Christ the Fountain of Life, Sermon 11
SERMON XI.
1 JOHN 5.12.
He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.
HAving handled an Uſe of Tryal of life, and this depends upon our having of Chriſt. We come now to another Uſe from this Doctrine.
Vſe 2 It is to teach us the dangerous and uncomfortable eſtate of every ſuch ſoule as hath not Chriſt, for the Text ſaith, he that hath not the Sonne, hath not life; No life in us, if there bee no Chriſt in us,Danger of being out of Chriſt. this is that which Apoſtle ſpeaks often to, that we are dead in treſpaſſes and in ſins, Eph. 2.1, 5. This is the of eſtate of them all, ſo farre as we are without Chriſt, we are without life; no Chriſt, no life.
It is with the ſons of men in this kinde (that I may ſo ſpeake) as it was with the Souldiers, 2 Kings 19.35. they were all dead corps: truly, that is the caſe of us all by nature; every ſoule of us, as long as we live in the world without Chriſt, ſo many men, ſo many dead corps, ſo many unſavoury carcaſſes: And indeede all that worke of life, which you have heard opened, it is no ſpiritual motion, no feeding upon Chriſt, no growing in grace, no expelling of noyſome luſts, no care nor indeavour to beget others to an eſtate of grace, in any men that are dead, no motion at all to any ſpiritual good, Heb. 9.14. al our works, the beſt works we doe in an eſtate of nature, they are all of them but dead workes; And ſo are we to any ſpiritual motion. As the Apoſtle tels you, we none of us doe good, and which is worſe, wee can doe no good; yea, and ſtil, which is worſe, wee would doe no good if we could; this is the eſtate of us all by nature; The Lord looked downe from heaven, to ſee if any of them did good, but they are altogether become unprofitable, not one, doth good, no not one, Rom. 3.12.
And he ſpeakes of all men in an eſtate of nature without Chriſt, not one doth any good, no not one; All the thoughts and imaginations of ſuch mens hearts are evill, and only evill, and that continually, Gen. 6.1. and Chriſt ſaith as much of their words, Matth. 12.33, 34. And ſo in all our workes, A good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evill fruit, Mat. 7.18. Wherein he ſhewes you, that as we do no good, ſo we can doe no good, not a good thought, nor a good word, nor a good worke comes from ſuch a man all his dayes; and all our ſpeeches are rotten and unſavoury, not any ſpirituall life in most ſeeming beſt duties; we are not able to ſpeake unto any good purpoſe, let if be truly moulded an it is a precious fruit of righteouſneſſe, but if ſpoke as comes from nature, be it never ſo well ſpoken, it is corrupt, either full of pride or ſelfe-conceit, or to pleaſe others, or the like; nor doe we regulate our words by the language of Canaan, nor open our mouthes from a ſpirit of ſaith, 2 Cor. 4.13. This is true in all naturall men; we doe not therefore ſpeake becauſe we beleeve, we ſpeake not, becauſe we beleeve God hath commanded us ſo to ſpeake; as our Saviour ſaid, Iohn 14. laſt. Nor therefore worke any thing becauſe God ſet us aworke, or to aime at any ſervice of God, or good to his people in it, ſo that as our thoughts be, ſo are our words, evill, and only, and continually evill; and much more all the workes of our hands, that require greater ſtrength of grace then either our thoughts or our words doe; ſo that without Chriſt there is no act of ſpirituall life comes from us, we would doe no good if we could. If God ſhould at any time aſſiſt us, and ſupply us with ſomething more then ordinary, yet we will not be made clean, that we might doe well:Jer. 13. laſt opened. O Ieruſalem, wilt thou not be made cleane, when will it once be? Jer. 13. laſt. As if it were a thing never to be looked for, God might waite upon a man from one end of the yeare to another, and ſometimes be asking of him, Wilt thou be made clean? and he may aske again, Man, wilt thou be made whole? but if he but ſay, Wilt thou be made cleane, we have many devices to put off God, and we can never finde that day, wherein we will ſay, This day we will heare Gods voyce, and be made cleane; from this day forward I reſolve never to think my own thoughts more, nor to doe my owne will more, but now will give up my ſelfe to ſeeke for life and ſalvation in Chriſt; that day is yet never pitched upon till we have found Chriſt, never ſince we were borne untill now: but now it may be we are convinced, that it is good to become a Chriſtian, and we wiſh well to ſuch as are Chriſtians; but when it comes to the matter, we are but almoſt Chriſtians, as was Agrippa; or if we be ſatisfied, that we muſt become Chriſtians indeed, then truly it muſt not be to day, but to morrow; and when we thinke to set God a day when indeed it ſhall be, as ſometimes at our Marriage, or when we come out of our Apprentiſhips, or when we fall ſick, when left alone upon the Death-bed, and if God ſay, Yet, when will it once be? we cannot yet ſet him a day, only we will ſay, We will conſider of it, and we would be loath to disappoint God; as Creditors will ſay to their Debtors, We would be loath to ſet you a day, becauſe we know not whether we ſhall hold or no, and therefore ſpare us in that, but we will pay you as ſoone as we can; but when will it once be? Truly we are not yet perſwaded, there is yet ſomething or other to be done; and therefore you ſhall finde this to be true, that we are ſo farre from ſpirituall life in Chriſt, that none of us doe any good; there is nothing you doe whereof you may ſay, This have I done becauſe God hath ſet me a worke, and in reſpect of Gods Command, or that God may be ſanctified thereby, never yet could we ſay ſo; and as we have not done any good, ſo neither are we able or capable of good. And in truth this is a further want of ſpirituall action, that if God ſhould make us able to doe it, yet we would not be willing to doe it, but if he put us to the queſtion, When ſhall it once be? read that Chapter and the next, and ſee if ever they ſet God a time, they will by no meanes ſet God a time, leaſt they over-much ingage themſelves; indeed, ſometimes it may be you ſhall ſee ſuch men lying under ſome heavie hand of God, and neare to death, reſolve upon time. See our unwillingneſſe to come off to God when we are in health, we thinke in ſickneſſe to be made cleane, but in ſickneſſe, what will we ſay then, ſome of you can tell what men are then wont to ſay; What doe we then ſay? Oh, if God would but reſtore me to health, you ſhould ſee I would become a new man; why when he was in health he ſaid, If ſickneſſe or danger came, that ſhould be the time wherein he would be made cleane, but when ſickneſſe comes, then we put God off till health againe. As if a Debtor ſhould put off his Creditor from Summer to Winter, and from thence to Summer againe, the anſwer will never be given; why now it ſhall be this day ſay you in ſickneſſe, it ſhall be when God ſhall bring me to health; but why not to day? you put off God from health to ſickneſſe, and from ſickneſſe to health againe, and when they doe not ſo, and come and tell them of it, they will ſay, Why it is true, God forgive them, they thought to have done ſuch a thing, and they hoped to have done it; But when ſhall it once be? Why not to day before to morrow? what if you dye of this ſickneſſe, will you goe to Hell immediately? will you take no courſe for turning the wrath of God from you; Are not you now ſick, why doe you deferre it any longer? and though he be not able to turne himſelfe in his bed, yet he may turne to God. It is a vaine thing to put off God to health, for in our ſickneſſe God will ſooner viſit us, and doth expect that in the day of our affliction we ſhould ſeeke him diligently and early, Hoſ 5. laſt. When will it once be? So that take notice of this deſperate deadneſſe of a mans heart out of Chriſt, he is dead in ſinne, ſo as that he neither doth any good, nor is able to doe any good, nor is willing to doe any good.
And as there is no ſpirituall motion in him, no act of grace, ſo it is another act of ſpirituall life, for a man to feed upon Chriſt; but doe you thinke a dead man is able to feed upon Chriſt? you know what God ſaid of the Idolatrous people in old time, Eſa. 44.11, 12.Eſa, 44.11. explained. The ſame ſaith … to every naturall man; He feedeth, upon what? upon Chriſt? No, no, upon aſhes; why upon aſhes, aſhes is farre from feeding upon the living God, and yet truly a man feeds upon aſhes; every ſoule that feeds not upon Chriſt hath ſome Idol for his God, and ſo falls downe to worſhip it, ſome god of profit, or pleaſure; and this is the eſtate of all wicked men, they feed upon aſhes; upon aſhes, it ſeemes to me to be a borrowed ſpeech, or ſimilitude taken from children, or ſome women with childe, that being ſometimes taken with ſome ill humour, and diſtemper of ſtomach, they have an eager deſire to feed upon aſhes, and ſuch like dry unſavoury meat; Children will be eating coales, and aſhes, and ſo will ſometimes women with childe; ſo truly it is with every naturall man, he is a naturall Idolater, he worſhips ſomething beſides Gods, he feeds upon aſhes, ſome dry and unſavoury, and unwholſome meat, which cannot profit him in the day of wrath, which gives not his ſoule any nouriſhment, for the ſoule of man is an immortall ſpirit, and we only feed it with profit, and pleaſure, and credit, and theſe be but aſhes, bodily food. The good things of this life are no more ſuitable to a mans ſoule, then aſhes be to a mans body, and therefore Solomon ſo compares the eſtate of all the ſonnes of Nature, Eccleſ. 3.21. Who knowes the ſpirit of a man that goes upward, and the ſpirit of the beaſt that goes downeward to the earth? his meaning is this; he complaining of the vanity that lyes upon the ſonnes of nature, he ſpeakes not in the perſon of an Epicure (as ſome conceive) but his meaning is, Who knowes; which of all the ſonnes of men conſiders, or takes it to heart, that his ſoule goes up to any better place then the ſoule of a beaſt, which of all the ſons of Nature feeds his ſoule upon better food, then the ſoule of a beaſt is fed upon? Doe they not all feed, as if they all went to one place? and therefore upon the duſt of the earth they feed; turne me out the man that is in an eſtate of nature, conſiders that his ſoule is to live for ever, and therefore takes care to feed his ſoule to immortality; this is the wofull diſtemper of all the ſonnes of nature, that we feed not upon Chriſt, but upon the bleſſings of this world, ſo long as we are without Chriſt, all our food is upon earthly things here below, there is not any power in a man by nature, not any wiſedome or ſtrength in us to deliver our ſoules, and then is not this a falſe courſe? A lying vanity: is not my heart deceived with this and that? he is not able to aske his heart ſuch a queſtion, am I ſuch a foole, to forget all good to my ſoule, thus long? it would deliver his ſoul, if hee did but conſider that there was a lye in the other way, and he flatters himſelfe in his good eſtate before God, and conſiders not the truth of the thing; he thinkes hee is as faire a dealing man as any of them all, but his heart deceitfull, and deſperately wicked, and ſo cannot ſee the falſehood of his way.
And for growing, which is a third act of ſpiritual life, a man is dead to any growth, never comes to any growth in grace, but he is apt to grow in evil and ſin, evill men and deceivers ſhall wax worſe and worſe, 2 Tim. 3.13. take you any natural man, and he is ever growing worſe and worſe, ever growing of the worſe hand; he growes more and more unprofitable, and more looſe from God, and eſtranged from the wayes of his grace, and ſettled in the wayes of ſin. And this is that which the Prophet, Jeremiah complaines of, chap. 9.3. they proceeded from evill to worſe, and this is the eſtate of us all without Chriſt, we grow from prodigality to covetouſneſſe; and from wantonnes, to voluptuouſnes, and ſo goe on til we come to take pleaſure in all ſinne, though it be but for a ſeaſon: This is al the growth and progreſſe that ſuch men make.
And in the fourth place, for cleanſing our ſelves from al ſuperfluous, and noyſome luſts that we doe not, neither can we be freed from them: O Jeruſalem, waſh thy heart from thy wickedneſſe, how long ſhall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee? Jer. 4.14. Purge out all thoſe ſinful luſts, God knowes the thoughts of the hearts of men are but vaine, 1 Cor. 3.18. and they being vain, God would have us to waſh our hearts, how long ſhal it be that we ſuffer theſe luſts to lodge within us? we never cleanſe our ſelves from theſe: but ſuch woful cleanſing it is, that if we goe about to purge them out, by the motions of the ſpirit of grace, that he caſts into our hearts; we think its a troubleſome worke, and doth croſſe the tranquility, and peace of our eſtates, we thinke they are noyſome, and therefore, if any good motion be darted into the heart, in the Miniſtery of the Word, or in the Counſell of Chriſtian friends, we are ſick of it, till we have caſt out all thoſe good motions againe, and what ever good affection God hath been pleaſed to caſt into us, wee are not wel til we be ſhut of it: as was the caſe of Ahab, he comes ſadly and mourning from Eliahs ſharpe reproofe, 1 King. 21. two laſt verſes, but he could not be well at eaſe, til he had caſt it all off, with putting Naboth to death, and put it off with calling a Councel about going to War, and ſo damped all the ſorrow that was in his heart. Let Caine have any good motion come in his heart, and he wil put it off with building of Cities: His ſin, and puniſhment is great, Gen. 4.13. and would he not now ſeek to God for mercy that his ſoule might live? no he goes out from the preſence of God, and from all good company, and good councel, and whither goes he then? Into the land of Nod, and there he builds Cities, and calls them by ſuch and ſuch names, and ſo takes off his thoughts from any good motion, and extinguiſhes all the motions of grace: And truly ſo ſtood the caſe with Foelix, Act. 24.25. when he trembled at Pauls Sermon, he would not indure to hear him any further, but when he had convenient leaſure he would hear him again; but he never ſent for him. And ſo you ſhall ever find this frame in a naturall mans heart, thoſe motions which the ſpirit of God caſts into his heart, that might induce him, and lead him on by the hand to better courſes, we are not wel til we have caſt them all off. Juſt as Paul complaines of the Jewes, Act. 13.46. ſince you have put it away from you, loe, we turne to the Gentiles, we purge, and caſt out the motions of Gods ſpirit, and cannot indure that any Ordinance ſhould bring us nearer to Chriſt; Act. 7.51. Yee have always reſiſted the holy ghoſt, expelled the bleſſed of God that if the holy ghoſt but dart any good councel into their hearts, they cannot indure to hear it, nor entertain any motion of it, but grieve and vex the holy Spirit of God, and they are not well till they quench it, 1 Theſſ. 5.19. Eſa. 5.3. we are alive to nothing but to run away from God, alive to ſinne, alive to doe evill, but to doe well we have no underſtanding, Jer. 4.22. Apt to purge and cleanſe our ſelves from all good things, but wholly undiſpoſed to doe any thing that is well; this is the true eſtate of us all: Look at us as we are by nature, all of us without Chriſt cannot put forth one act of ſpirituall life, not one good motion to be found in ſuch a condition.
And in the firſt place for begetting any unto grace, we rather doe the quite contrary, we addict our ſelves to beget men to become the children of Hell, worſe then our ſelves, Matth. 23.15. two-fold more the children of Hell; and becauſe that may be more proper to corrupt teachers, Jeremy ſpeakes it of all the ſonnes of nature, and thoſe eſpecially that had lived a while under the meanes, and were not thereby brought on to an eſtate of grace, thoſe whom God had kindled ſome fire in their hearts, and whom he would have brought on to grace, even theſe; They are all grievouſly revolted, walking with ſlanders, they are braſſe and Iron, they are all corrupters, Jer. 6.28. He doth not ſay, they are all corrupted, but all corrupters; that is, ſuch as are not only naught themſelves, but they corrupt others alſo, they make others worſe for their ſakes; No man that ſets his face to God-ward, but if he come among them, he is the worſe for them; every man is kept off the more from goodneſſe by their meanes, they doe not love that men ſhould be too forward, or too preciſe, nor to keep ſuch a puleing, nor ſuch a praying; we are all by nature corrupters, Gen. 6.11. All fleſh had corrupted their way; even every man had done it, every one is the worſe for us that hath to doe with us, if we ſee but any good diſpoſition in them to be comming on in the waies of grace, we doe as much as in us lyes to quench, and damp, and ſmother them, and never reſt by our good wills till we make them as ill as our ſelves, and harden their hearts from Gods feare; this is the true carriage of all thoſe who are out of Chriſt: He that hath not the Son, he hath no life; no motion of ſpirituall life, no growing up in Chriſt, no purging out of ſinfull uncleanneſſe; and therefore now to apply this, conceive thus much:
Firſt, It applyes it ſelfe againſt the Church of Rome; Application.firſt, who maintaine, that men in the ſtate of nature, have free will to lay hold upon Chriſt, and they conceive it is upon very faire termes; but I would only demand of you this queſtion, Whether when they doe lay hold on Chriſt (as they conceive) whether they have him, or they have him not? they, will ſay, They have not Chriſt till they have received him; for what haſt thou that thou haſt not received? 1 Cor. 4.7. And till they have received him, how ſhall they lay hold upon him? and if not receive him, they are dead men; and when a man is dead what can he have by any benefit that is offered him? Offer him never ſo largely, and he can receive no benefit by it; and if that any doe lay hold upon Chriſt, were they not living when they ſo layed hold upon him; ſo that when they doe lay hold upon Chriſt, whether is it an action of life or no? If not, how ſhall they lay hold on Chriſt, and without Chriſt no life. A man in the ſtate of nature neither doth good, nor can he doe any good, nor is he willing to doe good; and therefore well doth the Apoſtle ſay, It is God that workes in you both the will and the deed, Phil. 2.12, 13. Any thing that we doe that is good, is wholly from the grace of Chriſt, and this is juſt againſt the Papiſts.
Secondly, It ſerves to teach us all to bemoane our owne eſtates, or the eſtates of any of ours, that we yet ſee in the gall of bitterneſſe, lying in an eſtate of nature; is it thy ſelfe, or thy father, or mother, or thy children or ſervants? whatever he be, be he never ſo good a natured man, if he be yet without Chriſt, there is no life in him; I ſay, looke upon him as thy dead friend; If thou didſt look upon thy father, and mother, or children, and ſee them lye dead before thee, thou wouldeſt mourne bitterly for them; you know what is ſaid, Zach. 12.10. As a man mournes for his firſt borne; if our firſt borne, or any that is neare to us dye, we mourne bitterly for them, and refuſe to be comforted, as was the caſe of Rachels mourning for her children, and would not be comforted becauſe they were not, Matth. 2.18. they were all dead, and therefore cauſed a bitter mourning; it was the wounding and rending of her ſoule. And may not this be the caſe of many a fruitfull mother, many children, and yet all of them dead in Gods ſight, not a ſoule living in the ſight of God? And is it not a farre more bitter death to be dead in ſinne, then to be dead in the body, when it is a living ſoule in Gods ſight? then, bleſſed are the dead that dye in the Lord, for even ſo ſaith the Spirit, that never ſpake words of falſhood, Revel. 14.13. I ſay therefore, if that our children live to God, and have the life of grace in their hearts, there is no danger of their death; then thy children ſhall come againe to thy hearing, at the reſurrection of the juſt, and thou ſhalt imbrace them with comfort, and fill thy ſoule with unſpeakable joy, and fulneſſe of glory; if they dye in the favour and grace of God, they ſhall riſe to glory, but if they be ſpiritually dead, no goodneſſe in the world in them, no ſpirituall life at all, no life of righteouſneſſe or holineſſe, which are the firſt fruits of the Spirit, and of glory in this world; then weep for theſe children, and thoſe friends, that husband, or wife, or brother, or ſiſter; weep for every ſoule that is in an eſtate of ſinne and death, they are as ſo many dead Corps; you may ſometimes ſee a whole houſe-full of dead creatures, not one of them living to God, not one of thy acquaintance, not one of all thy brothers and ſiſters; weep and mourne bitterly for them that are thus wounded with ſinne, and bleed deadly, and gaſpe for their laſt breath, and it may be ſhall never finde grace from God in this world, their preſent condition is fearefull; and mourne thou for them in a godly manner, that thou mayeſt be the more earneſt with God in that behalfe; and never leave, till thou haſt got ſome grace from Chriſt for them, and in ſo doing you ſhall finde, that he that gave you children will give them life, and he that gave you brethren, and ſiſters, and friends, and acquaintance, he will put ſome life into them, and it ſhall doe you good at the heart, as in verſ. 16. of this chapter; Let him aske, and he ſhall give him life. The promiſe is marvellous ſweet and ſtrong, you may handle the matter ſo, that as you have inſtrumentally given them naturall life, you may procure them ſpirituall life, they came out of your loynes dead in ſinne, and they will grow in ſinne more and more, more unſavoury, and more unprofitable, and worldly, and proud, and wanton, this is their naturall condition; well, if they be ſo borne, then weep over them, and mourne bitterly for them. You would mourne for a childe if ſtill-borne, much more if you ſee it dying, and giving up the ghoſt, and lying in extreame and bitter paine, how much more for that ſoule that hath no grace, nothing at all in them, in regard of which you can ſay, this is a pledge to me of Jeſus Chriſt in them; you know what a bitter mourning fell out in Exod. 12.30. A great cry was heard in Aegypt, and they all roſe up at midnight; What was the matter? Why this was it, There was not an houſe wherein there was not one dead, and upon this occaſion they roſe up at midnight, and filled their ſtreets with bitter cryes, and what then thinke you would they have done, if in every family there had been but one alive? all dead but himſelfe, neither one nor other, ſometimes old, and ſometimes young, all gone ſave only one, to mourne for all the reſt; and this is ſometimes the caſe of many a ſoule, he may riſe every morning, and ſee not a ſoule in his family of which he can ſay, this is not a dead corps; if there were but one dead ſoule it might cauſe thee to mourne, and that greatly, juſt occaſion to mourne bitterly, if there be but one in thy houſe that comes not on to the wayes of grace and ſalvation; this is it that God calls us to, ſadly to conſider of it, bitterly to bemoane it, and to pray heartily for ſuch poore ſoules to God, that he would be pleaſed to ſhew mercy to them all, that you might have ſome living companions, ſome that might be wrapt up in life and peace, and bring them within the covenant of grace, and life, and ſalvation; if you have but the bowels of friends, if but the bowels of Chriſtian men, take to heart your owne, and others miſerable condition, if they be dead, and without Chriſt.
Vſe 3. To teach us all, that if ſo be that we, or any of ours be yet without Chriſt,Procure Chriſt for our ſelves, and others. let it exhort us not to give reſt to our eyes, nor ſlumber to our eye-lids, till we have procured Chriſt for our ſelves, and ours, that we may procure life for our ſelves, and others. What is it for a man to have a good wife, or a good husband, or beautifull children? What if he had rich kindred and acquaintance? What if he had all the world, and have not Chriſt, he hath no life; had we all the friends we have, and as much comfort as we could wiſh, and want Chriſt, it were poore empty comfort, and therefore labour above all things to get Chriſt.
For motives hereunto:
Motives to get Chriſt.Firſt, it is taken from the ſweetneſſe of life, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, Job 2.4. and what is a life without grace? What is the naturall life without a ſpirituall? This naturall life is worth the giving and parting with for a ſpirituall; What ſhall a man give in recompence for his ſoule? Matth. 16.26. You know what Chriſt ſaid of Judas, and the ſame reaſon holds true in every man that wants life in Chriſt, Matth. 26.24. It had been good for that man he had never been borne; ſo may we ſay of all our ſoules, it had been good for us we had never been borne, if we dye without grace, we ſhall then have our portion with hypocrites, and unbeleevers, and therefore let ſpirituall life be more ſweet to you then naturall.
Secondly, conſider if you have Chriſt, you have life, and that in abundance, and you have all the bleſſings of God, of all lives it is the moſt comfortable, 2 Cor. 1.20. If you have Chriſt, you have all the promiſes, For in him they are, yea, and in him Amen; and they ſhall all be ratified and confirmed, and eſtabliſht to you, and all the bleſſings of God are thine, Eſa. 1.3. He hath blest you with all ſpirituall bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus; all bleſſings both ſpirituall and temporall too, all the bleſſings of this and another life, 1 Tim. 4.8. 1 Cor. 3. laſt. All is yours; all the ordinances of God is yours, and all the world is yours; not a creature in the world but is at your ſervice: yea your enemies is for your good and ſervice. Eſau was Jacobs Servant even then when he cals him Lord; and therefore make account of this, if you have Chriſt, make account of this, you have all things; and therefore read the Promiſes, and gather them up, and lay them up as a treaſure, all things are yours; all the bleſſings you read or heare of, they are all ſome way or other for your benefit, and I want but faith to ſee and diſcerne it, and an heart to acknowledge it, if I doe feele it; and therefore if you want righteouſneſſe, or peace, or goods, or friends, or any bleſſing in this world, or for another, if you have Chriſt you have all that his is; He that hath given us his owne Son, will not he with him give us all things alſo? Rom. 8.32. So that there is a double motive, that every ſoule might be ſtirred up to looke after Chriſt; and this is the ſeaſon, ſtay not till to morrow, and though the morrow be a Sabbath, a bleſſed day, yet you know not what this day may bring forth; ſome of us may fall ſick, or dye this night, or not fit to profit by to morrowes meanes, as it is this day, and therefore while the day of grace laſts, take hold of Chriſt.
Object. But what ſhall I doe to get him? how may I come to have him? you ſaid, we cannot reach Chriſt by nature, and though we could we will not; Are not exhortations then in vaine?
Anſw. No, they are not in vaine, for though in nature we are neither willing, nor able to looke after Chriſt, but looke at him as a vaine refuſe commodity; we would have lands, and goods, but no Chriſt, and therefore what muſt we doe?
1 Though we be of that naturall ſinfull diſtemper, that we would have all things but Chriſt, and let him goe, yet while we are thus ſpeaking to you, God many times conveys ſuch a ſpirit of grace into us, as gives us power to receive Chriſt; what power had the Cripple to ſtand, much leſſe to walke, Act. 3.6, 7. he had no power to walke; and it had been a vaine ſpeech to him if there had not been a power in it to convey ſtrength into him by his breath, and the Lord Jeſus working in it, which did convey ſuch ſtrength into him, as that preſently he did walke. And truly ſo is it with the Servants of God, thoſe that ſhal be ſaved, we ſpeake not in vaine to them, the word that we ſpeake conveyes ſpirit and life into them, then they begin to receive life in him, and are glad, that they may finde Chriſt, and for other men, it leaves them without excuſe, if they do not uſe the meanes, God appoints them to uſe.
And the means God preſcribes to us are theſe.
Means of having Chriſt.Firſt, as ever thou wouldeſt have Chriſt, labour wiſely to ponder upon and conſider, how dead thou art without Chriſt, for thou ſhalt never find life by Chriſt, unleſſe thou find thy ſelfe loſt without him, Luke 10.10. Christ came to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt. If thou ſeeſt thy ſelf loſt, Chriſt will ſeek thee up; be fully ſatisfied of this in thy judgement and mind, that unleſſe thou haſt Chriſt, thou haſt no life, and therefore mourn and pray, The whole need not the Phyſitian but them that are ſicke, Matth. 9.12, 13. See thy ſelfe a ſinner and a periſhing creature unleſſe Chriſt ſeeke thee up.
Secondly, Take this meanes, as ever you deſire to have life in Chriſt, if thou knoweſt any ſin by thy ſelfe, thou art much to blame in thy ſelfe, if thou doſt not by any meanes waſh thy hands of it,Note this. cleanſe thy ſelfe from it. There are many ſins which a man lives in, which he might avoid by very common gifts, which would he renounce, God would not be wantng to lead him on to further grace, John 3.18, 19. This is condemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkeneſſe rather then light. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. touch no unclean thing, meddle not with vain company: and have nothing to doe with the unfruitfull workes of darkeneſſe, and then I wil be a father to you, and you ſhall be my Sons and Daughters; if wee would but abhor, that which we know to be nought, God promiſeth to receive us. And it is the ſame that you read, Eſay 1.16, 17, 18. to ſhew you that if men do begin to learn to be better, if they ceaſe to doe evill, and learn to do well, if they acknowledge their ſins, in the ſight of God, God wil ſo ſprinkle the blood of Chriſt upon them, as that their great ſins ſhal be forgiven them; and upon the ſame termes men might feed upon the paſchal Lamb, Exo. 12.15. they muſt put all leaven out of their houſes, purge out therefore the old leaven, and ye ſhall become a new lumpe, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. purge out the old, and ye ſhall be new creatures in Chriſt, purge out the leaven of maliciouſneſſe and wickedneſſe, and whatever is ſinfull before God, away with it, touch no uncleane thing; and Eſa. 55.7. Let the wicked forſake his wickedneſſe, and the unrighteous his thoughts, and then, I am a God ready to pardon, I will forgive all your iniquities.
Thirdly, Seeke the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is nigh, Eſa. 55.7, 8. Seeke him and your ſoule ſhall live; God is abundantly ready to pardon, &c. How ſhall I ſeeke him? no man hath a deſire to ſeeke, but that which he hath a deſire to finde; and therefore hunger, and thirſt after him, as it is in the firſt verſe of that Chapter; deſire nothing ſo much as thy part in Chriſt, and beſides, endeavour to finde him in the meanes, verſ. 3. Heare, and your ſoules ſhall live; hearken diligently to the Word of God. It is a notable promiſe that in Prov. 8.34. Bleſſed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at the poſts of my gates, for he that findeth me, findeth life. Conſider, there is no man that heares Chriſt but hee findes him; and if he finde him, he ſhall have life by him. And therefore how much cauſe have men to ſtraighten themſelves a little in their worldly buſineſſe, to heare daily? for who ſo findeth me findeth life, and he that hears me findes me: Heare therefore diligently, and your ſoules ſhall live: Shake off all drowſineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit, and be deſirous to receive Chriſt in his Word that is ſpoken to you, and ſo ſeeke him in calling upon him, ver. 7, 8. Call upon him while he is nigh; And when is he nigh? Every day, if you ſtay longer then the preſent day, you have no further opportunity offered you; call upon God now, and wraſtle with him in your prayers, that that which you have heard may be life, and the length of your dayes.
Vſe 4. To teach every ſoule that hath already found Chriſt, and yet complaines thou haſt a dead heart, and a dull minde; an heavie ſpirit, heavie affections, nothing lively cannot expell thy corruptions, cannot beget others to God, and art not active in ſpirituall workes; then if thou finde a want or decay of life, then ſeeke for Chriſt againe, labour for more Chriſt, and thou ſhalt have more life; reſt not in having a good meaſure of grace, for thou wilt finde a world of deadneſſe and weakneſſe, in beginnings of grace; but as thou wouldeſt have any further meaſures of life, ſo looke for further meaſures of Chriſt, for Chriſt diſpenſeth himſelfe to us in meaſure by little and little, and uſe the ſame meanes to increaſe him, as thou didſt to get him at the firſt; ſee thy ſelfe loſt without him, and thirſt after him, and heare diligently, and call earneſtly upon him for more ſtrength, uſe Chriſt and have Chriſt, uſe grace and have grace; grow up in the uſe of him, and thou ſhalt grow up in the poſſeſſion of him; and therefore as you have received Chriſt ſo walke in him, Col. 2.7, 8. As if that were the way to get more rooting in Chriſt; labour to live by faith, and walke to the glory of Chriſt, and by the rules of Chriſt, and by that meanes you will be more built up, rooted, and eſtabliſhed in him.
Vſe 5. Of comfort to every ſoule that hath any part in Chriſt, thou haſt life in him, and that in abundance, and favour with God, having him thou haſt life, Prov. 8.34, 35. They that hate me love death; if you ſeek not Chriſt, you ſeeke death, and miſchiefe, and deſtruction to your owne ſoules and yours, verſ. laſt; and therefore as you deſire to finde Chriſt ſeeke him, and having found him, rejoyce in him, that God hath given you to finde him, and then walke as thoſe that deſire for ever to have him, as not to change your portion by any meanes. If you have Chriſt you have enough, and if you ſit looſe to Chriſt for the enjoyment of earthly bleſſings, what will they advantage you; but chiefly labour to get Chriſt, and then, He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.