Light from Heaven, Part 31 – Title page 3
Gods free love onelyonly in Christ.This free love and grace of God, is onelyonly in Christ.
Therfore the Angels pronounce it now at the birth of Christ, Good will to men. All these agree very well, Ch…sts free grace, and faith. For what wee have by grace, wee have onelyonly by Christ, because he hath given satisfaction to Gods Justice, that so grace may be conveyed, and derived unto us without prejudice to any other Attribute in God, and then the imbraceing power, and grace in us is faith: so these three agree, I say, whatsoever wee have from Gods free love now, wee have it in Christ, the free love of God is grounded in Christ, wee in our selves, especially considered in the corrupt masse, cannot bee the object of Gods love, God cannot looke upon us, but in him, the best beloved first; therefore all is Christ, in the carriage of it, wee are elected in Christ, called in Christ, justified by Christ, sanctified by the Spirit of Christ, glorified in Christ: We are blessed with all spirituall blessings, in heavenly things in Christ. This is my beloved Sonne, I am well pleased in him, it is the same word there, foreign, In whom I delight, Isay, 42. Out of which the Father takes his speech, This is the Sonne I delight in. Now, all Gods delight, is first fixed in his Sonne, and in us, because we must have communion with the Sonne: so the first object of Gods free love is Christ, and then he lookes upon us in him.
The Trinity have a wondrous complacencie in looking upon mankind: now in Christ, God loves us, as redeemed by Christ, Christ loves us as electe… by the Father, and given by the Fathers choyce, to him to redeeme; the Holy Ghost hath a speciall liking to us, as seeing the love of the Father in chusing us, and of the Son in redeeming us. And surely if wee would see likewise, those sweet interviewes, of God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, it should be our maine delight too, to see how God hath chosen us, and given us to Christ to save; how Christ hath redeemed us, from this very respect, that the Father hath chosen us, and given us to him, as it is in Iohn 17.Iohn 17. Thine th…y were, thou gavest them me, and how the Holy Ghost is a spirit of communion, the Communion of the Holy Ghost, that hath communion with the Father, and the Son, and issue…, and proceedes from them both; how he witnesseth this love to our soules, and applies it to us; the Holy Ghost applies all, the Father decreed and ordained all, the Sonne workes and dispenseth all; the consideration of the point is wondrous comfortable.
Whatsoever good will the Father hath to us, it is as we are in Christ.
Why God… love to us is in Christ.And why in Christ?
Because Christ is the first thing that God can love, hee is the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God, whosoever is loved to glory in a spirituall order, is loved in the first beloved: Christ is loved of God, as the character of his owne image: the Sonne represents the Father, he is loved of God, as Mediator by office, so God lookes upon us in Christ, as the Sonne of his love, so he is called by Saint Paul, Coloss. 1.Col. 1.
Then if we consider our selves, this must bee so, alas, we are not objects of Gods love in our selves, nor cannot be, but in some other that is loved first, for what are we? and what is the glory to which God loves us? To love such as wee, to such glory, and to free us from such misery due, it must be by another foundation then our selves, therefore Gods good pleasure is founded upon his Son Christ: this is a cleare point, the Scripture beates much upon it, hee is our elder brother, and wee must bee conformed to him.
Vse.To make some use of it.
The misery of man out of Christ.First of all then we see here, that all that are not in Christ, lye open to the vengeance, and wrath of God: his good wil towards men, is only in Christ.
Againe,To looke to God in Christ in what we do. if all Gods good will and pleasure, be in Christ; as our high Priest, without whom we can offer no sacrifice, as wee know whatsoever was not offered by the high Priest, it was abhominable. Therefore wee should looke to God in Christ, love God in Christ, performe service to God in Christ, pray to God in Christ, give thanks to God in Christ, desire God in Christ, to to make all things acceptable for Christs sake, because it is in Christ that God hath any good will, and pleasure to us.
It is a point of marvellous comfort, that Gods love and good pleasure,Gods love in Christ, ground of comfort. is so well founded, as in Christ; he loves Christ eternally, and sweetly, and strongly, is not Gods love to us the same? doth he not love us, with the same love that hee loves his Son? he loves his mysticall body with one love, that is Christ, head, and members, Iohn 17. That the love thou bearest to me, may bee in them; what a sweet comfort is this? God loves Christ, and me with one love, he loves me strongly, and sweetly, and constantly, as hee doth his owne Sonne, his love to me is eternall, because the foundation of it is eternall, it is founded upon Christ. The love of a Prince, if it be founded on a Favourite he loves dearely, must needs be firme, and strong. Now Gods love to Christ, is ardent and strong, and sweet, as possibly can be conceived, therefore it is so to us, his good will to us being founded on Christ.
Why should a believer feare that God will cast him away? he will as soone leave his love to his owne Sonne, as to us, if we continue members of his Sonne, it is an undefeasable love: it is a point of wondrous comfort, What shall separate us (saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.Rom 8.) from the love of God founded in Christ? neither things present, nor things to come, nor life, nor death, nor any thing; many things may sever the soule, and body, but there is nothing in the world, but sinne, that shall sever, either soule or body, from the love of God in Christ, because both body and soule, are members of Christ, therefore let us treasure it up, as a point wondrous comfortable.
How to know Gods love to us.To come to an use of tryall, how shall wee know wither Gods good will be to us in Christ, or no? how shall I know that he loves my person, that I am in the state of grace and love with him.
The Holy Ghost testifies Gods love.The Holy Ghost must ascertaine this: for as the worke of salvation was so great, that onelyonly God could satisfie God, so the doubts of mans heart, and the guilt of his conscience, when it is upon him, and the feare of Gods wrath, upon just guilt, is such, that God must assure him, that God is reconciled to him, God the Sonne must reconcile God the Father, and God the holy Ghost, must seale and ascertaine this to the soule. The soule will never bee quiet, before it see and know in particular, God reconciled in Christ; the Spirit that is God, that is above conscience, must seale it to the Soule, being above conscience, he can set downe and quiet our conscience. Now this Spirit that worketh this in us, and assures us of Gods good pleasure, it alters and changeth our dispositions, that wee shall have a good pleasure in God, for there is a mutuall good pleasure,The Spirit alters mans disposition to delight in God. God hath a good pleasure in us as his, and we have a good pleasure in God, wrought by the Spirit; the Spirit not onelyonly witnesseth, but worketh this sweet, and gracious disposition to God, God delights in us, and we in God, God delights in the Church above all things, the Church is his wife and Spouse, his body, his friends, his children, and those that have the Spirit of God, delight in them too: Psal. 16,Psal. 16. All my delight is in the excellent, and Pro. 8. My delight is in the Sonnes of men, saith Christ; which he shewed, by taking the base nature of man upon him: so all that have the Spirit of Christ, delight in the Church and people of God, All my delight is in the Saints on earth: God saith, his delight is in his Church, Hos. 2.Hos. 2. So all that have the Spirit of God, they delight in the people of God.
God delights in obedience, more then Sacrifice: Gods people that he delights in, they yeeld their bodies and soules a Sacrifice to God, Rom. 12.Rom. 12. They will seeke out what is well pleasing, and acceptable to God: God accepts them in Christ, and he is acceptable to them in Christ Iesus, and they seeke out what pleaseth him, and is acceptable to him: as the sonnes of Isaac, sought out what might please their old father, what he could relish, so Gods children seeke out, what duties God relisheth best. Thanksgiving is a Sacrifice, with which God is well pleased: is it so? then they will seeke out, that that may please him; God by his Spirit will worke in them a disposition, to please him in all things, therefore the people of God, are said, to bee a voluntary, free people, zealous of good workes, being set at liberty, the Spirit infusing and conveying the love, and good pleasure of God in Christ to them, it sets their wils at liberty, to devise to please God in all things,Psal. 51. they have as David prayes, Psal. 51. A free Spirit. As God, not out of any respect from us, but freely from his owne bowels loved us, and gave Christ to us, and delighted in us, so the soule freely without any base respects, loves God againe. Those therefore that doe duties for base aymes, and forced, as fire out of a flint, not as water out of a spring, that duty comes not naturally and sweetly from them, God hath no pleasure in them, because they have none in God, but the good they doe is extorted, and drawne from them.
Let us try our selves therefore, if wee have tasted Gods good will towards us, we will have a good pleasure to him againe, whatsoever is Gods pleasure shall be our pleasure, what pleaseth him, shall please us. If it please him to exercise us with crosses, and afflictions, and losses, what pleaseth God shall please me, for when he hath once loved me freely in Christ, every thing that comes from him, tastes of that free love, if hee correct me, it is out of free love and merciemercy, all the wayes of God are mercy and truth, his way of correction and sharp dealing, it is a way of love, and free mercy, therefore, if it please him, it shall please me, my will shall be his will.
Againe,Love of God quickeneth to dutie. if wee finde the free love of God to us in Christ, it will quicken us to all duties and strengthen us in all conditions, but these evidences shall suffice; let us search our hearts how we stand affected to God, and to the best things wee delight in them, if God delight in us.
And if wee doe not find our selves yet to be the people of Gods delight,Direction to those that find not God, love to them. towards whom, God hath thoughts of love, (as the Prophet speaks) what shall we doe?
Attend upon the meanes of salvation, the Gospell of peace, and reconciliation, and wayte the good time, and doe not stand disputing: this is that that hinders many, their disputing and cavilling, that perhaps God hath not a purpose to save me, and that the greatest part of mankind goe the broad way, &c. Leave disputing, and fall to obeying: God hath a gracious purpose, to save all that repent of their sinnes, and believe in Christ, this is Gospell, I will leave secret things, they belong to God, revealed things belong to me; I will desire of God his Spirit, to repent of my sinnes, and to believe and cast my selfe in the armes of his mercy in Christ, and then let God doe as hee please; if I perish, I will perish in the armes of Christ: let us labour to bring our hearts to waite in the use of the means, for Gods good Spirit to inable me to see my state by nature, and to get out of it, by casting my selfe upon Gods love in Christ.
And object not the greatnesse of any sinne, to hinder the comfort of Gods mercy,Greatnesse of sin hinders not Gods love. it is a free mercy, the ground of it is from himselfe, and not from thee. It was free to Manasses, that had sinned, no man more, being a King, and being the sonne of a good father, his sinnes spread further then ours can doe, answerable to the greatnesse of his person; being an infinite and free mercy, it extends to the greatest sinners: let no man pretend any sinne or unworthinesse, if he seriously repent, if any sinne or unworthinesse could keepe it backe, it were something, but it is a free mercy and love from Gods owne bowels in Christ.
And consider how God offers this in the Gospel, and layes a command,To have a good conceit …o God. it is thy duty to have a good conceit of God in Christ: We ought not to suspect a man that is an honest man, and will God take it wel at our hands to suspect him, that he is, so and so? he maks a shew of his love & mercy in Christ, but perhaps he intends it not: put it out of question by believing: if thou have grace to believe the mercy of God in Christ, thou makest thy selfe a member of Christ, and an heire of heaven: thou questionist, whether thou bee one that Christ dyed for, or no? believe in him, and obey him, and thou puttest that question out of question: thou doubtest whether God love thee or no? cast thy self upon the love of God in Christ, and then it is out of question: whosoever hath grace, to cast himselfe upon the free love of God, he fulfils the covenant of grace: stand not disputing and wrangling, but desire grace to obey, and th…n all questions concerning thy eternall estate, are resolved, all is cleare.
If these things will not move you,Danger of neglecting Gods offer. then let all men know, that live in a sinfull condition, that they had better have lived in any part of the world, then in these glorious times, and places of light: for when they heare the love of God in Christ, laid open to them, if they will come in, and receive Christ, and cast themselves upon him, and be ruled by him, and they will not, it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrha, for Jewes, and Turkes, and Pagans, and those that worship Devils, then for us: for when God offers his free love and mercy in Christ, if we will entertaine it, and we will none of it, then justice alone shall not condemne us, but mercy shall condemne us; wee will none of mercy. There is not the worst man, but would have pardoning mercy; hee is content to have God pardon his sinne, but hee will not take the whole mercy, and love of God in Christ, curing, healing mercy: there are those that live in filthy courses, in prophanenesse, in swearing, &c. it is food to them to be malicious,Mistake in a… plying Gods mercy. to deprave the best things: Serpents feed on poyson. They are content to have their sinnes pardoned, if God will let their filthy nature alone their poysonfull, blasphemous disposition, that, exalts it selfe against God, and let them goe on in their course, they will have one mercy, but not another; but wee shall never be saved without entire mercy, healing as well, as pardoning, whom God loves, hee doth not onelyonly pardon their sinnes, but heales their nature, and makes it like unto Christs, holy and pure.
Those that have not the Spirit in them, desiring, altering, and changing, and healing grace, as well as pardoning grace, they are hypocrites.
Let us remember this especially, because it is most usefull, and most men are deceived in this, they thinke, oh God is mercifull, and his love is free in Christ, and though I be unworthy, yet God will have mercy upon me; but hast thou a secret desire, to partake of Gods whole mercy and love, to make thee good as well as to make thee his sonne, and intitle thee to heaven, to have thy nature altered, to see the deformity of sinne, and the beauty of grace? if thou hadst rather to have the Image of God upon thee, more then any favour in the world, that thou hadst rather be free from the bondage of sinne, then any other deliverance? if it be thus thy state is good.
Study Christ daily.To hasten, considering Gods free love, opened now in Jesus Christ, I beseech you, let us study Christ, and labour to get into Christ, daily more and more, that wee may be members of Christ, and desire God, daily more and more, to reveale himselfe in Christ to us, that we may see his face in Christ, that wee may know him, in the sweet relations, hee hath put on him in the Gospell.
To know God in generall as a Creator, and doing good, &c. the Heathens did that by the light of nature, but we should labour to …ee him in the face of Christ, that is, to see him appeased, and loving us, wishing us well, concerning eternall glory, that must be by the light of the Gospell, and by the Spirit: therfore in hearing of the Word, and reading, and meditating, desire God above all, to reveale by his Spirit, his grac…ous face in Christ, that in Christ we may see him as a Father, as a Husband, as a Friend, in those sweet relations of love that he hath taken upon him. It should be our daily desire of God, to manifest his love more to us in Christ Iesus, then in any other fruits of his love: for there be common fruits, as to give us health, and friends, and liberty, and quiet governement, which are great favours, that we see denyed to many nations: oh! but the soule that is touched with the spirit of God, and the sence of his owne condition by nature, is thus disposed; Lord I desire, that thou wouldest shew the fruits of thy love to me, but I desire not so much those common fruits, that the reprobates may have as well as I: oh! shew me by thy holy spirit,Beg the Spirit of revelation. that thou hast a particular, and peculiar love to me in Christ, and for this end, give me grace to know the mistery of Christ, more and more, & the mystery of my naturall corruption; that knowledge, that may drive me to make much of thy love, and grace in Christ. Now the Spirit, that knowes the deepe things of God, the depth of Gods love to any one in particular, and the depth of our hearts, if we begge the Spirit, to reveale the good pleasure of God to us; in time God will shew unto our soules, that he delights in us, and that he is our salvation, this shewes, that the soule is an excellent temper, that it sets a right price and value on things, that it prizeth Gods favour above all things, that is the nature of faith, for what is faith, onelyonly to believe in generall, that Christ dyed, &c? No, but to esteeme Gods love better then all the world: for Gods love is entire in pardoning, and curing too, by this the soule is raysed up, to esteeme the love and mercy of God, in pardoning, and healing sinne,Psal 63. above life it selfe, Psal. 63. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life.
Gods love fruitfull.To conclude all with this one motive, the loving kindnesse of God, when wee have it once, it is no barren complementall kindnesse, it is a loving kindnesse, that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting, from Gods love, in chusing to his love, in glorifying us: it is a love that reacheth to the filling of nature, with all the happinesse it is capable of. In this world, in all misery, one beame of Gods loving kindnesse, will scatter all clouds whatsoever: what raised the spirit of Daniel in the Lions Den, of the three young men in the middest of the Furnace, of St. Paul in the Dungeon? the beames of Gods love in Christ, brake into the prison, into the Dungeon, a few beames of that, will enlarge the heart more, then any affliction in the world, can cast it downe. It is excellent that Moses saith, Deut. 33.Deut. 33. The good pleasure of him that dwelt in the bush; &c. You know that God appeared in the bush, when it was flaming, the flaming bush shewed the state of Israel, in the middest of the Furnace of persecution, yet notwithstanding, the bush was not consumed, why? because the good will of God was in the bush; so let us be in any persecution, put case wee bee like Moses bush, all on fire, yet the fire shall not consume, nor hurt us, why? the good pleasure of him that dwelt in the bush is with us, in Isai 43.Isay. 43. I will bee with thee in the fire, and in the water, not to keepe thee out, but I will be with thee in it, so that in the greatest persecutions that can be in the fiery tryall, as Saint Peter cals it, the good will of him that dwelt in the bush, will bee with us, so that wee shall not be consumed, though we bee in the fire; afflicted, but not despaire, why? the good pleasure of God dwels in the bush, in the Church; in the middest of afflictions, and persecutions, hee is with us; who can bee miserable, that hath the presence of God, the favour and good will of God? but this shall be sufficient for this time, and Text.
FINIS.
THE CHVRCHES RICHES BY CHRISTS POVERTY By The late Learned and Reverend Divine, RICHARD SIBBS, Dr. in Divinity, Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher at GRAIES-INNE.
Luke 9.58.
The Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head
EPHES. 2.7.
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, &c.
LONDON, Printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange, and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-Noster Row. 1638.
THE CHVRCHES RICHES BY CHRISTS POVERTY.
2. COR. 8, 9.
For yee know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet hee became poore for your sakes, that yee through his poverty might be rich.
THE nature of man is very backward to doe good, our hearts being like to greene wood that hath but a little fire under it,Simile that must bee continually blowne up: so those sparkes of grace that are in us must bee stirred up.Scope of the words. Therefore the Apostle being to stirre up these Corinthians, to beneficence, and bounty towards the poore, he labours to enforce it by many reasons, in this, and the next Chapter. Man being an understanding creature, God would have what we doe in matters of religion to proceed from principles, becomming men, and christians, therefore hee sets us upon duties from reasons: and because examples together with reasons are very forcible, therefore the Apostle after many forcible reasons to bee liberall to the Saints, hee joynes examples, first of the Macedonians that were a poorer people, then the Corinthians to whom the Apostle now wrote: But because people are not so comfortably lead by the example of equalls, or inferiours; they thinke it a kinde of upbraiding of them, accounting themselves as good, or better then they: therefore the Apostle leaves exhorting them from the example of the Macedonians that were poorer, and propounds an example beyond all exception, the example of CHRIST himselfe; hee stirres them up to bounty, and goodnesse, by the example of him, who is goodnesse it selfe; you know the grace of our LORD IESUS CHRIST, who though he were rich, he became poore, &c. As if hee should have said, if the example of the poore Macedonians will not moove you to give bountifully, yet let the example of our SAVIOUR; hee was rich, yet hee became poore to enrich you, therefore you must not thinke much to bestow somewhat on his poore members.
Examples have a very great force in mooving,Examples forcible. especially if they bee examples of great persons, and those that love us, and we them, and that are neare us. The example of CHRIST it is the example of a great person, and one that loves us, and whom wee ought to love againe,Example more prevalent then precepts. therefore the Apostle propounds that.
Hee might have alledged the precept of CHRIST: there are many commands that CHRIST gives of bounty, and liberality to the poore; Bee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull; and give freely looking for nothing againe: and the poore yee shall have alwayes with you. But because example hath a more allureing power, it moves more freely: precepts have a more compelling force: therefore herein hee followes the streame of our disposition, which rather desires to bee easily drawne, then to bee forced, and pressed, hee brings not the precept but the example of CHRIST; For you know the grace of our LORD IESUS CHRIST &c.
The poynts considerable in the words are, First of all, that