Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Laying downe the grounds of carnall mans alienation from the true church of Chriſt.
THe alienation of profane men from the true Church of Chriſt is manifeſt.
1. By their alienation from the Head of the Church;Grounds of alienation from the Church of Chriſt. The head. they are ſtrangers to Chriſt, they rCol. 2.18.hold not the Head (ſaith the Apoſtle) from which all the body by joynts and bands having nouriſhment miniſtred, and knit together encreaſeth with the encreaſe of God; they hold not Chriſt, but are ſtrangers to the sEph 4.18.life of Chriſt, as withered branches are ſtrangers to the life of the root, Chriſt doth not live in them; they are ſtrangers to the tIoh. 1.5.knowledge of Chriſt, as blind men are ſtrangers to the light of the Sunne, the light ſhineth in the darkneſſe, but the darkneſſe comprehendeth it not, the Goſpell is hidden to them; they are ſtrangers to the dominion of Chriſt, he doth not reigne ſpiritually within them, though they profeſſe they know Chriſt, yet they be reprobate and uTit. 1.16.diſobedient to every good worke; they are ſtrangers to the holy and gracious. wMat. 23.33.preſence of Chriſt, Chriſt doth not dwell in their hearts by Faith, poſſeſſing, protecting a…d beautifying then ſoules, as a dweller his houſe; directing and guiding their goings to the haven of peace, as a Pilot his Ship: they are ſtrangers to the love of Chriſt, they are not eſpouſed to him as a x2 Cor. 11.2.chaſt Ʋirgin; to the operation of Chriſt, he is not unto them as a yMat. 3.Refiners fire and Fullers ſope purifying them as gold and ſilver to offer unto the Lord an offering of Righteouſneſſe; and alſo to the fullneſſe of Chriſt, he is a ſealed well of whoſe waters their ſoules drinke not; though they live within the pale of the Church, and come to the ordina…ces of Chriſt, yet as Salomon ſpake in another caſe, Of the way zProv. 30.18of a Ship in the Sea, of an Eagle in the Ayre, and of a Serpent upon a ſtone; ſo …y we ſay of the way of Chriſt in his ordinances with the ſoules of carnall men, it leaveth no track behind it, worketh no change, imprints no character of holineſſe, they ſtill continue ſtrangers to Chriſt, and having no communion with the Head, they are farre from fellowſhip with the Members.
2. Seed of the Church.2. By their being d…ſtitute of the Seed of the Church: the Church of Chriſt is begotten of a holy Seed, the word of God and vertue of the Spirit, a1 Pet. 1.23.Begotten (ſaith St. Peter) of an immortall Seed; the Word of God preached, ſowne and received into their hearts, becometh the inſtrument of their regeneration and new-birth; and whoſoever (ſaith S. John) is borne of God doth not commit ſinne, for his b1 Joh. 3.9.ſeed, that is the vertue of the Holy-Ghoſt, working faith and holineſſe by the word preached, abides in him: Now of this ſeed carnall men are altogether deſtitute, they are without the ſeed of the word, they hide it not in their hearts, they let it lye as ſeed above ground, it takes no root in them, either the ſtonineſſe of their hearts will not admit it, or the thornes of worldly cares choake it: it is as dew upon the Rock, it doth cHeb. 4.2. Rom 7.18.not profit them, it brings forth no ſaving effect within them, and for the ſeed of the Spirit, they have no principle of grace, or new life within them; their ſoules are houſes empty of all ſpirituall good; They are dIude v.19.ſenſuall (ſaith S. Jude) corrupt, carnall and earthly in their underſtandings, imaginations, affections and practiſe even in the very whole frame, fabrick and diſpoſition of their ſoules: Not having the Spirit, regenerating and quickning them, enlightning and ſanctifying them, having no ſeed, no principle of grace within them, and being deſtitute of the ſeed of the Church, they are undoubtedly ſtrangers to the true Church, they are in the Church, but as eIohn 8 35. Heb. 12.8. Quality of Church.Servants or Baſtards in a Family, they are not the genuine and proper children of the Church.
3. By their being aliens to the condition and quality of the Church of Chriſt: the Church of Chriſt is qualified with grace, a choſen f1 Pet. 2.9.generation, a royall Prieſthood, a peculiar people, called out of darkeneſſe into a marvellous light, likened for their ſpirituall ſplendour of ſanctity to the gCant 2.2.Lilly among the thornes, to the hCant. 4.9.Dove among the birds, to the iCant 6.10.Sun, Moone and Morning among the lights, to the kPſal. 45.Queene in gold of Ophir among women, and to a lRev. 12.1.Woman cloathed with the Sun, having twelve ſtars upon her head, and the Moon under her feet: The Church being very beautifull and glorious thorough Chriſts communication of his graces to her; the Church receiving of his fullneſſe mIoh 1.16.grace for grace, as the child receiveth of the Father limb for limb; but all profane and carnall men are farre from this quality and condition of holineſſe, being likened unto Swine for their uncleanneſſe and wallowing in the mire of ſin,Mat.7. to Goates for their breaking over the hedge of Gods commandements, troubleſomeneſſe to others and unſavourines of their converſations; as full of ſin as a Serpent of poyſon, a rotten ſepulcher of dead mens bones, or the Sea of waters, full of all unrighteouſneſſe, ſaith S. Paul, though they live within the pale of the Church and take upon them a forme of godlineſſe, yet they are but like the Beaſt in the Revelation, which had two hornes like a nRev. 13.Lambe, but ſpake as a Dragon; thus theſe men pretend Chriſt, but ſerve Satan.
4.4. Excluſion from the Covenant. By their Excluſion from the covenant which God hath made with his Church, to give it life, reconciliation, happineſſe and every good thing by Chriſt; a covenant made with beleevers, and ſuch as feare God, my oMal 2.5.Covenant, ſaith the Lord, of Levi, was with him of life and peace, and I gave them to him for the feare wherewith hee feared me and was afraid before my name. Gods Covenant is not promiſcuous to all ſorts of perſons, choſen, reprobates, beleevers and infidels, but to ſuch as are truely gracious, his Covenant is with them that are his friends, and not with his enemies, God ſanctifieth all them whom hee intends ſhall have benefit by his Covenant. This ſhall be the Covenant that I will make with the houſe of Iſrael, after thoſe dayes, ſaith the Lord, I will put my Law in their pIer. 31.33.inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people. Such alone are within the Covenant of God, as are ſanctified by the Spirit of God: The Promiſe indeed is generall, but the condition is ſpeciall, He that qMar. 16.16. Ioſ. 15.beleeveth and is baptized ſhall be ſaved, but he that beleeveth not ſhall be damned, though he be baptized, Caleb made a generall Promiſe to all his Souldiers, whoſoever ſhould ſmite Kiriath Sephar and take it ſhould marry his Daughter Acſah, yet Othniel tooke it, and hee alone had her to wife: God makes a Promiſe whoſoever beleeveth and repenteth ſhall be ſaved by Chriſt, yet not all, but onelyonly he that beleeves and repents, hee that ſmites Kiriath Sephar, that overcomes Satan, himſelfe and the world, hath Chriſt to husband; to him that rRev. 2.17.overcomes is given to eate of the hidden Manna; but to the wicked God ſaith,Pſal 50. What haſt thou to doe to take my Covenant in thy mouth and hateſt to he reformed. Wicked men therefore being ſtrangers to the Covenant betweene God and his Church, are alſo aliens to the Church.
5. By their eſtrangement from the life, light, faith, liberty, wedlocke of the Church with Chriſt, and her gracious receivings from Chriſt. Eſtrangement from 1. Life.They are eſtranged, 1. From the life of the Church; as the dead are eſtranged from the life of the living,ſGal. 2 20. Rom. 6.4. Rom. 14.8. Epheſ. 2. ſo are corrupt and ſinfull men from the life of Gods Church and children, Gods children are quickned by the Spirit, Chriſt liveth in them, as the root in the branches, as the head in the members,1 Tim. 5. Rev. 3.1. they walke in newneſſe of life, they live to God and Chriſt; but carnall men are dead in ſinnes, dead whiles they live like the wanton widow, though they profeſſe Chriſt and are reputed the members of Chriſt, yet with the Angell of Sardis, they have but only a name that they live, they are ſpiritually dead indeed.
2. They are eſtranged from the light of the Church,2. Light. though they have the ſame light of Doctrine ſhining on them, which ſhines on Gods children, as the blind hath the ſame, light ſhining on him, that ſhines on ſuch as have their eyes open, yet they ſee nothing of God and Chriſt clearly and comfortably by it, the tIſa. 8.16.testimony is bound up, and the Law is ſealed among the Diſciples. Such alone as are taught of God, have the cleare and ſaving knowledge of his will and counſell. The myſtery of godlineſſe is to carnall men like Sampſons riddle to the Philiſtines, Iudg 14.they cannot interpret it without the helpe of Gods Spirit, it is a ſtrange language which they underſtand not, a uIſa. 29.11.ſealed booke which they cannot open; carnall men live in great blindneſſe under plentifull meanes of Knowledge, They ſtumble at the noon-day as at the mid-night.
3. They are eſtranged from the faith of the Church;3. Faith. 1 King 13 4. their Faith like Jeroboams arme is withered, they cannot lay hold upon Chriſt, they cannot build upon Chriſt, as the Wiſeman built his houſe upon the Rocke: Their ſoules are not rooted in Chriſt, as the tree is rooted in the Earth; they doe not cleave to Chriſt, as the heart of the wife cleaveth to the Husband,2 Sam 20.1. as ſometime the men of Judah clave to David; they doe not ſingle out Chriſt, and take him to themſelves as their Rocke, as their glory, as their ſtrength and refuge, they doe not betake themſelves to Chriſt, as the chickens betake themſelves to the Hen, the Bees to the hive, the Conies to the Rock, and as the men that were in debt, diſtreſſe and diſcontent betooke themſelves to David, 1 Sam. 22.1and made him their Captaine; they doe not stay on Chriſt, put on and apply Chriſt unto themſelves, and themſelves to Chriſt, as the Church and children of God doe as the Spouſe of Chriſt doth; their faith is a temporary and vaniſhing faith, a Tree without roots, that ſoone withers, a dead faith, there is no life and power in it, no ſaving fruit growes upon it.
4 Liberty.4. They are eſtranged from the liberty of the Church. Chriſts Church and children are Gods w1 Cor. 7.freemen; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is x2 Cor. 3.17.liberty: Liberty from the power of ſinne, tyranny of Satan, and ſervitude of the world; liberty to know God, as the open eye is free to ſee; to move, and incline to God, as the River is free to move and ſlow toward the Sea; to beleeve in Gods promiſe; to receive Chriſt, as the ſound hand is free to receive the gift, and free to love Chriſt, as the heart of the Bride is free to love the Bridegroome: All carnall men are great ſtrangers to this freedome, they are captives to Satan, ſervants to the world, priſoners to their owne luſts, bowed downe to the world, like the woman in the Goſpell that had a ſpirit of yLuk. 13.13.infirmity, as unable to looke up to God, or to the things which are above, as unable to diſcerne the things of God, as the blind to diſcerne colours, as unable to walke in the wayes of God,Acts 12.7. as the dead are unable to walke upon the earth, as faſt ſhut up in the priſon of Satan, and their owne corruption, as ever Peter was in Herods priſon.
5. Wedlocke.5. They are eſtranged from the wedlocke of the Church with Chriſt. True beleevers are Chriſts Spouſe, betrothed unto Chriſt, zEph. 5.bone of his bone, and fleſh of his fleſh, one myſticall Chriſt, as man and wife are one matrimoniall fleſh; but carnall men are farre from this wedlocke, they take not Chriſt unto themſelves as the husband of their ſoules, they have not the love and joy of a Spouſe in Chriſt, they keep not their ſoules chaſte and pure to Chriſt;Iam. 4.4. they commit fornication and adultery with Idols, and the world, and are divorced from Chriſt, they ſhamefully de…ile themſelves, and make themſelves an abomination in the eyes of Chriſt.
6. Receivings.6. They are eſtranged from the Churches receivings from Chriſt. True beleevers receive of Chriſts fulneſſe; they receive life, and light, and power from Chriſt, as the eye receiveth light from the Sun, the branch life from the root, and the body power from the ſoule; they receive the Spirit of Chriſt, and are quickened; they receive the word of Chriſt, and are edefied; they receive the promiſe of Chriſt, and are eſtabliſhed; they receive the forgiveneſſe of ſins by Chriſt, and are comforted; but carnall men like a company of broken ciſternes, and withered branches, receive nothing from Chriſt Jeſus, Chriſt commeth among them in his Goſpell, but they receive him not; he commeth to them by his Miniſters, but they receive not their witneſſe, they ſhut the doores of their hearts againſt Chriſt, he ſtands without, and knocks, but they open not, they give him no entertainment. Chriſt spends his ſtrength in vaine, and his labour for nought amongſt them; and by all theſe things they make manifeſt their Alienation from the Church of Chriſt, and all the ſpeciall priviledges and prerogatives thereof.