Christ Inviting Sinners to Come to Him for Rest, Treatise · Chapter 42
CHAP. XLII.
Containeth an exhortation to come to Chriſt, wherein Three hindrances are removed, And ſix encouragments laid down. Firſt, The Ʋnion between Chriſt and a beleever. Secondly, From the great Love of Chriſt. Thirdly, Corruption is the burden of Chriſt as wel as of a ſinner. Fourthly, He Healed the bodies of many, he wil much more the ſoul. Fifthly he knowes what it is to be Tempted. Sixtly, It is for the Honor of the Death, Reſu…rection and Life of Chriſt to give Holineſs.
NOW for the laſt thing that I propounded, To exhort and draw beleevers to come to Chriſt, and in this I ſhal endeavour to take away the many hinderances of the ſoul in comming to Chriſt for ſanctification, and alſo give ſome incouragements to the heart to come to Chriſt for ſanctification.
You ſee, here is the way to get power over corruption, and to get grace, namely to come to Chriſt, Yea ſay you if I knew I were a member of Chriſt, and had intereſt in Chriſt then I could come to Chriſt for power over my corruption, and for grace, but I am afraid I have no intereſt in him.
1. For anſwer to that, which is the main ſtop and hinderance of faith, know that if thou haſt but a heart to come to him for grace that is as good a ſigne of thy intereſt in Chriſt as any ſigne thou haſt, that is as good a ſigne of evidence of intereſt, as any thou canſt expect.
2. You muſt come to him for grace, and if thou haſt not intereſt before, yet thy very comming to him now for grace to help thee againſt corruption, that very act of thine may give thee intereſt in Chriſt. What is it that unites thee to Chriſt? what is it that makes a member of Chriſt? what is it that gives intereſt in Chriſt? It is but the coming to him, as you heard before in the point.
Queſt. Is you wil ſay, If I had a right to him.
If thou comeſt now to Chriſt, to get power over thy corruption, and to get grace, I ſay, though thou hadſt no intereſt before, this very act may give thee intereſt in Chriſt, and therefore be not diſcouraged but come to Chriſt.
3. Wilt thou ſtay til thou doſt find power againſt thy corruption, before thou wilt come to him, then thou wilt never have power againſt thy corruption, for you have heard, that it is Chriſt that is the foundation of thy ſanctification.
And then for incouragements, there are a great many excellent incouragements for poor ſinners to come unto Chriſt.
Firſt, The conſideration of the neere union that there is between Chriſt and us, in regard of his very humane nature. That place in Heb. 2.11. is a very notable ſcripture for our incouragement. For both he that ſanctifieth and they that are ſanctified are al one, for which cauſe he is not aſhamed to cal them brethren, He that ſanctifieth, and thoſe that are ſanctified are al one, what is that. That is, Chriſt is of the ſame nature that thou art, Chriſt hath taken our nature upon him, and the fulneſs of the Godhead doth dwel bodily in him, ſo that thou mayeſt goe with the more boldneſs. He that is thy brother, is not aſhamed to be called thy brother, and therefore do not look upon him as at ſuch an infinite diſtance as thy judge, but looke upon him as thy brother, as one with him. He that ſanctifieth, and they that are ſanctified are all one, Thou and Chriſt together are one body. Now what incouragement is here to expect Sanctification from Chriſt to overcome corruption becauſe Chriſt and you are made one body, of the ſame Nature, and ſo neerly united and made one.
Secondly, Conſider that if Chriſt did love thee ſo dearly as to lay down his life for thee, ſurely he wil never ſuffer thee to periſh in thy corruptions, ſhall Chriſt come down from Heaven, and lay down his life for poor Souls, and ſhall he ſuffer them to die under their corruptions? Now if a many ſhould be willing to lay down his life for a Child and he ſhould come and ſee the Child lie in the dirt, ready to be ſtifled in the dirt, could he go by and not regard the Child? This is our caſe, Chriſt hath come and laid down his life for poor ſinners, but yet they ſee themſelves ready to be ſtifled by their corruptions and they cry to him for help, ſurely Chriſt wil not paſs by and let thee lie in thy filthyneſs, to be ſtifled in thy corruption when thou waſt ſo dear to him, as to lay down his life for thee.
Thirdly, Another incouragement is this, know, that thy corruptions are the burdens of Chriſt as wel as thy burdens, they are burdens to thy Soul, and burdens to Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore he doth certainly pitty thee under them, and wil help thee.
Fourthly, If Chriſt had ſo much pitty as to heal the bodies of poor creatures here in this world, ſo that there was no diſeaſed body that ever come to him, but he healed them, ſurely then Chriſt wil heal Souls, Chriſt hath more regard to immortal Souls then to bodies.
Fifthly, Chriſt knows what it is to be tempted, for Chriſt had no Corruption in him, yet Chriſt knows what it is to be tempted, and Chriſt knows by his own experience what a Burden it is to be tempted to ſin, and ſurely Chriſt cannot but know what a Burden it is to be overcome with ſin. Now Chriſt himſelf had the Burden of being tempted unto ſin, and Chriſt knows that thy Burden is greater then his burden was, and that it is more to be overcome then to be tempted to ſin, and therefore he knows how to pitty thee.
Sixthly, Know it is to the Honor of the Death of Chriſt, the Reſurrection of Chriſt, and the life of Chriſt, to help thee againſt thy Corruptions, and quicken thee in Grace. Chriſt accounts his reſurrection and life, to be honored, when he ſees the virtue and power of it to be in the Hearts of beleevers. Wherefore then, if it be to the Honor of the Death, and reſurrection, and life of Chriſt, it may be incouragement to thee to go to him for help againſt thy corruptions. And this remember when thou art upon duty, and begging for help againſt thy corruptions, carry this Rule with thee. I come to pray againſt my ſins, but together with my prayer, let me act my Faith. I come to hear the word, I but together with my hearing, let me act my Faith upon Chriſt as Mediator to help me againſt my corruptions. I come to the Sacrament, but I come to have communion with Chriſt to help me againſt my corruptions. Oh! act thy Faith in the promiſes of the Goſpel, through the bleſſed Covenant, and thou ſhalt find abundance of ſtrength againſt thy corruption, and Reſt unto thy Soul.