The Crown and Glory of a Christian, Part 2
2. Of Carriage under the firſt workings of Chriſtianity.
1. When the Lord Jeſus comes and ſtands knocking at the door of your heart with the hammer of his Word, and with the hand of his Spirit, then bow your ſelf with all your might (as Sampſon did) Judg. 16. 30, to pull back every bolt, and to draw in every bar, that would keep the door ſhut againſt this bleſſed and bleeding Redeemer. The duty indeed is yours, but the ability is his: as much as in you lyes, cauſe every luſt of your heart to make room for your dear Jeſus.
2. Welcome Chriſt into your heart with joy. Say to him as Laban did to Abrahams ſervant, Come in thou bleſſed of the Lord [thou art welcome] wherefore ſtandeſt thou without? Gen. 24. 31. Chriſt will come to you with a bleſſing in his hand to beſtow on you, as he did to Jacob, Gen. 32. 26, &c. David literal ſaith to his Son (that invited him to his houſe) Why ſhould we be chargeable to thee, my Son? 2 Sam. 13.25. But this David-ſpiritual will not be chargeable: whereſoever he comes, where he comes to ſup with any ſoul, he brings his ſupper with him, Revel. 3. 20, and eats but of his own honey-comb, and of his own honey, Cant. 5. 1. This bleſſed Gueſt brings his bleſſing with him, as the Ark did to the houſe of Obed-Edom.
3. When Chriſt is come into your houſe to dwell in your heart by faith, Epheſ. 3. 17, be careful to keep his habitation quiet and comfortable; to this end you muſt adjure your corruptions by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that they ſtir not up nor awake your beloved until he pleaſe, Cant. 2. 7. 'Tis pity ſuch a bleſſed Gueſt ſhould meet with any diſturbance; lay Gods charge upon your luſts, ſaying to them as Lot did to the Sodomites, Gen. 19. 8, Only unto this Angel of the Lord, and this Lord of Angels, do nothing [of diſturbance] for therefore came he under the ſhadow of my roof: and as the good old man to the men of Gibeah, Judg. 19. 23, Nay, I pray you do not ſo wickedly, ſeeing this man [Chriſt Jeſus] is come into my houſe, do not this folly to diſturb him.
4. Be oft admiring that bleſſed ſtate of Grace which God hath brought you into, out of the curſed ſtate of ſin, and ſay with Peter at Chriſts Transfiguration, Maſter, 'tis good being here; let us build tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moſes, and one for Elias; not one for himſelf, for he was ſo pleaſed with his preſent condition, that he could be content to lye out of doors, ſo he might enjoy the viſion of his Maſters glory, Mat. 17.5, &c. Say you with the Hebr. ſervant, I love my Maſter, he ſhall bore me through the ear, and I will ſtay with him for ever, Deut. 15. 16, 17. And with David you muſt reſolve to dwell in the houſe of the Lord for ever, Pſal. 23. 6. The purpoſe of your heart muſt be to cleave unto the Lord, Act. 11. 23.
5. Be oft ſearching your heart in the ſenſe, 1. of the ſtate of ſin, out of which (as Iſrael out of the houſe of bondage, and out of the Iron furnace, Deut. 4. 20.) your God, your near kinſman, the Lord Jeſus, hath deliver'd you. 2. Of the remainders of ſin, from which you are not cleanſed to this day, you cannot chide it out of doors as Sarah did Hagar; you cannot ſhake it from off your heart as Paul did the Viper from off his hand; 'tis as Daniels Beaſts, whoſe dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolong'd for a time and a ſeaſon, Dan. 7. 12. This will ballaſt your new-found joy.
6. Let your own ſelf-righteouſneſs ſtink and be abhorred by you, when the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt is brought to clothe you. The father brings forth the beſt Robe for his ragged prodigal, Luk. 15. 22. When the firſt Adam had made himſelf naked by his ſin, he ſewed fig-leaves together, and made himſelf an apron; this was both too thin and too ſcant a covering, but the Lord made a coat of skins (of the Sacrifices) and clothed them, Gen. 3.7, 21. alas your own righteouſneſs is but a figleaf covering, but foreign, no better than dogs-meat, or dung in Pauls eye, Phil. 3. 8, in compariſon of that coat made of the skin of the Lamb of God, which is call'd the Righteouſneſs of God, and therefore a better righteouſneſs than that which Adam had, or that which Angels have; a garment or robe that covers the whole ſinner from the angry eyes of offended Juſtice.
7. Hunger after a taſt and touch of Chriſt in the pureſt & powerfulleſt way of revealing himſelf to you in his Ordinances; ſet your ſelf under no means of Grace, without begging of God to ſpeak to your heart with a ſtrong hand, as he did to the Prophet Iſaiah, Iſa. 8. 11. think it not enough that the Miniſtry (you ſit under) is a lovely ſong to you, as Ezek. 33. 32. but it muſt be a lively ſong alſo, that you may ſay with David, Gods word hath quickened me, Pſal. 119. 50. A divine touch in Gods Ordinances doth quicken us in Gods way, Pſal. 119. 37. You muſt know that Chriſt hath many followers, and but few touchers; when the multitude throng'd him, he had yet but one that touch'd him, ſo as to receive healing vertue from him, Mat. 9. 20. Luk. 8. 43, 44, 45, 46.
8. Get ſolid proof of your intereſt in Chriſt: build not upon ſandy foundations, ſuch as 1. on general mercy, as if he that made you, will undoubtedly ſave you: If ſo, then Devils would be ſaved as well as men, for God made both, and both are his creatures. 2. Nor on good meanings; if thoſe would ſave you, then the word of God, and the blood of Chriſt are two ſuperfluous things. Nor 3. on an external profeſſion, for the houſe of the fooliſh builder was (for ought we know to the contrary) as fair a fabrick to look upon in externals, as that of the wiſe: and the main difference lay in the differing foundation, Mat. 7. 24, 26. The Rock of ages (the Lord Jeſus) was not the foundation of both, but looſe earth, looſe notions and principles, ſuch as thoſe before mentioned.
9. Be not poring and puzling too long about laying your foundation; but having once laid Chriſt (alone) your foundation, go then on to build upon it, [ſtrato ſuperſtruitur,] God ſaith to the Children of Iſrael, they muſt go forward, Exod. 14. 15. you muſt neither ſtand ſtill, nor ſtep backward, Non progredi eſt regredi, not to go on, is to go back: 'Tis undoubtedly one of the wiles of Satan, and his devices, (wch we are not to be ignorant of) to gravel gracious ſpirits about that foundation-truth of their Election, to keep them from making paſſage and progreſs in ways of Chriſtianity; our Lord himſelf was thus buffeted, in Satans ſaying to him, once and again [If thou be the Son of God.] If this were done to that green tree, what can the dry expect: Whereas, if you can make your calling ſure (in the witneſſings of the Holy Ghoſt) you muſt take your Election for granted, ſeeing that Election-love is the cauſe and Vocation-love the effect; now the effect is the manifeſtation of the cauſe; do but make your calling ſure, and therein you make your Election ſure alſo, 2 Pet. 1. 10.
10. Take heed you blot nor blurr not your Evidences for Heaven by any looſe and extravagant Actions; for ſuppoſe you cannot (if you be a true Chriſtian) loſe your Salvation, yet may you loſe the joy of your Salvation, as David did, Pſal. 51. 12. This indeed is the bleſſing of the Covenant of Grace, that though it doth permit a fall, yet it always enſures Repentance after the fall: notwithſtanding, you may get ſuch falls as may break your bones, and it may coſt you both much pain, and much pains, before the Lord make you to hear of joy and gladneſs, that the bones which are broken (by your fall) may rejoice, Pſal. 51. 8.