The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, Owners bookplate – Dedication
TRUE TO THE END
FIDES PROBATA CORONAT
The Right Honble. Patrick Hume Earl of Marchmont Viſcount of Blaſonberry Lord Polwart… … Polwarth &c Lord High Chancelor of Scotland▪ …. 1702.
EX LIBRIS F.S. FERGUSON
THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST, And Of GRACE and GLORY In and thorow HIM.
Diligently Searched into, Clearly Unfolded, and Comfortably holden forth, in Fourteen Rich Goſpel SERMONS Preached on ſeveral TEXTS, at Communions, in Glaſgow.
By the late pious and Powerful Goſpel Preacher in that City, Mr. JAMES DURHAM.
2 Joh. 1.3. That which we have ſeen and heard declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jeſus Chriſt.
1 Cor. 10 16. The Cup of Blesſing which we bleſſe, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Chriſt? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Chriſt.
GLASGOW, Printed by Robert Sanders, one of His Majeſties Printers, 1685.
THE Epiſtle Dedicatorie and Prefatorie. To all Chriſtians ſeriouſly purſuing Conformity unto Chriſt, and panting after Communion with God in him. Particularly the Inhabitants of the City of Glaſgow, that are ſuch: And in ſpeciall to Miſtreſs Durham, the Famous Authors worthy Relict and my Siſter in Law, who hath had a ſingular care to preſerve her deceaſed Husbands Lectures and Sermons, that they might be made forth-coming for the Publick uſe and Edification of the Church.
Dear Friends,
ADAM in Innocency and Integrity was in a ſtate of perfect friendship with God, of beautifull conformity to His Image, and of ſweetly Comfortable Communion with him; But alace! he continued very short time in that excellent ſtate; for the entering in of ſin, by his Tranſgresſing the Law and condition of the Covenant of works, quite brake off the friendſhip, utterly disfigured and defaced the conformity, and altogether interrupted and put a ſtop to the Communion: He having thereby run himſelf and his Poſterity under a forfeiture of that deſireable ſtate, and of all the Precious Priviledges annexed to it, under which himſelf and they had lyen Eternally, had not God in the depth of his infinit wiſdom, and in the exceeding and unſearchable Riches of his free Grace and Mercy, deviſed and found out a way for taking off that forfeiture, By ſending his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to Redeem them that were under the Law; who according to the Covenant of Redemption treated and Tranſacted, finally concluded and agreed betwixt Jehovah and him; having made a moſt coſtly, but a moſt Compleat Satisfaction to Provoked Divine Juſtice for the debt of the Elect, In whoſe room, for that end he did ſurrogat and ſubſtitute himſelf, as their Surety and Cautioner, hath reeſtablished the friendſhip, reſtored the Conformity, and recovered the Communion: of which Glad tidings of great joy Publication is made in the Preached Goſpel: the Tabernacle of the Ordinances whereof is reared up amongſt men, that thereby God the Lord may dwell among them: Theſe Ordinances in their inſtitution and nature being means of Communion and fellowship betwixt God and men: Amongſt which Divinely inſtituted Ordinances, that of the Lords Supper beareth expresſly the name of the Communion, becauſe, often and ordinarily the greateſt meaſures and higheſt degrees of Communion with God in Chriſt attainable by ſojourning and militant Saints here on Earth, are win at in the Participation of that Ordinance, the great pledge and love-token of our dieing Lords deareſt reſpect to his Diſciples and followers, calling and oblidging them, in the uſe thereof, to a Solemn Commemoration of him and of his love, and to a Publick and avouched Declaration of his Death till he come again: Therefore is it beyond all other Goſpell. Ordinances, as it were, railed about with ſuch injunctions, Cautions, and warnings; with ſuch terrible threatnings, with ſuch intimations of Atrocious Guilt, and with ſuch denounciations of formidable Judgements againſt unworthy Communicants, Thunder and Lightnings (as it were) being ſpoken againſt ſuch. The deſirable deceaſed Author of theſe few following Sermons Preached at Communions, uſed at ſuch occaſions to endeavour, through Grace, to rouſe and work up himſelf to ſuch a Divineneſs of frame, as very much ſuited the Spiritual ſtate and Majeſty of that Ordinance, greatly fearing leſt himſelf, or any of the People to whom he diſpenſed the ſame, should fall under the grievous Guilt of the Body and Blood of the Lord; then, in a manner, his face shone, as being in the mount of Communion and fellowship with God, and at ſome of thoſe Solemn and ſweet Occaſions, he ſpake ſome way as a man that had been in Heaven, Commending Jeſus Chriſt; making a Glorious diſplay of the Banner of free Grace, holding forth the Riches of it very clearly and convincingly, and bringing the offers thereof very low, wonderfully low; So that in hearing ſome of theſe Sermons. Particularly that on Matth. 22. I was made to think, that the Rope or Cord of the Offer of Salvation was let down and hung ſo low to ſinners, that thoſe of the loweſt ſtature amongſt them all, though but as Pygmees, might have catcht hold of it, who, through Grace, had any mind to do ſo: and ſo home, ſo vehemently and urgently preſſed, on ſo ſweet and eaſie terms to be embraced, that I have been ſometimes made to wonder how the hearers could refuſe or shift them: But there is no ſaving Belief of this report made by Prophets, Apoſtles, Yea or by Bleſſed Jeſus himſelf in his own Perſonall Miniſtrie, but where the arm of the Lord is Revealed, No man can or will (invite, beſeech and Perſwade who will, if it were not only men, but even Angels,) come to the Son except the Father that ſent him draw him; There is no moving here without a pull of Ommipotencie; none are nor can be willing to yeeld themſelves to Chriſt, till the day of his Power Paſs on their hearts; till then, they will ſit the moſt presſing calls of the Goſpel, but then they can ſit no longer, they muſt, they will riſe then, and run after him, they will then (as the word ſignifies) make a free will Offering of themſelves to thim, however inexortable and inflexible they had shewed themſelves before, they will then make an abſolute, entire, univerſall, unexceptioned and Irreverſible Surrender and Reſignation of themſelves to him, to be at his diſpoſe, to be guided and ſaved by him in his own way. I know, the Remembrance of thoſe Communion Sabbaths, High Sabbaths, and other ordinary Sabbaths and week days, wherein you Siſter, and other Serious ſeekers of God in Glaſgow in particular, heard the joyfull ſound, walked in the light of Gods Countenance, and Rejoiced in his Name all the day, Living in a Holy croud of Precious Goſpel-Ordinances, and having, as it were, the Heavenly Manna of the Goſpel falling abundantly about your Camp every day, making you think and ſay, that it was good to be there, is this day ſweet and Savoury to you, and helps you in a good meaſure, to keep up a ſuitable and due eſteem of fellowship and Communion with the Father and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt, which is commended and indeared to your Souls and to the Souls of others of the Lords People, by the choice, rare, excellent and non-ſuch Nature and Properties of it, It being found by you all, Priviledged with admisſion to the enjoyment thereof, in your experience to be: Firſt, moſt Real and no Chimerical fancy, or a thing that hath no being but in the deluded imagination of the Perſon; and truly (ſaith the Apoſtle John. 1 Jon. 1.3. Our Fellowſhip is with the Father and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt: It hath moſt reall effects, though Spiritual: Gracious Souls being more lively affected with them, then their very external Senſes are by the rareſt and moſt Remarkable Objects: And no doubt, the more Spiritual any thing is, It hath in it the greater reality, and worketh the more Powerfully and efficaciouſly; It is uncontrovertible and quite removed from all reach of rational debate, that God is the greateſt reality, and by Proportion Communion with God, Whereby neareſt and cloſeſt Approaches are made to him, must be very real: marvellous are the effects of this Communion, and that your Souls know right well, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh Pſal. 139 14. in another caſe. Secondly, It is an Awfull Fellowship and full of dread, It impreſſeth the Soul with a deep, yet kindly veneration of the Glorious Majeſty of the great and Holy God, Who (as it is ſaid, Pſal. 89. verſ. 7.) Is greatly to be feared in the aſſemblies of his Saints (where they are admitted to fellowship with him) and to be had in reverence by all that are about him; When Jacob was admitted to very near Communion with him, Gen. 28. He ſaith, verſ. 16. Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware: and verſ. 17. It is ſaid of him, that he was afraid, and ſaid, how dreadfull is this Place, this is none other but the houſe of God, and this is the gate of Heaven: Familiarity here breeds no contempt, nor is it waited with any neglect or forgetfulneſs to keep due diſtance. Thirdly, It is a deeply humbling and Holily Self debaſing Fellowship, as appears in Abraham, Gen. 18. who being, as Gods ſpeciall friend, admitted to talk with him at an unuſuall and extraordinary rate of Familiaritie, Yet interlines, (as it were) his diſcourſe, almoſt in every period of it, with deeply ſelf debaſing acknowledgements of his being but duſt and aſhes, and deprecatings of Gods anger for his taking upon him to ſpeak to Him, betwixt whom and himſelf there was ſo infinitly vaſt a diſproportion: ſo the Prophet Iſaiah, when he hath that Glorious Viſion of the Majeſtie of God, Chap. 6. and hears the Seraphims, thoſe purely intellectuall Creatures, having their faces covered with their wings, as not being able to behold the Brightneſs of the Glory of the moſt abſolutely perfect Holineſs of God, crying, in a tranſport of admiration, each to another. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hoſts, the Earth is full of his Glory, he ſaith, Wo's me for I am undone, Becauſe I am a man of unclean lips, and dwel in the midſt of a People of Polluted lips, for mine eyes have ſeen the King the Lord of Hoſts: So alſo Job, non-ſuch in his time, according to Divine teſtimony, when he is admitted to unuſual nearneſs to God, ſaith Chap. 42. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the Ear, but now mine Eye ſeeth Thee, wherefore I abhore my ſelf and repent in duſt and ashes: The neareſt approaches to that light wherein there is no darkneſs at all, make the cleareſt diſcoveries of the moſt eminent Saints their unworthineſs, nothingneſs, and vileneſs. Fourthly, It is a Transforming Fellowship, and asſimilats the Perſon Priviledged with admisſion to it, to Him that is converſed with, and with whom Fellowship is attained unto: there is no real Communion with him, but the reſult of it is ſome lineament of further likeneſs to him; We all (ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 3.18.) Beholding the Glory of the Lord as in a Glaſs, are changed (or transformed) into the ſame Image, from Glory to Glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord: Communion with and conformity to God have mutual influence and Reciprocall force each upon other: the more Communion with him, the more likeneſs and conformity to him, the more likeneſs to him, the more Communion with him: litle Communion with him makes litle conformity to him, and litle conformity to him cannot but be attended with litle Communion with him. Fifthly, It is a wonderful Fellowship, a fellowship that even ſometimes tranſports, in a manner, the Soul admitted to it, eſpecially in any more then Ordinary way or meaſure, into a ſort of Rapture and extaſy of Admiration at it: Thus it did David, 2 Sa. 7.18. Who (ſaith he) am I, O Lord, and what is my Fathers houſe, that thou haſt brought me hitherto? and Solomon, who being very near to God, in that Solemn prayer of his at the Dedication of the Temple, ſaith, 1 Kings 8.27. But will God indeed dwell with men on earth? and as it is, 2 Chron. 6. verſ. 18. But will God in very deed dwell with men on Earth? And indeed it is no great wonder that it be greatly wondered at, that the Infinitly great and Holy God who inhabiteth Eternity, and the High and Lofty one who dweleth in the High and Holy Place, and is ſurrounded and attended there, with an Innumerable Company of Angels, & of the Spirits & of Juſt men made Perfect, all of them shining in light and burning in zeal, none of them wearying to do him ſervice, should humble himſelf ſo far and ſtoop ſo low, ſo very low, as to dwell alſo (an Emphatick alſo) with ſinful, though humble and contrit Creatures, who dwell in Cottages of clay and whoſe habitation is in the duſt, that he who is of purer eyes then that he can behold iniquity without deteſtation and abhorrency, should yet humble himſelf not only to Behold, but with delight to dwell and keep fellowship with them, who are in a great meaſure unholy, and have ſo much of that dwelling in them, which his Soul hates; that the Glorious Perſons of the dreadful and adorable God head should come and make their abode with ſuch, in whom ſo great a Remainder of ſtinking unmortified Corruption hath ſtill its abode; that infinitly pure and perfect light should have fellowship with them in whom there is ſo much darkneſs. Sixthly, It is an eſtranging fellowship from all Idols, and what ever is diſpleaſing to God and eſtranging from him; Accordingly Ephraim being brought near to him, ſaith (Hoſ. 14. v. 8.) what have I to do any more with Idols? and the people of God ſuppoſed to be in a good Spiritual frame and near to him, ſay, Iſai. 30 22. to every Idol (which they caſt away as a menſtruous Cloth) with Indignation and abhorrency, get thee hence: and David being admitted to very near Communion with God, Pſal. 6. ſaith v. 8. To wicked men by whoſe company he might have been eſtranged from him, depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping, the Lord hath heard the voice of my Supplication: And indeed it is Highly ſuitable and congruous, that it should be ſo, for what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? and Believers are the Temple of the living God, as the Apoſtle affirms 2 Cor. 6.16. Seventhly, It is a heart quickening and reviving Fellowship; Therefore he is ſaid, Iſai. 57. verſ. 15. To dwel with him that is humble and of a contrite Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite one. Eightly, It is a heart-ſtaying, Calming and compoſing fellowship, it husheth into ſilence and drives away diſquieting, Perplexing and excruciating fears; And therefore ſaith the Pſalmiſt, when near to God, Pſal. 3.56. I laid me down and ſlept, I awaked, for the Lord ſuſtained me, I will not be afraid of ten thouſands of People that have ſet themſelves againſt me round about … and Pſal. 4 8. I will both lay me down in Peace, and ſleep, for thou Lord only makeſt me dwell in ſafety: So Pſal. 27.13, 14. Ninthly, It is a heart chearing, refreshing, and Rejoicing fellowship, the refreshing and joy that reſult from fellowship with God, do quite ſurpaſs and tranſcend the joy that the men of the world have in the enjoyment of all their earthly Pleaſures; Lift thou up (ſaith the Pſalmiſt in the name of the Godly, Pſal. 4.7. In contradiſtinction from and oppoſition to thoſe many who cry, who will ſhew us any good? debaſing, and in a manner, brutifieing themſelves, as if they had not rational and Immortal Souls capable of enjoying God the chief good, the only Object ſuited Compleatly to ſatisfie their moſt inlarged deſires) Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us, for thou haſt cauſed more joy of heart to me, (to wit, thereby) Then when their Corn and Wine abound: And Pſal. 89.16. thoſe who walk in the light of His Countenance are ſaid to Rejoice in his name all the day: Thus, when he Prays, Pſal. 43. For admisſion to fellowship with God in his publick ordinances (to which he had gone with others of his people, with the voice of joy and gladneſs, as they that kept Holy days, as he telleth us in the Preceeding Pſalm) he promiſeth in that caſe, that he will go unto the altar of God, unto God his exceeding joy, the gladneſs or joy of his joy, the very heart and Soul of his joy, or the Cream of it, as ſome tranſlations render the word; there is reality, Solidity, ſtrength and Efficacy, in that joy; it is heart-joy, while as in the very midſt of the carnal joy, jollity and mirth of natural men ariſing from the greateſt affluence of worldly pleaſures and enjoyments, their heart is ſorrowfull, as Solomon ſaith: there is no ſolidity in it, it hath not a bottom: if they would but a little retire within themſelves and ask for a reaſon of their laughter, mirth, and jollity, it would inſtantly evanish, and their hearts would die within them as ſtones; it's kept up to their deluſion and ruine, by their abſtracting from, and non-reflecting upon the unſolidity and irrelevancy of the Grounds thereof: but the more the grounds of this joy of the Godly be reflected on, conſidered and ſearched into, they are found to be the more able to bear the Higheſt Superſtructures of their joy. Tenthly, It is ſuch a fellowship, that whatever meaſure of it be attained by ſojourning Saints, It wakeneth deſires, sharpeneth appetite, and ſtirreth up kindly longings for more, and yet more of it, even till it be compleated: Thus Moſes the man of God, and his great favourite, whom he knew face to face, when admitted to very much familiar fellowship with him, and is told, that he had found Grace in his ſight, that he knew him by name, And that at his earneſt deſire his preſence ſhould go with him, Exod. 33.12, 13, 14. Yet ſaith he to the Lord, verſ. 18. I beſeech thee ſhew me thy Glory: So Holy Job Gods darling, whoſe candle ſhined on his head, by whoſe light he walked through darkneſs, and on whoſe Tabernacle the Secret of God was, Yet with much Holy longing, cryes, Chap. 23.3. Oh that I knew where I might find him, I would come even to his ſeat; and comforts himſelf amidſt all his Sorrows with the aſſured hope of the fully Satisfieing ſight and enjoyment of his Redeemer at the latter day: So likewiſe the Spouſe in the Song, who had often been brought into the Banquetting houſe, having the Banner of her beloveds love ſpread over her, whoſe left hand had lain often under her head, and whoſe right hand had em…raced her; who had often ſitten down under his shadow with great delight, and found his fruis ſweet to her taſte: whoſe Spikenard did ſend forth the ſmell thereof, while the King ſat at his Table: who had frequently found by the kiſſes of his mouth, his love to be better then Wine, and to whom he had often given his loves in the Vineyards: Yet cryes in the concluſion of that High Song, make haſte (or flee) my Beloved, and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart on the mountains of Spices: So was it alſo with David the man according to Gods heart, who had much ſweet Communion with him in his wandrings and wilderneſs condition, in Caves and Dens of the Earth, and had often ſeen his Power and his Glory in the Sanctuary: Yet pants and breaths after more fellowship with him, even as the chaſed Hart doth after the water brooks, and cryes, when shall I come and appear before God? Pſal. 42. So in like manner, was it with the Apoſtle Paul Chriſts great Minion, who beſide all the good dayes he had in diſpenſing Goſpel Ordinances, in planting and watering Churches, in converting and edifieing multitudes of Souls, in his triumphing, by making manifeſt the ſavour of Chriſts knowledge, had been raviſhed into the third Heavens, caught up into Paradiſe and heard there unſpeakable words, that were not lawful or posſible to be uttered: Yet as if he had never been with him, deſired to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt as beſt of all, and groans within himſelf, longing to be abſent from the Body and preſent with the Lord: And thus was it, finally, with John the Divine, the Beloved Diſciple, who had often lyen in his ſweet Maſters boſom, and could confidently ſay, Truly our Fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt, cloſeth his Revelations with that Holily Pasſionat deſire, Even ſo come Lord Jeſus.
Dear Friends, let it be more then ever your great work, and buſineſs, to keep your ſelves in caſe and capacity to enjoy his bleſſed company and Fellowship: And in order to this end. 1. Study to keep your ſelves through Grace as chaſt virgins to Chriſt Jeſus, as your one Husband, let him be to you as the loving Hart and Pleaſant Roe, let his embraces ſatisfie you at all times, and be ye always ravished with his love, and beware of embracing the boſom of a ſtranger, let him be to you as a bundle of Myrrhe lying all night betwixt your breaſts, be for him and not for another, ſo shall he be for and with you, reſting in his love and rejoycing over you with ſinging. 2. Touch no unclean thing, hate the very garment ſpotted with the flesh, abſtain tenderly from all appearance of evil: O defile not thoſe Temples of the living God, of the Holy Ghoſt, which Temples ye are: let no unclean thing be harboured or tolerated there, nothing that may provoke him to leave or loath his dwelling and Temple, nothing that may make his abode in them grievous, unpleaſant, lothſome, or weariſome to him. 3. Let all his Ordinances, and duties of his worship be high in your eſteem, and much commended and even endeared to your hearts, as means of Communion and fellowship with him: O be much in love with the habitation of his houſe and the place where his Honour dwels; let his Tabernacles be very Amiable to you: theſe are his haunt, and let them be yours. 4. Beware of all ſinfull dalliances with Idols, whereby the Soul is eſtranged from Communion with God, for there is no agreement betwixt the Temple of God and Idols: from love to fellowship with him and from zeal to his Glory, bid them all, with indignation, be gone, ſaying to them, what have we any more to do with Idols? and as to a menſtruous cloth, get you hence. 5. When He hides his face, withdraws his preſence, and ſuſpends you from fellowship with him, be troubled, ariſe, shake off lazineſs, ſloth and ſecurity, be Holily reſtleſs, and go the round (as it were) of all Commanded duties, till you find him, ſeek him diligently in the night watches on your bed, go forth to the ſtreets and broad places, go to the watch men, and ſeek him whom your Souls love: you will have gone but a little and you shall find him, and when you have found him, hold him and let him not go, do not awake nor raiſe him, till he pleaſe. 6. Study to be very humble, tender and contrite of heart, to be poor in Spirit, conſtantly ſenſible of your Spiritual poverty, emptineſs, wants and indigencies; and to tremble at his word; at commands, leſt they be not ſuitably obeyed; at threatnings, leſt they be executed, at promiſes, leſt you ſeem to come short of them; for it is in perſons thus qualified that he delights to dwell, and it is to ſuch that he loves to look, as is very clear, Iſai 57 15. and 66.2. 7. Love, prize, improve, and, as ye have acceſſe, ſtudy to keep up (as you Siſter in Particular are helped through Grace to do beyond many) the Communion of Saints, thoſe excellent ones of the earth, in whom, next to his own bleſſed ſelf, all your delight should be: in Communion with thoſe Saints, Communion with the King of Saints is readily attained, it being there that he Commands the Bleſſing, even life for evermore. 8. Be much in the lively exerciſe of Faith in, and of love to the Lord Jeſus; and be Spiritually preciſe, ſtrict, exact, accurate and punctual in obedience to all his Commands, from Principles of Faith and love; and Chriſt and his Father will love you and come and make their abode with you, as he promiſeth, John 14.21, 23. O! deſirable Gueſts and worthie of all posſible welcome, of all ready and cheerfull entertainment: follow hard after him, conſtantly and cloſely purſue conformity to him, and Communion with him: It is but a litle, and the conformity to him shall be compleated, and you likened Perfectly to him, according to creature capacity; and the Communion with him which is now but in Part, (as all the ſpirituall priviledges and enjoyments of the People of God, while upon earth, are) shall be fully perfected, shal be Immediat without the intervention of the Comparatively dark Glaſs of Ordinances; even to ſeeing him face to face, and as he is; and shall be eternally uninterrupted without the leaſt cloud or moments Ecclipſe; now it is a Cloud & a clear day, a ſun-blink and anone a shower, rara hora, brevis mora, a rare hour, but quickly gone; It shal not be ſo then. O deſirable and delightſome day! O ſweet, ſingularly ſweet and ſolacious day! O Rare and Ravishing day! let all other dayes paſs and haſten away, and let that Glorious day come; Even ſo come Lord Jeſus and tarry not. I am
Beloved Chriſtian Friends, and dear Siſter, Your very affectionat Friend and Seriouſly well-wiſhing Servant in the Goſpel. J. C. Feb. 4. 1685.
I heartily wish that this mite of ſervice may be acceptable to the Saints, it being not improbable, that it may be the laſt ſervice of this kind, that I shall have acceſs to do them.