The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 2 · Consectary 5 – Consectary 8
5. Conſectary.
If the Heart of Chriſt bee ſo much taken with his Church; Then let this diſcover to you, into what you way reſolve all the paſſages of Gods love to his Church and People, even into his own Love. His Grace is the riſe, and his Glory is the end.
There are two main ſtreams, in which the goodneſs of God doth run to his Church.
1. The higher, and
2. The lower.
But both theſe ſtreams have the ſame Head, the ſame ſpring from whence they come, even his own Love.
1. For the higher, or upper ſtreams, and theſe are four.
1. Election. 2. Juſtification. 3. Sanctification. 4. Glorification.
And all theſe ariſe from the great Abyſs, and Sea of his mercy toward his Church.
His heart is taken with us; and therefore
1. Hee choſe us, Deut. 7.7, 8. The Lord loved you not, nor choſe you, becauſe yee were more in number than any people: but becauſe the Lord loved you. So God did not ſet his heart on us, becauſe wee were better than others; for there are others in the World who might have been made more lovely.
His heart is taken with us; therefore
Operamur ex Juſtificatione, non in Juſtificationem.2. Hee juſtifies us. Wee could do nothing to ſtrike off any former ſcore: for all wee did, ſet us further in debt: it was but an adding of ſin to ſin, guilt to guilt: the ſin of our righteouſneſs, to the ſin of our unrighteouſneſs, Covering a blot with a blot; as Iſa. 30.1.
No, it did ariſe from this. His heart was taken with us, therefore did hee juſtifie us, Tit. 3.7. Wee are juſtified freely by his Grace. The like, Rom. 3.24. Rom. 4.5. All which ſhew, that into this, all the expreſſions of his love are reſolved.
His heart is taken with us; therefore
3. Hee did ſanctifie us. Our holineſs is not wrought out of our own Principles; ſpun out of own bowels; compaſt by our own ſtrength and induſtry: but freely imparted and given of God.
As our Righteouſneſs is freely imputed: ſo our Holineſs is freely imparted.
That thou art not a killing Cain, a ſelf murdering Saul, a deſpairing Judas, a prophane Eſau, a drunken Baltazar, a filthy Sodomite, it ariſeth from this, meer Mercy.
But that God hath not only reſtrained thee; but renewed thee; not only chained up thy ſpirit, but changed thy ſpirit: This is Free-Mercy. And ſo the Scripture tells us, 1. Pet. 1.3. Bleſſed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Christ, who of his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again. — Not only Mercy, but abundance of Mercy. So James 1.18. Of his own free-will begot hee us. And that in John 1.13. Wee were born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man: But of God.
Not of blood] Nor great men, nor good men can do it. Regeneration comes not by Generation.
Nor of the will of the fleſh] Our will is but a fleſhly will, and cannot beget a ſpiritual nature.
Nor of the will of man] It is not all the indeavours of holy men, who labour to do us good, can do it.
But the Will of God] It is a mercy wee give leaſt concurrence to, of all other. When wee have Grace, then wee are helpers for the growth, and increaſe of Grace: but who ſhall give Grace?
When the Candle is lighted, it will burn; but none but God can light up the Candle.
In after Sanctification wee concurre: There is no concurrence in Regeneration.
This is the freeſt Mercy of all other. When God hath wrought Grace, there is ſome ingagement for God to go on: but there is nothing to move him to beſtow Grace. Here is the ground: His heart is taken; therefore hee ſanctifies us.
His heart is taken with us; therefore
4. Hee glorifies us. As our Juſtification, ſo our Sanctification, and Glorification ariſe from the ſame ground: His heart is taken with us.
The Papiſts indeed would have us to merit Heaven. And the Councel of Trent denounce a curſe upon thoſe, who ſay,Quid ſunt omnia opera ad tantam gloriam! Bern. Si homo mille annis ſerviet. A Juſtified perſon cannot merit Heaven. But alas! What are all our deſerts to this Glory! If a man ſhould ſerve God, and ſuffer a thouſand years, what were this to merit eternity in Glory?
No, here is the ground of all. His heart is taken with us, and therefore hee glorifies us. And ſo the Scripture ſpeaks plain, Eph. 2.5. By Grace yee are ſaved. And leſt hee ſhould never make it firm enough, hee adds, in the 8, and 9. verſes, By Grace yee are ſaved — not of works.
So that you ſee into what to reſolve the higher ſtreams of his Love: his chuſing us, his juſtifying, his ſanctifying, and his glorifying us. His heart is taken with us — therefore hee choſe us; therefore hee juſtifies us, &c.
2. As you may ſee into what to reſolve all the higher: So the lower ſtreams of his love to his Church. All into this. His heart is taken with his Church.
His heart is taken with us; therefore hee doth protect us.
His heart is taken with us; therefore hee will preſerve us.
His heart is taken with us; therefore hee will ſupport us.
His heart is taken with us; therefore hee will deliver us.
All the good wee have in Hand, and all the good wee have in Hope: All the Mercies beſtowed, and all thoſe which God is beſtowing on us: Look upon all as a continued threed ſpun out of the bowels of Free-Grace, and Mercy.
God hath done great things for us; and from this they have ariſen: His Heart is taken with us, his Love towards us, Jer. 31.3, 4. I loved thee with an everlaſting love; — therefore with loving-kindneſs have I drawn thee.
Alas! If God had looked upon us, and taken either ground or motive from any thing in us, to do this for us, wee ſhould never have injoyed it.
1. There was no ground, no foundation of deſert in us. (Wee abhorre the thoughts of it) for God to raiſe ſuch a fabrick of mercy upon, as hee hath done.
If any thing in his Church were the foundation of the ſtructure of mercy, which wee expect God to raiſe, wee might look for a mean building. Such weak foundations muſt have as weak a ſtructure. A building muſt bee proportionable to the foundation. But ſeeing Gods own heart is the foundation; his own mercy and good will towards us, which is ſo ſtrong, ſo firm, ſo full a foundation: Hence it is, that wee may expect a ſtructure of mercy ſuitable to the foundation.
And, as this is the foundation of all thoſe great and ſtupendious things, which God hath done for us: So it is a ground for us to expect, that God will yet do greater things for us, than ever hee hath done.
Indeed, when wee look upon our ſelves, wee are at an end in our thoughts, and think God is at an end in his Mercy: but when wee look up toward God, and ſee there the ground of what wee have, this keeps up our hearts from ſinking, and cauſes us to look upon all wee have, as an earneſt of more.
Men that are at the top of an high place, if they look downwards, their eyes dazle, and their heads grow dizzy: but if they look up towards Heaven, they recover themſelves again. God hath raiſed us up to ſome height of mercy; and if wee look downwards, if wee look upon our ſelves, wee are driven paſt the utmoſt of our thoughts: but let us look up to Heaven, whence this mercy wee have, hath its ſpring and foundation, and wee ſhall quickly recover.
Though there bee nothing in us; yet there is ſomething in God; and that which is in God is the ground of this mercy; and therefore will hee go on in the wayes of his own mercy.
I have often thought within my ſelf; how far God at this time hath out-gone his people in Mercy.
Hee hath not only out-gone the deſervings of his People, but out-gone the deſires of his people, the prayers of his People. And conſulting below, I am ready to think God is at an end of his Mercy.
But, when I recover my ſelf, and look upon the ground of Gods doing good to his Church and People: Not to bee any goodneſs in the Church: but meerly his own goodneſs: This doth revive mee again; put heart into mee that God will yet do greater things for his Church, than yet hee hath done.
As I ſaid before; when God doth execute Judgements upon his Church, hee adds Judgement to Judgement: ſo much more, when hee comes in a way of Mercy to his Church, hee adds Mercy to Mercy.
God is oftentimes weary in going on in a way of Judgement, becauſe the exerciſe of his Judgements are drawn out by us, our ſins. Hee is ſaid not to afflict willingly: and his Judgements hee calls his strange work. It is not ſo natural to God, and therefore he is quickly weary of it.
But God is never weary of the exerciſe of his MercieMercy; and therefore hee goes on to adde Mercy to Mercy. Wee ſay, the Bee gives Hony naturally; the ſting only, when ſhee is forced to it: So God, it is natural to him to ſhew Mercy, but hee is provoked to exerciſe Judgement.
Hence hee is called the Father of Mercies, begets Mercy. Mercy is the Iſſue of God, moſt natural to God; and being ſo, hence Mercy pleaſeth him. Actions of Nature are Actions of Delight. God is never ſo well pleaſed with any carriage towards his Church, as thoſe which are in the wayes of mercy.
Nay, if hee do afflict his Church, it is to ſhew Mercy. Mercy is the end of all his dealings towards his Church; and therefore Mercy being ſo natural, ſo pleaſing; and that the Mercy of God is the ground of his expreſſions of love to us, as it is: though our ſins may draw out the expreſſions of his Juſtice; yet his Mercy doth ariſe from himſelf: Hence wee may have a ground to expect yet greater things than ever.
6. Conſectary.
If the heart of Chriſt bee ſo much taken with his Church. Then ſee with what confidence wee may pray for the good of the Church of Chriſt. Chriſts heart is taken with it.
A man may pray for himſelf, and doubt of hearing, becauſe hee is not able to make out his particular intereſt in Gods Love. But if a man pray for the good of the Church, hee is ſure to have hearing, becauſe the heart of Chriſt is taken with it.
Let us then make uſe of all our intereſt and acquaintance in Heaven, in the behalf of the Church at this time.
1. It is a thing, which God commands.
2. A thing, which God expects.
3. A thing, which God rewards.
4. A thing, which God threatens the neglect of.
Much might bee ſaid to move you. Your good, and your evil lies in the Churches. As Jeremy uſed this as an argument, why, to pray for the civil eſtate of Babylon; becauſe in the peace thereof they ſhould have peace: if theirs in Babylons, how much more ours in Sions?
7. Conſectary.
If the heart of Chriſt bee ſo much taken with his Church, Then what will become of thoſe, who are enemies to his Church and People!
Is the heart of Chriſt ſo much taken with his Church and People. Then woe bee to them that offend his Church. If you touch them, you touch the apple of his eye.
Gods People are dear to God. They are his Spouſe, his Children, his Members, purchaſed with the price of his bloud; his inheritance, his Portion, all his commings-in. Thoſe hee dyed for, ſhed his bloud for, one drop whereof is worth a thouſand Worlds. And therefore thoſe whom hee was content to ſhed his bloud for, certainly hee doth more eſteem than all the World beſides.
Wee ſay, whiles the Iron is in its own nature, you may handle it, and meddle with it; but if once the nature of fire bee added unto it, if you touch it, it will burn you: So whiles the Children of God, are but the Children of men, you may deal with them as with other men; but if once the nature of God bee ſtamped on them, the Image of Chriſt bee drawn upon them, it will bee dangerous for you to meddle with them, leaſt fire break out of their mouth to devoure you.
Wee read, Zach. 12.3. God ſaid, hee would make his Church a burthenſome ſtone, &c.
St. Jerom on that place ſaith, it was a Metaphor taken from the cuſtome of the Jews, who to try their ſtrength, had at the gates of the City great ſtones; if they could lift them, well and good; but if not, they cruſhed themſelves with them: So God will make his Church a burthenſome ſtone. Whoever lifteth at it, ſhall cruſh himſelf; whoever ſeeks to hurt it, ſhall ruine himſelf. You ſee it in Pharaoh, Haman, Achitophel, Julian.
Haman lifted ſo long at this ſtone, that it fell on him at laſt, and cruſhed him.
Pharaoh followed the Children of Iſrael ſo long, that hee could not return at laſt, but was overwhelmed in the Waters.
Julian attempted it ſo long, till at laſt himſelf was overthrown.
Hee that ſhoots in a Peece over-charged, ſtrikes down himſelf, not that which hee aimed at. Hee who intends evil againſt the Church, ſhoots in a Peece over-charged, and is ſure to bee ſtruck down with his own recoil.
Wee ſee it in our dayes. They who have digged pits for us, have fallen into them themſelves. They who laid ſnares for us, in them is their own foot taken. They have but made Rods for their own backs; paved a way to their own deſtruction; digged graves to bury themſelves, in ſeeking our ruine.
The Scepter of Chriſt hath been too ſtrong for the Principality of Satan, hee hath a Rod of Iron; a Scepter of Power,Eris ſub pedibus. an arm of ſtrength, to cruſh in peeces all his enemies. And therefore as Pilates wife ſaid of Christ; Have nothing to do with that juſt man: So I to thee, ſeeſt thou a godly man? beware of having any thing to do with him, by way of offence. For their Angels alway behold the face of their heavenly Father.
8. Conſectary.
If the heart of Chriſt bee ſo much taken with his Church, Then ſee here the Ground of Acceptation of the ſervices of his people.
God being taken with the Perſons, is taken with the performances of his People. Hee had reſpect to Abel, and then to his Offering. Chriſt, his heart was taken with the perſon, and then with his performance.
Hence Chriſt ſaith to his Church, Cant. 2.14. Let mee ſee thy Countenance, let mee hear thy voice: for thy Countenance is comely, and thy voice is ſweet.
Indeed, if Acceptation ſhould ariſe from the worthineſs of our duties, wee ſhould never look to bee accepted. There is ſo much ſin in our ſervices, ſo much evil in our good, ſo much coldneſs in our beſt heats, ſo much formality in our chiefeſt power, ſo much deadneſs in our beſt life, ſo much of the World, ſo much of our earth in our imployments for Heaven. And if Acceptation ſhould ariſe from any worth in them, wee ſhould bee ſure to miſs of it: But ariſing from his good will and Mercy to us, his heart being firſt taken with us, is taken with our performances. Hence the Aſſurance of Acceptation.
Nay, and not only of our pureſt and perfecteſt ſervices; but even of our poor and imperfect duties, ſuch as wee throw away for dead, and caſt prayers, Cant. 5.1. Hee drinks the Milk as well as the Wine.
Wee look upon a prayer accompanied with deadneſs, diſtraction, as a caſt prayer. Oh! ſay wee, how can God accept of ſuch impure, imperfect ſervices!
But hence it ariſeth not from the excellency of your prayers, but from the indulgency of his Grace. It is the voice of his Spouſe, though never ſo weak. It is the cry of a Member of his, though never ſo faint. And hee can put his odours, his incenſe to them, though never ſo impure, and make them acceptable, Rev. 8.4.