A Discourse of Spiritual Blessings, Part 1

A Discourse of Spiritual Blessings · Part 1

p. 1SERMON I.

Epheſians 1.3.

Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings, in Heavenly places in Chriſt.

IT is the Intereſt of Chriſtians, in all the Circumſtances of their lives, to enquire after and make ſure of ſomething that is Spiritual. There is nothing that Satan deſigns more, then either to obſtruct their Right, or to Cloud their Right, to thoſe Bleſſings that are Spiritual and Eternal. Of all lives, a Life of Faith, converſant in things that are not ſeen, is the moſt hateful Life to the Devil, and the moſt unknown Life to the World, but the propereſt Life that a Chriſtian can live, in and under all the variety of his Condition here below; Chriſtians, you underſtand the p. 2deſign of the Devil, and of the World, upon your temporals; how far it will pleaſe the Majeſty of Heaven, to give them leave to proſper in their deſign, I cannot determine, but that you and I may have ſomething to bear up our Spirits withal, whatever liberty or allowance they have from Heaven: That we may have ſomething to rejoyce our hearts withal; I have therefore propoſed to ſpeak ſomething to you from theſe words, which are a diſcovery of the unſeen bleſſedneſs of a Chriſtian, in and under all the Circumſtances of his Condition in this Life.

If you ſhould ask me what a Chriſtian is, I would tell you as to his ſtate that he is a Spiritual man, Bleſſed with all Spirituall Bleſſings, by the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, in Jeſus Chriſt. This is a Chriſtian, and this is a Chriſtians ſtate: And ſurely the Apoſtle ſaw great reaſon to rejoyce, upon his view and apprehenſion of this; no ſooner did it begin to bubble in his Spirit, but ſo ſoon as ever it began to work in his heart, he breaks forth into Bleſſings of the author of it, Bleſſed, ſays he, be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Heavenly places in Chriſt.

p. 3I ſhall only take notice of theſe 3 things, that are principally compriſed in the words.

1. And the firſt is the true Goſpel Relative and perſonal ſtate of a Chriſtian; he is a Bleſſed man. If there be any perſonally Bleſſed, it is he, if there be any that have any reſerve of perſonal Bleſſings, it is he; if there be any that have any Relative Bleſſings, it is he; all Bleſſings, all ſorts of Bleſſings he is Bleſſed with.

2. The Second thing that I would obſerve out of the words is this: The ſecurity and certainty of theſe Bleſſings, It is a work not to be done, but a work that is already done; Bleſſings not lodged in deceitful hearts, but in faithful hands; Bleſſings not betruſted with one that may miſcarry, but with one whom God knows cannot miſcarry; and therefore you may obſerve the Apoſtle here tells us, that the buſineſs is done, that the Bleſſings are given, Bleſſed be the God and Father, &c. Who hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt Surely our Natural Bleſſings, the Bleſſings of our Creation were very great Bleſſings, our Moral Bleſſings were very great Bleſſings, but not to be compared to theſe Spiritual Bleſſings, neither were they ſo enſured.

For God Bleſſed all the Poſterity of Adam, with all Natural Bleſſings in p. 4Adam, but you know what became of them, but the Bleſſings of the New Covenant, they are Spiritual Bleſſings, no more to be truſted in the hands of any, but of one whom God dare venture to truſt withal; therefore ſays he, Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt.

The third thing that is remarkable in the words is this, the Author, or the great Bleſſer: Whoſe Glory the Apoſtle here doth exemplify and illuſtrate by his Relation unto the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and that ſeems to be repreſented to us under this double conſideration.

Firſt he is the God of the Lord Jeſus, that died that he might purchaſe theſe Spiritual Bleſſings for us. And

Secondly, He is not only the God of the purchaſing Jeſus, but he is alſo his Father. If there be any ſecurity or advantage ariſing to Chriſtians, that God is Chriſts God, the advantage lies here, and is improvable in this Caſe. It is h… that Bleſſeth us. If there be any advantage that reſults from the Relation that God has to Chriſt as a Father, that was never diſhonoured by him, a Father p. 5that was never diſpleaſed nor grieved with him, this redounds alſo unto Chriſtians, to illuſtrate the Glory of their Bleſſedneſs, and to evidence the truth and certainty of their Eternal enjoyment of him; he is not a God that is a God of diſtance in concern, but he is a God concerned, and not only concerned in the Relations of the Goſpel to us, but in all the Relations of the Goſpel unto Chriſt, who is related unto Chriſtians: So that a Chriſtian may ſay, the God and Father of my Lord, of my head, has Bleſſed me with all Spiritual Bleſſings, in my Lord, my head, The God and Father of my Huſband has Bleſſed me with all Spiritual Bleſſings in my Huſband; The God and Father of my Mediatour has Bleſſed me with all Spiritual Bleſſings in my Mediatour: So that, my Friends, you may look upon God not Bleſſing us as a God at large, but as a God engaged in Relation to Chriſt. It is the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. The ſame God that Bleſſed Adam; but now God appearing as a Bleſſing God in another Relation, and clothing himſelf with another Glory; he Bleſſed him as the Creator, ay but he is now Bleſſing Chriſtians, as the God and Father of Chriſt Jeſus. p. 6And thus now I have opened the words to you.

The Propoſitions that lie in the words are many, but intending this only as an occaſional diſcourſe, I ſhall therefore confine my ſelf to theſe two or three.

Doct. 1 That the Bleſſings that properly belong unto Chriſtians, and are given to Chriſtians, they are all Spiritual Bleſſings.

Grace could never content its ſelf, infinite grace could never bound its ſelf, all the bleſſings a ſinner ſtands in need of to make him a Saint, and all the Bleſſings a Saint ſtands in need of, to make him an Eternally Bleſſed Saint, theſe are the Bleſſings, that are the proper portion of Chriſtians. Let God diſpoſe of temporal Bleſſings at his pleaſure; theſe are below the grace of God, to make them the Childrens Portion. Let God give them to whom he pleaſe: So he do but reſerve to you theſe that are of a better Nature, and theſe you ſee are Bleſſings without Limitation, all Spiritual Bleſſings are beſtowed upon Chriſtians. Surely then Chriſtians may cry out, and have reaſon to cry out. O! What a God p. 7have we? O what a Father have we? O! What Fatherly grace works in the heart of our Father, who has Bleſſed us not with ſome few, but with all, Spiritual Bleſſings, there is not a Bleſſing wanting, no one ſhall want his Bleſſing.

Doct. 2 That all the Bleſſings that God has beſtowed upon Chriſtians, are all ſecured to and for Chriſtians in Chriſt Jeſus.

Chriſtians with all the advantage of all their poſſible grace, on this ſide Glory, are not fit to be truſted, that is, to be made the ſole Truſtees of any one Bleſſing, that is wrapt up in any one promiſe whatſoever: They are not fit to be ſolely truſted with their pardon, not fit to be ſolely truſted with their peace. Grace hath found out a better way, Grace hath choſen a better method, and hath aſſured all, and betruſted all for Chriſtians in the hand of Chriſt. Who hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus, ſays the Apoſtle.

Doct. 3 That the God and Father, as the God & Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath thus Bleſſed, and thus betruſted Chriſtians Bleſſings in the hands of Jeſus.

p. 8Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c. You may obſerve in other Scriptures, a like Introduction of the Apoſtles Epiſtles, with this, in 2 Cor. 1.3. Bleſſed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us, &c. Has any Chriſtian any comfort, why it is the God and Father of Jeſus, that gives them comfort, has any Chriſtian any grace given him, Grace be to you, and Peace from the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. He is not only our Father, but he is the Father of our Lord Jeſus, and as he is the Father of Jeſus, he is the Father and Fountain of all our mercies.

Theſe are the three principal Propoſitions that lie in the words. It is only the firſt of theſe that I deſign (if the Lord pleaſe) to make the Subject of this days diſcourſes, and my deſign in diſcourſing upon it is this, that I may (if it be the Lords pleaſure) raiſe up your minds, and fix your Hearts, upon what is Spiritual and unſeen. God never eſtimated a Chriſtian by any viſible Bleſſings he gave him here, they are not always the beſt Chriſtians, that are the richeſt or honourableſt, but he eſtimates a Chriſtian in the ballance of the Sanctuary: p. 9he is weighed with all his Spiritual Bleſſings; if thou beeſt never ſo accompliſht, if thou beeſt never ſo Bleſſed with temporals, yet let me tell thee, thou maiſt be found light, and thou maiſt be found too light too, when God comes to weigh thee. But God eſtimates and weighs a Chriſtian by what is Spiritual in him, by what is unſeen in him.

And therefore Chriſtians, I pray attend unto the opening of this inquiry.

Qu. What are thoſe Spiritual Bleſſings, wherewith God doth bleſs Chriſtians in Chriſt Jeſus?

In the opening of this, I ſhall not exceed, the bounds of the diſcoveries, that the Holy-Ghoſt has made in this Chapter; here are Spiritual Bleſſings enough, comprized in this Chapter, to take up our minds, and to raiſe our hearts, and therefore I ſhall confine my diſcourſe to what I find herein diſcovered.

But before I enter into the particular reſolve of it, I ſhall only premiſe this in general, that whatſoever I mention, you muſt take it as the Lord intends it, that is, with all the advantages that are here diſcovered; who hath Bleſſed us with all; here is an Allneſs, an Univerſality upon every Spiritual Bleſſing.

p. 10But you will ſay, what are theſe Spiritual Bleſſings?

Anſ. I ſhall give you account of this in theſe ſix or ſeven Obſervations grounded upon ſo many ſeveral paſſages in this Chapter. And

The firſt is this, by Spiritual Bleſſings I underſtand Eternal Election. And Eternal Election is called Spiritual, not becauſe the Spirit is principal in giving being to it, but becauſe the Spirit is principal in the manage of it, and in the application of it; it is the Father that chooſes us, but it is the Spirit that manages the choice. It is the Father that elects us, before the Foundations of the World, ay but it is the Spirit that is principally concerned in the inſuring, or in the accompliſhing of this Election, upon this or that Elect Perſon: This Bleſſing the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, in verſe 4. According ſays he, as he hath choſen us in him, before the Foundation of the World, that we ſhould be holy and without blame before him in love.

I pray do but obſerve, it is an Election unto grace, it is a choice, that God has made from all Eternity, A choice of grace, and that unto the practice of grace. Chriſtians do but conſider with your ſelves, you are not only choſen to p. 11have your hearts ſanctified, but to have all the graces of the Spirit in your hearts exerciſed. It is not only a perſonal, but a practical holineſs, that the grace of God did eye in the Eternal choice that he made of you; you (it may be) are under diverſe Temptations, under diverſe fears of heart, ſometimes you can ſee ſomething in your hearts, and you bleſs God for that, but you look into your lives, and there is but little grace there, and you look into you duties, and it may be there is as little diſcoverable there; but here is the Bleſſedneſs that I have ſtated, ye are choſen that your Converſations ſhould be filled with all practical Holineſs and Godlineſs. The Apoſtle clears it in that paſſage, in the 4 verſe. That we ſhould be holy, and without blame before him. Taking us in our whole complex conſideration, taking Perſon and Converſation, God hath choſen us, that we ſhould pray without blame, that we ſhould praiſe him without blame, that we ſhould love him without blame, and that we ſhould be without blame before him, in our whole Converſation, and I pray do but obſerve, how our Lord Jeſus is concerned in the manage of this, in the fifth Chapter of this ſame Epiſtle, where the Apoſtle (or rather the Holy-Ghoſt by the p. 12Apoſtle) propoſeth the Spiritual Husband as a pattern unto Chriſtian temporal Husbands, ſays he, Husbands love your Wives, even as Chriſt loved the Church, verſe 25. But wherein doth the excellency or eminency of Chriſts Love, appear unto his Spouſe? You ſhall find it in the 27. verſe, He loved them, and he goes on to Love, and Love and Love; he Loves them, and he dyes for them, he Loves them, & he interceeds for them; he Loves them, and he rules them, he Loves them, and he enlightens them, he Loves them, and he ſtrengthens them; ay but what is the great manifeſtation of his Love? Why, ſaies he, that he might preſent it a Glorious Church to himſelf, not having ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing, but that it ſhould be holy and without blemiſh. God choſe us that we might be holy, and without blame, and Jeſus Chriſt has ſuch a Love to us, even as the Father has, that we ſhould be holy and without blame; and, my Friends, the Spirit is all one with the Father, and the Son: Does the Father chooſe us, and does the Son give himſelf for us, that we might be ſo, then comes the Spirit, and reſolves that he will make us ſo; and therefore you ſhall find the Apoſtle, in his Epiſtle to the Galatians, giving us an account of the fruits of the Spirit, in p. 13the fifth Chapter at the 18 verſe, if ſo be ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law. And then as to the energy, the workings of the Spirit, why, ſays he, in the 17 verſe, The Spirit luſteth againſt the fleſh. The fleſhly part in us is an unbelieving part, that is againſt living out of our ſelves upon Chriſt, ay but the Spirit that works contrary, unto theſe natural luſtings, and natural workings of the fleſh, for ſays the Apoſtle, v. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-ſuffering, Gentleneſs, Goodneſs, Faith, &c. By comparing theſe paſſages together, you may raiſe this obſervation, that even as the Father and the Son are concerned for our practical as well as perſonal holineſs, ſo alſo is the Spirit, he luſts, and he works, and he ſtrives, and he never leaves luſting and ſtriving, and working againſt the fleſh, until he have brought forth theſe fruits of Love, Joy, Peace, and Long-ſuffering, and Gentleneſs, and goodneſs, and Faith, &c. So that this is the firſt particular, God has choſen us unto perſonal and practical holineſs, and if you do obſerve it, this Spiritual Bleſſing is alſo enſured unto us in Chriſt, with all the contents of it, and with all the proper effects of it. May a Poor p. 14Creature ſay; But how ſhall I come to attain to this? And what ſecurity can I have of it? Why, ſays he, according as he hath choſen us in him; he hath Bleſſed us in him, according as he hath choſen us in him; and now, ſays he, he hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in him. But then,

2. The Second Bleſſing that the Apoſtle takes notice of is the great Spiritual Bleſſing of Adoption, which doth not only diſcover a Relation to God, but alſo a ſutable frame, and a ſutable becoming ſenſe of the Relation, a ſenſe of it, and a frame comporting and complying with it: This you have an account of, in the 5 verſe, Having predeſtinated us to the Adoption of Children to himſelf, &c. I pray do but obſerve, what the Apoſtle here doth diſcover, concerning the Nature of this, it is the Adoption of Children to himſelf. The God and Father of our Lord Jeſus hath enſured our Adoption, with all the Priviledges, with all the Bleſſed conſequents of it unto us, in Chriſt Jeſus: 'Tis the God and Father of Chriſt Jeſus, and he that is ſo, is in Chriſt Jeſus, a God adopting us unto himſelf by Jeſus Chriſt. This you ſhall find the Scripture frequently making mention of; ſays the Apoſtle to the Romans, We have not p. 15received the Spirit of Bondage, but the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of Sons, and what is the proper work of the Spirit of Adoption? You ſhall find what it is, Rom. 8.15. Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. Says the Apoſtle, ye are Sons, ay but the Sonſhip is managed by the Spirit; ye are not only Sons, but the Spirit witneſſeth with your Spirits, that ye are ſo, and that is his proper work; and what is the iſſue of that? Why, ſays he, ye cry, Abba Father; you may go to God in your diſtreſſes, and you may go to God under your Temptations, and you may go to God, as the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, under all your ſtraits and troubles, and under all your Spiritual wants, and you may ſay unto him, Father hear, and Father help. Says the Apoſtle, ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear. Indeed under the Law, when they were under the Power of the Spirit of Bondage, they ſtood at a diſtance from God, they were under fear; but now, ſays the Apoſtle, ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby ye p. 16cry, Abba Father. It is as natural a Priviledge to a Child of God, and it is as Natural Language to gracious hearts to cry, Abba Father, as it is for a Child to cry to his Father, Father or Mother; ye have received the Spirit of Adoption ſays he; and the ſame thing you have the Apoſtle giving us an account of, Gal. 4. v. 4, 5. God ſent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the Law. Why, what then? That we might receive the Adoption of Sons, and becauſe ye are Sons, ſays he, God hath ſent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father. I would only obſerve this to you, which it may be is not ſo obvious to every apprehenſion: Compare but theſe two Scriptures together, and you ſhall find that in the one he is the Spirit of Adoption, as he is the Fathers Spirit, and in the other he is the Spirit of Adoption, as he is the Spirit of the Son, for ſaith he, he has ſent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father. The Spirit of the Lord Jeſus, the ſame Spirit that influenced the Humane Nature, and in which Jeſus Chriſt always prayed to God as a Father, and always walked with God, under all variety of providences, as with a Father, the p. 17ſame Spirit he hath ſent forth, and this ſame Spirit that cryed Abba Father in Chriſt, crys Abba Father alſo in Chriſtians.

3. The third Spiritual Bleſſing that the Apoſtle makes mention of in this Chapter is, an univerſal acceptance of Chriſtians in all caſes, notwithſtanding all diſobligements; one would wonder that a child ſhould ſin, and though the ſin be rejected, yet the child ſtand ſtill in a ſtate of acceptation, though the Father ſcourge the Child, yet he doth not unchild the Child. This you have an account of, verſe 6. to the praiſe of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. I pray do but obſerve it: There is nothing that a Chriſtian can propoſe to himſelf, there is no caſe that the Devil, and the world can expoſe a Chriſtian to but the Chriſtian is ſtill accepted in Chriſt Jeſus, and that notwithſtanding all his fears, and under all his Jealouſies, and in the face of all his conſcience accuſations, and his own ſelf-condemnations, yet the Child is accepted, the Chriſtian is accepted, who hath made us (ſays he) accepted in the beloved; my friends this is a great Spiritual Bleſſing indeed. There are many that have their hearts greatly concerned, and their Spirit wonderfully p. 18diſquieted about their acceptance; O that I did but know that God did accept me! O that I did but know that I were accepted in Chriſt Jeſus! Why truly, Chriſtians, this is one of your proper Spiritual Bleſſings, a Bleſſing which the Spirit is principally concerned in the manage of; He hath made us, ſays he, accepted. Though there be never ſo little grace in the heart, yet it is accepted; two Mites that the poor Widow caſt into the Treaſury, you know what acceptation it found with the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; Verily, ſays he, I ſay unto you ſhe hath caſt in more then they all they of their abundance have caſt into the Treaſury, but ſhe hath caſt in even all that ſhe hath. O Sirs, if you have never ſo little grace, caſt it into your prayers, and caſt it into your Sermons, and caſt it into & imploy it in your converſations: Verily will Chriſt ſay, this man hath done more then ſuch a one, he had but a few gifts and he imployed them all, he hath but a little grace, and behold I ſee this little i… every duty; Verily he hath done more like a Chriſtian, then others that have a great deal, and yet not half ſo much (conſidering their proportion) to be found in their duties. The hand of th… Lord hath been open, and hath fille p. 19many of your underſtandings, with a great deal of Gopel light, but alas there is but little of it ſeen in your lives and in your hearts; it may be you are filled with grace, ay but there is but little of this grace to be ſeen in your duties: There comes a poor humble Chriſtian with his Mite to pray, and with his Mite to hear, and behold he caſts all in, and the Lord ſees that all the grace that is in his heart he puts forth in every duty, and he exerciſeth in every Ordinance; Verily, ſays Chriſt, I ſay unto you, ſhe hath done more then they all: Therefore, my friends, let me tell you, the God & Father of Jeſus Chriſt (for ſtill we muſt conſider him under that notion) I ſay the God and father of Jeſus Chriſt hath made us accepted in the beloved, if there be any thing that is unacceptable in thee, if there be nothing to be ſeen in thee but what is diſobliging, yet the Lord hath made you that are Chriſtians accepted in the beloved, not accepted in your own graces, not accepted in your ſelves, not accepted for this or that or the other, but all your acceptance is ſtill in Chriſt, who hath made us accepted in the beloved. Now my friends, that the Spirit of the Lord doth manage this, this alſo is evident, if we do but conſider p. 20what it is wherein our perſonal acceptation lies; doth it lie in our gracious qualifications which we receive from Jeſus Chriſt? why thoſe we receive by the Spirit; doth the Lord accept us upon the account of the exerciſe of any grace in any duty? why truly all this is alſo from the ſame Spirit. There are, ſays the Apoſtle, diverſity of gifts, and diverſity of operations, ay but ſtill there is one and the ſame Spirit: It is the ſame Spirit. It may be there is a great deal of humility in thy duty, or in thy heart, and thou art accepted in Jeſus Chriſt, but how cameſt thou by this humility? how cameſt thou by this meekneſs? why the Spirit of the Lord hath reſted upon thee in the form of a Dove, as the Spirit of meekneſs, and as the Spirit of lowlineſs, and as the Spirit of ſelfdenial: The ſame ſpirit that reſted upon Chriſt, the ſame Spirit alſo hath reſted upon thee: So that you ſee alſo in this third great Spiritual Bleſſing how far the Spirit, and how much the ſon is alſo concerned, to the praiſe of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved: O my friends, that there ſhould be ſuch a myſtery as this, and all the Priviledges & advantages of it ſhould be enſured to all the ſeed in p. 21Jeſus Chriſt! It is God that makes us, and not we our ſelves, accepted in the Beloved, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved. I will break off with this one ſhort Reflexion, upon what I have already delivered.

ƲSE. You ſee my Brethren, in the worſt of times here is the Beſt of Bleſſings enſured, in the worſt of circumſtances here are the gloriouſeſt priviledges in ſafe hands for you; what can you deſire more then all Spiritual Bleſſings of the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt? what can You deſire more? It may be he hath Bleſſed ſuch a one with temporal Bleſſings, ſuch a one he hath Bleſſed with wiſdom, and ſuch a one with ſtrength, and ſuch a one with riches and honour, and the like, ay but my Friends, he hath not bleſſed every one with all Temporal Bleſſings; ſays Eſau to his Brother Jacob, I have enough my Brother: ay but it was only Jacob, It was only Iſrael that had prevailed with God, that could ſay, I have all My Brother; I have all things, what did he mean? I have God for my exceeding great reward, and I have all things in the Covenant; I have all things in the bleſſing, I have all things in the promiſe. Now Chriſtians, take an occaſion from hence to p. 22make an eſtimate of the vaſt difference that there is between a Chriſtian indeed, and one that is but a Chriſtian in ſhew, one that lay under great worldly diſadvantages; and yet a Chriſtian, and one that lay under, or that is advanced up to the top of all ſecular advantages and bleſſings, and preferments, even by God himſelf. Would you know Chriſtians where the difference lay? why it lies here; the one hath all, and that for ever, and the other hath but what he hath in part, and that not ſecured neither; worldlings they have not their greatneſs in Chriſt, they have not their honour given them in Chriſt, they have not their Relations given them in Chriſt; No, no, my Friends, but now the meaneſt Chriſtian, hath not only all things, but all things enſured him in Chriſt; he is not only a better man then the greateſt worldling is, upon the account of the extent; but alſo upon the account of the Method and Manner wherein all is give him, and ſecured to him. There is not a perſon in the world that can ſay, or ever could ſay, I have all things; Nebuchadnezzar in all his glory could not ſay, I have all things: But a poor Chriſtian, a poor perſecuted Paul could cry out, I have all things, and I p. 23can do all things; even then when he had nothing at all in compariſon, ſays he, I have all things and abound.

Now Chriſtians, I pray you rejoyce in your condition. And I beſeech you ſinners, become all Chriſtians; for whileſt you are as you are, you have but ſome things, and what you have is all out of Chriſt; but do but become Chriſtians, do but give up your heads and hearts to the Lord, and then you may ſay, Bleſſed be the God and father of the Lord Jeſus, who hath bleſſed me with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt.

SERMON II.

Epheſians 1.3.

Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings, in Heavenly places in Chriſt.

THE deſign of the Apoſtle in theſe words ſeems to be to ſet the Crown upon the head of Chriſt; and to diſcover that it is the intendment of the Father in p. 24all his bleſſings that he beſtows upon his Children to do ſo too; the Father receives nothing from Chriſtians, but he receives it from them in Chriſt; and the Father gives nothing to Chriſtians, but he gives it to them in Chriſt; God was always in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelf, and he will be always in Chriſt a God and a Father to thoſe that he hath choſen out of the world, and reconciled: Though he be the God and Father of our Lord, yet he doth not look upon it as an act below his grace to bleſs thoſe that he hath given to Chriſt; 'Tis not below him to avouch the relation to them alſo, as he is the Father of our Lord Jeſus, he bleſſes all that are in Jeſus, with all Spiritual bleſſings in Jeſus.

That Propoſition which we inſiſted upon was this.

Doct. That God hath bleſſed every Chriſtian in Chriſt with all Spiritual bleſſings.

Chriſtians have more then the world is worth in poſſeſſion, but the reverſions of a Chriſtian are not to be compared, they are not to be eſtimated with any thing that God can give in this preſent world: It is not temporal bleſſings, the bleſſings of the p. 25land of Canaan, but it is Spiritual bleſſings, the bleſſings of the Kingdom of Heaven, that the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt hath ſtated upon all his Children in Chriſt Jeſus. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus, who hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt. Becauſe I intend this diſcourſe only as occaſional, I ſhall therefore confine the reſolve and the diſpatch of the doctrinal part at preſent to this one inquiry.

Queſt. What are thoſe Spiritual Bleſſings with which it hath pleaſed the Father to bleſs his people in Chriſt?

Anſ. In the opening of this I premiſed this in general, that there is an univerſality annexed to every particular Spiritual bleſſing: It is not only annexed to the ſorts of bleſſings, but to every bleſſing of every ſort. I could mention but Three.

The laſt that we mentioned was this, an univerſal acceptation with the Father in all caſes notwithſtanding all diſobligements. O, ſays a Poor Chriſtian, if I were but ſatiſfied that God would accept me, with all the diſobliging notwithſtandings of my heart and life, and of my Duties, how happy ſhould I be! and indeed ſo thou wouldſt be, if God would accept thee notwithſtanding all thy unprofitableneſs, notwithſtanding all the p. 26treachery of thy heart, notwithſtanding all thy oppoſition to, & grievings of his bleſſed Spirit, notwithſtanding all the diſhonour that thou haſt done unto himſelf, his Son, and his bleſſed Spirit, if the Lord would but accept thee, thou wouldſt be happy indeed; why Chriſtian, here is thy ſpiritual bleſſedneſs, at the 6th verſe to the praiſe of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved Lord (may every poor Chriſtian ſay) what am I? I accepted in the beloved? I accepted in the beloved Son? In the beloved Saviour? In the beloved high Prieſt? Lord what manner of grace is this! This is not the kindneſs of man: Chriſtians let me tell you, it is Gods work of grace to make you accepted, and it is your Priviledge in grace to be accepted; he hath made us to be accepted in the beloved, if there be any thing of unworthineſs in you there is the blood of the beloved to ballance it, if there be any thing of emptineſs or Barrenneſs, there is the fulneſs of the beloved to counterpoiſe that, if there be any unworthineſs diſcovered in any of your Relations or carriages to God, there is the full import of all his Relations to God to make all even. Though you do not always carry it as Children, yet this Son of God always did, and though you do not p. 27always live like Servants, yet this Son of God did to a point, and though you do not always carry it like friends to God, and like the people of God, yet behold the head of all, he carries it like ſuch a one. God may have abundance ('tis like) to charge againſt you; But this is not your buſineſs whether you have much grace or little grace or whether you exerciſe more or leſs. The acceptance muſt be in the beloved. Thus far we have proceeded.

4. Another ſpiritual bleſſing wherewith God hath bleſſed Chriſtians in Chriſt, is the revelation of his ſecrets. God may reveal the ſecrets of his Providence to others (as I might inſtance in diverſe) but his ſaving ſecrets thoſe are made manifeſt only in Chriſt Jeſus to Chriſtians; many have a dogmatical, diſcurſive knowledge which God hath given them, but here is the eclipſe of the glory of all their knowledge. It is not given them in Chriſt, here is a poor Chriſtian that is but broken, and now and then hath a little glimmerings of the light of God, and a little inſight into the ſecrets of his grace: Now my friends, this little light, and theſe little glimmerings that he hath into the myſteries of the will of God, theſe are all given him in Chriſt Jeſus, he ſees ſin in Chriſt, and he ſees the beauty of p. 28grace and holineſs in Chriſt. The revelation of Gods Goſpel will about ſin and holineſs: The beauty of holineſs and the exceeding ſinfulneſs of ſin is made manifeſt to him in Chriſt Jeſus. I pray do but obſerve how the Apoſtle expreſſes himſelf in the 9th verſe, Having made known unto us the myſtery of his will, according to his good pleaſure which he purpoſed in himſelf. The Apoſtle in the 18th verſe makes it his particular ſupplication to God for theſe Chriſtian Epheſians, that, ſays he, the Eyes of your underſtandings being inlightned, that ye may know what is the hope of your calling. There is the myſtery of his will manifeſted in particular in the hope of your calling. You are called off from ſin, there is hope in that calling, and you are called unto duty, and there is hope in that calling, and you are called off from all your Relations unto the world, as you ſtand in the World, and there is hope in that calling; now, ſays the Apoſtle, I pray for you that your eyes may be inlightned, that you may know what is the hope of your calling; and my Friends, you will find that the Apoſtle doth wrap up them together with himſelf in the 9th verſe, and tells us there that he hath made known unto us the myſtery of his will, and yet for all that he prays that the eyes of their underſtandings p. 29may be inlightned that they may know what is the hope of their calling, and what is the Riches of his inheritance in the Saints. Now I ſhall ſhew you that all this is vouchſafed to Chriſtians in Chriſt; you ſhall find the Apoſtle, Col. 2. v. 3. telling us, that in him are hid all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledge. Why what wiſdom and knowledge? Why that wiſdom, and that knowledge, that the eternal grace of God did deſign for Chriſtians, ſo that we are bleſſed with this wiſdom and knowledg in Chriſt. Look into your underſtandings and hearts, alas there is but little there, there is no treaſures there, but look into the Lord Jeſus, and there are all treaſures, even for fooliſh Chriſtians, hid and lodged there; in him is hid all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledge. And that the Spirit of the Lord is alike concerned in this you ſhall obſerve if you do but conſult the Apoſtles experience in 1 Cor. 2.9. Where he ſpeaks of things that eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, nor ever entered into the heart of man to conceive: But ſays he at the 10th verſe, God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. The revelation of the ſecrets of the heart of God is made manifeſt, or is made known unto Chriſtians by the Spirit of God. The Apoſtle proſecutes & illuſtrates this myſtery by that p. 30which is commonly obſerv'd amongſt men in v. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man ſave the Spirit of man which is in him? I do not know the grace that is in another mans heart, I do not know the ſecret purpoſes and devices that are in your hearts, but your own Spirits are privy to them, even ſo ſays the Apoſtle the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Chriſtians, let me tell you, there is no ſaving ſecret in the heart of God the Father, there is no ſaving ſecret in the heart of Chriſt the Son, but the Lord hath bleſſed us with the knowledge and the Revelatio… of that in Chriſt, for ſo the Apoſtle ſays in the 16 verſe. For who hath known the mind of the Lord that he may inſtruct him? but we have the mind of Chriſt Why Bleſſed Paul, how cameſt thou a perſecutor to know the mind of Chriſt? An injurious, and Blaſphemous wretch, how cameſt thou to be ſo intimate with that Jeſus whom thou perſecutedſt even unto death in his members? Why the Apoſtle tells you plainly, not by any natural advantage of learning, though he was a learned man, not by any advantage of his parts, though he was a man of clear natural underſtanding and apprehenſion, but, ſays he, we have the mind of Chriſt, and that by the Spirit of God, by the Spirit of p. 31Jeſus Chriſt. So that you ſee here is another great Spiritual bleſſing, a revelation of ſaving ſecrets.

5. Another ſpiritual bleſſing that I ſhall ſuperadd is this, An Ʋniverſal heading under Chriſt, or incorporation with Jeſus Chriſt. One would think it a wonder that ever ſuch a man, that was a limb of the Devil ſhould be made a member of the Body of Jeſus: A Notorious, Drunkard, a Notorious Blaſphemer, and a dreadful and implacable perſecutor of Chriſt and his ways, that ever ſuch a one ſhould be incorporated into and made a member of the Lord Jeſus is not this a ſpiritual bleſſing indeed? A bleſſing wherein the Spirit of God is principally concerned; in the manage of this the Apoſtle takes notice of verſe 10. That in the diſpenſation of the fulneſs of times he might gather together in one, all things in Chriſt, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. And more plainly, Epheſ. 4.12. Where he doth expreſly give us an account of the Body of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and he tells us there that all the gifts that were given by Chriſt, were for the edifying of his body.

Do but reflect upon a paſſage in the 2. Chapter, and there you ſhall ſee the ſtate of ſinners diſcovered to be as deſperate and as p. 32vile as you can poſſibly ſuppoſe a ſinners ſtate to be, Dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, Children of diſobedience in whom the Prince of the power of the Air, the Spirit of Hell. did effectually work. Why Lord, ſhall ever thoſe be incorporated; ſhall ever thoſe be made members of ſo bleſſed a body as the Body of Jeſus? Nay this is not all, but, ſays he, Ye were Children of wrath. The Wrath of God ſmoaked againſt you, and all the threatnings and denunciations of Gods wrath againſt ſinners, belonged to you juſt as an inheritance belongs to a proper and right Heir; and that is not all neither, but verſe 12. Ye were without Chriſt, being aliens from the commonwealth of Iſrael, and ſtrangers from the covenants of promiſe, having no hope and without God in the World. Lord ſhall ſuch as theſe be made members of ſuch a bleſſed Body as the Body of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is? Ay my Friends, here is the great bleſſing that God hath Bleſſed us with in Chriſt Jeſus, that notwithſtanding all this miſery, and notwithſtanding the deſperateneſs that doth attend this miſerable Eſtate yet they are to be gathered together, and headed all under one Jeſus; I pray take notice of one expreſſion in the concluſion of this Chapter, where he calls them all complexively conſidered his Body, and his p. 33fulneſs, verſe 23. Which is his Body, the fulneſs of him that filleth all in all. Now my Friends, this is another Spiritual bleſſing that God hath bleſſed us withal, and that is heading of us under, or an incorporating us into the Body of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, ſo that there can be no Bleſſing, no priviledge belong to the Head, but of neceſſity it falls naturally down upon the Body. So the head anointed the Garments ſhall be drenched, not only Aarons Beard, but the very Skirts of his Garments ſhall be drenched throughout. Is the Head advanced into glory. I tell you the Head in glory will never reſt till the members of his Body that are in a vile, deplorable, forlorn condition here, be made like unto him; Father, ſays he, I will, John 17.24. that thoſe alſo whom thou haſt given me be with me, &c. One would wonder that God ſhould caſt off the ſeed of Abraham, and implant Gentiles in their Room, and yet you ſee in Rom. 11. the Lord does thus, and the Apoſtle concludes with this, verſe 33. O the depth of the Riches both of the wiſdom and knowledge of God. That the natural branches ſhould be cut off, and Idolatours that had no promiſes, Idolatours that had no Relations at all but only of Creatures to God, and who had done more to violate their Relations, and p. 34forfeit all the Priviledges of their Relations, then the very Beaſts of the Field, and the moſt venomous, and poiſonous Toad ever did, yet ſays the Apoſtle, The natural branches were cut off that you might be graffed in. O the depth of the riches of Gods grace. Surely Chriſtians, this is a great Spiritual Bleſſing that the Lord is pleaſed to vouchſafe to us to head us under Chriſt. We are bleſſed with this in Chriſt Jeſus.

6. Another Spiritual Bleſſing is this; A reſerved Inheritance of all full, and Spiritual, and comprehenſive bleſſedneſſes. My friends here we have (to allude to the people of Iſrael in the wilderneſs) it may be, ſome few Cottages or Tabernacles that are tranſitory, as thoſe People had ſome moving reſting-places. Here is a little grace planted, a little faith and a little love, and this grows up pretty likelily and pretty promiſingly, but what is this to the inheritance, where that which is in part ſhall be done way, where there is no ſuch thing as grace in part, no ſuch thing as love in part, no ſuch thing as joy in part, no ſuch thing as communion in part; for that which is in part ſhall be done away. I think the Apoſtle ſpeaks fully to our purpoſe where he tells us of an inheritance reſerved, 1 Pet. 1.3. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord p. 35Jeſus Chriſt. You ſee the Apoſtle mentions the ſame Relations that are here in the Text; why what is the matter, Bleſſed Peter? Why ſays he, the matter is this; The God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reſerved in heaven for you, verſe 4. Why friends what is this inheritance? Why there I ſhall inherit the Covenant in its fulneſs; I ſhall not ſay that either I want any Law in my heart or in my Head, in my inward or in my outward man, I ſhall have no reaſon to complain that I want the leaſt bleſſing of the leaſt promiſe. Why Chriſtians, this is your inheritance, and are not here Spiritual Bleſſings that are the proper matter of this Inheritance? Now the Apoſtle tells us that he hath bleſſed us with this in Chriſt, verſe 11. In whom alſo we have obtained an inheritance, being predeſtinated according to …he purpoſe of him that worketh all things after the Counſel of his own will. How far Chriſt is concerned in this Spiritual bleſſing …ou may eaſily obſerve, if ſo be that you …ither conſider the type or the antitype; as …o the type which was Joſhua or Jeſus, Mo…s muſt not bring the people into their Inheritance; p. 36indeed in Moſes's Time they might have ſome Bunches of the Grapes of the good land, but Moſes muſt not bring them in, it muſt be Joſhua that muſt bring them in. So I ſay my Friends, it is not this, or that, or the other, but the Lord Jeſus alone that muſt bring his people into the poſſeſſion of this reſerved inheritance; here is indeed a Cluſter of Spiritual Bleſſings infinitely exceeding all the capacities of the Sons and Daughters of men, though moſt of all inlightned by the Spirit to comprehend, in whom, ſays he, we have obtained an Inheritance; who is this whom? It is the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; to gather together in one all things in Chriſt, in whom we have obtained an Inheritance. As much as if the Apoſtle had ſaid, as the Apoſtle doth in Chriſts own caſe, we ſee not yet all thing… put under him: So I may ſay, you have no… yet obtained the Inheritance, no more had Paul, no more had theſe Epheſians, but ye… he ſpeaks as one having full aſſurance, in whom we have obtained; anſwerable to that of our Lord, in Joh. 14.2. I go to prepar… a place for you. And the Apoſtle take… it up, and otherwiſe phraſes it, Heb. 6.2… Whither the forerunner is for us entred; ſpeaking of the Inheritance that is above, whither cur forerunner is for us entered; ſo that this p. 37another Spiritual Bleſſing wherewith we are bleſſed in Chriſt Jeſus.

7. But another ſpiritual bleſſing wherewith we are bleſſed in Chriſt Jeſus is this: The Seal and Earneſt of what is to come, and the very Spirit is made the very matter of this Bleſſing wherewith he hath bleſſed us in Chriſt Jeſus. I pray do but caſt your eyes upon verſe 13. In whom ye alſo truſted; ſtill he continues his diſcourſe, and fixes Chriſt at the bottom of all; in whom ye alſo truſted after that ye heard the word of truth, the Goſpel of your Salvation, in whom alſo, after that ye believed, ye were ſealed with that holy ſpirit of promiſe, verſe 14. which is the Earneſt of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchaſed poſſeſſion to the praiſe of his glory. Here is a comprehenſive ſpiritual bleſſing indeed, which is the Seal of the eternal Inheritance, and the Earneſt of it, as if the Lord ſhould ſay when he ſends forth his Spirit, go my holy Spirit, go and ſeize upon ſuch a heart, and ſeal up ſuch a Soul for the eternal Inheritance; and as if he ſhould ſay to his Son, Lo my Son, I have given my Spirit to ſuch a one whom thou haſt ſhed thy blood for, and lo I ſend him as the Earneſt of the Inheritance that thou haſt purchaſed, as the Earneſt of my eternal love to thee, as the Earneſt of my eternal p. 38Communion with thee, as the earneſt of my anſwering of thy prayer, and the import of all thy blood: Lo I have ſent him, and lo, he is to them an Earneſt. Now Sirs, this is a great bleſſing, a very glorious bleſſing indeed, God might have deſigned, and kept the deſign in his own breaſt, or he might have divulged it, & yet have given us no earneſt or pledge of it; what needed all that between God and us? Chriſt might have taken his word, and we had good reaſon to reſt upon any report that the Lord Chriſt makes of his confidence in the Father, but the Lord Chriſt and the Father did concur together in this, that we ſhould have the Bleſſing, notwithſtanding all notwithſtandings, and that it ſhould be ſure to all the ſeed. Yet, for our further ſatisfaction, ſays the Lord, behold I give my promiſe, and I give the promiſed Spirit, and that Spirit ſhall be my Seal upon their hearts, and my ſeal upon their underſtandings; ſo that look into your hearts, and into your underſtandings, and upon this inquiry, whoſe are you? Do but make a reflection whoſe Seal, whoſe Image, whoſe Superſcription is this? You ſhall find that the Spirit of the Lord is as it were Gods aſſuring Seal. Ay but it may be you will ſay, this is a great while to come. It may be p. 39Ten, or Twenty, or Thirty, or Forty, years to come. Well, if thoſe do not ſatisfy you that you are ſealed, the Spirit alſo ſhall be an Earneſt of the Inheritance, an Earneſt of the future perſonal bleſſedneſs and glory which God hath bleſſed you with in Chriſt. It is not only Heaven, but the perſonal condition and ſtate of Saints in Heaven that is the glory of their Inheritance, and this is another thing.

8. But then in the 8th place, another Spiritual bleſſing wherewith the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt does bleſs Chriſtians, is this: Practical experiences of the power of Gods grace in every providence, and ſuch as lay open to every Ordinance. I ſay, practical experiences of the power of Gods grace. O what can the grace of God do? Nay Chriſtians what is it that the grace of God cannot do? That grace that could ſend Chriſt out of his eternal manſion in the boſom of his Father, what cannot that grace do for thee? That grace that can empty (as it were) the Second perſon of the Trinity of his glory, doeſt thou think that this grace cannot empty thy heart of ſin? That grace that can fill the Covenant with ſuch a fulneſs of Bleſſings, Poor worm, doeſt thou think that this grace cannot fill thy heart with Bleſſings? I pray Chriſtians, do but p. 40conſider what the Apoſtle ſaith in the 19, and 20 verſes of this Chap. And what is, ſays he, the exceeding greatneſs of his power, to us ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. If thy heart be hard, and be fixed within thee, ſo that thou doeſt oppoſe the work of Faith, he will work this work of faith with power; if it be exceeding hard, there is exceeding power, that the grace of God has the command of; if thou beeſt exceeding weak, there is exceeding grace that hath the diſpoſe of exceeding power; ay, if thou beeſt exceeding unworthy, there is exceeding grace that can exceedingly overlook all thy unworthineſs. Now Chriſtians, practical experiences of the power of grace under the miniſtration of the Goſpel, is a great Spiritual Bleſſing. We have heard much of the grace of God, of the reſpective perſons of the bleſſed Trinity, what has this grace done for thy Soul? Art thou able to ſet to thy Seal that there is an exceeding power in the grace of the Father? and an exceeding power in the grace of the Son? if thou haſt not as yet experienced it, truly if there be but ſome beginnings of the power of God, and the finger of God hath but been upon thy heart, though in leſſer power, if there be exceeding power wanting, p. 41that exceeding power ſhall not always be ſuſpended; Practical experiences of the exceeding mighty power of God, is that which is a great Spiritual Bleſſing, which we are bleſſed with in Chriſt Jeſus, and for the illuſtration of this, do but compare this power, if thou needeſt as much exceeding power, to raiſe up thy Soul from any Spiritual Death or Deadneſs, as Jeſus Chriſt ſtood in need of to raiſe him from the dead, that ſhall be at the diſpoſe of grace, that ſhall be imployed by grace, and therefore he adds in the next verſe, which he wrought in Chriſt when he raiſed him from the dead. That power that raiſed the Son of man from the dead, and that power that ſet the Son of man at his own right hand in Heavenly places, thou, Chriſtian, ſhalt have experience of it; and this is the Spiritual Bleſſing wherewith thou art bleſſed in Chriſt Jeſus. Bleſſed be the God, and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt; that is, he hath Bleſſed us with a Right to an univerſal and unbounded experience of the power of his grace in all caſes.

9. But the laſt that I ſhall mention is this: He hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings, that is, an univerſal ſubjection of all our Spiritual Enemies under us. And I p. 42think this may be lookt upon as a great Spiritual Bleſſing. It is true indeed, (my friends) all things are put under the feet of Jeſus Chriſt, but all things are not yet put under our feet: But that you may ſee the reaſon of this great priviledge, how grace hath laid it in Chriſt, do but obſerve thoſe paſſages that you have in v. 21, 22, 23. of this Chapter; at the 20 verſe, and hath ſet him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalities, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, both in this World, and alſo in that which is to come. And (as if theſe two words could not comprehend all) the Apoſtle adds in general, and hath put all things under his feet. All things that are enemies to our Spiritual Intereſt, all things that are Enemies unto our purification, unto our ſanctification, unto our inlightning and ſtrengthening, and unto any or all of our Spiritual bleſſings: He hath put all things under his feet.

Obj. Ay but what is all this to us, you will ſay?

Anſ. Therefore I pray obſerve what he ſays further; He hath put all things under his feet with a direct ſubſerviency unto his Church, Verſe 22. and hath put all things under his feet, and hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church, head over p. 43all principalities, over all the powers of darkneſs, over all our Enemies in hell, and over all our Spiritual Enemies here on Earth, and that unto his Church and People, which he calls his Body, the fulneſs of him that filleth all in all. Now, my friends, this is a great Spiritual bleſſing, and that the Spirit is concerned in this is evident. I pray do but obſerve a paſſage of the Apoſtle in his Epiſtle to the Romans, chap. 8. verſe… 11. compared with Verſe 2. at the 11th verſe, If the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead dwell in you, he that raiſed up Chriſt from the dead ſhall alſo quicken your mortal bodys, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. I apprehend that this hath not relation primarily or principally to the laſt Reſurrection of the Body, but even to a Spiritual deliverance and freedom of the Body from the remains of the law of ſin & death, which yet abide in it; ſays the Apoſtle, If the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead dwell in your mortal bodys, then you ſhall be quickened, your mortal bodys ſhall be diſpoſed and influenced ſo by that Spirit, that they ſhall be readier than now they are, to ſerve the graces of your Souls according to the dictates of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt; and my reaſon for this Interpretation is this, the Apoſtle in the concluſion of the former p. 44Chapter had been crying out, verſe 24. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death? which he had confeſſed had too long lodged in his members, in the former part of the Chapter. Now in verſe 2. of this Chap. he ſays, But the law of the Spirit of life which is in Chriſt Jeſus hath made me free from the law of ſin and death; where is the law of ſin? It is in my body ſays the Apoſtle, but, ſays he, the law of the Spirit of life hath made me free; upon this Hypotheſis the Apoſtle doth conclude in verſe 11. That if the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead dwell in us, then ſhall our mortal bodies be quickned, and diſpoſed alſo unto Spiritual ſervice; and if you do but obſerve it, the Apoſtle in the Concluſion of this diſcourſe gives ſuch an exhortation tending to this purpoſe, that they would not yield up their members as inſtruments of unrighteouſneſs unto Sin; why ſo? becauſe the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead, dwells in your mortal bodies, and therefore ſays he, don't yield your members don't yield your hands, and don't yield your tongues, and don't yield your ears, nor don't yield any of your members as inſtruments of unrighteouſneſs unto Sin, becauſe the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead dwells in p. 45your mortal bodies; and thus now I have taken notice of theſe diverſe Spiritual bleſſings, which the Apoſtle doth here inſtance in by way of illuſtration of this great Goſpel myſtery of grace, and that is, that God hath bleſſed every Chriſtian with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus, I will wave the reaſons, and I will alſo wave the reſolve of other inquiries that might be made, and wrap up all in theſe three or four inferences.

ƲSE 1 Firſt, Is it ſo my friends, that Chriſtians are bleſſed with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus? Then Chriſtians ſhould be always Spiritual in Chriſt Jeſus. Shew me your bleſſings Sirs, let it appear that your bleſſings are not like the bleſſings of the men of this world: Nay nor only confined to the bleſſings that the hypocrites of this world have received from God; don't ſhew me your gifts in prayer, but let your graces be diſcovered in your praying. Chriſtians, you ſhould be Spiritual in all manner of converſation; why? becauſe God hath bleſſed you in Chriſt Jeſus with all Spiritual bleſſings, for a man that pretends to this bleſſedneſs, for ſuch a one to be carnal, for ſuch a one to be earthly minded, for ſuch a one to be proud, for ſuch a one to be p. 46debauched in his Spirit, and Principles, and Practices, how unbecoming is this to ſo great a pretence as you all make? If I ſhould come to you one by one, and ſay to you, friend, don't you hope that God hath bleſſed you with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt? what means then this formality in duty? this is not to be Spiritual. What means this anger & paſſion upon every provocation? this does not argue that you are bleſſed with a Spirit of meekneſs; why my friends, if you be bleſſed with all Spiritual bleſſings, then I pray let all your Spiritual bleſſings appear more or leſs in your whole converſation; for a profeſſor that pretends to be ſo bleſſed, for him to be formal in his Prayer, and for him to be dead and dull in Duty, & for him to be light, and vain, and frothy in his Converſation, this is not like one that is bleſſed with all Spiritual bleſſings. Chriſtians the inference is natural, if you be bleſſed with all Spiritual bleſſings, then ſhew forth all your Spiritual bleſſings in all your duties, be Spiritual in every thing. The Apoſtle has a parallel expreſſion to this, wherein he gives us an account of his converſation in the 3 Phil. 20. For our converſation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; that is the firſt inference.

p. 47ƲSE 2 The 2d is this; Has God bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt? Then let thoſe that pretend to a being thus bleſſed by the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, glorify the God & Father of Jeſus Chriſt with all their bleſſings. Glorify him not only with what you have received, but alſo upon the whole of the bleſſings that are to be received; Chriſtians, you may rejoyce in what is in the hand of Chriſt for you as well as in what is in your own hearts; I am perſuaded that Adam was as perfect as God can make a creature out of Chriſt, and yet you ſee no ſooner doth the Woman come and tell him that the fruit is pleaſant and fair, but he takes it & eats, and ſo deſtroys all; ſurely Chriſtians, you may rejoice in that little you have, but you may more rejoice in that great deal that Chriſt hath for you, you have received a little from and by Chriſt; ay but Chriſt hath received a great deal more for you, and therefore balance all your ſecular wants and ſecular troubles with this, that you are bleſſed with unſeen bleſſings. It was Chriſts advice to his diſciples to lay up treaſure in Heaven, it is the practice of the grace of God; the grace of God hath done that which Jeſus Chriſt adviſed his diſciples and hearers to do. What has he done? Why he hath laid up treaſure p. 48where neither moth can corrupt, nor Thieves break through and ſteal. And therefore rejoice & glorify God for and in the view, & under the ſenſe and apprehenſion of what you are bleſſed with in Chriſt, I will freely ſay this one thing, if I would chooſe of the two what to rejoice in, I had rather rejoice in what I am bleſſed with in Chriſt Jeſus, then in all the gifts and graces that I have in my own heart, and I think 'tis ſafeſt to do ſo. But then,

ƲSE 3 Thirdly, Has God bleſſed you with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus? Then never confine and limit your expectations from God or from Jeſus Chriſt. This naturally follows, for why ſhould a Chriſtian that hath liberty to expect all, content himſelf with leſs? Chriſtians ſhould ſay upon every receipt, Lord here is not all, and be at him for more, wait ſtill upon Chriſt for more. Cry ſtill unto Chriſt for more, and ſay Lord here is not all: This is not all of the Spiritual Bleſſings, that the Father have bleſſed me withal in thy ſelf. This is not all, and therefore under your fulleſt receipts ſtill Chriſtians wait for more; has the grace of God been ſo abundant as to bleſs you with all, and will you ſhew ſo little grace as to be contented with a little? I do not like (neither I am perſwaded does God p. 49like) the tempers of moſt Profeſſors which is a modeſt, (I call it a modeſt becauſe 'tis ſo generally apprehended) but it is a ſinful modeſt contentedneſs with a little; if God give you any thing, bleſs God for a little, but never be ſatisfied with a little, but ever and anon come to the Throne of grace, and ſay, Father here is not all in my heart that thou haſt bleſſed me withal in Chriſt: Come to the Lord Chriſt, and ſay, Lord here is not all the Father truſted thee withal for my Soul, here is not all the faith, all the love; all the meekneſs, &c. But I am bleſſed with all Spiritual Bleſſings. I ſay, Chriſtians having received a little be ſtill preſſing after more. But then,

ƲSE 4 Fourthly and laſtly, Hath God bleſſed you with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt? Then Chriſtians, in the midſt of all your wants; and in the midſt of all your ſtraits, be you ſtill preſſing after a more true and genuine improvement of all your Spiritual bleſſings. If God hath bleſſed you with all Spiritual bleſſings, in Chriſt, then labour you under Chriſt to be Spiritual bleſſings unto others; have you not Neighbours, have you not Children, have you not Huſbands or Wives? Though they be Chriſtian, yet I appeal to you all, may not you alſo be a greater Spiritual bleſſing unto them then you are? May p. 50you not be a greater Spiritual bleſſing to your ſervants, or to your Children, then you are? Great are the deſigns of many to lay up great things for their Children; alas! theſe parents are but temporal or temporary bleſſings to their Children, whileſt their hearts are ſet upon the world for them, and truly it may be ſaid of moſt Maſters, that they are but temporal bleſſings unto their ſervants they are but Family bleſſings to them. O Sirs, that we could make it more our buſineſs to be Spiritual bleſſings unto others; hath God bleſſed you with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt? How do you know but he hath bleſſed your Children with ſome Spiritual bleſſing in you? and bleſſed your Servants with ſome Spiritual bleſſing in you? With-hold not that from your Children which is their right, or at leaſt for ought you know may be their right; if you will not give it forth, I tell you God hath other ways, but you ſhall loſe the glory and honour of it. Let me tell you this, when we ſay that God hath bleſſed ſuch a child with a good Father; we mean that he hath bleſſed that Father with Spiritual bleſſings for the good of the child; and ſuch a one is happy and bleſſed in ſuch a Husband, what do we mean but this? that God hath bleſſed him p. 51with Spiritual bleſſings for the good of his Wife? and ſo in all other relations what ever. O bleſſed are that Church, and that people, and that family, in whom there is a great Emulation who ſhall be the greateſt Spiritual bleſſing each to other; and this ſeems alſo to be a very natural inference: If God hath bleſſed us in Chriſt Jeſus with all Spiritual bleſſings, then ſurely God may bleſs others in us with ſome Spiritual bleſſing; and if God hath bleſſed others in us with ſome Spiritual bleſſings, then why ſhould we with-hold from them that which …s their own? God hath given them the …ight, God hath given them the bleſſing, why ſhould we with-hold the bleſſing from them? Would you be ſo dealt withal by our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt? I row not; therefore Chriſtians by the love you have to Chriſt, by the hopes you have …o receive out of the hands of Chriſt, what …s lodged there by the grace of the heart of God, what ever grace God hath lodged in our hearts, what ever Spiritual gifts God …ath lodged in your heads, improve it as a …piritual bleſſing to others, even to thoſe …or whom you are concerned: and then …y friends, you may more comfortably ex…ect the fulfilment & the accompliſhment, …nd the ſealing up of this word every day p. 52more and more, and the experience of it that you may come by frequent renewed experience to ſay; and would it not be well with you if every day you could ſay and every evening you could ſay, Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed me with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt?

SERMON III.

Epheſians 1.3.

Bleſſed be the God and Father of o… Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſe… us with all Spiritual Bleſſings, Heavenly places, in Chriſt.

WHat the preſent ſtate of the Chriſtian Epheſians were at th… time of the writing of this Epiſtle, ſee… to be uncertain: It is probable it was a ſt… of affliction, and the probability of it, y… may found upon diverſe paſſages in … Scripture which I ſhall now wave. It ſee… moſt likely, what ever their ſecular eſt… was, that their Spiritual Eſtate was atten… p. 53with more than ordinary enjoyments, and beautified with more then ordinary priviledges. But Chriſtians, however it was with them, you know how it is with us; under ſecular, and temporal diſcouragements, it is the Chriſtians wiſdom to ſeek out for ſome Spiritual incouragements, when there ſeems to be a confederacy on Earth to encroach upon the remains of our temporal bleſſings, 'tis the intereſt of Chriſtians to look above, and to conſider what is the combination of Heaven, and the concurrence of the bleſſed Trinity about their Spiritual bleſſings. Chriſtians I do not know all your Eſtates, but this in general I may propoſe, if you be Chriſtians indeed, however it is with you here below, you are bleſſed with all, beyond all poſſibility of reverſe above, for ſays the Apoſtle here, Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings, in Heavenly places, in Chriſt. Three things lye wrapt up in the words.

The firſt is a diſcovery of the Saints ſtate, his Scripture, Goſpel ſtate. It is an unalterable and univerſal ſtate of Bleſſedneſs. It is not ſome ſingular, or ſome ſingle, petty bleſſing that is annexed and affixed, by an Irrevocable act of grace upon him, but it is all bleſſings, all Spiritual bleſſings.

p. 542. Secondly, You have the ſecurity of this their bleſſed ſtate diſcovered. It is not a bleſſedneſs lodged upon, or lodged in their own perſons, ſuch was Adams bleſſedneſs; and you know what little ſafety and ſecurity there was in that. It is not a bleſſedneſs that is fixed here below: but it is a bleſſedneſs, that as to the principal Concerns of it is fixed above, in Heavenly places in Chriſt, not in Chriſtians, in an earthly Paradiſe, but in Heavenly places in Chriſt.

3. Thirdly. You have in theſe words the author of all this bleſſedneſs; and that is the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. I have been diſcovering what thoſe Spiritual bleſſings are wherewith the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt hath bleſſed every Chriſtian; my buſineſs at this time will lye in the reſolve of this inquiry.

Qu. Why, or whence is it that we are bleſſed with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt?

An. With all plainneſs and brevity I ſhall endeavour to reſolve this inquiry, and improve it; and in the reſolve of it I ſhall not exceed not only the bounds of this Chapter, but of the words that I have read unto you: It is matter of wonder in Heaven, that a poor Chriſtian that hath an empty heart on Earth: That a poor Chriſtian, p. 55whoſe converſation, and whoſe duties are moſtly empty of Spiritual ſervice, ſhould be bleſſed with all Spiritual bleſſings. Certainly Sirs, the Angels in Heaven that are privy to this tranſaction of grace, are filled with admiration, that we that are ſenſeleſs of that grace, ſhould yet notwithſtanding be ſo bleſſed. Thoſe glorious Spirits that never offended, that they ſhould have but their meaſures proportioned to their practices, and that we ſhould have our meaſures preſſed down, and running over given unto us, notwithſtanding our general principles and practices are againſt the deſigns of Heaven. It is matter of wonder to a ſerious Chriſtian, a Chriſtian that makes it his buſineſs to inquire and examine his own frame, both by Goſpel promiſes and by Goſpel priviledges; what, Lord! I that do ſo little, bleſſed with all? What, Lord! I that have ſo little in my own heart and ſpirit, yet I bleſſed with all? Will nothing ſatisfie the grace of God but all bleſſings, and all Spiritual bleſſings too? My Friends, I hope it is in your hearts thus to admire; but I will give you the reaſons: And there ſeem to be theſe five lodged in the words. I ſhall take notice of them as they lye before us.

1. Don't wonder Sirs, that you Chriſtians are bleſſed with all Spiritual Bleſſings. For,

p. 56Firſt, God is the God of Chriſt; he is the God of our Lord, and of our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. This is a great reaſon, yea this is Gods Reaſon why he does bleſs Chriſtians; I am the God of that Lord that is their Lord, and my Friends, I pray conſider it; This relation that God ſtands in unto Chriſt has a general aſpect upon all the Relations that are here mentioned of Chriſt. All Chriſts principal Relations are here taken notice of by the Apoſtle, and expreſſed; as now he is the God of Jeſus, he is the God of our Lord Jeſus, he is the God of the Lord of the Goſpel, he is the God of the Jeſus of the Goſpel, and the God of the Chriſt that is the anointed of the Goſpel; ſo the Apoſtle in his other Epiſtles, as if he ſeemed to take great pleaſure and delight in this general Relation that he here mentions, he alſo ſeems to expreſs it in his Preface to his other Epiſtles. I think the Epiſtle that he writ to the Coloſſians comes neareſt to this Epiſtle that he writ to the Epheſians, for its Goſpel import and nature. And in the verſe 3 of the 1 Col. you find the Apoſtle thus delivering himſelf; We give thanks to God, and (or even) the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, praying always for you. The God of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; I pray Conſider it, I would illuſtrate this in theſe two Branches.

p. 57The Firſt is this, That all the advantages of Gods being a God to any, is ſumm'd up in his being a God to Chriſt. I ſay all the advantages of the covenant, all the bleſſedneſſes that are diſcovered as eſſential to Gods being a God to any in either Teſtaments, is ſumm'd up in this relation of his unto Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore you ſhall find that he promiſes ſo much to him, and that with reference to the diſcharge of all or of every particular office of his. I have not time to inſtance in them, I ſhall only remind you of one paſſage, and that is, when Chriſt came to die, to give an account to God of himſelf, he conſiders himſelf in and under all his Goſpel Relations: The Lord imployed him as his God, to preach Salvation unto ſinners: The Lord as his God imployed him as his ſervant, to rule and govern Saints: The Lord imployed him as he was his God to reconcile his enemies to himſelf, by offering up his Soul and his Body a propitiation for them; and therefore with reſpect to all theſe relations, I pray conſider what ſtreſs he laid upon this, for there ſeems to be ſomething particular, and I think the Jews in the heat of their rage miſtook the Emphaſis of their own language, in Mark 15.34. And at the ninth hour: Jeſus cryed with a loud voice, p. 58ſaying Eloi, Eloi, that is, my God, my God: The Jews miſtake Eloi here, ſay they verſe 35. behold he calleth Elias, verſe 36. let alone, let us ſee whether Elias will come to take him down, which was a thing quite of another Import and Nature. The proper interpretation is given there by the holy Ghoſt, my God, my God, ſays he. My God, my God, you ſee my friends the Lord owned his Relation to him as his God, now at this time, when he was to come to give an account to him of the diſcharge of all his Offices and Relations, Eloi, Eloi, my God, my God, I have preached thy will; My God, my God, I have governed according to thy will; My God, my God, I have made propitiation according to thy will; this ſeem to be the meaning of it, and upon this account he grounds his petition, why haſt thou forſaken me, or why wilt thou or doeſt thou forſake me? As if he ſhould appeal to God, My God thou knoweſt I have preached all thy heart; and my God, thou knoweſt I have governed according to the ſecrets of thy heart; and my God, thou knoweſt I have been tender both of Saints and ſinners, according to the Command I received from thee; and my God, there is nothing that I have refuſed or avoided to do to pleaſe thee; my God, thou knoweſt all this. Now p. 59Sirs, here is great reaſon why we ſhould be Bleſſed with all Spiritual Bleſſings, he is the Lords God in whom we are bleſſed.

The Second thing that I would urge as an illuſtration of the former particular, is this: That the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſtands in no Relations to God but the bleſſedneſs of the Relation redounds to Chriſtians. We will ſuppoſe the Lord Chriſt pleaſing his God in the diſcharge of all his Offices, and Relations, we will ſuppoſe him, I ſay, in fulneſs of communion with his God in the execution of all his Relations. Now Sirs, I pray do but obſerve the Apoſtle in that peculiar appropriating word; he doth not ſay, The God and Father of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, but the God and Father of our Lord; as if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, ye Chriſtian Epheſians (and ſo I may ſay, ye Chriſtians of differing apprehenſions) you that are Chriſtians indeed, all the bleſſedneſſes and advantages of Gods Relation to Chriſt, as his God, redound to you, for he is your Lord; and I will only confirm what I have now obſerved to you, by an obſervation grounded upon this, and upon another Scripture, if you reflect upon the 2 verſe of this Chap. you ſhall find that before the Apoſtle mentions Gods Relation to Chriſt, he mentions his Relation to us; ſays he, Grace be unto p. 60you from God our Father. From God our Father, as if the Apoſtle would have us to underſtand, that whatſoever he is to Chriſt he is that to Chriſtians in Chriſt. And there is the firſt reaſon why God doth bleſs us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt, becauſe he is Chriſts God, and hath approved himſelf, and carried himſelf towards Chriſt as his God, in all the circumſtances wherein Chriſt was or is.

2. Secondly. He is not only the God of Chriſt, and therefore bleſſes us, but he is the Father of Chriſt, and therefore doth bleſs us. Which ſeems to be a Relation which our Lord doth moſt glory in in both Teſtaments. I tell you, Chriſtians, God glories more in the Relation of a Father to Chriſt, then he doth in the Relation of a Creator to the whole World; I will open this alſo in theſe two Branches.

1. And the firſt is this, That Chriſt Jeſus's Relation to God, or Gods Relation to Chriſt as a Father, in which he doth ſo glory, is a Relation that he bears to the Humane Nature. It is not his Relation to Chriſt as the Second Perſon of the Trinity that is the glory of God in the Goſpel, but his Relation to Chriſt as God-man, or as man. That is the great Relation that God glories in in both Teſtaments. The Relation that God ſtands in p. 61unto Chriſt as the ſecond Perſon of the Trinity is natural. It is a natural Relation. But the Relation in which he ſtands to Chriſt as man, this is the glory of God in the diſpenſation of the Goſpel. The Lord by his Spirit open it unto you. I will endeavour to open it by opening of two Scriptures. The firſt ſhall be a paſſage in the Old Teſtament in the 2 Pſal. After the Pſalmiſt had given us an account of the monſtrous rage of the Heathen, and the Confederacy of the people with the Heathen in their Rage, at the 1 verſe. Wherefore do the Heathen Rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? After he had ſtated the reſult of all their Counſels againſt him which is applied to him as man by the Apoſtle in the 4 Acts 25 verſe and ſo on. The Pſalmiſt brings in the Lord glorying in this, verſe 6. Yet have I ſet my King upon my holy hill of Sion; and Chriſt ſolacing himſelf peculiarly in this Relation that he ſtands in to him as the Son of man, verſe 7. The Lord hath ſaid unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. That this has Relation to the Incarnation of Chriſt and to him as man, I pray conſider a paſſage there in Heb. 1.5. To which of the Angels ſaid he at any time. To which of the Angels ſaid he? No, there is no reaſon why he ſhould ſay ſo to them, if we p. 92conſider him as God, as very God. But if we conſider him as the Son of man, there is great reaſon that the Apoſtle ſhould bring this in, unto which of the Angels hath he ſaid, that he ſhould paſs by all the Angels in Heaven and never ſay unto them or any of them, thou art my Son? But upon the appearance of the Son of Mary, the reputed Son of Joſeph, the Carpenters Son, when he brings him into the World, he ſaith in a way of glory, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. To which of the Angels ſaid he at any time thou art my Son? But to the only begotten Son this he ſaith; that is the firſt illuſtration.

2. The Second illuſtration of it is this; That the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt conſiders himſelf as his Father for our ſakes. I pray obſerve it. God had never been a Father to the man Jeſus, had it not been for our ſakes. I mean there had never been ſuch a Relation in being, had not Chriſtians eternal bleſſedneſs lien at the bottom of it. So that I may truly ſay, Chriſtians, it was our Spiritual concern that gave being to this glorious mutual Relation between the Father and the Son of man; what need he ever to have made him man, had it not been for the Sons, and Daughters, of men, whom he had an eternal and an everlaſting p. 63kindneſs for? I have ſometimes with pleaſure reviewed the paſſage that paſt between the Angel and the Virgin Mary about the birth of Chriſt, give me leave to obſerve one or two things out of it in Luke 1.28, 29. verſes. Mary ſhe wonders at the ſalutation of the Angel, and well ſhe might; a poor Woman fit for nothing but to make a Carpenters Wife of; a poor Virgin eſpouſed to Joſeph, who was of the houſe of David; and that no meaner an Angel then Gabriel, muſt be ſent to her, to declare the tidings; and what were the tidings? the tidings were that out of her Body, and in her Womb ſhould be begotten one that ſhould be called the Son of God, in the 35 verſe. And the Angel anſwered and ſaid unto her, the Holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the higheſt ſhall overſhadow thee; therefore alſo that holy thing that ſhall be born of thee ſhall be called the Son of God.

I pray what was the buſineſs of this holy thing, and what was the Fundamental reaſon of this great and wonderful tranſaction and condeſcenſion of Chriſt? The Fundamental reaſon was this; God had an Eternal kindneſs for ſuch ſinners as you and I are, and a deſign to make us Children of adoption, when we had violated our Childſhip p. 64by nature: When we had tranſgreſſed the Law of our Creation Childhood, he was reſolved to make us Children of Adoption, and therefore it was that the Holy Ghoſt muſt come upon her, and the power of the higheſt muſt overſhadow her. Chriſt as the Son of God became the Son of man was made the Son of man meerly and principally with a deſign of grace upon the Sons and Daughters of men, and therefore Sirs, if ſo, no great wonder that God ſhould bleſs us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt.

3. The third Reaſon is this; He in whom we are bleſſed, is our ſtated Lord, he is our abſolute, our Soveraign, our certain and our ſtated Lord: and therefore you ſhall find the Apoſtle here expreſſing it, bleſſed be the God and Father of Our Lord, who hath bleſſed us, Our Lord, that is, God hath given him to be our Lord, an univerſal Lord unto Chriſtians in all their Chriſtian concerns, and therefore when the Apoſtle preached the Goſpel to Cornelius and his Friends, at their Chriſtian Conventicle (as I may ſo call it) at their Chriſtian meeting in Cornelius's houſe, do but obſerve how he expreſſes himſelf, and introduces his diſcourſe, Acts. 10. verſ… 36. The word which God ſent unto the Children of Iſrael, preaching peace by Jeſus Chriſt, he … p. 65Lord of all, here is the word which God ſent unto Iſrael; what is it? It is a word of peace; what is at the bottom of it? Jeſus Chriſt is Lord of all, that is, he is Lord of all that grace, that concerns our peace; he is Lord of all the pardons that concern our peace; he is Lord of all the wiſdom, that concerns and relates to our peace, he is Lord of all the relations, which are relations of our peace, and he is Lord of all things, and of the bleſſings of all things, in thoſe Goſpel relations, preaching peace by Jeſus Chriſt, he is Lord of all. Now Chriſtians, I pray do but Conſider, what is the Spiritual bleſſing that you ſtand in need of? God hath made Chriſt the Lord of that bleſſing; you want peace, and you want comfort, and you want Joy, and you want this, and that, and the other, God hath made Chriſt Lord of all, and if he be Lord of all, then my Friends no wonder, that God hath bleſſed us with all in him.

But I will open this likewiſe in theſe two Branches.

1. and the Firſt is this, God had a peculiar relation to Chriſts Lordſhip unto and over our perſons, when he did intruſt him with all our bleſſings; our Lord bears teſtimony of this in general in many places, but eſpecially in the ſhutting up of his miniſtry, and of his p. 66life here below, in Matth. 28. Go ye therefore, ſays he, and teach all nations, go ye therefore. Wherefore? At the 18 verſe All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth; if he had had only power given him in Heaven he could not have Bleſſed ſinners on Earth, if he had had power given him only on Earth he could not have commanded the Bleſſings of Heaven. But, ſays he, all power, all authority is given to me in Heaven and in Earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations. Lord to what end (might the diſciples ſay) muſt we go? Well ſays Chriſt, I am the Lord of all the Bleſſings, I have an abſolute power to diſpoſe of all the Bleſſings of Heaven, and to manage all the heavenly Bleſſings upon Earth. Therefore ſays he, Go preach, go teach all nations: Go tell ſinners that I am ready to bleſs them, I have a heart that is willing to bleſs them, I have a treaſure to ſupply them fully, according to all their neceſſities, and according to all their ſtraits. Go preach the Goſpel to every creature, to every Saint and to every ſinner; I am Lord of all; and therefore if you do obſerve it, the commiſſion that Chriſt gives to his diſciples, to his Miniſters, has a peculiar reference unto the Authority that he hath received, all the authority that he hath received p. 67hath a peculiar reference to them, and therefore it muſt needs diſcover, that whatſoever he received as Soveraign he received for us; and therefore no wonder that God bleſſes us with all in him, becauſe he hath made him Lord of all. Chriſtians, want you peace? Chriſt is Lord of it. Want you grace? Chriſt is the Anointed Lord of grace; he hath made him Lord of all.

2. Secondly, The Lordſhip that Jeſus Chriſt hath in and over us that are to be Bleſſed, and in and over all the bleſſings that are to be conferred upon us, he doth mannage and execute in a way accommodated to the general and particular caſes of every Chriſtian. As now ſuppoſe that I or any of you were made Lord of the treaſures that are lodged up for the poor, It may be there is one that cannot ſtir out of doors, and there is another that it may be can ſtir, but cannot come at the time, and to the place appointed, others may, it may be, ſome cannot becauſe of natural infirmities; now the Lord, he that is the Lord Treaſurer, the Lord Diſpoſer of all thoſe bleſſings he can accommodate himſelf to the conditions of every one, he can go from houſe to houſe to ſee how many poor there are, and what it is that you want; do you want Bread, or p. 68do you want Drink? or do you want clothes? what is it that you want? I ſee you cannot come abroad, and I am come to ſee your wants: truly ſo my Friends our Lord Chriſt can accommodate himſelf to every ones condition, he ſees that poor creatures cannot make out unto him, one is blind, and another is lame, and another is dead-hearted and diſcouraged, and another is tempted and fettered, and cannot go out unto the Lord, ay but the Lord can come to them, he can come to your cottages, to your houſes, and the Lord can accommodate himſelf to you, & ſay to you, Children, what want you? Children, what ails you? God hath made me Lord of all Spiritual bleſſings for you, what want you? want you wiſdom? and want you ſtrength; and want you peace; and want you grace? what is it that you want? I ſee you cannot come to me, becauſe you want ſtrength, and you want a heart to come, but I can come to you, and I am come to you. Thus the Lord of all can accommodate himſelf. It was a great offence that the Scribes, thoſe devout & ſuperſtitious Phariſees took againſt Chriſt that he could accommodate himſelf to the Publicans and Harlots, and ſinners of the day, that could not come out to him, but he muſt go to them, and feaſt with them, and p. 69this was an offence to them. O ſays Chriſt, I am ſent to the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael; the ſheep do not ſeek the ſhepherd, but the ſhepherd is to ſeek the ſheep: a poor creature, it may be, cannot come to the Lord Jeſus, yet he, notwithſtanding all his Lordſhip, and all his grandure, and all his greatneſs, I tell you Sirs, he is ſuch a Lord as can accommodate himſelf to the conditions of every one, and therefore no wonder that the God of all grace hath intruſted him with all, and hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings in him, that is the Lord and Maſter of ſo much grace.

Fourthly, The 4th reaſon is this, we are bleſſed with all Spiritual Bleſſings in him, Becauſe he is the Jeſus of the New Teſtament: When the Angel by a ſpecial commiſſion was ſent from God to name the Child, he gives him this name, Matt. 1.21. Joſeph, it ſeems, was an honeſt, a ſober and a good man, and upon that he had a mind to put away Mary privily that was betrothed to him, but the Angel appeared to Joſeph, verſe 20. and ſaid unto him, Joſeph, thou Son of David, fear not to take to thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghoſt, and ſhe ſhall bring forth a Son, and thou ſhalt call his name Jeſus, for he ſhall ſave his people from their ſins. p. 70Now my Friends, if you do but obſerve how the Juſtice of God hath ſtated the Method of this Salvation, you will ſee reaſon enough why God ſhould bleſs us with all the Bleſſings of our Salvation in him, I will open this alſo in theſe two Branches.

1. The Juſtice of God hath ſtated the Method of our Salvaton to be in a way of ſuffering, and in a way of purchaſe: That we ſhould have no pardons but what ſhould be the price of blood, that we ſhould have no peace but what ſhould be the price of blood, that we ſhould have no communion, but what blood is at the bottom of, that we ſhould have no manner of fellowſhip with God, here or hereafter, but what is laid and founded in the blood of the Son of God; this was the way and method that the Juſtice of God had ſtated. Says Chriſt, Heb. 10.5, 6, 7. Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldſt not, but a body haſt thou prepared me; in burnt Offerings and Sacrifices for ſin thou haſt had no pleaſure, then ſaid I, Lo I come to do thy will, O God: As if he had ſaid, Lord is there any peace to be purchaſed for tranſgreſſors? here is my blood: Is there any grace to be bought for ſinners? Lord here is my blood for it: Is there any reconciliation to be wrought? I am willing to offer my ſelf to be a propitiation, for p. 71thy Enemies; Lo here I am, Lord is there any Spiritual Bleſſing to be obtained by ſuffering? Lo I come to do thy will, though it be to be made a curſe. Now Chriſtians, if the caſe be ſo? is there not great reaſon then that the Bleſſings that we have, we ſhould be bleſſed with them in Chriſt? Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us in him.

2. But then the Second Illuſtration of it is this; Jeſus as a Saviour muſt not only be a ſufferer, but a Surety. He muſt be one that muſt undertake to reſpond to God for all, and to ſatisfy the juſtice of God for all. Now Sirs, what are the Bleſſings that we receive by his Suretiſhip? Why truly upon the account of that we receive all Spiritual Bleſſings. Chriſt is Surety, that I ſhould live like a Child of Adoption, for the ſubſtance and main, that my heart ſhould be in a frame becoming thoſe that are the Lords Adopted ones. O but where is he that hath undertaken it? why it is Jeſus, and therefore you ſhall find the Apoſtle fix it upon this very title Heb. 7.22. by ſo much was Jeſus made a Surety of a better Teſtament; by ſo much was Jeſus: You ſee here is the very Title that is given him in the Text: Jeſus the Saviour, and Jeſus the Surety for all that p. 72are ſaved; and therefore good reaſon that we ſhould be Bleſſed with all Spiritual bleſſings in him. And then,

5. Laſtly, The 5th reaſon that is in the words is this; he hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in him, becauſe he is the Chriſt: I pray do but obſerve it, he is the Chriſt: And therefore good reaſon that all our Bleſſings ſhould be lodged in him. There is not another Chriſt in Heaven, there was none of all the Angels of Heaven that were fit to make a Chriſt of, all the Sons, and Daughters of men, put them all together, were not fit to make a Chriſt of, vain are the ſuppoſitions and preſumptions of the Papiſts. There is none but this Jeſus that is fit to make a publick Chriſt of, and this Jeſus was anointed with all Spiritual Bleſſings to this end, he was anointed with them in the fountain, in the principle. I will but turn you to one Scripture for the confirmamation of this, that Jeſus was anointed with all Spiritual bleſſings for this purpoſe; I pray do but obſerve that paſſage there, Iſaiah 61.1. verſe. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath anointed me. I pray conſider it Sirs, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for or wherewith he hath anointed me. And p. 73this is the Oyl of gladneſs wherewith he was anointed above all his fellows. Becauſe the Lord hath anointed me, To preach good tidings to the meek, he hath ſent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening the Priſon to them that are Bound, &c. I pray do but conſider how he brings in the thing to my preſent purpoſe, all Spiritual Bleſſings. Thou art a poor creature, a weak creature, not worthy of the leaſt crumb of Bread, and yet my Friends, all things are given in the Lord Chriſt, becauſe he was anointed with all for us, therefore is it that we are bleſſed with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt.

p. 74SERMON IV.

Epheſians 1.3.

Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings, in Heavenly places, in Chriſt.

THe ſtate and Condition of this Church of Chriſt at Epheſus we have in ſome meaſure opened. The ſuitableneſs of this paſſage of the Apoſtle to that their ſtate we have alſo diſcovered. To be deprived of Temporal Bleſſings and expoſed to Temporal Troubles and Trials, as well as Spiritual Temptations, is eaſily ballanced with the diſcovery the Apoſtle here makes of being Bleſſed with all Spiritual Bleſſings.

This univerſal word is not only applied to the kinds, but alſo to the degrees of every kind of theſe Spiritual Bleſſings. It is all for the kind, and all alſo of every kind; not only faith, or only love, but both; not only pardon, or only peace, but both; and not only ſo, but all of p. 75all; who hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings. Though you have but little in hand, or, as I may rather ſay, little in your own hearts, yet you have all Spiritual Bleſſings in the hand of Chriſt.

A Third inquiry is this.

Queſt. 3 Who is it that doth bleſs us with all Spiritual Bleſſings, or under what conſideration are we to look upon this great Bleſſer?

Anſ. And I pray mind it, It is not God at large, neither is it God as the Creator of all, but here he is diſcovered as clothed with his principal Goſpel relations and that not to us ſo much as to his Son our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. It is not ſaid our God, and Father in Jeſus Chriſt the Lord; but the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath bleſſed us. Before I enter upon the particular reſolve of this, I will only premiſe this in general, that both theſe Relations or Titles that are here attributed to God, have an equal reſpect unto all the Relations under which Jeſus Chriſt is here conſidered. The God of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, ſo that the reſolve of this upon this hypotheſ…s will Iſſue it ſelf in this general propoſition or aſſertion, viz.

Doct. That God as the God and Father of p. 76our Lord Jeſus Chriſt doth bleſs Chriſtians in Chriſt with all Spiritual Bleſſings.

I would ſpeak theſe myſteries with all plainneſs. But my Friends, there is none of you, thoſe that have the greateſt advantage of parts and gifts, that can underſtand practically what I ſhall ſay without the Spirit of the Lord lead you into the truth, which I ſhall diſcover to you (I hope) in the Spirit. In the proſecution therefore of it, I will only deliver my ſenſe in theſe Four, or Five, Generals, and then make improvement.

1. The firſt is this, when we ſay that God, as the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, bleſſes us, this ſeems to be implyed in it, That all the advantages that any of the people of God in either Teſtament have by Gods being their God, or that hangeth upon this relation, they are all ſumm'd up in this, that he, as the God of our Lord Jeſus, bleſſes his people with all Spiritual bleſſings: If ſo be that you reflect upon the Old Teſtament, you ſhall find Abraham greatly glorying in this, and the Lord laying it as a foundation of Abrahams glory, Gen. 17.1. ſays he, I am God all ſufficient, walk before me and be thou perfect; and Chap 15. verſe 1. you have another appearance of God to Abraham: Says he, I p. 77am thy ſhield, and thy exceeding great reward: Now Sirs, I pray Conſider, The man Jeſus, the Lord Jeſus, as betruſted with all our Spiritual bleſſings, lies under the advantage of this relation to God, if ſo be that God be the God of Abraham, much more will he be an all ſufficient God in the manage of the concerns of Abrahams ſeed, as the God of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt he hath bleſſed us, as an all ſufficient God, as a God that is the exceeding great reward of thoſe to whom he is God, able to do what he will, and able to give what he pleaſes, he is Chriſts God that hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt.

2. Secondly, This alſo doth diſcover a full aſſurance of an abiding ingagement of all the attributes of God to carry on the intereſt and the concerns of Chriſt, as it is ſtated among Chriſtians; I ſay it implies an ingagement of all the attributes of God to ſee to the bleſſings; I pray Chriſtians don't look upon the man Jeſus only as concerned in the mannage, either in the ſecuring or diſpoſing of the bleſſings, but look upon the bleſſings enſured, ſecured and to be diſpoſed or mannaged in their diſpoſal by him that is the God of the man Jeſus; you know the paſſage there in the Old Teſtament, where the Lord doth Covenant with p. 78Chriſts Type, that is, with David, and with Solomon, but principally with the Lord Jeſus himſelf, Pſalm 89.26. He ſhall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my Salvation. David glories in the Relation himſelf, and he ſpeaks this by way of propheſy, to give aſſurance unto all the people of God, that Davids Son ſhall have liberty and a heart to cry unto him in all his ſtraits: My God, he ſhall cry unto me, My Father, thou art My Father, and my God. Now I pray do but obſerve the Context, and you ſhall find, that the great concerns of the people of God, their great Bleſſings are here devolved upon him to manage, verſe 19. I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one Choſen out of the people. A mighty one indeed there is none to be compared to him, exalted indeed above all, he hath a name given him which is above every name, and ſays God, I have laid help upon him. As if the Lord ſhould ſay, I will betruſt him with all their perſons and I will betruſt him with all their Bleſſings. I know he is mighty, he is able to ſave, ay but leſt he ſhould be diſcouraged or leſt any looking upon him as the Son of David ſhould judge him inſufficient for this imploy, I pray do but obſerve what he ſays in the 24 verſe. But my faithfulneſs p. 79and my mercy ſhall be with him, and in my name ſhall his horn be exalted. I will ſet his hand alſo in the Sea and his right hand in the the Rivers, and he ſhall cry unto me, thou art my God. By way of acknowledgment for what hath been done, thou art My God: O this is my God that hath done all this. It is he in whoſe name my Horn is exalted. It is he that ſhall beat down my foes before my face, and plague them that hate me; & therefore good reaſon he ſhould acknowledge him; he ſhall cry unto me, my God, and if there be any thing of difficulty to be done, if there be ſin to be removed; if the conſequence of ſin had ſeized, and that to be diſmiſſed, ſays God to him, he ſhall cry unto me, My God; and I pray, friends, do but obſerve how correſpondent to this propheſy, or to this promiſe, was the carriage of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in all his ſtraits, in reference to the general diſpenſation under which he was, which was a diſpenſation full enough of ſtraits, how the Apoſtle ſpeaks of him, or rather brings him in, as fixing upon himſelf, in the 2 Heb. 13. And again, ſays he, I will put my truſt in him; and again, behold I and the Children which God hath given me. The concerns of the Children are here upon the heart of Chriſt, and ſays Chriſt, I will put my truſt in him; in whom? p. 80in my God, that hath given me theſe Children, in my God that hath given Bleſſings to me for them. I will put my truſt in him, ſays he; and again behold I and the Children that God hath given me. And when he was in the greateſt ſtrait of all, when God ſeemed to withdraw from him, and he under the guilt of all the ſins of the whole election of grace, and Juſtice executing vengeance, or the Curſe, according to the tenour of the Covenant upon him, God frowning upon him, then he had recourſe to this, to the power of God, to the faithfulneſs of God, to the attributes of God; My God, My God, ſays he, why haſt thou forſaken me? Nay my Friends, let me tell you this as an additional illuſtration of it; That the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath full liberty and priviledge to demand the univerſal aſſiſtance of all the attributes of the Divine nature in the manage of this work of Mediation as he is Man.

Thirdly, The Third General is this; What ever Relation God as God is diſcovered under in either Teſtaments, the incouragements, and all the bleſſedneſſes of that Relation, meet in this his Relation to Chriſt. He is the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, and as ſo, he hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings in him. There are diverſe Relations that p. 81God is pleaſed to cloth himſelf withal, and to repreſent himſelf under unto his people, in the Old and New Teſtament; Now whatſoever thoſe Relations are, The advantage, & the bleſſedneſs that reſult from them, meet here in this, & that in this particular caſe, as he is a God bleſſing Chriſtians in Chriſt; I would illuſtrate this to you in theſe 2 particulars.

1. God hath diſcovered himſelf under the notion of a Creator, as God the Creator of all fleſh, the Creator of all things, ſo he hath declared himſelf to be; And yet, my Friends, the advantages that are wrapt up in this Relation, are all ſumm'd up in this, that he is the God and Father of our Lord, bleſſing Chriſtians with all Spiritual bleſſings. May a poor Creature ſay, O my heart will never yield to theſe Spiritual Bleſſings, they are ſo Spiritual, and I am ſo carnal; ay but God the Creator of thy heart hath bleſſed thee with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt. O, ſays a poor Creature, I ſhall never be able to underſtand, nor to receive theſe Spiritual Myſteries, which wrap up as it were theſe Spiritual bleſſings, I am ſo full of Spiritual blindneſs, darkneſs, and Ignorance; ay but God that created thy underſtanding, and created thy underſtanding in light, as an underſtanding reſembling his own, this God hath bleſſed p. 82thee with theſe Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus; ay but I am ſo weak, & I am ſo unable to manage them, Well notwithſtanding all, God that created thee; It is he that hath bleſſed thee with all Spiritual bleſſings in Chriſt, & that as the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and as he is conſidered the Creator of all by Chriſt, ſo he hath bleſſed thee with all Spiritual bleſſings, The Apoſtle in his Epiſtle to the Coloſſians, Chap. 1. ſeems to argue from this principle, and encourage (from this myſtery) poor Creatures to wait for the Bleſſing, verſe 19. for it pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell; ay but how ſhall I come to be made partaker of that fulneſs that dwels in Chriſt? my heart hath been ſhut ſo many years, who will open it? my heart hath been growing in hardneſs ſo many years who can ſoften it? Now obſerve, before the diſcovery of this the pleaſure of his grace, he brings in the diſcovery of this Relation of a Creator, verſe 16. For by him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth, &c, by him were all things Created, and it pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell, and therefore he can Create thy heart, that is hard, he can Create it ſoft, and in thy heart, that is ſo ſhut up, he can Create an open p. 83paſſage for the Goſpel, and the Bleſſings of the Goſpel, out of the hands of Chriſt, into thy heart, he can create this; Now, my friends, this is a great advantage, the God of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as the Creator hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt Jeſus.

Secondly. Another Relation that God hath diſcovered himſelf in, as God, unto us in Scripture, it is a Relation of Supportation, importing a governing of all things that are. A God whoſe eyes run to and fro throughout the Earth obſerving both the evil and the good; Therefore you ſhall find that when the great concerns of the Church were before him; he appeared thus as an Univerſal Soveraign Lord and Governour of all things, of all powers and all intereſts whatſoever; you have it in the 1 of Zach. There were ſome grand objections that lay in the way of that mercy, that God had betruſted in the hand of Chriſt, to manage for and on the behalf of his poor deſpiſed & afflicted people; You have the management of it diſcovered to be betruſted with him in the 8 verſe. I ſaw by night, and behold A man riding upon a Red Horſe; and he ſtood among the Myrtle Trees that were in the bottom, and behind him were there Red Horſes ſpeckled and White. Here was the caſe and concerns of the p. 84Church, and the deſign was a deſign of mercy, that theſe Myrtles ſhould be tranſplanted out of the bottom, and that theſe Myrtles ſhould be ſecured, and cauſed to grow in the bottom; and therefore in the midſt of the Myrtles he doth appear riding upon a Red Horſe. Now my friends here was a great work that did lie upon him, and he hath his Servants, thoſe that were behind him upon Red Horſes ſpeckled and White. What are theſe? ſaies the Prophet to the Lord; And the Angel anſwered, Theſe are they that the Lord hath ſent to walk to and fro through the Earth. This Angel is the man that ſtood among the Myrtles, this is the man that in verſe 8 was riding upon a Red Horſe, and in verſe 9 the Prophet calls him his Lord; O my Lord, ſays he, what are theſe? Then, verſe 11, you have an account given unto this angel, unto this man that ſtood among the Myrtle Trees of the Tranſactions in the World, and the account is this: We have walked to and fro through the Earth, and behold all the Earth ſitteth ſtill, and is at reſt. You may at your leiſure conſult the Context, and you ſhall find that there was a great work here to do, great Bleſſings, to beſtow upon a poor deſpiſed, contemned people, and the manage of it was caſt upon the man that ſtood among p. 85the Myrtle Trees, and this man had the advantage of the encouragement of the Lords Relation, as he is the Supream and Soveraign Lord of all; ſo that I ſay, my friends, if ſo be that the Soveraignty of the great Jehovah, as he is the Supream Governour of all, and as he is Lord of all, can be of any advantage unto us, here lies the advantage of it, that the God of our Lord Jeſus is not only the great creating God, but the great governing God that hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings. O, ſays a poor trembling Soul, I can never ſecure my Bleſſings from the Devil, my heart is ſo treacherous and deceitful, and Satan ſo ſubtile and powerful, I can never ſecure them. Well, my friends, but who is he that hath Bleſſed you? Even God, the God of Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, who is the Abſolute, Soveraign Governour of all the whole Creation; He it is that hath Bleſſed you with all Spiritual Bleſſings.

I will but only obſerve this one thing to you: Though the Devil and the powers of the World have caſt off Gods Moral government, yet God hath no way at all, by all their ſin, leſſened his natural Government; As he was ſo he is, he is as much the Soveraign Lord and Governour of all things; now the Devils have ſinned and man has p. 86ſinned; and both man and Devils have caſt off his moral government; he is as much Lord and abſolute Soveraign as he was, and would have been if they had not ſinned.

Fourthly, God, as the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, bleſſes us; that is He ſtands under engagement, as Chriſts God and Father, to ſecure what he hath given to us in Chriſt. As I obſerved to you before it is not only our God and Father in Chriſt, but it is the God and Father of Chriſt, that hath bleſſed us in Chriſt, and if ſo, then he ſtands engaged unto Chriſt, in whom he hath lodged theſe Bleſſings for us, or in whom he hath bleſſed us with theſe Bleſſing… to ſecure them unto us; The more immediate engagement lay between God and Chriſt Jeſus. It is a more remote relation and ſo by conſequence, an engagement at a greater diſtance, or an engagement upon a remove that he ſtands in unto us that are Chriſtians. I would fain have you to underſtand this, I ſay he is the God of Chriſt that hath bleſſed us, and therefore as he i… the God of Chriſt he ſtands engaged unto Chriſt Jeſus; there lay the firſt and the principal engagement? 'Tis true as he is ou… God he is not to be queſtioned. I am God ſaies he, I change not and therefore, ye Sons of p. 87Jacob are not conſumed, Mal. 3.6. But, my friends, he is not only the God of the Sons of Jacob, and therefore they are not conſumed, but he is the God of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore they cannot be conſumed. Why? Becauſe as he is Chriſts God he hath bleſſed us, and ſo he ſtands engaged unto the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Now I pray obſerve but theſe two things;

1. The firſt is this, There was never any thing of offence that ever paſſed between this God, and this Chriſt. The Father was never offended by the Son, and the Son was never offended by the Father, theſe alwaies kept a good, a perfect, a full correſpondency each with other; indeed ſometimes a Chriſtian hath reaſon to fear; My God I have provoked, and my God I have diſhonoured, and my God I have forſaken, and my God I have ſlighted. Ay, Chriſtian, thou mayeſt ſay ſo, but it is Blaſphemy for thee to ſay or think, that ever Chriſt could ſay ſo; in truth he never provoked his God, he never diſhonoured his God, he never did any thing that might diſoblige his God, Chriſt never did; He in whom thou art bleſſed: it is God, as the God of Chriſt, that hath bleſſed thee, and therefore, Chriſtian, great encouragement there is unto thy Soul.

Secondly, As he is Chriſts God, all the promiſes p. 88were not only ſummed up in him that were made to Chriſtians, but the Bleſſedneſs of all the promiſes have a primary reſpect and relation unto him. My meaning plainly is this, God hath promiſed thee peace, Ay but this peace hath reference unto the honouring and glorifying of the man Jeſus, Whoſe God hath Bleſſed thee with this peace in him. Jeſus hath the glory of all, and God eyes the glory of Jeſus in all the promiſes he makes to us; and ſo, my friends, all the promiſes were not only deſignedly given for the advancement of him, but all the promiſes were ſummed up in him. When God made the promiſe of a ſeed to Abraham, Abraham had enough, he was under ſome diſcontent before, but now, ſays God, I will not only give thee a Child, one to be thine Heir, but I will give thee a Son, and that Son that I will give thee, ſhall be my Heir; One in whom all the Nations of the Earth ſhall be Bleſſed. Now Abraham had enough; you never find Abraham ſeeking any more Children at the hands of God; no, having an Iſaac, a ſeed in whom all the Nations of the Earth ſhould be bleſſed, Now Abraham is ſatisfyed, and therefore the Lord in the propheſy of the Prophet Iſaiah, doth thus explain himſelf, when he promiſeth the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, p. 89Iſa. 55.4. Behold I have given him for a witneſs (or a Covenant) to the people. I will give him. Who? I will give my Son Jeſus for a Covenant to the people; That is as much as if God ſhould ſay, I will give him for All, he is as it were the Sums and Subſtance of all, ſay but Chriſt, and you ſay All. When God gives Chriſt to a poor Creature he gives all the Promiſes, all the Covenants, and all the Bleſſings of Earth, and all the Bleſſings of Heaven, all the Bleſſings of providence, and all the Bleſſings that are reſerved in the everlaſting Manſions. And thus now you ſee in theſe reſpects upon what account it is, that the Apoſtle ſeems to lay the Emphaſis upon this word: Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings, &c.

I ſhall give you but 3 or 4 inferences.

USE. 1 Is it ſo, my friends, that God as the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath Bleſſed Chriſtians with all Spiritual Bleſſings? Then,

In the firſt place, Vain are the attempts of any of the enemies of Chriſtians to interpoſe between them and their Bleſſings. Though they may ſometimes interpoſe between them and ſome of the means of their Bleſſings, yet I ſay, vain are the attempts of their p. 90enemies againſt their Bleſſings; Why? Becauſe that God, as the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, hath bleſſed them with all Bleſſings.

Now you may obſerve that the Devil hath been all along at it, and he makes it his deſign & buſineſs, from time to time, & from age to age, and from diſpenſation to diſpenſation to interpoſe between the Lords people and their Bleſſings, but ſtill in vain; and therefore the Pſalmiſt eyeing the Lord Jeſus, and eying by faith, this bleſſedneſs, wherewith the God of the man Jeſus ſhould bleſs Chriſtians, he cryes out in the 2 Pſal. 1. Why do the heathen Rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? Their great deſign was to keep the people of God from thoſe Bleſſings that God had deſigned by promiſe to give to them, There they were imagining and conſulting, and there they were deſigning well; but obſerve it that very thing, that they thought would be the compleatment of all their deſignes, tending to this purpoſe, was the greateſt in-let to all theſe Bleſſings. Certainly they were in great Joy, and had much ſatisfaction upon their Spirits, when they got Chriſt nailed upon the Croſs, but their very nailing and crucifying of him, made way for all theſe Bleſſings; It opened as it were all the treaſures of p. 91grace, it opened all the Relations that were diſcovered; and the Bleſſings upon the death of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt came flowing out of the promiſes, and flowing out of Relations, and the World was filled with theſe Bleſſings: So that I ſay whatſoever deviſes the World hath, to interpoſe between Chriſtians and their Bleſſings, they will be in vain, if they take up one conduit; God will lay many more; And if they give an obſtruction one way, he will proceed other waies and manage it. It is the God of Jeſus Chriſt that hath bleſſed Chriſtians, and therefore Chriſtians have their Bleſſings ſure.

USE. 2 Secondly. Then methinks, Chriſtians, you ſhould look unto God, as the God and Father of Chriſt, under all the diſcouragements, that ariſe upon your own Spirits, from your own violations of the obligations of his Relation to you. My meaning is this, when you cannot comfortably go to God, as your God, for a bleſſing, you may comfortably go to God, as Chriſts God, for any Bleſſing. Why, my friends, here lay the caſe, O, ſaies thy conſcience, thou never comeſt to the word of God but thou deſpiſeſt the God of the word, and thy heart is ſhut againſt the word, even from thy Child-hood, and in thy Child-hood, the Devil ſhuts up thy heart p. 92and the World ſhuts up thy heart, and thy corruptions ſhut up thy heart; but whatſoever it is that ſhuts up thy heart, or whatſoever it is that gives being to any diſobligement thou art guilty of, be not diſcouraged, though thou canſt not go to him for a Bleſſing, as thy God, becauſe thy conſcience tell thee that thou haſt ſinned againſt thy God, yet thou mayſt go to him at that time as Chriſts God; for God, as the God of Chriſt Jeſus, hath Bleſſed thee with all Spiritual Bleſſings. Therefore, Chriſtians, under all your diſcouragements, that ariſe from the ſenſe of your own unworthineſs, let this be your way, to look upon God as the God of Chriſt, and go to God for Bleſſings, as the God of Chriſt.

ƲSE. 3 Doth God bleſs us with all Spiritual Bleſſings as the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt? Then, my friends, you may here take occaſion to magnify the Myſtery of the Goſpel. And you may ſee great reaſon why you ſhould glorify theſe perſons, that are principally concerned in the myſteries of the Goſpel. No wonder the Apoſtle breaks out, Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus-Chriſt, And can your hearts hold from breaking out in the praiſes of God? O Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual p. 93Bleſſings! Sirs, you may ſee here is reaſon enough why we ſhould glorify the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe between God the Father and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as related one to another, are all Spiritual Bleſſings laid. There is your great ſecurity and ſafety; therefore, Sirs, let him be bleſſed by you, as the God of Chriſt, and let the Lord Jeſus Chriſt be admired, and glorified, and believed on by you.

ƲSE. 4, The 4th and laſt inference is this; Is it ſo that God as the God of Chriſt hath Bleſſed us with all Spiritual Bleſſings in Chriſt: Then ſurely the natural tendency of all thoſe Spiritual Bleſſings is to make us conformable and like unto him. By this you may underſtand Bleſſings, or diſtinguiſh between thoſe that are pretended to be Spiritual bleſſings and thoſe that are really ſo, many pretend to great parts and gifts, and O their light is Spiritual! & O their zeal is Spiritual zeal! and their inlargements are Spiritual inlargements! and I pray God they may be all ſuch, & O that all had always ſuch! But let me tell you, Sirs, a great many things of this nature, if they be brought to the Teſt, will not be found to be Spiritual Bleſſings; Why? Becauſe the tendency of theſe Bleſſings is not to conform you to the God of Chriſt Jeſus? Do you find your p. 94hearts ingaged to the God of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? Do you find the tendency of that, which you call a Spiritual Bleſſing, is to make you more like to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. If ſo, then there is ſomething in it, then it is one of the Bleſſings of the God and Father, of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, wherewith he hath Bleſſed you in Chriſt. But if the tendency of that which you call a Spiritual Bleſſing be not to make you like to the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt, do not miſcal it and honour it with the name of a Spiritual Bleſſing; for it is none of theſe Spiritual Bleſſings, with which the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath bleſſed Chriſtians.