Christ the Fountain of Life, Sermon 3
SERMON III.
1 JOHN 5.12.
He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.
WE now come to ſpeake of the third way of having Chriſt,A third way of having Chriſt is by Covenant. and that is by way of Covenant, Eſa. 49.8. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people, to eſtabliſh the earth, to cauſe to inherit the deſolate heritages, Pſal. 50.5. Gather my Saints together unto me, thoſe that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice; ſo that would you know to whom God is a God, and to whom it may be ſaid, He is my God? Any of us that have made a Covenant with God by Sacrifice; no man hath him unleſſe by way of covenant, for all theſe wayes, though divers in explication, yet all co-incident to this having of Chriſt. And ſuch as have made a covenant with God by Sacrifice, they are his people; of them it is ſaid, I am thy God, verſ. 7. according to the tenour of the Covenant, Gen. 17.7. Behold, I make a Covenant with thee this day, to be a God unto thee, and to thy ſeed. God becomes a God to me, and to my ſeed by way of covenant; ſo Deut. 29.10. to 13. both your Children of underſtanding, and your little ones of no underſtanding, you are all here before God this day, to enter into a Covenant with him, to keep his Commandements for ever; you and yours enter into a Covenant with God, and this is the way of having him for our God, Deut. 26.17.18 This day thou haſt avouched the Lord to be thy God, and he hath avouched thee to be his people; Junius tranſlates the word. Thou haſt required by way of Covenant, and he hath promiſed that he will be thy God: in the originall it is, he hath made thee to ſpeake, thou haſt made God to ſpeake this, as men that make promiſes one to another, ſo that when people give up themſelves to be the Lords, and offer themſelves up to him, and when God requires it of us, we yeeld our ſelves to him, and deſire God to be a God to us, then he is our God, and we are his people by way of Covenant, 2 Cor. 8.5. They gave themſelves firſt to the Lord, and then unto us by the will of God, when we have beſtowed our ſelves upon God, he is not wanting to receive us, to bee his people.
Now for further opening of this, It was ſaid this Covenant was made with God by way of ſacrifice, Pſal. 50.5.7. that was according to the ſacrifice which the people of God did ſolemnly offer before God, of which you read, Exod. 24.3. to the end of the eighth ver. Moſes told the people the words of the Lord, and the people anſwered with one voyce and ſaid, All the words which the Lord hath ſaid, wee will heare it, and doe it; They promiſe themſelves to be an obedient people to God, what ever he commands them, that will they hear, and that will they do.
And on the other ſide, Moſes tooke the blood of the ſacrifice, and ſprinkled it upon the people, and by this meanes they did paſſe into Covenant with God. It implyes thus much, when we come to make a Covenant with God, we profeſſe our ſelves as guilty of death, and therefore look up to Chriſt, deſiring that his death might be imputed to us, and we thereupon offer our ſelves, ſoules and bodies to bee obedient to God to the death; onelyonly we require this back againe of God, that as we give up our ſelves a ſacrifice to him, ſo that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt might be imputed unto us; and the blood of Chriſt, and the life of Chriſt might be communicated to us; his life of righteouſneſſe, and holineſſe, and of eternal glory, all that life that is in Chriſt might become ours, this doth God require of them, and this is to make a Covenant with God by way of ſacrifice; for the Burnt-offering, verſ. 5. was a Type of Chriſt, the Meat-offering was a Type of the peoples giving up themſelves to God, and this is to make a Covenant by ſacrifice: we confeſſe we deſerve death, but for time to come, we deſire to give up our ſelves, to do and ſuffer his will, onelyonly we deſire that the blood of Chriſt might be ſprinkled upon our ſouls, and that we might live in his ſight.
Now thoſe that have thus made a Covenant with God, hee calls them his people, and Saints. Thus you ſee what it is, and wherein this Covenant ſtands, ſometimes ſome branch of this is expreſſed in other Covenants: God promiſes to Abraham, that he will be a God to him; that is, he will not only be a good Father to him, nor only a good Maſter, or Tutour, nor only a good King, nor a good Phiſitian; but what ſoever is good, that is in God, and it is but a drop, but a ſparke of the well-ſpring of life in him, all the goodneſſe that is diſperſed in the creature, flowes from him; there is goodneſſe in a good Father, or Magiſtrate, or Miniſter, or Friend, but when God undertakes to bee a God to us, he promiſes to be to us whatſoever is good in the creature; a good Father, a good Friend, a good Phiſitian, whatever is good for ſoule and body, he will bee all in all to us, and that partly in his owne perſon, and partly, in ſo ordering matters,Extent of the Covenant on Gods part that all thoſe things wherein his goodneſſe is communicated, he will ſo diſpoſe them, that we ſhall ſee a goodneſſe of God in them all; we ſhall ſee the preſence and goodneſſe of God in all the bleſſings we partake in this world, he will be whatſoever is needfull for us in every kind, and though any meanes should faile, yet God will not faile us: this do we deſire of God,God a fountain of goodnes to his. when we deſire him to be our God, God is an heape and fountaine of goodneſſe, and he undertakes ſo to be us.
Now as wee expect this from God, that he would be a God to us, ſo we deſire alſo and offer our ſelves back again to God, to be obedient to his will, and to waite upon him for all that which he hath promiſed us, to expect it, and to waite for it; And when we undertake to be obedient to him; not that we promiſe it in our owne names, and for our owne parts, but in the behalfe of every ſoule that belongs to us, as wee deſire a bleſſing upon all that belongs to us, ſo we offer up our ſelves to God, and our wives, and children,Extent of the Covenant on our part. and ſervants, and kindred, and acquaintance, and all that are under our reach, either by way of ſubordination, or co-ordination, ſo farre as in our power we may reach, either by Commandement or counſell, we do as much as in us lyes promiſe to God, that we and our houſholds wil ſerve the Lord, Joſh. 24.15. hee and his houſhold, that is, his children and ſervants, and all that are bought with mony, they will all ſerve the Lord, this they offer to God as a Father in a family; he and his, ſo much as he is able, will prevaile with them, to keep Gods Commandements, and God will be a God to them all; a Father, and Maſter, a Magiſtrate and Miniſter, Husband, Friend, and Phiſitian and all, and whatſoever is good, thus you ſee how God comes to be ours by way of Covenant.
For further clearing of this poynt there is a three-fold Covenant,Covenant three fold wherein God doth bind himſelfe to his people, and we back again to him, according as there is among the reaſonable creatures.
1 The firſt is, Between Prince and People, ſo the high Prieſt made a Covenant, between him, and between all the people, and between the King, that they ſhould be the Lords people, and ſuch a Covenant there is uſually in all well governed Common-wealths, unleſſe the King comes in by way of Conqueſt and Tyranny, but in well ſettled Common-wealths, there is a Covenant and Oath between Prince and People.
2 There is a Covenant between Man and Wife, of which it is ſaid Prov. 2.17. Which forſaketh the Guide of her Youth, and forgetteth the Covenant of her God. Theſe are all called the Covenant of God, he is a party in the Covenant ever.
3 Another, is an Oath or a Covenant of God to paſſe betweene Friend, and Friend; ſuch was the Covenant between Jonathan and David, 1 Sam. 20.16.
Now there is a certain Covenant between God and his people in al theſe; that look what a King requires of his People, or the people of a King, the very ſame doth God require of his people, and the people of God, that offers himſelf to be a God to his people; that is, a Governor, a Provider for, and a protector of his people, to fight their Battels for them, and to guide and rule them in peace and juſtice; and the people undertake to be obedient to his Lawes, to whatever he declares to be the counſell of his will.
Againe, there is a Covenant of Marriage between God and his people, Ier. 3.14. ſo as the Wife promiſes to be to her Husband alone, Hoſ. 3.3, 4. ſo the Church of God promiſeth, that ſhe wil be for God alone, and God wil be for us alone; and we embrace the ſeed of his Word and grace in our hearts, and bring forth fruit to God alone.
And there is alſo a Covenant of Friendſhip between God and us, A covenant of Salt, 2 Chron. 13.5. A covenant of Salt is to be fed with the ſame ſalt, as it were, to eate many a buſhel of ſalt together, that is a covenant of friendſhip; Didſt not thou give the Land to the ſeed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 2 Chron. 20.7.Covenant of Salt. therein he fitly expreſſeth the nature of a covenant of ſalt, by friendſhip for ever; ſalt eaten together expreſſes familiarity, and durableneſſe, now God expreſſeth himſelfe thus, to enter into a covenant with his people; he takes Abraham as a friend for ever, and Abraham takes God as his friend for ever; and this league of friendſhip implyes not only preſervation of affection, but it requires a kinde of ſecret communication one to another, and a doing one for another. God he grants our Petitions for us as a friend, and we doe his Commandements as a friend out of the integrity of our hearts; John 15.14. Ye are my friends if ye doe whatſoever I command you; I know that Abraham will command his houſhold to feare mee, Gen. 18.19. and therefore in verſ. 17. and 18. he ſaith, How ſhall I hide from Abraham the thing that I am about to doe? and it was concerning a ſecret counſell of God, now when God undertakes to be our friend, he undertakes to communicate ſundry of his Counſels to us, his ſecrets are to them that feare him, Pſal. 25.14. Many ſecret paſſages ſhall their hearts be made privie to, that others ſhall never be acquainted with; he wil acquaint us with his ſecret purpoſe about a people, ſometimes in Prayer, ſometimes in Humiliation, ſometimes one way, and ſometimes another, ſo as you may ſee he walkes towards us in a covenant of friendſhip; and ſo he wil play a friends part, he wil counſell us for the beſt, he wil tell us, this, and that, is the beſt courſe for us to take, Pſal. 25.12. Him ſhall he teach: He wil come and tell us what he would have us to doe, Pſal. 32.8. Sometimes by his Word, and ſometimes by his Providence; and when wee looke up to him as to a friend, he wil doe a friends part: And on the other ſide, for our part we ſhall never take any buſineſſe in hand, but we ſhall ſadly and ſeriouſly communicate all our affairs with God, and think our ſelves bound to doe it, not dare to ruſh upon any thing but upon conſultation firſt with the Lord, and acquainting him with ſuch and ſuch things; We know not what to doe, but our eyes are unto thee, 2 Chron. 20.12. So we offer up our ſelves to be ready at his commandement, to doe whatſoever he ſhall counſell us to doe; let him but make our way plaine before us, and we wil heare him in whatſoever he requires of us, be it what it wil be, if God lay it before us, we wil doe it, Pſal. 119. verſ. 1. of the fifth Part. Teach me thy ſtatutes, and I will keep it even to the end. Obſerve then, whether we have Chriſt for our Chriſt by way of covenant, did there ever paſſe ſuch a conveyance between Chriſt and you, to God the Father, about him and your ſoules, that if God ſhould looke upon you, and conſider your caſe, your juſt and due deſert is everlaſting deſtruction; and therefore you account your ſelves unworthy of an mercy from God, but yet notwithſtanding if he wil be but pleaſed to accept the death of Chriſt for you, and to be-ſprinkle you with the bleſſings of his grace, you wil give up your ſelves to an acceptable ſervice of him all your dayes, and wil be ready to doe his wil, and that he ſhall be to you as a King, and Governour. Have you ever paſſed over to him your preſervation, and protection, and proviſion? And looke what affection is between Husband and Wife, hath there been the like affection in your ſoules towards the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? Have you a ſtrong and hearty deſire to meet him in the bed of loves, when ever you come to the Congregation, and deſire you to have the ſeeds of his grace ſhed abroad in your hearts, and bring forth the fruits of grace to him, and deſire that you may be for him, and for none other, and you deſire to acquaint him with all your counſels and ſecrets, and deſire to doe nothing but as he ſhall counſell and direct you? And have you therefore been willing to give up your ſelves, you and yours to be ruled by Chriſt; and is it the griefe of your ſoules if any of your Children, and Servants ſhall not ſtoop to God, and if you uſe the beſt meanes to draw them on to goodneſſe? truly then you have Chriſt for your Chriſt, becauſe you have him by way of covenant: When God gives us hearts thus to agree with him, he alwaies prevents us, he is ever before us, then Chriſt thou haſt, and in him thou haſt life; but if on the contrary, we never come before God in acknowledgement that death was our portion, and deſired the bloud of Chriſt to be applyed to us, not in an overture of ſpeech, but when it comes to the point, what wil you doe? Wil you accept him as your friend, and as your Husband, and wil you expect all good things from him, and you wil not dare to venture upon any courſe or way further then the light and ſinceritie of the Word gives liberty? And if you never came to this, nor was it ever your care whether your Houſhold ſerved God or no, though they ſin againſt God, and ſweare and lye, yet all this is nothing to you, but it is all one with you, then there wants a covenant betweene God and you, and then if you have him not by covenant, you have him not at all; he that hath him any way, hath him every way, though it be not ſo clearly ſeene every way; if you have him, then you have friends and enemies in common; if it be not ſo with you, that you obſerve not the counſels of God, but you wil be at a looſe end, and doe what you thinke good in your owne eyes, then there is no covenant between God and you, and then you have not Chriſt, and then no life, much leſſe in abundance.
Object. But you ſay, Who is there that ſo lookes to himſelfe, his Wife, and Children, and Servants, ſo to his owne heart and others, as that they are ſo wholly conformable to Gods will in all that he counſels and commands, and who ſo expects ſuch bleſſings, but that they take from God many things in ill part, and oft times ſit down murmuring and diſcontent.
Anſw. Even they that make a Covenant with God, they often breake Covenant with him; and ſo often as you entertaine any thought in your mind, wherein you have not conſulted with God, and doe any thing further then you have warrant from God, ſo often have you broken Covenant; ſo often as there is any paſſage in our lives, for which wee had not warrant from the mouth of God, and wrought it by the ſtrength of his grace, and eye of his providence, ſo far have we broke Covenant with him; but yet notwithſtanding this breach of Covenant, here ſtands their helpe, and this is their comfort, that God hath given Chriſt for a Covenant, Eſa. 49.8. ſo that he will make good our breach of Covenant on his owne part, and Heb. 7.22. he becomes a Surety for our parts, God needs no Surety for his part, but wee need one; ſo that if wee have Chriſt for our Surety, then this is required of us, that knowing we have broken Covenant with God, we ought to bluſh, and to be aſhamed of it, Ezra 9.6. to 12. and Dan. 9.5. to 20. they confeſſe they have broken Covenant with God, and thereupon they ſit down bluſhing, and weeping, and rending their garments, that they ſhould enter into such a ſolemne Covenant with God, and hope to receive ſo many mercies from him, and yet ſo unfaithfully to breake Covenant with him, when we ſee that we have tranſgreſſed and forgotten the Covenant of God, and breake the counſells of God, we or ours: It is for us in ſuch a caſe to do as thoſe people did in Ezra and Nehemiah, who broke Covenant with God; to go and bluſh before him, that we ſhould deale ſo unworthily with that God, that hath made ſuch a perpetuall Covenant of faith with us, that will be all that is good to us, and hath not been wanting to doe all for us: and we notwithſtanding, who undertooke, ſolemnly that we and our children, and ſervants ſhould walke after God, and wee would teach them to doe what is good in Gods ſight, and yet we do not take care that they do ſo; and for other of our friends, whom we might be helpefull to, we wholly neglect them; we ought to ſhame our ſelves for this breach of Covenant, elſe we cannot ſay, that wee make a true Covenant with God, & charge our ſelves for being ſo falſe unto God, and then ſome good may come of it. When the people had broken Covenant with God, and God was very angry, and would have no more to do with them, Exo. 32. But ch. 33. the people put off their beſt cloathes and came before him, and humbled themſelves in his preſence, and put off their beſt cloathes, and intreated God to bee reconciled unto them, and then he againe renewes his Covenant with them. To ſhew you how God is wont to expreſſe himſelfe to his people, when we have broken Covenant with him, God will ſay, he will not look at us any more, he wil never protect us more, he will neither meddle nor make with us, but will expoſe us to all evill; now if hereupon we returne and bewaile our breach of Covenant with God, how little good we have done, and how little ſerviceable we are, he is then wont to let us ſee, that his Covenant was never ſo far broken, but he can tell how to be good to us, for the Lord Jeſus Chriſts ſake, And this is a third way of having of Chriſt.
A Fourth way, is a way of free acceptance, wee have Chriſt by receiving him, that is the laſt way,Fourthway of having of Chriſt. whereby Chriſt is ſaid to be conveyed to us, John 1.12. to as many as received him, to them he gave power to be called the ſons of God, that is the life of a Chriſtian to become a Sonne of God, and God is the Father not of the dead but of the living, ſo that here is a receiving of Chriſt by faith, whereby we become the ſonnes of God, ſo that if you would know, whether you have Chriſt or no, whether or no do you receive him? Receive him by faith, and that goes through all the former, but ſome thing different. Amongſt Interpreters this receiving of Chriſt is many wayes taken: Some ſay it is to receive him as a King and a Savior, and it is not in vain, but under correction: It doth not fitly interpret the notion of the Word; But the ſubſtance of the thing delivered by the Holy Ghoſt, if I doe not miſtake it, the phraſe expreſſeth thus much; As many as receive him into their hearts as into a Houſe or Temple, and it will hold according to the compariſon uſed by the holy ghoſt; he came unto his own, into the Temple, or Houſe of God, and thither he came as into his owne proper place, he came unto his owne; you are to conceive, he ſpeakes not only of Chriſts comming among them in the tabernacle of fleſh and bloud, for of that in verſ. 1. but the whole Chapter is an Hiſtory, and declaration of Chriſt, partly before the world was; and in their giving light to all in the Creation, and after the fall, when the world was growne darke, then he was the true light, that enlightened every one that was in the world; now he was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world knew him not. And he came to his owne people in his Ordinances, and they apprehended him not; but as many as received him of old, to them he gave power to be called the Sons of God.
But for further opening of this Phraſe, read Joh. 19.27. He tooke her home to his owne houſe; it is in the originall the ſame word with that in John, 1.11. in to his owne home; he came unto his owne home or houſe, unto his owne Temple and people, and they received him not, but neglected his Ordinances, neglected to ſeeke Chriſt in the Temple; but as many as did there ſeeke him, and looke toward him, he gave them power to be called the ſonnes of God; ſo that to receive Chriſt according to the meaning of this place, is, to receive him into our hearts as into his proper houſe; and he comes there as a Maſter, and theſe receive him as into a Temple, then we have him by receiving him into an houſe or home; now you are the Temples of the living God, 2 Cor. 6.16. I will dwell in you, and you ſhall receive me.
Chriſt received as into a temple three waies.Now, how doe we receive Chriſt into our hearts as into a Temple? There be three things by which we receive Chriſt as into a Temple:
Firſt, when we doe prepare a way for Chriſt to come in to us, as it is ſaid of John, he prepared the way for Chriſt, that ſo he might ſuddenly come into his Temple, Mal. 3.1. and Iſaiah ſpeaking of the ſame Meſſenger, he ſaith, Every mountaine ſhall be brought low, and every valley filled up; crooked wayes be made ſtrait, and rough wayes made ſmooth, Iſa. 40.3, 4. and this is the preparation we muſt make for Chriſt to come into us; you have ſometime heard this fully ſpoken to; that is, when the high mountaines of our great ſpirits, and lofty lookes, are brought ſo low, that we are content to be nothing in our owne eyes, that we have all we have in Chriſt, and are able to bring nothing to him, and are willing that he ſhould take all from us, whatever he would have us to part with; and when we are willing to be whatſoever he would have us to be, and that he ſhould doe with us what is good in his owne eyes; then theſe high mountaines being brought low, we are made fit for Chriſt to come into us, we muſt have no crooked wayes of our owne; if we have any imagination of our owne left in us, that we wil part with ſuch and ſuch Luſts, but yet are loath to be diſpoſed of in all things as God wil have us, then there is no roome for God, he wil not climbe for it; but if we ſmooth the way for him, then he wil come into our hearts.
But beſides this, there is to be filled up every low valley, and that holds forth two things; Every Valley ſhal be filled, that is, firſt, every baſe heart ſhall lift up it ſelfe to the high things of God, for he ſpeakes of vallies firſt, as if there were ſuch a low dejectedneſſe in the Creature, as made it unfit for Chriſt; God requires that every baſe heart ſhould be exalted, to the minding of high and heavenly things, lifted up farre above theſe low things that cannot reach the wayes of God, theſe Gates muſt ſtand open, and be lifted up, that the King of glory may come in, Pſal. 24.7. to 10. and he meanes the gates of our hearts, and he calls them, the gates of eternity, they are our hearts and ſoules; ſtand not poring upon earthly things here below, but lift up your heads higher, looke for a God, and for a Kingdome; ſtand not pedling about theſe earthly things, as if you had nothing elſe to looke after; your hearts lye too low for Chriſt to come into, but if you would lye levell with him, then lift up your minde to heavenly things; let the bent of your heart be for pardon of ſinne, and for everlaſting life, be of a levell frame of ſpirit to the Kingdome of Heaven, and then Chriſt will come into you.
And as it implyes, that the heart muſt not be too low for Chriſt through baſeneſſe of ſpirit, and an earthly mind, ſo it may be too low through deſpaire, and through exceſſive ſorrow for ſinne, he may be caſt ſo low downe in dejection of ſpirit, that his heart lyes too low for Chriſt, not able to lay hold on Gods favour to him in Chriſt; thinkes the Promiſes belongs not to him, it is well and happy for them that can lay hold upon them, but for his part there is none of theſe Promiſes reach him; Did yee ever know any in my caſe finde mercy? now the heart lyes ſomething too low, this mans heart is not baſe, he looks at Chriſt as the moſt honourable thing in the world, he ſets his heart upon the bloud of Chriſt, and would be glad with all his heart that he had his part in it, but he is dejected, and lyes too low, fit to deſpaire, and therefore in this caſe a Chriſtian muſt be thus farre exalted, as to be made levell with Chriſt, to beleeve there is hope in Iſrael touching his eſtate; Chriſt hath had mercy upon many in ſuch a caſe, and he wil doe ſo to us, if we ſeeke him in the way of his Ordinances, and if therefore we reſolve to ſeek him, and put our mouthes in the duſt, expecting ſalvation to be revealed by him, and follow him in his Ordinances, and never have fellowſhip with the unfruitfull workes of darkneſſe, and wil ſtill continue to ſeeke him, then we begin to be ſomething levell with Chriſt; But you ſay, There is ſuch a crookedneſſe in my heart, and un-evenneſſe, that Chriſt cannot come in; truly that muſt be made ſtrait. Princes are not wont to goe downe back lanes, but downe plaine wayes; ſo Chriſt, as he would have his way neither too high, nor too low, ſo he would not goe round about, but would have the way to lye plaine before him; the judgement, and heart, and affection, lye in ſuch ſort of evenneſſe as ſimply to aime at the glory of God in his way, and therein to be ruled by the Word of God, and then is the heart of a man in a good frame; if there be nothing in a mans heart, but hee is willing to bee guided in it, by the ſtreight rule of Gods Word, and hee aimes directly at the glory of God, and the comming of his Kingdom, and the doing of his will, then is all a mans crooked wayes laid aſide, and the heart lyes ſo levell, that Chriſt will ſuddenly come into his Temple, theſe crooked windings of a ſpirit of hypocriſie are made ſtreight, when he is brought low, yet he may have much hypocriſie in him, pretend to be more then he is, he may be doing good dutys more to be ſeen of men, then that God ſhould obſerve him; therefore when God hath brought us to this, that we are deſirous of grace, rather in truth then in outward ſhew, or if in ſhew, but that we might doe others good thereby, and ſingly aime at Gods glory in it, and deſire and endeavor to walk by the ſtreight rule of the Word of God, then are our hearts cleanſed in ſome meaſure, from the crooked windings of hypocriſie, which might hinder the free paſſage of Chriſt into the ſoul.
And yet there is another winding in a mans heart, though in ſome truth the dutyes be done, yet there is many times an aptneſſe in us to cover and to wind about our own ſinnes, and to make them leſſe then they be, and this is a wicked courſe, Pſal. 125.4, 5. and therefore God would have us deale moſt plainly with him, that in the ſingleneſſe of our hearts, when it may ſtand with the glory of God, and the confuſion of our own faces, we will not be wanting to lay open our hearts before him, theſe be ſuch windings as will not profit us, when we deal plainly and confeſſe what we have done, and come to be thus open hearted to God, then is Chriſt ready to come ſuddenly into his Temple, when we have brought downe our high ſpirits, and raiſed up our too low, baſe and dejected ſpirit; and laid all levell before him, then there remaines no more, but for Chriſt to come ſuddainly into his Temple.
But yet beſides all this, when al this is don, yet there may be ſtil a great meaſure of a rough, and harſh, and ſharpe, and fiery ſpirit in him, which Chriſt will have removed before he comes to dwel there, before that, he will have this harſhneſſe, and bitterneſſe laid down▪ that they ſhal be ſmooth and level before him, the frame of the heart ſhall be as meeke as a Lamb: The Lamb of God will not lye in a den of Lyons, and if we breake out into harſh and unſavory diſtempers afterward, we ſhal damp the life of God in us, the life of Chriſt wil be dead in us: and therefore if you deſire to entertain Chriſt into your hearts; then lay aſide al harſhneſſe, and bitterneſſe, and roughneſſe, and al guile of crookedneſſe, 1 Pet. 2.12. then you ſhal have life in the Word, and find Chriſt to be yours. This is the firſt thing whereby we receive Chriſt.
Second way of receiving of Chriſt.Secondly, Suppoſe he be come, there is thus much more required to have him, and to keep him there, we muſt look there be no unholy thing remaining there, all vaine and common things muſt be removed, no prophain matter muſt ſtay there, 2 Cor. 6.16. touch no unclean thing. And if Chriſt be come unto you, you muſt not onelyonly remove all ſinfull and uncleane matter, but alſo all common matter, and now every thing muſt be dedicated to God, and you muſt goe about your callings as becomes Chriſtians, and you and all yours muſt be dedicated to God; your ſilver and your gold muſt be dedicated, and onelyonly ſpent upon ſuch uſes, as God calls for, and therefore look at every thing ſo, as God may have glory by it, and let him not bee diſhonoured in any thing by you, all that you are, and have, muſt be dedicated to God; mind, and judgement, and conſcience, and heart, and affection, love and hatred; your whole man, and all your labours, and all you can reach, lyes as a conſecrated thing, elſe God will not dwell livelily in you, unleſſe you have a care to keepe every thing cleane, you ſhall find this to be true, Chriſt loves to lye cleane, and Religion loves to lye cleane, and if hee ſee haſty ſluttiſhneſſe in us, he will be gone and wil not tarry there, he would not have naturall uncleannes to appear among you, but let al ſuch be covered, and let no ſuch defilement be ſeen among you, he would have all kept in an holy reverent frame, ſuch as might become the preſence of God.
The third way.Thirdly, The receiving of Chriſt into our hearts as into a Temple implyes to keep the charge of his Ordinances and holy things, to offer to him all our ſacrifices, and to look that all be performed in ſuch a manner as himſelf requireth, God chargeth it as a ſinne upon his people, Ezekiel 44.8 ye have not kept the charge of my holy things, but ye have ſet keepers of my Ordinances in my Sanctuary for your ſelves, God will not dwell among them, when they ſet up the uncircumciſed to offer up their Sacrifices, God will have every man to take charge over his own Temple; have a care of your ſelves, put not off your care to others, you may not put off the charge of Gods holy things, every man hath a charge to look to the things of God; not only to ſee that al unclean things be removed, and all common things dedicated, but to ſee that every morning and evening, Sacrifice be duly performed, and all things done in a right manner, elſe you will finde little life in Chriſt, and if he ſee this care in you, then Chriſt will come into his Temple and dwell there, and you ſhall have life in Chriſt, and that in abundance, you cannot have God for your God, but you muſt have a place, readily prepared for him, and keepe it in fitneſſe, and comelyneſſe for him, trimme it up for an habitation for him, this God requires of every ſoule that will have God for his God. In a word therefore, doe but conſider, whether your hearts have thus imbraced Chriſt or no; is your baſe hearts exalted to look after heavenly things,Note this. and are your proud hearts brought low to the obedience of Chriſt, do you find your ways of hypocriſie made plain before God, and is your rough paſſions made ſmooth before God, then you have Chriſt, whether you ſee him, or feel him or no; and do you find that when you have Chriſt, you dedicate your ſelves to him, and ſuffer no unclean thing in your ſelves or yours, and do you keep the Ordinances pure, and offer up your morning and evening ſacrifice your ſelves? then you have received Chriſt, and it is your faith by which you do thus receive him; but if it be not thus with you, then ſay you have not received Chriſt, or if you have, you are to be humbled for your great neglect, and want of keeping of him.