Christ All and in All, Sermon 3
COL. 3. 4.
When Chriſt our life ſhall appear, then III. SERM. at Mary Wolnoth. Lon. June 1. 1651.ſhall we alſo appeare with him in glory.
I Have handled the firſt Propoſition, as it relates to the life of grace; viz. that Jeſus Chriſt is a beleevers ſpiritual life. I ſhall now conſider of it as it refers to the life of glory, and ſo ſumme it up into this concluſion, viz.
Doct. Jeſus Christ is the eternal life of every beleever. Chriſt is the everlaſting life of all thoſe that are eternally ſaved. As he is their life of grace, ſo he is alſo their life of glory. He is often called in Scripture, not only a Saviour, but Salvation. The ſalvation of God, Luk. 3. 6. An horn of ſalvation, Luk. 1. 69. And all becauſe he is the ſalvation of all the Elect. I muſt here put in that Caution which I did before, viz. That the Father and Holy Ghoſt are not to be excluded; they are our life as well as Chriſt. The Spirit and the Father are Saviours as well as the Sonne. Opera Trinitatis ad extra ſunt indiviſ…. Prophets, Act. 10. 43. Apoſtles, 1 John 5. 11. Chriſt himſelf, Joh. 14. 16. do all bear witneſſe to this truth, That Jeſus Chriſt is life eternal to every true beleever. In what reſpect Chriſt is our life of glory, I ſhall ſhew in the following particulars, viz.
1. In regard of merit and acquiſition. Jeſus Chriſt is the procurer of this life of glory. Heaven is called a purchaſed Redemption, or Poſſeſſion, Epb. 1…4. foreign, Jeſus Chriſt is the purchaſer of this poſſeſſion, and his blood is the price of the purchaſe. As he hath by his death purchaſed the Elect, ſo hath he alſo by his blood purchaſed this life for thoſe redeemed ones, 1 John 4. 9. in this was manifeſted the love of God towards us, becauſe he ſent his only begotten Sonne into the world, that we might live through him. Had not Jeſus Chriſt ſhed his blood, no ſinner had ever taſted of this life eternal. Eternal life is the free gift of God, and yet it is merited by Chriſt. Chriſt who is the price and meritorious cauſe of life, is the free gift of Gods grace, and therefore our ſalvation is both free, and ye… merited.
2. He is our life efficaciouſly. Though ſalvation be purchaſed for the Elect, yet muſt the Elect of God be fitted and prepared for this ſalvation before they can be put into the poſſeſſion of it. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of making the ſoule meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1. 12. foreign. The beſt of men are unfit for ſalvation, as well as unworthy of ſalvation Though heaven be prepared for them, yet cannot they enter into heaven till they be prepared. This fitneſſe or preparedneſs ſtands in the changing of our nature, by the working of grace in the heart, and in the merciful acceptation of God covering our infirmities, and reckoning our weak endeavours for perfect obedience. Natura mentis humanae quantumvis perfect a naturalibus donis abſque gratiâ non eſt ſuſceptibilis gloriae. Pariſienſ. lib. de v…rt. cap. 11. The Apoſtle tells us that a man muſt be wrought for glory, 2 Cor. 5. 5. foreign. The Elect of God come into the world rough and unpoliſhed, filthy and defiled, as well as others, and they are not fit for this life, till they be refined and poliſhed. Fleſh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 15. 50. Except a man be borne againe, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of heaven. Aquinas ſaith well, Gratia haec divina eò infunditur electis, ut peragant actiones ordinatas in finem vitae aeternae. Now Jeſus Chriſt doth fit and work the Elect for this glory. He doth by his Spirit change their nature, he doth by his grace renew the ſpirit of their minde; he doth ſet up his own image in their ſoules, and by working grace, fit them for the enjoyment of that life of glory which he hath purchaſed.
3. He is our life. He is the fountaine of our eternal glory, 1 John 5. 11. This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Sonne. 'Tis in him as in the head, as in the root, as in the fountain, or ſpring: All our glory is laid up in Jeſus Chriſt, as in a publick treaſury. Ieſus Chriſt and all beleevers make up one myſtical body, of which he is the head, and they the members, therefore is their glory laid up in him.
4. Jeſus Christ is our life in regard of preparation. As he doth prepare us for heaven, ſo doth he prepare heaven for us. This is attributed to his Aſcenſion, Iohn 14. 2, 3. I go to prepare a place for you. Not as if the place of glory were not created till the Aſcenſion of Chriſt. There were many ſouls in heaven glorified before Chriſt did corporally aſcend thither. Abel, Abraham, Iſaac, Iacob, and the Prophets: the meaning of it is onelyonly thus much, that Ieſus Chriſt did not aſcend only for himſelf to dwell in glory alone, but he aſcended for our ſakes, in our ſtead and place to poſſeſſe the purchaſed inheritance for us, and to keep it for us till we actually come to be poſſeſſed of it our ſelves. 'Tis by way of alluſion to the practices of great Kings, who ſend their harbingers before them, to make ready for them againſt their coming. Ieſus Chriſt is pleaſed to ſtile himſelf ſo in reference to the Elect. And therefore the Apoſtle calls him our forerunner, foreign, and tells us that he is entred into the vaile for us, Heb. 6. 20. and hence it is that we are ſaid to ſit down together with Chriſt in heavenly places, Eph. 2. 6.
5. He is our life, as the way to life. He calls himſelf the way, Iohn 14. 16. No man comes to the Father but by Chriſt. This is that new and living way which the Apoſtle mentions, Heb. 10. 19, 20. 'Tis through the vaile of Chriſts fleſh that we enter into the Holy of Holies. Iacob in his viſion at Bethel ſaw a ladder which reached from heaven to earth, Gen. 28. 12. upon this ladder the Angels of God aſcended and deſcended. This ladder is Ieſus Chriſt, ſo he tells us himſelfe, Iohn 1. 51. hereafter ye ſhall ſee heaven opened, and the Angels of God aſcending and deſcending upon the Sonne of man. He hath not only ſhewed us the way to heaven by his example, but he is the way himſelf in which we go to God.
6. He is our life in regard of diſtribution and communication. As he hath purchaſed life for us, and keeps poſſeſſion of it for us, ſo he it is that ſhall put us into poſſeſſion of it, when we come to enjoy it. I will come againe and receive you unto my ſelf, Iohn 14. 3. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of this in 2 Tim. 4 8. There is laid up for me a Crown of righteouſneſſe which the Lord the righteous Judge ſhall give me in that day. 'Tis to be underſtood of Chriſt; he that hath purchaſed the Crown for us, will in that day viſibly ſet it upon our head. Come ye bleſſed of my Father, receive the Kingdome, &c. Matthew 25. latter end.
7. He is our life formally. Ieſus Chriſt is the matter of eternal life. Our eternal life and glory ſtands in the full enjoyment of Ieſus Chriſt in heaven. The ſeeing of God, the enjoyment of Chriſt is our very glory, Rev. 22. 3, 4. The Throne of God and of the lamb ſhall be in it, and his ſervants ſhall ſerve him, and they ſhall ſee his Face, and his Name ſhall be in their foreheads. The glory of heaven is called the eating of the tree of life, Rev. 2. 7. Ieſus Chriſt is the tree of life, the enjoyment of him is the ſouls glory. Iob therefore reckons up all his eternal glory by this very thing, I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c. I ſhall behold him not with anothers, but with theſe very eyes. Full and perfect … immediate communion with Chriſt, that is the life, the glory of the other world. Vid. Rev. 7. 17. the lamb which is in the middeſt of the Throne ſhall feed them, and ſhall lead them unto living fountaines of waters. The whole felicity of glorified Saints, is held out in thoſe expreſſions.
The Uſes of this Point.
Uſe 1. Away then with the Doctrine of eternal life by the merit of good works. If Ieſus Chriſt be our life, then cannot the merit of our works be our life or the cauſe of it, either in part or in whole, Chriſt and works are oppoſites as to this buſineſſe of ſalvation. The affirming of Chriſt is the denial of works, and the affirming of works is the denial of Chriſt. Act. 4. 11, 12. This is the ſtone which was ſet at nought of you builders, &c. neither is ſalvation in any other: for there is no other name given under heaven, &c. And the truth is, all the things required to make a work meritorious are wanting in the beſt of our good works. A meritorious work muſt be,
1. Noſtrum. So are none of our good works, Eph. 2. 10.
2. Perfectum. So are not our works. Our wine is mixed with water. We halt upon our beſt legs, Iſa. 64 6. Remember Lord my good deeds, and ſpare me, was Nehemiahs prayer, ch. 13. 22. we never did any thing we ſhould do, perfectly, not any one thing. Our moſt ſublimated thoughts are full of the dregges of earthly mindedneſſe, our beſt words are too ſcanty and light, &c.
3. It muſt be indebitum. A man cannot purchaſe your land by paying an old debt. All our obedience to God is an old debt which we owe upon another ſcore. Remember that Parable, Luk. 17. 9. Doth he thank that ſervant becauſe he did that which was commended? I tell you no. That which will not deſerve thanks cannot merit heaven. We are fallen into an erroneous age, mans will is cried up much. High Arminianiſme is within a few dayes journey of this piece of Popery. 'Tis time to give antidotes when ſuch deadly poyſon is ſcattered, and drunk in by many injudicious Chriſtians. Let Papiſts make works their life, let Arminians make freewill their life, but let us make Chriſt our life. He that will not live by Chriſt ſolely, ſhall die for ever without Chriſt. I ſhall conclude this with that of the Apoſtle, Gal. 5. 4. Chriſt is become of none effect to you, whoſoever of you are juſtified by the Law, ye are fallen from grace.
Uſe 2. The cer…ainty of the ſalvation of beleevers. They ſhall ſo certainly be ſaved, that Scripture ſpeaks of their ſalvation as of a thing already done, 1 Cor. 1. 18. the Preaching of the croſſe is unto us that are ſaved the power of God, foreign. 'Tis reported as a thing in facto, and not in fier…, Eph. 2. 5. By grace ye are ſaved, foreign, Rom. 8. 30. Whom he juſtified, them he alſo glorified, foreign. He writes as if they were already in glory. All this to ſhew the certainty of their ſalvation. This depends on many things, upon this in the text for one,—If Chriſt be their life, they ſhall live. He that will keep them out of heaven, muſt firſt pluck Ieſus Chriſt out of heaven; becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo, John 14. 19. if the Sonne make you free, ye ſhall be free indeed: if the Sonne be your life, ye ſhall live, and that for ever, in deſpight of devil, in deſpight of corruption: he is able to ſave, foreign, Heb. 7. 25.
Uſe 3. Let this provoke all men to get an interest in Chriſt. There's nothing but eternal death without him. He that hath the Sonne hath life; he that hath not the Sonne hath not life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, 1 Iohn 5. 12. There's no way to glory but by him. Deceive not your ſelves; cling to him, lay faſt hold on him, and on him alone: Other foundation can no man lay, then that which is laid already, even Ieſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3. 11.
We hope we have an intereſt in Chriſt. Well. He that hath a good aſſurance that Chriſt is his for life, muſt have theſe three things, elſe he deceives himſelf.
1. He muſt be a true beleever in Chriſt, vid. Ioh. 3. 36. He that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlaſting life; he that beleeveth not the Son ſhall not ſee life, &c.
2. He muſt be an obedient ſubject to Chriſt. Though we exclude obedience from the cauſe of ſalvation, yet we do make it a qualification of the perſon that ſhall be ſaved. Chriſt is the Author of eternal life unto them that obey him, Heb. 5. 9. Chriſt will be King where-ever he is Saviour.
3. He muſt live the life of grace. Chriſt is the Author of ſpiritual life, before he be the Author of life eternal. We muſt live in Chriſt before we live with Chriſt. Chriſt muſt live in us, before we live with him. Chriſt in you the hope of glory, Col. 1. 27. if Chriſt be not in you a fountain of grace, he will never be yours for glory.
4. You that have Chriſt for life eternal, carry your ſelves as thoſe that beleeve this truth. 1. Deſpaire not. No ſinne diſparageth Chriſt ſo much as deſpair: there is more ground of hope and confidence in Chriſt, then there can be of diſtruſt in our ſelves. The ſacrifice is ſufficient for the guilt. Chriſt is foreign, 1 Tim. 2. 6. a ranſome, a full ranſome. 2. Let ſalvation be ſo much the more precious to you for his ſake who is the Author of it. 3. Attribute your ſalvation to Chriſt onelyonly. 4. Live to Chriſt. 5. The greatneſſe of Gods love to the Elect. He gave Chriſt to be their life, to die for them, Rom. 5. 8. 6. Live with Chriſt here as much as you can. 7. The greatneſſe of mans miſery, he could not be ſaved without Chriſt.