A Vindication of Godliness, Sermon 2 · Part 3
III. Head concerning Chriſt.
Direct. 1. FIrſt, Conſider what the Scriptures ſpeak;
1. Concerning the Excellencie of his Perſon, John 1. 14. And the Word was made fleſh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth: Heb. 1. 3. Who being the brightneſſe of his Glory, and the expreſſe Image of his Perſon.
2. Concerning the Glorie of the Myſtery of Chriſt Crucified, Iſa. 53. throughout; He is deſpiſed and rejected of men; a man of Sorrowes, and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him. He was deſpiſed, and we eſteemed him not; Surely he hath born our griefs, and carried our ſorrowes, yet we did eſteem him ſtricken, ſmitten of God. But he was wounded for our Tranſgreſſions, he was bruiſed for our iniquities, the chaſtiſements of our peace was upon him, and with his ſtripes we are healed. All we like Sheep, have gone aſtray, and have turned every on to this way, and God hath laid on him the iniquities of all. He was oppreſſed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, Col. 1. 27. To whom God will make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Myſtery among the Gentiles, which is Chriſt in you the hope of Glory, Phil. 2. 6, 7, 8. Who being in the Form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God, but made himſelf of no reputation, and took upon him the forme of a Servant, and was made in the likeneſſe of men; and being found in faſhion as a man, he humbled himſelf, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Croſs.
The Goſpel is a Myſtery full of wonders.
1. There is a wonder of Righteouſneſſe and Severitie; That God ſhould not ſpare, but puniſh Sin, though upon his own Son.
2. A Wonder of wiſdome; That God ſhould being Light out of Darkneſſe, Life out of Death; that God ſhould bring about the Riſing of the World, by the Fall of the Lord; the Riches of the Word, by the Povertie of their Lord; the Fulneſſe of the Saints, by the emptineſſe of the King of Saints.
3. A Wonder of Mercy; That God ſhould harden his Heart againſt the Crie of his Son, and open his Bowels to the cry of Sinners.
4. A Wonder of Love; Love in the Father, in giving his Son; Love in the Son, in giving himſelf, his blood, his life, his Soul, a Ranſom for ſin; and all this, for Worms, Traytors, Enemies.
Direct. 2. Ask thy heart theſe Queſtions:
Queſt. 1. Oh, what monster is ſin?
What an Hell, what a bottomleſs pit is it, of malignity, and wickedneſſe, that none but God can expiate or purge it away; that God cannot do it, but by taking fleſh; that God manifeſted in the fleſh could not purge away ſin but by ſuffering; that no ſuffering would ſerve but Death; that no death could ſerve but ſuch a cruel and curſed death? Oh what a Monſter is Sin, that muſt have ſuch blood, the blood of God to take it away!
Queſt. 2. What ſtrange Love is the Love of Chriſt?
1. Strange in regard of the fruit and benefit of it: All that Holineſſe and Beauty that my Spirit is cloathed with, all that peace and joy that poſſeſſes my heart, all my glorious hopes and expectations for hereafter, all that difference that is betwixt my ſtate and the ſtate of Cain, Judas, and the whole reprobate World; this is the Love of Chriſt. Where had I now been, had it not been for the Love of Chriſt?
2. Strange Love in regard of the fervency and ardency of it; and that not onelyonly to the whole generation of the Elect, but to my Soul in particular. To expreſſe this, ask this one Queſtion farther, What if Chriſt had done and ſuffered all this for me alone? What if there had been but one Sinner in the World, and I had been that Sinner, and Chriſt ſhould have come down from Heaven, cloathed himſelf with fleſh, giving himſelf to death, given ſuch a glorious Goſpel, ſent forth ſuch a multitude of Ambaſſadours, to preach to, to convert, and ſave this one Soul, this my Soul, this had been ſtrange love. Such is the love of Chriſt to every Elect perſon, that if there had been but one Sinner, Chriſt would have done and ſuffered all this for one ſinner, rather then he ſhould have periſhed.
Queſt. 3. Is Chriſt mine?
Have I a ſhare in the Goſpel? is my name written in the Lambs Book? All are not Iſrael; though Chriſt died for all, yet all are not made alive by him. There are many from whom the Goſpel is hid, there are many that have rejected the Goſpel, that have put from them the Word of Life. Whileſt there are ſuch multitudes that are loſt and periſh for ever, is my Soul found, found in Chriſt? Hath he that hath died for me drawn me to himſelf? Hath he that hath given me a liberty to lay hold on him, given me a heart to lay hold on him: Hath he given me his Spirit in my heart, to ſanctifie and cleanſe me from my ſins? If I have not the Spirit of Chriſt in me; I am none of his. Ʋnleſs I waſh thee thou haſt no part with me. If he be not mine, then,
Queſt. 4. What may I doe to get Chriſt to be mine?
May I have him without ſeeking him? Can I live by Chriſt without coming to Chriſt, believing, repenting and following of Chriſt? is this ignorance, this idleneſs, is this earthly, this Carnal courſe I take; is this looſe and vain life I live; is this the way to get an intereſt in Chriſt? if Chriſt be mine, then,
Queſt. 5. How may I walk worthy of Christ?
Is it not by being made conformable to him? Conformed to his image, by being holy, humble, and meek; Conformed to him in his obedience, chearfully and readily doing the Will of God? Conformed to him in his ſufferings, by being content to be brought down and laid low, and made vile for his Name; Conformed to his Reſurrection and Aſcenſion, that this poor Soul which hath deſcended with Chriſt, may alſo aſcend with him? Aſcend in holy deſires and affections, aſcend in holy praiſes and acknowledgements, confeſſing to him, Worthy is the Lamb that wa… ſlain, to receive power and riches, and wiſdome, and ſtrength, and honour, and glory, and bleſſing, for thou haſt redeemed my Life from Death, and Crowned me with loving Kindneſs and tender Mercies.