Sermons on Isaiah 11:1-10, Sermon 1
THE TRUE LIVING WAY TO SALVATION. SERMON I.
JOHN 14.6.
Jeſus ſaith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life.
IN theſe words, is contained our Lords anſwer to his Diſciple Thomas his queſtion, How can we know the way to the Father? In which anſwer we have an excellent and comfortable deſcription of our bleſſed Lord. I am the way, ſaith he, wherein men walk to the Father for reconciliation and peace in this life, and for glory in the other life: I am ſo the way, that I am the truth, and alſo the guide of all them who walk in me: and I am life to them in all their faintings in their way to heaven, to ſuſtain and uphold them till they come to the end of their faith, even the ſalvation of their ſouls.
Three things are here attributed to our Lord, 1. That he is the Way, 2. That he is the Truth, 3. And that he is the Life.
1. Our bleſſed Lord is called the Way, 1. Becauſe as a way leadeth men unto a place of reſt; ſo the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, by the merit of his death, hath prepared, and leadeth believers on him to a place of eternal reſt in Heaven, and giveth us acceſs to the Father by faith in him, while we are in the world, and after death, everlaſting reſt in, and with him, in the Kingdom of Heaven, Col. 1.20. Joh. 14.2. I go to prepare ae place for you. 2. As men muſt walk in the way, and ſet their feet therein, that ſo they may in end come to the place of their reſt; ſo we muſt faſten our hearts on Jeſus Chriſt, that walking in him by faith, and after him as our great pattern by imitation, we may in end come to the poſſeſſion of eternal life. 3. He is called the Way, becauſe he is our forerunner in the way to Heaven, Heb. 6.20. Not only he hath made the way clear and paſſable for us to Heaven, in removing the wrath of God, which was like the flaming ſword that kept man out of Paradiſe; this he hath done by the ſatisfaction made by his death to Divine Juſtice for our ſins: but alſo by his example, he hath ſhewed us the way of ſanctification, wherein we ſhould walk; and now by his interceſſion in Heaven, he applyeth to us that promiſe made in the Covenant of free Grace, Ezek. 36.26, 27. I will cauſe them to walk in my ſtatutes.
Chriſt is called the new and living way, Heb. 10.20. He is called the new way, not that believers before the Law, or under the Law, went by any other way, than by faith in the Meſſiah to come, unto the Kingdom of Heaven; becauſe all of them were ſaved by vertue of the Covenant of Grace made in him, in whom believers of all Nations at all times are ſaved, Acts 15.11. We believe, that through the grace of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, we ſhall be ſaved even as they. Heb. 13.8. Jeſus Chriſt, the ſame yeſterday, and to day, and for ever. Rev. 13.8. he is called, The Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world: But he is called the new way, in oppoſition to the way of the Covenant of Works, made with the firſt Adam; which Covenant, man through his fall made himſelf unable to keep, and ſo to be juſtified thereby and get eternal life, Rom. 8.3. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the fleſh, God ſending his own Son, in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh, and for ſin, condemned ſin in the fleſh. It is called the living way, becauſe believers in Chriſt are quickened by his Spirit to walk in him, and by him to attain eternal life. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt is called the Way, becauſe by him only we come to eternal life, Acts 4.12. Neither is there ſalvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we muſt be ſaved. And there is no coming to the Father for reconciliation, but by him, as the one and alone Mediator, Joh. 14.6. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Object. Is not Sanctification and good works called alſo the way to Heaven, Epheſ. 2.10. God hath before ordained, that we ſhould walk in good works? And afflictions are alſo called the ſtrait and thorny way, through which we muſt enter into the Kingdom of God, Act. 14.22. Anſ. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt is properly the living way, that quickens us, and leads us to eternal life: Sanctification and good works are comfortable mithes and evidences, that we are in Chriſt the way, 2 Cor. 5.17. Therefore if any man be in Chriſt, he is a new Creature. Joh. 15.5. I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the ſame bringeth forth much fruit. Sanctified afflictions, are as hedges to keep us cloſe with Chriſt the way, that we do not debord nor depart from him and the way of his Commandments, Pſal. 119.71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy ſtatutes.
Object. But I have wandred long and far in the broad way, will I be welcome to him, who is the only way to get me acceſſe to the Father, and being reconcilled, to bring me to glory? Anſ. If thou forſake thy former evil ways, he will receive thee, and by his Spirit lead thee in the way to eternal Life, 2 Cor. 6.17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate, ſaith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. Thou has his own gracious promiſe, if thou wilt turn from thy former evil wayes, and by faith come to him, he will accept thee, Joh. 6.37. Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wayes caſt out. He accepted of many who had walked in the way of curious and unlawful arts, Act. 19.19. He accepted of ſome vile and abominable unclean Perſons among the Corinthians, when they by repentance turned from their former unclean wayes, 1 Cor. 6.11. And ſuch were ſome of you, but ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified in the Name of the Lord Jeſus, and by the Spirit of our God. Doth not our bleſſed Lord invite all ſinners, preſſed and wearied under the burden of their ſins, Mat. 11.28? And albeit at thy firſt coming to him, thou has not ſo much eaſe and reſt in thy conſcience as thou wouldeſt, yet thou may have ſome caſe and begining of ſatisfaction from his promiſe of reſt to the weary ſoul: bleſs him for the promiſe, reſt upon it by faith, and in his own good time he will give the ſome ſenſe of inward peace, from the ſenſe of his love ſhed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghoſt; for this ſeal of the Spirit is given after believing, Epheſ. 1.13. In whom alſo after that ye believed, ye were ſealed with that holy Spirit of promiſe.
The ſecond thing affirmed by our Lord of himſelf, is, I am the truth. This is the glorious title of the Supreme God, Deut. 32.4. A God of truth, and without iniquity, juſt and right is he. And the Son of God, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, is called here the Truth. 1. He is eſſentially truth; as the juſtice and mercy of God, is no other thing but the juſt and merciful God, So the truth of Chriſt is no other thing but the true and faithful Lord: as it is ſaid, 1 Joh. 1.5. God is light, and in him is no darkneſs at all; So Chriſt is truth, and in him is no poſſibility of errour: In him is infinite wiſdom, and he cannot be deceived; he is infinitely holy and true, and cannot deceive any who truſteth into his word. 2. He is the prime and ſuprem Truth; the cauſe of the truth of beeing and eſſence in all things, Col. 1.18. For by him all things conſiſt. And he is the cauſe and author of all morall truth in the thoughts, ſpeeches and actions of men. 3. He is the truth, becauſe by the word of truth revealed, out of the Fathers boſom, by him who is called (Joh. 1.1.) foreign becauſe he is the eſſential Word, and the expreſs Image of the Father; and alſo he is the great Interpreter and Revealer of the will of the Father, Joh. 1.18. and by this revealed will, he guideth his own Children in the way to everlaſting glory, Pſal. 73.24. Thou ſhalt guide me with thy counſel, and afterward receive me to glory. 4. He is (to ſpeak ſo) morally true, even as he was man, 1 Pet. 2.22. Guile was not found in his lips. 5. He is the truth, anſwerable to all the Propheſies and Promiſes made concerning him, 2 Cor. 1.20. In him all the promiſes are yea, and amen. He is the truth anſwerable to all the legal types, as the body to the ſhadow, Joh. 1.17. The Law was given by Moſes, but grace and truth came by Jeſus Chriſt. In the Temple, during the Levitical ſervice, the lights and lamps were ſhadows of Chriſt, who was called by John the Baptiſt, the true light, Joh. 1.9. And is called by himſelf, the light of the world, Joh. 8.12. Thou that art ignorant, and mourns under the ſenſe of thine ignorance, come to him, who is the true light, and he will give unto thee that eye-ſalve, even the illumination and unction of the Holy Spirit, Rev. 3.17, 18. He is the beam and reſplendor of the Fathers glory: although a man, through the weakneſs of his eyes, cannot behold the Sun in his brightneſs without dazling and confounding his ſight; yet with much contentment and delight, he looketh upon the beams of the Sun: So it confounds and aſtoniſheth the Spirit of a Believer, to look on God, and to think upon his greatneſs and juſtice, provoked to wrath by his many ſins: this fight affrights him and maketh him ſay with Manoah, Judg. 13.22. I ſhall ſurely die, becauſe I have have ſeen God. Therefore look thou on God manifeſted in his Son Jeſus Chriſt, who is the brightneſs of his Fathers glory, Heb. 1.3. Look upon his mercy and love, manifeſted in giving his Son to ſatisfie divine juſtice for our ſins: this fight of God in Chriſt, is a comfortable and reviving fight; then may a Believer ſay, as the wife of Manoah ſaid, Judg. 13.23. If the Lord were pleaſed to kill us, he would not have accepted of Chriſts offering and ſatisfaction for us. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt, is the truth of all the ſacrifices under the Law; they were a ſhadow of good things to come, to wit, of the ſacrifice of Chriſt, who offered up himſelf by death a ſacrifice of ſweet ſmel to the Father; he is the true Lamb of God, who taketh away the ſin of the world, Joh. 1 29 Heb. 10.12. We are ſanctified through the offering of the body of Jeſus Chriſt, once for all. Auguſt. lib. 20. againſt Fauſt. cap. 21. The fleſh and blood of Chriſt before his coming, was promiſed by the ſimilitude of Sacrifices; in the paſſion and ſuffering of Chriſt, it was exhibi…t by the Truth its ſelf; after the aſcenſion of Chriſt, it is ſolemnly celebrat by the Sacrament of Commemoration▪ upon the Croſs he offered up himſelf to the Father, to take away our ſins; and now in the Word and Sacraments, we call to mind his ſacrifice and death till he come again, 1 Cor. 11.26. As in the Word, Chriſt is not offered to God by the Miniſter, but to us; ſo in the Sacrament, he is not offered to God but to us, and with him a communion and ſhare in the fruits of his death, … Cor. 10.16. As the blood of the Paſchal-lamb was ſprinkled upon the poſts of the doors, and the deſtroying Angel came not near the houſe; ſo the application of the Sacrifice of Chriſt for Propitiation and Salvation, is made by Faith, Rom. 5.1. Therefore being juſtified by Faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt: He is the Truth of all the legal waſhings and purifications; he is that true Fountain opened to the houſe of David for ſin and for uncleanneſs, Zach. 13.1. Therefore confeſs thine uncleanneſs with the Lepers; believe in him, who is the truth of all theſe purifications, 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confeſs our ſins, he is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins, and to cleanſe us from all unrighteouſneſs.
He is the true Manna, that true bread of life, Joh. 6.32. My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven. Our Lord is the true Manna. 1. The Manna was given to the people of Iſrael in the wilderneſs, where bread could not be had from any creature: ſo when no creature was able to ſave man, God gave his Son to the death, that by faith, poor hungry ſouls might feed on him and be refreſhed. Iſai. 59.16. And he ſaw that there was no man, and wondred that there was no interceſſor: therefore his arme brought ſalvation unto him, and his Righteouſneſs, it ſuſtained him. As the people of Iſrael cryed out in admiration, when they ſaw the Manna, Man-h…, what is this? So let us admire and cry out, what a love is this in God, to give his only Son to be the bread of life to feed and preſerve thoſe, who by nature were enenemies and children of wrath? The Manna was white and pleaſant to the eye, and alſo ſweet and pleaſant to the taſte, like waffers made of hony; ſo Chriſt in himſelf, the true Manna, is moſt pleaſant, without ſpot, and without blame, as alſo he is a moſt pleaſant fight to them that repent and believe the Promiſe: as the ſight of a Corner-ſtone, is very comfortable to a weary perſon ſinking under an heavy burden, as the ſight of the brazen ſerpent in the wilderneſs, was moſt comfortable to thoſe who were ſtung with the fire ſerpents. In like manner, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the true Manna, is ſweet and precious to Believers, 1 Pet. 2.7. He is ſweet in the Promiſes, ſweet in the firſt-fruits of eternal life, when by the holy Spirit he ſheds abroad his love, like precious oyntment in our hearts, when he gives peace to our Conſciences, and joy to our hearts in the hope of Salvation: but the heart cannot conceive how ſweet and comfortable this true Manna will be in Heaven, when we ſhall be filled with the full and everlaſting Fruits of his glory: then ſhall we ſay as the Queen of Sheba ſaid of Solomons glory, It was true that was told me on Earth by the Miniſters of the Goſpel; but the half was not told me of that I do now ſee and enjoy in Heaven. 3. They gathered the Manna in the morning; ſo by Faith, bring in Chriſt the true Manna, early to feed and refreſh thy ſoul: acquaint your ſelves in time with him, for he will not make new acquaintance at his ſecond coming with any, who neglected to come to him in this their day. He will ſay to the fooliſh and ſloathful Virgins, Depart from me, I know you not, Mat. 25. Bring Spiritual hunger with you, it is a ſauce to provoke appetite after Chriſt the true and hid Manna, Joh. 6.27. Labour not for the meat which periſheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlaſting life, which the Son of man ſhall give unto you: for him hath God the Father ſealed. Bring Faith with you, for by it we ſeed on Chriſt, and draw vertue from him for our ſpiritual nouriſhment, and preſervation unto eternal life, Joh. 6.35. And Jeſus ſaid unto them, I am the bread of life: He that cometh to me, ſhall never hunger; and he that believeth on me, ſhall never thriſt. 4. God ordained a Pot full of Manna to be kept in remembrance of his ſpecial providence toward them in the wilderneſs, that from the remembrance of it, they ſhould praiſe him, and by Faith depend on him and his care, in time-coming: ſo lay thou up in thy memory any experience of refreſhment at any time by the Word or Sacrament, and depend on him for time-coming in all thy wants ſpiritual or bodily: when thou findeſt any faintneſs or failing of Spirit, and no livelineſs in thy ſoul for the time, then remember thou bygone experience of former refreſhment: Our Lord ſaith to you, as to his Diſciples, Mat. 16.8, 9. O ye of little faith, why reaſon ye among your ſelves? do ye not yet underſtand, neither remember the five Loaves of the five thouſand, and how many baskets ye took up, &c. Remember ye not the former experience ye have had of ſpiritual refreſhment by the holy ordinances of God? Then ſay thou to thy diſquieted Soul, as Pſal. 42.6. O my God, my ſoul is caſt down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the hill Mizar. And reſolve thou and conclude, as the Prophet doth, verſ. 11. Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Seeing our bleſſed Lord is the Truth; in his lips was never found guile; truth and faithfulneſs cleaveth to his reins as a girdle, Iſa. 11.5. In all thy doubts of acceptance into his favour, or perſeverance in his favour (I ſpeak to thee who art humbled under thy ſins, and in thy fear and unbelief ſtandeſt aloof from him) conſider he is the Truth, and hath promiſed acceptance to all, who wearied of their ſins, come unto him, Joh. 6.37. All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wayes caſt out. And as he hath promiſed acceptance, ſo he hath promiſed the grace of perſeverance, Joh. 10.27.28. My ſheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh; neither ſhall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Object. I cannot deny my own ſenſe, for I am weary of ſin, and yet I find no ſenſible reſt and quietneſs to my ſoul, notwithſtanding the promiſe of reſt. Anſ. 1. Conſider well the ground of thy wearineſs; that thou be not wearied only of ſin, as it carrieth along with it a burden of wrath and puniſhment; thus Cain was wearied, when he ſaid, my puniſhment is heavier then I can bear: but alſo that thou be wearied of it as an unclean and vile thing; as it is an offence againſt thy gracious God; then if thou be thus wearied, come to Chriſt the precious corner-ſtone laid in Sion, and although thou get not reſt to thy ſenſe as thou wouldeſt, yet make not haſte to depart from waiting on him; he that believeth, ſhall not make haſte, Iſa. 28.16. wait on, and adhere to the promiſe, made to all who caſt their burden upon Chriſt the precious corner-ſtone laid in Sion; becauſe thoſe who reſt on his promiſe, and on him, in whom all the promiſes are, yea and amen, ſhall not be aſhamed of their hope, 1 Pet. 2.6. Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture, behold, I lay in Sion, a chief corner-ſtone Elect, Precious; and he that believeth on him, ſhall not be confounded. 2. Conſider there is a fourfold reſt. 1. The reſt or acquieſcence of faith to the faithful promiſe of God; as a debtor hath ſome reſt in his mind, when the Creditor promiſeth to forgive him the debt, although he hath not yet gotten his acquittance and diſcharge. 2. There is a reſt in hope of the thing promiſed, though there be ſome commotion in the Spirit through weakneſs of Faith, untill the promiſe be performed to their ſenſe: this reſt is like unto ſome reſt the ſhip that was formerly toſſed with the waves, has now at Anchor, although not without ſome agitation and commotion. 3. There is a reſt and peace in the ſoul, from the full aſſurance of Faith, when the heart is perſwaded by the holy Spirit, and a lively faith reſting on Jeſus Chriſt, that their ſins are forgiven them, and that they are reconciled in the blood of Jeſus Chriſt: ſuch an aſſurance had Paul, Rom. 8.38, 39. For I am perſwaded, that neither death, nor life, &c. ſhall be able to ſeparate us from the love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord. This reſt, is like the quietneſs a great debtor has in his ſpirit, after he hath received his diſcharge out of the hand of his creditor. 4. There is the reſt of viſion and fruition in Heaven, when we ſhall ee and enjoy God, and be ſatisfied to the ull, with that fulneſs of joy, and with thoſe pleaſures for evermore at his right hand, Pſa. 16.11. But thou who has not yet attained to that reſt and quietneſs from full aſſurance of faith, reſt thou by the faith of adherence and hope; be not ſo unwiſe, as to refuſe to reſt o… the promiſe, becauſe thou cannot reach to that full aſſurance; conſider thy adhering to the promiſe, is a ſtep appointed of God for thy aſcending unto the aſſurance. Were it not a childiſh folly for one to ſay, I will not go up to an high room, becauſe at firſt I cannot ſtep up to the upmoſt degree and ſtep that leadeth into it? Bleſs thou God for his gracious and faithfull promiſes made to the weary ſinner: Conſider well that the life of faith is before ſpiritual ſenſe and full aſſurance; I ſay to thee, as Philip ſaid unto his brother Nathanael, Joh. 6. Come and ſee. Come by ſaith to the promiſe, and thou ſhalt ſee; thou ſhalt get ſome aſſurance leſs or more of thy remiſſion and reconciliation with God in Jeſus Chriſt, before thou depart out of this life.
3. The third thing affirmed by our bleſſed Lord of himſef, is, I am the life. 1. He is life in himſelf, Joh. 5.26. As the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo hath he given to the Son to have life in himſelf. The Son hath it communicate from the Father as the fountain of the Deity; but he hath it not from the Father as the cauſe; for the cauſe in order of nature is before the effect; but the bleſſed Son is coeternal with the Father in nature and eſſence: He hath life in himſelf from all eternity, Pſal. 102.24. Thy years, O my God, are from generation to generation. Which words are applied to our bleſſed Lord, Heb. 1.10, 11, 12. and Rev. 1.8. He is call…d Alpha and Omega, the beginning of all things, and the end to which all things are referred and ordained equally as to the Father: the primitive Chriſtians for teſtifying their Faith concerning the Deity of the Son of God, as alſo for teſtifying their deteſtation of the Arian Hereſie, denying his Deity, did at their dying, direct their friends to cauſe theſe two letters Α. Ω. to be ingraven upon their Tombs. 2▪ He is the Life, in relation to all creatures living a natural life; he is called, (1 Joh. 1.1, 2.) The word of life, becauſe he giveth life to all, and not only giveth it, but alſo conſerveth their being and kind of being, Heb. 1.3. He upholdeth all things by the word of his power, that is, by his active power in the courſe of providence, manifeſting his will and purpoſe for the preſervation of their being; as a Kings word of command ſignifieth what is his will. This giving of life, and conſerving of life in the Creatures; (for all things conſiſt by him, Col. 1.17.) proveth clearly our bleſſed Lord, to be truely God, for he that giveth life, is truely God; and therefore God is called frequently the living God, becauſe he liveth in himſelf, and of himſelf; and alſo giveth life to all things living; which even the very Heathens from the light of nature acknowledged, as the Apoſtle (Act. 17.18.) proveth out of their own Poet Aratus, to convince them of their Idolatry in worſhiping Idols that had no life: It is God alone who preſerveth and continueth the Creature in its being and operations, Pſal. 36.6. Thou preſerveth man and beaſt. Job 7.20. O thou preſerver of men! and from the conſervation of all things in the courſe of providence, our bleſſed Lord proveth the truth of his Deity, and equality in eſſence and power with the Father, Joh. 5.17. Hitherto the Father worketh, and I work. Therefore we ſhould acknowledge, by the homage of honour and obedience our bleſſed Lord, who is the author and preſerver of our natural life: as the Sun giveth light to the Air, and by his ſhining continueth the ſame, ſo our bleſſed Lord giveth life, and by a continued influence of his active power, doth continue our life; when the Sun withdraws his influence of light, there is nothing but darkneſs in the Air: ſo when the Lord of life withdraws his hand of power, the Creature liveth no longer, Pſal. 104.28, 29. Thou openeſt thine hand, they are filled with good: thou hideſt thy face, they are troubled, they decay and periſh. Mans life is but a vapour, it is in his noſtrils; thou cannot tell when thou breatheſt out the air, if thou ſhalt take it in again: how ſoon is our life gone, if the God of our life ſhould ſtop and obſtruct the common conduits of life in the body; or if for any long time he ſhould obſtruct the common Cyres, that ſerve for purging the body, think not thou that meat or drink only holds in thy life, it is the Lord of life that doth it by bleſſing and impowering theſe means: when he taketh away his powerful bleſſing, thou may eat, and yet not be ſatisfied, Mic. 6.14. Hag. 1.6. Ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink: ye cloath, but there is none warm. 3. He is the Life, becauſe he is the Author and Preſerver of our ſpiritual life: our life of juſtification and abſolution from eternal death and damnation, is from him, Rom. 3.24. We are juſtified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jeſus Chriſt. Our life of Sanctification, whereby we are recovered in part from that deadly ſickneſs of ſin, that we pine not away in our iniquities, is by Chriſt, 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his own ſelf bare our ſins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to ſin, ſhould live unto righteouſneſs. And he is the Perfecter of the life of grace, by the life of glory, Joh. 14.19. Becauſe I live, ye ſhall live with me. We live in him by faith, we live to him by new obedience, and we ſhall live with him in glory, Col. 3.3, 4. Our life is hid with Chriſt in God: when Chriſt, who is our life ſhall appear, then ſhall ye alſo appear with him in glory.
Seing ſpiritual and eternal life, is only to be gotten in Chriſt, it is our duty and happineſs to ſeek our life in him, 1. Becauſe except we be in him by faith, we are dead and damned creatures. 2. If thou come to him for life, thou may be confident to obtain it; for, it is his great regrate, that the Jews would not come to him by faith, that they might have life, Joh. 5.40. 3. His willingneſs to give life unto penitent and believing ſinners, is evident from his ſolemn proteſtation, Ezek. 33.11. As I live, ſaith the Lord God, I have no pleaſure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil wayes; for why will ye die, O houſe of Iſrael? It is evident from the Sons errand in coming into the world, Joh. 12 47. I came not to judge the world, but to ſave the world. It is evident from his faithful promiſe, Iſa. 55.3. Incline your ear and come unto me: hear and your ſoul ſhall live. Joh. 6 51 I am the living bread, which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he ſhall live for ever.
When thou has be…n made partaker of the life of grace from Chriſt, labour to preſerve that life; for he that is born of God keepeth himſelf, 1 Joh. 5.18. Preſerve the life of grace, 1. By frequenting the Ordinances of Word and Sacraments; for as by theſe means the Lord begets this new life in us, ſo by the ſame means he preſerves it in us, 1 Pet. 2.1, 2. As new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. As children, who forſake their meat, do decay daily; ſo Chriſtians who loath or neglect the Sacred Ordinances, do decay in reſpect of the vigour of grace. 2. Frequent good company: as a good and wholſome air, is very profitable for preſerving life and health natural; ſo good and gracious company, is very profitable by their wholſome conference and admonitions, to preſerve the ſpiritual life of grace, Prov. 27.17. Iron ſharpeneth iron, ſo a man ſharpeneth the countenance of his friend. But evil and ungodly company, is like evil weeds, that hinder the growth of good herbs: they by their evil example, and their mocking the work of Gods grace in others, do diſcourage them, and ſometimes abate the vigour of the life of grace in them. 3. Daily exerciſe is a mean to preſerve natural life and health in ſome vigour, becauſe, through want of exerciſe, the body becometh lazy, and the life leſs active: ſo daily exerciſing of our ſelves to keep a good conſcience void of offence toward God and men, is a notable mean to preſerve the life of grace in ſome vigour; as Paul did, Acts 24.16. 4. When at any time thou perceiveſt a beginning of fainting in the life of grace, then at the firſt, go by prayer to Chriſt, who is the life, and wrought life in thee by his Spirit; pray to him, that according to the promiſe, (Iſai. 40.29.) he would give power to thee who fainteſt, and that he would increaſe ſtrength. It was the wiſdom of the Shunamite, to come unto Eliſha, that he might reſtore life to her child, who had gotten life at firſt by the help of his prayers: ſo it is the wiſdom of believers, when in their ſenſe, they ſeem to be dead and deprived of the life of grace, that ſometime they had; at ſuch a time to go to Chriſt, and by prayer and faith to wreſtle with him, that he may come by his Spirit, and revive their fainting ſoul: It is their wiſdom to do as Peter did, Mat. 14.30, 31. who beginning to ſink, immediatly he cried, ſaying, Lord ſave me, and immediatly Jeſus ſtretched forth his hand and ſaved him: ſo although the Lord may ſuffer thee to ſink and fail in ſpirit, that thou may ſee and be humbled with the ſight of thine own weakneſs: yet if thou run to him by prayer, he will not ſuffer thee to drown; but will ſtretch forth his hand of power, and revive thee and renew the vigour of thy faith, that thou may praiſe him who is the Author, the Preſerver, and the Perfecter of the life of grace in his Saints. To him, with the Father and the Holy Ghoſt, be immortal praiſe, honour and glory, for now and ever. Amen.