Rejoicing in the Lord Jesus in All Cases and Conditions, Sermon 8
SERMON VIII.
Habakkuk 3.18.
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will Joy in the God of my Salvation.
VVE propoſed to give you ſome notes of evidence, whereby you may come to know that this Jeſus is your Jeſus, and that you are intereſced in him. We have already gone through 13 particulars, and ſhall now proceed.
Fourteenthly, The Soul that is intereſted in Chriſt hath conſtraining, abiding endearments in his heart unto Jeſus Chriſt, ſo as no diſcouragement ſhall turn him off from Chriſt, but he will cut the way through all oppoſition to come to the enjoyment of him.
My Friends if you are really intereſted in Chriſt, and have (upon an intereſt) taſted how gracious the Lord is, difficulties in your way to Chriſt will be no difficulties ſo you may enjoy him; the Soul in Chriſt will be contented to be reproached for Chriſt, ſo he may enjoy him, and the reproaches that he meets withal in the way of Chriſt, will be no great matter to him, ſo Chriſt and he may keep together. You may ſee what was the Spirit of an old Teſtament Saint, in Heb. 11.24, 25. By Faith Moſes when he was come to years, refuſed to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter, chuſing rather to ſuffer affliction with the People of God, then to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon. v. 26. Eſteeming the reproaches of Chriſt greater riches then the Treaſures of Egypt. Perſecutions won't part Chriſt, and the real ſincere Chriſtian, but though he ſhall be perſecuted for Chriſt, yet if Chriſt and he can but keep cloſe together, he will think all is well, Rom. 8.35. and ſo on, Who ſhall ſeparate us from the love of Chriſt? ſhall Tribulation, or Diſtreſs, or Perſecution, or Famine, or Nakedneſs, or Peril, or Sword, &c. Why, ſaies he, we can bear all this for Chriſt; we can bear tribulation, we can bear diſtreſs, we can bear perſecution, famine, nakedneſs, peril, ſword; Lord, any thing rather than to loſe Chriſt, ſaies the ſincere intereſted Chriſtian, he Will ſuffer loſſes for Chriſt, rather than to loſe Chriſt. Lord (ſay the Diſciples) We have left all for thy ſake; and it is ſaid of the primitive Chriſtians, that they took joyfully the ſpoyling of their goods; let men frown, and let Devils frown ſtill, the heart of the ſincere intereſted Chriſtian will be working Chriſt-ward, & he will have conſtraining, abiding endearments in his heart, that will cut through the difficulties of his way, he will be willing to loſe any thing rather than to loſe Chriſt; this is the frame of a Soul intereſted in Chriſt, when he is under deliberate actings for Chriſt. I am ſenſible that an honeſt heart by the ſtrength of a temptation may be ſuddenly ſurprized as Peter was; ay, but it will be but for a moment, and he will riſe again, he won't quit his intereſt in Chriſt, he won't ſell his part in Chriſt, when he comes to reflect and conſider, Chriſt and he cannot live aſunder: and his intereſt in Chriſt will have ſuch an influence upon his Soul, as will cauſe him to abide in Chriſt, that whatſoever he meets withal, yet he deſires above all to enjoy Chriſt; and will go through fire, and through water, if that be the way, and the only way that in the circumſtances of providence in divine over-rules, Chriſt is to be enjoyed, Phil. 1.29. I pray mark the connexion there, It is given to you to believe, and alſo to ſuffer; upon the Souls believing is his intereſt ſtruck up with Chriſt, and he is oned with Chriſt. Now ſaies he, thoſe that believe, that is, thoſe that are intereſted in Chriſt, they will alſo ſuffer for the ſake of Chriſt, and the ſame power that helps them to believe, doth alſo bear them up againſt the frowns, and againſt the diſcouragements that they meet withal in the way of Chriſt. Well Chriſtians, examine your own ſtate by this particular; how ſtand your hearts affected and endeared to Chriſt in a day of ſuffering, when difficulties look you in the face, reproaches they are like to befal you, loſſes and breakings in your outward condition are like to come upon you? Can your hearts ſay whatſoever comes, O let us have Chriſt, Chriſt is more than all; and what we ſhall enjoy in Chriſt is more then we can loſe for him; there is a conſtraining, abiding endearment in the heart that is really united to Chriſt that will cut the way through all oppoſition. It is not thus with one that is not intereſted in Chriſt. The young man in the Goſpel made a very fair profeſſion of Chriſt, and comes and pretends to be his moſt forward Diſciple, but ſaies Chriſt to him, can you live upon me alone? and can you ſuffer any thing for the enjoyment of me? And will you value and prefer a naked intereſt in me before all your poſſeſſions? No, Lord, ſaies he, I have great poſſeſſions; What, muſt I forgo all theſe in hand to live upon I know not what? and I know not who? and ſo he takes his leave of Chriſt. And ſaies the Apoſtle, Demas hath forſaken me, having imbraced this preſent world: Their comforts, and their enjoyments, and their outward poſſeſſions, and their outward peace will be more to them then all that they ever thought of Chriſt, that are not really intereſted in him; but now that Soul that hath made its cloſe with Chriſt, his heart is ſo engaged, and he hath taſted ſo much ſweetneſs in Chriſt Jeſus; as whatever it coſt him, Chriſt and he ſhall never part; though he be ſtript naked for Chriſt, yet he will have Chriſt, and though he die for Chriſt, yet he won't give up his intereſt in him. Now examine your Souls by the ſtrong endearments of your hearts unto Chriſt, when there is an oppreſſing intereſt that ſeems to come between you and Chriſt, do your affections then divide; and do you then deliver up Chriſt, and quit your part in Chriſt? By a cloſe examination of your hearts, under this head you may come to ſome knowledge of your preſent ſtate as to your intereſt.
Fifteenthly, Again in the laſt place, The Soul that is intereſted in Chriſt, prefers the glory of Chriſts intereſt before his own private advantage; if you be indeed joyned unto the Lord, then the intereſt of Chriſts glory is a ſwaying intereſt in your hearts, it is a ruling, captivating intereſt, that doth bind and engage you to the glory of it, that the Soul will prefer Chriſts glory before any thing of his own, his life will be under a peculiar dedication to advance and promote the glory of Chriſt Jeſus; and he will be alwaies upon an advancing deſign, to exalt Chriſt in his heart, and to exalt Chriſt in his houſe, and to exalt Chriſt where he hath to do, and with whom he hath to do: he will exalt Chriſt, though it be upon his own name, and upon his own intereſt, he will deny his own name for Chriſt, and will believe for the advancing of the glory of the intereſt of the Lord Jeſus, Phil. 1.20, 21. To me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain. The Apoſtle he ſums up all in this, Chriſt is my all; if I live, I deſire not to live to my ſelf, but to Chriſt, and if I die, I deſire to die to Chriſt, that Chriſts intereſt, and the glory of his intereſt may be exalted by me, both while I live, and when I die. Now Chriſtians examine your ſelves by this, what ſway doth the glory of Chriſt bear in your hearts? If that you cannot deny your ſelves for Chriſt, if that your own names be more to you then Chriſts name, and if that your own honour be more to you then Chriſts honour, and your own intereſt be more to you then Chriſts intereſt, it is a very ill ſign that things are not right in your hearts: but if the intereſt of Chriſt be the ruling, ſwaying intereſt, that you are all upon the advance of the glory of Chriſt, whatever become of your ſelves, and whatever become of your intereſt, and whatever you ſuffer in the way; yet O that Chriſt might be magnified, and O that Chriſt might be glorified; Chriſts glory is uppermoſt in your hearts, and is the only intereſt that you would prefer; it is a ſign that you are indeed intereſted in Chriſt, otherwiſe your hearts would never be ſo much concerned about Chriſts intereſt, and about the glory of his intereſt.
And a little further to help and direct you; do but conſider theſe few things.
Firſt, In ſearching your own hearts for an evidence of intereſt; If you can find theſe things that we have laid down, in truth, though not in high degrees and meaſures, you may be comforted. Many Perſons they wrong their caſe, and ſo darken themſelves thereupon, by looking more unto the height of thoſe things. that are notes of evidence, then the truth of them. Now examine your ſelves I ſay by the truth of theſe things; though you cannot yet find that you have overcome temptation, that you have got into an holy triumph over temptation, yet if that you can find that under all contrary inclinations and drawings, the habitual frame and inclination of your heart is ſecured for Chriſt, you may be comforted; though you cannot find that you are able to do much towards the repairing of the glory of Chriſt in your place, yet if you have a heart that is deeply affected with the diſhonour that is done to Chriſt, becauſe Chriſt is diſhonoured thereby, you may be comfotted. Though Chriſtians you can find in your ſearches but very little of Chriſt in your hearts, yet if your Souls are reſtleſly carried out after Chriſt, in all your ſeekings of him, that you muſt compaſs ſomething of Chriſt, or you cannot be ſatisfied; this ſeeking heart and reſtleſs Spirit after Chriſt is a note of evidence to you; and though you cannot live up to Chriſt as you would, yet if your preparations and reformations be heart-preparations, and heart-reformations, that the work is begun, and going on in you, this may be matter of comfort to you; and ſo you may go on to all the other particulars that I have given you; look more to the truth of them then to the height and degree of them, if you would upon them come to a right underſtanding of your preſent ſtate.
Secondly, If upon a ſearch you can find but ſome of thoſe things that have been given you as evidential of an intereſt, you may be comforted, though for the preſent you cannot ſpeak of them all upon a particular experimental ſenſe: The Lord he ſpeaks unto one Soul by one word, and he ſpeaks unto another Soul by another word, and we don't know what particular word the Lord will make uſe of, nor what particular of all theſe the Lord hath ſingled out, and made of uſe, advantage, and comfort unto any of you, but if the Spirit of the Lord hath ſingled out any one of them, and given you a hint of intereſt thereupon, you have cauſe to rejoice in the Lord; and if the Lord hath given you but the leaſt hint of his love, and the leaſt intimation by any word of Grace, of your intereſt, let not this be lookt upon as a ſmall thing. Take heed of refuſing the conſolations of the Lord when they are offered to you, remember him of whom it is ſaid, Pſal. 77.2. My Soul refuſed to be comforted.
Thirdly, Know this, that full aſſurance, and clear evidence of intereſt is gradually brought into the heart; as the light of Grace comes in gradually, ſo alſo does the light of comfort, which is a light unto your Souls to diſcern Chriſt, and to take comfort in him, now the Lord it may be at firſt let in a little light, as it were through the cravis; don't ſet light by this; thus doth the Lord work, he gives in a little light at one time, that doth as it were put the Soul between hope and fear, and by and by he comes in with a little more light, and then with a little more light, and ſo gradually he carries on the Soul until he hath led him unto a clear evidence, and given him a full aſſurance of intereſt; ſo as, if you have but yet the day ſtar in your hearts, don't deſpiſe it, if you have yet but the beginnings of the light of conſolation, don't judge this ſmall: though comparatively to what ſome do enjoy, it is but ſmall, yet let it not be ſmall in your apprehenſions; but know that the light of intereſt gradually comes in & encreaſes I may liken the light of intereſt unto the Prophets Cloud, that was at firſt but like a mans hand, and it was a great way off, there was ſome hope of rain upon it, but they did not know what would come of it, but this was the beginning of ſuch a Cloud that brought abundance of rain. So thou haſt (Chriſtian) a little light that is glimmering in thy heart, that ſets thee it may be between hope and fear; well, let not this be ſmall to thee, for though for the preſent thou canſt not come to a full aſſurance, yet thou doſt not know what this will come to; thou doeſt not know what a growing light this is, and how much it may encreaſe in thy heart.
Now unto thoſe that have as yet but a little light in their Souls, ſome ſmall hopes through grace, of an intereſt, but they dare not poſitively conclude, nor they dare not abſolutely deny; they have not that full aſſurance that ſome have, neither are they left wholly in the dark; unto theſe Souls I would ſpeak ſomething by way of encouragement, and ſomething by way of direction.
Firſt, By way of encouragement to thoſe that have a little hope through grace, and have ſome ſmall glimmerings of their intereſt, and ſome buddings of their evidence, though it is not yet fully blown; let ſuch hearts conſider,
Firſt, That if thou haſt any thing that is a note of evidence, or gives thee hope through grace, any thing I mean that is in truth, know, that though it be never ſo ſmall, yet thy intereſt in Chriſt is as great as his is, that dwells in the height of aſſurance: my friends, your intereſt in Chriſt is not the leſs, becauſe your evidence of intereſt is very ſmall, but your little evidence that is in truth, or this little word of grace that the Spirit hath ſpoken, that gives you ſome hopes about your condition, doth give you as full an intereſt in Chriſt, as he hath, that hath the higheſt meaſures of aſſurance in this world. The young Child that can but run to his Father, and cry Father, Father, he hath as full an intereſt in, and relation to his Father, as the grown Child that in underſtanding and judgment is able to reflect upon, and improve the relation; and ſo it is with thy Soul in thy union with Chriſt, though thou canſt but look up unto the Lord, and cry unto him that he would help thee; though thou canſt but juſt cry Father, though thou art not able to improve thy intereſt as ſome others can, yet if upon the leaſt hint of grace from the Spirit thou art able to cry Father, thy intereſt is as good, and as great as that Souls that is able to rejoyce in Chriſt in full evidence; Chriſt is yours, and you are Sons, you are heirs as well as others, and you have the ſame Spirit, and the ſame Fountain of Grace to go to, under the ſmallneſs of the evidence of your intereſt.
Secondly, You are under the ſame preſervable, maintainable care that thoſe are, that dwell upon the top of aſſurance: Jeſus Chriſt doth not take the leſs care of you, becauſe your intereſt is very dark and cloudy for the preſent, but his care over you is the ſame; he is alwaies opening his watchful eye upon you; and he is alwaies doing for you, alwaies defending of you; ſee what he ſaies, Iſaiah 40.11. He ſhall feed his flock like a Shepherd, he ſhall gather the Lambs with his arm, and carry them in his boſom, and gently lead thoſe that are with young. O alaſs, they are ſcarceble to believe that they are Lambs in the flock of Chriſt, they would hope ſo, and they dare not wholly deny it, but that Chriſt hath a part in them, and hold of them, but it is all they can do to ſay ſo; but be it ſo, they are under as much care as any; He will carry them in his arms, he will gently lead thoſe that are with young: Chriſt Jeſus in one ſingle act doth equally reſpect all thoſe that are intereſted in him; be their evidence of intereſt more or leſs, clearer, or more clouded.
Thirdly, Again; The comprehenſions of Chriſt upon the union are not proportioned unto, but do far exceed our apprehenſions of him in the union: Chriſt doth not ſay, I will be unto you as you are unto me, and as you do, ſo will I do, and as you be, ſo will I be, and according to your apprehenſions, ſo will I be unto you; but he does exceeding abundantly for us above our faith, and above our hope; it may be we can but ſay unto him, Lord help; and though we are ſo weak, he will not do the leſs; but he will proſecute and manage the intereſt on his part upon your Souls, though your apprehenſions may be very ſmall of him; you have a very full ſatisfying Scripture for this, Eph. 3.20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we are able to ask or think, according to the power that worketh in him: So that Jeſus Chriſts actings towards us, and dealings with us, and comprehendings of us are not proportioned to our apprehenſions of him, not according to our faith and hope, and not according to our prayer, but ſaies he, he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think, and that according to the power that worketh in him: So that though you cannot at all times make faith of that power, yet that power is working, and though your apprehenſions be very ſmall, yet the comprehenſions of Chriſt are very great; it is in Heaven that we ſhall know as we are known; we are fully known here, but our ſelves know but in part.
Fourthly. The weakneſſes diſcovered upon your intereſt, and the provocations given, will be covered and forgiven by the Lord Jeſus in the ſtrength of the love of his relation to you, or intereſt in you. The Soul that is in relation, is not able in a clear Goſpel way to live up unto his ſtanding in Chriſt Jeſus, but he oft-times walks very diſhonourably unto his intereſt, and very unbecomingly to his hopes of evidence; well Soul, though it be thus, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt will diſplay ſuch love on his part, as ſhall cover and forgive all; the Father will not diſinherit his Child, becauſe he doth provoke him, and becauſe he doth grieve him by many fooliſh and unchildlike acts, but the love of the relation, on the Fathers part will forgive the Child. The Husband won't give a bill of divorce to his Wife, becauſe he finds failings in her waies, but the love of the relation doth bind him, and influence him to cover all her weakneſſes, and continue his kindneſs to her; if we have a member that is full of pain, and puts us to a great deal of ſmart and puts us much out of order, we do not preſently call for the cutting off of this member, but we bear with the pain and ſmart, remembering that it is a member: now thus it is my friends, between the Lord Jeſus Chriſt and you, though there are weakneſſes diſcovered in your waies, yet he will remember that you are intereſted in him, and though he meet with provocations from you, yet he will remember that you are his Children, and that you are in relation, and that will engage him to cover and forgive all; though I ſpeak not this to give any a liberty to indulge themſelves, and I hope none of you will abuſe diſcoveries of grace ſo, I am ſure an honeſt heart will not, but for your terrour, if your temptation be thereunto, know, that though Jeſus Chriſt will not proceed in the utmoſt of his diſpleaſure againſt you to give you a bill of divorce, yet there are rebukes, and there are frowns that are as bitter as death, that the Soul may meet withal from Chriſt upon his high provocations; though we don't preſently cut off a member that is full of pain, yet we may ſee cauſe to ſend for the Surgeon, to make an inciſion, and ſo verily will Jeſus Chriſt be forced to do in your hearts, that give your ſelves ſuch an allowance, Pſal. 89.31, 32, 33. If his Children forſake my laws, and walk not in my judgments, if they break my ſtatutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I viſit their tranſgreſſions with the rod, and their iniquity with ſtripes; nevertheleſs my loving kindneſs will I not utterly take from him, nor ſuffer my faithfulneſs to fail, &c.
Fifthly, Know that your intereſt in Chriſt is not diſſolvible as the evidence of your intereſt is looſable. Chriſtian, it may be the Lord hath ſingled out ſome word that he hath made uſe of by his Spirit to give you ſome hopes in, and about your intereſt in, and relation unto Chriſt; I would hope that all hath not been ſpoken to you in vain, but if the Lord hath given you ſome hint by his word of your intereſt, poſſibly within a little while all this will be loſt again, and thou maiſt be as much in the dark, as ever thou wert ſince thou cameſt into Chriſt; well, Chriſt will not diſown thee, and Chriſt will hold thee up, that thou ſhalt never be left to diſown him; ſtill thy intereſt is ſure in Chriſt Jeſus; though light is coming and going in thy Soul, and thy evidence is ſometimes coming, and ſometimes going, yet know that thy intereſt is firm and inviolable.
Sixthly, Thy preſent intereſt in, and relation unto Chriſt in a ſtate of Grace, is a certain and infallible pledge of thy future poſſeſſion of Chriſt in glory: Chriſtian, thou haſt now a little hope through grace; O make much of it, thou doſt not know what is in it: There is not only matter of conſolation in it, but it contains a pledge of Heaven, and of thy full poſſeſſion of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in glory for ever, therefore ſaith Chriſt; He that believeth on me hath everlaſting life, believing that gives the intereſt, thereby the Soul is united to Chriſt; now upon the union he hath everlaſting life, he hath the pledge of it, his union is the pledge of it; and he is reſerved for eternal life, and he is going on to perfection, to enjoy eternal life. The Lord is in grace and by grace fitting of him for a glorious enjoyment of himſelf for ever; now theſe things are for thy comfort in thy preſent condition, whileſt the light of evidence is but glimmering in thy heart.
Secondly, Some few things briefly I ſhall give you by way of direction.
Firſt, Have you the leaſt intimation of the Lords love to you, and of your ſtanding in his love, be thankful for theſe ſmall appearances of light in your Souls. I ſay be thankful Chriſtians; there is a great deal in a little and ſmall word of evidence, or in a ſmall word of hope. Therefore take every hint that the Lord gives, and wear it with thankfulneſs, bleſs his name for it, that is the way to have it encreaſed.
Secondly, Joy and triumph in the Lord, upon the preſent evidence that you have, living up to it. I ſay live up to the light that you have, in a holy joy and rejoycing in Chriſt Jeſus, get into the Prophets Spirit, and into his frame here in the text; To joy in the Lord, and to rejojce in the God of your Salvation, and learn Chriſtian to live up unto a ſmall meaſure of aſſurance, and that is the way to have a greater.
Thirdly, Acknowledge all ſenſe of intereſt to be given forth in a way of grace; I ſay acknowledge, that not only the grace of your union, but alſo the light and comfort of your union is diſpenſed in a way of free grace; The Lord is pleaſed to give out all manifeſtations of intereſt in Chriſt in a way of grace, John 14.22. Judas ſaith unto him, not Iſcariot, Lord, how is it that thou manifeſteſt thy ſelf unto us, and not unto the world? He muſt ſpeak this upon a reflect act, or elſe he could not ſpeak with that confidence; Lord, that thou haſt manifeſted thy ſelf to us, and not to others, this is to be acknowledged unto free grace.
Fourthly, Have you a little light of your Intereſt? do you gather in upon Chriſt from that little that you have for more? Chriſtians, though you have but a little light for the preſent, and are weak in aſſurance for the preſent, yet there is a full meaſure of aſſurance to be given out: There is not only the Soul's comfort from a reflect act, by the light of the Lord upon his own grace that is wrought, but there is the immediate Teſtimony of the Spirit that is ready to be given out, which is a Witneſs not argumentative, or in a way of argumentation, but it is a Witneſs and Evidence that is given in by, and in the immediateneſs of his own preſence in the heart of the Believer, Rom. 8.16. The Spirit it ſelf beareth witneſs with our ſpirits, that we are the children of God: He bears witneſs in ſome immediate act in the Soul. It is a clear undeniable, ſoul-ſatisfying, Divine Teſtimony, that the Spirit gives in the Soul, that reſolves all its doubts, and clears his whole Intereſt, and ſettles him in the full enjoyment of the Lord Jeſus, and enables him to act upon it. And then
Fifthly and laſtly, Have you a little evidence of your Intereſt for the preſent? Chriſtian, do you improve this little unto the comforting of your Souls in Chriſt in all ſtraits, and unto a living upon him in all the neceſſities of your preſent condition? Jeſus is yours, and you are intereſted in him; the Lord hath given you ſome little hope of this; this hope through grace Chriſtians, ſhould be improved by you; upon all occaſions you ſhould run out unto the Lord Jeſus, and have recourſe to him, and venture upon him; you ſhould glory in him, and live upon his fulneſs, and rely upon his power and faithfulneſs: Jeſus that is ſo full is your Jeſus; and Jeſus that is ſo free is your Jeſus; and Jeſus that is ſo faithful is your Jeſus; you have ſome ſight of this, and ſome hope of this through grace; the Lord now expects that you ſhould come and live upon him in all conditions, and comfort your Souls in him in all diſconſolations, when you are weak, and when you are tempted, and when you are tryed, and when you meet with diſcouragements from without, then to retire to the Lord Jeſus, and act Faith upon him.