Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 5 · Verse 12

Commentary on 1 John · Commentary · Chapter 5 · Verse 12

p. 3811 JOHN 5.12.

He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.

THis Verſe contains the third record God hath given us of his Son, and that is the ſubject of this eternall life to whom this life is given, and that is onelyonly to the true believers, He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.

Doct. Ʋpon our having or not having of Chriſt, depends our having or not having life.

Prov. 8.35, 36. He that findeth me, findeth life, but he that hateth me loveth death. Eph. 2.11, 12. Without Chriſt we are aliens from life, and ſtrangers from the Covenant.

Queſt. Why doth our life depend upon the having of Chriſt?

Reaſ. 1. From the inſufficiency of all the creature to give life, Heb. 10.1, 4. For it is impoſſible that the bloud of Bulls or Goats, ſhould take away ſin. Beſides, ſhould we die for our ſins our ſelves, yet we could not ſatisfie for our ſins, becauſe we could never overcome death, neither can our obedience to the law give us life, Gal. 3.21, 23. David ſpeaks it fully in the Name of Chriſt, Pſal. 22.29. No man can keep his ſoul alive, he cannot keep naturall life, much leſſe a ſpirituall; yea Adam in innocency was taught to look for the preſervation of his life out of himſelfe, and therefore he was to eat of the tree of life, implying that the maintenance of that life he then lived, could not have been in himſelfe, but he muſt eat of the tree of life, a type of Chriſt; How much leſſe could Adam fallen keep this life in him?

Queſt. Why is the creature inſufficient to give life?

Anſw. 1. From the preciouſneſſe of that price which was to be paid for our life, the matter of our juſtification, is the price paid for our redemption, Pſal. 49.8. The redemption of ſouls is precious, and it is beyond the power of the creature, it was onelyonly the obedience of Chriſt as ſuffering to the death, that could give a ſufficient price for us, and none but Chriſt could doe it, becauſe he thereby declared himſelfe mightily to be the Son of God.

2. For our life of Sanctification and Conſolation, that proceeds from the Spirit of God within us, ſpringing up in us to everlaſting life, John 16.7. John 4.10. Now its onelyonly Chriſt that can give us this life, its he that muſt aſcend up to heaven, and ſend down the Comforter; its he that ſets open this living Fountain.

3. For eternall life that can onelyonly be given by Chriſt, in regard of the difficulty of it, above all humane reach, no man is able to deliver his ſoul from the grave, Pſal. 49.7, 8. Death is the paſſage to eternall life; now for a man to die, and aftewards to raiſe up himſelfe, is above created power, John 11.25.

Reaſ. 2. From the good pleaſure of God that hath appointed, That in Chriſt ſhould all fulneſſe dwell, Col. 1.19. Col. 3.4. All the ſprings of life flow from him onelyonly, there is no deriving of life from any other fountain.

Ʋſe 1. From hence we may have an evident ground of tryall, whereby we may know whether we be alive or dead; why, if we have the Son, we have life, if we have not the Son, we have not life. For the underſtanding of this we are to conſider,

1. What it is to have Chriſt.

2. What it is to have the Son.

3. Shew ſome ſignes of life.

For the firſt, we are ſaid to have Chriſt four wayes. 1. By way of ſervice. 2. By way of purchaſe. 3. By way of Covenant. 4. By way of acceptance.

p. 3821. By way of ſervice or worſhip, a man is ſaid to have God that worſhips God, as ſome Princes are choſen by the peoples adoration, ſo by our adoring of God, we have God, Exod. 20.3. Thou ſhalt have no other Gods but me, that is, Thou ſhalt worſhip no other Gods but me, if thou worſhip me, you have me, Pſal. 45.11, 12. For he is the Lord thy God, and worſhip thou him: we receive Chriſt to be our Lord, by worſhipping him. This Moſes ſang at the red Sea, Exod. 15.2, 3. to exalt and worſhip God, makes him our God; the worſhip of God is performed in our minds in our wills, in our live….

1. In our mindes; we then have Chriſt, when we have him in high eſtimation, Cant. 5.10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt of ten thouſand, who is like unto thee among the gods? Pſal. 8.7. Exod. 15.10, 11. when the ſoul prizeth Chriſt above all, then we have him; this is the difference between ſpirituall and earthly things: a man may prize gold, and ſilver, and riches, and yet not have them; but we never prize ſpirituall things, eſpecially Chriſt, but we have them; and this is worſhip, for all worſhip ſtands in exalting another, and debaſing my ſelfe: now if I give Chriſt divine eſteem, its divine worſhip; now when the ſoul thus eſteems Chriſt as the higheſt, and debaſeth himſelfe to the loweſt, it hath Chriſt. John 1.27. John the Baptiſt he ſo advanceth Chriſt, that in compariſon of him, he thinks himſelfe unworthy to looſe the lachet of his ſhoe: no mortall man ſo great, but another may be worthy to looſe his ſhoe; but Chriſt is ſo highly advanced, that we are not worthy to doe him the meaneſt ſervice; when a mans heart thus advanceth Chriſt, and thinks himſelfe moſt unworthy of the meaneſt ſervice about him, much more of having Chriſt himſelfe; when once we have Chriſt in ſuch high eſteem, we have him indeed, and this high prizing of Chriſt may a poor ſoul have, when it can expreſſe little elſe; and this is an evident argument of our having Chriſt, when we can think the worſt thing in Chriſt honourable and precious; this was Moſes his faith, that he lookt at the very reproaches and afflictions of Chriſt as greater riches, then the treaſures of Egypt, Heb. 11.25, 26.

2. We honour Chriſt in our minds, when we eſteem nothing more worthy knowing then Chriſt. 2 Cor. 2.2. For I determined to know nothing among you ſave Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified, John 17.3. and to know Chriſt, is to know the vertue and worth of Chriſt, as Paul knew him, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. that is, to eſteem all his beſt outward priviledges as baſe and filthy in reſpect of the knowledge of Chriſt, an evident ſign that Paul had him. In Nature we never have a thing, but we deſire to know the worth and uſe of it, Phil. 3.10. ſo every one that hath Chriſt deſires to know what the power of his death is, and the vertue of his Reſurrection, and the fruits of his mediation.

2. In our hearts and wills, we have Chriſt, when we look at him as our chiefeſt good, that there is nothing in heaven or earth, that we deſire in compariſon of him, this is an act of the will and affections, Pſal. 73.25. Pſal. 42.1, 2. this is called hungering and thirſting after Chriſt; No hunger is ſatisfied, without eating of that we hunger after; ſo when a ſoul hungers and thirſts after Chriſt, give him pleaſures and profits, yet they ſatisfie not, except you give him Chriſt; and this is an high point of worſhip, Gal. 6.14. when our hearts are ſet on him, that our chiefeſt care is to get him, our greateſt griefe to loſe him, our chiefeſt delight in him; why, if we be thus affected to Chriſt, we have him.

Object. The Church earneſtly deſired and ſought after Chriſt, yet found him not, Cant. 3. 1, to 4.

Anſw. 1. She could neither have ſought after him, nor deſired him, except ſhe had had him.

2. When ſhe ſought him, and ſaid, She found him not, ſhe means, I found him not in that meaſure of peace and comfort, and fellowſhip I deſired, but yet ſhe had him, for ſhe ſaid, She ſought him whom her ſoul loved. Secondly, Such a ſoul as it thus highly prizeth, and deſireth, and hungers p. 383after Chriſt, ſo it debaſed it ſelfe; the more we eſteem him the more we debaſe our ſ…lves, the more we love him the leſſe we love our ſelves; when Chriſt once revealed himſelfe to J…b, Job 40.3. What laid he? Behold Lord, I am vile ſee▪ Job 42.4, 5. No ſoul that highly prizeth and aff…cteth Chriſt, but the more he d…ſaffects and loaths himſelfe, as unmeet to come into the preſence of Chriſt, Iſa. 6.4, 5. Then ſaid I, woe is me, for I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips, for mine eyes have ſeen the King, the Lord of Hoſts, the more he ſees Chriſt, the more he abhors himſelfe, as an unclean and abominable thing, that if he could, he would goe out of himſelfe; this ſelfe-denyall is the firſt principle in Chriſtianity, Luke 9.23.

3. We worſhip Chriſt in our lives, by our obedience in doing his will, and by patience in ſuffering for him. Our obedience is a true worſhip of Chriſt, 1. When a man hath ſuch reſpect to all Gods Commandements in his heart, that there is not one of them, but he hath reſpect unto, and ſubmits his heart to it, this is a principall part of Gods worſhip, Pſal. 119.6, 2. When he hath reſpect to them all in his converſation, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. The Goſpel of Chriſt brings every thought into ſubjection; now this is a marvellous worſhip of Chriſt, when a man hath not a thought in him, but it is ſubjected to Chriſt.

4. We worſhip Chriſt in our lives, by our patience in ſuffering, if the Lord call us to ſuffer for him, when we can ſit down quietly, and reſt well contented to endure his good pleaſure with patience, this is a principall part of Gods worſhip, 1 Sam. 3.18. It was a good teſtimony of Elies ſincerity, when he heard of a wofull judgement denounced againſt him, It is the Lord, let him doe what ſeemeth good in his eyes, we have the Lord for our Lord, when we give him leave to rule us as he pleaſeth, and patiently ſubmit our ſelves unto him in every thing, Job 1.21. an argument we have God for our God, otherwiſe how ſhould we complain and murmur at the inſtruments? Pſal. 39.9. Lam. 3.29. The Church complaining of her miſery, tells us the frame of her Spirit, in ſuch a time it is good to bear the yoak in our youth, ſhe ſits alone and keeps ſilence, Pſal. 62.1, 2. Micah 7.7, 8. This is a ſolemn worſhip of Chriſt; if God call a man to ſuffer for his Name divers evills, he is ſo far from being aſhamed of it, that it is his glory and rejoycing; if any man ſuffer as a Chriſtian, let him rejoyce in that behalfe, when a man is thus framed to obedience in doing, and patience in ſuffering the will of God, ſuch a ſoul is a true worſhipper of Chriſt, and by worſhipping him, we have him; if contrary, we look at Chriſt as no ſuch excellent thing but are aſhamed of him; if we can look at our ſelves as great men in the world, and ſcorn to ſeek and mourn after Chriſt, when we will not be under Chriſts yoak, but ſcorn to ſtoop to him in every thing, and by no means we will endure any hardſhip for him; why, then we doe not worſhip Chriſt, and if we doe not worſhip him, we have him not, and not having him we have no life.

5. We are ſaid to have Chriſt by purchaſe, this is expreſt partly in that parable, Mat. 13.46. One way to have this Pearl, is to buy it, ſee Iſa. 55.1, 2. Come and buy, yea without money; why, without money? Cant. 8.7. If a man ſhould give all the treaſure of his houſe for Chriſt, they would be greatly diſpiſed, Acts 8.19. when Simon Magus offered money, for the gift of the holy Ghoſt, Peter tells him, Thy money periſh with thee, yet many times without parting with money we cannot have him, the holding faſt of money oft-times looſeth Chriſt; upon this ground the young man went without him, Mat. 19. 21, to 25. Upon the poynt of money Chriſt parted with the Phariſees, Luke 16.14.

In three caſes money muſt be parted with, elſe you ſhall not purchaſe Chriſt.

Firſt, When the Lord upon ſome ſpeciall command requires it, as he did the young man expreſſely; now for him to ſtick for money, for want of parting with it, he loſt Chriſt; upon the ſame point Ananias and Saphira loſt Chriſt, p. 384becauſe they kept back ſome of the price, Acts 5.1, 2, 3, 4. a fearfull judgement felt on them, to ſhew how dangerous it is to ſtand upon tearms with Chriſt; in this caſe money muſt be parted withall.

Secondly, When in times of perſecution, a man cannot have Chriſt with peace and purity, unleſſe he be willing to part with all for him, as ſometimes the m…rket goes higher, ſometimes lower, but at what rate ſoever it goes, a Chriſtian is reſolved to take Chriſt at the higheſt rate; ſometimes unleſſe a man be content to be ſpoyled of all his goods, he cannot have liberty of conſcie ce: in this caſe ſet money, and goods, and lands, and all goe, and ſuffer joyfully the ſpoyling of your goods, Heb. 10.34.

Thirdly, When ſometimes by laying out money, we may win Chriſt, as in caſe we want a good Miniſtry among us, and cannot have it unleſſe we be willi…g to lay out money for obtaining the Goſpel, and this he calls ſowing to the spirit, Gal. 6.8. As a man by laying out money provides things needfull for him, ſo when a man layes out for ſpirituall uſes, he ſhall of the Spirit reap life everlaſting. In theſe three caſe money muſt be parted with, and yet if you think money can purchaſe Chriſt, you are not worthy of him.

1. Chriſt muſt be purchaſed, by parting with all thoſe ſtrong luſts that keep us off from Chriſt, Iſa. 55 7. v. 1. having bidden us buy without money, he tells us then what it is that we muſt lay out for Chriſt; why, Let the wicked forſake his wayes, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him forg…e his ſecret and open ſins, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will abundantly pardon, upon this poynt ſundry have broken off from Chriſt; Jehu was carried with ambition to rule, and when he ſaw it would hazard his Kingdome to forſake his golden Calves, he would rather part with God, then with his Kingdome, 2 Kings 10.29, 30. and therefore he is ſaid, Not to regard the Commandements of the Lord, and therefore becauſe he cut ſhort his reformation, and did it not fully, therefore v. 33. the Lord began to cut ſhort Iſrael in his dayes, ſo tha… Hazael cut off many of the out parts of his Kingdome; if we cut ſhort with God▪ God will cut ſhort with us: ſo Herod heard John Baptiſt gladly and did many things, but when he would not cut off his luſt of uncleaneſſe, but rather cut off Johns head that reproved him, it's ſaid he added this above all his other evils, that he ſhut up John in Priſon; they that will not be cut off from their ſinful luſts, they cut themſelves ſhort of mercy; Demas a forward Chriſtian, yet the love of the world ſo prevailed with him, that he fell off from the Lord, and embraced this preſent world▪ if we would have Chriſt our luſts muſt be parted with, Judg. 10.10. to 16. the people were in great diſtreſſe by their enemies, they come and cry unto God for help, God bids them go to the gods that they had choſen, to ſee if they would help them, I will deliver you no more, upon this they put away all their gods, and then the ſoul of the Lord was grieved for them, and he raiſed up a deliverer for them; when he ſaw they were willing to part with their gods for him, then God had compaſſion on them; ſo when men are willing to forgoe their honourable and profitable ſins, which ſtick as cloſe to a man as his very heart, if God ſee men willing to rend out their deareſt luſts for him; why, then Gods ſoul is grieved for them, Hoſ. 14.23. then the Church cryes unto God, Take away our iniquities and receive us graciouſly; and thats not all, but they goe about to reform their ways, Aſhur ſhall not ſave us, neither will we ride upon Horſes; Why then v. 4. I will heal their back-ſlidings and love them freely; the like means Ephraim uſeth, v. 8. Ephraim ſhall ſay, What have I to doe any more with Idols? What ſaith God to this? I have heard him and obſerved him. When we begin to proteſt a ſolemn abandoning of all our corruptions, then God hears ſuch a ſoul: many a ſoul cryes hard for mercy, Take away all our iniquities, and receive us graciouſly, and God regards them not, but when we not onelyonly cry to God, but ſet to in earneſt, to turn from all our evill ways, and ſay, What have I to doe any more with Idols? Why then God hears and obſerves us: when we abandon all our luſts, then Chriſt ſhall ſuddenly come into his holy Temple.

p. 3852. We muſt purchaſe Chriſt ſometimes, by parting with all confidence in his Ordinances; we may ſoon loſe Chriſt, if we look for life in them, and not in Chriſt, not that we are to reject the Ordinances of God, but account them a great bleſſing, and earneſtly deſire them, Pſal. 27.4. Pſal. 84.10. but yet we ſhould not put our truſt in the Temple of the Lord, Jer. 7.3, 4. Part not with your fellowſhip in them, but yet truſt not in them, Mat. 3.9. Reſt not in the outward letter of any Ordinances, count all your beſt priviledges, as droſſe and dung that you may win Chriſt, Phil. 3.8. Many that have lived under great means ſhall ſay at the laſt day, Lord thou haſt eaten and drunken in our preſence, and we have heard thee preach in our ſtreets, but Chriſt ſhall ſay, Depart from me, I know you not, ye workers of iniquities: truſt not therefore in often hearing, or in the great means you enjoy; for what is Paul, or Apollo? they are nothing, but it is God that giveth the increaſe, 1 Cor. 3.6, 7, 8.

2. Sometimes we muſt be content to part with the very Ordinances themſelves: if we cannot enjoy the Ordinances of God in purity; without ſin, let us part with them all, ſo when the Prieſts could not enjoy the liberty of their places in Jeroboams dayes; except they would offer ſacrifice in their courſe to the golden Calves, which were the Image of the Cherubims, they left all and came up to Jeruſalem, 2 Chron. 11.14. where they might enjoy Gods Ordinances in purity, and as the Prieſts did, ſo did the people, verſ. 16. as Chriſt wiſheth them, Cant. 2.7, 8. which is ſpoken of Jeroboams dayes; and ſo in caſe we cannot have the liberty of the Ordinances, without ſome impurity, which may defile the conſcience, in this caſe part with all, for we come not to the Ordinance for the Ordinance ſake, but for Chriſts ſake; therefore if we cannot have them without ſin, in this caſe part with them.

4. We muſt part with all our good parts, and good gifts, and good natures for Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3.18. If any man ſeem wiſe in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wiſe; we muſt lay aſide all carnall wiſdome and reaſonings, and be content to be counted fools, that we may win Chriſt.

2. We muſt part with all common graces, which commonly choake all hypocrites, who having received ſome common gifts and graces, they think they have part in Chriſt, or elſe he would not have vouchſafed them ſuch graces, Matth. 7.21, 22. We ſee there they not only plead their priviledges, but their gifts and graces, that they had propheſied in his Name, &c. and ſo truſting in them, they fell ſhort of ſaving grace. And it is a wonder to think what a ſtrange change a Spirit of Propheſie works, 1 Sam. 10.10. 1 Sam. 19.20. As in a Scholar, when a man hath been given to looſe vain courſes, yet when God begins to enlighten his mind, and to enlarge his affection, and comfort his ſoul; 'tis a wonder to think what a change it will work in a Scholar; ſo that now he will leave his old vain courſes, and compoſe himſelfe to more edification and ſpiritualneſſe in his teachings: why; ſuch a change works ſuch a confidence in him, that he thinks all the Congregation may ſooner periſh then he; and if Miniſters may be deceived upon thoſe common gifts and graces, how much more may people be deceived? Herods joy, and Jehues zeal, all theſe you may have and yet want Chriſt, a man may have theſe, and yet not prize Chriſt, not give up himſelfe to him, he may ſtill reſerve ſome luſt which he favours; therefore if thou haſt ſuch common graces, obſerve, in the midſt of thoſe, whether thou cleaveſt not to ſome luſts, for ſo Chriſt ſhall tell ſuch at the laſt day, Depart from me ye workers of iniquities: if thou beeſt a worker of iniquity, all thy good gifts and parts will deceive thee in the end, but if in the midſt of ſuch gifts and graces, thou haſt a care to keep thy heart clean, and doeſt favour no luſt, and doſt not place any confidence in theſe, but in Chriſt, thy caſe is ſafe; for this is a true rule: hypocrites though they have many good common gifts and graces, yet they are given up to ſome ſinfull way, by which the world ſhall know p. 386what they are, by their fruits ſhall you know them. 3. We muſt part with all confidence, even in the ſaving graces of God, Spirit, truſt not to them for juſtification, look not to be juſtified by them; if you think to be juſtified by your own works or graces, Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing, only by faith in Chriſt ſtands our juſtification, Rom. 4.5, 8. 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by my ſelfe, that is, wherein I have failed yet am I not thereby juſtified, and this is the errour of the Romiſh Church, if God give them any common graces, they look to be juſtified by them.

2 Truſt not on them for the life of your ſanctification, for though they be true parts of ſanctification, and we may look at them as precious talents, yet if you ſhall truſt your graces, and goe about your performances in the ſtrength of grace received, you will want Chriſt, the life and power of Sanctification; you may have Chriſt, and he lye like a dead Chriſt in your hearts; though you have ſaving graces, yet know that the life of a Chriſtian is not a life of graces, but a life of faith in Chriſt, Gal. 2.20. If you would have Chriſt live in you, you muſt live by your faith, fetch all your grace and ſtrength from him, Iſa. 40.30, 3…. If we goe about any duty in our own ſtrength, we ſhall utterly ſaint; but if we wait dayly upon Chriſt, we ſhall renew our ſtrength as Eagles, we ſhall mount above all ſtraights and difficulties, our graces are too weake to carry us through in our Chriſtian courſe, and therefore live upon Chriſt dayly.

3. We are ſaid to have Chriſt by way of Covenant, Iſa. 49.8. Pſal. 50.5.7. Gather my Saints together to me, thoſe that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice, and then verſ. 7. I am God, even thy God, and ſo the tenure of the Covenant runs, Gen. 17.17. Deut. 29.10. to 13. Deut. 26.17, 18. This day thou haſt avouched God to be thy God, Sponſionem ſtipulatus es, Junius reads it, When Gods people give up themſelves to the Lord, and yeeld themſelves to what God requires, the God is their God, and they his people, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. This Covenant is made by Sacrifice, Pſal 50.5. and he means that ſolemn Sacrifice then offered before the Lord, Exod. 24.7, 8. wherein they promiſed before the Lord, to be obedient to all the Lord would command them, and on the other ſide Moſes ſprinkled the people, and ſaid, Behold the bloud of the Covenant, which the Lord hath made with you, which implyes when we come to make a Covenant with God, we confeſſe before God that death is our juſt portion▪ and therefore we look up to Chriſt, that his bloud being ſprinkled on us, he might impart life to us; this is to make a Covenant with God: for burnt offerings typed out Chriſt the meat offerings typed out the people, giving up themſelves to God, and when we doe thus, God for his part promiſeth, to be our God, Gen. 17.7. I will be thy God, that is, not only a good Father a good Mother, a good King, a good friend, but whatſoever is good in the creature, that he promiſeth to be to us, he will be a good Father, and Ruler, and Friend, and Husband to us, partly in his own perſon; that if all thoſe fail, he will be all theſe unto us, or elſe he will diſpenſe himſelf ſo in thoſe inſtruments, that we ſhall ſee Gods goodneſſe in every creature; when therefore we deſire God to be our God, we deſire him to doe all that good for us that our eſtate in this life, or another world requires. 2 We on our parts offer our ſelves to be obedient to every command, and to expect from him all that goodneſſe that he hath promiſed; and as we offer up our ſelves to God, ſo muſt we offer up all our children and ſervants and friends, all that are under our reach, we promiſe before God, that as much as in us lyes, we and our houſehold will ſerve the Lord. Joſh. 24.15. and when we give up our ſelves and ours to the Lord, God promiſeth that he will be a God to us and ours.

There is a threefold Covenant that paſſeth between men in civil ſociety in this world. 1 There is a Covenant between Prince and people, 2 Chron. 23.16. 2. Between man and wife, Matth. 2.14. 3 Between friend and friend, thus David and Jonathan made a Covenant together, 1 Sam. 20.16. Now in all theſe reſpects God makes a covenant with his people.

p. 3871. He makes the covenant of a Kingdome with them that as a King he will rule us and defend us, and we for our part promiſe to be at his command, and to be obedient ſubjects to him.

2. There is a covenant of marriage between God and his people. Jer. 3.14. Turn O back ſliding children, for I am marryed to you, that as a wife promiſeth to be for her husband alone, and he for her only; ſo doth the church promiſe, that ſhe will be for Chriſt alone, and he for her, Hoſ. 3.3.

3. There is a covenant of friendſhip betwixt God and his people, 2 Chron, 13.5. Ought you not to know that the Lord gave the Kingdome to David, and his ſons for ever by a Covenant of ſalt, that is, a covenant of friendſhip, ſuch a covenant as friends that eat ſalt together, make and its a perpetua…l covenant, 2 Chron. 34.31, 32. and this covenant implyes not only ſubjection and affection, but communication of ſecrets and counſells one to another, and to doe all things out of friendſhip and love, heartily, and readily; thus God ſaid of Abraham, I know that Abraham wil command his family to keep the way of the Lord; therefore ſaith God, ſhall I hide from Abraham what I am about to doe? If God be our friend, he will communicate many ſecrets to us, which the world ſhall not know of, Pſal. 25.14. And 2. he will counſel us for the beſt, Pſal. 25.22, ſo that in a doubtfull caſe, he will ſtill tell us what way to take, he will guid us by his eye, Pſal. 32.8. 2. We on our parts ſhall communicate all our counſells to him, that we ſhall doe nothing, but we ſhall acquaint him with it, we ſhall acknowledge, Lord we know not what to doe, but our eyes are towards thee, and withall we are ready to doe whatſoever God commands us, Pſal. 119.5. & 24.

Try therefore if ſuch a covenant have paſt betwixt you and God, have we for our parts given up our ſelves to God, be ſure God hath prevented us in all this, if there have no ſuch covenant paſt between you and God, then God is not your God, you have not Chriſt.

Object: Who is there to be found, that ſo looks to his own wayes, and his houſholds, that he walks ſo ſtrictly with God as you require?

Anſw. True they that doe make a covenant with God often break, even as often as there is a thought, or word, or action that was not from Gods word, or mouth, or counſel, but this is our hope. 1. We have Chriſt for our ſurety of this covenant, Heb. 7.22. and he will make up all breaches; when therefore we break covenant with God, let us renew our humlliations, and be aſhamed of our breach of covenant and charge our ſouls for it, and acknowledge, that as we have broken covenant with God, ſo might God juſtly breake covenant with us, and if we thus return and humble our ſelves, then God will renew his covenant with us again.

2. We have Chriſt by way of acceptance, this is expreſt, Joh. 1.12. To as many as received him he gave them power to become the ſons of God; to receive him, as divers expreſſe this place, is to receive him as a Father, as a King, as an Husband, but it may rather be conceived, that to receive Chriſt, is to receive him into an houſe or Temple, and this may be gathered from the precedent words, verſ. 11. foreign, is meant his own place or own home, for ſo it is uſed, Joh. 19.27. foreign, he took her into his home, ſo as many as received him, as many as received him into their hearts, as into a Temple, when we thus receive him, we have him.

Queſt. How doe we receive Chriſt as into a Temple?

Anſw. Three wayes, 1. When we prepare a way, for him to come into his holy Temple, Mal. 3.1.

Now what is this preparation? Iſa. 40.3, 4.

1. Mountains muſt be puld down, that is, the lofty ſpirits of man muſt be puld down, and that is, when we ſubject our ſelves at his feet, willing to be diſpoſed and framed which way he pleaſeth, and to do what he would have us do; if we would have Chriſt come into our hearts, he muſt not find high craggy rocky wayes; but all muſt be laid level and even.

p. 3882. Every valley ſhall be filled, that is, every baſe eatthly heart ſhall be lifted up to the high wayes of the Lord, to mind life and heavenly things, raiſed up above earthlineſſe and low things of the world, Pſal. 24.7. to 10. Lift up your heads O ye Gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlaſting doores, that the King of glory may come in; Chriſt will not deſcend into pits, but if your hearts be ſet on heavenly things, on Gods favour and his heavenly Kingdome, then you are fit for Chriſt, 2. A mans heart may be too low through deſpair, many a poor ſoul, after his high thoughts are puld down, he ſinks down ſo low into deſpair, that he thinks no promiſe or mercy belongs to him; Why, this heart is too low for Chriſt, therefore it behoves a chriſtian to beleeve there is an hope in Iſrael concerning this; Chriſt hath had mercy on as bad as me, and therefore we will lay our mouths in the duſt, till he ſhall have mercy on us; and if he offer grace, we are willing to receive it,

3. Crooked things muſt be made ſtraight; there are in our hearts many turnings in and out, theſe muſt be made ſtraight, it's when we look with a ſingle eye, and are willing to be guided by a ſtraight rule, and aim ſingly at Gods ends, ſuch an heart is fit for Chriſt, when it's cleanſed from all hypocriſie. 2. There is another crookedneſſe of our hearts, when we ſhift off and cover ſin, Pſal. 125.5. but to prevent it, Chriſt will, have us deale plainly, diſcover our ſins openly before God, and then is Chriſt ready to come ſuddainly into his Temple.

4. Rough places muſt be made ſmooth, many a mans heart is rough and harſh, and bitter; why, God will have this frame of heart laid down, all bitterneſſe and wrath put away, and the heart made loving and meek; the Lamb Chriſt will not reſt in Lyons dens, therefore rhe Apoſtle bids us lay aſide all wrath and malice; when our rough hearts are made ſmooth end amiable; why, then undoubtedly Chriſt will come into his Temple. 2. When Chriſt is come into our hearts, if we would look to keep him there, we muſt look to it, that there be no common and unclean thing found there, 2 Cor. 6.16, 17, 18. This Temple is an holy place, therefore put away not only unclean, but common things; all your affairs muſt be dedicated to the Lord, all your wealth and ſtore, all your houſhold and children muſt be conſecrate to the Lord, Chriſt loves to lye clean, he diſlikes even bodily ſlovenlineſſe, much more ſpirituall defilements. 3. To receive Chriſt into his Temple, is to look well to the charge of Gods holy offerings; God would have every man in particular to take the charge of his holy things on himſelfe, and not put it off to others; let every one keep his charge, every one offer up his dayly ſacrifice, and his ſervice for the Sabbath; all Gods offerings muſt be looked to, and if we doe thus, God will reſt in his holy Temple for ever, Exod. 15.2. conſider therefore whether you have thus received Chriſt, have you found your proud hearts humbled, your baſe earthly hearts lifted up to Gods wayes, all crooked by-paths of hypocriſie and ſhifting put away; doe you find your rough ſpirits made ſmooth and amiable? Why, if it be ſo, then Chriſt is come, and when he is come, doe you ſtrive to keep your hearts clean, and undefiled, and dedicate your ſelves and yours to God, you keep the charge of Gods holy offerings, and ſet up his Ordinances amongſt you; why, then we have received Chriſt: è contra, if we find it not thus, we have no Chriſt, and ſo no life. Hitherto we have heard what it is to have Chriſt; the ſecond thing to be inquired after, is, What it is to have the Son, He that hath the Son hath life, it is not enough to have Chriſt, but if we would have life, we muſt have Chriſt as the Son.

Queſt. What then is it to have the Son?

Anſw. There are three things implyed in having the Son. 1. That ſuch a have Chriſt in truth, doe not reſt ſo much in having any of the benefits of Chriſt, but they doe chiefly affect to have the Son himſelfe: many profeſſors ſought after Chriſt for the loaves ſake, John 16.26, 27. But Chriſt bids them p. 389not to labour for the meat that periſheth, but to labour for Chriſt himſelf, the bread of life: hereby Peter diſcovered hypocriſie of Simon Magus, in that he deſired the gift of Chriſt, but not Chriſt himſelf, and ſuch gifts as might tend to profit; but Peter tell him, Thy money periſh with thee, Act. 8.18, 19. So Balaam wiſhed, O that I might dye the death of the righteous, Numb. 23.10. but he deſired not Chriſt, but own happineſse and freedom from hell and miſery, and therefore what ever gift he had beſides, as indeed he had a goodly gift of propheſie, he never ſought Chriſt in any of them. Nay further, a true chriſtian that affects Chriſt himſelf ſeeks him, not only without reſpect to profit or gain, or happineſſe hereafter, but even here in this life, in the Ordinances of God, wherein he ſeeks for help againſt his luſts, for increaſe of grace, for ſupply of comfort, he doth not ſo affect them, as to find Chriſt in them: When David fled from Abſalon, and the Prieſts carryed the Ark after him, as knowing, they ſhould never meet with a Prince that more favoured and upheld Gods worſhip, then he; David bad the Prieſts carry back the Ark again, If I ſhall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back again, and ſhew me both it and his habitation; but if he ſay, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him doe what ſeemeth him good, as if he had ſaid, the Church ſhall not be ſo much prejudiced as to be deprived of the Ark of God for my ſake, without which they cannot offer their ſolemn Sacrifices, nor find the preſence of God, therefore he conſiders, that thereby Gods Name ſhould be diſhonoured, and the Church wronged, and rather then he would doe that, he would part with the very Ark, the preſence of God, and his Ordinances, which yet was his greateſt care and deſire, Pſal. 27.4. Now this is an argument of grace in ſincerity, to be willing to part with the Ordinances, rather then have God diſhonoured, and the Church prejudiced. This was Moſes care, rather then God ſhould be diſhonoured by the Heathen, he would have God blot his name out of the book of life, Exod. 32.32, 33. A true chriſtian perfers Gods honour, above the pardon of ſin, above the beſt graces, yea above ſalvation it ſelf; if a chriſtian deſire the Ordinances, it is that he may find the beauty and loving kindneſſe of the Lord in them, Pſal. 63.1, 2, 3. if he deſire the ſubduing of his luſts, it's not ſo much for his own comfort, as that the power of Chriſt might he magnified in him; he deſired, ſalvation, if he deſires gifts and graces, it is not that he might be made excellent, but that the grace of Chriſt might be magnified in him; if he deſire ſalvation, it not ſo much for his own joy and happineſſe, as that he may be with Chriſt, Phil. 1.28. having a deſire to depart and to be with Chriſt, which is far better, Cant. 5.10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt of ten thouſand, not only of perſons, but the chiefeſt of ten thouſand benefits and priviledges which God gives, pardon of ſin, and grace, and comfort, and ſalvation it ſelf, Chriſt is better then all theſe, and he that thus affects Chriſt, hath the Son, and ſo hath life. Grounds of this.

1 Chriſt muſt be ſo received as God gives him, but God gives us Chriſt firſt, in every Ordinance: when Philip preached to the Eunuch, it's ſaid he preached Jeſus to him, Act. 8.35. So in the Sacrament, you muſt firſt take and eat his fleſh, and drink his blood, and then you have remiſſion of ſins, Mat. 26.26. No gift of grace but is given through Chriſt, if it be lively and true. Herod received joy, Jehu zeal, Ahab humiliation, but none of theſe received life, becauſe they received the ſhell and not the kernel, the casket, and not the Pearl, the gift, but not Chriſt; and therefore their graces were not lively. Simon Magus believed yet had no lively faith, becauſe Chriſt wanting: except we find Chriſt, we find no true grace, Hoſ. 4.8. in me is thy fruit found, without me you can doe nothing, Joh. 15.5. Hence let us gather an eſtimate of our ſelves, whether we have life or not, If you have the Son, you have life, try therefore whether you labour not more for the loaves, for the benefits of Chriſt, then for Chriſt himſelf; if thou findeſt thou comeſt to the Ordinances rather to find Chriſt, then the pardon of ſin, and comfort, and happineſſe, and ſalvation; if with the Church in the Canticles, thou ſeekeſt Chriſt and not the loaves, if thou with her inquireſt p. 390of the watchmen, where thou mayſt find him whom thy ſoul loveth, if we thus affect Chriſt, we have the Son, we could never have ſought him thus, if he had not firſt ſought us: but è contra, if we have longing deſires after pardon of ſin, and after grace and ſalvation, thoſe deſires indeed are ordinarily ſincere, but there may be an Harlots affection in them; as an Harlot ſeeks her an husband not for his perſons ſake, but for his goods ſake, that her debts may be paid, and that ſhe may be a ſharer in his wealth, now ſhe ſeeks him not for his ends, but for her own: ſo if a man ſhall deſire Chriſt, that he may have his ſins pardoned, and his conſcience pacified, and ſeek not Chriſt himſelf; why, this is but an whoriſh affection; whereas one that loves her husband, ſhe will have him though ſhe have but the bare man, though ſhe begge with him; ſo one that truly loves Chriſt, he would be glad and think himſelfe happy to have him, though he ſhould never ſee good day after, never find peace or quiet after, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is nothing on earth, that I deſire in compariſon of thee.

This will exclude from having of Chriſt.

1. All ſuch as are ſo far from ſeeking Chriſt himſelfe, that they doe not ſeek the benefits of Chriſt, they look at grace and chriſtian duties as melancholly weariſome things, for pardon of ſins, they never look after it, and for heaven they hope they ſhall doe as well as others; why, theſe men they will neither have Chriſt nor any thing of his.

2. This excludes ſuch from having Chriſt, as have more deſire of his benefits then Chriſt himſelf, pardon of ſin, and grace, and peace of conſcience, and comfort that they look after, but Chriſt they forget; why, as yet our ſeeking is not ſincere: if a woman perceive that her love ſeeks more for wealth and dowry, then her perſon, no wonder, if ſhe hold off; ſo if Chriſt find we come to him, and ſeek for pardon of ſin, and grace, and peace, more then for himſelf, no wonder if he keep off and hide himſelfe from us, becauſe this may come from ſelf-love, from reſpect to our own good, and yet nature teacheth us not to ſeek ſuch things, and thoſe deſires are ordinarily good beginnings; for indeed chriſtians at firſt are full of ſelf-love, but yet Chriſt will never fully reveale himſelfe, till we ſeek his perſon rather then his gifts, therefore firſt labour to get Chriſt and he will bring all theſe priviledges with him, Rom. 6.32. ſeek him chiefly and not his gifts; you muſt firſt know Chriſt will be more loved for his own ſake then his gifts, before he ſay to you as to the church, Cant. 2.14. O my Dove, let me ſee thy Countenance, let me hear thy voyce for ſweet is thy voyce, and thy countenance lovely, before he thus manifeſt himſelf to thee, he will make thee willing to ſeek thee as thy head and husband, as the moſt wiſe, the moſt beautifull, the chiefeſt among ten thouſand; and let but thy deſire be towards him, and his deſire will be towards thee, Hoſ. 3.3. Stand not upon dowries, take him without Feoffments, for better, for worſe: and if you thus take Chriſt, and chooſe his perſon in the firſt place, then all his benefits and priviledges become yours, 2 Cor. 3.22, 23. 2. A child of God is ſaid to have the Son, when he hath the Spirit of the Son, 2 Cor. 3.17. Having ſpoken before of a Spirit of miniſtration and grace; why, ſaith he, the Lord is that Spirit, not only becauſe he is the giver of it, but there is a ſecret union betwixt Chriſt and his Spirit, ſo that if you have the one, you have the other, Rom. 8.9. If any man have not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his, Gal. 4.6. he that hath the Son, hath the Spirit of the Son, and is made conformable to his Image.

There is a twofold Spirit whereby we are knit to Chriſt, and Chriſt to us 1. A Spirit of union. 2. A Spirit of liberty.

1. He that hath fellowſhip with Chriſt, hath a Spirit of union, whereby he is made one with him, Joh. 17.21. It's the prayer of our Saviour for all believers, that they al may be one, As thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they alſo may be one in us, thou in me by thy Spirit, and I in them by the ſame Spirit, hence it is, that of his fulneſſe we ſhall receive grace for grace, Joh. 1.16. Rom. 8.29. We are predeſtinate to be made like to the Image of Chriſt. There is a threefold conformity p. 391and likeneſſe betwixt Chriſt and us, that is wrought by the Spirit.

1. We are like him in his nature, 2 Pet. 1.4 by the precious promiſes, we are made partakers of the divine Nature, ſo that we are meek as he was, lowly as he was, innocent and harmleſſe as he was the Spirit of God ſtamp… the ſame Image on us that was in Chriſt, Joh. 1.16. Hence it is, that the e that have Chriſt, they reaſon from Chriſts nature to theirs, and from their nature to Chriſts, 2 Cor. 1.17, 18, 19. Paul had ſometimes ſent to them, that he would come to them as he paſſed by into Macedonia, but neither in his going not his return did he come to them, therefore they accuſe him of levity and inconſtancy; Paul excuſeth this, and he pleads from the nature of Chriſt; for the Son of God, Jeſus Chriſt that was preached among you by us, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea; Why, what's that to him? Yes, look as Chriſt is yea and amen, the faithfull witneſſe, that what he ſpeaks, he will performe, …o make account that Chriſt hath poured the ſame Spirit on us, that our words likewiſe are yea and amen, had not Gods providence hindred it; there is ſuch a participation of the divine nature, that the nature of Chriſt, the nature of the Goſpel, and the nature of a Chriſtian, all of them anſwer one another; the ſame Spirit that made Chriſt yea and amen, faithfull and true, hath made the Goſpel, and ſo the ſame Spirit in Gods people makes them true and faithfull, ſo that look what they ſay, their hearts goe with it, and if Gods providence hinders not, they will performe their word.

2. There is a conformity in his offices, he hath made us Prieſts, Kings and Prophets to his Father, Rev. 1.6. Kings to over-rule our luſts, to overcome the world, anoynted with a royal Spirit, although not yet inveſted with full glory; Prieſts, to offer ſacrifices of prayer, of a broken ſpirit, Pſal. 51.12. Sacrifices of righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 4.5. and to ſacrifice our lives for Chriſt, Phil. 2.17. ſo he hath made us Prophets of God, Act. 2.17. he hath poured on us the Spirit of propheſie, poured, not dropped ſparingly, but poured on us aboundantly, hence it is that a chriſtian underſtands many ſecrets of Gods will, Pſal. 25. 14. many hidden myſteries of the Scripture, ſo that he is bound to ſee a ſecret providence of God, guiding him in his way.

3. There is a conformity in their eſtate: our Saviour in this world went through a double eſtate, 1. Of Humiliation, 2. Exaltation, and in the moſt deep paſſions he went through, when he was excommunicated by the Church, hated, crucified, yet even then he mightily ſhewed forth his divine power; hence he is ſaid to triumph openly on the croſſe, Col. 2.17. and ſuch is a Chriſtians eſtate, Pſal. 34.19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, there is his humiliation: but the Lord delivers him out of all, there is his exaltation, for by thoſe deliverances he makes them glorious, Pſal. 149.4. He will beautifie the meek with ſalvation; nay a chriſtian in the midſt of all his worldly comforts, he gets looſe from them, ſo that you may ſee thoſe are not the things he chiefly looks after, if he have great parts and gifts, yet they are clad with a Spirit of Chriſt crucified, Gal. 6.14. their outward deportment is but mean and homely, yet in their outward meaneſſe and baſeneſſe, you may diſcern the power of Chriſt crucified, 2 Cor. 13 4. Since ye ſeek a proofe of Chriſt ſpeaking in me, as he was crucified through weakneſſe, and yet live…h in me by the power of God, even ſo we are weak with him, that is, in outward ſhew, why, yet as Chriſt when he was moſt deb…ſed▪ ſhewed forth moſt power; ſo a chriſtian in his greateſt debaſements and weakneſſes, Gods power is moſt magnified in him, never more glorious then when moſt debaſed. Hence thoſe ſtrange phraſes, we are dead with Chriſt, Col. 2.20. and riſen with Chriſt, Col. 3.1. crucified with Chriſt, Rom. 6.6. that is, by the ſame Spirit of Chriſt that is in us, we are ſo knit with him, that we are made of the ſame ſtate with him; that as he was weak and baſe, and yet glorious; ſo are we,

2 There is a Spirit of liberty; nothing better expreſſeth the temper of the Son, Chriſt the Fathers Image, then a Spirit of liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; If the Son ſhall make you free, then you are free indeed, Joh. 8.36. His liberty is a reall liberty: And this is

p. 3921. Liberty from the fear of ſin of hell of the grave, and of all his enemies he is not afraid like a ſla…e that is not is a … of liberty, Rom. 8.15. H…b. 2.15. A Spirit of liberty is a Spirit of freedome from all fear, Luke 1.74, 75. Such a man is not afraid what fleſh can doe unto him, Pſal. 3.5, 6. I will not be afraid though ten thouſand ſhall compaſſe me about I will ly me down and ſleep quietly, the fear of men ſhall not break his ſleep, ſo Pſal. 56.3.10 11. this holy tranquility frees us from all fears, and this liberty is proper to a Son, he fears not others, ſo he may pleaſe his father; he knows his Father will give him protection, and proviſion, Rom. 8.37.

2. He hath a liberty from the dominion of ſin, ſin hath not that power to carry him captive, Rom. 6.4. Rom. 8.2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Chriſt Jeſus hath made me free from the Law of ſin and death, that is, the Spirit of grace that commands and rules me like a law, hath freed me from the law of ſin and of death, that a Chriſtian is now but a beginner of ſin, ſin hath not that power over him that formerly it had; time was when I could not break off from evil company, but now the Law of the Spirit of life hath ſet me free from them; many a valiant ſpirit fears not death; many a ſouldier venters upon a Canons mouth, but yet I preſume he is captivate to many a baſe luſt; but a Chriſtian is not only freed from the fear, but the bondage of ſin.

3. He hath liberty from being ſervant unto men, 1 Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a price, be not ſervants of men: he doth not mean that they ſhould ſhake off all obedience and ſubjection; but though they ſhould be ſubject to their Maſters, ye now they ſhould not ſerve them in a ſlaviſh manner, but with freedom of Spirit in obedience to Chriſt, heartily and readily, 1 Cor. 7.22. he that is called in the Lord, being a ſervant is the Lords freeman, he doth his Maſters work with a free ſpirit, and withall he doth the work of Gods ſervice with much more freedom, and when they come to their own liberty, they will be inclined to good duties, ſtrive to gain opportunity for prayer and reading, and hearing, whereas others though they have much more outward liberty, yet they have far leſſe inward.

4 The Spirit of God that ſets me free from the ſervice of men, makes me free to every duty of God, to have free acceſs to him, the Spirit that ſet me at liberty from Satan, will make me run the wayes of Gods Commandements with an inlarged heart, Pſal. 119.32. Pſ. 110.3. Gods people are a willing people and as he is free from the bondage of men, ſo he is Lord over them, he can make them all ſerve him; Gen. 25.23. God told Rebecca there were Nations in her womb, and the elder ſhould ſerve the yonger, how was that fulfilled, ſeeing Jacob cals Eſau Lord, and himſelf his ſervant? Gen. 33. Why, as ſome ſay, that muſt be underſtood of the Nations, not of the perſons; but it may be Eſau's Lordſhip and roughneſſe did Jacob more real ſervice then ever Jacob did him, whence was it that he went out of his Fathers houſe, met with ſo glorious a viſion the firſt night? whence was it that he made ſuch a vow to God, that if the Lord would be with him, and bleſſe him in that countrey, then the Lord ſhould be his God? whence was it that he returned with ſuch a bleſſing? whence was it that he ſo wreſtled with God and obtained a bleſſing? was not this from Eſaus bitterneſſe, and for fear of him? which ſhews that every fury and perſecution of wicked men do Chriſtians the trueſt ſervice, as it was with the Tyrants in Syria, and Egypt, all the tyranny did but purifie the people of God, and make them white, Dan. 11.35.46. they are but as ſcullions to ſcour and rinſe Gods people, they are but as ſervants or like houſe-wives, they lay them in ſoap, and dung, and ſharp lee, but it is but to make them white.

Try therefore whether you have the ſpirits of ſons. Doe you find in you the nature of Chriſt? do you find your ſelves inveſted with a Kingly Royall ſpirit? doe you find in you the ſpirit of propheſie? doe you find in you the ſtate of Chriſt, that in the meaneſt condition you have a mighty power of Chriſt breathing in you? why, then it is evident you have the Spirit of God, but if we find we are not like him in his nature, we cannot pray or propheſie, then we have none of Gods Spirit.

p. 393Do we finde our ſelves ſtill in bondage to ſin, lying under the fear and dominion of it? then we have not Gods Spirit in us, Gods Spirit would ſet us free from all bondage.

3 We are ſaid to have the Son, when we have Chriſt not onelyonly for our Saviour, but for our Prince. Acts 5.31. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour. To whom he is a Saviour, to them he is a Prince. It were diſhonour, to God to ſave thoſe whom he cannot rule, to deliver them from ſin and Satan and yet leave them in their ſins; God hath ſent his Son not only to ſave but to rule us.

Two things here are to be opened.

1 That he that hath Chriſt, hath him for his Saviour.

2 That he that hath him for his Saviour, muſt have him for his Prince likewiſe.

We are ready commonly to conceive, that every one would have Chriſt for his Saviour, but indeed they are but rare that would have a Saviour indeed. To have Chriſt for our Saviour implyes two things.

1 He that hath Chriſt for his Saviour, looks up to him for ſalvation in all his diſtreſſes, Iſa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be ſaved, all ye ends of the earth. He that looks for any other Saviour, denyes Chriſt. He that hath Chriſt for his Saviour, in what coaſts ſoever of the world he lives, he muſt look up to him for ſalvation, as they that look'd towards the Temple, had their petitions heard: So, whereſoever we are in what condition ſoever, we muſt look towards Chriſt, and long after him for ſalvation, not onelyonly from Gods wrath, and hell, but even from whatever diſtreſſes we are in, torment of conſcience, ſickneſſe, impriſonment; we muſt wait upon him for deliverance. Iſa. 8.17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the houſe of Jacob, and I will look for him. The Church was then in grievous diſtreſſe, both in regard of ſin and calamity, there were none for her to look unto, either Princes or Prieſts, to redreſſe the matter, all had been in vain; but there was no hope in them, yet I will look unto the Lord, and wait on him that hideth his face, Iſa. 17.7. Speaking of ſuch times wherein only a few gleaning grapes ſhould be left. In that day ſhall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes ſhall have reſpect to the holy one of Iſrael. We caſt reſpect or diſreſpect upon one with our eye, whileſt our eyes are upon the creature, and turned away from God, we diſreſpect God; but when our eyes are toward him, ſet on him, we ſhew reſpect to God, and this man hath Chriſt for his onelyonly Saviour. This was Jehoſaphats practice, 2 Chron. 20.12. Being in a great fear of a mighty hoſte that came againſt him, he ſet himſelfe to ſeek God, and prayed, O Lord, we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee. This having our eyes towards Chriſt in evill times, argues that we have Chriſt for our Saviour, Pſal. 121.1. I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. And he means the Hils of Zion and Moriah, where the Temple and Ordinances were. My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Jonah went away from God when he ſhould have gon to Nineveh, he ſent him to Nineveh, but he fled to Tarſhiſh; and therefore, becauſe he would not have God for his Prince to rule him, he would not be his Saviour, but ſent out a mighty tempeſt againſt him, and the moſt unruly creature of the Sea to ſwallow him up; and then Jonah out of hopes prayes out of the Whales belly, If I am utterly caſt out of his ſight, yet I will look again towards his holy Temple, Jonah 2.4. His heart had reſpect to it, though he could not tell which way it ſtood, and in that he had reſpect to Chriſt, a d therefore the Lord ſent him a glorious deliverance, If you have Chriſt for your Saviour, your eyes will be towards him in every diſtreſſe.

2 He that hath Chriſt for his Saviour, not onelyonly looks for ſalvation by him from all his diſtreſſes, but from all his ſins likewiſe, Pſal. 130.7, 8. He ſhall redeem Iſrael from all his ſins, and therefore his name is called Jeſus, Mat. 1.21. Hoſ. 14.2. They ſaid unto God, Take away all our iniquities & receive p. 394us graciouſly. They deſire God not only to take them away, that is, to pardon them, but to heal them, for ſo God underſtands them, verſ. 4. I will heal your back-ſlidings. We think it a common thing for men to deſire Chriſt to be their Saviour, but how ſew are there that deſire to be redeemed from all their ſinfull wayes? How many are there whom Chriſt would lovingly gather, but they will not be gathered? Mat. 23.37. And if God ſpeake ſo of his Church, wonder not if he ſay ſo of Babylon, He would have healed her but ſhe would not be healed, Jer. 51.9. God look't that his people, living amongſt them 70 years▪ they ſhould be brought on, but none were, or very few, therefore God bids his people, Come out from amongſt them, Jer. 24.25. God complains of the evill lives of his people, that they were like wild aſſes, ſnuffing up the wind at their pleaſure; and when he call'd to them, Withhold thy foot from being unſhod; they ſaid deſperately, No, ſtrangers have I followed, and after them will I goe. How doe ſuch men look for Chriſt to be their Saviour, when they will not be delivered from their ſins? when Chriſt comes to caſt out their ſins, they are ready to cry as the man poſſeſt with the Devills, Art thou come to torment us before our time? Pulling away their ſins from them, is a grievous torment to their ſouls: do but take away their hopes of ſome gainful ſin, and they are inraged, Acts 16.19.

2 If we have Chriſt for our Saviour, we muſt have him for our Prince, Act. 5.31. that is, we muſt reſigne up our ſelves and ſubmit our ſelves to him. Iſa. 9.6. Ʋnto us a Son is born, to us a child is given. And why, how ſhall I know whether the Son be given me? Why, the government is upon his ſhoulders.

Two wayes we are ſaid to have Chriſt for our Governour,

1 When we reſigne up our ſelves in obedience to him, when we have not a thought within us but is brought into ſubjection to the Lord Chriſt, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Prov. 12.5. The thoughts of the righteous are right thoughts, coming from a right ground, guided by a right rule, tending to a right end.

Obj. But, whoſe heart is ſo right, that every thought is ſubdued to the will of Chriſt? Who is there but have many vain thoughts lodge in them? Jerem. 4.14.

Anſw. He that hath Chriſt for his Prince, will not have a vain thought lodge in him; indeed, evill thoughts may ruſh in upon him, as ſturdy beggers into an houſe, and they would be Maſters, and have every one tend upon them; but a Chriſtian, he ſuffers them not to lodge there, he reſts not till they be thrown out of dores, they finde no welcome in his heart: Indeed, a Chriſtian man may have many evill thoughts within him, but yet here is the difference between him and the carnall man, a wicked man that hath not Chriſt, he hath not one good thought in him, the frame and inclination of, his heart is wholly evill, Gen. 6.5. Or if good thoughts or motions be caſt in to ſtir him up to repentance; why, they ſuffer them not to lodge there, but they bid them come another time; whereas a good man, if a good thought come, it's moſt welcome to him, he entertains it; and cheriſheth it, even as a Meſſenger ſent from his Prince.

2 If an evill thought come into a natural mans heart, it's connatural to him, it finds lodging and welcome there, Eph. 4.18, 19. But a godly man, if an evill thought come, he looks at it as an enemy and traitor, he calls to all the family, to all the faculties of the ſoul to help againſt it: and if he be not ſtrong enough, he calls to all his Chriſtian friends, but eſpecially he calls to his Prince to deliver him, even as a good Subject that hath a Traitor got into his houſe, that plots treaſon againſt the King, and ſpoyls his goods, and he is not able to get rid of him, be ſecretly ſends to his Prince for ayd. This courſe David took, Pſal. 139.23. Search me, O Lord, and try me. He would have God to make privy ſearch, and find out the frame of his heart; unlike to them, Iſa. 29.15. And then v. 24. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the p. 395way everlaſting. And if he would have God to be ruler over his thoughts, then much more of his words and actions. Now there are ſome men whoſe hearts are like the high-way ground, let evill thoughts come and goe at their pleaſures, they will not be ſubject to Chriſt. As for this man, we will not have him rule over us, Luke 19.14. What ſay they? Thoughts are free, and our tongues are our own, who ſhall controll us? Whereas a Chriſtian would have God rule all his thoughts and words; nay, a carnall heart is ſo wonderfully deſperate, that they will not onelyonly not be ſervants to God, but they will make God ſervant to them. Iſa. 43.24. Thou haſt made me to ſerve with thy ſins, and wearyed me with thy iniquities. They make God to ſerve a weariſome ſervice, that as a cart is preſſed under the ſheaves, ſo is God under them; they load Gods patience with one ſin after another, pitch one ſin upon another, till he be burthened with our ſins; and what parts and gifts, and liberties God gives them, they abuſe to Gods diſhonour, And is not this monſtrous rebellion, for poor creatures to make God ſerve a weariſome ſervice? Wonder not therefore if he ſay, Rebellion is as the ſin of witchcraft, 1 Sam. 15.26. As a Witch gives her ſoul to the devil, to have her own liberty for a while, ſo rebellious ſinners are at league with the devil and hel, to ſerve their luſts whilſt they live.

2 As a witch makes the devil ſerve her all her life, but at death ſhe ſerves the devill; So God ſhall ſerve them all their life time, but at death they would ſerve God, and then they will do him the beſt ſervice they can. Why do you think God will accept our ſervice when we dye, when we have made him ſerve us all our life time?

2 To have Chriſt for our Prince is not onelyonly to ſerve him, but we muſt give him Princely ſervice, ſuch ſervice as becomes ſo royall a Prince, Mal. 1.8. Serve not him with blinde and lame ſacrifices, but with the beſt and fatteſt; crucifie your fatteſt and deareſt luſts to him, let him have your beſt parts, and beſt affections; righteous Abel brought to God the firſtlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof, Gen. 4.4. So let God have our firſt years, and the ſtrength of your affections, give not him your old, decrepit age. 2 Sam. 24.24. I will not offer to God (ſaith David) that which coſt me nothing. Araunah indeed gave them all freely to the King, like a King. If a man give to a King, he muſt give as to a King, he muſt give as a King. Nay, (ſaith David) if you as a King give thoſe things to me, muſt not I then who am a King give as a King to that King of Kings? Let God have all you have, give up your ſelves and all your families to him.

For application.

Would you know then whether you have life? Why, if you have Chriſt, you have life; and if you would know whether you have Chriſt or no, you muſt conſider, God hath exalted him to be both Saviour and Prince. Doſt thou finde thy heart looking up to him for help in all thy miſeries? Then thou haſt him as a Saviour. If in caſes when thou knoweſt not what to doe, yet thy eyes are towards him? Why, this very looking towards him, is of an healing nature, as was the looking towards the brazen Serpent, Numb 21.9. The Conies are but a feeble folk, and yet they make their neſts in a rock; ſo, it's good for us in our diſtreſſes, to have recourſe to the rock that is higher then we.

Again conſider, are there any luſts in us that we deſire to be ſpared in, and would not be ſaved from? Why, then we have not Chriſt for our Saviour. So conſider, Have we Chriſt for our Prince? Do we ſubject every thought unto him? Doſt thou not entertain an evill thought? if they ruſh in upon thee, doſt thou ſtrive to thruſt them out? Then thou haſt Chriſt for thy Prince. But if thou findeſt evil thoughts in thy heart, and ſuffereſt them to reſt in thee. Doſt thou make God to ſerve a weariſome ſervice from monethmonth to monethmonth, and year to year, and over burthen his patience and mercy? Then Chriſti p. 396not thine. If thou lookeſt at him as thy Prince, he ſhould have the beſt ſervice thou couldſt afford him.

A third head of ſignes whereby we may know whether we have Chriſt or no, is expreſt in the text, He that hath the Son, hath life. For we may as well argue from having of life that we have the Son, as from the having of the Son that we have uſe; they are reciprocall, he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath life hath the Son.

This Life is fourfold:

Of Juſtification,

Of Sanctification,

Of Conſolation, and

Of Glorification.

If we have good evidences of the three former, we may have aſſurance of the latter.

The ſignes of life are of three ſorts, our ſpirituall life may be diſcerned three wayes:

By the cauſes.

By the effects.

By the properties.

For the cauſes, the holy Ghoſt gives us three cauſes of our ſpirituall life, which if we finde, we may aſſure our ſelves that we have life, and ſo conſequently we have the Son.

1 Cauſe of our ſpirituall life, is Gods own good pleaſure. Of his owne will hath he begot us▪ Jam. 1.18. This St. John proves by denying all other cauſes of our begetting to life, John 13 Not of bloud: that is, not of parentage, for godly parents may have wicked children; though Gods commandement do much, yet it is not from their good parentag…, but from Gods pleaſure in the covenant. Nor of fleſh, that is not of corrupt nature: nor of the will of men; that is, not of the will of our beſt friends, that deſire it, and pray for it, unleſſe God ſet in with all thoſe of his good pleaſure, he ſhall not have life, Ezek. 16.6. It was od that ſaid to us when we were in our bloud, Live. This is an eviden… ſigne of the life of grace. Such a mans heart acknowledgeth all the grace he hath to be of Gods good pleaſure. Take a naturall man, he thinks well of him elf, that he hath alwayes had a good nature, and towardly, and hopefull, and all his friends could ſay no leſſe But now a regenerate Chriſtian acknowl…dg…th that he had no heart to goodneſſe by nature, onelyonly ſome outward correſpondency towards his friends, to pleaſe them; but he acknowledgeth what Paul doth, Gal. 1.15, 16. When it pleaſed God to call me by his grace, and to reveale Chriſt in me, then I lived, but not before. A living ſoul never attributes any thing to his good nature or towardlineſſe, but when it pleaſeth God to call him to his grace.

A ſecond cauſe of life is a word of promiſe; for, all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham, onelyonly the ſeed of promiſe, ſuch as are begot of a word of promiſe, as Iſaac was, and leaſt you ſhould think it belongeth to Iſaac onelyonly, he makes it common to all the elect, that they are all children of promiſe, Gal. 4.28. But yet Iſaac had the peculiar, in that even his birth was by promiſe to Abraham and Sarah: But the Apoſtle would thereby inferre, that all our ſpirituall birth, is by a word of promiſe. Here therefore try thy life, thou ſayſt thou liveſt, but what word of promiſe wert thou begot of? Faith comes by hearing, Rom: 10 17. Gal. 3.5. There is ſome word of promiſe diſpearſ…d in the word preached, which the ſoul layes hold of, and is thereby knit to Chriſt by faith: Indeed, many a good ſoul cannot tell what word of promiſe he was firſt begot of, yet ſure it was by a word of promiſe; and though thou doſt not know this promiſe, yet there is no Chriſtian but he ſuſtains himſelf by ſome promiſe, which ſhews plainly that he was bred of a promiſe which is fed by a promiſe. Many times a word of grace and wiſe admonition ſinks ſo deep into the heart, as that it makes many a one amend his wicked wayes, p. 397and take better courſes, and reform his life; but this is no evident ſigne of ſpirituall life. So an hypocrite may be ſo far convinced as to turn the ſtream of his life, and yet without all power of godlineſſe, and the ground is, we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law, it's altogether impoſſible, Gal. 3.21. All true ſpirituall life is from ſome word of promiſe that hath been diſpen…ed to us in the Word. The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offence, but yet without all reſpect or obedience to God. But when we are quickened by a word of promiſe, then the love of God conſtraineth us.

Obj. Is it not ordinary for the word of the Law to caſt down and humble us, before we can lay hold on a promiſe.

Anſw. True. Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man, this may reach to the reformation of many outward ſins, but yet it gives not ſpirituall life, till we begin to think of, and long after Chriſt, and meditate and talk of him, till at length the ſight of Chriſt, doth ſo work on us, that we do not only long after him, but we ſo receive him, and imbrace him, that we are inlightned by him.

A third cauſe of life, is the Spirit of God, John 3.6. There is a ſhedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man, that he hath not the ſame ſpirit he had before. Now a mans ſpirit is the bent and inclination of the ſoul. Eph. 4.23. Be ye renewed in the ſpirits of your minds. The ſoul and the body is the ſame: But there is another ſpirit, they ſee other things they never ſaw before, judge otherwiſe then they did before; now they have new thoughts, and judgements, and affections, ſo that their heart is far off from earthly things, and let on ſpirituall things. All things are become new. A new heart, new conference, new imployment, new company, the whole man hath another frame of ſpirit in him. He that finds it thus hath life.

For application.

Conſider therefore how you finde your hearts ſpeaking concerning your eſtates. Do you finde indeed that ſometimes you have had good motions caſt in, but before God was pleaſed to call you to his grace, nothing did you good. Doe you finde your life wrought by a ſpirit of promiſe. Do you finde that you are renewed to a new inclination and frame of ſpirit, then you have life. Your life ſprings from true cauſes, if not you have not life.

A ſecond ſort of ſignes of life is from the effects of ſpirituall life; And,

1 Juſtification or pardon of ſins is a principall part of our ſpirituall life, Pſal. 32.2, 3. And this is called juſtification to life, Rom. 5.18. Even as a condemned mans pardon is the life of the man, ſo is the pardon of our ſins the life of our ſouls. Now the firſt effect flowing from the pardon of our ſin, is,

1 Some inward peace of conſcience, ſome inward ſatisfaction that he never found before. My ſin is not pardoned, at leaſt not manifeſted ſo to be, till I finde ſome meaſure of inward peace, Rom. 5.1. What was it that burthened thy conſcience, but guilt of ſin? If therefore God ſay to my ſoul, Son, thy ſins be forgiven thee; upon this follows the tranquility of the mind, and ſometimes in that unſpeakable manner, that paſſeth all underſtanding, Phil. 4.7. Though this be not ſo ordinary, yet they alwayes finde a ſecret peace and eaſe, as if you had caſt off milſtones from the heart, Iſa. 32.17. The effect of righteouſneſſe is quietneſſe and aſſurance for ever; if ſin be pardoned, peace and everlaſting aſſurance follows.

A 2. effect of this life of Juſtification, is, that look as you ſee in a morall life, no man hath received life, but he ſtrives to maintain it, ſo that all that he hath will he give for his life; So, if thou haſt received the life of the pardon of thy ſins, thou ſhalt finde a ſerious, and conſtant care of preſerving p. 398that life and peace, ſo that you will let all go rather then the peace of your conſcience. Thy loving kindneſſe is better then life, Pſal. 63.4. And therefore if I finde a tender care in me to maintain my peace, it's a ſigne I have received life, ſeeing I am ſo carefull to maintain it. A man that hath been in a great debt, and lately paid it, he is carefull to run on the ſcore no more; ſo when God hath blotted out the ſcore of our ſins, a Chriſtian is very ſollioitous to ſin no more, but that he may live an holy and ſpotleſſe life all his dayes. Notable is the example of Joſeph, Gen. 39. How ſhall I commit this great wickedneſſe and ſin againſt God? How ſhall I break my peace of conſcience, and run on a new ſcore? Sometimes indeed Gods children have received pardon of ſins, and yet afterwards turned Gods grace into wantonneſſe; but withall obſerve if they have been overtaken with ſome grievous luſts, the loſſe of their peace, and favour of God, hath been more bitter to them then death it ſelf; and if the Lord give us hearts follicitous to maintain our peace, it is a ſign that he hath given us peace, thoſe ſins are pardoned which we abhor; it's the nature of life to preſerve it ſelf, and to expell what may be an enemy to life: And this is a ſigne our peace is not counterfeit, but ſound, if we be carefull to preſerve it.

A 3. effect of our life of Juſtification is that which our Saviour gives, Luke 7.47. Her ſins which are many are forgiven her, becauſe ſhe loves much. He that loves much hath much forgiven him. The love of God in ſome meaſure proportionable to the ſin pardoned, is a good evidence of the pardon of our ſins. Gods pardons are lively pardons, they leave not a man as he was, but whom he pardons them he heals. This woman was a notorious Harlot, her loving much ſhewed that her many ſins were forgiven her; according to the multitude and meaſure of ſins pardoned, ſuch is the meaſure of our love to God and his Saints; And indeed, there is none hath ſo little forgiven him, but he thinks it a great deal, as indeed well he may, and thinks himſelfe bound to love God abundantly.

For application.

Conſider therefore what peace thou haſt. Perhaps thou wilt ſay, I have had peace all my life long, but ſuch peace is ill rooted, it ſprings not from a word of God; And,

2 It's fruitleſſe. Thou ſayſt thou haſt peace, but what care haſt thou to maintain it, and to expell thy ſins which hinder thy peace? And again, if thou haſt ſuch peace, where is thy love? If that be wanting, pardon of ſin is wanting.

If thou wouldſt have good ground of the pardon of thy ſins, try thy ſelf by the former ſignes.

Having before heard of the effects of the life of our Juſtification, now we come to ſhew the effects of Sanctification. Now becauſe Sanctification is found partly in the heart, partly in the life of a Chriſtian, Firſt, I will ſhew you the effects of Sanctification in the heart. Whereſoever this Spirit of Sanctification is ſhed abroad, you ſhall finde variety of graces, ſo different and various, that in nature they could not ſtand together. There are in Chriſtians certain combinations of graces.

1 Look at grace as it firſt works in the converſion of a ſinner. When a man is firſt brought on to God, he is then taken up with two contrary effects, with joy that God ſhould have ſuch mercy on him, and withall griefe and ſorrow for his ſins, whereby he hath offended ſo mercifull a God: as it was with the return of the Jews temporall Captivity, Pſal. 126.1, 2, 3. We were like them that dreamed, then were our mouths filled with laughter. They were out of themſelves, like men in a dream, they rejoyced at this their delivery, and yet the ſame people that rejoyced at this their delivery, yet in their return they went up mourning with weeping and ſupplication, for their unworthy p. 399dealing with God, Jer. 50.4, 5. And ſuch a combination of affection is there in a Chriſtian at his firſt converſion, he rejoyceth in his deliverance; and yet never was there any ſo kindly mourning as a Chriſtian ſenſible of Chriſts redemption and goodneſſe to him, in this caſe he mourns as a man that mourns for his firſt-born, Zach. 12.10.

2 In the duties of Gods worſhip there is another combination of affection, and that his joy and fear, Pſal. 2.11. Rejoyce before him with trembling, When grace is lively and ſtirring, a Chriſtian comes with holy fear and awefulneſſe, & yet none comes with more joy and holyneſſe. A dead hearted Chriſtian he comes very unwillingly, and holds back; but living Chriſtians are a willing people, Pſ. 110.3. It's the joy of their hearts to do God any ſervice; and yet withall, never do Chriſtians go about any duties with more awefulneſſe then when they come with moſt joy. In another thing thoſe affections do not concur. When a man goes joyfully about his buſineſſe, he goes not about it with trembling; or, if he goes trembling, he goes not rejoycing; But a Chriſtian, though he go about a duty with much fear, yet with much joy, Pſal. 130.4. There is mercy with thee that thou mayſt be feared. Exod. 15.11. God is fearful in praiſes. When the heart is moſt inlarged to praiſe God, then is it moſt awefull of God.

3 Take a godly man in tribulations, when he is moſt oppreſſed with afflictions, and made ſad and awefull by them, yet then is the heart moſt joyous. This was an argument of their ſincerity, 1 Theſſ. 1.6. Having received the Word in much affliction, and joy in the holy Ghoſt. Now, naturally no affliction is joyous, and yet Paul ſaith, We rejoyce in tribulation, Rom. 5.3. A Chriſtian under ſore preſſures of Gods hand, that doth threſh them out of his husk, is not onelyonly content, but joyfull; and that is above all nature.

4 There is a mixture in his affections, in his dealing with men. In a Chriſtian you ſhall finde much patience, and yet without all forbearance; very patient, and yet by no means bearing with evil, Rev. 2.2. This is the nature of ſpirituall patience; injuries put upon himſelfe, he endures with patience, but injuries againſt God, he will by no means bear.

5 You ſhall find gentleneſſe and meekneſſe mixed with much auſterity and ſtiffneſſe. The wiſdome that is from above is peaceable and gentle, Numb. 12.3. Moſes was the meekeſt man upon the earth, yet the ſame Moſes ſo meek and gentle in his own cauſe, if it be in Gods cauſe, he is ſo ſtiffe that when the King would have the cattle left, he would not leave ſo much as an hoof at the Kings command, he is inflexible in Gods cauſe; even as the liquid air moſt eaſily yeelds to the leaſt fly, yet if God ſet it as a firmament, to ſeparate the waters above from the waters below, it ſtands like a wall of braſſe, it yeelds not, only lets it drop through by ſmall drops, as through a ſieve, but not to fall into a deluge: So, though a Chriſtian be as the liquid air, eaſie and gentle, apt to yeeld, yet in a cauſe of God, let there be never ſo great a maſſe preſſing on him, he ſtands ſtedfaſt and unmoveable.

6 There is a modeſty mixt with magnanimity, a thing not eaſily found in moral virtues Paul looks at all his outward priviledges but as droſſe and dung in compariſon of Chriſt; a man that ſpeaks of himſelf, I am leſſe then the leaſt of all Saints, Eph. 3.8. though he were not inferiour to the chiefeſt of the Apoſtles, 2 Cor. 12.11. Yet this modeſt man, Acts 10.37. when the Magiſtrates had whipped him and his companions, and then when they had done, would have ſent them away; Nay, (ſaith he) but let them come and fetch us; ſee the magnanimity of his ſpirit, when his perſon, or calling, or cauſe is called in queſtion, in that caſe he will put forth himſelfe; deep modeſty and high magnanimity to meet in one man, at one time, in the ſame action, this is a work above nature, Pſal. 131.1, 2. You would think that ſuch a weaned childe as David was, ſhould not have an high thought or word in him; but he that was thus mean, and low, and thus weaned from earthly preferments, if you come to ſpeak of ſpirituall things, he looks at all worldly things as too mean for p. 400him. Pſal. 24.7.9. Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlaſting doors, that is, let your hearts be lifted up to higher objects then the world can afford; his heart is weaned from the Kingdome and Crown, but to Gods favour and grace, and the Kingdome of heaven; why, are not theſe of an higher nature then they? Yes, and yet in theſe matters his heart is in a kinde haughty, and his eyes lifted up, and he exerciſeth himſelfe in great matters; ſo that a Chriſtian hath not a baſe ſpirit, but an heart lifted up above the world, to the favour of God, and pardon of ſins, and an eternal Kingdome. Pſal. 149.6. Let the high praiſes of God be in their mouths, In the Or ginal, high things, great and mighty things of God, his mighty majeſty, and power, and glory and praiſe, let theſe be in your mouths. He would have a Chriſtians ſpirit filled with high thoughts, and his mouth with high words, high words and powerfull threatnings to binde Princes, the high promiſes and commands of God; nay, the high counſels of God, that are unſearchable, yet as far as they are revealed, a Chriſtian will be prying into them, yet with much modeſty and Chriſtian magnanimity, his ſpirit ſearcheh out the deep things of God.

7 There is another combination in a Chriſtian, buſie diligence in worldly affairs, and yet a dead heartedneſſe to the world. For a man to riſe early, and ſit up late, follow his work hard, take much pains, is not a thing to be diſcommended, Prov. 10.14. Prov. 31.27. It's commended in the good Houſewife, even the greateſt Princeſſe may not eat the bread of idleneſſe, then we ſee diligence in worldly buſineſſe may well ſtand with grace; but yet the ſame perſon muſt be dead to the world, his heart muſt be ſet on things above, theſe are not his life, that is laid up in Chriſt, Col. 3.1, 2, 3. His heart is crucified to the world, Gal. 6.14. Though his employment be in the world, yet his converſation is in heaven, Phil. 1.20. Prov. 6.5, 6. It's made a part of wiſdome to be as buſie Ants, gathering and laying up, but all the while his hands are there, his heart is in heaven; he doth things in obedience to God by the rule of his Word, and for his freedome in Gods ſervice, another may do the ſame work, with the ſame care and ſucceſſe, and yet the heart far unlike.

3 The love of our enemies is a particular virtue of Gods Saints, Matth. 5.45, to 47. Now this very grace hath in it contrary works in our heart, it's like fire, and water both; naturally our hearts are very cold, and hard, and frozen like ice towards our enemies, but Chriſt comes and thawes theſe froſtlings, and warms us with compaſſion towards them, that his heart oftentimes mourns for them, to ſee them take ſuch unjuſt courſes againſt them who have not wronged them; and on the other ſide, whereas a naturall man if he ſee his enemy, he boyls in wrath and paſſion againſt him, love comes like a cool water and cools the heat of paſſion in our heart.

For application.

Wouldſt thou know whether thou haſt life or no? Why, haſt thou found thy heart affected with joy for Gods goodneſſe to thee, and yet withall grieved and ſorrowfull for thy unkinde dealing with him? Theſe are certain evidences of the life of grace in thee. You may find many affected and comforted with the Word, as Herod was; but if this joy were of God, it would not vaniſh away like ſmoak, but would adminiſter ſo much the more ſorrow and mourning for ſin; though a Chriſtians joy may ſuddenly vaniſh, yet it alwayes leaves behinde an inward grieving for ſin, to keep poſſeſſion for it.

2 How do you finde your hearts affected to Gods worſhip? Do you finde your hearts generally unwilling to pray or hear? This is an ill ſigne. But if you finde your hearts willing, and the more willing, the more carefull withall. In this caſe there is life. But if a man have fear without joy, or joy without fear, the heart is not in a good temper.

p. 4013. How doſt thou finde thy heart in tribulation? Doſt thou finde no conſolation ſupporting thee? This is an ill ſigne. But if thou findeſt with David, in the multitude of thy troubled thoughts, Gods comforts ſuſtain thy ſoul, Pſal. 94.18. in this caſe thou haſt life.

4. Obſerve your carriages, Doe you bear patiently with bad men, and yet not ſo patiently as to bear with evill? Patience and zeal muſt goe together.

5. Are you of a meek, gentle, and flexible temper? Its well. But how are you in Gods cauſe? Are you there inflexible, and immovable, ſo that you will not abate an hooſe in Gods cauſe? Why, both theſe are a life of grace.

6. Thou ſayſt thou art modeſt, and thinkeſt meanly of thy ſelfe; I, but how is this grace coupled? for God ſends them two and two together, as he did his Diſciples, to ballance one another. Haſt thou withall a lofty ſpirit in the wayes of God, an heart lift up to heavenly things? Why, ſuch a ſpirit hath life. The moſt modeſt ſhould be moſt magnanimous.

7. Look at worldly buſineſſe, Canſt thou be diligent in thy calling? Why, this God requires. But how ſtands thy heart? Art thou buſie in the world, and yet thy heart dead to the world? This is a ſigne of true ſpirituall life.

8. If we finde our hearts ſo abounding in love, that like fire it thawes our cold frozen affections; and again, like water, can cool our hot paſſionate ſpirits; why, this love is a fruit of faith, and a ſigne of life; its a ſigne our ſins are forgiven us, if we have hearts forgiving others.

Now we come to the effects of Sanctification, as they are expreſt in the life of a Chriſtian, and they are anſwerable to the effects of naturall life. The effects of naturall life are principally five.

1. Motion.

When a creature is able to move it ſelfe in its place, to thoſe duties of this or that life, its ſaid to live. If a thing move not but by others, its not alive; or if it move out of its place, its not alive, as a ſtone thrown up moves downward, and fire moves upward; but this is not properly life, but rather a deſire of reſt; and for things that move, they move according to the life they have; as, a tree a vegetative life, a beaſt a ſenſitive life, a man a rationall life; but if a man have a ſpirituall motion in his proper place its a ſigne of ſpirituall life; ſometimes a man reacheth out of his place, reaching to higher matters, and more ambitious thoughts then his calling leads to, thoſe move not from an inward principle of grace, but from levity of heart; ſo the Phariſees, they moved to holy duties, but it was for credit, others for profit, for loaves, John 6.26. Its one thing to move to ſpirituall duties out of an inward inclination and affection to them, another thing to move out of levity or deſire of eminency; it is one thing to move to them out of love, another thing to move to them out of reſpect, or credit, or profit. Why, this is but as the moving of a ſtone out of its naturall gravity. Abſolom had a marvellous affection to reign, and oh that he were King, every one ſhould have juſtice, 2 Sam. 15.13. But he was now out of his place, and therefore the thing he did, was but to attempt the cutting off his Fathers life; but that is life properly that moves in its place.

Again, a man may move in his place, and yet by an outward principle, as a clock moves by the weight that hangs on it: ſo a man may move to ſome duties of Religion by the weight of the Law, or authority hanging on him. Again, Jehu may move in his calling very buſily, and yet have no ſpirituall life; ſo it muſt be inquired whether the duty a man doth be ſpirituall or no. And a duty is ſpirituall,

p. 4021. When we are ſenſible of our inſufficiency, and therefore depend upon Chriſt, that thorough him we may doe all things.

2. When we have reſpect to the Word of God as our rule.

3. When we doe all for the glory of God, Gal. 2.20. The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God. So far a man lives, as he denies his own ſufficiency, and depends on Chriſt for aſſiſtance, and hath reſpect to Gods commandements as his rule, Pſal. 119.6. and aimes at the glory of God as his end. Zech. 7.5, 6. When ye faſted, did ye faſt unto me at all? Did ye it to bring any ſervice or glory to me? Did ye it not for your ſelves, for your own ſafety and deliverance? Why, if we goe upon ſuch principles, we want life, till we be in Chriſt we detain all the graces we have in unrighteouſneſſe, to magnifie our ſelves, to bring about our own ends.

Obj. May not a good Chriſtian have his heart ſo dead that he is unfit for prayer, or hearing, or any holy duty, that he is unwilling to pray at all or to receive the Sacrament at all? Will you ſay ſuch a ſoul is dead, becauſe unfit for motion?

Anſw. True, there may fall ſuch a deadneſſe on the heart of a Chriſtian, as whereby he may be both unable and unwilling to good duties, to which God uſually leaves us, when we go about things in our own ſtrength, and grow ſelfe-ſure; but when by this God hath ſchooled us, and taught us thereby that all our life is hid in Chriſt; why, in this caſe God is wont to make us ſenſible of this ſinfull diſloyalty, and that in us dwells no good thing, that we of our ſelves are unable to doe any good duty, and for this diſtemper we mourn and grieve heartily. Why, this very ſence of deadneſſe is an act of ſpirituall life, which in time will work him to a farther dependence on Chriſt, and to be more heedfull of Gods Wo…d, and by how much the more we ſtrive thus, ſo much the more life we have.

A ſecond effect of life is feeding. This ſigne Chriſt gives, John 6.54. Whoſo eateth my fleſh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternall life. This is not meant of the Sacrament, for it was not then inſtituted, but of Chriſt himſelfe; but when God hath inſtituted ordinances, this is a ſure ſigne of life, if in every ordinance we partake in, we feed on Chriſt, on his blood; he that feeds not, lives not, he that forbears his meat, and forbears it long, he cannot live. Indeed, for a time a mans ſtomach may be ſo diſtempered, that he cannot eat, but he recovers himſelfe and falls to his food.

Q. How ſhall we know whether we feed on Chriſt?

A. 1. Doe you finde an inward longing after Chriſt in every ordinance, that nothing will ſatisfie your ſoul but Chriſt, he is a ſweet ſavour to you; as an hungry man, give him ſilver and gold never ſo much, he is not ſatisfied unleſſe he have meat? It was an argument of life in the Spouſe, that ſhe ſought Chriſt diligently in every ordinance, and her ſoul was grieved becauſe ſhe found him not. If a man therefore come to the ordinances, and it never troubles him though he goe home without Chriſt, this man feeds not on Chriſt.

2. Feeding implies a finding of ſweetneſſe and reliſh in our meat: So conſider, how doe you finde Chriſt, is he a ſweet ſavour to you? Doe you finde comfort and ſtrength in him, 2 Cor. 2.15, 16. Why, its a ſigne of life that you reliſh your meat well; nay, its a ſigne of health, for a ſick man cannot reliſh his meat; and if a Chriſtian finde no reliſh in the ordinances, he complains of it as his ſickneſſe, and looks up to God for help againſt it.

3. In all feeding there is a taking of the meat down, we doe not ſpit it out, and when it is down it muſt continue there, we muſt not caſt it out: So, if Gods Word abide in us, and we hide it in our ſouls by a wiſe applying of it to our ſouls, Pſal. 119.11. and therefore give up your ſelves to be guarded by it, this is a ſigne of life and ſtrength.

4. All feeding implies a converſion of the aliment into the thing nouriſhed ſo that in time our meat is ſo digeſted that its turned into our own nature and this is more then receiving Chriſt by faith; for when we receive him, and p. 403apply him to our ſelves, this is faith; but to be conformed to him in every thing, to be faſhioned according to his nature, this is a farther act of life. When a Chriſtian ſo feeds on Chriſt, that he is of the ſame nature with him, meek, lowly, and patient, as he was, this is a ſigne of life. When we are turned into his nature by feeding on him, and he into ours; why, this very feeding on ſpirituall food, implies a ſpirituall life: è contra, he that eats not the fleſh of Chriſt, hath not Chriſt; he means not a Cannibal-like eating of his very naturall body and blood; for if a man ſhould indeed eat the fleſh of Chriſt, and ſuck out his blood, it would profit him nothing, John 6.63. And this the Capernaites thought a monſtrous thing to eat the fleſh of Chriſt, therefore it is not the fleſh of Chriſt, but the Spirit that quickeneth and giveth life.

A third effect of ſpirituall life is growth, that which lives grows, untill it comes to full maturity, and then it either ſtands at a ſtay, or begins to decay; but a ſpirituall life grows up to full perfection, and then it continues in that perfect eſtate for ever in heaven, 1 Pet. 2.2. & 3.18. Eph. 4.11, 12. Col. 2.19. If a Chriſtian grows, he lives.

Obj. Doth not many a Chriſtian ſtand at a ſtay, or oft-times go back, and loſe his firſt love and fruitfulneſſe?

Anſw. True, for a time he may, as a living man by ſickneſſe may loſe his ſtrength and vigour, and be made unfit for any employment, but if he ſtrive to recover himſelfe, its a ſigne of life: ſo a Chriſtian by ſome corrupt luſts may waſt his beſt graces, like a thiefe in a candle, but if he be a living Chriſtian, he ſtrives againſt them, and prays with David, O spare me a little, that I may recover my ſtrength, before I go hence, and be no more ſeen! If he find a decay, he conſiders from whence he is faln, and he recovers himſelfe, and doth his firſt works, Rev. 2.4. Repentance is the purge of the ſoul, it expells out evill luſts, and then we doe more at laſt then at firſt, Rev. 2.17. So then, a Chriſtian is continually a growing, if not in the bulk of grace, yet in more ſweetneſſe, and mellowneſſe; as apples at their full bulk, yet grow more ripe and ſweet; ſo a Chriſtian, though he grow not to more tallneſſe, yet he may grow to more rootedneſſe in Chriſt.

2. In more ſweetneſſe of ſpirit, that is, in more love to his Brethren, and care of Gods glory.

A fourth effect of life is this, life hath an expulſive power to expell that which is noyſome and dangerous to it, it will caſt it out either by purging, or ſweat, or vomit, any noyſome humour is burdenſome to nature; ſo if grace be living, there is a power to expell every thing that is ſuperfluous, much more what is noyſome and hurtfull, nature keeps nothing but what it converts to its own nouriſhment; ſo a Chriſtian cuts away every ſuperfluity, if it be a thing of no purpoſe, or no uſe to his calling, though it may to others, this he abandons, James 1.21. But that knowledge which may be either neceſſary or expedient for him, that a Chriſtian retains, a Chriſtian caſts out that chiefly which is contrary to grace.

1. Doubtings, for that is contrary to the life of grace. 2. It caſts away all preſumption, and ſelfe-dependance, perfect love caſts out fear, and patience ſtrives againſt frowardneſſe, and every grace againſt its contrary, ſo that he may grow up to full holineſſe; the life of grace caſts out the life of the world, ſo much of the world as is cumberſome to his ſpirit, ſo much a Chriſtian lays down.

A fifth act of life is the begetting of his kind: nature grows up to this ability, though at firſt it be but weak; ſo grace no ſooner moves, or grows, or feeds in any meaſure, but it hath a minde to beget others; as ſoon as ever the woman of Samaria began to be acquainted with Chriſt, ſhe ran to all her neighbors, and tells them ſhe had met with one that told her all that ever ſhe had done, Is not this the Chriſt? John 4.29. This is the nature of ſpirituall life, as ſoon as they are well begot themſelves, they are ready to beget others. p. 404Indeed, a Chriſtian may hide himſelfe a while, but as ſoon as he is aſſured of life himſelfe, he propagates the ſame to others, John 1.41, to 46. When one Diſciple was called, he goes and calls another to come and ſee. Pſal. 51.10, 11, 12, 13. David profeſſeth that if God will but aſſure him of mercy, and eſtabliſh him therein, then he will teach others Gods ways, and ſinners ſhall be converted unto him, he that is once converted himſelfe, his care is to convert others to God.

Try your ſelves by theſe ſignes.

Doe you finde your ſelves moving a life of grace, growing up therein, feeding upon Chriſt, expelling the enemies of life, and drawing on others to the ſame life? theſe are evident ſignes of life; if you finde it not thus, there is no true ſigne of the life of grace in you.

3. This life may be diſcerned by the properties of it, by finding of which we may diſcern of our ſpirituall life. And there are three principall properties of life.

1. Where ever life is, there is ſome warmth. When Eliſha had ſtretched himſelfe over the dead childe, the fleſh of the dead childe began to wax warm, a ſigne of life, 2 Kings 4.34. So the preſence of the Spirit united to the ſoul of man is the cauſe of all ſpiritual heat. Rom. 12.11. Fervent in spirit. Therefore the Spirit is compared to fire, Mat. 3.11. 1 Theſ. 5.19. Quench not the Spirit. A ſigne that the Spirit is of a fervent nature. So 2 Tim. 1.6. I put thee in remembrance to blow up the graces of Gods Spirit. A Metaphor taken from blowing up the fire with bellows; all which imply, that the Spirit of Chriſt communicated to Chriſtians is a fervent ſpirit. Where there is no warmth, there is no life. If our ſpirit begin to wax warm, its a ſigne of ſpirituall life; as the two Diſciples that went to Emaus ſaid, (Luke 22.32.) Did not our hearts burn within us whileſt he spake thoſe things? Implying the Word hath a power to quicken, and warm, and heat the ſpirit of a Chriſtian. This ſame warmth and heat is expreſt divers wayes.

1. The very knowledge of a Chriſtian is warm, whereas in all others the knowledge is cold, and meerly ſpeculative, without any life or power. There is a zeal according to knowledge, and there is a knowledge according to zeal. The zeal that is not according to knowledge is a raſh vaine zeal, Rom. 10.2. So, it is a cold empty knowledge that hath not zeal with it. John was a burning and a ſhining light, ſhewing every ſeverall condition what they ſhould doe, but he burnt up the hypocriſie and luſts of the body, and inflamed their affections with zeal and warmth, as Herod heard him gladly. Where there is truth of light and knowledge, there is burning. The knowledge of a Chriſtian makes him fruitfull in a Chriſtian courſe, 2 Pet. 1.8. So that whatever he knows either neceſſary or expedient for him to doe, he will doe it, and he will cauſe others to doe their duties that belong unto him; ſuch is the heat of his ſpirit, that he will not ſuffer his Brother to lie in ſin, Lev. 19.17. Now another man knows many things, but doth them not, nor thinks he is bound to doe them; but a Chriſtians knowledge is of that nature that it will not ſuffer him or his Brother to lie in any ſin. True Chriſtians are thought oft-times to be more buſie then needs.

2. There is warmth in our breath; as long as there is life in us there is breath, and that breath is warm; ſo if there be any ſpirituall life, there is alwayes ſome warm breathing, ſome warmth in his breathing towards God, there is alwayes ſome warmth in his prayers, the prayers of hypocrites are but cold, and empty, and vaniſh away, but there is alwayes ſome breath of life in a good mans prayers, even then when we know not what to pray for, or how to pray, yet then there is alwayes ſomething in him that expreſſeth warmth, his very ſighings and groans come from ſome kinde of heat and life, Rom. 8.16.

2. As their breathing towards God is warm, ſo they breath warmth one towards another, ſo that in their conference, if they ſpeak of the things p. 405of the Word, they doe not ſpeak ſlightly, and overly without any affection, but they ſpeak of them with reverence, and fear, and love, and affection.

3. There is that kinde of warmth in him, as that thereby he doth not onelyonly affect the Word, but he is able to digeſt it in ſome meaſure; there is no life, but there is ſome power to digeſt ſomething, if not ſtrong meat, Pſal. 119.20. My ſoul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements. So Pſal. 42. My ſoul panteth after thee. This very panting and breathing of the ſoul after God, ſo unites the ſoul unto God, that thereby he digeſts ſomething that inables him to walk before God in the land of the living, whereas an hypocrite is hopeleſſe to any good.

4. If things be warm, the more they lye together the more warmth and heat; cold logs laid together heat not one another, but two or three brands put together are enough to kindle an heap of wood: ſo take a Chriſtian that is very cold, and almoſt benummed, yet put him to two or three more, and one word kindles another, and their ſpirits are more and more inflamed, more fit to pray, and fitter to admoniſh, and comfort, and help forward one another, 1 Pet. 4.8. Fervent love among Brethren ſo kindles one another that they are inflamed to any good offices; but when Chriſtians are disjoynted they loſe all their heat, as when a man means to put out the fire, he layes one brand from another, a ſigne he means to goe to bed and ſleep; ſo when Satan would put out the life and heat of grace in a Family or Town, he disjoynts Chriſtians, and ſo they fall into ſecurity, and grow dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, all their heat is quite extinguiſhed. Therefore the Apoſtle exhorts us not to forſake the aſſembling of our ſelves together, as the manner of ſome is, Heb. 10.25. 2 Pet. 1.21. See that ye love one another, with pure hearts fervently.

Obj. If this heat be alwayes found where life is, how comes it to paſſe that the hearts of Chriſtians are ſo cold and dead? How comes a Chriſtian to be ſo unprofitable if he digeſt the Word? Doe not Chriſtians meet and afford little warmth and help one to another? Luke 24.32. The two diſciples hearts burned when Chriſt talked with them, a ſigne before he came and chafed them up, they were cold and dead-hearted.

Anſw. True Chriſtians oft-times finde a marvellous coldneſſe and benummedneſſe of heart, that they finde little warmth in their breathing, in their prayers or conferences, and this comes partly from want of ſupply of new fuell, when they walk in their own ſtrength, without looking up to Chriſt for new ſupply; and partly by pouring cold water upon it, that is, ſome noyſome luſts that put out the grace of God, or elſe the uſe of outward comforts with wordly hearts, theſe caſt cold water on the fire, as the fire is put out either by withdrawing the fuell, or by caſting water on it: But yet though this be their fault, yet even then when they want chafing and heat, there is ſome ſtriving in them, which argues life, ſo much life as in them, ſo much heat. As for thoſe two Diſciples that went to Emaus, though their hearts burned whileſt Chriſt ſpake, yet before Chriſt came, they were talking of Chriſt, and of his ſufferings, which made them ſad, then Chriſt comes and puts life, O fools and ſlow of heart to believe; This blew up the ſparks in them. So much as a Chriſtian hath loſt of his heat, ſo much of his life, if his warmth be ſmothered his life is ſmothered.

Now this warmth is ſometimes expreſt in ſad looks, and pantings, and deep ſighs, and groanings and mourning for his forlorn eſtate, and ſurely there is life in that, for in griefe the heat runs to the heart. But worſe then this, a Chriſtian ſometimes vaniſheth away in much frothy emptyneſſe, outwardly rejoycing in worldly comforts, when there is no life within. Peter when he denyed his Maſter, his heart was fill'd with griefe and ſorrow, and he p. 406went out and wept bitterly. But what ſay you to David, when he had committed adultery, how did he go on from one ſin to another? He can make Ʋriah drunk, and then kill him, and then make no matter of it, he is careleſſe in all this, as if he had quite loſt all life and affection to God, there was not the leaſt beating of the pulſe of a Chriſtian, ſuch a foreign, that a man that knew him not before, might have written in his forehead, a man forſaken of God, without any life of grace in him, Where now was Davids life? None ſo far gone as he; 'tis a queſtion whether he prayed or no all this while; as ſome Chriſtians have ſo loſt themſelves, as for three years together they have not prayed at all, as doubting of any acceptance, becauſe they were ſo ſinfull, yet there is ſome habit of grace, but hardly one act of life; yet ſtill this holds true, ſo much warmth ſo much life, as by the Almighty power of God, there may be fire and yet no heat; as the fiery furnace, though made ſeven times hotter then ordinary, yet God ſo reſtrained the act, that it did not ſo much as ſinge the garments of the three children that were caſt into it, Dan. 3. So è contra, there is a marvellous helliſh power in ſin, ſo as it will ſuſpend all the acts of grace, ſo as a Chriſtian may expreſſe no acts of grace, but lye as a man in a deep ſwound, without life and motion, that can be diſcerned, and yet this you ſhall finde in a Chriſtian at ſuch times, a liſtleſneſſe of his heart to ſin, that he cannot break out into ſin with all his ſtrength and power as he did in his naturall condition; and the ground is this, becauſe there is ſtill fleſh and ſpirit in him, ſo that as the ſpirit cannot doe what good it would, ſo the fleſh cannot doe that evill it would, Gal. 5.17. And when a Chriſtian is moſt lively, yet there is ſtill ſome faintneſſe and weakneſſe in him; ſo è contra, when grace is moſt weak and corruption moſt ſtrong, yet he cannot commit ſin with all his ſtrength as formerly he hath done, but he goes about ſin unwillingly, not with the full ſway that he was wont to doe, he goes liſtleſly about it.

Try your ſelves therefore by theſe ſignes, if thou haſt Chriſt, thou haſt life? if life, thou haſt warmth and heat; look to thy knowledge, doth it puffe thee up, and not edifie? Doſt thou magnifie thy ſelfe by it? If it be lively knowledge, it is joyned with zeal, as Chriſt revealed himſelfe to the Church of Thyatira, Rev. 2.18. Thus ſaith the Son of God, whoſe eyes are like flames of fire, writing to the Church of Thyatira that was warm in love, and growing up therein, he revealed himſelfe according to the ſtate of the Church, as having eyes like flames of fire, as that Church had zeal with her light; ſo that if thou haſt a true knowledge, thy eyes are like flames of fire, what thou knoweſt thou doſt with zeal and fervency of ſpirit, as Peter and John ſaid, We cannot but speak the things which we have ſeen and heard; that is, which we have certain knowledge of, Acts 4.20. See Jer. 20.9.

1. Conſider therefore whether thy knowledge be joyned with zeal: How doſt thou breath? doſt thou ſmell a ſweet ſavour in the Word? Then there is breath in thy noſtrills.

2. Doſt thou breath warmth in prayer, pant and ſigh after God? In thy conference, doſt thou expreſſe life and heat? Then thou art a living Chriſtian.

3. How doſt thou finde thy ſtomach to the Word? doſt thou reliſh it, or elſe art thou aſhamed of thy unprofitableneſſe? Then there is life.

4. Doſt thou love to be disjoynted from thy Brethren, like brands caſt one from another? Then there is no life. Life loves to preſerve it ſelfe; if you ſit looſe one from another all heat and life goes out, religion ceaſeth, there is a bidding farewell to all Chriſtian duties; but if you ſee bone joyn to bone, one gather to another, then you ſhall ſee fleſh and ſinews will cover them, and life will come in, Ezek. 37.7. Put brands together, and there will be ſome fire and heat propagated.

p. 4072. A ſecond property of life. Where life is, there is ſome plyableneſſe and flexibleneſſe, a dead carkaſe is always ſtiffe: So conſider whether you be ſtiffe or no; why, if there be life of grace in you, That wiſdome that is from above, is gentle, and eaſie to be entreated, James 3.17.

There are four things in this plyableneſſe.

Firſt, He is eaſily pleaſed with any indifferent indevours, 1 Pet. 3.8. A gracious man is eaſily pleaſed; if a man be froward and hard to pleaſe, its a ſigne ſuch a ſoul is ſtiffe and dead.

Secondly, If he be offended, he is eaſie to be entreated, James 3.17. Its a ſign… of a reprobate ſence to be implacable, Rom. 3.1.

Thirdly, If he have offended another, he is willing to yeeld to that man whom he hath offended; ſo much ſtiffneſſe, ſo much deadneſſe.

Fourthly, There is this gentleneſſe in every living Chriſtian, he is willing to deny himſelfe upon unequall terms, when he might ſtand upon his right, yet he yeelds his right, rather then any offence ſhould grow; ſo Abraham did to Lot, Gen. 13.8, 9. If we finde it thus, we are loving Chriſtians; but if men be hardly pleaſed, like Nabal, churliſh, hardly recall'd, will not yeeld, but ſtand upon their right to the utmoſt, then they are in a deep ſwound, or dead.

3. Whileſt the body is alive, its ſavoury, a dead carkaſe is very unſavoury; mark your ſpirits, every living Chriſtian is a ſweet ſavour to God, his words are ſavoury, Col. 4.5, 6. Epheſ. 4.29. His works ſavour well in the noſtrills of God and man, Epheſ. 5.10. But if your ſpeeches and carriages be unſavoury, uncomely, and profane, are ye not then carnall? 1 Cor. 3.3. But a good Chriſtian ſo carryes himſelfe, that the bowells of the Saints are refreſhed by him. Unſavoury ſpeeches and carriages argue the deadneſſe of ſuch a ſoul.

Ʋſe 2. May ſhew us the dangerous and uncomfortable condition of every ſuch ſoul that hath not Chriſt; He that hath not the Son, hath not life. If we be without Chriſt, we are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, Eph. 2.1, 5. We may ſay of men by nature, as was ſaid of Senacheribs hoſt, Behold ye are all dead carkaſes, 2 Kings 19.35. We by nature have not this act of life.

Five acts of life we heard of before, by Nature we are wanting in them all.

1. By Nature we have no ſpirituall motion, all our works are but dead works, Hebrewes 9.14. And ſo dead are we by Nature that we doe no good; nay, we can doe no good; and, which is worſt of all, we will doe no good. Rom. 3.12. There is none that doth good, no not one. All the imaginations of our hearts by nature, are wholly evill, and that continually, Gen. 6.5. And as all his thoughts are evill, ſo are all his words, Mat. 12.33. And ſo are all his works, Mat. 7.18. We are as rotten trees, we cannot bring forth one good fruit. There is not ſo much in a naturall man, as one good thought, or word, or action, that proceeds from faith, or is regulated by Gods Word, or aymes at Gods glory; nay, if God ſhould raiſe us up, and inable us to doe good, yet we would not. Jer. 13. ult. Oh Jeruſalem! wilt thou not be made clean? When ſhall it once be? The man that had a bodily diſeaſe on him, when Chriſt askt him, Wilt thou be made whole? He ſaid, Yea Lord. But if God ask us the queſtion, Wilt thou be made clean? we refuſe it. We finde ſhifts to put off Chriſt, never could we finde that day, wherein we could ſay, This day I would be a Chriſtian, but we are either almoſt perſwaded to be Chriſtians, or elſe it muſt not be this day; as bad debtors, they would not have the creditors ſet them a day, leſt they p. 408ſhould break it; ſo wee would be ſpared from ſetting God a day, for ſurely we would break it; indeed, when we are preſſed with ſome fore ſickneſſe, indangering death, what ſay we? O! If God would but once reſtore me to health againe, all the world ſhould ſee I would become a new man, and yet when he was in health, he ſaid, I will ſeek God, and turne to him in ſickneſſe; and thus we put God off from Winter to Summer, from Spring to Harveſt; when we are ſick, we promiſe amendment, if God will ſend us health; but why not now? Doe you know whether ever you ſhall have health or no? And will you hazard your ſoules? And therefore God expects that in afflictions we ſhould ſeek him.

2. They feed not on Chriſt, which was a ſigne of life, but as God ſaid of his ſuperſtitious people, Iſa. 44.20. the ſame may be ſaid of every naturall man, He feedeth upon aſhes, a deceitfull heart hath turned him aſide, that he cannot deliver his ſoule, nor ſay, Is there not a lye in my right hand? Every naturall man hath an idoll that he ſets up in his heart, and whoever he be that feeds not on the living God, feeds upon aſhes. It is taken from children, that for ſome evill humour, delight to be …bling upon aſhes and coals: So every naturall man he feeds upon aſhes, that is, upon dry and unſavoury meat that will not profit the ſoule, for the ſoul is ſpirituall and fed upon ſpirituall food; profits, and pleaſures, and honours are no more fit meat for the ſoul, then aſhes for the body. Solomon complaines of the vanity of mankinde, Eccl. 3.21. Who knoweth the spirit of a man that goeth upward, or the spirit of a beaſt that goeth downward? Who knows? Who conſiders, or takes it to heart, that his ſoule goes to a better place then the beaſt? Who provides better for his ſoul then the beaſts? Doe not they all feed on worldly comfort who ſhould feed on immortall food? We by nature all of us feed on aſhes, ſo that we cannot deliver our ſoules, and ſay, Is there not a lye in my hand? Is not this a falſe courſe, a lying vanity? Will not profits and honours deceive me? A ſeduced heart hath deceived him.

3. A third act of ſpirituall life is growth. Now a carnall man is far from growing in grace; apt is he to grow in ſin, to proceed on in evill, to increaſe in ungodlineſſe, 2 Tim. 3.17. Jerem. 9.3. From coveteouſneſſe to ambition, from ambition to voluptuouſneſſe, this is his beſt growth.

4. A fourth act of life was expulſion of noyſome luſts. Now by nature we are loath to part with our luſts. Jer. 4.14. O Jeruſalem! waſh thy heart from wickedneſſe, how long ſhall vain thoughts lodge in thee? We by nature will never cleanſe out our luſts, but if we doe caſt out any thing, its the motions of Gods Spirit, we think them ſuperfluous and burdenſome, and hinderers of our credit and pleaſures, ſo that all good motions and good counſells that have been put in us, we caſt them out. Ahab is ſtruck with fear and humiliation, but he caſts out all by calling a Councell for War; Let Cain have a good motion, he puts it off by building a City, and ſo takes off his thoughts from once ſeeking to God to heal his ſins. Felix, when Pauls words made him to tremble, he would hear him no more at that time, Acts 24.25. As Paul complains of the Jewes, Acts 13.46. And Stephen, Acts 7.52. Ye ſtiffe-necked and uncircumciſed in heart, ye have alwayes reſiſted the holy Ghoſt. They are not well till they have caſt out all ſuch thoughts; we are not well, till we are alive to run from God; wiſe are we to doe evill, but to doe good we have no knowledge, Jer. 4.22.

p. 4095 A fifth act of life was begetting men to grace, but we è contra endeavour to beget them to the devil, and make them ſeven times more the children of the devill then before, Mat. 23.15. Though we underſtand that chiefly of corrupt Teachers, yet Jeremy ſpeaketh it of all men by nature, Jer. 6.28. They are all corrupters; not onelyonly bad themſelves, but corrupters of others, none that comes amongſt them but is made worſe by them, kept off farther from God, they would not have their friends, look towards matters of Religion. All fleſh have corrupted their wayes, Gen. 6.11.

Ʋſe 3. It may teach us to bemoan all thoſe our friends that yet lye in the ſtate of nature. Haſt thou any childe, or wife, or friends that lye in the ſtate of nature, look at them as thy dead children, and dead friends; and if our friends lye dead, how bitterly doe we mourn for them? Zach. 12.10. They ſo mourn, that they will not be comforted, Matth. 2.18. All was full of mourning, and lamentation, becauſe all the children were dead, and have not many parents many children lying in their natural condition, and is not the ſpirituall death far worſe then the bodily? if they be alive in grace, Bleſſed are the dead that dye in the Lord, Rev. 14.17. Therefore mourn not ſo … for their naturall death, but if they be ſpiritually dead, without God, without Chriſt, without the life of grace; why, weep then for this childe and that friend that lyes dead before you. It may be thy whole houſe is full of dead carkaſes, not one childe or ſervant alive. Oh! then weep over them, mourn for them, …e earneſt to God for them, and never leave till thou haſt got life propagated to them. And if thou doſt th…, he … hath given thee children will give them life, ſome of them at … that promiſe is full, 1 John 5.16. If any man ſee his Brother ſin a ſin which is … unto death, he ſhall …k, and he ſhall g…ve him life. You may therefore ſo handle the matter, that as you have given them natural life, ſo you may give them ſpiritual life. You know what a ſore and bitter cry there was in Aegypt, ſo that they aroſe at midnight; why, what was the matter, there was not one houſe wherein one was not dead; what would they have done then, if there had been but one alive in every houſe? Such is the caſe of many families, that a man may riſe up in the …ing, and not finde one alive in his family beſide himſelfe, it is a juſt occaſion of bitter mourning, if there were but one dead, how much more then when there is hardly one alive? Therefore pray heartily for them, that their ſoul… may live in Gods ſight. If you have the bowels of parents, be earneſt with God till you have procured life for them.

Ʋſe 4. To condemne the Church of Rome, that think by nature men have free will to lay hold on Chriſt; but I would ask them, when they lay hold on Chriſt, whether they have Chriſt or no before; why, before they have received him, they have him not, and if they have him not, they are but dead men, and how ſhall dead men lay hold on Chriſt? If they do lay … it's an act of life, if we be either able or willing to do any good, it proceeds from the grace of Chriſt, Phil. 1.12, 13.

Ʋſe 5, Let it teach us all, if we yet be without Chriſt, let us not give reſt to our eyes, nor ſlumber to our eye-lids, till we have procured Chriſt to our ſelves and ours. What if a man have wealth, and honour, and beauty, if he hath not Chriſt, he hath not life. Therefore labour for Chriſt, that having him thou mayſt have life.

Motives.

1 From the ſweetneſſe of life. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life; and he means natural life, but truly our ſpirituall life is worth the laying down our natural life. What ſhall a man gain, if he p. 410win the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul. If a man live and dye without Chriſt we may ſay of him as Chriſt did of Judas, It had been good for that man if he had never have been born. Mat. 26.24.

2 Conſider, if we have Chriſt we have life, and that in abundance. If you have all the promiſes, for in him they are yea and a men, 2 G…. 1.20. All the bleſſings of God are yours, both ſpirituall, Epheſ. 1.3. and temporal, 1 Tim. 4.8. 1 Cor. 3.2. laſt verſ. If you have Chriſt, the world is yours, all the dealings and carriages ſhall be ſerviceable to you, whatever you want, peace, or comforts, or outward things, if you have Chriſt, you have all things, Rom. 8.32.

Q. But what ſhall we do to get Chriſt? Are we not by nature unable and unwilling to receive Chriſt? To what end then is this your exhortation?

Anſw. Though this be our ſinfull diſtemper, yet our exhortations be not in vain, for God by his Word oft-times conveys a power whereby we are enabled to lay hold on Chriſt Peter ſpake to a lame man to walk. Acts 3.6, 7. Would you not think it was a vain word? No, becauſe he conveyed ſtrength withall, whereby he was enabled to riſe up and walk.

Means to help us to get life i… Christ.

1 Conſider how de…d and loſt thou are by nature. Chriſt came to call ſuch as feel themſelves loſt, Luke 19.10. Mat. 9.12, 13.

2 If thou knoweſt any fin…lly thy ſelf, …id thy hands of it, caſt them ſuch thee. Many a man lives in ſin, which if he would but renounces God would receive him to mercy, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. Iſa. 1.16, 17, … …f the Paſſover, except they put away …en, Exod 12.19, So if … the old leave…, we ſhall become a new …, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. Iſ…. 55.6, 7.

3 Seek the Lord whileſt he may be found, Iſa. 55.6. Do but ſeen him, and he will be found.

And how is this done?

1 By longing and thirſting after him.

2 Seek him in all the means. Heare diligently and your ſouls ſhall …, Iſa. 55.13. It's a notable promiſe, Prov. 8.35, 36. Therefore men ſhould be willing to ſtraighted themſelves a little in their worldly buſineſſe…, to loy… and hear Gods Word.

3 Seek him in prayer, Iſa. 55.6.

Ʋſe 6. To teach every ſoul that hath Chriſt, and yet complai…s of the deadneſſe and dulneſſe of his heart; if thou findeſt a decay of life, ſeek Chriſt again, get faſter hold of him, and thou ſhalt increaſe thy life; exerciſe your faith, live dayly by faith, and you ſhall not want life.

Ʋſe 7. Of conſolation to every ſoul that hath Chriſt. If thou haſt Chriſt, thou haſt life, and ſhalt have it more abundantly; he that findeth him, findeth life; and they that ſeek not Chriſt, ſeek death.