The Best Treasure, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Wherein is demonſtrated the infinite Bounty of Chriſt to all his Creatures, with the manner of his giving.
THE next thing which diſcovers the ſweetneſs of Chriſt's Diſpoſition, and greatneſs of his Perſonal Treaſure, is,
Sixthly, His Liberality: He is of a bountiful Diſpoſition; and this, you know, is of an endearing Nature, Rom. 5. 7. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man ſome would even dare to dye. Pſal. 13. 6. I will ſing unto the Lord, becauſe he hath dealt bountifully with me. Now this Liberality of Chriſt appears,
Firſt, To all his Creatures, Pſal. 145. 9. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works, Pſal. 136. 25. Pſal. 145. 15. Whoſe heart is ſo large, whoſe hand ſo wide as Chriſt's? ver. 16. He upholdeth all things by the word of his Power, Heb. 1. 3. And by him all things conſiſt, Col. 1. 17. There is never a moment but he is laying out upon his Creatures, and that muſt needs be a large Treaſure that maintains the whole World.
Secondly, To his Enemies: He doth good to thoſe that hate him: He gives large portions of this World's goods to Eſau's: And uncharitable Dives's do many times fare deliciouſly, and are cloathed gorgeouſly, by his Bounty, The wicked proſper, Jer. 5. 28. Nay, he doth not only give them the fat things of this Life, but the great things of his Kingdome. O, the Privileges and Favours that Hypocrites enjoy as well as Saints! He ſends his Goſpel to every Creature, and cauſeth the very Dews of Sion to fall upon his Adverſaris.
Thirdly, Eſpecially to his Children; for to theſe he gives,
Firſt, Good things: Whatever they have of him ſhall be good, Jer. 32. 40. I will not turn away from them to do them good. Their very Afflictions are for good: their Wormwood and Gall is good: Rebukes of God upon them, ſtripping and humbling Providences; nay, their very Corruptions, by this Bounty, prove to their advantage.
Secondly, All good things. He gives Grace and Glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, Pſal. 84. 11. Pſal. 34. 10. All the good God ſees fit for them, and they are capable to receive, ſhall be diſtributed to them.
Thirdly, Great things: Not Common, but choice Mercies, paſſing Knowledge, Myſteries, not onelyonly to the World, but to themſelves: Things unſearchable, and things unutterable; Things that cannot be known as they are, nor valued as they deſerve. What one Nation (ſaith David to God) is like thy People, whom God went to redeem for a People to himſelf, to make him a Name, and to do for them great things and terrible, 2 Sam. 7. 23. Redemption-work brings forth great and terrible things, for redeemed Souls. O, the great things that God doth, and Chriſt gives to every ranſom'd Soul, Job, 37. 5. Things which we cannot comprehend, as you will ſee, if you give but a general Survey on the Inventory of Chriſt's Gifts. I ſhall inſtance in ſome of the moſt remarkable.
Firſt, That unvaluable Gift of Light. He is the Light of the World, Joh. 8. 12. How deformed is Darkneſs, how beautiful is Light, Eccleſ. 11. 7. He is a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory, &c. Luke 2. 32. He is the bright Morning Star: the Sun of Righteouſneſs from whom the light of Life and all true Wiſdom comes; now this is a great and excellent thing, Eccleſ. 2. 13. Wiſdom excelleth Folly, as far as Light excelleth Darkneſs, and this you know is very far: Wiſdom is preferred before Rubies, and the moſt excellent things, Prov. 8. from ver. 10. to 20. That muſt needs be great which all the World cannot purchaſe, but this is Wiſdom: now all true Wiſdom comes by Jeſus Chriſt, he is the Wiſdom of God, 1 Cor. 1. 30. So, who hath brought to light the foreign, the hidden things of God, and that could by no ways be known but by Revelation: No man hath known the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son ſhall reveal him, Matth. 11. 27. He giveth Knowledge and Wiſdom to whom he pleaſeth, that ſpecial Wiſdom which none of the Princes of this World can attain unto, 1 Cor. 2. 7. 8.
Secondly, Life; He hath brought Life to Light by the Goſpel, 2 Tim. 1. 10. and is not this a great gift? All that a man hath will he give for his Life, Job. 2. 4. O! then what is Life from the dead to his people, Eph. 2. 1. He is our Life, Col. 3. 3. I am come that they may have Life, and have it more abundantly, Joh. 10. 10.
Thirdly, His Love; all the World and Houſes full of Treaſures cannot be compar'd to Love, Cant. 8. 7. Should Chriſt give all the World and withhold his Heart, it were but a mean gift: Favours are valuable by the love whence they come, Iſa. 63. 9. In his Love and in his Pity he redeemed them, Pſal. 63. 3. Deut. 33. 3. All Believers are ſet as a Seal upon his Heart, Cant. 8. 6. He hath loved them with an everlaſting Love; they have his Heart, and none elſe.
Fourthly, Himſelf; There being nothing greater than himſelf, to demonſtrate the Largeneſs of his Heart to his people; he gave himſelf, Eph. 5. 25. Who loved the Church, and gave himſelf for it; that is, ſold himſelf to purchaſe them, gave himſelf to divine Juſtice to ſatisfie the Law, and to taſte of Death for them, all that he had as Mediator he parted with for them: and hath given himſelf to them alſo, Heb. 8. 10. And I will be to them a God, and they ſhall be to me a People. They have his perſon, Hoſ. 3. 3. Thou ſhalt not be for another, ſo will I alſo be for thee. All his Beauties and perſonal Perfections, as deſcribed, Cant. 5. ver. 9. to the end: all Believers have a Marriage right unto him by way of Gift; again, he hath given them his Purchaſe, all that he hath bought with his Blood, Math. 26. 28. This is my Blood of the New Teſtament, ſhed for you.
Fifthly, His Laws and Scepter to guide them through the World, and to ſteer out their Courſe of Duty and Safety, and this is a great thing, Hoſ. 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law (Rabab) the excellent or honourable things of my Law: for this word notes Quality as well as Quantity; and if the things of God's Law are ſo great, what are the Truths of the Goſpel, called ſo great Salvation? Deut. 4. 8. And what Nation is ſo great that hath Statutes and Judgments ſo righteous? Pſal. 147. 19.
Sixthly, His Spirit; This he gives to all his People, Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath not the Spirit of Chriſt he is none of his, 1 Cor. 12. 13, We are all by one Spirit baptized into one body: This is promiſed by the Lord Jeſus, Joh. 16. 7.
Seaventhly, His Promiſes; For in him are all the Promiſes of God, yea, and Amen, 2 Cor. 1. 20. That is, they are ſure and certain in Chriſt, 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us, exceeding great and precious Promiſes, Gal. 3. 22.
Laſtly, His Kingdom; Col. 1. 13. And hath tranſlated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. A bleſſed Change indeed, from Sin to Grace, from Darkneſs to Light, from the Kingdom of Satan, to the Kingdom of Chriſt, 2 Pet. 1. 11. So an Entrance ſhall be adminiſtred to you abundantly into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. All Believers are inveſted with the glorious Priviledges of this Kingdom, they all become Kings and Prieſts unto God, Rev. 1. 6. Nay a Kingdom of Prieſts, Exod. 19. 6. They are entitled to all the royal Endowments, Inveſtments, and Favours that belong to the Children of a King; they all wear his royal Robes of Glory, they have noble Entertainment, moſt delicious Food, the higheſt Honours and Thrones to ſit on; Chriſt gives them the Inheritance, purchaſed Poſſeſſions and Manſions of Glory.
Fourthly, The Liberality of Chriſt appears in the manner of his giving, now this may come under a ſix-fold Conſideration.
Firſt, He gives readily and propenſly: many give, but by Conſtraint, as the unjuſt Judge, Luke 18. or from fear of Shame or Reproach; men uſually give with Reluctancy, but Chriſt readily, as Paul ſpeaks of the Church of Macedonia, 2 Cor. 8. 3. that they were prone to Charity beyond their power; and of Titus, ver. 17. that being more forward of his own accord he went unto them; ſo it may be more truly ſaid of Chriſt, that he wants no external Motives or Perſwaſions to exert his Bounty. For,
Firſt, Chriſt's Gifts are his peoples due, they have Right to all his Fullneſs; Chriſt is the Believers and all that is his, John 3. 16. Cant. 6. 3. I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, 1 Cor. 3. 21. For all things are yours, they are purchas'd for them, and given to them.
Secondly, Chriſt's Office and publick Deſignation to this Work ſhews it, he is ſet apart for this end, that he might be the Author of eternal Life, the Giver of all that good that his people need, Joh. 17. 2. As thou haſt given him Power over all Fleſh, that he ſhould give eternal Life, &c. Joh. 6. 27. Him hath God the Father ſealed; that is, deputed to this Office and Truſt, to be the Lord keeper of his Houſe, and Diſpenſer of his Fathers Goods. All that Chriſt hath as Mediator, is to be diſtributed to his: he hath nothing but muſt be employed for the Salvation of the Elect, for ſuch is the Agreement betwixt the Father and him, Joh. 17. 10. All mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.
Thirdly, He hath never the leſs for giving, and therefore never weary of giving; what's that makes men ſoon tyred with Acts of Bounty, why becauſe the more they give the leſs they have, and ſo fail at laſt in their Ability; but 'tis not ſo with Chriſt, he is Fullneſs ſtill, notwithſtanding all the vaſt Diſtributions that go out of his Treaſury every day, to fill up Heaven and Earth, Men and Angels. (I remember a notable ſaying of a worthy Divine, Should all the World (ſays he) ſet themſelves to drink free Grace, Mercy, and Pardon, dry, drawing Water continually from the Wells of Salvation, nay if they ſhould ſet themſelves to draw from one ſingle Promiſe, an Angel ſtanding by and crying, drink O my Friends, drink abundantly, take ſo much Grace and Pardon as ſhall be abundantly ſufficient for the world of Sins which is in every one of you, they would not be able to ſink the Grace of the Promiſe, one Hairs breath.) When Beggers come to our doors, they many times promiſe us, upon the Reception of an Alms, they will trouble us no more, but this would be an improper Expreſſion to Chriſt, whoſe Heart is ſo propenſe to give, and whoſe Treaſures are inexhauſtible, Col. 2. 9. For in him dwells all the Fullneſs of the God-head bodily, Col. 1. 19.
Forthly, He gets by giving; Advantage is a ſure Agreement, all men ſeek their own, every man his gain from his Quarter: now if giving appears to be Chriſt's Advantage, you may be ſure he will be willing to give; men laviſh out their Gold for Idolatry, carnal perſons pour out their whole Wealth upon their Luſts, the Merchant adventures all he hath for Gain, and can you think that Chriſt only will be cloſe handed? Pſal. 68. 18. Here 'tis ſaid, he receives Gifts, Eph. 4. 8. 'Tis ſaid, he gave gifts: what Chriſt receiv'd was not for himſelf, but to give unto Sinners, and that in order to his Dwelling amongſt them; Chriſt's Gifts are to further his Service, 1 Pet. 4. 10. and his Peoples Profit, 1 Cor. 12. 7.
Fifthly, He is never more pleaſed, than when he gives; This appears in his earneſt inviting Souls to ask of him, Joh. 16. 24. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my Name, ask that your Joy may be full. Had not the Lord Jeſus a great Delight to diſpenſe freely to his People, he would not have us'd ſuch Arguments to perſwade them to beg; 'tis ſaid of Titus Veſpaſian, that he never denyed any thing to thoſe that asked him, but would call upon them, to ask ſomething of him.
Laſtly, This doth wonderfully greaten his Glory, Joh. 14. 13. Whatever ye ask in my Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This verſe ſhews the Reaſon why the Saints ſhall do greater works than thoſe that Chriſt did, becauſe they ſhall have the Power of Chriſt to help them; he will do for them what they ask, and give them what they ſeek; and the reaſon is, becauſe hereby the divine Glory is more manifeſted, the Fathers Glory in the Sons Glory; for the Father and he are one, and the Fathers Glory is his Glory, the more he gives, the more the Father is glorified, and the more the Father is glorified, the more is the Son alſo.
Secondly, He gives feeely without any reſpect to Merit or Compenſation, Rev. 21. 6. To him that is a thirſt, will I give to drink of the Water of Life freely. (foreign) That is, without any antecedent Cauſe, Worth or Merit, Rom. 3. 24. Being juſtified freely by his Grace. As Juſtification comes freely without any Worth or Righteouſneſs in man, ſo do all the gifts of God, Rom. 8. 32. How can he but with him freely give us all things? 1 Cor. 2. 12. Chriſt doth not ſell but give his Favours freely, according to the pleaſure of his own Will, Iſa. 55. 1. This is a Truth hard to be receiv'd, becauſe 'tis beyond the reaſon of men, how Grace ſhould move without any Motives and Attractives beſides it ſelf, but yet this bounty of Chriſt hath no reſpect of Perſons, 2 Chron. 19. 7.
Thirdly, He gives preſently Mercies in hand, he doth not ſay as the unjuſt and covetous man, go, and come again to morrow, and I will give it thee, when 'tis by him; he doth not delay to beſtow Mercies on his poor Creatures, one Jot beyond the due time, Pſal. 145. 15. Gal. 6. 9. Chriſt is never at a loſs to give, he only ſtays for a fit time; he had many things to ſay to his Diſciples, but he wanted a convenient opportunity; they were not able to bear them, Joh. 16. 12.
Fourthly, He gives heartily; Jer. 32. 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good, with my whole Heart, and with my whole Soul. He doth not pretend Kindneſs, and yet begrudge it in his Heart, all his Promiſes are the Intents of his Heart, Jer. 30. 24. Pſal. 51. 18. Do Good in thy good Pleaſure to Sion.
Fifthly, He gives liberally, Jam. 1. 5. If any man lack Wiſdom, let him ask it of God who giveth liberally. (foreign) Simply, purely, with a candid Mind and full Intent to do good: 'tis rendred bountifully, as Liberality comes from a ſimple and pure Heart, he gives many times more than we ask, as the ſick man of the Palſie came for Health, and Chriſt gave him Pardon to boot; Solomon asked Wiſdom, and God gave him more than he begged, Riches and Honour too, 1 Kin. 3. 12. 13. He gives richly to his People of all good things to enjoy, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Sutable to his Treaſures, Phil. 4. 10. According to his Riches in Glory by Chriſt, above what we can ask or think, Eph. 3. 20. He gives a Kingdom, Luke 12. 22. and therefore bids us open our Mouths wide, and he will fill them, Pſal. 81. 10.
Laſtly, He gives conſtantly every day and every moment, he is never weary of well-doing, Iſa. 40. 28. The Lord fainteth not, neither is weary; men are ſoon tyred with Acts of Bounty, to which the Apoſtle alludes, Gal. 6. 9. But the Lord Jeſus is a Fountain that never ceaſeth running, he is always doing, there is never a moment but he is opening his Treaſures and filling the hungry Soul, Pſal. 73. 26. God is my Portion for ever. The Saints are always living on God, and are ever receiving from him, His Mercies are new every Morning, Lam. 3. 23. Yea though through Careleſneſs they have loſt their Mercies, as the Spouſe loſt the preſence of Chriſt, Cant. 5. and the Taſtes of his Love, verſ. 2. 6. And though by Sin they have forfeited their Mercies, and have given the Lord cauſe to withhold them, yet he is never weary of doing them good, but always communicating ſomething or other to them.
Ʋſe 1. Is Chriſt ſo bountiful? Then this may ſerve to convince all Chriſtleſs Souls under the Goſpel of the greatneſs of their Sin in ſleighting and contemning Chriſt, becauſe it is utterly oppoſite to the Streams of his Bounty towards them; this, Sinner, will gall thy Conſcience another day, when Chriſt ſhall ſay, what Iniquity haſt thou found in me, that thy Heart is ſet againſt me? have not I born thee all thy days, maintain'd thee ever ſince thou waſt born, and fed thee with Food convenient? and yet thou wilt have none of me, but lifteſt up thy heel againſt me, and crucifyeſt me with thy Sins every day; ſo did the Lord plead with Iſrael, Hoſ. 11. 23. 4.
Ʋſe 2. This will ſerve to humble the people of Chriſt.
Firſt, For their great Unthankfulneſs to Chriſt; O how great are the Obligations of Believers to Chriſt, both for upper and nether Springs, thy daily Bread comes out of his Cupboard, all thy Comforts and Preſervations are received from him, but eſpecially thy Souls Mercies are the Products of his Bounty, thy Enlightnings, Awakenings, Drawings and Begettings to God, thy Pardon, Peace, and hope of glory are all from him, and yet who renders to Chriſt for all the Benefits done to him, who returns to give Glory to God; this is a grievous Sin, 2 Tim. 3. 2.
Secondly, For their hard Thoughts of Chriſt; hath the Lord Jeſus laid out ſo much upon thee, and hath yet ſuch Riches in Store for thee, and art thou always diſtructing of him, and on every occaſion jealous and ſuſpicious of his bounty? Pſ. 77. 7, 8, 9. Pſ. 78. 22. 32.
Thirdly, For their little Improvement of Chriſt's bounty; ſee this in Joaſh, 2 Kin. 13. from ver. 17. to 20.
Fourthly, For looking to Creatures for their Supplies more than to Chriſt, Jer. 2. 13. This is a heatheniſh Sin, Rom. 1. 25. They loved and ſerved the Creature more than the Creator Iſa. 55. 2.