Twenty Sermons, Sermon 13
1 Pet. II. 7.
Ʋnto you therefore which believe, he is precious.—
I Have ſpoken to this Text in two Sermons already, upon the like occaſion of our ſolemn approaching to the Table of the Lord; and there are two Points of Doctrine I have drawn from theſe words: the firſt is this, That Jeſus Chriſt is infinitely precious in himſelf. The ſecond is this, As Jeſus Chriſt is infinitely precious in himſelf, ſo is he alſo precious to all Believers, and highly prized by them. This Point I ſpake to upon the laſt Occaſion, and opened it to you, and made one Uſe of Examination.
I now come to a ſecond Uſe: that is, of Conviction: If it be ſo, that Jeſus Chriſt is thus precious to all Believers: then it follows, few, yea very few Believers there are in the World; nay, very few of thoſe that do profeſs the Name of Chriſt; becauſe there are very few that do prize him, very few that make that high account of him, as becomes ſo rich, ſo precious, ſo invaluable a Redeemer.
But it may be you will ſay to me, Who are they then that do not prize Jeſus Chriſt? who are they that do not value him? I ſhall inſtance in four or five ſorts of Perſons:
Firſt, They do not prize the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that ſee no beauty in him that they ſhould deſire him; that ſee no beauty in ſpiritual things, no beauty in Grace, no beauty in the peace of a good conſcience, no beauty in Joy in the Holy Ghoſt, in righteouſneſs and holineſs: for in theſe things conſiſts the Kingdom of God, Rom. 14.17, For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteouſneſs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt. Now thoſe that ſee no beauty in thoſe things that lead the Soul to Chriſt, in thoſe things wherein the Kingdom of Chriſt conſiſts: certainly they do not prize Chriſt. This is the great fault of the Jews, for which they were rejected, as the Prophet Iſaiah foretold, Iſa. 53.2, 3, He ſhall grow up before him as a tender Plant, and as a Root out of a day ground; he hath no form, nor comelineſs; and when we ſhall ſee him, there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him. He is deſpiſed and rejected of men, a man of ſorrows, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was deſpiſed, and we eſteemed him not. The Jews look upon Chriſt with a carnal eye, they look upon his Humanity, the meanneſs of his Birth; born in a Stable, the lowneſs of his Parentage: the Houſe of David being at that time but like the ſtump of a Tree, a dry Root: he coming from the Root of Jeſſe; they look upon his attendance, a company of poor Fiſhermen: they look upon his condition, not having a Houſe to lay his Head in, therefore they ſlight him, reject him, and deſpiſe him. Juſt thus it is at this day; many there are that value not at all ſpiritual things, neither value they the Kingdom of God; The Kingdom of God cometh not with obſervation, (Luke 17.20.) it cometh not with outward Pomp and Splendour; it comes not with obſervation, becauſe it is a hidden Kingdom, a ſpiritual Kingdom: inward Faith, and Love, and ſelf-denial, and other inward Graces, becauſe theſe are the things belonging to the Kingdom of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and being not obvious to carnal eyes, therefore they ſee no beauty in them. Therefore this is a plain token they ſee no beauty in Chriſt; they that ſee no beauty in Chriſts Kingdom, in his Ordinances, and in his Spiritual comforts, certainly they ſee no beauty in Chriſt: There wants no beauty in him, but carnal men want eyes to behold him: certainly, ſpiritual things they are the moſt precious and invaluable Commodities that are; therefore becauſe thou feeſt no beauty in Heaven, and in heavenly things, ſpiritual things, the graces of the Spirit, and the comſorts of the Spirit, thou art one that doſt not prize the Lord Chriſt.
Secondly, They do not prize the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that prefer their luſts before him, that prefer the wills of the Fleſh, and of the Mind, as the Greek word ſignifies, before him, in Epheſ. 2.3. Thoſe that ſay in their hearts, though it may be they will not ſpeak it with their mouths, but it is the language of their hearts, We will not have this man to reign over us: we will walk in our own crooked ways, and not in the ways of Chriſt, in the ways of holineſs. Certainly, they that prefer their luſts before him, they do not prize him.
Thirdly, They that do not prize the Meſſengers of Jeſus Chriſt, they do not prize Jeſus Chriſt himſelf: So ſays our Saviour himſelf expreſly, Luke 10.16, ſpeaking to his Diſciples, and in them to his ſucceding Miniſters: He that heareth you, beareth me, and he that deſpiſeth you deſpiſeth me, and he that deſpiſeth me, deſpiſeth him that ſent me. When Hannun the King of the children of Ammon, caſt contempt on the Meſſengers and Ambaſſadors of David, and ſo wickedly entreated them, by cutting off their Garments in the middle to their buttocks, and ſhaving off the one half of their Beards, 2 Sam. 10; it was a plain token that he deſpiſed David alſo, becauſe he deſpiſed his Ambaſſadors.
Fourthly, They do not prize the Lord Chriſt, that can keep the beſt room they have, I mean their hearts, for creature-comforts, but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as I may ſay with reverence, is thruſt into the Stable. But you will ſay, How does that appear? Thus; when a mans Liberty, or Eſtate, or Friends, or outward reputation come to be hazarded, if Chriſt be owned: that man now that can prefer any of his creature-accommodations, rather than run any hazard for the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, certainly that man does not prize Chriſt. When it comes to a point, that a man muſt part with ſome, or all of his comforts and accommodation, rather than part with his Saviour; that man that can part with his Saviour rather than his comforts, certainly that man does not prize Chriſt. Thus was it with the Gadarens: when it came to the Point, that they muſt part with their Swine, or with Jeſus Chriſt, they would part with Chriſt, rather than with their Swine.
Fifthly, They that do not prize his Ordinances, that do not keep cloſe to him, & to his way of worſhip; thoſe that do not ſet their hearts and ſouls to ſeek him, to ſeek his Truth, to ſeek his Face, to rejoyce in his Love, to content and ſatisfie themſelves in him; to ſay, If I have but Jeſus Chriſt, though I be as poor as Job upon the Dunghil, yet I am rich enough; certainly, theſe do prize the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Oh that we could learn to be true to our own Souls, and to love our ſelves ſo well, as not to beguile our own Souls in the latter end. That's the ſecond Uſe of Conviction.
Thirdly, A third Uſe is this: If Chriſt be thus precious to all true Believers, then there are theſe three or four Leſſons, or Doctrinal Inferences that may be gathered from this concluſion, or point of Doctrine.
Firſt, If Jeſus Chriſt be ſo precious to Believers, then it follows, that Faith is an exceeding rich and precious Grace: it is called precious Faith, 2 Pet. 1.1, Simon Peter, a Servant, and an Apoſtle of Jeſus Chriſt, to them that have obtained like precious Faith with us, through the righteouſneſs of God, and our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. But why is Faith ſo precious a Grace? becauſe it makes Chriſt ſo precious to our Souls, it makes a man look upon Chriſt with an admiring eye, it raviſhes the Soul with the love of this precious Redeemer; and it makes him break out and ſay, There is no Beloved like my Beloved; Oh the Dignity of his Perſon! Oh the Vertue of his Blood! Oh the value of his Sufferings! Oh the ſweetneſs of his Graces! Oh the Comforts of his Spirit! Oh the excellency of thoſe glorious and tranſcendent Hopes that are laid up in him! You read of Moſes, that he ſcorned all the Treaſures of Egypt; Why? becauſe by Faith he beheld him that was inviſible, Heb. 11.26, 27. By the eye of Faith he lookt upon Jeſus Chriſt, and he ſaw more beauty in him, than in all the Treaſures of Egypt; more ſweetneſs in one ſmile of his Face, than in ten thouſand Worlds: Oh therefore that you and I could learn to trade for Faith more a great deal than for the World: Oh let us trade for this rich and precious Grace; look out for Faith, and long for Faith, and ſtrive to believe; for until this Grace of Faith be planted in your hearts, Jeſus Chriſt and you are ſtrangers, Chriſt and you ſtand at a very great diſtance: but as ſoon as ever Faith is planted in the Soul, then there is inſtantly a cloſing with Chriſt, as quick a cloſing between Chriſt and the Soul, as there is between the Loadſtone and the Iron: the Soul preſently cloſes with him, and cleaves to him, as ſoon as ever it begins to believe.
Secondly, If Jeſus Chriſt be ſo prrcious to Believers, then learn this Leſſon, by way of Inference, That Believers are rich and honourable Perſons: Why? becauſe Jeſus Chriſt is to them both Riches and Honour. I gather this from the ſignification of the word in the Greek Text: Jeſus Chriſt is both a Price and an Honour to his, for the word foreign ſignifies both a Price and Honour: Jeſus Chriſt therefore is a Price to Believers, he is a Pearl to them.
Firſt, He is a Pearl of ineſtimable Price to all thoſe that have got an intereſt in him; this Pearl of Price is better worth than ten thouſand worlds: by him we are enriched in all things, 1 Cor. 1.5, I thank my God always on your behalf, for the Grace of God which is given you by Jeſus Chriſt, that in every thing ye are enriched by him. And you read of the unſearchable Riches of Chriſt, Epheſ. 3.8, Ʋnto me, who am leſs than the leaſt of all Saints, is this Grace given, that I ſhould preach among the Gentiles the uſearchable Riches of Chriſt. O when a man once is gotten into Chriſt, his Riches cannot be told: he hath the Riches of Redemption, the Riches of Chriſts Merits, the Riches of Chriſts Spirit, and he hath the rich and glorious Purchaſe of Chriſts blood; he hath all theſe for his portion, he may ſay all theſe are mine: and can you name ſuch Riches as theſe are? they are called unſearchable Riches: Eye hath not ſeen, Ear hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of Man to conceive, what thoſe unſearchable Riches are which a Believer receives by Chriſt; therefore a Believer is infinitely Rich.
And then, A Believer is truly honourable by him: the Lord Chriſt is not only a Price, but an Honour to him; he is a moſt glorious Redeemer; Nay, Chriſt is not only glorious, but he is called Glory it ſelf, Iſa. 40.5, And the Glory of the Lord ſhall be revealed, and all fleſh ſhall ſee it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it: that is, Chriſt ſhall be revealed. The Prophet declares, that John Baptiſt, ſpeaking of the coming of Chriſt, ſays, The Glory of the Lord ſhall be revealed, and all fleſh ſhall ſee it together: Jeſus Chriſt is called there the Glory of the Lord. So in the New Teſtament he is called the glory of his People; Luke 2.32, A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of thy people Iſrael. Indeed, no Glory can be put upon any one like this, to be a Member of Chriſt, to be the Spouſe of Chriſt, to be the Servant of Chriſt. Theodoſius, that good Emperor, eſteemed it a greater honour to be Servus Chriſti, than Caput Regni; a greater honour to be a Servant to Chriſt, than to be Head of the Empire.
Thirdly, Learn this Leſſon, by way of Inference, If Jeſus Chriſt be ſo precious to Believers, then certainly, Unbelief is a moſt dangerous, a moſt damnable, a Soul-deſtroyiug ſin; why? becauſe Unbelief makes Jeſus Chriſt to be of no worth, no value, no price, no advantage at all. To you that do believe, he is precious: I, but ſays the Apoſtle, in the next words to the Text, To them which be diſobedient: that is, to them that do not believe, he is a Stone of ſtumbling, a Rock of Offence; to unbelievers, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is as a thing of nought; it is the Apoſtles own expreſſion; Saint Peter ſpeaking of the Phariſees, and the Rulers, Acts 4.11, This is the Stone which was ſet at nought by you builders, which is become the Head of the Corner. They made nothing of Chriſt. To an Unbeliever Chriſt is of no more worth, than the dirt under his foot, with Reverence be it ſpoken. An Unbeliever, he would ſell Chriſt for thirty pieces of Silver, with Judas: nay, he will prefer five ſhillings before him. Of all ſins, take heed of this ſin: for this is the evil heart that is departing from the living God, Heb. 3.12, Take heed Brethren, leſt there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Hereby the Soul begins to depart, to depart, to depart, till at laſt it hears that dreadful Sentence, Depart ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels As Faith is the firſt return of the Soul to God, ſo Unbelief is the firſt departing of the Soul from God; take heed therefore of Unbelief.
Fourthly, Another Leſſon by way of Inference, is this, If Jeſus Chriſt be ſo precious to thoſe that do believe in him, O how infinitely precious will he be to them that do enjoy him? If he be ſo precious to them that ſee him by the eye of Faith, how infinitely precious will he be to them that ſee him face to face, when our Faith is brought into fruition, and our hope into our hand! Abraham ſaw Jeſus Chriſt afar off: he faw him when he was to come, two thouſand years before he came into the World; Abraham by an eye of Faith faw him, and he rejoyced; the Text ſays, John 8.56, Your Father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, and he ſaw it, and was glad. If he ſaw him when he was at ſuch a diſtance, and rejoyced; how does Abraham rejoyce now, when he ſees him face to face! Long for that time, when you ſhall have a full ſight of him, which is called The Beatifical Viſion; that is the Viſion that will make you everlaſtingly bleſſed. One ſight of Jeſus Chriſt in Glory, will ſo ſatisfie the Soul, ſo beautifie it, ſo rejoyce it, that (it is an expreſſion that Auſtin uſed) if ſo be a man were in Hell, if you could ſuppoſe ſuch a thing to be, and had but one glimpſe of the Beatifical Viſion, it would ſwallow up all the bitterneſs of Hell it ſelf. And this is that which Chriſt hath both promiſed and prayed for; he hath promiſed, We ſhall ſee him as he is: and he hath prayed for it too, John 17.24, 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, for thou lovedſt me before the foundation of the world. Oh long for that day when you ſhall ſee Jeſus Chriſt as he is, ſee him in his Glory; then he will be infinitely and unconceivably precious indeed, and that to all Eternity. That's the third Uſe of Information, in theſe four Leſſons, That Faith is a moſt precious Grace; That Believers are rich and Honourable Perſons; That Unbelief is a dangerous, and damnable, and Soul-deſtroying ſin; and that the ſight of Jeſus Chriſt face to face in Glory, will be infinitely and unconceivably precious and glorious indeed.
A fourth Ʋſe it is for Exhortation. If Jeſus Chriſt be ſo precious to Believers: then let me beſeech you, and perſwade you, and prevail with you, and the Lord bow your hearts to hearken to this Exhortation this day. As ever you deſire to have a certain proof and evidence that you are true Believers, and that you are true Members of Jeſus Chriſt, and that you are real Saints (for there are many nominal, but there are but few true Saints) that you are true Servants of Jeſus Chriſt, and truly united to him, and have communion with him, and have infinite precious priviledges by him; O then do you learn to prize Jeſus Chriſt at a high rate, ſet a high price upon this precious Redeemer; let him be higheſt in your eſteem; do your labour every day, that he may be more and more precious, and amiable, and beautiful in your eyes: Remember but that ſpeech of our Saviour, Luke 14.26, If any man come to me, and hate not his Father, and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Siſters, yea, and his own life alſo, he cannot be my Diſciple. He that does not hate Father, &c Theſe words muſt not be underſtood ſimply, as if our Saviour would have us to hate our Relations, as Father, Mother, Wife, Children, and Brethren, and Siſters, and our own lives: certainly that is not the meaning of the words of our Saviour, that he would have us to offer violation to the Law of Nature; it is not ſpoken therefore ſimply, but comparatively: he that does not love me ſo much, ſo as to hate all other in compariſon of me: he that does not prize me before Father, Mother, Wife, Children, Brethren, Houſe, Lands, yea, life it ſelf, and all things that are deſirable, ſuch a one hath no intereſt in me, and ſhall have no benefit by me. Now becauſe it is an Exhortation of ſuch infinite concernment, therefore I ſhall divide it into three Branches.
Firſt, I ſhall ſhew you the manner how you ſhould prize Chriſt.
Secondly, The Motives which may perſwade you to it.
Thirdly, The means that may help you in it.
Firſt, For the manner how you muſt prize Chriſt. It may be you will ſay, In what manner muſt we prize Chriſt? In what manner muſt Chriſt be precious to us? Prize him in your Underſtandings, in your Choice, in your Affections, and in his Ordinances.
Firſt, In your Underſtandings, deſiring to know nothing but Jeſus Chriſt and him crucified. 1 Cor. 2.2, And count all things but droſs and dung, in compariſon of the excellency of the knowledg of Jeſus Chriſt. Indeed, there is a thouſand times more worth, and beauty, and ſweetneſs, and excellency in Jeſus Chriſt, than you can know; as he ſaid, That man that knows Jeſus Chriſt well, although he be ignorant of all other things, he is the right knowing man. If a man had all the learning of both Univerſities concentred in himſelf, and yet ignorant of Jeſus Chriſt, he were but a poor ſimple Sot.
Secondly, Prize Jeſus Chriſt in your Choice, to pitch upon him as the adequate Object, ſatisfying Object of your Souls; pitch upon him as the only excellent one. As a woman that ſelects and ſingles out one man from amongſt all the reſt, upon whom ſhe places all her Affections for her Huſband; ſo do you ſelect and chuſe out Jeſus Chriſt for your Beloved, and ſay, Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none on Earth that I deſire in compariſon of thee.
Thirdly, Prize Jeſus Chriſt in your Affections; love him above all expreſſions of love: labour to be ſick of love towards ſo ſweet and precious a Saviour, as the Spouſe was, Cant. 2.5, Stay me with Flaggons, Comfort me with Apples, for I am ſick of love: ſaying as David did, in that mournful Elegy which he made for Saul and Jonathan; ſpeaking of Jonathan, ſays he, Thy love to me was wonderful, paſſing the love of women, 2 Sam. 1.26, I am diſtreſſed for thee my brother Jonathan, very pleaſant haſt thou been unto me, thy love to me was wonderful, paſſing the love of women. —Then truſt in him as the Rock of your Salvation: truſt to his Wiſdom to lead you, in his Power to ſupport you; truſt in his Mercy and Merit to ſave you.—Again, Do you rejoyce in him? to ſay as the Virgin Mary did, My Soul doth magnifie the Lord, and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour.—And cleave to him, as to that Rock that only can deliver you, both from the raging Ocean of Gods everlaſting diſpleaſure, and from the leaking boat of your own graces: prize him in your Affections.
Fourthly, Prize him in his Ordinances, in his Word; Oh how ſweet is thy Word, O Lord, that brings me good tidings of a bleſſed Redeemer! The Word of God is as a Letter ſent from a dear and precious Husband to his Wife. And prize him in the Sacraments, which is as a Love token or Ring ſent to you from the Beloved of your Souls: Oh how ſhould you prize theſe Ordinances! In the Sacrament, by an eye of Faith, you may ſee him bleeding, and pouring out his Soul an offering for ſin; in the Sacrament, you may ſee him crying and dying for your ſakes: in a word, eſteem one hours communion with him, better worth than all the pleaſures in the World, as that Noble Marqueſs of Italy did; who ſaid, He was not worthy of Chriſt, that did not eſteem one hours Communion with him, better than all the treaſures in the World. So much for the manner, how we muſt prize Jeſus Chriſt.
Secondly, For the Motives that may perſwade you to it; and Oh, that I knew what Motives might raiſe up your eſteem of this precious Redeemer; I will name but theſe three:
Will either worth, or beauty or excellency, or ſweetneſs, or Soul-ſatisfaction, win upon your hearts? all theſe are to be found in him: He is an All-ſufficient-Saviour, All-ſufficient for Juſtification, his blood can pardon; All-ſufficient for Sanctification alſo, for his blood can purifie; All-ſufficient for Redemption, his blood can deliver from wrath to come. Do but conſider how precious this Chriſt is in himſelf, as I ſhewed you in the former Doctrine; precious in his Perſon, precious in his Titles, precious in his Offices, being a King, Prieſt and Prophet, precious in the purchaſe of his blood.
Secondly, I beſeech you to conſider, that Jeſus Chriſt is the only deſirable good. The common vote and voice of the World, is this, Who will ſhew us any good? Pſalm 4.6. But why do you not ſay, Who will ſhew us Jeſus Chriſt, who is indeed the only needful good, the All-ſufficient good, the Soul-ſatisfying good? aſſure your ſelves, nothing under Heaven can do you good without him, nothing under Heaven can be good if you want him; what are Riches without Jeſus Chriſt? what is Gold and Silver without Jeſus Chriſt, but rotten ſtinking dung? what are the moſt Royal Robes that ever were put on by the greateſt Emperour, without Jeſus Chriſt? what are they but poluted clouts? what is the moſt Princely Palace without Jeſus Chriſt, but a Peſt-houſe? what is Birth, Endowments, Education, without Jeſus Chriſt, but glittering ſins? So your choiceſt comforts and accommodations without Jeſus Chriſt, they are no better than gilded damnation: what are all your outward Bleſſings without Chriſt? no better than curſes. And as nothing is good without him, ſo nothing can do you good without him; there is no creature in Heaven or Earth that can do you good without Chriſt, neither Men nor Angels: if you had all the Angels in Heaven to ſpeak for you, they could do you no good without Chriſt; God himſelf will do you no good without Chriſt, he will not (if I may uſe ſuch an expreſſion) truck or trade with you, he will not exchange one word in the buſineſs of Salvation, but by Chriſt, John 14.6, Jeſus ſaith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me. You cannot have any acceſs to God, approach to him, to ſtand up for your lives, or the life of your Souls, without him who is the life of your lives, and the Soul of your Souls: Pray tell me therefore, Are you contented to periſh for ever in your ſins? Are you contented that the curſes and threatnings of the Law, thoſe Treaſures of wrath, that they ſhould be your portion? Are you contented to be baniſhed from the preſence of God, and to be ſent into a dungeon of darkneſs; there to be, and to be moſt miſerable is all one? Are you contented to be ſent to that blackneſs of darkneſs for ever? as the Apoſtle calls it, Jude 12. I know you are not: Oh then, why do you not prize Jeſus Chriſt, by whom alone it is that you may eſcape eternal wrath and vengeance? Iſa. 55. Why do you ſpend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which will not ſatisfie? Why do you trifle away your time in impertinencies, in things that will not profit? why do you pour out your hearts on every luſt and vanity, and in the mean time neglect him who only can give you remiſſion of ſin, and a right to the Promiſes, and reconciliation with God, and Eternal Salvation?
Thirdly, Let me uſe one Motive more. Do but conſider how infinitely precious the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is to God the Father! O what account does he make of him! He eſteem him the Son of his Love, the Son of his Boſom, the Delight of his Soul, My Servant in whom my Soul delighteth. Jeſus Chriſt was both a Son and a Servant in our fleſh, when he took our Nature, and became our Surety, Iſa. 42.1, Behold my Servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him, he ſhall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles. What account do the Saints in Heaven make of Chriſt? they look upon him as the life of their lives, and the Soul of their Souls: as the heaven of their Happineſs, as the joy of their Joy; the Heaven that the Saints now enjoy, it is the beholding of Jeſus Chriſt now in Glory. Nay, do but conſider what account Sinners will make of him; they that now ſlight him, that prefer every baſe luſt before him, that mind the getting of every thing but Chriſt; Oh what account will they make at that great day, when they ſhall call to the Mountains fall on them, and the Hills to cover them! Oh what would they give for a ſmile of his face at that day: when, if they had ten thouſand Worlds in their poſſeſſion, they would give it for a ſmile of his face! Will Chriſt be ſo precious hereafter, and ſhall he not be precious now? will not theſe Motives work upon you? are they jeſts and fables? If, my Brethren, ſuch Arguments will not prevail, for my part I am out of hope to prevail with you.
Thirdly, Let me but ſhew you ſome Means that may help you to prize the Lord Chriſt, to make him precious to your Souls. The Means or Helps, briefly, are theſe four or five:
Firſt, The Soul muſt be convinced of the indiſpenſable need that it hath of Jeſus Chriſt; it is neceſſity that does inhance the price: for till the Soul be convinced of this, all the Arguments and Motives that we can uſe, are but like water that runs beſides the Bottle, becauſe the Bottle is ſtopt: all our Arguments prevail nothing, they take no impreſſion upon the heart at all: but when a Soul once ſees, either I muſt have Chriſt, or I muſt periſh for ever, I am loſt, damned, and undone for ever, I am a fire-brand of Hell for ever; O Chriſt is now Chriſt indeed to ſuch a Soul. If ever therefore you deſire to prize him according to his worth, be much in the duty of ſelf-examination: turn your eyes inward, to ſee the vileneſs of your Natures, the ſinfulneſs of your hearts, and the manifold tranſgreſſions of your lives; reaſon thus with thy own Soul: What am I by Nature, but a child of Wrath, and an heir of Hell, and a bondſlave to Satan: a ſtranger to God, and an enemy to him, without God, and without Hope? the number of my ſins are more than the hairs of my head, my heart fails me in the remembrance of them: and one ſin is enough to ſink me into Hell, becauſe it is committed againſt an infinite Majeſty, and therefore it deſerves an infinite puniſhment: for, where God does puniſh, he does puniſh infinitely, his Juſtice muſt have an infinite ſatisfaction: and there is no ſatisfaction can be given to God without blood, Heb. 9.22, For without blood there is no remiſſion, ſaith the Apoſtle; and no blood can expiate ſin, can take away the guilt of ſin, but the blood of an infinite value; and no blood is of an infinite value, but the blood of this precious Redeemer, that is that blood that is of invaluable and unconceivable worth; for, for the Son of God to ſhed his blood, it is more than if all the Angels in Heaven, and Potentates of the Earth had laid down their lives to purchaſe one of our Souls: therefore I muſt have this blood ſprinkled on my Soul, or elſe I muſt reſolve to periſh everlaſtingly; conſider therefore of the need that you have of Jeſus Chriſt.
Secondly, Do you deſire to prize Jeſus Chriſt? then labour to eat this bleſſed Paſsover with bitter herbs: I mean, labour to partake of this Sacrament with the bitter remembrance of all your former unkindneſſes: all your miſcarriages, failings, wandrings, and back-ſlidings; Oh let the remembrance of theſe be as bitter to you as Gall and Wormwood: Oh labour to ſay feelingly, It is an evil and bitter thing that thou haſt provoked the Lord, (Jer. 2.19.) that thou haſt grieved his Spirit, that thou haſt forfeited his Love, that thou haſt abuſed his kindneſs, that thou haſt turned his grace into wantonneſs; O ſay, I have done enough a thouſand, and a thouſand times to damn my Soul, if the mercy of God were one jot leſs than infinite; if the blood of Jeſus Chriſt ſhould not quench the fire of his anger, it would be burning, and burning, and burning againſt me to all Eternity, even as long as God ſhall be God; it is a bitter thing that I have provoked my God. You ſhould in this Sacrament look upon him whom you have pierced, and mourn over him, as one that mourns for the loſs of his only Son; and be in bitterneſs for him, as one that is in bitterneſs for his firſt-born (Zech. 12.10.) that is the Image of his Perſon, and is as it were the prop and ſtay of his Family. This is certain, my Brethren, there are none that do prize Jeſus Chriſt ſo much, as they that are ſtung with the ſenſe of their own ſinfulneſs, of their own vileneſs; none prize the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſo much, as they that moſt of all feel the burthen of their own ſins. Let me give you two remarkable examples: the one of a man, the other of a woman. Did ever man prize Jeſus Chriſt more than St. Paul, that counted all his Excellencies but as dirt under his feet, in compariſon of Chriſt? he did eſteem them as things that we caſt to Dogs, as the word foreign ſignifies? Did ever woman prize Jeſus Chriſt more than Mary Magdalen; who you know, waſht his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head? What is the reaſon that St. Paul and Mary Magdalen prized Jeſus Chriſt ſo much? the reaſon is, Becauſe they were ſo exceeding ſenſible of the bitterneſs of ſin. Paul he cryes out, I am of all ſinners the greateſt. And Mary Magdalen you know was one out of whom was caſt ſeven Devils, a notorious Sinner; now ſhe being ſenſible of her ſins, this made her love much, becauſe much was forgiven her, Luke 7.47. Take it for a Rule, they that ſlight their ſin, will quickly ſlight a Saviour; where ſin is ſlighted, a Saviour will be ſlighted alſo; where ſin is a burden, and where it is bitter, there Jeſus Chriſt will be very ſweet; the bitterneſs of ſin adds a relliſh to the ſweetneſs of Chriſt. O therefore eat this Paſsover with bitter herbs.
Thirdly, Then get your hearts unglewed from the World: I do not ſay, quite caſt off your care of Earthly things: but this I ſay, the world ſhould not have ſo much of your hearts: ſet your feet upon the World, ſet your hearts upon Jeſus Chriſt. Carnal men are ſo glewed to the World, and glutted with it, that it is as hard a matter for them to be pulled from it, as you find a ſucking child is unwilling to part with a full Breaſt: O therefore uſe the World as if ſo be you uſed it not.
Fourthly, Then ſtudy his Excellency, his Beauty, his Perfection: ſtudy the unſearchableneſs of the Promiſes, All the promiſes of God are in him Yea, and in him Amen; Study the unſearchable Riches of the covenant of Grace: as Juſtification, Sanctification, and Adoption, which all come ſtreaming in his blood; Oh that you would ſtudy theſe more than you do. What is the reaſon we prize Chriſt ſo little? it is becauſe we know ſo little of him; if we knew him more, we ſhould love him more, and prize him more, and cleave to him more.
Therefore in the fifth and laſt place: Do you deſire to prize Jeſus Chriſt? beg earneſtly that God would open your eyes to ſee more of his beauty, and give you hearts to taſte more of his ſweetneſs: that you may ſay, Lord ſhew me thy Glory, and it ſufficeth; Oh, one glimpſe of thy favour, how ſweet and precious will it be to me! Says our Saviour to the woman of Canaan, John 4.10, If thou kneweſt the gift of God, if thou didſt but know me, the greateſt gift that ever God did beſtow upon the ſons of men: then, if thou kneweſt me, Thou wouldſt have asked of me living water. If you did but know Jeſus Chriſt, you would open your eyes to ſee more of him, and love him, and prize him more and more.
The laſt Uſe it is for Conſolation; If Jeſus Chriſt be ſo precious to all Believers: then here is a word of Conſolation and Encouragement to all you that do prize him, to all you that do ſet your hearts upon him, to all you that do reſolve to make him your Portion, your Husband, your Head, your Rock, your Redeemer, your All.
Firſt, Can you ſay with the Apoſtle, Phil. 3.3, I rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and have no confidence in the fleſh? I can rejoyce in nothing in compariſon of him: neither Riches, nor Honours, nor Parts, nor Parentage, nor in any of theſe outward poſſeſſions: O they are nothing to me in compariſon of Jeſus Chriſt?
Secondly, Art thou one that canſt ſay, I can be contented to beg with him, to die with him, to die for him, to be under any reproach, or diſgrace, to ſuffer any loſs, ſo I may but gain him for my Portion?
Thirdly, Art thou one that doſt ſtudy more conformity to him, as well as Communion with him: deſiring to be holy, as he is holy; to have his Image ſtampt more and more upon thy Soul?
Fourthly, Art thou one that deſireſt to be Ruled by him, as well as to be Redeemed by him? O Lord, Rule in me as thou pleaſeſt, ſo I may be but thine; I would be under thy Dominion, under thy Government; Lord, ſhew me the way thou wouldſt have me to walk in: Then know this for thy Comfort: it is a ſign that thou haſt a Spouſe-like affection in thee to Jeſus Chriſt, it is a token that Chriſt is dear to thee, that Chriſt lies near thy Soul indeed; and know this for thy Comfort, thou that prizeſt Chriſt here, thou ſhalt enjoy him for thy Portion to all Eternity hereafter, where he ſhall be Light to thine eyes, and Muſick to thine ears, and Comfort to thy ſoul, unſpeakable Comfort to thy heart: and thou ſhalt be ſatisfied with his fulneſs, when thou ſhalt have thy Soul bathed in thoſe Rivers of pleaſure that are at the right hand of God to all Eternity. O that you would think of theſe things, and lay them up in your hearts, and be careful to walk according to theſe Rules!
Conſider what hath been ſpoken, and the Lord give you underſtanding in all things.