The Natural Mans Case, Part 1 · Sermon 5
SERMON, V.
EPHES. 2. 12.
That at that time yee were without Chriſt,—
WE come now to lay down ſome other things by way of comfort, to thoſe that have an intereſt in Chriſt: and oh that you that are Citizens of Heaven would read over your large Charter of Mercies, that is ſealed to you in the bloud of Chriſt, read over thoſe many benefits, and comforts that you have by Chriſt, that none in the world enjoy, but you onelyonly that have an intereſt in him: I ſhall reduce all that I have to ſay concerning this particular under theſe 7 heads; you that lay an Seven benefits which the faithfull have by Chriſt.undoubted claim to Chriſt, you may lay claim to this ſevenfold benefit by him.
1. You that have an intereſt in Chriſt, you have all things though you have nothing: this I touched upon before, you may ſay with the Apoſtle, as having nothing, yet poſſeſſing all things, though you may be without wealth and riches and Olive yards, yet herein lies your comfort, you are not without Chriſt, and in having him you have al things though you have nothing, for all things are given you, in and through Chriſt by way of entaile, as in 1 Cor. 3. 22. All things are yours, and yee are 1 Cor. 3. 22.Chriſts.
I ſhall a little explain this place to you; ſayes the Apoſtle, Whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things preſent, or things to come, all is yours, and you are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods: Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, (that is) all the Miniſters of Chriſt, if you have an intereſt in Chriſt, Chriſt hath given gifts to his Miniſters for your ſakes: ſo that you may lay claim to all the Miniſters of Chriſt, Paul is yours, and Apollos is yours, they are yours, becauſe they are your lights, to guide you in the way to heaven, through the darke wilderneſſe of this world; they are your Paſtors, to feed you with knowledge and underſtanding, in the Myſteries of Salvation; they are your Shepheards, to gather you into the fold of Jeſus Chriſt; they are your builders to hew and ſquare and make you fit for Chriſts ſpirituall building; they are your con…ctors or the friends of the Bridegroome, to make up a compleat match between Chriſt and you; (I ſpeak only in Scripture phraſe) they are your Vine-dreſſers to prune you, and make you fit to bring forth fruit unto God: Thus all the gifts of all the Miniſters in the world are intended by Chriſt for the good of his children; if there were no godly men in the World, there would be no Miniſters in the World, and therefore theſe people that will heare onelyonly one kind of Miniſters, ſuch as they affect, and ſlight all elſe, they ſtraighten their own priviledges, for all the Miniſters in the World are given by Chriſt for the benefit of his children.
But then again ſays the Apoſtle, Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the World, all is yours: you have a right to all the World, not only a civil right, but a religious right, The meek ſhall inherit the earth. So that if you could go to the top of an exceeding high Mountain, and look over all the whole World, you may ſay, Behold, I ſee all this is my Fathers ground, and he hath given it to Chriſt, even the heathen for his inheritance, and Pſal. 2. 8.the uttermoſt parts of the earth for his poſſeſſion, and I having an Intereſt in Chriſt, am thereby a coheire and joint heire with him.
3. Life is yours likewiſe; God hath given you your lives that in that little ſpace of time, you might provide for eternity, and labour to know God and worſhip him aright.
4. Death is yours likewiſe, death is but as it were a lanching of you forth into an Ocean of endleſſe joyes and pleaſures, but as a trap-doore to let you into heaven; if you ſhould never dye you would bee but miſerable creatures; but God hath appointed death to be a means to let you into Heaven. Whether wee live, we live unto the Rom. 14 8.Lord, or whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord, ſo that living or dying, we are the Lords.
5. Things preſent are yours, which includes in it, either preſent mercies, or preſent afflictions; 1. preſent mercies are yours, as having a right to them, and beholding the goodneſſe of God in them, and praiſing God for them, and as ſerving God with them, and as doing good to others by them. 2. Preſent afflictions are yours likewiſe, to humble your hearts, to wean you from the world, to quicken your deſires after heaven, to purge out your corruptions, and exerciſe your graces, and the like; whatſoever preſent condition thou art in, that preſent condition bee it what it will be, ſhall work for thy good.
6. Things to come are yours too; if afflictions come, or temptations come, or trouble, or want, or famine, or peſtilence, or impriſonments, or any thing come, they are all yours, they are ordered by Chriſt to be for your good; and ſo if mercy comes, and the bleſſings of another world, they are all yours, Heaven and Happineſſe, and Glory, Life & Salvation are all yours. Here then (Beloved) you ſee the firſt branch of a mans happineſſe, that hath an intereſt in Chriſt, in having Chriſt he hath all things, though hee hath nothing, becauſe he hath him that hath all things: this is the firſt.
2. That man that hath an intereſt in Chriſt, his ſecond conſolation lies in this, that all that Chriſt hath is his: and (oh my Beloved) this is a golden mine, that will afford you many pretious comforts, I ſhall give them to you under theſe five or ſix particulars.
1. If you have an intereſt in Chriſt, then Chriſts Father is your Father.
2. Chriſts Spirit is your Spirit.
3. Chriſts Righteouſneſſe is your Righteouſneſſe.
4. Chriſts Graces are your Graces.
5. Chriſts Peace is your Peace; And
6. Chr. Sufferings are your Sufferings.
And (oh Beloved) ſee what a large field you may here walk in: 1. If you have an intereſt in Chriſt, his Father is your Father, as in Joh. 20. 17. ſaith Chriſt, Behold I aſcend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God; Chriſts Father is a Beleevers Father.
2. Chriſts Spirit is your Spirit; in John 14. 8. ſayes Chriſt, I will pray to my Joh. 14. 8.Father, and he ſhall give you another Comforter, which ſhall abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the World cannot receive, becauſe it ſeeth him not, but you ſee him and know him, for he dwelleth with you and ſhall be in you.
3. Chriſts righteouſneſſe is your righteouſneſſe. Jer. 23. 6. And this is the name whereby he ſhall be called, The Lord our righteouſneſſe; So in 1 Cor. 1. 30. Chriſt is made of 1 Cor. 1. 30.God unto us wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification and redemption.
4. His Graces are your Graces. Joh. 1. Ioh. 1. 14.14. Christ is full of grace and truth, Why? That out of his fulneſſe we might all receive grace for grace, that is, for every Grace that is in Jeſus Chriſt, according to our proportion and capacity we ſhall receive from him.
5. His peace is your peace. Joh. 14. 27. Ioh. 14. 27.My peace, ſayes Chriſt, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, the peace that we enjoy is from Chriſt.
6. Laſtly, Chriſts ſufferings are your ſufferings, God looks upon his ſufferings for you, as if you in your own perſons had done and ſuffered what he did, the juſt hath ſuffered for the unjuſt to bring you to God; the ſufferings of Chriſt do as effectually bring you to God, as if you in your own perſons had ſuffered upon the croſſe as he did, nay it doth it a great deal more, for our ſufferings could not have done it. Thus having an intereſt in Chriſt, all that Chriſt hath is yours.
3. Take this for your comfort, that all that you have is Chriſts; I ſhall ſum up all that I have to ſay, concerning this, under theſe three comprehenſive particulars:
1. Your ſinnes are Chriſts to pardon them, and ſatisfie Gods juſtice for them.
2. Your ſufferings are Chriſts to ſanctifie them; And
3. Your bodies and ſoules are Chriſts to ſave them.
1. You that have an intereſt in Chriſt, your ſins are his to pardon them, Eſay 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us Eſa. 53. 6.all, the chaſtiſements of our peace were laid upon him, and by his stripes we are healed, hee bore our ſins in his own body on the tree, and to this purpoſe the Apoſtle hath an expreſſion in 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was made ſin for us, that we might be the righteouſneſſe of God 2 Cor. 5. 21.in him; Chriſt was no ſinner, but hee was made a ſinner for us, he bore our ſins upon him, our ſinnes are Chriſts to pardon them.
2. Our ſufferings are Chriſts ſufferings to ſanctifie them unto us. Act. 9. Chriſt Act. 9. 4.ſays to Saul; Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me? hee lookes upon the injuries and wrongs, that are done to his people, as if they were done to him.
3. Your bodies and ſoules are Chriſts to ſave them; our members are Members of Chriſts body, as in 1 Cor. 6. 15. ſays the Apoſtle, ſhall I take the Members of Chriſt, and make them Members of an harlot? God forbid: thy bodie is Chriſts, and thy ſoule is Chriſts, the Apoſtle hath it in ſo many expreſſe tearms, in 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. What know you 1 Cor 6. 19, 20.not (ſays the Apoſtle) that your bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own; for you are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your bodies and ſouls which are his. Thus you ſee what a large field of merciemercy al you that have an intereſt in Chriſt, have here to walk in, you have all things, though you have nothing, all things equivalently, all things conditionally, all things finally, and all things inheritively: all the Miniſters of Chriſt are yours, the whole world is yours, life and death is yours, things preſent are yours, whether preſent afflictions, or preſent mercies, things to come are yours, whether afflictions, or temptations, or trouble, or want, or any things; and merciemercy to come is yours, as life and Salvation, Heaven and Happineſſe, all is yours; all that Chriſt hath is yours, Chriſts Father is your Father, his Spirit is your Spirit, his righteouſneſſe is your righteouſneſſe, his graces are your graces, his peace is your peace, and his ſufferings are your ſufferings; and all that you have is Chriſts, your ſins are Chriſts to pardon them, and your ſufferings Chriſts to ſanctifie them, and your ſoules and bodies Chriſts to ſave them: I might here adde one head more, that all your duties and ſervices are Chriſts too, he perſumes them with the ſweet odour of his merits, and ſo preſents them, and makes them acceptable to God, hence it is that you read in the Revelation, that Chriſt addes his incenſe to the prayers of all his Saints; and this is a very great conſolation.
4. All you that have an intereſt in Chriſt, take this for your comfort, that the having of Chriſt is that which will ſweeten all the croſſes and afflictions, and adverſe conditions that you meet withall here in this world; the having of Chriſt will ſweeten every trouble, as I told you before; what the tree was to the waters of Marah, that Chriſt will be to every ſad and dejected ſoul in every troubleſome condition, the waters of Marah were ſo exceeding Ex. 15. 25.bitter none could drink of them, but when the tree was caſt into the waters then they became ſweet: Why ſo it may be thy condition here in this world is as the waters of Marah, full of bitterneſs and ſorrow, and trouble and affliction, but now doe but caſt this tree of life, the Lord Jeſus, into theſe waters, and then this will convert them from waters of Marah, bitter and troubleſome, to be rivers of joy and ſtreams of comfort. Chriſt will be to thy ſoul as the honie in the Lions bellie was to Samſon, it became good for food to feed upon; it may be afflictions and Iudg. 14.troubles may come in upon thee like a roaring Lion, but Chriſt is as the hony in this Lion, that ſweetens all thy ſorrows and makes them advantagious and comfortable for thee. I might apply to this purpoſe what an Author obſerves concerning the water of the Sea, it is very ſalt in its ſelf, but when it comes to run through the bowels of the earth, it then loſeth its ſaltneſſe and becomes pleaſant; why ſo though thy condition here in the world be full of ſharp and ſore afflictions, yet when theſe come to run through Chriſt, he ſweetens them all unto thee. Great is your comfort in having an intereſt in Chriſt, for this is that which ſweetens all the croſſes and troubles you meet withall here in the world: and (Beloved) doe but ſeriouſly conſider of it, and let mee a little reaſon the caſe with you, What though thou mayſt feed upon the bread of ſorrow, yet how canſt thou be uncomfortable, when withall thou feedeſt upon the bread of life the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? What though thou mayeſt drink the water of affliction and wine of aſtoniſhment, yet how canſt thou be uncomfortable, ſo long as thou doſt drink drops of Chriſts bloud? What though you have not a houſe to put your head in, yet let this be your comfort, that you have a houſe preſerved for you, a building not made with hands, eternall in the heavens: What though you have nothing but a ſtone for your pillow to lay your head upon, when every night you lay your head in the boſome of Jeſus Chriſt? Thus much concerning the fourth conſolation.
5. All you that have a reall and wellgrounded intereſt in Chriſt, herein lies your comfort, that in and through Chriſt, you may look upon God (that in himſelfe is cloathed with dread and terribleneſſe) with a great deal of joy and comfort. Chriſt makes all the attributes of God to be delightfull and comfortable to thee, that though God be a conſuming fire to burn up thy ſoul like ſtubble out of Chriſt, yet in Chriſt you may look upon God as fire, but yet ſo as that Chriſt interpoſeth between you and it; Chriſt is as a skreen between the fire of Gods wrath and you; thou art to look upon God, not as an enemy that ſets himſelfe againſt thee, but as a friend reconciled to thee; not as an angry Judg that is deſirous to condemne thee, but as a mercifull Father that is willing to pardon thee, you are not to looke upon God cloathed with dread and terrour, but with mercy and compaſſion; that God that will frown upon thee out of Chriſt, yet bring but a Christ in thy armes, and preſent him to God the Father, and then hee will turn away his anger from thee, and behold thee with a ſmiling countenance, thou being in Chriſt and Chriſt in thee, and God being well pleaſed with his Sonne, muſt needs bee well pleaſed with thee too; great is your benefit by having an intereſt in Chriſt; I may ſay in this caſe what Eliſha the Prophet ſaid to King Jeroboam, 2 King. 3. 14. Verily, ſayes hee, were it 2 King. 3. 14.not that I regard the perſon of Jehoſaphat King of Judah, I would not looke toward thee nor ſee thee; juſt ſo does God ſay to us, were it not for my Sonne Jeſus Chriſt, you ſhould never ſee my face, nor have a good look from me.
6. If thou haſt a real intereſt in Chriſt, then this is another part of thy comfort, that God the Father doth as truly accept of thee in his Sonne, as if thou hadſt in thine own perſon done and ſuffered what Chriſt did, this is a great benefit, God accepts of what Chriſt hath done for us, as if we had none it our ſelves, as in Epheſ. 1. 6. Hee hath made us Epheſ. 1. 6.accepted in the beloved, that is, in Chriſt. God lookes upon thee in Chriſt, and accepts of all thy duties and performances, as well as if thou hadſt prayed as well as ever Chriſt prayed, and done and ſuffered as much as ever Chriſt did.
7. Art thou now in Chriſt? well take this for thy comfort, thou maiſt be confidently aſſured, that thou ſhalt bee one day with Chriſt. This is the laſt conſolation, and I ſhall give you a pregnant text to prove it, though it be not ſo well underſtood in the common reading of it as it ſhould bee, Rom. 8. 10. (ſayes the Rom. 8. 10Apoſtle) if Chriſt be in you, the body is dead becauſe of ſinne, but the Spirit is life becauſe of righteouſneſſe. What is the meaning of this, the body is dead becauſe of ſinne? the meaning is not, that the body does mortifie ſin, but the body is dead becauſe of ſin, that is, ſin ſhall bring your bodies to the grave, but your ſpirits ſhall live becauſe of righteouſneſſe, (that is) the righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt; through the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt your ſouls ſhall live for ever in glory with Chriſt, though your bodies die, and ſin bring them to the grave, yet the killing of your bodies ſhall but make way for the living of your ſpirits; being in Chriſt here, you ſhall for ever live with Chriſt in glory hereafter, the death of your bodies ſhall but give you an entrance into Glory, and therefore why ſhould death be grievous to thoſe that are in Chriſt Jeſus; for death is but as it were the marriage day wherein Chriſt and their ſoules ſhall bee united together; if Chriſt bee in you, your bodies ſhall die becauſe of ſin, but your ſpirits ſhall live becauſe of righteouſneſſe: You have another pertinent place to prove this in Joh. 17. 23, 24. Ioh. 17. 23, 24.ſayes Christ there, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou haſt ſent me, and haſt loved them as thou haſt loved me; and Father I will, that they alſo whom thou haſt given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou haſt given me. Some conceive that this prayer of Chriſt was made onelyonly for the Apoſtles, that they might be where Chriſt was in heaven▪ but if you marke the precedent words, you Verſ. 20.ſhall find that it was for all Beleevers, for ſaies Chriſt himſelf, neither pray I for theſe alone, but for all thoſe that ſhall beleeve in my Name to the end of the world. Great is your comfort in having an intereſt in Chriſt here, you ſhall one day reign with him for ever in Glory.
Thus I have done with theſe ſeven conſolations to thoſe that have a real and well grounded intereſt in Chriſt, I have onelyonly now a word or two, by way of Uſe to apply and ſet home what I have ſaid concerning this particular. Uſe. Here you ſee what unſpeakable comforts redound to you that have an intereſt in Chriſt, you have all things though you have nothing, Chriſt is yours, and all that Chriſt hath is yours, and all that you have is Chriſts, Chriſt ſweetens all afflictions and croſſes to you, and the having of Chriſt repreſents God the Father to you, not with terrour and dread, but with goodneſſe, and meekneſſe, and loving-kindneſſe, and mercy, and long-ſuffering, and through Chriſt God doth as freely accept of you, and of what you doe, as if it were done as well as ever Chriſt did it, and being in Chriſt here, you ſhall for ever live with Chriſt in glory hereafter: Oh how ſhould all theſe mercies and priviledges, ſtir up all thoſe that have yet no part in Chriſt, never to give reſt to their eyes, nor ſlumber to their eyelids till they have gotten an intereſt in him!