Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Shewing mans alienation from CHRIST, miſery without CHRIST, and opening the ſcope of the words.
ADam after his eating the forbidden fruit, was without the Garden of Eden, diſabled to come to the tree of life; man feeding on the forbidden fruit of ſinne, is a ſtranger to the Paradiſe of all ſpirituall and heavenly comforts, wholy excluded from the true tree of life Chriſt Jeſus. There is no ſweet and gracious communion betweene the Lord Jeſus, and carnall perſons; The men of the old world were without the Arke, and periſhed in the deluge of waters; men who are in their old corrupt eſtate, who have not put off that old man which is corrupt according to divers luſts, are without Chriſt, and ſhall certainly periſh in the deluge of their impieties, and the Lords vengeance; the fruition of Chriſt is mans happineſſe, mans crowne and comfort; alienation from Chriſt is mans miſery, mans ſhame and the ſoules great diſtraction and trouble: of all eſtates on Earth mans naturall and corrupt condition is moſt wretched and miſerable, a condition of death without ſpirituall life, of darkneſſe without divine and heavenly light, of bondage without Chriſtian freedome, of uncleaneneſſe without ſanctification, of emptineſſe without all celeſtiall fulneſſe, of alienation without all comfortable communion with Chriſt, without all intereſt in Chriſt and his benefits, without either claime or title to Gods Promiſe, to Heaven or eternall happineſſe, an eſtate of excluſion from all holy and gracious ſociety with Gods children, an eſtate of profaneneſſe without God, without the knowledge of God, without faith in God, without love to God, and without zeale for God; for at that time, in that eſtate and condition, We are without Chriſt, being aliens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, and ſtrangers from the Covenants of promiſe, having no hope, and without God in the world.
Scope of the Apoſtle.The Apoſtle in theſe words declares and amplifies the miſerable and wretched eſtate of man, the uncomfortable and diſhonourable condition of the ſoule of man without Chriſt, without the knowledge of Chriſt, without faith in Chriſt, without incorporation into Chriſt, without participation of Chriſt and his benefits:Analyſis. 5. fold alienation. 1. From Chriſt. And this miſery and wretchedneſſe of man, the Apoſtle doth open, ſet forth and amplifie, by a five-fold alienation. 1. An alienation from Chriſt; at that time yee were without Chriſt. Chriſt was not preached to you, Chriſt was not knowne of you, Chriſt was not imbraced, nor beleeved in by you; this is the firſt alienation and the ground of all the reſt; Hee that is an alien to the Lord Ieſus is a stranger to all things appertaining to life and happineſſe; mans intereſt in Chriſt gives him intereſt in God and in all good things of God: there is no way for man to come to God and eternall happineſſe, but only by and thorough Chriſt Jeſus; the neglect of Chriſt is the leſſe of all.
2. An alienation from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, from that forme of Religion and divine worſhip, which God had preſcribed to the Iſraelitiſh people, they alone at that time having the oracles of God among them; Ʋery miſerable and ſhamefull is carnall mans ignorance of Gods worſhip and ſervice; the carnall mans adoration is after the rules of his owne invention, and not according to Gods preſcription, being a ſtranger both to Gods Goſpell and faithfull people.
3. An alienation from the covenants of promiſe; the promiſe of the covenant of grace, the promiſe of remiſſion of ſinne by the merit of Chriſt, and of regeneration and renovation of heart by the efficacy of Chriſt, belonged not to them. Man remaining under the power of corruption remaines a ſtranger to the promiſe of Salvation; the promiſe of Gods free and gracious wages, belongs onelyonly to Gods holy and gracious labourers; he that regards not Gods commandement, hath nothing to doe with the Promiſe of Gods covenant,
4. An alienation from hope, the of hope eternall life, a hope ariſing from faith which they wanted. Carnall mens hopes of eternall happineſſe are very rotten, falſe and groundleſſe; no truths, but meere fancies and vaine imaginations: The eſtate of corruption is an eſtate of deſperation.
5. Alienation from God, without God, Atheiſts in the eſteeme of God. That man hath nothing of God in him who doth not imbrace Chriſt as the authour of his ſalvation. Every man that lives under the power of profaneneſſe is a very ſtranger to God in his way and worke of grace and holineſſe.
Firſt of the firſt of theſe alienations,1. Alienation. 1. Tempus. an alienation from Chriſt, At that time yee were without Chriſt: Wherein we have. 1. The time or ſeaſon of their alienation or eſtrangement from Chriſt; at that time, when you were in your Paganiſme and profanenes, when you had not the Oracles of God among you, when you had not Chriſt preached to you, when you ſate in darkneſſe and the ſhadow of death, without light, when you lay dead in ſins, without the life of grace, when you walked after your owne luſts, and the vaine imaginations of your own hearts: then ye were without Chriſt: The time and ſeaſon of mans being without the Goſpell and under the power of his corruption is of all times and ſeaſons the moſt unhappy and miſerable; Note.it is not the time of mans trouble & affliction, but the time of mans being left under the power of Satan and his own luſts, which is mans moſt wretched and accurſed time; it is farre better to be exerciſed with the greateſt troubles, and filled with all ſorts of ſorrowes, then to be left under the power of profaneneſſe in a paradiſe of carnall pleaſures; there is more wrath in being left under the dominion of one ſinne, then in being put under the burthen of all afflictions.
2. Subjectum2. Here is the Subject or parties alienated, ye; the Gentiles before the coming of Chriſt, and all men before their receiving of Chriſt by faith and love, all corrupt and carnal, unregenerate and unſanctified people, ye, without exception, of whatſoever outward condition or calling.Note. All men abiding under the power of their corruption are without exception miſerable; no outward prerogatives and priviledges can exempt raigning profaneneſſe from enſuing woes and curſes
3 Terminus à quo.3. Here is the obiect and terme of their alienation, from whom they were alienated, not from worldly riches, earthly fullneſſe, humane helps and fleſhly comforts, they might have enough of theſe; but they were alienated from Chriſt, the Sun and the ſhield, the fountaine and the treaſure; the paradiſe and the crowne of the ſoule of man: they were without Chriſt; they were without him eccleſiaſtically and miniſterially, Chriſt was not preached to them, they had not the Oracles of God amongſt them, they had not the Miniſters of Chriſt to inſtruct them; they were without Chriſt ſpiritually and efficiently. Chriſt did not enlighten and ſanctifie them: Chriſt did not communicate himſelfe unto them, they had nothin of Chriſt within them, and thus are all corrupt and carnall men without Chriſt, Shewing us,
That all men in their naturall and corrupt condition are altogether ſtrangers to Chriſt Jeſus: Doct.Carnall men within the pale of the Church have Chriſt Miniſterially preached to them in the outward miniſtery of his Word, ſacramentally offered to them in the adminiſtration of the Sacraments, and eccleſiaſtically frequenting the ſacred Aſſemblies, and taking on them the name and profeſſion of Chriſt Jeſus; but they have not Chriſt internally, really and spiritually. He doth not dwell within them by faith, he doth not live in their ſoules by grace, he doth not fill them with his fullneſſe; he doth not miniſter the ſaving gifts of his Spirit to them. In this reſpect they are altogether ſtrangers to Chriſt Jeſus: this is repreſented in the Parable of the fooliſh Virgins, they hadaMat. 25. Lamps, but no oyle. Carnall men profeſſe Chriſt, but they have not Chriſt, they take up the name of Chriſt, but they have not the oyle, the ſaving gift and grace of Chriſt. Many profeſſe Chriſt who are neither enlightned nor ſanctified by Chriſt; this alienation of man from Chriſt,Alienation from Chriſt illuſtrated the Scripture doth illuſtrate by divers ſimilitudes, by the ſimilitude of a Tree bIude v. 12.twice dead and plucked up by the roots. Carnall man being originally and actually dead in ſinne, and participating no more of Chriſt then a tree pluckt up by the roots doth partake of the Earth… by the ſimilitude of a cIo 15.6.withered branch. Unregenerate man receiving no more of Chriſt, then a withered branch receiveth joyce and nouriſhment from the tree; by the ſimilitude of an dRom. 7.18.empty houſe, in an empty houſe there is no dweller, no implement, in an ungracious ſoule there dwelleth no good thing, neither Chriſt nor any ſaving gift dwelleth there; by the ſimilitude of an eIam. 4 4.Adultereſſe; an adultereſſe is eſtranged from her husband, her heart is gone after ſtrange lovers. Corrupt and ſinfull man is alienated from Chriſt, the huſband of his ſoule, his heart is gone a whooring after the creature, and many ſtrange luſts: by the ſimilitude of a f1 Pet. 2.25.ſtraying Sheepe, a ſtraying Sheepe is gone from his Shepheard, and from his paſtures, wandering among ſtrange flocks in the wilderneſſe; unholy man goes astray from the wombe, he hath forſaken Chriſt the Shepheard, and the ordinances of Chriſt the paſture of his ſoule, wanders in the wilderneſſe of the world and comes himſelfe to the aſſemblies either of hereticall, erronious, ſuperſtitious or profane perſons, and by the ſimilitude of a gIſa. 30.1.rebell; a rebell is fallen from his lawfull Soveraigne, and either makes himſelfe his owne King, or betakes himſelfe unto ſome forraine Prince; profane man rebelleth againſt God and Chriſt, he magnifies and exalts himſelf, becomes his owne Lord and commander, and betakes himſelfe to the Prince of darkeneſſe, the world and his owne vile affections, theſe he makes the Soveraignes to whom he vailes and bowes; very various and open, manifeſt and ſhamefull are corrupt mans alienations from Chriſt Jeſus; and ſuch are plainely ſaid to be eſtranged from the hPſa. 58.3.wombe, and to goe aſtray as ſoone as they be borne: They goe aſtray from God, like Rebels from their Soveraigne, like fugitive ſervants from their Lord and Maſter; they goe aſtray from Chriſt, like wandering ſheepe from their Shepheard, and harlots from their husband; they goe aſtray from the way of God, like erring travellers and blinde men from their path: the whole way and walke of carnall perſons is a ſinfull aberration from God and Chriſt Jeſus. Reigning profaneneſſe diſſolves all communion betweene Chriſt and the ſoule of man, If any man i1 Ioh. 1.6.walke in darkneſſe and ſay that hee hath fellowſhip with Chriſt, that man is a lyar and there is no truth in him, and the Apoſtle teſtifies of ſuch, that they are a kEph. 2.13.farre off, farre from the life of Chriſt as the dead are farre from the life of nature; farre from the knowledge of Chriſt, as the blind is farre from the ſight of the Sun; farre from ſpirituall union with Chriſt by faith, as a branch cut off is farre from naturall conjunction with the vine; farre from the love of Chriſt, as a harlot is farre from the love of her husband; farre from the fulneſſe of Chriſt, as a dead member is farre from the fulneſſe of the head; farre from the feare and obedience of Chriſt, as a diſobedient ſervant is farre from the feare of his Maſter; and▪ far from the ſweet and bleſſed preſence of Chriſt, as exiled Abſolom was farre from the preſence of his Father Davids face: Very great and unhappy is the diſtance between Chriſt and all carnall perſons. Of ſuch therefore the Apoſtle pronounceth, that they are aliens and enemies by their evill works; not onelyonly aliens, but alſo enemies: The very whole of corrupt and carnall perſons is an oppoſition againſt God, and the Lord Jeſus: The gate of their hearts is …hut againſt Chriſt, their whole way a very contradiction of Chriſt.