The Right Receiving of Christ, Preface · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
How to know, whether wee have received Chriſt already.
IF Chriſt muſt be received, then try wee, and examine wee our ſelves whether wee have received him or no. It concernes every man to examine himſelfe whether he be a true Chriſtian or not. No man is a true Chriſtian till Chriſt be received, therefore as it concernes us to try whether wee be true Chriſtians or not, ſo it concernes us to try whether wee have received Chriſt or not.
How may it be knowne whether Queſt.Chriſt be received or not?
It may be knowne by divers things. Anſw.Try it by theſe.
Firſt, By this in the Text. As ye have 1.received Chriſt Jeſus the Lord. Mark then what they do that truly receive Chriſt. They that truly receive Chriſt, receive him not onelyonly a Chriſt Jeſus, but they receive him alſo a Lord Jeſus, a Chriſt the Lord. They receive him not onelyonly a Saving, but a Ruling Chriſt. They that receive Chriſt indeed, receive him as God offers him in the Word, now he offers him an whole Chriſt to ſave and rule both, 2 Cor. 4. 5. Wee preach Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, we preach, and offer him to you a Chriſt Jeſus, a Saving Chriſt, a Chriſt to ſave, and wee preach, and offer him to you Chriſt the Lord, a Ruling Chriſt, a Chriſt to Rule. Chriſt is called the Lords Chriſt. Luk. 2. 26. Till he had ſeene the Lords Chriſt. Our Saviour tells us, Mat. 24. 24. That there ſhall ariſe falſe Chriſts. And the world is full of falſe Chriſts, Idoll Chriſts, Chriſts bred in the braines of ignorant heads. Now a mans care ſhould be to receive a true Chriſt, the Lords Chriſt. But how ſhould one know the Lords Chriſt from the falſe and Idoll Chriſts of the world? What a kinde of Chriſt is the Lords Chriſt? See Zech. 6. 13. A Prieſt upon his throne. That is expounded by two places. Acts 2. 36. God hath made Jeſus both Lord, and Chriſt. Acts 5. 31. He hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveneſſe of ſinnes. A Saviour to give forgiveneſſe, and a Prince to give repentance; A Saviour to give pardon of, and a Prince to give Power againſt ſinne. So then, the Lords Chriſt which he offers is the Lord Chriſt, not onelyonly a Saving, but a Ruling, not onelyonly a pardoning, but a reforming Chriſt, not onelyonly a Chriſt with a ſacrifice, but a Chriſt with a Scepter, and a Crowne, not onelyonly a Chriſt with bloud, but a Chriſt with water. 1 Joh. 5. Now then if wee have received Chriſt, wee have received him ſuch an one. Hath Chriſt then, whom thou ſayeſt thou haſt received, hath he wrought Repentance, Mortification, Sanctification in thine heart? Hath that Chriſt whom thou haſt received a crowne on his head, a Scepter in his hand, a throne in thine heart? doth he rule, and Lord it in thine heart, ſo as thine heart is ſwayed, and thy life ordered by his commands? If it be thus, then haſt thou indeed received Chriſt into thine heart. But this evidences it, that many have not received Chriſt, many beare the name of Chriſt, and have taken up the profeſſion of his name, but yet they have not received him into their hearts. They have a Chriſt of their owne framing, a Chriſt forged in their owne fancy. What, not received Chriſt? Yes, God forbid but that they ſhould have received Chriſt with all their hearts. Well, looke a little upon the Chriſt they ſay they have received. Looke upon his head: Is their Chriſt crowned? Looke upon his hand, Is their Chriſt Sceptred? Look into their hearts, Is their Chriſt throned? What Lordſhip hath he? what dominion doth he exerciſe in their hearts? Not a whit, for all the Chriſt they have received, there is no Repentance, no Mortification, no Holineſſe, no Obedience, for all the Chriſt they have received, they are earthly, covetous, full of uncleane luſts, drunkards, ſwearers, prophane and looſe. Be it knowne unto all ſuch that they have not received the Lords Chriſt, becauſe they have not received the Lord Chriſt. It is a falſe Chriſt they have received, It is the Libertins Chriſt, the carnall Goſpellers Chriſt, an Antinomian Chriſt, a crownleſs, ſcepterleſs, throneleſs Chriſt.
Object. I, but you doe us wrong, wee doe receive Chriſt, and hope, and deſire to be ſaved by him alone.
Anſw. Nay, you doe Chriſt wrong: It is true indeed that you doe not ſay wee will not have this man to ſave us, to pardon us, to deliver us from hell, ſo you doe not refuſe him. But yet you ſay as thoſe wretches, Luk. 19. 14. Wee will not have this man to reigne over us: And thus you receive him not, thus you doe refuſe him; you put a reede into his hand, and a crown of thornes upon his head: Therefore it is a cleare caſe, that every impenitent, unſanctified, diſobedient perſon doth not, hath not received Chriſt. Thou wilt receive him to ſave thee, but rule thee he ſhall not; Thou likeſt him for a Jeſus, but a Lord Jeſus thou likeſt him not. Is Chriſt divided? ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 1. This is to receive a divided Chriſt. They did wretchedly to part Chriſts Rayment, but they doe more wretchedly that will part, and divide Chriſt himſelfe, that will divide his Kingdom from his Prieſthood, that will receive him for a Saviour, but not a Prince, that will receive him an un-throned Prieſt. It is an whole Chriſt that muſt be received. He that receives not all, receives none at all.
Secondly, By that, Joh. 1. 12. with 2.verſe 16. To as many as received him. There were then that did receive him. How were they knowne? Of his fulneſſe wee have all received Grace for Grace. So then here are two things. Firſt, They that receive Chriſt, receive of his fulneſſe, and are in their degree filled with Chriſt. They that receive Chriſt, receive of that, yea receive that in their meaſure which is in him: Of his fulneſſe wee receive. Secondly, they receive of his fulneſſe Grace for Grace, as the childe hath all parts anſwerable to his Father from whom he receives life, and being, as the waxe receives print for print, anſwerable to that which is in the ſeale. So that a man that receives Chriſt, not onelyonly in the generall receives of that with which Chriſt is filled, but in his degree and meaſure receives of every grace that is in Chriſt. 1 Joh. 4. 17. As he is, ſo are we in this world. All Chriſtians that have received Chriſt in this world, are as he is, they have, and beare upon them the prints, ſtamps, impreſſions of the ſame graces that are in him. That as Salomon ſpeaks in another caſe, Prov. 27. 19. As in water face anſwers to face, ſo a Chriſtian receiving Chriſt, anſwers to him face to face, beares his Image, the ſtamp and impreſſion of his graces; for Chriſt once received, and entertained into the heart, is an aſſimilating Chriſt, an altering, changing Chriſt, that turnes every ſoule into the likeneſſe of himſelfe. Chriſt wee ſaw before was received both by the eye and hand of faith. The receiving of Chriſt by the eye when he is indeed received, it works ſtrangely, 2 Cor. 3. 18. The viſion of Chriſt by the eye of faith is a transforming viſion. As the bleſſed viſion of Chriſt ſhall make us gloriouſly like him, 1 Joh. 3. 2. Wee ſhall be like him, for wee ſhall ſee him as he is: So alſo the ſight of Chriſt by faith doth make us graciouſly like him, holy, heavenly, ſpirituall, full of goodneſſe, zeale, love, compaſſion, &c. Now if the ſeeing of Chriſt by faith will work ſuch changes, ſuch aſſimilation, ſuch conformitie to Chriſt, what will then the receiving of him, and the taking him home into our hearts, and ſoules doe? How much more will that transforme a man into the Image of Chriſt? By this then may men be tryed whether they have received Chriſt or no. If thou have of Chriſts fulneſſe, if with Stephen, Act. 6. full of faith and the holy Ghoſt, if with the Romans, filled with knowledge and all goodneſſe. Rom. 15. 4. If as the Coloſsians, Col. 1. 9. then thou haſt received of Chriſts fulneſſe, and having received of his fulneſſe, thou haſt received Chriſt, for none can receive of his fulneſſe, till they have received him. If thou have in thee the Graces that are in Chriſt, Grace over againſt Grace, Meekneſſe, Humility, heavenly mindedneſſe, Love, &c. which were in him; this Grace for Grace, argues that thou haſt received of his fulneſſe, and ſo haſt received himſelfe. If thou be changed, conformed, and tranſformed to his Image, thou haſt received him. But this ſhews how many have not received him. They are full indeed, but of what are they full, and with what are they filled? They are full as they, Rom. 1. 29. as he Act. 5. 3. Act. 13. 10. full as they, 2 Pet. 2. 14. eyes full of adultery, hearts full of worldlineſſe, and earthlineſſe, heads full of wine and ſtrong drinke, mouthes full of oathes and curſing, hands full of bloud. Now is this the fulneſſe of Chriſt? Is this of the fulneſſe of Chriſt? or of the fulneſſe of the Devill? Have men againe received Grace for Grace? Chriſt was humble, they are proud; Chriſt was compaſſionate, they mercileſſe; Chriſt was loving, they are hatefull, and hating one another; Chriſt heavenly, and ſpirituall, they earthly, and carnall, &c. Is this Grace over againſt Grace? or vice or graceleſnes over againſt Grace? Art thou in this world like unto Chriſt? and did he live as thou now doſt? of Chriſt fulneſs therefore have not men received, neither yet have they received Chriſt himſelfe.
Thirdly, They that receive Chriſt, 3.receive him in that way, and in thoſe meanes wherein God offers him, yea and withall their hearts receive that wherein, and whereby Chriſt is received. God offers Chriſt to be received in his Word, and the Miniſtry of the Goſpel. They that receive Chriſt, receive his Word, and in his Word doe receive him. A man that will receive Jewels, muſt receive the casket in which the Jewells are; hee that will receive ſuch gold and treaſure, muſt receive the purſe and the cheſt in which the gold and treaſure is. Mat. 10. 40. He that receives you, receives mee. And how are they received? verſ. 14. Whoſoever ſhall not receive you, nor heare your words. Therefore Chriſts Miniſters are received when their words are heard, and received; when the Word is received, the Miniſters are received, and when they are received, Chriſt is received. So here in the text; As yee have received Chriſt. How and when did they receive him? As yee have received Chriſt, and as yee have been taught, verſ. 7. they received him when they were taught by the miniſtry of the Word. Wee ſee Acts 2. 41. that ſome received the Word gladly. It was a good ſigne they received Chriſt, he that receives the Ordinance as that by which Chriſt is conveyed, and receives that truth in the Word into his heart, that man receives Chriſt. Let men try themſelves by this. Is Gods Ordinance reſpected, and his truth received into thine heart? a good ſigne that Chriſt is received. But how many talke and brag of receiving Chriſt, that deſpiſe his ordinance, and reſiſt and reject that truth therein diſpenſed? Behold, to conclude againſt ſuch men, that they receive not Chriſt.
Fourthly, He that receives Chriſt, 4.receives gladly all that belong to Chriſt, his Miniſters, his members, Mat. 10. 40. He that receives you, receives me; and ſo likewiſe he that receives mee, receives you. The Galatians had received Chriſt, and therefore ſee how Paul was received, Gal. 4. 14. Yee received me as an Angel of God, yea as Jeſus Chriſt. A ſigne they received Jeſus Chriſt. That as Paul ſpeakes to Philemon of Oneſimus, Philem. 17. If thou count mee therefore a partner, receive him as my ſelfe. So ſayes Chriſt to all that receive him of his Miniſters, If you have received me, receive my Miniſters as my ſelfe. And ſo for his members, Mat. 10. 41. He that receiveth a Diſciple. He that receives Chriſt, receives a Diſciple, receives him into love, fellowſhip, and communion. When a man entertaines and receives a friend, he alſo entertaines and receives his ſervants. If the ſervants ſhould not be received, but be ſhut out, the Maſter would not thinke himſelfe heartily received of ſuch a man. Shall the triall be put upon this one thing? Judge then whether Chriſt be received by men in the world, by their receiving his Miniſters as his Miniſters, his members as his members. Yee ſuffer fooles gladly, ſayes Paul, 2 Cor. 11. 19. So men receive fooles, fidlers, jeſters, players; they receive good fellowes, gameſters, drunkards, ſwearers, &c. Theſe men they receive gladly. But a Miniſter of Chriſt, and a member of Chriſt, as ſuch an one, how gladly is he received into our houſes, and companies? As gladly as water is received into the ſhip: mens contempt and ſcorne of theſe, teſtifies how they have received Chriſt.
Thus much for the Argument, by which he preſſes to the duty. The Duty followes, So walke in him. By walking he meanes a going forward in the wayes of Godlineſſe, for walking is a progreſſive motion. Before wee come to the duty; firſt from the ſubjoyning this to the former, As yee have received Chriſt, ſo walke; learne thus much.