10. 20 21. When the Disciples made the report of the success of their Ministry it is said in that hour Jesus rejoyced in spirit And O what a triumphant shout was that upon the cross at the accomplishment of his work John 19. 30. It is finished Now Christians eye your Pattern look unto Jesus trifle not away your lives in vanity Christ was diligent be not you slothful And to encourage you in your imitation of Christ in labour and diligence consider First How great an honour God puts upon you in employing you for his service Every vessel of service is a vessel of honour 2 Tim. 2. 21. The Apostle was very ambitious of that honour Rom. 15. 20. It was the glory of Eliakim to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ambio dictum verbum ab amore honoris Zanch. be fastned as a nail in a sure place and to have many people hang upon him Isa. 22. 33. Secondly Your diligence in the work of God will be your great security in the hour of temptation for the Lord is with you while you are with him 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Schoolmen put the question How the saints in heaven become impeccable and resolve it thus that they are therefore freed from sin because they are continually employed and swallowed up in the blessed visions of God Thirdly Diligence in the work of God is an excellent help to the improvement of grace For though gracious habits are not acquired yet they are greatly improved by frequent acts To him that hath shall be given Mat. 25. 29. It is a good note of Luther Fides pinguescit operâ—…us Faith is made fat by obedience Fourthly Diligence in the work
and obedience here 3. Motive The Conformity of your lives to Christ your pattern is Motive 3. your highest excellency in this world the measure of your grace is to be estimated by this rule The excellency of every creature rises higher and higher according as it approaches still nearer and nearer to its original the more you resemble Christ in grace the more illustrious and resplendent will your conversations be in true spiritual glory 4. Motive So far as you imitate Christ in your lives and no farther you will be beneficial to the world in which you live So far Motive 4. as God helps you to follow Christ you will be helpful to bring others to Christ or build them up in Christ for all men are forbidden by the Gospel to follow you one step farther than you follow Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. and when you have finished your course in this world the remembrance of your ways will be no further sweet to others than they are ways of holiness and obedience to Christ 1 Cor. 4. 17. If you walk according to the course of this world the world will not be the better for your walking 5. Motive To walk as Christ walked is a walk only worthy of a Christian this is to walk worthy of the Lord 1 Thes. 2. 12. Col. 1. Motive 5. 10. by worthiness the Apostle doth not mean meritoriousness but comeliness or that decorum which befits a Christian as when a man walks suitably to his place and calling in the world we say he acts like himself So when you walk after Dignitatis vocabulum in scripturis non semper denotat exactam proportionem aequalitatis rei ad rem sed quandam convenieâ—…tiam decentiam quae tollit repugnantiam Davenant in Col. p. 52. Christs pattern you then act like your selves like men of your character and profession This is consonant to your vocation Eph. 4. 1. I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called This walking suits with your obligation 2 Cor. 5. 15. For it is to live unto him who died for us This walking only suits with your designation Eph. 2. 10. For you are created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained we should walk in them In a word such walking as this and such only becomes your expectation 2 Pet. 3. 14. wherefore beloved seeing that you look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 6. Motive How comfortable will the close of your life be at death if you have walked after Christs pattern and example in this Motive 6. world A comfortable death is ordinarily the close of a holy life Psal. 37. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace A loose careless life puts many terrible stings into death As worms in the body are bred of the putrefaction there so the worm of conscience is bred of the moral putrefaction or corruption that is in our natures and conversations O then be prevailed with by all these considerations to imitate Christ in the whole course and compass of your coversations 3d. Use for Consolation Lastly I would leave a few words of support and comfort to such as sincerely study and endeavour according to the tendency Use 3. of their new nature to follow Christs example but being weak in grace and meeting with strong temptations are frequently carried beside the holy purposes and designs of their honest meaning hearts to the great grief and discouragement of their souls They heartily wish and aim at holiness and say with David Psal. 119. 5. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes They follow after exactness in holiness as Paul did Phil. 3. 12. If by any means they might attain it But finding how short they come in all things of the rule and pattern they mourn as he did Rom. 7. 24. O wretched maâ—… that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Well well if this be thy case be not discouraged but hearken to a few words of support and comfort with which I shall close this point 1. Support Such defects in obedience make no flaw in your Justification For your Justification is not built upon your obedience 1. Support but upon Christs Rom. 3. 24. and how incompleat and defective soever you be in your selves yet at the same instant you are compleat in him which is the head of all principality and power Col. 2. 10. Wo to Abraham Moses David Paul and the most eminent Saints that ever lived if their Justification and acceptation with God had depended upon the perfection and compleatness of their own obedience 2. Support Your deep troubles for the defectiveness of your obedience doth not argue you to be less but more sanctified than those 2. Support who make no such complaints for this proves you to be better acquainted with your own hearts than others are to have a deeper hatred of sin than others have and to love God with a more fervent love than others do the most eminent Saints have made the bitterest complaints upon this account Psal. 65. 3. Rom. 7. 23 24. 3. Support The Lord makes excellent uses even of your infirmities and failings to do you good and makes them turn to your unexpected 3. Support advantage For by these defects he hides pride from your eyes he beats you off from self-dependance he makes you to admire the riches of free grace he makes you to long more ardently for heaven and entertain the sweeter thoughts of death and doth not the Lord then make blessed fruits to spring up to you from such a bitter root O the blessed Chymistry of heaven to extract such mercies out of such miseries 4. Support Your bewailed infirmities do not break the bond of the 4. Support everlasting Covenant The bond of the Covenant holds firm notwithstanding your defects and weaknesses Jer. 32. 40. Iniquities prevail against me saith David yet in the same breath he adds as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Psal. 65. 3. He 's still thy God thy Father for all this 5. Support Though the defects of your obedience are grievous to God yet your deep sorrows for them are well-pleasing in his eyes 5. Support Psal. 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Ephraim was never a more pleasant child to his father than when he moaned himself and smote upon his thigh as thou dost Jer. 31. 20. Your sins grieve him but your sorrows please him 6. Support Though God have left many defects to humble you yet he hath given many things to comfort you This is a 6. Support comfort that the desire of thy soul is to God and to the remembrance of his name This is a comfort that thy sins are not
shut their eyes Secondly They have no spiritual motions towards Christ or after things that are spiritual all the Arguments in the world cannot perswade their wills to move one step towards Christ in the way of faith John 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me Were there a principle of spiritual life in their souls they would move Christ-ward and heaven-ward John 4. 14. it would be in them a well of water springing up into eternal life The natural tendency of the spiritual life is upward Thirdly The unregenerate have no appetite unto spiritual food they savour not things that are spiritual they can go from week to week and from year to year all their life time without any communion betwixt God and their souls and feel no need of it nor any hungerings nor thirstings after it which could never be iâ—… a principle of spiritual life were in them for then they would esteem the words of Gods mouth more than their necessary food Job 30. 12. Fourthly They have no heat or spiritual warmth in their affections to God and things above their hearts are as cold as a stone to spiritual Objects They are heated indeed by their lusts and affections to the world and the things of the world But O how cold and dead are they towards Jesus Christ and spiritual excellencies Fifthly They breathe not spiritually therefore they live not spiritually were there a spiritual principle of life in them their souls would breath after God in spiritual prayer Acts 9. 11. Behold he prayeth The lips of the unregenerate may move in prayer but their hearts and desires do not breath and pant after God Sixthly They have no cares or fears for self-preservation which is always the effect of life the poorest fly or silliest worm will shun danger the wrath of God hangs over them in the threatnings but they tremble not at it Hell is but a little before them they are upon the very precipice of eternal ruine yet will use no means to avoid it How plain therefore is this sad case which I have undertaken here to demonstrate viz that Christless and unregenerate souls are dead souls The uses follow Inference 1. If all Christless and unregenerate souls be dead souls then how Inference 1. little pleasure can Christians take in the society of the unregenerate Certainly 't is no pleasure for the living to converse among the dead It was a cruel torment invented by Mezentius the Tyrant to tie a dead and living man together The pleasure â—…t solent vitia alibi connata in propinqua membra perniciem Juam efflare sic improborum vitia in eos derivantur qui cum illis vitae babent consuetudinem Tertul. advers Valentin of society arises from the harmony of spirits and the hopes of mutual enjoyment in the world to come neither of which can sweeten the society of the godly with the wicked in this world 'T is true there is a necessary civil converse which we must have with the ungodly here or else as the Apostle speaks we must go out of the world There are also duties of relation which must be faithfully and tenderly paid even to the unregenerate But certainly where we have our free election we shall be much wanting both to our duty and comfort if we make not the people of God our chosen companions Excellently to this purpose speaks a Modern Author Art thou a godly master when thou takest a servant into thine house choose for God as well as thy self A godly Gurnals Christian armour part 2. p. 256. servant is a greater blessing than we think on he can work and set God on work also for his masters good Gen. 24. 12. O Lord God of my master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and show kindness unto my master and sure he did his master as much service by his prayer as by his prudence in that journey Holy David observed while he was at Sauls Court the mischief of having wicked and ungodly servants for with such was that unhappy King so compassed that David compares his Court to the prophane and barbarous heathens among whom there was scarce more wickedness to be found Psal. 120. 6. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesheck that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar i. e. among those who were as prodigiously wicked as any there and no doubt but this made this gracious man in his banishment before he came to the Crown having seen the evil of a disordered house to resolve what he would do when God should make him the head of such a Royal family Psal. 101. 7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that selleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Art thou godly show thy self so in the choice of husband or wife I am sure if some and those godly also could bring no other testimonial for their godliness than the care they have taken in this particular it might justly be called into question both by themselves and others There is no one thing that gracious persons even those recorded in scripture as well as others have shewn their weakness yea given offence and scandal more in than in this particular The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair Gen. 6. 2. One would have thought the sons of God should have looked for grace in the heart rather than beauty in the face but we see even they sometimes turn in at the fairest sign without much enquiring what grace is to be found dwelling within Look to the rule O Christian if thou wilt keep the power of holiness That is clear as a sun beam written in the scripture be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers 2 Cor. 6. 14. Inference 2. How great and wholly supernatural marvellous and wonderful is Inference 2. that change which regeneration makes upon the souls of men It is a change from death to life Luke 15. 24. This my son was dead and is alive again Regeneration is life from the dead The most excellent life from the most terrible death 'T is the life of God reinspired into a soul alienated from it by the power of sin Eph. 4. 18. There are two stupendious changes made upon the souls of men which justly challenges highest admiration viz. That 1. From sin to grace 2. From grace to glory The change from grace to glory is acknowledged by all and that justly to be a wonderful change for God to take a poor creature out of the society of sinful men yea from under the burden of many sinful infirmities which made him groan from day to day in this world and in a moment to make him a compleat and perfect soul shining in the beauties of holiness and filling him as a vessel of glory with the unspeakable and unconceivable joyes of his presence to turn his groanings into triumphs his sighings into songs of praise This I say is marvellous and yet the former
his Tribunal to be solemnly sentenced They are as my Text speaks condemned already but then that dreadful sentence will be solemnly pronounced by Jesus Christ whom they have despised and rejected then shall that scripture be fulfilled Luke 19. 27. These mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Inference 2. Hence be informed how great a mercy the least measure Inference 2. of saving faith is for the least measure of true faith unites the soul to Jesus Christ and then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. Not one sentence of God against them So Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are justified from all things The weakest believer is as free from condemnation as the strongest the righteousness of Christ comes upon all believers without any difference Rom. 3. 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference 'T is not in imputed as it is in inherent righteousness one man hath more holiness than another The faith that receives the righteousness of Christ may be very different in degrees of strength but the received righteousness is equal upon all believers A piece of gold is as much worth in the hand of a child as it is in the hand of a man O the exceeding preciousness of saving faith Inference 3. How dreadful a sin is the sin of unbelief which brings Inference 3. men under the condemnation of the great God! no sin startles less or damns surer 'T is a sin that doth not affright the conscience as some other sins do but it kills the soul more certainly than any of those sins could do for indeed other sins could not damn us were it not for unbelief which fixes the guilt of them all upon our persons This is the condemnation Unbelief is the sin of sins and when the spirit comes to convince men of sin he begins with this as the capital sin John 16. 9. But more particularly First Estimate the evil of unbelief from its Object It is the slighting and refusing of the most excellent and wonderful person in heaven or earth The fiducial vision of Christ is the joy of Saints on earth the facial vision of Christ is the happiness of Saints in heaven 'T is a despising of him who is altogether lovely in himself who hath loved us and given himself for us 'T is the rejecting of the only Mediator betwixt God and man after the rejecting of whom there remains no sacrifice for sin Secondly Let the evil of unbelief be valued by the offer of Christ to our souls in the Gospel 't is one part of the great mystery of godliness that Christ should be preached to the Gentiles 1 Tim. 3. 16. That the word of this salvation should be sent to us Acts 13. 26. A mercy denied to the fallen angels and the greatest part of mankind which aggravates the evil of this sin beyond all imagination So that in refusing or neglecting Jesus Christ is found vile ingratitude highest contempt of the grace and wisdom of God and in the event the loss of the only season and opportunity of salvation which is never more to be recovered to all eternity Inference 4. If this be the case of all unbelievers it is not to be admired Inference 4. that souls under the first convictions of their miserable condition are plunged into such deep distresses of Spirit It 's said of them Acts 2. 37. That they were pricked at the heart and cried out Men and brethren what shall we do And so the Jayler He came in trembling and astonished and said Sirs what must I do to be saved Certainly if souls apprehend themselves under the condemnation and sentence of the great God all their tears and tremblings their weary days and restless nights are not without just cause and reason Those that never saw their own miserable condition by the light of a clear and full conviction may wonder to see others so deeply distressed in Spirit They may misjudge the case and call it melancholy or madness but spiritual troubles do not exceed the cause and ground of them let them be as deep and great as they will and indeed it is one of the great mysteries of grace and providence a thing much unknown to men how such poor souls are supported from day to day under such fears and sorrows as are able in a few hours to break the stoutest Spirit in the world Luther was a man of great natural courage and yet when God let in spiritual troubles upon his soul it is noted of him ut nec vox nec calor nec sanguis superesset He had neither voyce nor heat nor blood appearing in him Inference 5. How groundless and irrational is the mirth and jollity of all carnal and unregenerate men they feast in their prison Inference 5. and dance in their fetters O the madness that is in the hearts of men If men did but see their mittimus made for hell or believe they are condemned already it were impossible for them to live at that rate of vanity they do and is their condition less dangerous because it is not understood Surely no but much more dangerous for that O poor sinners you have found out an effectual way to prevent your present troubles it were well if you could find out a way to prevent your eternal misery but 't is easier for a man to stifle conviction than prevent damnation Your mirth hath a twofold mischief in it it prevents repentance and encreaseth your future torment O what an hell will your hell be who drop into it out of all the sensitive and sinful pleasures of this world If ever a man may say of mirth that it is mad and of laughter what doth it he may say so in this case Inference 6. Lastly what cause have they to rejoyce admire and praise the Lord to Eternity who have a well grounded Inference 6. confidence that they are freed from Gods condemnation O give thanks to the Father who hath delivered you from the power of darkness and translated you into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1. 13. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for if you be freed from condemnation you are out of Satans power he hath no more any dominion over you The power of Satan over men comes in by vertue of their condemnation as the power of the Jayler or Executioner over the bodies of condemned prisoners doth Heb. 2. 14. If you be freed from condemnation the sting of death shall never touch you For the sting of death smites the souls of men with a deadly stroak only by vertue of Gods condemnatory sentence 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law If you be freed from condemnation now you shall stand with comfort and boldness
person and real participation of his benefits now this is the question to be determined the matter to be tryed than which nothing can be more solemn and important in the whole world Secondly The rule by which this great question may be 2. determined viz. The new Creation if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature by this rule all the titles and claims made to Christ in the professing world are to be examined if any man be he what he will high or low great or small learned or illiterate young or old if he pretend interest in Christ this is the standard by which he must be tryed if he be in Christ he is a new Creature and if he be not a new Creature he is not in Christ let his endowments gifts confidence and reputation be what it will be a new Creature not new Physically he is the same person he was but a new Creature that is a creature renewed by gracious principles newly infused into him from above which sway him and guide him in another manner and to another end than ever he acted before and these gracious principles not being educed out of any thing which was preexistent in man but infused de novo from above are therefore called in this place a new Creature this is the rule by which our claim to Christ must be determined Thirdly This general rule is here more particularly explained 3. old things are passed away behold all things are become new he satisfies not himself to lay down this rule concisely or express it in general terms by telling us the man in Christ must be a new Creature but more particularly he shews us what this new creature is and what the parts thereof are viz. Both the 1. Privative part old things are passed away 2. Positive part thereof all things are become new By old things he means all those carnal principles self ends fleshly lusts belonging to the carnal state or the old man all these are passed away not simply and perfectly but only in Non simpliciter perfectè sed partim re partim spe Estius in loc part at present and wholly in hope and expectation hereafter So much briefly of the privative part of the new Creature old things are passed away a word or two must be spoken of the positive part all things are become new He means not that the old faculties of the soul are abolished and new ones created in their room but as our bodies may be said to be new bodies by reason of their new endowments and qualities super-induced and bestowed upon them in their resurrection so our souls are now renewed by the infusion of new gracious principles into them in the work of regeneration These two parts viz. the privative part the passing away of old things and the positive part the renewing of all things do betwixt them comprize the whole nature of sanctification which in other Scriptures is expressed by equivalent phrases sometimes by putting off the old and putting on the new man Eph. 4. 24. sometimes by dying unto sin and living unto righteousness Rom. 6. 11. which is the self-same thing the Apostle here intends by the passing away of old things and making all things new and because this is the most excellent glorious and admirable work of the spirit which is or can be wrought upon man in this world therefore the Apostle asserts it with an Ecce a note of special remarque and observation behold all things are become new q. d. behold and admire this surprizing marvellous change which God hath made upon men they are come out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. out of the old as it were into a new world behold all things are become new Hence Note DOCT. That Gods creating of a new supernatural work of grace in the Doct. soul of any man is that mans sure and infallible evidence of a saving interest in Jesus Christ. Suitable hereunto are those words of the Apostle Eph. 4. 20 21 22 23 24. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness where we have in other words of the same importance the very self-same description of the man that is in Christ which the Aposte gives us in this Text. Now for the opening and stating of this point it will be necessary that I shew you 1. Why the regenerating work of the Spirit is called a new Creation 2. In what respects every soul that is in Christ is renewed or made a new Creature 3. What are the remarkable properties and qualities of this new Creature 4. The necessity of this new Creation to all that are in Christ. 5. How this new Creation evidences our interest in Christ. 6. And then Apply the whole in the proper uses of it First Why the regenerating work of the spirit is called a 1. new Creation this must be our first enquiry and doubtless the reason of this appellation is the Analogy proportion and similitude which is found betwixt the work of regeneration and Gods work in the first Creation and their agreement and proportion will be found in the following particulars First The same Almighty Author who created the world createth also this work of grace in the soul of man 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the same powerful word which created the natural createth also the spiritual light it is equally absurd for any man to say I make my self Minus el te fecisse hominem quam sanctum to repent or to believe as it is to say I made my self to exist and be Secondly The first thing that God created in the natural world was light Gen. 1. 3. and the first thing which God createth in the new Creation is the light of spiritual knowledge Col. 3. 10. And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that Created him Thirdly Creation is out of nothing it requires no pre-existent matter it doth not bring one thing out of another but something out of nothing it gives a being to that which before had no being So it is also in the new Creation 1 Pet. 2. 9 10. who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy the work of grace is not educed out of the power and principles of
the world a wondring at them 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it strange that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obstupescent ut ad rei inusitatae spectaculum Beza Ils se trouvent tous nouveaux comme en 〈◊〉 autre monde you run not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of you they think it strange the word signifies to stand at gaze as the hen doth which hath brooded and hatched Partridge Eggs when she seeth the Chickens which she hath brought forth take the wing and fly away from her thus do the men of the world stand amazed to see their old companions in sin whose language once was vain and earthly it may be prophane and filthy now to be praying speaking of God Heaven and things spiritual having no more to do with them as to sin except by way of reprehension and admonition this amazes the world and makes them look with a strange admiring eye upon the people of God Thirdly In the next place let us enquire into the properties 3. and qualities of this new creature and shew you as we are able what they are yet Reader expect not here an exact and accurate account of that which is so great a mystery for if questions may be moved about a silly fly which may puzzle the greatest Philosopher to resolve them how much more may we conceive this great and marvellous work of God the most mysterious and admirable of all his works to surmount the understandings of the most illuminated Christians O how little do we know of the nature properties and operations of this new Creature so far as God hath revealed it to our weak understandings we may speak of it And First The Scripture speaks of it as a thing of great difficulty to be conceived by man Joh. 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the spirit The original of winds is a question of great difficulty in Philosophy we hear the voice of the wind feel its mighty force and behold its strange effects but neither know whence it comes or whither it goes ask a man Do you hear the wind blow yes do you feel it blow yes very sensibly do you see the effects of it rending and overturning the trees yes very plainly but can you describe its nature or declare its original no that is a mystery which I do not understand why fo Just so it is with him that is born of the spirit the holy spirit of God whose nature and operations we understand but little of comes from heaven quickens and influences our souls beats down and mortifies our lusts by his almighty power these effects of the spirit in us we experimentally feel and sensibly discern but how the spirit of God first entred into and quickned our souls and produced this new creature in them we understand little more of it than how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with Child Eccles. 11. 5. Therefore is the life of the new creature called a hidden life Col. 3. 3. the nature of that life is not only hidden totally from all carnal men but in a very great measure it is an hidden and unknown life unto spiritual men though themselves be the subjects of it Secondly But though this life of the new Creature be a great mystery and secret in some respects yet so far as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ppears unto us the new creature is the most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovely creature that ever God made for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself is upon it the new man is created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 24. as the picture is drawn after the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God himself delineated by the spirit that admirable Artist upon the soul of man holiness is the beauty and glory of God and in holiness the new creature is created after Gods own image Col. 3. 10. the regenerate soul hereby becomes holy 1 Joh. 3. 3. not essentially holy as God is nor yet efficiently holy for the regenerate soul can neither make it self nor others holy but the life of the new creature may be said to resemble the life of God in this that as God lives to himself so the new creature wholly lives to God as God loves holiness and hates the contrary so doth the new creature 't is in these things formed after the image of him that created it when God creates this creature in the soul of man we are said then to be partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. so that there can be nothing communicated unto men which beautifies and adorns their souls as this new creation doth men do not resemble God as they are noble and as they are rich but as they are holy no gift no endowment of nature imbelishes the soul as this new creature doth an awful Majesty sits upon the brow of the new creature commanding the greatest and worst of men to do homage to it Mark 6. 20. yea such is the beauty of the new creature that Christ its Author is also its admirer Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished mine heart with one of thine eyes Thirdly This New Creature is created in man upon the highest design that ever any work of God was wrought the end of its creation and infusion is high and noble Salvation to the soul in which it is wrought this is both the finis operis and the finis operantis it is the design both of the work and of the workman that wrought it when we receive the end of our faith we receive the salvation of our souls Salvation is the end faith as death is the end of sin so life eternal is the end of grace The new creature doth by the instinct and steady direction of its own nature take its course as directly to God and to heaven the place of his full enjoyment as the Rivers do to the Ocean it declares it self to be made for God by its restless workings after him and as salvation is the end of the new creature so it is the express design and end of him that created it 2 Cor. 5. 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God by this workmanship of his upon our souls he is now polishing preparing and making them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. Fourthly The new Creation is the most necessary work that ever God wrought upon the soul of man the eternal well-being of his soul depends upon it and without it no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. and Joh. 1. 3 5. Except ye be regenerate and born again ye cannot see the Kingdom of God can you be saved without Christ you know you cannot can you have interest in Christ without the new creature my Text expressly tells you it can never be for if any man