therefore his Ordinances they are his Gallery where he loves to walk and here if any where you may find him or hear of him enquire in the way he has appointed So the Spouse Cant. 1.7 Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions Christ presently and lovingly answers If thou know not O thou fairest among women go thy way forth q. d. up and rise and get out sit not still lamenting and crying Lord Lord but go out of your selves by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy kids besides the shepherds tents Qui Christum sine ecclesia quaerit errare fatigari potest in venire non potest saith Bed you may seek long enough c. Cant. 6. begin The Daughters of Ierusalem hearing so much of the worth beauty and excellency of Christ had an earnest desire to seek him with the Spouse therefore enquire whither is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee This repetition argues both the vehemency of their affections and their expedition no excuses nor delays can be admitted in this case If any that hear me be of this mind having heard so much of Christs worth observe the answer of the Spouse My beloved is gone down into his garden to the bed of spices to feed in the garden and to gather lillies His Garden is the Church there attend his motions 4. Believe and Pray and attend Ordinances with an empty hand and hungry soul let go and be stript of your selves and all other things that you may receive Christ thus the Apostle did Phil. 3.7 8 9 10 quit all interest in your selves all dependance on the creature break your league with sin renounce your own righteousness account all things dung and loss that you may gain Christ leave all for him prefer him above all the world consent to his covenant say you will have him on any terms and he is yours unless you deny your selves you cannot accept this gift the world and the things of it Sin and the flesh and your own righteousness is that self that must be denied 1. You must deny and relinquish the world and all carnal relations What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul If the heart be divided between Christ and the world there will be always a disproportion the world will have most and Christ least Do not overvalue or love the wealth of the world the young man bid fair at Christ but stuck at this Say with that Marquess Galeacius Cariac tempted by a Jesuite with a mighty sum of Money Let their Money perish with them that esteem all the gold in the world worth one days communion with Iesus Christ. Or Christ will say if you set so much by the world take it and see what it can do for you if you can spare me better than your wealth you shall be without me He that loveth houses or lands yea father or mother more than me is not worthy of me Matt. 10.37 38. Luk. â—4 26 If any man come after me and hateth not father and mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea his own life cannot be my desciple which is not to be understood simply as if the service of Christ required the violation of the Laws of God and Nature but comparatively as Ierome If my Father should be weeping on his knees before me and my Mother hanging on my neeâ— behind me and all my Brethren and Kinsfolks howl on every side I would despise all and throw them off to go to Christ when he calls me If any think this would not consist with natural affection hear what Kilian the Dutch Schoolmaster and Martyr said If the whole world were Gold and mine to dispose of I would give it to live with my Wife and Children though in Prison yet my Soul and Christ are dearer to me than all Psal. 45.10 Forget thy own people and thy fathers house c. 2. Sin must be denied and forsaken Christ and Belial purity and corruption can have no fellowship Depart from all iniquity Jesus Christ and one allowed lust cannot lodge together in the same Soul He that prefers any lust before Christ deserves to go without him but he that with indignation parts with his sins shall have the Pearl of price in their room 3. you must deny your own righteousness this is the hardest part of self-denyal yet necessary Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners the whole need not the Physitian but the sick there must be sense of sin guilt shame and nakedness as Noah's Dove So long as the prodigal could make any shift to live he returned not or the woman with the blood issue had any thing to spend she came not to Christ like the man cast from an high Tower and stuck to the Mulberry-tree and scap'd A wounded man hasts to the Chyrurgeon sick to the Physician the man pursued by the avenger of blood to the City of refuge so a poor Soul broken with the insupportable burden of his sin wrath of God curse of the Law will be willing with a witness to cast it self into the opened arms and inviting embracements of Jesus Christ bleeding on the Cross tendred in the Gospel and so made his for ever you must sell all that you have and thus buy the Pearl 5. Do all this presently speedily defer it not till to morrow now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Seek you the Lord while he may be found Isa. 55.6 While he offers himself in the ministry of his Word while he saith seek ye my face let your heart answer thy face do I seek To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts to day after so long a time Heb. 4.7 If you will do it at all do it betimes before the day of grace and time of repentance be expired and the door of mercy be shut As the Jewish Rabbi said of repentance Do it to day because thou knowest not thou shalt live till to morrow You know not that ever this gift shall be offered again this may be the last time to thee your life may be gone and then actum est or means removed or judicial hardness inflicted according to that dreadful threat Matt. 13.14 Hearing ye shall hear and not understand c. no judgment so terrible on this side Hell or he swear in his wrath you shall not enter into his rest God forbids his people to feed on those twilight birds the Bats signifying prolongers of repentance who think to flutter confusedly about Christ in the evening of their withered years and dream of a devout retirement in old age Now Christ stands at the door and knocks the spirit strives but the time is coming when many
3.26 Who could repair the Image of God in us and restore the life of Grace when we were dead but Christ by his Spirit How could we ever put off the old man and put on the new die to sin and live unto God were it not for Christs death and resurrection Had not he sanctified himself for our sakes we had never been holy had he not born the punishment we deserved we had never been happy was not he given that whosoever believed on him might not perish but have everlasting life Tell me you that think Christ is a person that may be well spared c. who could ever have opened the eyes of the blind the ears of the deaf or healed a wounded spirit Who could have bound up a broken heart opened the Prison-dores broken off the chains of bondage and proclaimed liberty to the captives Who could have satisfied infinite justice born the weight of Gods Wrath removed the curse of the Law made reconciliation for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness certainly none but Christ. 8. Christ is a most gainful gift He is absolute and universal gain Christ is the most profitable gift to the soul that can be injoyed yea that can be imagined nothing more commodious nothing more enriching than Christ is to them that have him There is no man rich without Christ neither is there any poor that have him a man without Christ is a beggarly bankrupt but one that hath Christ is a wealthy King He that hath Christ hath all he that hath not him hath nothing Christ is not gain as worldly things are profitable in relation to their ends as wealth is good to supply want food to maintain life clothes to keep off cold air a bed to rest weary limbs but Christ is a rich and inestimable treasure to the soul without reference to any further end than himself he is to be desired even for himself his merchandise is better than silver and his gain than fine gold Prov. 3.14 Man knows not the price of wisdom of this wisdom Prov. 8.18 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx and Saphire there is no talking nor bidding in this Market so precious is this corner-stone No mention shall be made of corral or of pearls for the price of wisdom is above rubies The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold c. Job 28.18 19. What the Apostle saith of godliness is very true of Christ he is profitable for all things and he is gainful at all times and to all persons both for soul and body for the life that now is and the life that is to come and for ever The salvation of the soul is better than the gaining of a whole world What is a man profited if he gain the world and lose his soul How much more gain then is he by whom a world of souls are saved 9. Christ is a most suitable gift He suits all persons and all conditions whether a man be poor or rich young or old noble or ignoble learned or unlearned bond or free high or low the richest have need of him as well as the poorest and the meanest may have him as well as the greatest be in what condition or relation soever he is suitable to all And O! how suitable is Christ to the lost condition of all men by nature man is an enemy to God Christ is the Peace-maker he is a Captive Christ is a Redeemer he is lost Christ a Saviour he is sick Christ a Physician he is dead Christ gives life he is poor Christ gives riches he is weak Christ is strength he is guilty Christ hath righteousness he is filthy Christ hath blood to wash him in he is naked Christ hath a Garment to cloath him he is hungry Christ is the Bread of Life he is thirsty Christ gives living waters O! how suitable how acceptable is Christ to poor sinners He that hath Christ may say here 's strength to support me Wisdom to direct me Power to protect me Gold to inrich me Cordial to comfort me and Fulness to supply all my wants He is made all things to all men eyes to the blind feet to the lame and a Father to the poor Christ is for every turn and fitted for every condition be it what it will or can he hath a sufficiency relative and suitable to it there 's no disease but this Physician can cure it no Case but this Counsellor can resolve it no Enemy but this Champion can conquer no difficulty but this mighty Saviour can overcome 10. Christ is a most seasonable gift Every thing is beautiful in its season all other things have their several seasons as food is good but 't is when a man is hungry so cloaths when a man is naked Physick when a man is not well Musick when a man is merry now Christ is never out of season A gift bestowed in the nick of time is most valued Bis dat qui cito dat 't is a double favour when done in time the right timing of things is a high point of practical wisdom and puts a beauty and value upon all things Now considering the state of man as lapsed Christ was the most seasonable gift that ever the world heard of This is set forth in the Parable Luk. 10.30 A certain man went down from Ierusalem to Iericho and fell among thieves which stripped him wounded him and left him half dead c. The man that travelled was our first Parent Adam the Thieves were the Divels who deprived him of all wounded him and left him not half but wholly dead the Priest and Levite came by and looked on but passed away neither would nor could help him but the good Samaritan so esteemed by the Iews Christ he comes had compassion on him went to him bound up his wounds with his own soft hands poured in Wine and Oyl and brought him to an Inn and took care for him that he should want nothing towards his recovery takes the whole charge of it to himself What can be imagined more seasonable than for such a compassionate Physitian to come by look on and undertake when a man lyes bleeding and dying in the high way Ezekiel 16 beginning doth excellently express the seasonableness of his coming to us Christ is sent to us when we are at an utter loss can neither help our selves nor all the world do us any good give the least relief When he comes into the world it is said Heb. 10.5 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure all the world was at a loss to please God What shall man do and whither will he fly for help Then even then said I lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me to do thy will O God Christ comes in the very nick of time when all mankind was ready to perish
use of him here and hath now taken him home to himself His afflictions temptations oppositions were above the ordinary rate which as they assimilated him to his Master so they promoted his greater usefulness here and fittednes for heaven the lintel-stones and pillars of the new Ierusalem suffer more knocks of Gods hammer and tool than the common side-wall stones God wearied him out of this world and made heaven welcome wish him not here again but labour to improve this dreadful breach by remembring his Doctrine imitating his exemplary practice and understanding Gods design in this so amazing stroke search out that Achan that hath troubled your camp lay to heart sin reform your lives live up to the Doctrines you have been taught and do these in particular which are here presented to your view and I am confident will be acceptable to you though wanting the warming-accent of his lively voice which was full of sparkling spirits you must see his face hear his voice no more in your solemn assemblies but yet this Elijah as he mounted up to heaven in a chariot of fire dropped down this paper-mantle amongst us which by the spirit of grace concurring may divide the swelling-waves of Jordan I mean separate betwixt precious souls and those abominations which at this day overflow all banks and bounds Oh that Gods Spirit may by these conduits convey spiritual life and marrow into your souls that you may live though Ministers die they die civilly naturally may you live spiritually eternally This servant of God spent himself as a candle to give you light if ever it might be said of a mortal man as of our Saviour The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up it may be said so of this choice servant of God who spent and was spent for souls who counted not his life dear unto him that he might finish his course with joy in labours more abundant But I purposely wave what concerns his person at present leaving a rough draught of his smooth life to a fitter season All I shall add is to give a brief account of these ensuing Treatises As to the printing of them though Solomon caution his Son against making and reading many Books Eccles. 12.12 yet that only sounds a retreat to luxuriant wits in a scribling age as to writing upon some subjects or for vain glory but doth not simply condemn writing Books which hath been the key of discipline an Herauld of the Gospel and a notable mean to propagate true Religion As for these discourses upon common subjects I pickt them out of a vast bundle of variety of excellent discourses upon such accounts as these 1. Because I do not remember any such full Treatises upon these heads 2. Yet they are needful and useful pleasant and profitable 3. They are handed out in a taking-method and manner 4. His heart was much carried out in preaching Christ to sinners he professed most delight in it these Sermons then are the lively idea of his Gospel spirit 5. God made them savoury and delectable in their first verbal delivery and why not upon a second review 6. This servant of God is likely to preach no more but hereby being dead he yet speaketh 7. The importunity of such friends as deserved to be gratified extorted this labour of love to the souls of sinners nor shall it repent us to expose it naked to the worlds censures so it may by Gods blessing profit any For Treatises themselves though carried on by way of similitude and resemblance yet are not therefore to be despised or rejected the Prophets used similitudes Lumen supernum nunquam desendit sine indumento Rab. Cup. in Synt. Apost p. 177 178. Christ preacht much in Parables and this way sweetly instills Truths with delight and clearness into the mind and affection so that Cyprian's caution be well regarded that they be not stretcht too far He instanceth in leaven I may instance in this gift of God Iesus Christ is not so a gift but that he is also a Lord not to be ruled by us but to rule us To us a Son is given Isa. 9.6 but how that yet the government might be upon his shoulder As he is the Lords Christ so he is Christ the Lord who will rule where he rests and reign where ever he is received he will be Lord as well as Life a Master as well as a Treasure he will sway his righteous scepter over us as well as vouchsafe his glorious benefits to us he expects we should be his servants as well as his friends we must be the Lords Nethinims given to God yea by our selves as we expect this blessed Donative from God he that will not be ruled by his golden scepter shall be crushed by his iron rod. And as Iesus Christ is a gift so he is food bread of life heavenly manna yet this must not be stretcht too far for in this he is contrary to ordinary corporal food for though he feed souls he turns them not they him into his holy heavenly nature Christ as the gift of God is the matter of this feast Christ as Lord is the master and maker of this feast All this must be understood suitable to the majesty of the Son of God and according to the nature of Metaphors otherwise saith Cyprian If they were the same they were not examples but the things rather which they illustrate But all these similitudes fall infinitely short of the perfection of him who is above finite excellencies Nec similitudinem substantiae in facturis suis habere potest ille qui factor est omnium All I shall add further on this account is that caution of his in a like case Et jam hoc loco mundior auditus requiritur purior sensus Let your senses be raised to spiritual objects Having hinted a few words concerning the Author and Treatises give me leave having this fair opportunity to be speak the once constant attenders upon this good mans Ministry and those are either sinners or Saints As for unconverted sinners that attended such powerful awakening preaching and have sitten out these loud calls and pathetical intreaties and rational Interrogatories Perswasives Expostulations I may now say Lord have mercy upon you your case is miserable hath your Minister killed himself to save your souls and yet will you not be saved have you worn him to the stumps and quenched his natural light with your spiritual deadness Have you stifled all those convictions you have had under his Ministry And have you not reason to fear that Gods Spirit will strive with you no more Where will you find such another upright Nathaneel such a rouzing Boanerges such a melting Barnabas Shall he that studied travelled sweat wept sigh'd and suffered be brought in as a testimony against you He was mighty in prayer were you stupid when he wrestled with God for you and was loath to be put off without a soul at a Sermon Did you look about
the inexhausted fountain of all those streams of blessedness that flow forth all the Creation over the eternal Spring and Well-head of all those fresh Seas and Oceans of all the swelling-tides and bottomless depths of unutterable riches of grace and love to all his elect He must needs be rich who sets up and enriches so many thousand Bankrupts that had not only wasted their goods but sold themselves into slavery and bondage he pays their ransoms buys out their liberty and purchases Crowns and Kingdoms for them It would beggar all the Angels in Heaven to pay down the ransom of one soul yea to purchase the pardon of one sin The redemption of the soul is precious the soul of the meanest man alive is of more worth than a world as he himself tells us who went to the price of souls What then shall we think of Christ who saves so many millions of souls Hence in Scripture the richest things on earth are made use of to shadow out the riches of Christ. Under the title of wisdom he saith Prov. 8.18 19 Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and righteousness My fruit is better than gold and my revenue than choice silver And Prov. 3.16 Length of days are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Eternity hath the honour of her right hand riches are the left-hand blessings of wisdom The riches of Christ are not ordinary things not perishing riches but unsearchable and inexhaustible Eph. 3.8 There are unsearchable riches of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be traced out never to be drawn dry Though all true believers have all their debts paid and are all maintained and advanced by his riches and at his cost and charges yet there is no lessening of this treasure that 's never the emptier Sumit unus sumunt mille quantum isti tantum illi neque sumptus absumitur One believer draws water of life and a supply of all needful blessings out of this Well of Salvation and a Thousand gracious souls do the like and the One draws as much as the Thousand yet the Well is never drawn dry As the Apostle Paul speaks of his over-abundant grace confesses he was dipt in a sea of mercy One Paul obtained as much grace even so whole and compleat a ransom without diminishing as would have saved a world Grace reigns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is rich and Lord of all 5. Christ is a most precious gift He is more precious than rubies and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto him Imagine what you will name what you can and 't is unworthy to stand in comparison with Christ who is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon him and happy is every one that retaineth him Prov. 3.15 18. It 's too true there are not a few that set light by Christ and can see no beauty or comliness in him that they should desire him but to them that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 The wise Merchant understood his worth which made him sell all that he had with joy with a very good will so far from sticking and wavering so far from changing his mind that he persists in his resolution with a chearful heart that he might purchase this Pearl of great price Mat. 13.44 The Apostle Paul was at one with himself Yea doubtless I count all things but loss and dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs-meat that I may win Christ Phil. 3.8 Let burning hanging all torments befall me tantumodo ut Christum nansciscar so I may get Christ saith Ignatius Could we give you a particular view and account but that 's impossible of every excellency and all the high perfections that are in Christ you would find him precious in all the parts of his Mediatorship in his person in his natures in his offices in all his gifts and graces Look on him as Mediator and there he shines forth most gloriously and appears to be the most peerless and precious thing in the world as Prophet he is most precious Enoch Noah Moses Elisha David c. were excellent and precious men in their times but were types of Christ he as far excels them as the substance doth the shadow He is Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of eminency and exellency above all other Prophets they spake to the ear he to the heart they searched out the mind of God he came out of his bosome and saith Counsel is mine and sound wisdom I am understanding Prov. 8.14 So as Priest he is most precious this office is the most excellent part of his mediation he could never have opened our eyes as Prophet nor ruled our hearts as King had he not died for us O the death and blood of Christ this Lamb of God! how precious of what infinite value The death of a Man is more precious than of a Beast of a King than of many Men of Christ more than a thousand Kings Thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl had been nothing to the price Christ paid See in the Hebrews how far Christs Priesthood excels all that went before him He alone is an everlasting Priest offering but once sufficient for all gone to Heaven c. and he is Sacrifice Priest Temple Altar and all in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Never was there on earth a King so precious as Christ though all good Kings are precious he is over all King of kings and Lord of lords his kingdom spiritual over all hearts consciences over all nations ages all sorts and ranks of men from generation to generation he is head and King alone without either Collegue in the largeness of his dominions or Regent in his minority or Vice-roy in his absence How precious is grace one dram of it better than all the treasures in the world Now he is the fountain of it full of grace and truth so Truths Ordinances so Comforts Promises all that belongs unto him very precious 6. Christ is a most pleasant gift Nothing more desirable and amiable than Christ to sinners Excellency is the attractive of desire beauty draws the eye that affects the heart and delight following love makes very delightful Now Christ is altogether lovely Totus ipse in universum delectabilis desiderabilis all throughout from top to toe desirable and delightful the cheif among Ten thousand matchless and incomparable To say nothing of his bodily features though Historians report Christ to be very beautiful as man As God he is the perfection of beauty 't is true beauty is not formally in God yet it is in him eminently and by way of Analogy for if beauty be good and a desirable perfection in the creature it must needs be in the infinite God as the perfection of the effect is in the cause If Roses and Lillies be fair he must be fair that created them but in another kind if the Sun Moon
the good of both worlds and infinitely more He is so needful a good that thou art undone without him that 's the misery of hell yea the very hell of hell He is so plentiful a good that thou art perfectly happy in him thou needest no more he is the Heaven of heavens he is the only suitable satisfying good which suits the nature and fits and fills the desires of the rational creature he can enlarge and suit all thy faculties answer and relieve all thy necessities fill up all the capacities of thy heaven-born soul. He is an everlasting good who will stay with thee and stand by thee when all other good things shall fail thee Wilt thou not now say Lord whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee I 'm sure he is such a gift as thou wouldest have if thou knew what thou dost as thou shouldst have if thou understood thy self and answeredst the ends of the Gospel as thou must have if thou be not eternally miserable O what dost thou think of having this gift as thine own sure by this time thy heart may melt into astonishment and thy bowels be moved within thee and thy soul cry with the Martyr in the flames None but Christ none but Christ Well what saist thou to him is not Christ worthy to be accepted and embraced Is it not worth the while to have him for thine own Whatever thou thinkest now when death shall close thy eyes thou wilt be of this mind when thy soul stands quivering on thy lips ready to take its flight into the unknown regions of the other world when Devils will be waiting to seize upon it as soon as ever it leaves the body to hale it to the unquenchable flames of Hell when thy friends relations shall be weeping and wailing by thee but unable to afford thy dying body the least cordial or thy departing soul the least comfort Ah what wilt thou do in such an hour which is hasting on thee Without Christ on whom wilt thou call to whom wilt thou flee where wilt thou rest or hide thy self from the wrath of the Lamb of God Believe it though thou maist live without him thou canst not die without him without infinite horrour and confusion Is it not thy greatest concern to have him for thine to whom thou must stand or fall for ever from whose mouth thy sentence of eternal absolution or condemnation must come and who shall judg thee to thine unchangeable state of life or death of salvation or damnation though thou maist think thou canst do well enough without him at this day having what heart can wish in the world yet what wilt thou do at that day when the world shall be on a flame if Christ be not thine Once more let me intreat thee to answer Art thou willing or not to have this gift What say'st thou canst thou find in thine heart to deprive thy precious soul of such an inestimable treasure and to leave it naked in the other world to the cruelty of Devils and the dreadful curses of the Law and intolerable wrath of God 3. Consider on what terms thou maist have this gift for thine thou maist possibly think that so boundless and bottomless a treasure must cost thee very dear and the price must be exceeding great of a pearl so matchless and incomparable much will be expected from me and I shall never be able to compass this gift But know sinner to thy comfort all that God requireth of thee is only to accept Christ heartily and thankfully canst thou desire any thing cheaper wouldest thou desire him to fall lower in his terms Nay is it possible to do so and make thee happy How can he be thine unless thou receive him for thine that is a poor favour a vile gift that is not worth acceptance what more reasonable take him for thine and he shall be thine canst thou both deny him and enjoy him refuse the gift and have it too Our emptiness is the best plea and self-denial our best price thou givest more for thy bread thy clothes thy house and for the needful comforts that are for the support of thy frail body than thou needest to give for this great and glorious Christ thou payest money for them but thou maist have him without money and without price One would think that the equity of the condition should both amaze thee and allure thee God doth not â—ell but give his Son he knows thou hast nothing and he would only have thee to know that too and be humbled under the sense of thy spiritual poverty thou maist lose a gift by offering to buy it Thy money perish with thee c. 'T is said indeed Isa. 55.1 Come buy c. for the word is used here improperly for to get attain receive procure furnish your selves c. So Prov. 3.8 and elsewhere something must indeed be done by those that partake of Christ they must come and accept of him And something parted with but of no valuable consideration in gain to God and what would be prejudicial to us and inconsistent with having this gift But God requires not of thee things impossible he doth not say If thou wilt remove mountains dry up oceans stop the course of nature create worlds and Christ shall be thine as great as good as he is he doth not say If thou satisfie my justice answer the demands of my Law merit my love and favour then shall he be thine No he himself hath done all this for thee all that he desires is that thou wouldest receive him that hath done so Neither doth he require any thing of thee that is barbarous and cruel as the Heathen Deities did of their worshippers he says not if thou wilt lance and mangle thy body as Baal's Priests did or if thou wilt go barefoot in sackcloth long and tedious Pilgrimages as the Papists do If you will offer your Children in the fire and give the fruit of your bodies for the sin of your souls as some did then he is yours Nor doth he require of thee chargeable and costly as to offer the best and chiefest of thy flock in sacrifice to him nor as he once did of the young man to sell all that thou hast and give it to the poor Nor as Idolaters lay down such a part of thy estate for thy pardon But he only requires that thou first thirst and then buy be sensible of thy want and poverty and nothingness and then open an empty hand and take Christ as thy Saviour and Lord and wilt thou not do it Canst thou deny him and thy poor soul so reasonable so equitable a request as the Servant said to Naaman If the prophet had commanded thee some great thing wouldest thou not have done it how much more then when he only saith wash and be clean So say I to thee If God had commanded the greatest things imaginable
help him Job 22.2 3. Nor thy wickedness hurt him Job 35.2 He expects no gain by thee looks for no requital he offers this gift to thee not that he may be blessed by thee but that he may be bountiful to thee it 's thy good not his own that he looks at The felicity of accepting is thine own and the misery of neglecting is thine own Prov 9.12 If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it Men call Customers to them and press them with many arguments and entreaties to buy that they may inrich themselves by their Customers but God calls men to buy of him not to inrich himself he is as rich and perfect and happy as he can be but to inrich themselves I counsel thee saith Christ to his lukewarm Church â—ev 3.18 to buy of me gold tryed in the fire Why that he might get â—omething by him and enrich himsâ—lf No that thou maist be rich that thou not I may be rich Now Brethren ponder it seriously it is wholly for your own good that you may escape wrath and death that you may attain Heaven and life that God is pleased once more to offer Christ to you He gives his Son to this end that you may be saved to bring you into the state of Sons and into a right to Heaven and Glory Had he given Christ only to rule over you with his Scepter of righteousness it would have been an excellent gift and no small priviledg to be Subjects to such a Prince especially for such as were bondslaves of Satan by nature but he gives Christ to save and redeem us Something yea very much of God is in the Creation much of God in his common providence but most of all yea whole God in the redemption of man If a Physitian should come to us who would heal us of all our diseases suppose we were an Hospital of unsound persons would he not be most acceptable to us What more acceptable to a poor man than wealth or a naked man than clothes or to an hungry man than bread a slave than freedom all this and infinitely more is Christ to us Now all that is required of us in order to the obtaining of all these benefits is to believe in Christ and what is believing but receiving Christ as he is offered to us in the Gospel Iohn 1.12 What is thy mind now about this offer what dost thou resolve on wilt thou have Christ this Gift of God or not Is there any thing unreasonable in his demands any thing defective in this offer or in the gift is not Christ fair or good enough is he not rich and honourable enough is there any want of love or loveliness in Christ for thee What hath been said of him will silence all these and the like objections What canst thou say is it an indifferent matter whether thou take this or not doth not thy eternal felicity depend on thine acceptance of him what sayest thou shall Christ be thy Lord or the Devil One of these will reign over thee Consider what thou dost thy Soul is immortal and must either take God and Christ and Heaven to be thy portion for ever or Hell and Death and Wrath and Divels for thy portion for ever one of these two is the portion of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam If thou wilt still prefer the world before Christ and love the creature above Christ and please thy flâ—sh more than Christ 〈◊〉 thou goest without him and however thou maist shift in this world yet when once thou appearest in another world God will rain fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest and this will be the portion of thy cup Psal. 11 6. But if now thou acceptest oâ— this gift of God Jesus Christ when all thy friends shall leave thee and dearest relations forsake thee yea when thy flesh and thy heart shall fail thee Christ will be the strength of thy heart and thy portion for ever Well consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding that thou maist know when thou art well offered and be wise on this side the other world I know not what other answer you can rationally make to all that hath been said to perswade your acceptance of this gift of God but that either you have it already or desire to know how you may make it your own I shall therefore to prevent mistakes in the one and to give assistance to the other first direct you to try your selves whether Christ be yours or not and then how to attain propriety in this excellent gift whereby you may be happy to all eternity Let this be your most serious inquiry whether you have indeed received this gift of God or not Is Christ yours can you truly say with the Spouse Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his If you can but once say and speak true I am my beloveds as Cant. 6.3 you may with the same breath conclude my beloved is mine Have you ever made a full intire affectionate deliberate and unreserved resignation of your selves unto him have you given up your heart head and hands all you are all you have unto Jesus Christ and that constantly Then he is wholly yours For God never gave his Son to any but such gave themselves to the Lord and are new creatures and sound believers But more particularly 1. If you have received this gift of God you do very highly esteem of him and prefer him above all other things in the world To them that believe Christ is precious they have a good opinion of his worth and excellency have him in greatest honour and estimation as Hinsius saith the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies He that loves Father or Mother or any Relation or Riches or Pleasures more than Christ is not worthy of him cannot be his Disciple Do you truly in judgment and affections account it your chief happiness to enjoy the Lord Jesus Christ is he the chiefest of Ten thousand in your eyes altogether lovely Can you say with David Psal. 16.5 The Lord is my portion or with him Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth I desire beside thee or in competition with thee So that whatever temptations to the contrary you meet with you do in your settled prevailing judgment prefer Christ before all and count all loss and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledg of Christ making him the end of your desires and endeavours putting the world and all other things behind him in your esteem and pursuit and thinking no labour nor losses nor sufferings too great for Christ. 2. Are you willing to receive Christ as Lord as well as Saviour submit to him as King as well as accept of him as Redeemer and come not only for ease and rest but to take his yoke upon you and become his Servants Is Christ your Lord
and Master to guide and govern your hearts and thoughts and lives by his Laws and Statutes and is it your ordinary purpose desire and endeavour to obey him even when he commands the hardest duties and those which most cross the desire and interest of the flesh and 't is your sorrow when you break your resolutions herein then Christ is yours But if you are only content to be saved by him from Hell when you dye in the mean time he shall command you no further than will stand with your credit or pleasure or worldly estate and ends and did never heartily consent that he should rule over you nor resign up your souls and bodies to be governed and disposed by him nor took his Word for a Law and Rule of your thoughts and actions but if he would give you leave you had rather live after the world and flesh than after the Word and Spirit he is not yet yours though you may in words call him Lord and Master yet in your works you deny him He is his Friend and Disciple that keeps his commandments Iohn 15.7 14 but they that would not hearken to his voice would none of him he gave them up to their own hearts lusts Psal. 8.11 3. Have you received the Spirit of Christ The Apostle makes the former and this characters of such as have received Christ. 1 Joh. 3.24 He that keepeth his commandments dwells in him and Christ in him hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Well then do ye obey the Laws of Christ and walk in his ways conform to his example and live the life of Jesus He that doth not thus may say he abides in Christ but he doth but say so 't is not so in truth and reallity 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abides in Christ ought to walk as he walked Further Let me ask you the question the Apostle asked the Disciples at Ephesus Acts. 19.2 Whether have you received the Holy Ghost If God have given Christ to you Christ hath given you his holy Spirit For if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit The Spirit not as residing in Christ but as given to us is an evidence that we have received Christ. Well then let every one of you be now inquisitive and put such interrogatories as these to himself Have I the Spirit is he given to me doth he dwell in my soul have I the spirit of illumination and revelation Eph. 1.17 Do I see such things as I never saw before as the inexpressible vileness and loathsomness of sin the greatest beauty in holiness c. Have I the spirit of life in Christ Jesus to quicken me and raise me up from the dead Rom. 8.2 2 Cor. 3.6 Have I felt the spirit of conviction to convince me of sin righteousness and judgment Iohn 16.8 The spirit of grace and supplication stirring up to and assisting in that heavenly duty of Prayer Zech. 12.10 The spirit of holyness to sanctifie me 1 Pet. 1.2 to mortifie my sins and corruptions Rom. 8.13 and work up my heart to all holy obedience Ezek. 36.27 Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind is Gods Image repaired in me am I transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Am I growing in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord Do I walk in all Gods Ways and Statutes freely regularly constantly Am I willing to sacrifice an Isaac a Benjamin an Absolom a Delilah Herodias and hew with Samuel delicate Agag in pieces or with David keep my self from mine own iniquity Is the old man dead the flesh with all its cursed retinue mortified do I detest and loath every sin in thought word and deed and that not so much for its effects as for its nature and hate it rather as Hell than for Hell Enquire what do you find of these high and gracious operations oâ— the spirit in your selves he is always an active working Spirit is he so in you Doth he raise your hearts to heavenly things and draw forth your souls to Christ O deal faithfully with your own souls let the search be deep and thorow go to the bottom of your deceitful hâ—arts bring things to an issue be sure that you be not mistaken 4. If Christ be received there will be a more earnest intent desire and breathing of soul after him he that hath once tasted the sweetness of his grace and seen the splendor of his beauty will be so far from being satisfied that he will still more and more thirst after him the more excellency the soul apprehends in him the more vehement and restless are his desires towards him Thus it was with the Spouse Cant. 2.3 4 5 â—he had a glance of him and cries out As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons Here the Spouse seems to be strongly moved with affection and before her beloved had well ended his speech breaks out into an affectionate Elogy of him which she is not able to express but conquered with her own passion she sits down and breathes for comfort I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Here the soul receives and applys Christ with sweet rellish to her palate comfort to her heart He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love she still tasts more of the riches of his Grace and what was the effect of this did she surfeit with eating his fruit and banquetting no she is more ravisht with desire Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love I am wounded nay slain as some Interpreters with love which by the sweet vehemency and insatiability of it makes the heart to burn and weep groan and sigh to forget all and drive away all but him on whom alone she fixeth and would rest but cannot center till she enjoy him in glory till then she is sick and weary and lives not in her self but in him in whom her life is hid As Plato defines love an ardour or flame of a soul dead in its own body and living in another One thus writes to his friend I have for the present a sick life much pain and love-sickness for Christ. O what would I give to have a bed made to my wearied soul in his bosom O when shall we meet O how long is it to the dawning of the marriage-day O sweet Lord Iesus take wide steps O my beloved come leaping over the mountains of separation O that he would fold the heavens together like an old cloak and shovel time and days out of the way and come away Well have you pain and sick-nights for Christ do your thoughts continually run on
Kings Priests Prophets Titles of Dignity Names of Honour or whatever else was ascribed to them to express their Dignity and Soveraignty they were only used â—o express those transcendent Excellencies which these personal Types did adumbrate and appear most properly to belong unto this Prince of Peace 2. So for the New Testament he is almost expressed but always intended and implied in every chapter verse line and word thereof Take away Christ out of the Gospel and there remains nothing but empty words Take Christ out of the History and it is but a meer Fable and remove him from the Doctrine thereof and it falls to the ground being without a foundation Take Christ out of the Precepts and they are not of force or a yoke too heavy for us to bear Take him out of the Promises and they are not Yea and Amen The Promises without Christ are Wells sealed up bones without marrow In the Epistles if Christ be absent there is no Grace Mercy or Peace 2. He is the prime and marrow of all things as well as of words as Austin tells us having gone through all Creatures and enquired of them for God each one of them did answer I am not he Sed per ipsum sum quem quaeris in me but I have my being from him whom thou seekest in me So if we view the whole Creatition and note the particular excellencies of every Creature we should find that all these are derived from Christ he is the pearl of the word and of the world Is there any thing praise-worthy and excellent even in our estimation which we may not find Christ comprehend the same eminently in himself as the vertue and perfection of the effect is in the cause If riches be desirable and excellent Christ is rich and Lord of all in him are unsearchable riches treasures of wisdom and knowledg If you talk of honours as riches so honours are his We behold his glory as of the only begotten Son of God When man was at first created he was created with honour and glory Psal. 8.5 but Christ is better than man in his primitive purity and original splendour not men only but Angels also worship him Heb. 1.6 Philip. 2.9 God hath highly exalted him he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath highted him but hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over-highted or super-exalted him and hath given him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name above all names that is real honour above all names all expressions and above all thoughts and above all excellencies not only in this world but in the world to come O how excellent is his name in all the earth Psal. 8.1 If there be any worth in pleasures as many conceive here then is an object altogether lovely and delightful here is beauty to delight the eye sweetest musick in his voice to ravish the ear and that which pleases all the senses of the inward man Another esteemed excellency is Wisdom which Solomon saith exceedeth folly as far as light exceedeth darkness Eccles 2.13 Now herein doth the excellency of Christ chiefly appear for he was filled with wisdom Luk. 2.40 In him were hid treasures of wisdom Col. 2.3 He is the Wisdom of God and saith Counsel is mine and sound wisdom I am understanding In a word there is one excellency more and but one in this world far transcending all these that is Grace for that makes a man excellent Psal. 16.2 The righteous is more excellent more honourable than his neighbour Prov. 12.26 and procures a name better than of sons and daughters even an everlasting name that cannot be cut off Isa. 56.5 But the grace of any Christian is but as the drop to the Ocean in regard of the grace of Christ who is full of grace and truth Iohn 1.14 Grace is poured into his lips Psal. 45.2 yea such uncreated grace hath no one Christ is better than health than wealth than peace than pleasure than wisdom or grace Christ made ours by his Fathers gift and goodness hath all the sweetness comfort and happiness of all these in him and infinitely more All these are but streams that lead us to the fountain but beams that guide our eyes to that Father of lights to that Son of righteousness God reconciled God incarnate 3. Christ is the first and chiefest of all persons which raises him one degree higher in his superlative excellency 'T is reported of Apelles that at his drawing of his rare pictures of Venus among the Heathens stiled the Goddess of beauty that he assembled together the most beautiful Women of the Island of Coos comprehending in that his own work their divided perfections so to conclude this Encomium of Christ I shall collect the Eminencies of all things and persons and beings and shew that he is the chiefest of all chieftains the choicest of all choice persons in Heaven and Earth God Angels and Men of gods so called he is the chiefest nay he stands alone he is the only true and wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 Of Angels he is the chief the Angel of the Lords substantial presence Isa. 63.9 he is the Archangel 1 Thes. 4.16 the Prince anâ— Head of those glorious spirits Col. 2.10 the head of all principalities and powers Of men he is the prince and choicest the chiefest of ten thousand the standard-bearer among the armies of Angels and men the choice of the flock the flower the rose the glory of all the children of men yea he contains all their excellencies whereof some had one excellency some another he hath all Abraham was excellent in his faith Moses in his choice Iob in his patience David in his sincerity having a heart like Gods heart but Christ hath all eminency of grace in one some are gods but must dye like men Christ is the Prince of life that never dyes some are wise but he is wisdom it self some are strong but he is most mighty some are fair but Christ is fairer than the Sons of men Among relations he is the chief among shepherds he is the chief shepherd of our souls 1 Pet. 5.4 the good shepherd Iohn 10.11 Among Sons he is the first-begotten Son Heb. 1.6 the first-born of every creature Col. 1.15 the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8 29. still he hath the preheminence Among Prophets Priest and Kings he is the most excellent and far transcends all others he is in every respect absolutely perfect and a superlatively excellent Saviour so that there is none such no Saviour besides him this is the person whom you undervalue and make light of 3. By refusing this gift of God you do exceedingly gratifie Satan the great enemy of your souls If a man had conference with the Prince of Darkness and should make this motion to him wherein he might most serve and gratifie him I am confident it would be his only wish to such a soul above any thing in the world that he would keep at distance from Christ neither
come near Him nor his Ordinances have nothing to do with him Now will any be so stupid as to gratifie his greatest adversary to his own unspeakable prejudice Is it not horrible indignity to Christ monstrous cruelty to the soul to refuse Christ who hath done and suffered so much for him and to be led by Satan captive and blindfold into misery to slight Christs sweet invitations and yield to Satans malicious temptations Satan is that strong man that hath power over all men in nature he keeps his goods in peace in the palace of our hearts and there sports himself in carrying on the design of the souls ruin sometimes by policy sometimes by force he keeps possession Luk. 11.21 22. And wherein can a man more designedly gratifie Satan further his wicked designs and establish his kingdom yea enlarge his dominion than by siding with him against Christ who besiegeth the soul with Ordinances and Providences for Satan knows well enough that Christs rise will be his fall Christs scepter will be his destruction that when Christ a stronger than he comes he will overcome him and take from him all his armour wherein he trusted pull down his strong holds divide the spoils and deliver poor captive man out of prison and slavery O then do not so much gratifie Satan 4. If you refuse Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel you are guilty of the greatest sin and folly that can be Though for most part men think not so of it and accordingly lay it not to heart yet it is the greatest sin the sin of sins and in some sort the only sin of the world Men commonly think murder adultery theft drunkenness to be very hainous sins and so indeed they be but unbelief far worse for it is the mother of these and all other evils Take all the sins that ever were committed against any of Gods just laws and none is like to this no greater sin can be laid to ones charge than to refuse wilfully and trample under foot the Son of God Christ promises to send his Spirit the Comforter into the world and he shall convince the world of sin because they believe not on him Joh. 16.9 he means this sin alone saith Austin as if not believing in the Son of God were the only sin Indeed it is the main and master-sin O beloved little do you think who daily sit under the Ministry unwrought on by the Word of God what a grievous and fearful sin you commit and dreadful guilt you carry home with you in neglecting from day to day so great Salvation in forsaking your own mercy and in judging your selves unworthy of everlasting life when Jesus Christ this most precious gift is offered to you by chusing rather to cleave to a lust than to Christ blessed for ever and rather to wallow in the mire and mud of earthly riches and swinish pleasures than to receive this most pleasant and excellent gift rather to cast away your time in idleness pride worldliness and sensuality than in seeking after this transcendent favour rather make choice of a life made up of drunkenness whoredoms railing at godliness The greatness of this sin appears in this that it is most directly and diametrically opposite to the most fundamental Doctrine and command of the Gospel the primary and principal command of Christ is to believe in Jesus Christ 1 Ioh. 3.23 When the Jaylor being sadly convinced cryed out to the Apostles Sirs what shall I do to be saved they answered him Act. 16.31 Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Not to believe is accounted by God notorious disobedience and horrid gain saying Rom. 10. ult In the Law God strictly requires obedience to his just precepts Do this and live by doing these things thou shalt save thy self from hell but no man living being able to purchase Heaven at this rate by Christ he takes off this yoke so that if they will but believe on his Son they shall not be condemned by the Law and thus he treats men Since thou canst not fully obey my Law nor satisfie my Justice I 'le give thee my Son who shall do all for thee through whose perfect obedience thy imperfections may be remitted and healed only thou must believe in him and if thou wilt do but this one thing for thy soul all thy sins shall be pardoned thou shalt be received into favour adopted for my Son and in thy obedience to the rest of my commands I 'le accept the will for the deed though thou canst not perform such perfect obedience as thou shouldest yet if thou labour to do what thou canst I 'le help thee with strength from Heaven bear with unallowed infirmities c. 'T is a sin against light and much knowledg a sin against love and special mercies it binds all a mans other sins upon him it puts and keeps him under the guilt of all his sins Infidelitate manente maneat peccatum omne he that lives in unbelief dies in his sins it makes a mans actions though moral and spiritual be sinful be a man never so holy and devout do or suffer never so much none of these nor all nor whatever can be named or imagined God will not be pleased with them for without faith 't is impossible to please God yea 't is a sin that defiles all a mans outward enjoyments and temporal good things To them that are unbelieving nothing is pure wife children house In a word 't is the height and perfection of madness to refuse Christ Quis nisi mentis inops c. Heaven and earth may be astonished Angels and all Creatures may justly stand amazed at this prodigious sottishness and monstrous madness 5. If you refuse Christ you utterly undo your own souls for ever if ye miss of this gift ye must expect nothing but misery here and eternal damnation hereafter For there is no name under heaven by which you can be saved Whatever your formalities be how fair soever ye carry in the eye of the world let your profession be never so plausible 't is Christ alone that can save you If you will accept of the Lord Jesus Christ you are in the suburbs of Heaven there is but a thin wall between you and the land of Praises ye are within an hours sailing of the shore of the new Canaan when death digs a little hole in the wall and takes down the sails you have no more to do but set your foot down in the fairest of created Paradises but if you will not accept of Christ let me tell you the truth you are in the suburbs of Hell there is but the cutting of a small thred and you have your portion with hypocrites and unbelievers 1. By refusing Christ you do no less than put and fix your selves in the state of condemnation Let not this be accounted as a harsh censure of my own head for 't is the Scipture Ioh. 3.18 He that believeth on him is
not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already and the reason this sentence is past upon such is because they believe not on the only begotten Son of God and the wrath of God abides on them Ioh. 3.36 We are all lost in Adam and if it be the office of Christ to save them that are lost they do worthily abide in death who refuse him and his Salvation 2. This sin of refusing Christ this very sin will e're long bring you actually into the place of condemnation whence there is no return What shall we be damned No far be it from me to pronounce the sentence of condemnation upon the worst of men but this you may be assured of that if you live and die without Christ your portion will be in utter and everlasting darkness 2 Thes. 2.12 That they all might be damned that believed not the truth c. Iesus Christ will be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels 2 Thes. 1.7 8 9. and take your lot with them Rev. 21.8 The unbelieving shall have their portion in the lake of fire and brimstone the very worst place in Hell Luke 12.48 To say nothing of Temporal Judgments answer me this question Isa. 33.14 Who among you can dwell with everlasting burnings The time will come when you shall remember what the Minister said O how fain would he have had me to escape these torments how earnestly did he entreat me With what love and tender compassion did he beseech me how did his bowels earn over me yet I did but make a jest of it and hardened my heart against all how glad would he have been after all his studies prayers and pains if he could have perswaded me cordially to accept Christ he would have thought himself well recompenced for all his labours he would have laid his hands under my feet and have fallen down on his knees to beg of me obedience to his message and all the entreaties of Ministers are the entreatings of God O how long did he wait how freely did he offer how lovingly did he invite how importunately did he solicite how long did Christ stand knocking at my door crying open to me sinner why sinner are thy lusts and pleasures better than me is earth better than heaven why then dost thou delay or deny wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be O that thou wouldest hearken to my voice and obey my Gospel O that they were wise As one that is loath to take a denial would not be repulsed O how would he have gathered thee and thou wouldest not shall the God of heaven and earth follow thee in vain from one place to another Turn ye turn ye why will ye die I would not have you perish If you go on with your refusal of Christ you may expect that the hellish gnawing of conscience for this one sin will hold scales with all the united horrour of all the rest you will then cry out O fools and ideots that we were when we refused so excellent a gift so blessed a Saviour we could then see no beauty in him nor comeliness wherefore we should desire him but now how fair and glorious is he whom we see upon the white Throne how desirable is his Sacred Majesty O how amiable is his countenance how doth he shine with incomparable splendor above the brightness of ten thousand Suns What wrong have we done our own souls that we have deprived of so beautiful and delightful an object as this most sweet and glorious Saviour If now we had time and leave to make our choice we would prefer the enjoyment of him whom we once contemned before ten thousand worlds But alas we cannot the term of mercy is expired and the time of justice wrath and vengeance so much spoken of by our faithful Pastors is now come and now we must be judged to the easeless endless and â—emediless torments of the infernal pit And all our pleasures and delights are gone O that we had never been born O that we had been so happy as our horses or swine which die but once and fell no more pain for ever whereas we must be ever dying and never free from pain and misery Wo wo wo unto us that ever we were born to see this day and to die this death and to live this life which will be a never dying death We that accounted such an one a precise fool for his care to receive and improve this gift of God shall groan out this sad complaint in the anguish of our spirits This was he whom we had sometimes in derision and a Proverb of reproach we fools counted his life madness and his end to be without honour now he is numbred among the Children of God and his lot is among the Saints Therefore we have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousness hath not shined upon us and as for the way of the Lord we have not known it What hath pride profited us or what good have riches with our vanity brought us all these things are passed by as a shadow and as a Post that hasts away O with what infinite horrour and restless anguish will this conceit rent the heart in pieces and gnaw up the conscience when he considers in hell that he hath lost heaven for a lust and Christ for a meer shadow whereas he might at every Sermon had even the Son of God his own for the very taking and with him for ever unspeakable joy and glory yet then neglecting so great Salvation must now be crying out therefore against himself as the most raging Bedlam that ever breath'd lye down in unquenchable flames without remedy ease or end Whereas all those that now accept of Christ shall while they live when they die and for ever cry out with the Apostle 2 Cor. 9.15 Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift 2. Second Branch of Instruction and Exhortation Such as have received this gift of God must make it their care and business to retain and keep him Buy the truth but sell it not Prov. 23.23 Remember how thou hast received and hold fast Rev. 3.3 This was the exemplary wisdom and care of the Church Cant. 3.4 I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mothers house and into the chamber of her that conceived me She came by him hardly and therefore she will not part with him lightly it cost her dear to find him she sought him up and down with tears and pains and returns with many a non inventus yet at last got him with much hazard and danger much loss and suffering and therefore having found him whom her soul loved she would by no means part with him nor leave him for the greatest advantages in the world she knew well that nothing under heaven could countervail the loss of him nothing in this wide universe though never so lovely and desirable could be equivalent to
of candle to any all equally enjoy Eternity there is one lease and term-day to the lowest inhabitant of glory as to the highest and that is Eternity There is common to all one City the streets whereof are transparent gold that the poorest inhabitants of a place do all walk on streets of gold of Ophir is a great commendation of a City 'T is common to them all that they shall never sigh never be sad never be sick never be old never die all feel the smell of the fairest rose that ever men or Angels heard of or can imagine the flower the glory the joy of Heaven the Lord Jesus Christ. All walk in white and can sin no more all have eternal life fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore So Christ is a publick gift all that truly believe may receive him may keep him may use him though there be many thousands of souls that are receiving from Christ yet he is full enough to supply thy wants though millions of souls employ him in the world yet he is at leisure to do thy work too if thou employ him All his offices and benefits are for thy use most properly he is made ordained appointed and fitted unto us of God Wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Is not a Redeemer of use for captives a Saviour for sinners a Priest for offenders a Prophet for the ignorant a King to deliver such as are in bondage and to conquer and subdue oppressors What is a Physician for but for sick persons Look on Christ in all his undertakings from first to last he is for use As particularly 1. Wherefore did Christ empty himself and come into the world was it not for sinners and will such cast him off and pass him by as useless Did he rent the heavens and come down to thâ— earth on purpose to seek and save lost sinners Luk. 19.20 and 1 Tim. 1.15 and will ye noâ— now make use of him 2. Wherefore was he made a Sacrifice and laid down his life and spilt his most precious blood was it not for us Messias was to be cut off but not for himself not for Angels but for us and did God give his Son to die for no use and purpose is not he the good shepherd that giveth his life for his sheep that they may have life and have it more abundantly Ioh. 10.10 He died that by his death he might reconcile us to God when we were enemies Rom. 5.10 His blood was spilt to justifie us Rom. 5.9 He was delivered for our offences Rom. 4.25 He paid a ransome for us and made satisfaction to divine justice in our nature and stead He gave himself for his Church Ephes. 5.25 26. that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by his word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle that it might be holy and without blemish He died that he might kill sin which would be our death and crucifie the old man and to establish a new Covenant and open a way to Heaven and shall all this be in vain did Christ die as a fool dieth 3. Wherefore did he rise again from the dead was it not for our use and benefit Rom. 4.25 He rose again for our justification that is God did declare by raising him from the dead that he hath accepted the death of his Son as of a sufficient ranâ—ome for our sins and he being our true pledg and surety therefore having satisfied for us by his death and returning again to life gives us a clear evidence and firm argument that God was fully reconcil'd and life purchased for us which assurance we could not have had if Christ our pledg had remained under the power of death and shall not we make use of Christs Resurrection to confirm our faith that God is satisfied for us He rose again that he might quicken us to a new life and shall we lye dead rather than improve 4. What was the end of Christs Ascension was not that also for us and our use and benefit that then he might lead captivity captive and give gifts to men Ephes. 4.8 either passively that Christ might take away from Satan death and hell and all their captives and make them his happy captives and shall such a Redemption be refused Or actively that he might captivate the world flesh devil death and hell which in several kinds had captivated mankind and shall not we make use of him for conquering such enemies He ascended that he might give his Spirit and confer the gifts of the Holy Ghost Act. 2.16 17. and that he might prepare a place for us And shall these great benefits be neglected 5. Once more Wherefore is he an Advocate but to plead for us when we dare not cannot come to speak for our selves What a strange piece of folly were it for a man that has a friend in the Court who is appointed purposely to plead his cause or present his petition and yet he make no use of him when the success of his business concerns his whole estate or life when we have sinned and offended God we have Christ our advocate with the Father to interpose betwixt the blow of Justice and our guilty souls and shall this priviledg be neglected 1 Ioh. 2.1 If we want any thing that God hath laid up for us he is ready to make intercession for us who cannot be denied Heb 7.25 He must perfume all our Sacrifices or they are not accepted offer up all our Prayers or they are not answered What need had we then to make use of him It is only by the blood of Christ that we have boldness or liberty to enter into the holy of holies Heb. 10.19 And by him is a new and living way consecrated for us that we may draw near with true hearts and full assurance of faith Heb. 10.20 22. And none can come unto the Father but by him O then make use of this only name and way and be often walking in it to God and his Throne of Grace Object O but I am a wretched sinner a worthless worm and captive what have I to do with such a precious Saviour with so glorious a Lord Answ. But pray tell me wherefore is Christ a Saviour is he not for sinners Wherefore is he a Redeemer is it that he should lye by God as useless was he not a Redeemer for Captives Hath not God fitted and dressed Christ as I may so speak for sinners use and advantage what if all the world should say so Christ should be a Saviour and save none a Redeemer and ransome none at all an Advocate and plead for none for all are sinners all are captives all are at enmity with God naturally We have the more need to use him because such Now for Direction how we must make use of Christ 1. As for the manner 2. The particular cases wherein 1. How or in what
manner we may safely and comfortably make use of Christ. 1. Labour by all means to be acquainted with your spiritual condition know the state of your souls otherwise how canst thou make use of Christ suitably As suppose thou hast a blind eye or hard heart how canst thou make use of Christ to open the one or break the other as thou ought if thou knowest it not as the Apostle saith in another case 1 Cor. 11.26 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat c. So here examine whether thou hast received Christ whether he be thine before thou make use of him doth Christ belong to thee or not how canst thou without trembling think of him or approach to him when thou knowest not whether he will condemn or acquit thee in judgment nor whether he be fet for thy rising or thy fall whether he be the corner-stone and foundation of thy happiness or a stone of stumbling to break thee and grind thee to powder Luk. 2.34 Mat. 21.44 Take heed of usurping that which belongs not to thee do not ignorantly and presumptuously conceit thy self to improve Christ before thou hast received him try thy state to the bottom hands off prophane impenitent unbelievers unreformed sinners 2. Get a due sense of thy necessity and want of Christ learn to look upon thy self as altogether insufficient as of thy self to do any thing What man is most likely to make use of Christ what soul is in nearest capacity to improve him but he that knows he hath nothing can do nothing without him Will a man make use of a Physician that thinks he is not sick Will any intreat his neighbours hand to help him to do or lift that which he is perswaded he hath strength enough to do himself So if thou have any work to do as suppose to resist Satan subdue a corruption and presumest thou canst do it thy self thou art uncapable of making use of Christ as a King to suppress rebels will not call in foreign aid c. So think not your selves to have any sufficiency to do any thing that is good 2 Cor. 3.5 Empty your selves of self-conceitedness say not with Laodicea I am rich and increased with goods but know what Christ saith Ioh. 15.5 Non ait fine me parum potestis facere sed nihil Aust. Not but little but just nothing you cannot think or speak nor act in the least measure agreeable to Gods perfect will but by Christ unbottom your selves wholly cast away self-confidence that you may be fit for the Lord Jesus Christ who filleth the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty Luk. 1.53 3. Apply Christ to thy self in particular by faith believing and being verily perswaded that Christ is able and willing to do for theeâ— what thou needest and what thou desirest in all thy exigencies trust him with thy work and business and cast thy self upon him as thou wouldest do on a trusty able and faithful friend as we are to receive Christ by faith so by faith we make use of him as we apply him for our justification so we improve him for continuance of it and for our Sanctification and Salvation 1. Thus the servants of God have done and prospered they apply'd Christ in their several needs and exigencies as Iob David Thomas and Paul 2. Thus the Scriptures direct and perswade us to appropriate Christ to our needing souls so we are bid to put on Christ Rom. 13.14 Taste and see that he is gracious Psal. 34.8 3. Thus Christ himself invites us to apply and improve him Come eat of my bread and drink of my wine which I have mingled Prov. 9.5 Come partake of those good things my Father would have me to communicate unto you Isa. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Joh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest By these and such like passages in Scripture you see what warrant you have to apply Christ and perswade your selves that if you make use of him he will do for you that which shall be for your good Christs call gives you a warrant to go to him that you may possess these priviledges in Christ without intrusion or usurpation this is that you have to shew to Conscience you do not presume Why dost thou vile wretch go to Christ for such a blessing how durst thou that art a sinner look him in the face lay hold on Christ make use of Christ why I was invited and called If it should be asked of the guests that came in a wedding garment Friends how durst ye come hither and approach the Presence-chamber of the Kings Son they might answer We were bidden to the Wedding Mat. 22.10 12. The Scripture doth not call us by name thou Iohn and Thomas though the offer be propounded generally yet when God by his messenger speaks directly to my case and I am included here 's a dish for my hungry soul intended for me 2. For particular cases wherein this gift may be very useful as a Jesus to save us from our sins Matt. 1.21 1. It is a tryed and effectual antidote against sin that 's the greatest evil in the world Now improve Christ against the guilt the stain the temptation the bondage and the remainder of sin 1. Against the guilt of sin wouldest thou have pardon make use of Christ who hath shed his blood to satisfie infinite Justice and purchaâ—e pardon and remission of thy sins if thou believe in him 1 Pet. 2.24 25. He hath born them on his body on the Cross Therefore as the Apostle 1 Ioh. 2.12 these things I write unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous who is a propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but the sins of the whole world If thou hast sinned against God and guilt pleads against thee and thou hast nothing to plead for thy self thou maist go to this Advocate who will intercede for thee by vertue of his merits and so thou maist scape the Judgment of God denounced against thee Ezek. 18 4 The soul that sinneth it shall dye O apply the blood of Christ and sprinkle that upon thy Conscience that thy sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord he will heal thy bleeding wounds and drown the cry of thy sins 2. Against the stain of sin to purge and cleanse thee Dost thou find thy Soul stained with original and actual pollutions so that thou cryest out I am unclean I am unclean I was born in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me and innumerable evils committed by me do leave a macula or stain upon me O then fly to Christ who is a fountain set open to wash from sin and
him O Let us come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 In Christ we have access Eph. 2.18 and 3.14 Rom. 8.34 1 Ioh. 5.4 Ioh. 14.13 If ye ask any thing in my name I will do it in time of the Law if any sinned he was to go to the High Priest who was to mediate and intercede for him to God So now we must come to Christ who mediates and makes intercession for us though we have transgressed he hath suffered though we be unworthy yet he is worthy if we and our suit be commended by one of so great worth and such interest in the Father can we doubt of success He will give us also his spirit to help our infirmities and teach us what to pray for as we ought and lead us by the hand unto God and enable us to cry Abba Father 4. Improve Christ as the purchaser and conveyer of all blessings and benefits to your Souls which they stand in need of are you empty and hungry come to him for food are you naked come to him for clothes are you weak come to him for strength if wavering for stedfastness if weary for rest 1. Let the poor needy and hungry Soul come to Christ and not lay out its money for that which is not bread but hearken unto him eat that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fastness Isa. 55.2 3. He alone will feed and fill the Soul and satiate it with his goodness He will make a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Isa. 25.6 O labour to â—ake in his sweetest consolations fresh every morning the Soul cannot live without some comfort or other if it finds no such sweetness in Christ it will look for it elsewhere and if it tast nothing in his ways to keep it up it will go down to earthly delights for relief 2. Let the wretched naked Soul make use of Christ and not sow together Fig-leaves as Adam Gen. 3.7 Never think to patch together a deal of filthy rags to cover thy uncleanness and nakedness Isa. 64.6 But if thou know that thou art naked then buy of Christ white raiment that thou maist be clothed and the shame of thy nakedness do not appear Rev. 3.18 Christs righteousness is a long white robe to cover thy nakedness see Ezek 16. begin the Soul according to its nativity is naked and filthy but Christ spreads his skirt over it and puts on excellent ornaments he will take away thy filthy garments and cloathe thee with change of raiment Zech. 3. begin 3 Let the weak improve Christ for strength who will perfect his strength in their weakness so that thou maist say with the Apostle When I am weak then I am strong 2 Cor. 12.9 And by his strength I can do all things Phil. 4.13 Trust not in your own strength but rely upon the power of Christ in all your performances art thou to grapple with some strong corruption or temptation and desirest to overcome it hast thou some weighty and difficult duty to perform make tryal of Christ and thou shalt find that he gives power to the faint and to them that have no might Isa. 40.29 4. Let the wavering make use of him for stability and fixedness Art thou afraid of Apostacy in these backsliding times go to Christ to stablish thee 1 Thes. 3.13 That he establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our father at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his saints He is a Rock if thou build on him thou shalt never be moved Matt. 16.10 God stablisheth your Souls in Christ 2 Cor. 1.21 If you can get rooted and built up in him and established by him in the faith you need not fear though you must beware of being spoiled through Philosophy and vain deceit Col. 2.7 8. Do you fear falling away from the Grace or Truth of God then make special use of Christ who is able to establish you and keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Iude 24. 5. Let the weary Soul come to Christ and he shall find rest make use of this gift of God which is far more suitable to a wandering sin-sick soul than the softest bed to the wearied body what was prophesied by Lamech concerning his Son Noah is compleatly fulfill'd in Christ whereof Noah was a type Gen. 5.29 He called his son Noah rest for saith he this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands Think often on that soul-refreshing promise Matt. 11 28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you c. Come poor restless easeless and dejected souls let others weary themselves in seeking riches and reputation in the world to you I faithfully promise rest which is the thing you want Fecisti nos domine propter te inquietum est cor nostrum donec veniat ad te 5. Improve this gift of God as a standing cordial against those failings and despondencies of spirit and make use of it in the midst of those sad thoughts and miâ—givings of heart you may be under through fear of wrath terrours of conscience and shrinking apprehensions of death and judgment 1. Is God angry doth he begin to thunder and write bitter things against thee and his waves and billows go over you so that your moisture is dried up and you almost overwhelmed with the fierceness of his wrath Now let faith recollect it self and say Well Christ is mine in whose wounds is room enough to hold and in whose heart is readiness enough to receive all that fly unto him true indeed there is a terrible storm of justice gathering over my head and ready to fall upon me but my Christ is my shelter an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest Isa. 32.2 A flood of vengeance is coming but I am got into the Ark destruction near but Christ is my Passover my little Sanctuary able and willing to save to the uttermost with all kinds and degrees of Salvation Heb. 7.25 He hath trodden the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with him Isa. 63.3 O then enter into this rock for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty till the indignation be over-past When God is angry with thy soul take Christ in thine arms and come to him 2. Art thou grown strange to him and alienated thy self from him by sin none is so proper and necessary to be made use of as Christ in this case who is the peace-maker between God and man who hath not only made peace between those but so ratified and confirmed it that nothing shall be ever able to dissolve it God reconciles the world to himself by Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 not only them that were strangers but even
3. Removing the spirit of bondage and restoring peace and joy to the soul He gives them peace with him Iohn 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid and Iob. 16.33 He gives them a free spirit an inlarged heart a sound mind the spirit of power and love 2 Tim. 1.7 5. He shews his Lordship towards his peculiar people in maintaining them in his service and supplâ—ing them in all their wants From this Head wherein dwells all fullness all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministred increases with the increase of God Col 2.19 The Lord is their shepherd they shall not want Psal. 23.1 and 84.11 Verily his houshold shall be fed they shall want no good thing He gives them all things pertaining to life and godliness 2 Pet. 1.4 Even of outward necessaries they shall have what they want if not what they would 6. In defending them against and upholding them in all temptations and troubles He tells them in all their dangers and straits my grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 He will keep them in all their ways surely then in all his work safety evermore accompanies duty His Servants are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6.10 They are preserved in Christ Jesus Iude 2. and are never unsafe but when they leave working or with Ionah run away from their Master Micah 5.4 He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God and they shall abide There is no security but in Christs family never are his servants in danger but when they go out of it and he takes care of the seed and posterity of his Servants Psal. 69.36 7. At last abundantly rewarding and dignifying them In doing his work there is great reward That happiness which Christ gives his Servants in this life is unspeakable their work seems to have more of wages than of work in it but in the next life their joy will be so great as that it cannot so well be said to enter into them as they to enter into it Mat. 25.51 Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. The joy of their Lord whose bosom is the hive and center of all goodness and that in which all the scattered parcels of blessedness are bundled up Râ—v 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be Their services are all Booked he who formerly gave them abilities for to work will now give them a recompence for working their work though never so great is but small to their wages nor is the weight of their labours comparable to that of their Crown and put in all their heavy sufferings too Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life 2. How is this threefold Lordship exercised 1. By what means 2. For what end 3. In what manner or order 1 st By what means doth he exercise this Lordship 1. By his hand of providence concourse and co-operation in the creature that Providence Christ speaks of in Iohn 5.17 19 22 My father worketh hitherto and I work For what things soever he doth these also doth the son likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Nazianzen well interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. nor for the similitude of those things they do but in respect of the same power and authority of both the Son doth not imitate but co operate he works not like but the same work that the Father doth Quod operatur filius opus patris est Hil. Whatsoever the Father doth the Son doth because they are one God have one will power and working for the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son the Father judgeth not alone because he judgeth by the Son The word judging here signifies full power to rule in Heaven and Earth 1 Cor. 8.6 There is one God the father of whom are all things and we in him or for him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him By here notes not the instrumental but the principal cause the Prepositions of and by are not so to be taken that we make two Causes seeing they have but one Nature though they be distinct persons and the Father and Son work together but by these of and by the Apostâ—e differenceth their order and manner of working Col 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist 2. By his Word and Spirit in common works and gifts Psal. 110 2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine enemies The Lord i. e. God the Father â—ho had said sit thou on my right hand i. e. receive chief power and authority from me and exercise jurisdiction over alâ— shall send forth the Rod of thy power i. e. thy powerful and mighty Rod or the Rod and Scepter whereby thou declarest thy power and might â—he means specially the Preaching of the Word which is the Power of God to Salvation and is able to cast down strong holds and every high thing Be thou Ruler by thy word and spirit notwithstanding all the resistance of thine enemies 1 Pet. 3.19 By which aâ—so he went and preached to the spirits in prison by the power and manifestation of his spirit 3. By his Word and Spirit in saving works and effects His Word worketh effâ—ctually in all them that believe 1 Thes. 2.13 and the Spirit of Truth the Comforter which he promises to send Iohn 14.16 18 and 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto on 2. The end or use of this threefold Lordship why or for which he exercises it 1. For his Fathers and his own glory John 13.31 Now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him i e He shall be glorified in the admirable work of mans redempâ—ion for death to overcome death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great glory and shews him to be the Lord of life Col. 1.16 all things were created and do consist as well for him as by him that he might have the preheminence and glory as the first-born of every creature or heir of all things 2â— For the salvation of his chosen that he may give unto them eternal life Iohn 17.2 Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son may also glorifie thee as thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him 3. For the overthrow of all adverse power to these ends whatever opposeth the glory of God and happiness of believers his Lordship is exercised for
right which he saith not to avoid death but to shew that he was unjustly accused 4. He is an eternal Lord Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even for ever Isa 9.7 Luke 1.33 He is the King immortal 1 Tim. 1.17 Death the King of terrors and terror of Kings is subdued by this Lord not only so as never to touch him but also never to hurt any of his Servants Other Rulers though they be called gods and lords yet shall dye like men earthly Monarchs either by some Poison or Treason are brought to untimely deaths at least some disease or other will lay their glory in the dust but Jesus Christ is yesterday today and the same for ever 5. He is a mighty Lord most able to do what is good for his Servant and to subdue all persons and things to himself Psal. 3.21 He can kill the Soul and throw both the Body and Soul into Hell he can subdue the hearts of men even of the deadliest enemies unto his love and obedience he can protect and shelter his Servants from all evil and bestow all good things on them for the world is his and the fulness thereof He hath under his command the forces of all creatures in Heaven and Earth which he rules as he pleases to his own purpose he can at ease frustrate the harmful intentions and noisom qualities of the worst of them he can turn their malice into mercy their hatred into love yea can bring forth glory to himself and profit to his Servants not only against but even out of their mischievous designments as in Daniel and the three Children c. 6. He is a most just Lord his is a Scepter of righteousness Heb. 1.8 his right hand is full of righteousness The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Psal. 145.17 In him is exact and perfect integrity and equity of all his counsels words and actions and there is no unrighteousness in him His will is the rule and standard of justice and whatever he commands is most equal and right because he wills and commands it 7. He is a most glorious Lord and Master The glory of Kings and Emperours is but a borrowed ray or spark from his Majesty the glory of all the Caesars c. is but a black coal in comparison of his splendor and when he shall appear in his glory the glow-worms of worldly splendor and majesty shall disappear and be extinguished the poorest Servant he hath shall then appear with him in such glory that the combined-excellency of Kings shall not be so much as a shadow to it 8. He is a most gracious Lord he puts them upon none but safe honourable and comfortable employments He puts no more upon them than they can go through and lays no more upon them than they are able to bear he knows their mould and frame remembers they are but dust he is Jesus as well as Lord a Shepherd as well as a Master he joins his glory and their happiness together he never requireth brick from his people without giving them straw he will either multiply grace or diminish the temptation his Grace is always sufficient for them 9. He is a wise judicious Master A man that serves a fickle and unconstant Master who often changes his mind has a hard task and endless labour but a prudent man who orders his affairs with discretion and deliberation his commands are but once obeyed his work is soon done what he doth now anon he must undo and so Sysiphus like he is ever doing and hath never done he never knows an end of his work But the Servant of Christ is at a good certainty and knows before-hand what his work must be and what his wages as his Master himself is so his Commandments are immutable and invariable without so much as a shadow of change Iam. 1.17 That was a needless cavil and meer peevishness and selfishness in Ionah Ionah 4.2 10. He is a most knowing and discerning Lord. He observes the ways and works of his Servants so narrowly that the closest and subtillest among them cannot deceive him he spies them in every corner nay every corner of their hearts in them all things are open and naked before him though now in some sort he be absent yet he needs no informer he knows what every Servant doth in his absence and will manifest every ones work to all the world his eyes are as a flame of fire clearer than ten thousand suns he takes notice of all their services and hearts Rev. 2.19 I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first 11. He is a pitiful and merciful Lord and Master He hath an eye as pitying as it is piercing he doth no less observe the wants and troubles than the ways and works of his Servants he is a Father as well as a Master and As a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Psal. 103.13 14 And spareth them as a father his son that serveth him Mal. 3.17 hath more tender bowels than a mother Isa. 49.15 Can a woman forget her sucking-child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Christ is not as the slothful man thought a cruel and hard Master Matt. 25.24 that looks for much work and gives little encouragement but is moved with compassion towards his Servants Matt. 18.27 he will not have his Servants complain that they serve an hard Master 12. He is a meek and lowly Master condescending to serve his Servants here and hereafter 1. Hereâ— Matt. 20.28 He came not to be ministred unto but to minister Luke 22.27 Whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth is not he that sitteth at meat but I am among you as he that serveth He stoopt so low as to wash his Disciples feet 2. Hereafter Luke 12.37 Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you That he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Study but yet expect not to understand either the comfort or condescention of this promise made to the faithful Servants of Christ He shall gird himself c. Lord saith one did I not think that the cheer and the attendance were both one I should say the attendance were infinitely better than the meat Think what it is for Christ himself to serve at the Table what is it but infinite delight for the guests to have him set himself to solace them who is infinite as in sweetness so in knowledg to make his sweetness please them Nor will the dignity of these
is contrary to that which ye owe to Christ and as touching your Soul and Conscience subject and enslave your selves to no man living depend absolutely upon none but Christ and his word all our obedience to earthly Lords must be only such as this Lord allows and only in the Lord the greatest Lords in the world are but regula regulata Christ is the only regula regulans they the rule ruled he ruling 6. To inform us that Christians are Christs servants yet somewhat more or with some special exceptions Iohn 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you They are not only servants but friends they call Christ Lord and Master he calls them not servants but friends not servants but free-men yea sons Iohn 8.36 The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever Gal. 4 7. Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then â—â— heir of God through Christ. Not a servant that is under the ceremonies and bondage of the Law but a Son having received the adoption by Christ the eternal Son of God who was sent to redeem us that he might purchase and graciously communicate the right of sonship which he hath by nature to every true believer And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father We are in such sort free and so set at liberty as that we must be governed by the Spirit of Christ which reigneth in our hearts and teacheth us the true service of the Father but this is not to serve but rather to enjoy true liberty as becometh Sons and Heirs 7. It teaches us that all doctrines and practices are to be abhorred which derogate from the dignity of this our Lord and Master 1. Doctrines especially the Popish which deprave our redemption purchased by this Lord by the doctrine of merits the worship due to this Lord with the doctrine of image and adoration and the Saints intercession The authority of this Lord by the doctrine of the Popes headship and pardoning of sins and many such doctrines not only of the Papists but of others nearer to us 2. The practices of vile and wicked men We should make it our business and only Plot to promote his honour and service in the world and endure nothing that would eclipse and impair his glory He who touches that should touch the apple of our eye look upon his reproach as cast upon our selves mourning for that dishonour offered to him which we cannot redress 't is against both Christianity and Humane ingenuity to suffer him to be abused whom we have undertaken to serve This neither agrees with honesty nor honour 't is indeed not only a sin but a shame Hardly is any Servant so low spirited as to think it consistent with his credit to serve a disgraced Master they that truly call Christ Lord will never endure that his glory should suffer from others much less from themselves 3. Our own unsuitable practices A servant of Christ must not be a son of Belial every one is under a yoke still Christ does not give his servants leave to sin but liberty to serve God Christ came not to free us from the Law but sin from the service of the Devil not from the service of God He came not to make the Law less strict or sin less odious or us less holy freedom from wrath and Hell is a priviledg but from duty and obedience is none because we are made free by Christ we are to be more apt and ready to discharge the duty we owe to God and man in maxima libertate minima licentia a great deal of liberty by Christ and yet the strongest ingagement to service that may be They whose lives are full of Epicurisme Atheisme worldliness 't is not a pin to chuse whether they be Pagans or Christians for acting thus heatheâ—ishly thus brutishly they do but pollute that sacred and worthy name the Apostle saith I am not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 9.21 Not without the law to God but under the law to Christ. This leads to Second use of reprehension It may serve to reprove three sorts 1. Those that endure not to hear of Christs Lordship and commands that will not acknowledg this dominion of Christ nor let him be Lord in his own house but do what in them lies to deprive him of that honour to which he hath so good a right But who deny Christs Lordship 1. They that will not hear his voice obey his call accept his inâ—itations in the Gospel he inviteth them to himself prays them to be reconciled to God through him intreats them to come and put themselves under his government and take his yoke on them and they will not hear but in effect say We are Lords we will not come at thee Jer. 2.31 We are well enough and shall do well enough without him and what needs such care and strictness He comes and waits and knocks at their doors but they slight him and will not open He prays them that they will look into their hearts mind their Souls consider their eternal condition but they quench the Spirit smother the light and resist all these motions they will not come to him nor suffer him to come into them that they may have life 2. Those that addict themselves to strong and inordinate desires of liberty which is the worst slavery that will not submit to his government quarrelling at duties rather than performing them thinking it a kind of happiness to be free and that there is no freedom but in sinning and following the bent and sway of their own hearts and being Lords of their own actions and dream of an exemption from all kind of Law but their own lusts they would he above all checks and controul and have scope and room for their own lusts Promise themselves liberty 2 Pet. 2.19 Men would have it at this to be at their own dispose and to be answerable to none that would call them to account and therefore that will not obey his laws and commands 3. Such as in a proud contempt and obstinacy against reproof and instruction do cast off all respect and obedience to Christ they cannot endure restraints are as bullocks unaccustomed to the yoke Ier. 31.18 Are all for breaking bonds and dissolving cords Psal. 2.4 Bursting the yoke altogether Ier. 5.5 They cannot endure to hear of denying their fashions renouncing their lusts and pleasures forsaking their vain worldly wanton thoughts and ways what every thought every desire every word must be under a Law So much time spent in duties such gravity in conversation such awe in their speeches No vain licentious Spirits will not be clogged and yoked thus what a weariness is
hearts What a Christian and yet sensual A Christian and yet proud A Christian believing in Christ a man of sorrows and yet given to pleasures What a Christian and yet worldly 4. Such as serve the world and yet pretend to serve Christ Christ tells you it cannot be Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Mat. 6.24 't is impossible to join these together Those that are slaves to the Naaman of iniquity that do not only possess money but are possessed of money that with Iudas will sell Christ for thirty pieces of silver that rise early and lye down late and eat the bread of carefulness that will compass Sea and land to get gain these make gold their God their covetousness is justly termed Idolatry Col. 3.5 Alas my Brethren what is their in the world that it should be so much coveted and heaven slighted What hath the world done for its most faithful servants How oft have we heard them complaining at last O the world hath deceived me and undone me it flattered me in my prosperity and now utterly cast me off in my necessity Ah if I had served the Lord as faithfully as I have served the world he would not have cast me off at last nor have left me thus comfortless and hopeless in my depth of misery 5. Time-servers that change their Religion with the times are not servants of the Lord their Religion is like a piece of wax to be moulded into any frame according as the times alter Such as will be Superstitious if the times be so that will be devout or atheistical according to the times It was the speech of a time-server that was said to be spoken by the King of Navarre to Beza That he would lanch no further into the sea of Religion than he might be sure to return safe in the haven This is the right Picture of a time-server as many turned Protestants in K. Edward's days and Papists in Q. Maries Lastly Those that serve the worst Master that is sin 'T is indeed one thing to be a sinner and another to be the servant of sin that is one that gives himself over to the service of sin that is bound Apprentice to sin The difference was great between Paul and Ahab Paul was sold under sin but it was against his will but Ahab sold himself willingly to work wickedness How many such servants of sin are there as the Centurions servant served him if sin bid go they go such servants are swearers and drunkardâ— that are at the service of their oaths and cups This is a most shameful and pernicious service for it is to serve the Devil Ioh. 8.44 O that the world would believe this that when they serve this or that lust they serve the Devil Cyprian brings in the Devil upbraiding Christ Ostende mihi tet servos qui tibi c. Shew me if thou canst so many servants that have served thee so diligently and willingly as I can shew that have served me Can Satan give you better wages as Saul said to his followers Can the son of Iesse make you captains of hundreds and captains over thousands give you vineyardâ— and oliâ—â—yards c. 1 Sam. 22.7 Aâ—as if sin had not put out your eyes as the Philistines did by Sampson that you cannot see the vileness and cursedness of it you would nevâ—r grind in its mill for the wages of sin is death 3. Use of Exhortation two Branches 1. To all to perswade them to esteem chuse and embrace Christs service 2. To Christs servants to take care to be such servants and perform such service as shall be found good and faithful approved by Christ. 1. Is Christ such a Lord as you have heard then let every one of us be prevailed with to take him for our Lord and give up our selves to him and become his servants this day we must either resign up our selves to this excellent Lord or we cannot be true Christians 2 Cor. 8.5 this is the essence of Christianity and life of Religion and marrow of Profession To wear the badg and livery of Chriâ—â— in external profession without this is nothing but a dead carcass an empty shadow and will turn to our greater condemnation another day That which will be enquired after at the great day is not who owned Christ as Lord in profession but who honoured Christ as Lord by real subjection and resignation of themselves unto him The great question will be Whether did Christ reign over us and bring us under his Law and Dominion and upon the decision of this important question depends the everlasting state of our souls and bodies in the next world If you now say unto Christ We are Lords we will not come at thee depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy ways or as Pharoah Who is the Lord that I should obey him He will say unto you at the last day Depart from me ye cursed I know you not nor will your crying Lord Lord then any thing avail you O then let it be your resolution now to resign your selves to this gracious Saviour take him for your Lord and Soveraign Kiss the Son serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling O that your hearts would once at last say as 't is foretold of Gospel times Isa. 44.5 I am the Lords other Lords have had dominion over me but henceforth by thee only will I make mention of thy name Isa. 26.13 We will not say any more to the work of our hands nor to the lusts of our hearts to the world the flesh or to sin ye are our gods for with thee O Lord poor lost creatures find mercy Hos. 14.3 Whatever your neighbours acquaintance or kindred let them chuse whom they will serve yet we are resolved for our part we will serve the Lord Iosh. 24.15 O my friends what say you to this motion what answer give you to this invitation is it not most reasonable and considerable you are prest to come to Christ and take his yoke and bow the knee before him c. What will you do will every one of you give up himself to Christ resign soul and body to the service of this glorious Lord Have you found or ever heard of any thing in him that may deter you what iniquity have you seen in him that you keep at distance from him and walk after vanity Is he not worthy of your love not good enough to be your Master can you bestow your selves better employ your selves more profitably what sticks it at would you take time to consider of it and defer your resolutions to another day so you have done too long already and ventur'd too far by your delays To day if you will hear his voice then harden not your hearts Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near He now saith hearken unto me and I will make a covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Encline your ear