The Saints Qualification, Sermon 2
CERTAINE SERMONS VPONUPON THE NEW CREATVRE.
2 COR. 5.17.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, let him be a new Creature.
WE have propounded to our selves this method.
First, to shew what we are out of Christ, and there our worke was to humble men.
Secondly, to shew what we have by Christ, and how we are made partakers of him, and that is done by faith.
The third is to shew what we should doe for Christ, and here begins the worke of Sanctification: for (as I told you) these were the three parts of the Apostles Ambassage: To preach the Law first, that it might be a Schoole-master to bring us to Christ: And then to preach Iustification by Christ: Thirdly, to preach Sanctification.
Now we have chosen this Text as a ground for the last, having finished the two former.
We will shew you in a word how it depends upon what goes before, that you may see the scope of the Apostle in these words.
In the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of this Chapter, the Apostle tells them that hee was ill used by them; Some of you (saith hee) thinke we are no better than out of our wits. It is no matter, whether we are in our wits, or out of our wits, yet we must goe through the worke of the Ministery, of the Gospell committed to us for Christs sake, that is, wee looke not to you, It is the love of Christ that constraineth us, we can doe no otherwise. When he had said this, hee gives the reason, why the love of Christ carried him along to doe his duty, whether he had wages or not, whether he had good report or not yet for the love of Christ he did it: For (saith he) we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, that they that live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him that died for them: As if hee had said, Is there not reason that wee should thus neglect our selves for Christ, seeing hee died for this end, that wee should no longer live to our selves, but to him, that is, he hath bought us at a deare rate; therefore we should no longer make our selves our end, but we must live to him, wee must thinke what Christ would have us doe, what worke he will set us about.
Now when he had said this, hee insisteth in one particular, wherein he shewed that he did not live to himselfe, but to Christ: Wherefore, henceforth we know no man after the flesh; no not Christ himselfe, that is, we doe not regard any man for any outward respects, we do not magnifie any man for any outward honour and excellencie that he hath.
Againe, we doe not vilifie any man for the want of any outward excellencies, but we magnifie every man as hee excels in grace: yea, Christ himselfe, though hee had outward excellencies, as other men, yet we love him now only in spirituall respects, as he is our Mediatour; we behold now every thing according to the Spirit. Now, when he had gone thus farre, he drawes this conclusion.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, let him bee a new Creature.: As if he should say, this is a consequence that must needs follow. If this bee true that Christ died, that every man that lives should live to him; then if any man will have part in Christ, if any man thinke he have any interest in him to be justified by him, he must be another man than he was before, he must be a new Creature, hee must know no man nor thing after the flesh, he must live to the Lord, and not to himselfe, in all things. So that now hee drawes it from himselfe, and raiseth it to a more high and generall conclusion: It is required, saith he, of every man living, that, if he be in Christ, hee must be a new Creature, that is, hee must put off himselfe altogether, he must be no more the same man he was, hee must lay aside himselfe, and put on Christ Iesus, he must be made like him.
We will not stand longer to open the words, because wee shall doe that in the handling of the severall points that shall be delivered to you out of them. And first wee will take this plaine point that the words afford us.
Doct.That Sanctification must needs follow Iustification. Or,Iustification, and Sanctification are inseparable. if you will, take it in the words that are laid downe in the Text, Whosoever is in Christ, that is, whosoever will be justified by Christ, must have a new Nature created in him by God, for that is the meaning of it, whosoever is in Christ, must be made a new man, he must have another Nature, which is created in him by GOD, that is, intimated by this word Creature.
Now in the handling of this point, we will doe these two things:
First, we will shew how Sanctification ariseth from Iustification, because that is the main scope for which we chose this Text.
Secondly, wee will shew you the reasons why they are inseparable, why the one must needs follow the other, and then further open this doctrine to you, that whosoever is in Christ, must have a new Nature created in him by God.
The first thing that we have to do is to shew you how Sanctification ariseth from Iustification,1How Sanctification ariseth from Iustification. and it hath a double rise.
The one is from the Spirit that is infused into us presently after we are justified, or at the same time, only there is a difference in the order of Nature.
Secondly, it ariseth from some actions wrought in the minde, whereby a man comes to this conclusion; If Christ have accepted me for his, if he be mine, and will justifie me, and free me from my sinnes, then I will serve him in all things.
For the first,1By the worke of the Spirit. as soone as any man hath taken Christ, and received that Righteousnesse of his by faith, there is an union betweene Christ and him, and upon this union the Spirit of Christ is shed into him, Gal. 4.6. Because you are sonnes, God hath set the Spirit of his Sonne into you; that is, as soone as you receive him, you have the same Spirit sent into your hearts that dwells in Christ: and so Gal. 5.2. Received you the Spirit by the workes of the Law, or by the hearing of faith preached; that is, by hearing the doctrine of faith: I say as soone as a man is justified, he receives the Spirit. So likewise, Rom. 8.9. You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, &c. and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his, that is, as soone as we are justified, God sends the Spirit of his Sonne into us, and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not yet justified. And the like you have Rom. 6.2. when some had made this objection, If grace abound, why doe we not sinne the more, that grace may more abound? The Apostle saith, It is impossible that those that are dead to sinne, should live any longer therein; as if he should say, Set aside all your carnall reasonings, it is impossible for him that is dead to sinne, to live yet therein; how can he? as if he should say, Whosoever is in Christ, the Spirit of Christ is sent into his heart, that mortifies sin so, that he cannot live any more in it, there is such a change wrought in him, hee is a new Creature, if hee be once in Christ; that is the first rise, as soone as we are justified the Spirit of Christ is sent into our hearts.
Objects.But is not the Spirit sent into our hearts before, when he workes faith?
Answ.It is true, but the meaning is, when wee are once in Christ, the Spirit of Sanctification is shed more plentifully, and in a greater degree than before, for there is a certaine work of the Spirit that begetteth faith, and the same worke of the Spirit, in its time, begetteth the degrees of Sanctification.
But now, that this may not be in notion only, we will shew you, how the Spirit workes this, that you may not think these to be things carried in clouds, and to have place only in our understandings, but that you may know it in the experience, that every man finds in himselfe, that after hee hath taken Christ, there is indeed such a Spirit shed into his heart that changeth him. For the understanding of this, know, that when wee come to invite men to come into Christ (as it is all our businesse to invite men to the marriage) all the world stands out, and every man gives that answer that they did in the Gospell, they have bought farmes, and married wives; every man is so set on these outward things that his carnall heart carrieth him to, that they will not hearken to us, so that we may preach in vaine: you see to how many Christ himselfe preached in vaine, and the Apostles had preached in vaine, if there had been no more than their owne preaching.
So likewise, now the Spirit is sent into the hearts of men, that when wee come and invite men to come into Christ, the Spirit also secretly compels them to come in. Wee are indeed bidden to compell men to come in, but unlesse there bee another compeller, that is, except there be the Spirit within to doe it, the worke is not done, unlesse there be two compellers at the same time, the Holy Ghost within preaching to your hearts, when we preach to your eares; except there be two callers, that when wee call men, the Lord send his Spirit to call you too, it is in vaine: And that you may understand this, you must know that it is as hard a thing to move a man to leave his pleasures, and divers lusts, and his vaine conversation, as to turne the whole course of nature (which I call the instinct that God hath put into every creature, to move that way that it goeth, as the water to move downward, and the fire to goe upward:) Thinke with your selves now, whether there must not be an Almighty Power to turne the course of nature; because the heart of man naturally goes downward to sinne, it descends downward with the same propensity, it hath the same foreign, as we call it, the same forwardnesse and pronenesse to evill that any naturall thing hath to goe the course, that is naturall to it.
Now unlesse there be an Almighty Power to turne this course of Nature, no man will ever come to Christ. As for example, That rectitude of Gods Image, that is expressed in the Word, come to experience, and looke upon every mans heart living, and see whether it be not quite contrary to it in all things, even as contrary as the motion of the stone is from ascending towards the heavens, but when the Spirit commeth he turneth this course of Nature. Now when wee come to doe this, doe you thinke that any man in the world is able to worke it in the hearts of men? It is true, a man may goe thus farre; It is possible for a King, or for a man in authority, to set preferments on the one side, and punishments on the other, to make a man to doe much, or to suffer much, but all this while here is but a turning of the actions of men, but to turne the inclinations of mans heart, it is proper only to God, man is not able to doe it in any particular: If a mans heart be set upon covetousnesse, Christ saith it is impossible all the men in the world can change his heart: But put the case a man could doe it (as no man can) if he could turne a mans heart, it would be but in a particular or two, but to turne the whole frame of the heart, to make a generall change, to make him another man, another Creature: It is impossible for any man in the world to doe it.
Or, put the case he could doe so, it must be after long reasoning, but to do it upon the sudden, and at one Sermon, as the Spirit sometimes doth, to take one word, and by it to change the heart of man, it must needs be the worke of an Almighty Power.
Therefore in the 2 Cor. 3. Chap. and the last verse, when the Apostle speakes of this great change, he saith, when we reade or heare the Word, we see there the Image of God, as one seeth his face in a glasse, and are changed into it from glory to glory, that is, from one glorious degree to another: But how is this done? It is done, saith he, by the Spirit of the Lord. As if he should say, It is impossible for a man to be turned into the glorious Image of God, and not by the Spirit of God. A man may as well say, I will make a clod of earth a shining Starre, as to say he can make the carnall and dead heart of man to be like the Image of God: It must be the Spirit of God himselfe that must doe it, it is a work above Nature: It is therefore done by the Spirit, which doth so enlighten the understanding, and so bow the will, that whereas before there was in man such a strong appetite, such a strong propensity to ill, such a strong inclination that would over-weigh all the reasons that could be brought to the contrary, when the Spirit hath wrought this work, there is such a contrary inclination, such a propensnesse to God, and to that which is good, that it over-ballanceth all the temptations that the world, the flesh, and the Devill can lay against it.
Is not this a mighty Power that must doe this, that whereas there was in a man before such a strong inclination to sin, there is a disposition so contrary now, such a desire wrought in him, such a strong impression that carries him to God, to Christ, and to holinesse, that let all the reasons in the world be brought to the contrary, they cannot keepe him off.
Quest.But, you will say these things that you speak are wonderfull things, how shall we have this wrought in us?
Answ.By being in Christ this wonder is wrought in us, when a man is once ingrafted into Christ, when hee hath once received him, this great worke is wrought in him in his heart, hee is made a new Creature.
But if you adde to this the second way of raising this Sanctification from our Iustification, then you will understand it yet more fully and distinctly.
There are certaine actions wrought in our soules, by which this Sanctification followes Iustification, and those are these.
First,2By certaine actions in the minde and heart, which are the effects of the Spirit in him. when a man seeth great reason for it, for when a man is once convinced of a thing, that it is best for him to doe it, and takes a resolution to him to performe it. Now when a man hath beene humbled, and knoweth what sinne is,1VponUpon the understanding. when he hath had his heart prepared, when he comes in once to take Christ, that is, when he seeth his owne basenesse, and Christs excellencie; what he was without Christ, and what he hath by Christ, that when he expected nothing but death, then the Gospell came and said, Thou shalt live: when he seeth that Christ deales with him after this manner, then hee thinkes surely, It is good reason that I should serve him, before indeed we thinke his service to be an hard service, and we doe with him, as people that are under a tyrannous King, they refuse to obey such an one; so doth all the world with Iesus Christ; they thinke his Law to be an hard Law written with bloud, and they thinke him to be an hard Governour, such a King as they know not how to be subject unto: But when a man is once convinced by the Spirit, when he sees reason for it, when he is perswaded that Christ will governe him for his wealth, that Christ hath suffered for him, and freed him from the wrath of God, then hee thinkes thus; There is reason that I should suffer him to rule over me, and when a man seeth reason for it, he comes then willingly to submit himselfe to Christ. This is the worke of the Spirit, whereby he perswades a man that there is reason for it, and it is attributed to the Spirit. Iohn 16 The Spirit convinceth of Sinne, of Righteousnesse, and of Iudgement; that is, it shewes us that we are sinfull, and that there is a Righteousnesse in Christ to heale that.
And thirdly, it convinceth us that there is reason for it, why we should serve God in Sanctification and Iudgement. The meaning of the word, He shall convince, is that the Spirit shewes us reason why we should embrace Sanctification, and serve the Lord in all things: Now when the heart of man is brought to this, to see reason and equity in this, then a man takes resolution to cleave to Christ, to serve him.
2VponUpon the affections.Secondly, as he deales with the reason, so he doth likewise with the affections, for he begets love in us, which love sanctifieth us, it sets us on worke, and turnes the whole heart, as the Rudder turnes the Ship, for it sits in the sterne of a mans Soule, and the reason (that when we are justified we love Christ) is, because when as before a man magnified himselfe, setting himselfe at an high rate, like a virgin that is coy and curious, thinking no man good enough for her: now the Law comming and convincing him of the need he stands in of CHRIST, and shewing him what he is in himselfe, he is hereupon content to marry with the Lord Christ: Nay further, the Spirit of God not only shews him the need that hee stands in of an husband, he being not under covert, and deepely in debt, the whole weight of his debt lying on himselfe, but it goes further, and shewes him the beautie of Christ, as Ioh. 14.21. To him that loves me I will manifest my selfe; that is, I will declare my beauty, and when the Spirit shewes Christ to the Soule, it makes it in love with him.
We may shew him to you an hundred times over, and yet beget not this affection in you, but the Spirits shewing is effectuall to that end, and when you love him, you must needs please him in all things, it being the care of the married wife to please the husband.
So that when the heart is prepared by humiliation, and takes Christ, love is wrought in the Soule, and love sanctifies; for Sanctification is nothing else but a setting our selves apart from common uses, and keeping of the heart close to God, making it peculiar to him, and this love makes us to doe: when the wife loves the husband, shee will be his altogether, she will be only to him, she will be divorced from all Adulterers, and have nothing to doe with them; and thus the Lord deales with the affections.
Thirdly, there is wrought not only a love to the Lord,3Selfe-love is sanctified. but a perswasion that it is good for our selves to serve him in holinesse: Indeed many times, to satisfie our affections, we love a thing too much, though wee doe not thinke our selves gainers thereby, but in this matter the Lord perswades us, that it is best for our selves to sanctifie him in all things, to draw neere unto him, to sanctifie his Name in our hearts; so that now not only love to Christ, but even selfe-love also is set on worke to the making us New Creatures; for the wayes of God are propounded as good and profitable, and pleasing things, and when the heart lookes on them, it sees them as good for it selfe, so that the heart turnes towards them (as it cannot but doe to every thing that it apprehends to be good and profitable to it.
So that when the Holy Ghost shall perswade a man that it is best for himselfe, that he shall best provide for himselfe every way, by taking Christ, hee cannot choose but come in, when hee shall see it is best for him to goe to the Citie of refuge, that he cannot live else, and that if he comes there he shall have life, and not only life, but a kingdome too, and that the way that leads thereto is grace and holinesse; hee will goe, and goe fast enough. When a man is perswaded, Christ is the Citie of Refuge, to whom I must go, else I cannot be safe, and that the way to him is to be a new Creature; this makes him to goe on, and willingly too, for it is out of selfe-love.
4Ingenuitie is wrought.Againe, when a man is justified and hath taken Christ, there is bred in him an holy Ingenuitie which makes him so thankfull to Christ, that hee is ashamed to joyne Christ with any sinne: As Rom. 6.21. What profit had yee in those things whereof yee are now ashamed; you are now ashamed to commit them any more.
A man will thinke it now an unreasonable thing, that Christ should doe so much for him, be crucified for him, and so give him life, being before dead men, that he should take flesh for the remission of his sins, and that he, in recompence of this kindnesse, should serve his lusts. Therefore he reasons, as Ioseph did with his Mistresse; Shall I doe this, and so sinne against God, and my Master, he hath committed all to me; hee hath done thus much for me, and shall I thus requite him? And as Nathan taught David to reason, Hath the Lord made thee King over Israel, and done thus and thus for thee, and wilt thou serve him thus? So that I say there is an holy Ingenuity bred in us, whereby out of thankfulnesse wee will shun whatsoever may offend him.
Besides this,5Noblenesse of Spirit. we are taught that we sustaine another person, and every man desires to maintaine the dignity of the person hee sustaines. When a man is once in Christ, he thinkes not the courses he lived in before, to be sutable to the condition he is now in. Therefore the Apostle reasons, 1 Pet. 1.14. Fashion your selves no longer after the lusts of your former Ignorance, but be holy, as he is holy; that is, if you take your selves to be in Christ, and that you be come unto God, admit not any more those lusts, which though they suted with your former (yet not with this condition) he reasons as Nehemiah did, Shall such a man as I doe this?
6A strong inclination.Lastly, which is the chiefest reason of all, As soone as a man hath taken Christ, and is justified, there is a strong impression made upon his Soule, by which he is caused to cleave unto him, and to long after him, as the Iron doth after the Load-stone, that cannot bee at rest untill it hath attained it. A man shall set himselfe in the wayes of God, though it were but to give satisfaction to the desires of his Soule. And indeed, were it not for this, wee should not serve the Lord; this makes us New Creatures: I say, there is a strong inclination in every man that is justified, that he can doe no lesse than serve the LORD even to satisfie that.
For example, when Eliah had called Elishah, hee could not choose but follow him, all the reasons in the world could not keep him back: At the time when he cast his mantle on him, there was an impression made on him; as when Christ said to Levi, and Peter, and Andrew, and the rest, follow me, their profits, and nets, and fathers were nothing, they needed no more perswasion, for there was a secret impression made upon their hearts together with Christs Word, and to satisfie that they must needs follow him. Such an impression as this, was made on the heart of Ruth to follow Naomi, you know how she put her to it, but Ruth would not goe backe for she loved her, and therefore nothing but death should separate them. And the same was in Iacob to Rachel, seven yeeres, and seven yeeres service, the length of time and hardnesse of labour could not keep him from his Vncles house, nor drive him off, such a strong desire was planted in his heart towards her: and such a desire is planted in the heart of every Christian that is justified, a strong Instinct (as I may call it) a strong affection after Iesus Christ, and he must needs goe on in the wayes of Sanctification, seeing there is no other way to satisfie himselfe.
So that putting all this together, when a man shall see such reason for holinesse, when he shall have affections of delight therein, of love thereto, when he shall see it best for him, and that it is impossible hee should have the Lord Iesus Christ (whom he so much desires) if he serve him not in the duties of Sanctification, he must needs come to a fixed resolution, I will be another man, and runne another course, I will change my life altogether, I will serve him in holinesse, and in the duties of new obedience. And after this manner doth Sanctification arise from Iustification? first from a worke of the Spirit, and then by all these passages that goe thorow the minde of a man, which though they be not marked distinctly, yet are truely in the heart. And so much for the first point.2Sanctification and Iustification are inse…
Now we will come to the second, which is, That Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable, they cannot bee disjoyned.
But you will say, this is a point that needs no proving, I would (my Brethren) it did not, I would that men were perswaded of the truth of it, but we may see by the lives of men that they are not perswaded of it, for their lives be loose, and they thinke, that if they can call on Christ in the day of death, and cry for pardon, it will be enough, and that without such strictnesse a man may be saved.
Reason 1.Therefore, to make it cleare to you, you must remember this as a ground: No man can be saved by the second Adam, except hee bee borne of the second Adam: As no man could be condemned by the first Adam, that was not borne of the first Adam; for the reason why all mens natures are corrupted is, because all are borne of him. If a man were created and did not descend by generation from him, he should be free from Sinne, and so could not be condemned, but comming out of his loynes, puts us into a condition of condemnation: And so on the other side, except you be borne of the second Adam, you shall not be saved; What is that? You must be made New Creatures, Ioh. 1.12. As many as received him he made the sonnes of God: What is that a meere title? No, verse the thirteenth, They are borne not of bloud, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of the will of God. that is, they are borne of the second Adam: and Ioh. 3.5. Whosoever is not borne of the Spirit, shall not enter into the Kingdome of God.
Now as our nature was corrupted in the first Adam, there being a compact and covenant betweene God and him, that if Adam stood, all his seed should stand with him; but if he fell, then that all that were borne of him should by vertue of that covenant, compact, or agreement have his sinne imputed to them, and so should be corrupted, as hee was, and die the death. So there was a second covenant betweene us and the second Adam, which is the new Testament spoken of in Ier 31 and in Heb. 8. I will make a new Covenant, saith God: And what is that? I will put may Law in your minde, and write it in your inward parts: that is, by vertue of the compact and agreement, which is the new Testament following upon the former, all that shall be saved by Christ, shall be borne of him, they must be new men; whosoever shall be justified by him must be a new Creature.
Secondly,Reason 2. because it is the will of God; It is true, God might have saved us without it, if it had beene his pleasure, it had beene no more but calling men at the houre of death; but is otherwise, 1 Thess. 4.3▪ This is the will of God even your Sanctification. And if there were no other reason but Gods will, that those that be justified shall be sanctified, it is enough: God hath called you to holinesse; he hath appointed it, hee wills it, and his will is sufficient to enforce it.
Againe, consider when we are ingrafted into Christ,Reason 3. it it not simply an ingrafting, but wee are ingrafted into the similitude of his death and resurrection, Rom. 8. that is, no man is ingrafted into Christ, but sinne is crucified in him, hee is dead thereto, that is, he is a dead man in regard of the life of sin, and is alive to God, as Christ rose from the dead, so he is raised to newnesse of life. If it had beene simple ingrafting into Christ, there had needed no further Relation, but we are ingrafted into the similitude of his Death and Resurrection.
Reason 4.Again, it was the end of the Lords comming; If hee had come only to save men, there had beene no need of being New Creatures, but he came also to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people, zealous of good workes, and to destroy out of man the workes of the Devill, and to purchase to himselfe an holy Generation, and Royall Priest hood. Now whatsoever the Lords end is, he never failes of.
Reason 5.Againe, you must consider, that to whomsoever Christ is a Priest, hee is also to them a Prophet and a King, he is annointed to all these Offices: And therefore if you will be saved by him, by the vertue of his Priest-hood, you must take him as a Prophet, that is, you must take his counsell in all things, and not only so, but he must also be your King; you must not only learne his way, but you must also be perfectly subject and obedient to him, to walke therein. Indeed as a Priest, he reconciles God unto us, but not us to God, except hee come with his other two Offices, for man stands out and will not know the way; and therefore as a Prophet, Hee is to guide our feet into the way of peace: and that is not all, therefore because our hearts are stubborne, and will not come in, he exercises his Kingly Office, And brings into subjection every thought to the obedience of his will.
Againe, looke to all the meanes, as first to Faith, the same Faith that justifieth, doth also purifie the heart; Having their hearts purified by faith, Act. 15. And as many as are sanctified by faith that is in me, Act. 26.28.
And likewise the bloud of Christ not only covers, but also heales, Hebr. 9.14. How much more shall the bloud of Christ, who through his eternall Spirit offered himselfe to purge your Consciences from dead workes, &c. It hath not onelyonly vertue to take away the guilt of Sin, but it is effectuall also to purge the conscience from the power of sinne.
Againe, the Gospell wee preach doth not only offer Christ, but likewise cleanseth, You are cleane through my Word, Ioh. 15. And in the hundred and nineteenth Psalme, and the ninth verse, Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy Word.
The Spirit as it is a Spirit of Adoption, so is it of Sanctification, making clean the roome where it dwelleth, and making it a fit Temple for the Lord. Consider the Sacraments, Baptisme doth not only wash from the guilt of sin▪ but from the filth of sin also, from the blot and deformity of sinne. And so I have done with these two points, how Sanctification rises from Iustification, and that they cannot be separated.
Before we proceed to other Observations, we will, by way of Vse from the inseparability of Iustification and Sanctification,Vse 1. draw this consequent, that,Pray that seeing God hath justified us, he would also sanctifie us. if they be inseparable, we should goe to God and beseech him, that having given us the first, that he would grant us the second also. If you have any assurance that your sins are forgiven you,Encouragements to pray for Sanctification. let him not deny you this to make you new Creatures, they be inseparable, and therefore you have just cause to pray him not to separate them,1Gods promise in the Covenant. therefore you may claime them both as your due, seeing you have his promise for both, and you must urge him on his promise; we desire Iustificatio… …or our owne sake, but Sanctification that we may glorifie God: and therefore, when you come to God with this request, Lord make mee a new Creature, that I may bring glory to thy Name, that I may serve thee, and do good in the place wherein I live, he will not deny thee. Consider but this very Sacrament which we are now going to receive;2The Covenant sealed in the Sacrament. you must know that the Sacrament seales the whole Covenant of God, as 1 Cor. 11.1 Cor. 11.25. opened. This is the New Testament in my bloud, that is, this Cup is a signe and seale of the new Covenant which I have made with man, and which is confirmed with my bloud. Now what is that Covenant? You shall see it it, Ezek. 36.26. and it containes three parts, all which are sealed by this Sacrament. First, hee promiseth to wash them from their filthinesse, that is, from the guilt of their sins, which is the first part. Secondly, A new heart will I give you, and a new Spirit I will put into you, that is, I will make you new Creatures, which is the second part of the Covenant. Thirdly, I will call for the Corne and will encrease it, and will lay no famine upon you, &c. that is, hee will give all outward comforts, you shall inherit he Earth, and be heires of the world, and of …ll in the world, for the world is yours; 1 Cor. 3. All, and all in it is yours.
This is the whole Covenant of God, and this hee seales to every one of you, when you come to receive the Sacrament, If you receive it worthily, for it is the New Testament in his bloud.
And therefore, seeing hee seales it to you, that he will give you a new heart, and a new Spirit, and make you new Creatures, you should go to him and claime it of him, for you may sue him of his own bond written and sealed, and he cannot deny it; therefore begge it, and you cannot misse of it.
This is a very comfortable doctrine, if it be well considered. For what is that that keepes a man from comming to Christ, but his discouragements? He thinkes it so hard a thing to be a new Creature, that he cannot attaine it, that he cannot leave such a course of life, and therefore he stands off, and though he will come in, yet he will not as yet, because it is a bondage intollerable.
But you do not consider what it is to have a new Nature: If it were to have a new life and an old heart, it were otherwise; but the Lord will give a new heart, and if he will not deny you, but make you new Creatures, you may be encouraged to goe to him: If there be any Rebellion in your heart, any untowardnesse in your nature; if you goe to him for the removall of it, it is impossible he should deny you, having made you a sure promise, and confirmed it with a oath.
3The Covenant confirmed with an oath.What the Lord sweares to, he is sure to performe. In all the Booke of God, you shall not finde that he sware unto the first Covenant, but there is an oath put to both parts of the second, Heb. 6.13. Because he could not sweare by a greater, he sware by himselfe, that wee might have strong consolation and assurance of forgivenesse of sinnes. And so the first part is confirmed.
And for the second, Luke 1.73. The oath which he sware unto our Fathers that he would give us, that we being delivered from our Enemies, should walke before him in holinesse all the dayes of our life. Why then will you not beleeve it? Why will not you urge the Lord with this, and by prayer desire the accomplishment of it? As indeed though he gives holinesse of life, yet you must pray for it, as well as you must pray for the forgivenesse of sinnes.
It was Ananias his speech to Paul, Act. 22.13. Rise Paul and wash away thy sinnes, calling on the name of the LORD; though his sinnes were forgiven, yet hee could not have assurance of it, without calling upon the Name of the LROD.
Christ promised to baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire, that is, to sanctifie us in greater measure, yet wee must call and call againe: So Luke 11.5, 6, 7, 8. You must knock as at a mans doore that is a sleepe with his children and loath to rise, but if you knocke long, and weary the Lord out, and not suffer him to rest, then he will give the Holy Ghost. Therefore, have you prayed, and yet finde not your selves New Creatures? You have your old hearts, and old lusts prevailing; yet you must at length wash away your sinnes by calling on the Name of the Lord.
And hereto you may be stirred by the Sacrament,4The end whereunto the S…crament is appointed. which is not onelyonly to give assurance that your sinnes are forgiven, but likewise to draw more vertue from Christ, to make up the breaches of our hearts, and to get more grace, and to be made New Creatures in a greater measure.
So that when a man comes hither, he must consider wherein he is faultie, what breaches there are in his heart and life, what imperfection there is in grace, and then hee must goe to Christ to repaire them.
And as you bring more faith with you, so you shall carry more strength and comfort from the Sacrament.
So that thus much I can assure you of, let any man come with a strong desire to receive Christ, and to be a New Creature, and let him bring faith in the promises of Sanctification, and it cannot bee but hee shall be filled: The LORD will send his Spirit into his heart, and make him a New Creature: Wheresoever God hath a mouth to speake, Faith hath an eare to heare, and an h…nd to take: Men forgot this, they thinke that Faith is onelyonly occupied about promises of pardon and forgivenesse; but it is not so, you must set your faith on worke, on the promises of Sanctification, and when you come to receive the Sacrament, you must know that you come to a table where you have fatlings, where you have new Wines.
And thus you must feed on CHRIST, not onelyonly taking to your selves the promises of pardon, but likewise of Sanctification, that you may be filled with the Spirit, which is as wine to quicken you, and to strengthen you in the Inner man, as well as the outward Elements of Bread and Wine strengthen thine outward man.
So that thou mayest not thinke thou receivest the Sacrament as thou oughtest, when thou goest away as weake as when thou commest, when there is no strength, no vigour in the Inner man.
And so in all thy daily services, when thou commest to Christ, thou must eat the flesh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, as the Israelites did every day feed on the Mannah.
You must remember his Covenant, not only to pardon, but to sanctifie you, and then you shall live thereby, and every day grow stronger and stronger.
The end of the first Sermon.