The Way of Life, Treatises 4 · Treatise 2
GAL. 2.20.
Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
NOw he corrects, or indeed rather explaines himselfe, how or what kind of life it is that he lives; Not hee, how then? Christ lives in him.
So that in these words, you have a deniall of himselfe, to be the author and roote of his owne life; he denies himselfe to live, even then when he doth live.
Secondly, You have an acknowledgement of the Author and roote of his life; Christ lives in his life.
Doctrine. A living Christian lives not himselfe, but Christ in him.
Or thus:
The life of a Christian is not his owne life, but the life of Christ Iesus.
Either of both these expresse these two parts of the verse; A living Christian lives not himself, not his own life, but Christ lives in him.
First, See how a living Christian lives not his owne life, after once he hath had part in the death of Christ, and hath thereby beene initiated into the life and power of Christs death, and so become a mortified and crucified Christian in some measure, such a Christian lives not his own life in this world.
There is a threefold life, A carnall life, a spirituall life, and a naturall life; and in some respect, a living Christian lives none of these lives.
A carnall life is expressed in three things, in living to a mans lusts, in living to the world, and in living to a mans owne wisedome and reason.
Now a Christian man lives to none of these; He lives not to his owne lusts: How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Rom. 6.2. He looks at it as an absurdity, and indeed in some measure monstrous, ver. 6. The body of sin is dead in us, that we should no more serve sin; and ver. 7. he that is dead with Christ, is free from sinne: arme your selves with the same minde; now you live no longer to the lusts of men, but to the will of God; this life Paul doth not live, he is not lively at his lusts, they are death to him; for though a Christian man may be defiled, and sometimes overtaken, yet so farre as he is a living Christian, so farre he is a dead man to those lusts, they are the deadnesse of his heart, the discouragement of his spirit, the hell of his soule, that he is compassed about with such evils as these be; Oh wretched man that I am, &c. Rom. 7.23, 24. as if it were the death of his life, that he carried about such a body of death with him. Now then, saith the Apostle, if I doe that which I hate, It is no more I that doe it, but sin that dwelleth in me, Rom. 7.20. It is the misery of my spirituall life, that I am at any time dead-hearted to spirituall duties, and somewhat apt to close with temptations to sinne, whether darted by Satan, or stirred up by my owne corrupt heart; and therefore if there be any life of sin in me, in the least measure, it is the death of my heart.
And secondly, so neither lives he in regard of the world, for though you may have a godly man busie in his calling from Sunne rising to Sunne setting, and may by Gods providence fill both his hand and head with businesse; yet a living Christian when he lives a most busie life in this world, yet he lives not a worldly life.
There are are foure or five severall differences between a Christian his living to the world, and another mans that is not yet alive to God, and hath no fellowship with Christ in his death.
First, A Christian man principally seeks Christ above and before the world, Mat. 6.33. He doth first look for spirituall things, he had rather have his part in Christ, then in all the blessings of this life, he would first order his heart to Christ, his principall care is about that, and if he doe not so, he looks at it as his death, which a worldly man doth not.
Secondly, As he first and principally seekes Christ, so all the good things he hath, he lookes for them from Christ, he goes not about his businesse in his owne strength, but what he wants he seeks it from Christ, and what he hath he receives it from Christ, Gen. 33.5, 11. If God blesse him with children, with health, or with estate, or what ever other comfort of this life, he lookes at it as a free gift of Gods grace, he doth not sacrifice to his owne nets, nor to the dexterity of his owne hands, but these are the blessings God hath graciously given to his servant, though common, and such as every one hath, yet not so to him.
Thirdly, A Christian man, as he receives the world from Christ, so he enjoyes them all in Christ; I meane he enjoyes it not in the sense of his owne desert, but he lookes at himselfe lesse then the least of them all, Gen. 32.10. I am lesse then the least of all thy faithfulnesse to thy servant. This is to enjoy all in Christ, not in his own worth, but in the merit of Christ.
Now this a Christian doth, whatever his businesse be, in his worldly businesse, he doth not lead a worldly life.
Fourthly, Hee useth and imployeth all for Christ, In our gates, faith the Church, are all manner of pleasant fruits, my Beloved I have kept them all for thee: When he hath many blessings, he considers what he shall doe with them. This is the frame of a living Christian, one whose heart is given to Christ. I have indeed all manner of these things, faire houses, well furnished roomes, pleasant provision of all sorts, but my Beloved I have kept them all for thee; though I have never so much, yet it is all for Christ, 1 Cor. 10.31. That God may be glorified in Jesus Christ; this is the summe of his eating and drinking, and buying and selling, &c. this is the upshot of all, this is all for Christ, and this is so to live in the world, as not to live like a man of the world, and so he makes good work of his worldly businesse, though in themselves never so intricate.
Fiftly, A living Christian lives unto God, even then when he lives in the world, in that he is willing to leave worldly businesse, and worldly things for Christ, leave them all, rather then part with Christ; this is the resolution of his spirit, and his practise when he is put to it, Psal. 45.10. Hearken O daughter and consider, forget thy kindred and thy Fathers house; let them all goe, forget thy pleasures and treasures in Pharaohs Court, so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty, that if any thing stand betweene obtaining of Christ, and the enjoying of the world, let all goe; were the comfort of this life never so precious and glorious, yet forget them all, let them all be as a dead commodity for a living Christ, Matth. 16.27. We have forsaken all and followed thee; and if afterward the world and Christ should fall out, as sometimes they will, and ere long it will be that a man cannot keep his heart in a comfortable plight with Christ, but it will cost him losse of friends, and sometimes losse of estate, and sometimes losse of life, why yet a Christian will forsake all for Christ, if once the world and Christ come to fall out; and in this case a Christian thinks it no hard choyce, though Demas did, 2 Tim. 4.10. I passe not at all, saith a Christian, so that I may but finish my course with joy, Acts 20.23, 24. This is the true life of a Christian in respect of his Christian life, and wherein he differs from a worldly man; for there is no worldly man that lives a worldly life, but his first care is for his estate to settle that well, and when he hath thus provided for him and his, in the remanent of his time he will seek Christ.
And when he gets any thing, he depends much upon his trade, he lives unto himself, and what he hath he thinks he hath deserved it, and he will be much offended with Gods providence if he be crossed in his designs and labours. And that which he hath, for whom doth he keep it? He will say for wife, and children, and kindred; but how they will use it, that is no matter. And if it come to a parting blow, that either the world or Christ we must lose, they think men very unwise that will part with a bird in the hand for two in the bush. They may goe away sorrowfull, but away they will goe, if there bee no remedy, rather let Christ provide for himselfe; for their part, they will beare no such burthens for him; but now a Christian lives not to the world, and if hee should so live, it were rather a swoune of Christianity, then any life and power of Christ.
For a carnall life, which is a life of living to a mans owne wisdome and reason, he lives not that life neither, If any man would be wise in this world, let him become a foole that hee may bee wise, 1 Corinth. 3.18, 19, 20. No living Christian but he must deny his owne wisedome, judgement, and understanding, that he may be wise in Christ; You say, what, would you have men senslesse, and mopish, and not understand themselves? No, no, here is the point, True grace doth not destroy a mans wisdome, but rather enlargeth and enlightneth it wonderfully; so as that men by nature are blinde, but spirituall wisedome enlightens the eyes of the blinde. It is an excellent speech, that in the Heb. 11.1. Faith is the substance; in the Originall it is, Faith is the subsistence of things not seene; The meaning is, that if wee should tell many a man, that the favour of God is more worth then any blessing of this world, the blood of Christ more precious then gold, the spirit of grace the best companion for the soule, &c. these seeme to many a man but fained things, no subsistence in these things: This is but some strong imagination of some melancholy braines, he sees no such matter in them, and he is perswaded there is no such thing, it is onelyonly faith, that sees subsistence in these things; To a faithfull Christian there is subsistence in al the the promises, there is waight in the examples, threatnings, and Commandements of the word, subsistence in the favour of God, and in the blood of Christ, and in fellowship with the spirit, and in other things there is none at all. Now in this case a man must see all his wisedome to be but folly, all the high thoughts hee had of the world and himselfe, hee must looke at them all as vain; and all the low thoughts he had of Religion and the wayes of grace, hee must looke at them all as folly and madnesse; So that here a Christian is dead to his owne wisedome; that which sometimes hee thought to have beene his chiefest good, is now nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit, but when hee comes to see spirituall things have onelyonly true subsistence in them, then he leads a wiser life then ever hee did before.
Now for his spirituall life: A living Christian, his whole spirituall life is Christ, and not himselfe, his spirituall life is not his owne life.
There be three parts of spirituall life, which a Christian lives in this world, the fourth (which is the life of glory) he lives in that which is to come.
A life of Justification, a life of Sanctification, a life of spirituall Consolation.
1. A life of Justification, Rom. 5.18. Now a Christian man lookes for Justification, not from all his spirituall performances, prayer, preaching, receiving Sacraments, &c. He lookes at all these as losse, that hee might winne Christ, Not having his owne righteousnesse, Philip. 3.6, 7, 8, 9.
2. For his life of Sanctification, he doth not make account that himself is sufficient, as of himselfe, to thinke a good thought, 2 Cor. 3.5. When God hath given him grace, yet he can doe nothing in any lively manner, unlesse Christ assist him, and help him at every turne, 1 Cor. 15.10. By the grace of God I am that I am, and the grace in mee was not in vaine; but I laboured more abundantly then they all; yet not I, it is not I that have took all this paines; though he had a good calling, and an honest heart, yet not I, nay, neither was it the grace of Christ that was in him, but the grace of God that was with him; it was the spirit of God breathing in his grace, that made these spices thus flow forth, Cant. 4.ult. Though he had many precious graces bestowed on him yet not he, nor any grace in him, but the grace of God with him, that wrought with him, and acted, and did all he did wherever he came; Now blessed be God that makes manifest the savor of his grace, 2 Cor. 2.12. to 15.
3. And thirdly, for his life of Consolation, there goe two things for the making up of a mans consolation, partly Gods favour, and that is better then life, Psal. 63.3. Psal. 30.5. In thy favour is life.
Secondly, The prospering of Gods work in themselves and others, 1 Thess. 3.8. Now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord: they were his joy, and his crown and glory; But was that his life of Justification, think you? No, nor of his Sanctification neither; though the Church had falne, yet Paul his work had been glorious in Gods sight, and he had still been justified and sanctified; but it was the life of his consolation: this is our life, and the crowne of our rejoycing if you stand fast in the Lord.
Now for a mans naturall life, how can a man be said not to live his owne naturall life? Yet a Christian may say, that in some measure he lives not his owne naturall life, but Christ lives in him, Acts 17.28. In him we live, move, and have our being: You say, so hath a carnall man his life from Christ; True, but he acknowledgeth it not; In him was life, and that was the life of men, Ioh. 1.3, 4. A Christian man hath his naturall life from Christ, as from an head that gives both spirituall and naturall life; In him thou hast given me life and breath, and thy visitation hath preserved my being, Iob 12.10. Christ gave us our life, and he preserves it, wee cannot better explaine it then thus; A wind-mill moves not onelyonly by the wind, but in the wind; so a water-mill hath its motion, not onelyonly from the water, but in the water; so a Christian lives, as having his life from Christ, and in Christ, and further then Christ breathes and assists, he stirs not; Psal. 104.29, 30. My times are in thy hands, Psal. 31.5. Dan. 5.23. Thou hast not honoured thy God, in whose hand thy breath is, and all thy wayes, it was the sinne of the prophane King not to regard it; All his wayes and turnings, his sicknesse and health, and all his changes, they are all in Gods hands; Ier. 10.23. I know that the way of man is not in himselfe; upon thee have I beene cast, from my mothers wombe, thou hast poured me out like milke, and by thee I was curdled in my mothers wombe, so that I live; What you Paul? No, not I; as if it were too broad a word for a Christian man to speake, Though I live, yet not I.
Now secondly, how may it be said, that Christ lives in a living Christian; How? as a roote of his life, as the Author both of his spirituall and naturall life: for his carnall life, that he is wholly dead unto; but for his other, Christ is the Actor and roote of all, for God hath given him above all to be head of the Church; as the members live a reasonable life from the head, so doth the Church from Christ; Without me you can doe nothing, John 15.1, 2. he is called the Prince of life, Acts 3.15. 1 Cor. 15.45. And this comes to passe partly by Gods acceptance of him as our head; God hath appointed him to bee our head; and also by the communication of his Spirit to us, 1 Cor. 6.17.
And thirdly, by faith, for it is faith that receives Christ to dwell in us, Ephes. 3.17. so that by these we dwell in Christ, and so live in him, and he in us, for by this meanes Christ is made our roote, Rom. 11.17. so as we that were by nature branches of the wild Olive, are now made partakers of the good Olive: and hence it is, that wee bring forth savoury fruit, some fruits there bee, which if you never transplant them, they will grow wild, but transplant them, and they will bring forth fruit; so take any man that is wild by nature, and let him be crucified with Christ, cut him off from fellowship with Adam, and his lusts, and implant him into Christ, and then he is made partaker of the true Olive, and so will bring forth good fruit.
Vse. It may be first an evident signe of tryall to every one of us, of our owne estates, whether we have part in Christs death yea or no, whether wee be living Christians, or no; Christians we are, wee cannot denie, and so have an outward right to partake with the rest of Gods people; But would you know whether you bee living Christians, or no? Consider, a living Christian lives not himselfe, but Christ lives in him; Christian signifies one Anointed with the grace of Christ, 1 John 2.27. Now for this consider what hath beene said; If thou beest a living Christian, thou livest, yet not thou, but Christ in thee; And let me say this to every Christian soule, and take it as an eternall truth, if to this day thou livest to thy lusts, and livest in any knowne sin, and it is the delight of thy soule to live in pride, and covetousnesse, &c. if you live in any sinne, and desire so to doe, thou maiest be called a Christian, but thou art a dead Christian. But you say, you thank God, you have bid adieu to all your lusts: but it was a shrewd saying of old, Licitis perimus omnes, we most of us perish by lawfull things; and therefore I say further, Dost thou not live to the world? Thou sayest, Is it not lawfull for a man to be diligent in his calling, thou canst not leave thy businesse, as such and such as are bankrupts; Well, God forbids thee not to be diligent in thy calling; let me tell thee, if thou canst so live in the world, as that thy first care is to seeke Christ, before the doing of any worke of thine owne, and if to manage thy calling thou looke for helpe from him, and looke at thy selfe, as unworthy of any mercy from God, and aske thy heart, who is all this for? is it for Christ? canst thou say, I have kept them all for thee? and canst thou come to this resolution, that if Christ and thy calling come to be at variance, yet thou canst part with all to keepe fellowship with Christ? then thou livest in the World, but art not a man of the World; Christ sits next to thy heart all this while, and then thou art well; but otherwise let mee tell thee, if thou canst first be busie about thy calling, and thinke you have wit enough for your owne businesse, and you think you deserve all you have, else you would not bee so much disturbed when you are crossed in it; and if you use them not for Christ, but you lose him in the use of them, and you keepe it, that you and yours may bee some great ones in the World; and if a crosse way come, that Christ and your estates must part, you turne your back upon Christ, and upon all that professe his name; then bee not a lyer against the truth, thou art of the world, and livest to the world, and the Lord Jesus hath yet no hold of thee; and therefore bee sure if it bee so with you, you have failed in one of these; you have stirred about worldly businesse, before you looked for Christ, and gone about them in your owne strength, and in sense of your owne worthinesse of them, which makes you discontent when you are crossed in them, and you consider not for what end you laid up all these; and hence it is, that when it comes to a parting blow, many a Christian is foiled about the world: and therefore looke seriously to it, and if you conceive worldly things have some subsistence in them, but not so of the things of GOD, then it is not Christ that lives in you, but you live to your selves.
Vse 2 To cast a just reproofe upon living Christians, that Christian men should not live like Christian men; a shame for Christian men still to live in pride, and uncleannesse, committing the works of darknesse; and therefore bee ashamed that ever you should take up the life of a Christian, and still bee more forward for the world, then for Christ; still to bee impatient for worldly crosses, and still to want serious thoughts for whom is all this, and yet not come to consider how you must part from all these. This may cast much confusion upon the face of a Christian man, that to this day they cannot say that they live unto Christ. Some there be, who say, that they live unto Christ, and some that say, they will not have Christ to reigne over them, Luke 19.14. some there be that say; Let us breake his bonds asunder, and cast his cords from us, Psal. 2. but it were a shame that any Christian should do so.
Vse 3 To teach us all, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to desire to make knowne to our owne consciences, and to the world, that wee are crucified with Christ, and live to God; let us say, it is not enough for a Christian to live besides his lusts, or that the world is lesse to be regarded then Christ, &c. but I pray you practise this resolution daily, unlesse you have some thoughts of this daily, you will lose your spirituall life daily, and you never finde your hearts lost in worldly businesse; but when you want a heart daily to consider what God cals you to, you must therefore have these thoughts daily. And further, take this counsell, if thou beest troubled about thy justification and peace with God, let this comfort thee, that thou knowest thou livest not by thine owne graces, but by Christ.
Vse 4 Of comfort and consolation, to every soule as can truly say, this is the frame of their hearts, they doe not live themselves, but Christ in them; bee not you discouraged at your owne weaknesse, but make account your living in Christ will beare you out, and therefore labour to be loose to the World, and live like those that have a living fountaine to run unto, for supply of what ever you stand in need of, that so all the rest of our time may not be a life of our owne lusts, but of Christ in us.