Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
THe ſecond thing in theſe words, is an agent or Author, and that is Chriſt, Chriſt liveth in his Saints, he is the worker of this life; the life of Gods children hath a very honourable originall, it is not from a naturall, but from a ſpirituall ſeed: the life of nature is farre inferiour to the life of grace. Life communicated by earthly Parents, is an unworthy life, in reſpect of that life which Chriſt doth miniſter unto us; a life which goes not by generation, but by regeneration; a life communicable by no creature, diſpenced only by him who lives of himſelfe, and gives life to others at his pleaſure; according to S. Pauls open profeſſion that Chriſt lived in him, was the authour of the life of grace to him, ſhewing us,
Doct.That Christ is the Authour of spirituall life to all Gods children; he raiſed the body of Lazarus to a bodily life, he rayſeth our ſoules to a ſpirituall life; he aIoh. 5.21.quickens whom he will, he hath power to quicken all, his will is to quicken only ſome; when he was on earth, he could have rayſed all the dead to life, yet he rayſed but only a few, thus now he hath power to quicken all men to a ſpirituall life, but his will is to quicken only ſome, ſuch as God the Father hath choſen to ſalvation; Chriſt, ſaith S. John, hath bIoh 17.2.power over all fleſh that he ſhould give life to as many as God the Father hath given him, all that partake of the life of grace, derive and borrow the ſame from Chriſt; who is the way leading, the truth enlightning, and the life quickning unto life everlaſting, and the Apoſtle ſaith, our life is hid with Chriſt in God, as the life of the branch is hid in the root; and Chriſt is called, our life, by S. Paul, and our life, or the authour of ſpirituall life, he is in us, by way of Revelation, he opens and ſhewes the way to life, without Chriſt we are all in darkneſſe and the ſhadow of death, and no man knows the Father but the Sonne, and he to whom the Sonne will reveale him. Our life he likewiſe is by way of meritorious impetration, he hath purchaſed life for us. Our life by way of originall; the life of grace is originally in Chriſt, and from him communicated unto us. Our life by way of ope…ation, he quickneth us by the powerfull worke of his Spirit. And our life by way of conjunction; he unites himſelfe, communicates himſelfe, and all his benefits to us, as the Prophet applyed himſelfe to the woman of Shunems ſonne, and rayſed him to life. And that Chriſt is the Authour of ſpirituall life to Gods children is apparent.
1.Groūds hereof 1. Mans alienation from the life of grace.By mans alienation and eſtrangement from the life of grace without Chriſt; the branch without the root, the body without the ſoule hath no life; man without Chriſt is a withered branch, a dead carcaſſe, dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes, twice dead and plucked up by the roots; and it is in Chriſts hand alone to quicken him, Lord, ſaid Peter to our Saviour, whither ſhall we goe, thou hast the words of eternall life: the word revealing, promiſing and working life in all that are ordained unto life.
2 By Chriſts ordination and appointment to miniſter all things to Gods choſen; 2 Chriſts ordination to miniſter life.the fullneſſe of light is diſpenced to the ayre by the Sun, fulneſſe of water is diſpenced by the Sea unto the earth; the fulneſſe of Aegypt was diſpenced to the people by Joſeph; the fulneſſe of God is diſpenced to the ſoules of men by Chriſt; Chriſt is the Sunne by whom they are enlightned; the root by whom they are enlivened; the Store-houſe by whom they are enriched; the fountaine by whom they are repleniſhed, they are bleſſed with all ſpirituall bleſſings in Chriſt. God convayes all in mercy unto man thorough Chriſt; nothing proves a bleſſing unto man, but what he hath by vertue of his conjunction with Chriſt; there is no relation of love and peace betweene God, and the ſoule of man, but only in and through Chriſt, Jacob and his ſonnes found favour with Pharaoh, only for Joſephs ſake. Chriſt is the only Medium cEph. 1.6.of mans favor and acceptance with God, he alone is made of God to be wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification and redemption unto man: God hath put the very whole of mans happineſſe in Chriſt Jeſus.
3 Inſufficiency of any created power to miniſter the life of grace.3. By the inſufficiency of any created power to miniſter the life of grace to man; this is above the power of men and Angels; the diſpenſation of life is peculiar to him that is Lord of life; the induſtry of man is uſed indeed as an inſtrument of ſpirituall vivification, but the efficacy is from Chriſt; to this worke all created ſtrength without Chriſt is like the ſtrength of Aegypt in another caſe to ſet ſtill, the diſeaſed woman in the Goſpell ſpent all her ſubſtance upon the Phyſitians, and yet there was no healing, man may ſpend all his time and ſubſtance upon the creature, and the creature may ſpend all its ability about man, and yet when all is done, without Chriſt there will be no ſpirituall quickning; Am I a God (ſaid the King of Iſrael to Naaman) to kill and to make alive, that this man doth ſend unto me to recover a man of his leproſie: Thus may the holieſt Saint and moſt glorious Angell ſay, Am I a God to kill and to make alive, to kill ſin and to enliven the ſoul, that man ſhould looke to me for ſpirituall vivification, the ſufficiency of the choyſeſt creatures is a borrowed ſufficiency, derived from Chriſt, and the efficacy and working thereof is wholy dependant upon Chriſt.
4. Excellency of ſpirituall life.4. By the dignity and excellency of ſpirituall life; a life of that noblenes and eminency, that none but Chriſt, who is life it ſelf, can communicate it; a ſeed which none but Chriſt can ſow, a tree which none but Chriſt the great Husbandman of the ſoule can plant; the life of grace ariſeth from a principle farre more noble then the life of nature; Saul was head and ſhoulders above the reſidue of the people; the life of grace is head and ſhoulders, very high and farre above the life of nature; whither vegitive, ſenſible or reaſonable; Job ſometime ſaid of wiſdome: Where ſhall wiſdome be found, and where is the place of underſtanding, man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of the living, the depth ſaith it is not in me, and the Sea ſaith it is not with me: thus may we ſay of ſpirituall life: where ſhall ſpirituall life be found? and where is the place of true and ſaving grace? man knoweth not the price therof, neither is it found in the land of the living; Nature ſaith it is not in me; Art and induſtry ſay it is not with us, this life is dCol. 3.hid with Chriſt in God: It is hid in God, in regard of the original preſervation, protection and continuance of it, as the life of the branch is hidden in the root, and the life of the ſtreame in the fountaine; it is hid in God, and there and no where els it is to be found, therfore termed the eEph. 4.18.life of God; for the ſpirituall originall and celeſtiall excellency therof, regeneration and new-birth, being of all lives, the moſt excellent life, which God communicateth unto man, becauſe God doth then very graciouſly and ſweetly live in man, and man enjoyes the life of God, when God doth ſanctifie and guide man by his Spirit, and this life is aſcribed by our Saviour to the Spirit, as to the proper cauſe of it: the fleſh profiteth nothing, it is the Spirit that quickneth; and all the faithfull are born again of the Spirit, begotten of God by the word of truth, & as they have the moſt noble & excellent Parent, ſo they have the moſt honorable & eminent life, a life of ſuch dignity that none but God can communicate.
5. By the medium of ſpirituall life: conjunction with Chriſt by faith is the medium of this life,5. The Medium of this life, Conjunction with Chriſt by faith. as the naturall life is a conjunction of the body with the ſoule; ſo the ſpirituall life is a conjunction of the ſoul with Chriſt and his Spirit; Chriſt is the head and they the members: Chriſt is the Vine and they the branches, being enlivened by their conjunction with Chriſt, the members are enlivened by the head, and the branches by the Vine, and believers coming to Chriſt, as to a living Stone, are ſaid as lively ſtones to be built a ſpirituall houſe: In which words, Chriſt is likened to a Stone for his ſtrength and ſtedfaſtneſſe, for his truth and unchangeablenes, for his union of Jew and Gentile, and for his ſupportation of all Gods children; to an elect and precious ſtone, for his worth and excellency, and to a living ſtone, for his everliving vertue, miniſtring the life of grace to all the faithfull, and preſerving them therin to the life of glory, and all true beleevers are called lively ſtones; for their being founded upon Chriſt, and enlivened by Chriſt, the head-ſtone▪ and of this life they participate by coming unto Chriſt; comming to Chriſt, by the doctrine of the Goſpell inviting them, and by a lively faith reſting upon him, incorporated into him, and receiving ſpirituall life from him; and this is Chriſts promiſe, he that beleeveth in me, that is united and joyned unto me, and made one with me by faith, he ſhall live, he ſhall live the life of grace firſt, and the life of glory laſt; and it is the plain aſſertion of the Evangeliſt, he that beleeveth on the Son hath everlaſting life, he hath it in inchoation, by the work of grace, he hath it in promiſe by faith, he hath it in expectation by hope; he hath that life begun in grace, which ſhall be conſummate in glory.
6 Oppoſition againſt the working of ſpirituall life.6. By the oppoſition made againſt the working of this life in the ſoules of men; the working of grace in the hearts of men is oppoſed by corruption, as naturall life is oppoſed by death, all men by nature being dead in ſins and treſpaſſes; this life is oppoſed by ſin, as naturall health is oppoſed by a mortall, an over-ſwaying and incurable diſeaſe; the cure of the diſeaſed woman in the Goſpell, was ſo oppoſed by her bloody iſſue, that no Phyſition could cure her, ſhe beſtowed all her ſubſtance upon the Phyſitions in vaine, ſhe could not be healed untill ſhe came to Chriſt; the cure of the diſeaſe of ſin is ſo difficult, that neither the miniſtry of man, or Angell can accompliſh it; Chriſt alone is the Phyſitian healing the diſeaſed ſoul of man; he is the ſon of righteouſnes who hath healing in his wings; in the wings of his ordinances inſtrumentally, in the wings of his gracious gifts and operation efficiently: the Apoſtle layeth down the oppoſition of ſin againſt the working of ſpirituall life 4.Sin oppoſeth ſpirituall life. 1 By ignorance ways. 1. Through ignorance, alienated from the life of God, through the fEph. 4.18, 19.ignorance that is in them; they are ignorant of the abſence and want of it, they ſuppoſe they are alive to God, when they are dead in ſinne; they are ignorant of the Originall and Authour of this life; they know not that he that hath not the Sonne hath not life; they are ignorant of the meanes working it, they know not that the word is the word of life, that the Goſpell is the power of God unto ſalvation, the immortall ſeed of mans regeneration; they are ignorant of the neceſſity of this life of grace, they thinke there is a greater latitude in Religion then there is, they know not that the way to life is a narrow way, they imagine they may doe well enough, though they be not ſo ſtrict and ſo zealous as others are; they are ignorant of that worke of Chriſt, of that holy and gracious change of heart, of that faith, repentance, purity of heart, and circumſpect walking which belongs to this life. And thus, through their ignorance doe they undervalue it and oppoſe the working thereof.
2. Their corruption doth oppoſe it through the hardneſſe of their hearts, 2. By hardneſſe of heart.being alienated from the life of God through the hardneſſe which is in them. This hardneſſe of heart makes them uncapable of the word of life,Acts 7.51. as the hard ground is uncapable of ſeed: This cauſeth them to reſiſt the meanes of grace, as the hard rocke reſiſteth the raine diſtilling thereupon: This makes them regardleſſe, and feareleſſe of all judgements, and cominations; Affliction doth not better them, but rather make them worſe, as the anvill hardens under the hammer: This makes them impenitent, they cannot mourne for their ſinnes, any more then a hard rocke can ſend forth a ſtreame of water.gIer. 5 3. O Lord (ſaith Jeremy) thou haſt ſtricken them, but they have not grieved; thou haſt conſumed them but they have refuſed to receive correction, they have made their faces harder then a rocke, they have refuſed to returne; and after their hardneſſe and impenitent heart (according to Saint Paul) they treaſure up wrath against the day of wrath; and thus their hardneſſe of heart doth oppoſe the working of this ſpirituall life.
3. Their corruption oppoſeth this ſpirituall life through unſenſibleneſſe; 3 B… …ſibleneſſe.they are ſtrangers to this life (ſaith the Apoſtle) being paſt feeling, being unſenſible of their ſinne, as a dead man of his diſeaſe, unſenſible of the miſery of their estate, and perilouſneſſe of their condition, as the drunkard in Salomon had no apprehenſion of his danger; unſenſible of the word of inſtruction, as a deafe man that heares not, is unſenſible of advice and counſell: They heare (ſaith the Prophet) but underſtand not, they ſee but perceive not, they heare outwardly, but not inwardly, they ſee confuſedly, but not clearly, the light ſhines upon them, but not within them, they walke not in the light, they are not guided in their goings by the light; they are unſenſible of the characteres ſymptomes of deſtruction which are upon them, as Ephraim had gray haires here and there upon him, howbeit he knew it not: Unſenſible of the goodneſſe and ſweetneſſe of Chriſt, as a diſtempered palate is unſenſible of the ſweetneſſe of the wine given him to drinke; unſenſible of the comfort, and pleaſantneſſe of ſpirituall life, as the dead are unſenſible of the joyes of the living; and being thus paſt feeling, they regard not the life of grace, it is of no eſteeme with them.
4. By cuſing them to give themſelves over to laſciviouſneſſe.4. Their corruption doth oppoſe the life of grace, by cauſing them to give themſelves over to laſciviouſneſſe, to worke uncleanneſſe, diſpoſing and inclining them to evill, as heavy things incline downeward, the whole current of their affections moving towards ſinne ſtrongly, ſpeedily, undefatigably, and unchangeably, as the Rivers move towards the Sea; ſoaking and ſurfeting themſelves with carnall delights and pleaſures, as the drunkard ſoakes his fleſh with ſtrong drinke, and the glutton ſurfets himſelfe with ſweet meat; delighting and ſporting themſelves in ſinne as the fiſh in the water, drinking iniquity (as Job ſpeaks) like water, as the dry ground drinks in the water, and looks for more; giving themſelves over unto ſinne, as the ſouldiers to the Centurion, to be commanded by it, to be wholly ſubject to it, as the harlot to the adulterer, proſtituting and laying themſelves open unto ſinne, and bringing forth all their fruit to ſinne, and this their ſerviceableneſſe to ſinne, delight and pleaſure in ſinne, voluntary and full ſubjection under ſinne, doth mightily oppoſe the working of the life of grace within them, ſo oppoſing it that none but Chriſt can worke it. Beſides, Satan doth alſo with much force and fraud hinder this worke, hRev. 7.1.holding the winds that they may not blow, endeavouring to the utmoſt to ſtop the miniſtery of the word, the meanes of begetting this life in the ſoules of men, blinding the underſtandings of men, that the glorious light of the Goſpel may not ſhine into them; labouring by all meanes to hinder the regeneration of Gods children, repreſented in Saint Johns viſion of the Dragon, ready to devoure the iRev. 12 4.womans childe as ſoone as it was borne. This worke the world alſo hinders, by distracting men with worldly cares, by priding men with worldly wealth, by miniſtring many prophane and ſoule-bewitching examples, by with-holding men from attendance upon Gods ordinances, the meanes of life, by choaking the word of God, the inſtrument of life, with worldly cares, by diſabling men to diſcerne and judge aright of Chriſt, the Authour of life: Such is the oppoſition made againſt the worke of grace in the ſoules of men, that there is a meere impoſſibility of attaining ſpirituall life, without the mighty worke of Chriſt the Lord of life.