The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, Sermon 4 · Section 1
The Grounds and Reaſons why the Lord Jeſus Christ is held forth in the Word to be ſo very Rich.
And they are theſe that follow.
Firſt,
TO incourage poore ſinners to looke after, and to be willing to match with him.Abrahams ſervant to win ovre the heart of Rebekah to Jſaac, brings ſo…th Jewels of ſilver, and Jewels of gold, and acquaints her what a rich match ſhe ſho…l… have, by matching with Iſaac, & ſo overcame her, Gen. 24. And ſo does God dealwith poor ſinners, &c.
Poverty hinders many a match. The Lord did foreſee from eternity, That fallen man would never look after Chriſt, if there were not ſomething to be gotten by Chriſt; the Lord hath therefore in his wiſedome and goodneſſe to fallen man, thus preſEnted him, as one exceeding rich, that ſo poore ſinners might fall in love with him, and be willing to give up themſelves to him. Prov. 8. 34, 35. Bleſſed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my Gates, waiting at the poſts of my doores (As Princes Guards doe at Princes Gates and doores.) Now the Arguments to draw out the ſoule thus to waite upon the Lord, lyes in the next words, For whoſo findeth me, findeth life, and ſhall obtaine favour of the Lord. The Hebrew runs thus, For finding me he ſhall find lives, and ſhall draw forth the favour of the Lord. Divine favour is as it were a Jewel lockt up, I, but by finding Chriſt, by getting Chriſt, the ſoule gets this Jewel that is more worth then a world; yea, by gaining him, the ſoule gaines lives; to wit, a life of grace, and a life of glory; and what would the ſoule have more?
A ſecond Ground of this, is,
Becauſe he is Ordained by the father to convey all riches of Grace to his choſen and beloved ones.
John 1. 16. Of his fullneſſe we all receive grace for grace. And this we receive by Divine ordination. John 6. 27. Labour not (ſaith Chriſt) for the meat that periſheth, but for that which indureth to everlaſting life, which the Son of man Sealed, that is, made his Commiſſion authenticall, as men doe their deeds by their ſeale.ſhall give unto you, for him hath God the father ſealed. God the father hath ſealed Chriſt, he hath deſigned Chriſt, he hath ſet Chriſt apart for this very work, that he might give grace unto us. God hath ordained to convey all fullneſſe of light to the Aire by the Sun, and therefore hath put a greater fullneſſe of light into the Sun. God hath ordained all fullneſſe of nouriſhment to the branches, by the roots, and therefore hath put a fullneſſe of juice into the roots: So the Lord hath ordained that all the riches of grace, of peace, of glory, &c. that Believers ſhall injoy here and in Heaven, they ſhall have from this Son of righteouſneſſe, from this bleſſed root the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and therefore the father hath filled this Son with light, this root with heavenly juice, becauſe he is by Divine ordination to convey all ſpirituall and glorious John 15. 21, 22. Sirens are ſaid to ſing curiouſly while …hey live, but to r…are horribly when they dye. So will all thoſe that have rerected ſo rich a Jeſus as ha's been tendred …o them, when the Lord Jeſus ſhall plead with them, &c.Riches into the hearts of his choſen and beloved ones.
A third Ground is
To take away all excuſe from ungodly and wicked men, and that they may be found ſpeechleſſe in the day of vengeance, when the Lord ſhall come to reckon with them.
Ah ſinners! How will you that have turn'd your backs upon Chriſt, who is thus rich, be able to anſwer it in the day when God ſhall reaſon the caſe with you? When God ſhall ſay, ſinners, Ha's it not been often told you that Chriſt is rich in mercy, and rich in goodneſſe, and rich in grace, rich in pardons, rich in loves, and rich in glory, rich in ſpiritualls, rich in temporalls, and rich in eternalls, and yet you have ſlighted this Chriſt, you have turned your backs upon this Chriſt, you have preferred your luſts and the world, and the ſervice of the Devil, above this Chriſt. Oh! How dumb, how ſpeechleſſe will ſinners be, when the Lord ſhall thus plead with them? Oh how will their countenances be changed, their thoughts troubled, their joynts looſed, their conſciences enraged, and their ſoules terrified, when they ſhall ſee what a rich Match they have refuſed, and thereupon how juſtly they are for ever accurſed, &c.
Laſtly, It is upon this account,
That he may be a compleat Redeemer to us, and that nothing may hinder our ſoules cloſing with the Lord Jeſus Christ.
We ſtand in need of one that's rich, rich in grace to pardon us, rich in power to ſupport us, and rich in goodneſſe to relieve us, and rich in glory to Crowne us, there's none but ſuch We may ſay of Chriſt, as Writers ſay of the Jaſper, it's eaſier to admire then declare it, and far more eaſier to ſay what he is not, then what he is.a Chriſt can ſerve our turnes. We ſtand in need of one that's rich, that's generally rich, one that's rich in money to pay all our debts. We have run much upon the ſcore with God, and none can pay this ſcore, but Chriſt; our ſins are debts that none can pay but Chriſt: 'Tis not our teares, but his blood, 'tis not our ſighes, but his ſufferings, that can ſatisfie for our ſins. We are much in debt to God, for the ground we tread on, the aire we breath in, the beds we lye on, the bread we eat, the cloaths we wear, &c. and none can pay this debt but Chriſt. Angels and Saints may pitty us, but they cannot diſcharge the leaſt debt for us, &c. Chriſt muſt pay all, or we are Priſoners for ever, &c. We ſtand in need of one that's rich in goodneſſe, we are a needy people, and are ſtill in want; Chriſt muſt be ſtill a giving, or we ſhall be ſtill a languiſhing, if he ſhut his hand we periſh and returne to duſt. Our temporall wants are many, our ſpirituall wants are more, and if Chriſt don't ſupply them, who will? who can? Nay our wants are ſo many, and ſo great, that Chriſt himſelfe could not ſupply them, were he not very, very rich.
And thus I have given you a brief account of the Reaſons of the Point, Why the Lord Jeſus is held forth by the Scripture to be ſo very rich.
We ſhall now come to the third thing propos'd, and that is.