Christ the Fountain of Life, Sermon 1
CHRIST the FOUNTAIN of LIFE. SERMON I.
1 JOHN 5.12.
He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.
THeſe words containe the Third part of the record that God bare of his Son, to whom this eternall life is communicated, and that is to all ſuch, as to whom the Son is communicated; amplified by the contrary, He that hath not the Son, hath not life.
Doctrine According to, or upon our having, or not having of Chriſt, depends our having or not having of life.
The note is of ſpeciall weight in our Chriſtian experience, and therefore let us take ſo much the more care in opening of it; He that findeth me (which is all one with, hee that hath me) he hath life, Prov. 8.34. but he that is eſtranged from me, he loveth death, ver. 36. So that, finde Chriſt, and finde life. Finde him not, but be eſtranged from him, and finde death▪ So Eph. 2.12. In times paſt ye were without Chriſt being aliens from the Commonwealth of Iſrael, ſtrangers from the Covenant of promiſe, having no hope, and without God in the world, and Eph. 4.18.19. There he ſpeakes of ſome that were alienated from the life of God; but in ver. 20. Ye have not ſo learned Chriſt, if ſo be you have been taught by him as the truth is in Jeſus.
For further clearing of this point, let me ſhew you firſt the Reaſons upon which it depends, and then the uſes of it.
Creatures broken Siſterns without Chriſt.Reason 1. For the firſt; The firſt reaſon ariſes from the insufficiency of all the body of the creature to give us life without Chriſt, Heb. 10.1.4. It is not poſſible that the blood of bulls, and goats ſhould cleanſe the conſcience from ſinne; They are not a valuable recompence to God for the tranſgreſſions we have done by our tranſgreſſions; we had deſerved death, for which the death of the beaſts cannot make recompence.
Men cannot redeem themſelvesAnd beſides, ſhould we dye for our ſinnes our ſelves, our death would not free us from the puniſhment, for we are not able to overcome death, but ſhould for ever ſinke under it: If there had been a Law that could have given us life, then wee might have lived by it, but there is no ſuch Law as can give us ſpirituall life. David ſpeakes in the name of Chriſt, Pſal. 22.29. It is the ſpeech of our Saviour, or of David in his name, No Man can keepe alive his owne ſoule. It is beyond the power of the creature to keep alive his own ſoule, no not ſo much as naturall life, Pſal. 49.7.9. No man can give a ranſome for the ſoule of his brother; no man is able to ranſome, or redeem his owne life or anothers; yea (which is much) Adam in innocency, was taught to looke for the preſervation of his inocent nature out of himſelf, for to that end did God give him the tree of life, Gen. 2.9 the tree of life grows not in Adam, but in the Garden▪ Now he that was to eat of the tree, called the tree of life, he was taught from thence, that the maintenance and continuance of that life which he then lived (a life of grace and glory) was not to be expected from his owne ſtrength, but from ſomething without himſelfe: The tree of life was a type of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the second perſon in Trinity, 1 Joh. 3.4. Now if Adam could not keep alive his own ſoule but by that tree, how much leſſe Adam falne and corrupted, being now become unable to keep that Law which in innocency he might have kept?
But more clearly ſee the grounds of this inſufficiency in the creature to helpe it ſelfe.
The firſt is taken from the preciouſneſſe of the price of our redemption. The coſtlineſſe of it, the matter of our juſtification is the price of our redemption, and without juſtification, no ſpirituall life at all. Now the price of our redemption is our juſtification, the forme of that juſtification is Gods accepting of it, and imputing it to us; but the matter of it is the price of our redemption, and that is the root of all our ſpirituall life, the price of our redemption given to God is accepted of him, and by him given to us, Pſal. 49.8. Precious is the redemption of ſoules; it is farre beyond the power of the creature, that which may be fit matter to give to God by way of ſatisfaction for a ſoule that is very precious, and this was onelyonly the obedience of Chriſt to the death, he by ſuffering death for us, and riſing from the dead, declared himſelfe mightily to be the Son of God, and he by his obedience to the death, offered to God the price of our redemption; He gave himſelfe a ranſome for many. And this ſhews that it had beene impoſſible for any under the Sonne of God, to have given a ſufficient price for our redemption; neither man nor Angels could doe it: but he in giving a ſufficient price for us, did thereby mightily declare himſelfe to be the Sonne of God, he onelyonly by his death, is the matter of our juſtification, and his riſing is our life: the Father himſelfe, it could not ſtand with his juſtice to give a price for our redemption, he being the perſon offended; but the Sonne taking upon him our nature, that nature which had offended God, he by this meanes made atonement, betweene the Father and us, and in making atonement declared himſelfe mightily to be the Sonne of God, none but he alone was able to tender to God ſuch a recompence as might be a ſatisfaction for our ſins.
2. And as this is ground why there is no ſufficiency in the creature to give us the life of our juſtification; ſo it is alſo taken from the root of our ſanctification and conſolation, for they ſpring both from one fountaine, and that is the Spirit of Gods grace, John 16.7. he is the comforter, that is our ſanctifier, and this ſprings in us to everlaſting life, Joh. 4.14 Now he that can give a ſpirit of ſanctification, and conſolation, is onelyonly the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, unleſſe he goe away, and ſend the Comforter to us, he never comes. If you would know who it is that can give this water of life, you ſhal read, Joh. 4.10. that it is only the Lord Jeſus; he it is only that goes to the Father, and ſends his Spirit of grace into our hearts, unleſſe he go to heaven, and ſend it downe from heaven to us, it is not given: So that he being the root of the Spirit of conſolation, & of ſanctification, all this life of conſolation & ſanctification ſpringing from the Spirit as from a fountain, and Chriſt being he that ſets open this fountain, Zac. 1.13. Therefore it is that there is an inſufficiency in the creature to ſhed abroad ſuch a thing as this into our hearts, Act. 2 33. when he was to give a reaſon of the ſpirit of Tongues, he fetches it fom the reſurrection of Chriſt, that he by his aſcending into heaven, did ſhed abroad this word which you now ſee and heare; ſo that by his death he gave to God, not onelyonly the price of our redemption, but prevailed with the Father to beſtow upon him the Spirit to give where, and to whom he will.
3 And for a third ground, why eternall life cannot bee given by any but by Chriſt, is taken from the invincible difficulty of the paſſage to eternall life, from the hand of death and the grave, there is no redemption: What man is he that can deliver his ſoule from the hand of the grave? Pſal. 49. And if the ſoule be ſevered from the body: no man can quicken his owne ſoule, that is beyond the power and reach of the creature, death is the paſſage to eternall life, and this paſſage is of invincible difficulty, for a man to dye, and then to tranſlate himſelfe from death to life, is far beyond the capacity of the creature, and therefore ſaith our Saviour, I am the reſurrection and the life, Joh. 11.25. and hee ſpeakes of it formally and properly; as if he ſhould ſay, being riſen from the dead my ſelfe, I riſe my ſelfe, and therefore raiſe up others alſo; ſo that if you looke at the invincible difficulty of it, you ſhall ſee, that it onelyonly is the Lord Jeſus, that can give eternall life, it is a ſigne of an hypocrite, when with Simon Magus we thinke this gift may be bought with money.
Reaſ. 2 It is taken from the good pleaſure of the Father, whom it hath pleaſed that in Chriſt all fulneſſe of life ſhould dwell, Col. 1.19. And when he which is our life ſhall appeare, wee ſhall appeare with him, 1 Cor. 1.30. And therefore ſince God hath concluded, and ſhut up all the ſprings of life in Chriſt, and out of Chriſt there is nothing but death, the good pleaſure of the Father hath determined this point, that he having given us this eternall life in his Son, there is no deriving life from any fountaine, but only from the Son.
Ʋſe. If upon our having, or not having of Chriſt, depends our having, or not having of life; then from hence you ſee an evident ground of triall of every one of our eſtates, whether we be alive or dead; would any man know whether he have, or not have life; conſider then whether you have, or not have Chriſt.
And from hence you may diſcerne three grounds of triall to diſcerne whether we have Chriſt or no.
Firſt, conſider what it is to have a Chriſt.
Secondly, what it is to have the Son.
Thirdly, what ſignes there be of life; and hereby wee ſhall have direction, whether we have Chriſt or no, and by this, we may informe our ſelves aright in this particular.
This point containes in it the pith and marrow of Chriſtianity, ſo far as any comfort of it may redound to us.
Firſt, then let us conſider what ſignes the Holy Ghoſt hath given us of our having of Chriſt.
We are ſaid to have Chriſt four wayes in Scripture.
Firſt, by the honour, or ſervice, or worſhip of him.
Secondly, in ſome ſenſe wee are ſaid to have Chriſt by purchaſe.
Thirdly, by way of Covenant.
Fourthly, by way of free acceptance, when God offers him.
Firſt, a man is ſaid to have God, or to have Chriſt, that worſhips him, and the very worſhipping of him, is the having of him; ſo you read, Exod. 20.3. Thou ſhalt have no other gods but me; it is the expreſſe words of the Commandement: And by having of God there, he meanes thus much, Thou ſhalt worſhip no other gods but me; worſhip me, and thou haſt me; worſhip any other, and thou haſt another god, and not me. So have the Lord Jeſus Chriſt by worſhipping of him; and you have him fully, Pſal. 45.10, 11. He is the Lord thy God, and worſhip thou him; implying, that as God hath ſet over his Son to us, to be our Lord, ſo we muſt receive, accept, and worſhip him; this is that which Moſes and the people of Iſrael ſung, He is my God, and is become my ſalvation, Exod. 15.2 He is my God, and he is my Fathers God, and therefore I will exalt him. So that to ſet up and exalt God in our hearts and lives, and to worſhip him, is all one; this ſets up the Lord, to worſhip him, is to be our God.
Now a little better to underſtand this point, that you may conceive what this worſhip of Chriſt is; you are to conceive that worſhip is performed to Chriſt, in minde, in heart, in life, both in our obedience that wee performe, in our life, in ſuffering, and patience which wee yeeld to God in our lives, by all this we worſhip Chriſt, and ſo have him.
1 Part of the worſhip of Chriſt, viz. in the mind and judgementFirſt, in our mindes, we then indeed worſhip Chriſt, when we have him in high eſtimation. The worſhip, and honour that we owe to Chriſt, is to have him in high eſteem, Cant. 5 10. She, the Spouſe there may well call him her beloved, Chriſt is my Chriſt, when he is to me the chiefeſt of ten thouſand, Pſal. 89.6. Who among the ſonnes of the mighty can be likened to the Lord. And Exod. 15.11. Who is a God like unto thee: When the ſoule of a man doth eſteem of Chriſt above all other things in the world, when there is nothing that the ſoule ſo prizes as the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, then the ſoul hath him; and herin lies the difference between ſpiritual & earthly things, you have an high eſteem of an earthly thing, and yet have it not; a man may highly prize a good bargain, and yet have it not: but no man ſets an high price upon Chriſt, but hee that hath him; ſpirituall things we wholly neglect, untill we have them, and when we have them, then there oisn-thing with us comparable to them, untill a man have his portion in the word of God, it is but a thing of ſmall value to him, and ſo the Spirit of Gods grace, and the blood of Chriſt untill a man have it; it is but a light vaine thing to him; yea till he have the Lord Jeſus himſelfe, no ſpirituall thing is of any value with him; but ſo ſoone as ever the heart begins to prize Jeſus Chriſt, as the chiefeſt of all the bleſſings that ever God beſtowed upon the ſonnes of men; and if the ſoule thinke,To prize Chriſt, is to worſhip him. that had he but his part in Chriſt, he were the happieſt man in the world; in thus prizing him, he worſhips him; and in worſhipping him, hee hath him.
Now you muſt conceive that all worſhip ſtands in advancing another, with the debaſing of our ſelves; we humble our ſelves, that we may advance another. Now if our debaſement to them be ſuch as is not compatible to a creature, as when we ſubject our heart and ſpirits to them; this is divine honour: Now that ſoule that exalts the Lord Jeſus Chriſt as the higheſt in his owne eſteem, he debaſes himſelf to the duſt in his ſpirit before him, John 1.27. It is the ſpeech of John Baptiſt (ſpeaking of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt) He that commeth after me, is preferred before me, whoſe ſhooe latchet I am not worthy to looſe. This is a true worſhipping of Chriſt, when in compariſon of Chriſt he thinkes himſelfe unworthy to looſe his ſhooe latchet. No mortall man but hee may bee worthy to looſe any mans ſhooe latchet, if he be but worthy to live; but this is the honour and worſhip of Chriſt, that when thy ſoule looks upon Chriſt, he is ſo highly to be preferred before him, as that he thinkes himſelfe not worthy to untie his ſhooe.
Now when a man is framed to theſe thoughts in his minde, as that he looks at Chriſt as the chiefeſt of all the bleſſings of God, as the greateſt mercy that ever could befall a poor ſoule; and in reſpect of Chriſt, he looks at himſelfe as an unworthy creature, moſt unworthy of Chriſt, moſt unworthy to come in his preſence, and much more unworthy to be made partaker of ſo glorious a match as the Lord Jeſus is, or to have his part in his body and blood, the very worſhip of Chriſt, in truth, the having of Chriſt; if we have ſuch a ſingular eſteem of him, we may be ſure we could never have thus prized him, but that he firſt prized us.
Chriſtians worſhip Chriſt in their mindsFor further opening this worſhip of Chriſt in our minds, becauſe it is of ſingular importance, and may helpe and ſtay a poore Chriſtian, when his heart may be moſt dead, and all other things fail him, yet this high eſteem of Chriſt in his mind is never wanting to an honeſt hearted Chriſtian, but he ever hath occaſion to looke at Chriſt as moſt glorious, and at himſelfe in compariſon of Chriſt, as unworthy to looſe his ſhooe latchet.
Moſes honors the reproaches of Chriſt.Let us therefore conſider a little further of it; you may the read the like gracious diſpoſition in Moſes; he ſo prizes Chriſt, that every thing belonging to Chriſt ſeems honourable to him, he eſteemed the very reproaches of Chriſt, above all the treaſures of Egypt, and thoſe are leſſe, then a ſhooe latchet, Hebr. 11.26. in untying a ſhooe latchet, there is neither ſhame nor pain: but for a man to be reproached for Chriſt, if any thing be baſe and diſhonourable, ſure it is that: For a man that was taken to be the ſonne of Pharoahs daughter, and for him not to be aſhamed of the people of God: nor of being reproached with them; yea, ſo far from being aſhamed, as to think it greater riches, then the treaſures of Egypt, he was ſure gone far in his eſteem of Chriſt: that man truly worſhips Chriſt, that honors the reproaches of Chriſt above al other things.
But yet there is ſomething more in it then this, in this worſhip of Chriſt in our minds: We honour, or worſhip Chriſt in our minds, when we make him the cheifeſt, and eſteem nothing more worthy to be knowne, then to know the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, John 17.3. This is life eternall to know thee the onelyonly true God, and Ieſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent: Now when the ſoul eſteemes nothing more worth the knowing then Jeſus Chriſt, this is an honouring of him, 1 Cor. 2.2. I determined not to know any thing among you, ſave Chriſt and him crucified, and Phil. 3 7, 8, 9, 10. He lookes at all things as loſſe, and droſſe, and dung that he might be found in Chriſt, not having his owne righteouſneſſe, but might know the power and vertue of his reſurrection; This is that which the Apoſtle did prize in his Judgment as more honourable, and comfortable, then any thing under the Sun, and this was an evident ſigne that Paul had Chriſt; for this is an ordinary experiment in nature, no man hath any bleſſing,Naturally men deſire to know the worth of bleſſings. but he would know the worth of it; if a man have a Farme or a yoak of Oxen, he will prove them, Luke 14.19. a man will know aforehand if he can, but when he hath it then he will prove it, and truely ſo is it with every one that hath the Lord Jeſus, he is deſirous to prove Chriſt, he would know by experience, what the vertue and power of his death is, how it pardons his ſin, and mortifies his corruptions, and he would know the power of his reſurrection: ſtrengthening and quickning grace in him, and the power of Chriſts aſcenſion,He that hath Chriſt is inquiſitive to know all the vertue that is in Chriſt. aſſending into the preſence of his Father, and ſitting at the right hand of God to rule all Creatures in heaven and in earth, for the Churches good, and ſubduing our enemies, and bringing us to glory in the end. A man that hath Jeſus Chriſt, he is inquiſitive to know all the vertue that is in Chriſt, & he thinks in his mind, there is nothing better worth the knowings, then to know and feel the vertue and power of Chriſt Jeſus in his heart: And this is the firſt part of the worſhip of Chriſt, though we be yet doubtfull whether we have Chriſt or no; Yet it is an evidence to the ſoul, that thou haſt him; becauſe thou doſt worſhip him, and ſo highly prize him in thy minde, and if thou couldeſt but know him, and thy part in him, this is the chiefeſt comfort thou canſt pitch thy minde upon; certainly he is thy beloved, ſince he is to thee the chiefeſt of ten thouſand.
Secondly, a man worſhips Chriſt,Two parts of the worſhip of Chriſt is in the wil & affections. not only by an act of his mind, but a man hath Chriſt likewiſe when he hath him in the deep affection of his heart, when he deeply affects him in his heart, as his chiefeſt good. The former was an act of the Judgment and underſtanding; this belongs to the heart, will, and affections. Plal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee, or in earth in compariſon of thee, and Pſal. 42.1… my ſoul pants or breathes after thee my God. He was then a baniſhed man from the congregation, and it was a weary ſad time to him, his ſoul panted like a chaſed Deare, for the rivers of water, his ſoul was athirſt for God! Oh when ſhall I come, and appeare before him? this is ſuch a longing deſire, when a man wants Chriſt; As that it is called, hunger and thirſt, Matth. 5. ſuch a deſire as cannot be ſatisfied, but with meeting with that which the ſoul doth hunger and thirſt for; give an hungry man a houſe full of gold, and he is hungry ſtill, but give him meate and then you ſatiſfy him; So in this caſe, the ſoul that hungers after Chriſt, give him profit and pleaſure, and you give him nothing, but his ſoul is fit to periſh for want of Chriſt,Deep meaſure of worſhiping of Chriſt. this is a deep worſhip we put upon Chriſt; and in ſo affecting of him, we have him; when the ſoul hath the Lord Jeſus, the higheſt and chiefeſt cauſe of rejoycing it hath, is, only its having of Chriſt Gal. 6.14. if he have his part in Chriſt, that is his Crown and his Portion, he counts it a goodly portion, his lot is falne into a pleaſant place; if we have him for our portion, we have enough, therein the ſoul is fully ſatisfied, and if we have loſt him, we chiefly mourne for that, our chiefeſt care is to get him; and we mourne moſt bitterly for want of him, Zach. 12.10. and we make it our deſire cheifely to have him, and then we truly have him when we ſo ſet him up in our hearts, we may affect many earthly bleſſings and want them, as gold and ſilver, and friends, and health, and yet want them all, but no man deſires Chriſt thus, but he hath him. I meane if he deſire him as his cheifeſt good, the having of any bleſſing doth not ſo rejoyce his heart, nor the want of it ſo afflict him, ſuch a ſoul hath Chriſt.
Object. But the church in Cant. 3.1. ſhe wanted Chriſt, and yet earneſtly deſired him, therefore a ſoul may have a ſtrong deſire to Chriſt, and yet be without him, how can ſhe be ſaid not to finde Chriſt, and yet to have him?
Anſ. She could neither have loved him nor have ſought him, nor have ſo known the worth of him, if he had not loved her firſt, and if ſhe in ſome meaſure had not had him: But when ſhe ſaith, ſhe found him not, the meaning is, not in that feeling and comfort, not in that meaſure ſhe ſought for, not in that life and power, her ſoul deſired, ſhe ſought him by night in a dark time, but though ſhe wanted the comfort of Chriſt in his ordinances, as ſhe then deſired, yet ſhe had Chriſt, and had true fellowſhip with him, elſe ſhe could never have ſo loved him, for ſhe ſaith ſhe ſought him whom her ſoul loved;Chriſt when more truely worworſhiped. and this is indeed ſo much the more truer worſhip of him when it is ſo hearty; in our Judgments we prize him as the chiefeſt bleſſing in heaven and in earth, and in our hearts we ſo affect him, and cleave unto him, ſo now on the contrary, let the ſame heart look into it ſelfe, and in compariſion of Chriſt, he not only in his Judgement baſely eſteemes of himſelfe, but in our affections we look at our ſelves as loathſome in compariſon of Chriſt, This you ſhall finde to be true, the more the heart doth inwardly love Chriſt, the leſſe we do love our ſelves, ſo when God revealed himſelfe to Job he cryed out, I am vilde Job. 40.4. and then he abhors himſelf, and repents in duſt and aſhes. There is no ſoul that hath any high eſteeme of God, or any ſtrong affection to him; but the more highly and deeply he affects him, the more he diſaffects himſelfe and loathes himſelfe, as unmeet to come into the preſence of the Lord, when as Iſaiah ſaw the glory of the Lord ſitting upon the cherubins, he cryed out woe is me I am undone, for I am a man of uncleane lips, &c. Eſa. 6.5.6.Sweeteſt frame of Spirit. this ſhal you ever finde to be the frame of the ſpirit of a chriſtian, the more deeply he affects Chriſt, the more inwardly he loaths himſelf, he looks at himſelfe as fit rather to be ſwallowed up of Judgment then capable of any mercy, not only greive for his ſin againſt Chriſt or not only the more fear his ſin,Note. or the more be aſhamed of his ſin, by how much the more he ſees the glory of Chriſt, but he ſo much the more loathes himſelf, as one cleane out of heart, he abhors himſelf as an unclean & abominable thing, that if he could go out of himſelfe, and be ſevered from his own ſoul, he would never own himſelf more, and therefore Chriſt puts ſelf denial for a principall part of his worſhip, Luk. 9.23. this very denial of our ſelves is a worſhip of Chriſt, hereby we ſo affect Chriſt, that we are quite out of conceit and love of our ſelves. And ſo loath our ſelves for our ſins, as they make us unmeet to be joyned to ſo glorious an head as chriſt, and then indeed we have him.
33. Part of the worſhiping of Chriſt. A third part of this worſhip of him is in our life: And in our life we worſhip Him, by obedience in doing his will, and by patience in ſuffering his will, or any thing comfortably for his ſake.
Vniverſall obedience.Hearty obedience is a true and ſincere, and reall ſigne of this worſhip of Chriſt, and true ſincere obedience to him is a true having of him.
This is, firſt when a man hath ſuch reſpect to all the Commandements of God, as that there is none of them but he greatly delights in it, Pſal. 119.6. then ſhall I not be aſhamed, when I have reſpect to all thy Commandements: He lookes at them all with ſuch reſpect, as the Commandements of a great God, he reſpects them all as Gods Commandements: When as a man is willing to take up every Commandement of Chriſt, he ſubmits to them all every one.
And which is more, as he hath reſpect to all Gods Commandements, ſo he hath, reſpect to all Gods Commandements in all his wayes, there is a double univerſality of obedience, and they both hold forth this truth; it brings into ſubjection every thought and Imagination to the will of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 10.9. now this is a marvellous ſubjection, that a man is not to dare to allow himſelfe in ſo much as a thought, unleſſe it be in a way of obedience to the will and Word of God, unleſſe a thought be ſuitable to the will of Chriſt, and allowable to the word of Chriſt, hee dare not accept it, when a man hath ſuch a profeſſed ſubjection to Chriſt, that as he reſpects every Commandement of God, ſo he would not be at his owne choyce, in ſo much as in any one thought, and this is ſuch ſolid and compleate worſhip of Chriſt as that a greater honor cannot be don to him, Math. 4.10, him only ſhalt thou ſerve, he will not allow himſelfe in one evill thought, much leſſe will he allow himſelfe to ſpeak evill words, or leaſt of all, to do this or that evill in the ſight of God, ſo that this is the worſhip of him, when we ſubject all the paſſages of our heart and life to his will, we ſerve the Lord and not man, Col. 3.23.24. we do not any thing in our callings, but we do it in obedience to Chriſt, and according to the rules of Chriſt, and for the glory of Chriſt, and this is the ſervice we do to Chriſt, not a paſſage in our whole life, but we deſire to have reſpect to all Gods Commandements, and this is a right and true having of him.
And as it is thus for our obedience in doing his will, ſo is it for our patience in ſuffering his will, there is a glorious worſhip given to Chriſt in patience, when as if ſo be it be the will of God to call us to ſuffer, we lay our hands upon our mouthes and ſit down and quiet our ſelves in this, that it is the will of Chriſt it ſhould be ſo, and being for the glory of his name, in the defence of his truth, and from his owne hand, it deares us not, we ſit downe quietly under the hand of Chriſt as knowing whoſe hand it is that is upon us, it is a worſhip of Chriſt and we debaſe our ſelves to worſhip him, when we acknowledge that it is no matter what becomes of us ſo the will of God be done, this is true worſhip of Chriſt, 1 Sam. 3.18. it was a good Teſtimony of Elies ſincerity, when he heard of the wofull Judgment that God would inflict upon his houſhould; when Samuel had made an end of expreſſing the whole Judgement, ſaith he, it is the Lord, let him do what ſeemeth him good in his owne eyes; wherein he fitly expreſſeth the poynt in hand; It is the Lord let him therefore do what he will, we have the Lord for our Lord, and he is a Lord to us, when we give him leave to rule us, the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, bleſſed be his name, Job. 1.20.21. this ſhewes the ſubjection of Jobs will to God. If he ſee it good to take all away as he ſometime ſaw it good, to give it all, this patient ſubmiſſion of the heart to God, is an undoubted argument, that we have the Lord for our God, had we not him for our God, the heart of man would ſo grudge at this & that evill which befalls us, and would bitterly fall upon Inſtruments, and weary heaven and earth with our moanes and cryes. But I held my peace and ſaid nothing, for thou Lord haſt done it, Pſal. 39.19. a ſigne we have him for our Lord when in all his providences, we acknowledge his good hand in it, and he is our Lord if we can ſo ſit downe and not murmure nor grudge againſt him, according to that you read Lam. 3.29 the church complaining of her miſery, he tells you the frame of her ſpirit, in ſuch a temper the ſoul now ſits alone and keeps ſilence. He hath learned to bear Gods yoake, he is yoaked to the will of God; to his Commandements, to his providence, and he puts his mouth in the duſt if there may be any hope, he is content to lye downe under the hand of God, grudges not at it, but in quietneſſe and ſilence of heart bears Gods yoak, and God is then the God of our Salvation, when we keepe ſilence before him, Pſal. 62.1. this is a ſolemne worſhip of God when in the midſt of trouble, we can quietly ſit down, when the ſoul can ſay, I wil bear the indignation of the Lord, Mica 7.8, 9. when we ſee the Lords hand in all the puniſhments and Judgments that befall us, and we bear it willingly, this is ſolemnly to worſhip him, and to be wrought upon as clay in the hand of the Potter, and in thus doing we have him; And if the caſe ſhould be, that we ſhould come to ſuffer for the name of Chriſt, it is ſo far off from being matter of murmuring to a Chriſtian man, as that he ſuffers not only patiently, but joyfully, and if any man ſuffer for the name of Chriſt as a Chriſtian, let him glorifie God on that behalfe, for the ſpirit of Glory and of God ſhall reſt upon him, 1 Pet. 4.14.16. When a man thus worſhips God, patiently ſubmitting himſelfe to him, and gives up himſelfe in his way, to be quieted by him, this is a true worſhiping of Chriſt, and whoever thus worſhips him, hath him, though we cannot yet tell whether we have faith or no, whether repentance or no, whether any true love to God or no, yet if we can finde this in us, that in our hearts we thus worſhip the Lord Jeſus, ſo highly prize him as the chiefeſt of ten thouſand &c. In ſo doing we worſhip Chriſt and in worſhiping him we have him, but on the other ſide, if we ſo look at Chriſt as we can prefer ten thouſand other things before him, and can ſit downe quietly without him, if we looke at Chriſt as a refuſe commodity, no worth the cheapening, and we looke at our ſelves as the great Omegaes of the world, and we would not have our names blemiſhed with ſeeking after Chriſt, but have greater buſineſſe then that to looke after, and we wil be our owne carvers; if ſo, then we do not worſhip Chriſt, and then we have him not, and ſo no redemption by him.