Nine Sermons, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
CHRIST, the Believer's Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption.
1 COR. i. 30.
But of him are ye in Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption
OF all the Verſes in the Book of God, this which I have now read to you is, I believe, one of the moſt comprehenſive—What glad Tidings does it bring to Believers! What precious Privileges are they herein inveſted with! How are they her… led to the Fountain of them all, I mean the Love, the everlaſting Love of God the Father—Of whom are you in Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption.
Without referring you at preſent to the … text, I ſhall from theſe Words,
… Point out to you the Fountain from … all th…ſe Bleſſing …, which the … partake of in Jeſus Chriſt—Who of … is made unto to—
Secondly, I ſhall conſider what thoſe Bleſſings … viz. Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, …anctification, and Redemption.
And, Firſt, I would point out to you, the Fountain from which all thoſe Bleſſings flow, which the Elect of God partake of in Jeſus—Who of God is made unto us, i. e. God the Father, for …e it is that is ſpoken of here—Not as tho' Jeſus Chriſt was not God as well as he—But God the Father is the Fountain of the Deity, and if we conſider Jeſus Chriſt acting as Mediator, God … Father is greater than He—There was an …ternal Contract between the Father and the Son—I have ma…e, ſays God, a Covenant with … Choſen, and I have ſworn unto David my Ser…nt, which David was a Type of Chriſt, with whom the Father made a Covenant, that if … would obey and ſuffer, and make himſelf a Sacrifi… for Sin, he ſhould ſee his Seed, he ſhould … his Day…, and the Pleaſure of the Lord ſhould … in his Hands—This Compact our Lord Jeſus to in that glorious Prayer recorded in the 17th Chapter of St. John; and therefore …he prays for, or rather demands with a full … that were given to him by the Father—… he, I will that they alſo whom th… … me, …e with me where I am—For … Reaſon the Apoſtle breaks out into praiſ… … even the Father of our Lord Jeſus … F…r he lov…d … with an everlaſting I … expreſſes it, … the … of the World—And therefore, to ſhew … to what … were beholden for their … our Lord, in the 25th of St. Matthew, … ſent …, Come ye bleſſed … the King … prepared … from the … of the … —And … Reply … M…ther of Ze…edee's Children, … ſays, … is not mine to give, but it ſhall be … them, for whom it is prepared of the Father … The Apoſtle therefore, when here ſpeaking … the Chriſtian… Privileges, le…t they ſhould ſa… fice to their own Drag, or t…ink their Salva… w… owing to their own Faithfulneſs, or I… provement of their own Free-will, reminds … to look back on the everlaſting Love of God the Father—Who of God is made unto us, &c.
Would to God this Point of Doctrine … more and People were more … of Redemption between the Father … the Son, we ſhould then not have ſo much diſputing againſt the Doctrine of Election, or hea… … condemned …even by good Men) as a Doctrine of Devils—For my own Part, I canno… ſee how true Humbleneſs of Mind can be attained without a Knowledge of it—And tho… I will not ſay, that every one who denies Election is a …ad Man, yet I will ſay, with … Sweet Singer, Mr. Trail, it is a very bad … Such a one, whoever he be, I think … know …—For if we deny Electio… … muſt ſay▪ what we will) partly at leaſt, … ourſelves for ſuffering Chriſt to redeem and ſave us—But our Redemption is ſo ordered, that no Fleſh ſhould glory in the Divine Preſence—And hence it is that the Pride of Man oppoſes this Doctrine, becauſe according to this Doctrine, and no other, he that glories, muſt glory only in the Lord—But what ſhall I ſay? Election is a Myſtery that ſhines with ſuch reſplendent Brightneſs, that, to make uſe of the Words of one, who has drank deeply of Electing Love, it dazzles the weak Eyes even of ſome of God's dear Children—However, tho' they know it not, all the Bleſſings they receive, all the Priviledges they do or will enjoy, thro' Jeſus Chriſt▪ flow from the everlaſting Love of God the Father—But of him are you in Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption.
What theſe Bleſſings are, which are hope through Chriſt made over to the Elect, I come in the next Place to conſider.
And, Firſt, Chriſt is made to them Wiſdom▪ But wherein does true Wiſdom conſiſt? … Was I to aſk ſome of you, perhaps you would ſay, in indulging the Luſt of the Fleſh, and … to your Souls, Eat, Drink, and be me…y—But …his i… only the Wiſdom of Brutes—They have as good a Gu…t and Reliſh for … P…eaſures▪ the great…t Epicure on the …—Others▪ … tell me true Wiſdom conſi…ed in adding … Houſe, and Field to Field, and … and … their own Names—But this … Wiſdom—For Riches often take themſelves Wings, and fly away, like an Eagle towards Heaven—Even Wiſdom itſelf aſſures us, that a Man's Life doth not conſiſt in the Abundance of the Things which he poſſeſſes—Vanity, Vanity, all theſe Things are Vanity—For if Riches leave not the Owner, the Owners muſt ſoon leave them—For rich Men muſt alſo die, and leave their Riches for others. Their Riches cannot procure them a Redemption from the Grave, whither we are all haſtening apace—But perhaps you deſpiſe Riches and Pleaſure, and therefore place Wiſdom in the Knowledge of Books—But it is poſſible for you to tell the Numbers of the Stars, and call them all by their Names, and yet …e mere Fools—Learned Men are not always wiſe—Nay, our common Learning, ſo much cried up, … Men only ſo many accompliſhed Fools—To keep you therefore no longer in Suſpence, and withal to humble you, I will ſend you to an Heathen to School, to learn what true Wiſdom is—"Know thyſelf," was a Saying of one of the wiſe Men of Greece—This is certainly true Wiſdom, and this is that Wiſdom ſpoken of in the Text, and which Jeſus Chriſt is made to all Elect Sinners—They are made to know themſelves; ſo as not to think more highly of themſelves than they ought to think—Before they were Darkneſs, now they are Light in the Lord, and in that Light they ſee their own Darkneſs—They now bewail that … by Nature, dead in … Sons and Heirs of Hell, … Wrath—They now ſee that all … … are but as filthy Rags, that there is no Health in their Souls, that they are poor and miſerable, blind and naked, and that there is no Name given under Heaven, whereby they can … ſave…, but that of Jeſus Chriſt—They ſee the Neceſſity of cloſing with a Saviour, and the Wiſdom of God in appointing him to be a Saviour—They are alſo made willing to accept of Salvation upon our Lord's own Terms, and to receive him as their All in All—Thus Chriſt is made to them Wiſdom.
Secondly, Righteouſneſs—Who of God is made unto us, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs—i. e. Chriſt … whole perſonal Righteouſneſs is made over to▪ and accounted theirs—Being enabled to lay hold on Chriſt by Faith, God the Father blots out their Tranſgreſſions, as with a thick Cloud, their Sins, their Iniquities, he remembers no more—They are made the Righteouſneſs of God in Chriſt Jeſus, who is the End of the Law for Righteouſneſs to every one that believeth—In one Senſe, now God …ees no Sin in them—The whole Covenant of Works is fulfilled … them—They are actually juſtified, acquir… and looked upon … Righteous in the Sight of God—They are perfectly accepted in the Beloved—They are compleat in him—The flaming Sword of God's Wrath, which before moved every Way, is now removed, and fr…e▪ Acceſs given to the Tree of Life—They are enabled now to reach out the Arm of Faith, and pluck and live for evermore—Hence it is that the Apoſtle, under a Senſe of this▪ bleſſed Privilege, breaks out into this triumphant … guage—It is Chriſt that juſtified, who … condemns me? Does Sin condemn? Chriſt… Righteouſneſs delivers Believers from the … of it—Chriſt is their Jeſus, their Saviour. … is become a Pr…pitiation for their Sins—… therefore ſhall lay any thing to the Charge … God's Elect? Does the Law condemn?—By having Chriſt's Righteouſneſs imputed to them, they are dead to the Law, as a Covenant … Works. Chriſt has fulfilled it for them, and in their Stead—Does Death threaten them? They need not …ear—The Sting of Death is Sin, the Strength of Sin is the Law; but God … given them Victory, by imputing to them the Righteouſneſs of the Lord Jeſus.
And what a Privilege is here! Well might the Angels at the Birth of Chriſt ſay to the humble Shepherds, "Behold I bring you glad … Trdings of great Joy." For unto you that believe in Chriſt, a Saviour is born. And well may they rejoice at the Converſion of poor Sinners … the Lord is their Righteouſneſs—… Peace with God, through Faith in … Blood, and ſhall never enter into Condemnation—Oh, Believer… (for this Diſcourſe … in a ſpecial Manner for you) Li…t … your Heads—Rejoice in the Lord always, … I ſay rejoice—Chriſt is made to you of … …ighteouſneſs▪ What then ſhould you … are made the Righteouſneſs of God … may be called The Lord our Righteouſneſs—… what then ſhould you be …? What ſhall ſeparate you henceforward from the Love of Chriſt? Shall Tribulation, or Diſtreſs, or Perſecution, or Famine, or Nakedneſs, or Peril, or Sword? No, I am perſwaded neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor Things preſent, nor Things to come, nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other Creature, ſhall be able to ſeparate you from the Love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, who of God is made unto you Righteouſneſs—
This is a glorious Privilege—But this is only the Beginning of the Happineſs of Believers—Chriſt is not only made to them Righteouſneſs but Sanctification.—By Sanctification, I do … mean a bare hypocritical Attendance on outwar… Ordinances (tho' rightly-inform'd Chriſtians will think it their Duty and Privilege, conſtantly … attend on all outward Ordinances,) Nor do▪ mean by Sanctification, a bare outward Reformation, and a few tranſient Convictions, or a little legal Sorrow.—For all this an unſanctif… Man may have—But by Sanctification, I … a total Renovation of the whole Man.—By … Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, Believers become … gally, by Sanctification, they are made … alive—By one they are entitled to … made meet for Glory.—They … therefore throughout, in Spirit, …
Their Underſtandings, which … become Light in the Lords … contrary to, now become … of God—Their Affections are … Things above—Their Memory … with divine Things—Their natural Conſciences are now enlightened—Their Members, which were before Inſtruments of Uncleanneſs, of Iniquity, unto Iniquity, are now Inſtruments of Righteouſneſs & true Holineſs.—In ſhort, they are new Creatures—Old Things are paſſed away, all Things are become new in their Hearts—Sin has now no longer Dominion over them.—They are freed from the Power, tho' not the In-dwelling and Being of it—They are holy both in Heart and Life, even in all Manner of Converſation—They are made Partakers of a Divine Nature—And from Jeſus Chriſt they receive Grace for Grace; and every Grace that is in Chriſt, is copied and tranſcribed into their Souls—They are transformed into his Likeneſs—He is formed within them—They dwell in him, and he in them They are led by, and bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit—They know that Chriſt is their Emanuel, God with and in them—They are living Temples of the Holy Ghoſt—And …erefore being a holy Habitation unto the Lord, the whole Trinity dwells and walks in them. Even here, they ſit together with Chriſt in heavenly Places, and are vitally united to him their H…d, by a living Faith—Their Redeemer, their Maker is their Huſband—They are Fleſh of his … of his Bone—They talk, they walk … him, as a Man talketh and walketh with … Friend.—In ſhort, they are one with Chriſt … as Jeſus Chriſt and the Father are …
Thus is Chriſt made to Believers Sanctifica…, And Oh, what a Privilege is this … To be changed from Beaſts into Saints, from a deviliſh … a divine Nature—To be thus tranſlated from … Kingdom of Satan, into the Kingdom of … dear Son!—To put off the old Man …hich is corrupt, and thus to put on the New Man, which is created after God in Righteouſneſs and true Holineſs—Oh, what an unſpeakable Bleſſing is this! I almoſt ſtand amazed at the Contemplation of it—Well might the Apoſtle exhort Believers to rejoice in the Lord. Indeed they have Reaſon always to rejoice, yea, to rejoice in their Beds—For the Kingdom of God is in them. They are changed from Glory to Glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord—Well may this be a Myſtery to the natural, for it is a Myſtery even to the ſpiritual Man himſelf—A Myſtery which he cannot fathom.—Does it not often dazzle your Eyes, O ye Children of God, to look at your own Brightneſs, when the Candle of the Lord ſhines out, and your Redeemer lifts up the Light of his bleſſed Countenance upon your Souls?—Are not you aſtoniſhed, when you feel the Love of God ſhed abroad in your Hearts abundantly by the Holy Ghoſt and God holds out the Golden Scepter of his Mercy, and bids you aſk what you will, and … ſhall be given you?—Does not that Peace … God, which keeps and rules … Hearts, ſurpaſ… the utmoſt Limits of your underſtandings? … And is not the Joy you feel unſpeakable? Is … not full of Glory? I am perſuaded it is, and … your ſecret Communion, when the Lord … in upon your Souls, you are as it were ſwallow up in, or▪ to uſe the Apoſtle's Phraſe, filled with all the Fulneſs of God—Are not you ready to cry out with Solomon, And will the Lord … thus with Men! How is it that we ſhould … thy Sons and Daughters, O Lord Almighty!
If you are Children of God, and know what it is to have Fellowſhip with the Father and the Son—If you walk by Faith, and not by Sight—I am aſſured this is frequently the Language of your Hearts.
But look forward, and ſee an unbounded Proſpect of eternal Happineſs lying before thee, O Believer▪ What thou haſt already received, are only the firſt Fruits, like the Cluſter of Grapes, brought out of the Land of Canaan—Only an Earneſt & Pledge of yet infinitely better Things to come—The Harveſt is yet … Thy Grace is hereafter to be ſwallowed up … Glory—Thy great Joſhua, thy great High Prieſt, ſhall adminiſter an abundant Entrance unto thee, into the Land of Promiſe, that Reſt which awaits the Children of God—For Chriſt is not only made to Believers, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, and Sanctification, but alſo Redemption.
… before we enter upon the Explanation and Contemplation of this Privilege, from what has been ſaid, we may, Firſt▪ Learn the great Miſtake of Archbiſhop Til…otſon, and Writers of his Stamp, who notwithſtanding they talk of Sanctification and …ward Holineſs (as indeed ſometimes they do, tho' in a very looſe and ſo per…cial Manner) yet they generally make … whereas they ſhould conſider it as … … of our Juſtification.—Of whom are ye Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us, Wiſ…, Righteouſneſs, and then Sanctification—For … Righteouſneſs, … that which Chriſt has … Stead without us, is the ſole Cauſe of our Acceptance in the Sight of God, and of … Holineſs wrought in …s—To this, and not … the Light within, or any thing wrought with…, ſhould poor Sinners ſeek for Juſtification in the Sight of God—For the Sake of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs alone, and not any Thing wro…t … us, does God look favourably upon us—Our Sanctification at beſt in this Life is not compleat. Tho' we are delivered from the Power, we are not freed from the In-being of Sin.—But not only the Dominion, but the In-being of Sin▪ forbidden by the perfect Law of God—… is not ſaid, Thou ſhalt not give Way to … ▪ thou ſhalt not …ſt—So that whilſt the Principle of Luſt remains in the leaſt Degree in our Hearts, tho' we are otherwiſe never ſo holy, yet we cannot, or Account of that, hope for Acceptance with God—We muſt firſt therefore look for a Righteouſneſs without us, even the Righteouſneſs of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt—For this Reaſon the Apoſtle mentions it, and puts it before Sanctification … the Words of the Text. And whoſoever teach… … Doctrine, … not preach the Truth … Secondly▪ From hence alſo the … and formed Hypocrites may be … who talk of Chriſt without, but know nothing … of a Work of Sanctification … within them—Whatever they may preten… ſince Chriſt is not in them, the Lord is not the Righteouſneſs, and they have no well-ground Hope of Glory—For tho▪ Sanctification … the Cauſe, yet it … the Effect of our Acceptance with God—Who of God is made unto us Righteouſneſs and Sanctification.—He therefore that really in Chriſt, is a new Creature—It's not … ing back to a Covenant of Works, to look … our Hearts, and ſeeing that they are changed … renewed, from thence form a comfortable … well-grounded Aſſurance of the Safety of … States—No, this is what we are directed to … Scripture.—By our bringing …orth the Fruit…, we are to judge whether or no we ever did truly partake of the Spirit of God—We know, ſays St. John, that we are paſſed from Death unto Life becauſe we love the Brethren—And however we may talk of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, and exclaim againſt legal Preachers; yet, if we are not … in Heart and Life, if we are not ſanctified and renewed by the Spirit in our Minds, we are Self deceivers, we are only formal Hypocrites—For we muſt not put a…nder what God has joined together—We muſt keep the Medium between the two Extremes—Nor in…t ſo much on the one Hand upon Chriſt without, as to exclude Chriſt … Evidence of our being his, and as a Prepa…tion for future Happineſs; … on the other Hand, ſo depend on inherent Righteouſneſs or Holineſs wrought in us, as to exclude the Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt without us.
But let us go on, and take a View of the … Link▪ or rather the End of the Believe… … Chain of Privileges—But we muſt look … hi…h; for the Top of it, like J…cob's Lad…, reaches Heaven, where all Believers will … drawn up, and placed at the Right-hand of God—Who of God is made unto us, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption.
This is a Golden Chain indeed!—And, what … beſt of all, not one Link can ever be broken …der from another. And was there no other … in the Book of God, this ſingle one ſuffi…ntly proves the final Perſeverance of true Be… …—For never did God yet juſtify a Man, wh…m he did not ſanctify; nor ſanctify one, whom he did not compl…a…ly redeem and glorify—No, as for God, his Way, his Work is …—He always carried on and finiſhed the Work he begun—Thus it was in the firſt, ſo it … the new C…eation—When God ſays, Le… … be Light, there is Light, that ſhines more and more unto the perfect Day, when Believers enter into their eternal Reſt, as God entered into his—Thoſe whom God has juſtified, he has in effect glorified—For as a Man's Worth… neſs was not the Cauſe of God's giving him Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, ſo neither ſhall his Unworthineſs be a C…aſe of his taking it away—God's Gifts & Callings are without Repentance
And I cannot think they are clear in the No… of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, who deny the final …ſeverance of the Saints—I fear they under…nd Juſtification in that low Senſe, which I underſtood it in a few Years ago, as implyi… … than Remiſſion of Sins—But it not … ſignifies Remiſſion of Sins paſt, but alſo a … Right to all good Things to come—If God … given us his only Son, how ſhall he not with … freely give us all Things? Therefore the Apoſtle, after he ſays, who of God is made unto … Righteouſneſs, does not ſay, perhaps he may be made to us Sanctification and Redemption. But he is made—For there is an eternal indiſſoluble Connection between theſe bleſſed Privileges.—As the Obedience of Chriſt is imputed to Believers, ſo his Perſeverance in that Obedience i… to be imputed to them alſo—And it argue great Ignorance of the Covenant of Grace and Redemption to object againſt it—
But to return—
By the Word Redemption, we are to underſtand, not only a compleat Delivery from all Evil, but alſo a full Enjoyment of all Good both in Body and S…ul—I ſay both in Body and Soul—For the Lord is for the Body—The Bodies of the Saints in this Life are Temples of the Holy Ghoſt—God makes a Covenant with the Duſt of Believers—After Death, tho' Worms deſtroy them, yet even in their Fleſh ſhall they hereafter ſee God—I fear indeed there are ſome Sad…s in our Days, or at leaſt Hereticks, who ſay either that there is no Reſurrection of the Body, or that the Reſurrection is paſt already namely in our Regeneration—Hence it is, … our Lord's Coming in the Fleſh, at the Day … Judgment, is denied, and conſequently we … throw aſide the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper For w…y ſhould we remember the Lord's Death till he comes to Judgment, when he is already …me to judge our Hearts, and will not come a ſecond Time?—But all this is only the Reaſon…g of unlearned, unſtable Men, who certainly …ow not what they ſay, nor whereof they affirm—That we muſt follow our Lord in the Regeneration, and be Partakers of a New Birth, that Chriſt muſt come into our Hearts, we freely confeſs, and we hope, when ſpeaking of thoſe Things, we ſpeak no more than what we know and feel—But then it is plain, that Jeſus Chriſt will come hereafter to Judgment, and that he aſcended into Heaven with the Body which he had … on Earth—For ſays he, after his Reſurrection, handle, me, and ſee, a Spirit has not Fleſh and Bones, as you ſee me have. And it is plain, that Chriſt's Reſurrection was an Earneſt of ours—For ſays the Apoſtle, Chriſt is riſen from the Dead, and become the firſt Fruits of them that …pt—And as in Adam all die, and are ſubject to Mortality, ſo all that are in Chriſt, the ſecond Adam, who repreſented Believers, as thou f…ederal Head, ſhall certainly be made alive, that is, riſe again with their Bodies at the laſt Day.
Here then, O Believers! is one, tho' the loweſt Degree of that Redemption, which you are to be Partakers of hereafter—I mean the Redemption of your Bodies—For this Corruptible muſt put on Incorruption, this Mortal muſt put … Immortality—Your Bodies as well as Souls were given to Jeſus Chriſt by the Father—They have been Companions in Watching, and Faſting▪ and Praying—Your Bodies therefore, as well as Souls, ſhall Jeſus Chriſt raiſe up at the laſt Day—Fear not therefore, O Believers, to look into the Grave—For to you it is no other than a conſecrated Dormitory, where your Bodies ſhall ſleep quietly till the Morning of the Reſurrection—When the Voice of the Archangel ſhall ſound, and the Trump of God give the general Alarm, Ariſe ye Dead, and come to Judgment, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, ſhall give up your ſcattered Atoms, and both in Body and Soul ſhall you be ever with the Lord—I doubt not but many of you are groaning under crazy Carcaſſes, and complain often that the mortal Body weight down the immortal Soul—At leaſt this is my Caſe—But let us have a little Patience, and we ſhall be delivered from our earthly Priſons—'Ere it be long theſe Tabernacles of Clay ſhall be diſſolved, and we ſhall be cloathed with our Houſe, which is from Heaven—Hereafter our Bodies ſhall be ſpiritualized, and ſhall be ſo far from hindring our Souls through Weakneſs, that they ſhall become ſtrong—So ſtrong, as to bear up under an exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory—Others again may have deformed Bodies, emaciated with Sickneſs, and worn out with Labour and Age—But wait a little, till your bleſſed Change by Death comes—Then your Bodies ſhall be renewed and made glorious, like unto Chriſt's glorious Body; of which we may form ſome faint Idea, from the Account given us of our Lord's Transfiguration on the Mount, when it is ſaid. His Raiment became …igh and gli…tering, and his Face brighter than …e Sun—Well then may a Believer break out …to the Apoſtle's triumphant Language,—O …ath, where is thy Sting!—O Grave, where is t…y Victory!
But what is the Redemption of the Body, in Compariſon of the Redemption of the better Part, our Souls?—I muſt therefore ſay to you Believers, as the Angel ſaid to John—Come up higher; and let us take as clear a View as we can at ſuch a Diſtance, of the Redemption Chriſt has purchaſed for, and will ſhortly put you in actual Poſſeſſion of—Already you are juſtified, already you are ſanctified, & thereby freed from the Guilt and Dominion of Sin—But, as I obſerved before, the Being and In-dwelling of Sin yet remains in you—God ſees it proper to leave ſome Amalekites in the Land, to keep his Iſrael in Action—The moſt perfect Chriſtian, I am perſuaded, muſt agree according to one of our Articles, that the Corruption of Nature remains even in the Regenerate; that the Fleſh luſteth always againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the Fleſh So that Believers cannot Things for God with that Perfection they deſire—This grieves their righteous Souls Day by Day—And with the holy Apoſtle makes them to cry out, Who ſhall deliver us from the Body of this Death! I thank God, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, but not compleatly before the Day of our Diſſolution. Then will the very Being of Sin be deſtroyed, and an eternal Stop put to …, indwelling Corruption. And is not this a great Redemption I am ſure Believers eſteem it ſo—For there is nothing grieves the Heart of a … of God ſo much, as the Remains of indwelling Sin—Again, Believers are often in He…ineſs through manifold Temptations—God … that it is needful and good for them ſo to be. And tho' they may be highly favoured, and wr…pt up in Communion with God, even to the third Heavens, yet a Meſſenger of Satan is often ſent to buffet them, l…ſt they ſhould be puffed up with the Abundance of Revelations—But …e not weary, Be not faint in your Minds—The Time of your compleat Redemption draw…th nigh—In Heaven the wicked One ſhall ceaſe from troubling you, and your weary Souls ſhall enjoy an everlaſting Reſt—His fiery Darts cannot reach thoſe bliſsful Reg…us—Satan will never come any more to appear with, diſturb, or accuſe the Sons of God, when once the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhuts the Door—Your righteous Souls are now grieved, Day by Day, at the ungodly Converſation of the Wicked—Ta…es now grow up among the Wheat—Wolves come in Sheeps Cloathing—But the Redemption ſpoken of in the Text will free your Souls from all Anxiety on theſe Accounts—Hereafter you ſhall enjoy a perfect Communion of Saints—Nothing that is unholy or unſanctified ſhall enter into the Holy of Holies, which is prepared for you above—This, and all Manner of Evil whatſoever, you ſhall be delivered from when your Redemption is hereafter made compleat in Heaven—Not only ſo, but you ſhall enter into the full Enjoyment of all Good—It's true▪ all Saints will not have the ſame Degree of Happineſs, but all will be as happy as their Hearts can hold—Believers, you ſhall judge Evil, and familiarly converſe with good Ang…s—You ſhall ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac, Jacob, and all the Spirits of juſt Men made perfect—And to ſum up all your Happineſs, in one Word, you ſhall ſee God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt—And by ſeeing …, be more and more like him, and paſs from Glory to Glory, even to all Eternity.
But I muſt ſtop—The Glories of the upper World crowd in ſo faſt upon my Soul, that I am l…ſt in the Contemplation of them.—Brethren, the Redemption ſpoken of is unutterable; we cannot here find it out—Eye hath not ſeen, nor Ear heard, nor has it entered into the Hearts of the moſt holy Men living, to conceive how great it is. Was I to entertain you whole Ages with an Account of it, when you come to Heaven, you m…ſt ſay with Sheba, Not Half, no, not one Thouſandth Part was told us. All we can do here, is to go upon Mount Piſgah, and by … Eye of Faith, take a diſtant View of the promiſed Land—We may ſee it, as Abraham did Chriſt, afar off and rejoice in it, but here we only know in part—Bleſſed be God, there is a Time coming, when we ſhall know God, even as we are known, & God be all in all. Lord Jeſus▪ accompliſh the Number of thine Elect! Lord … thy Kingdom.
And now, where are the Scoffers of theſe laſt Days, who count the Lives of Chriſtians Madneſs, and their End to be without Honour? Unhappy Men! you know not what you do. Were your Eyes open, and had you Senſes to diſcern … Things, you would not ſpeak all Manner of Evil againſt the Children of God, but you would eſteem them as the excellent Ones of the Earth, and envy their Happineſs: Your Souls would hunger and thirſt after it—You alſo would become Fools for Chriſt's Sake—You boaſt of Wiſdom; ſo did the Philoſophers of Corinth▪ But your Wiſdom is the Fooliſhneſs of Folly in the Sight of God. What will your Wiſdom avail you, if it does not make you wiſe unto Salvation? Can you, with all your Wiſdom, propoſe a more conſiſtent Scheme to build your Hopes of Salvation on, than what has been now laid down before you?—Can you, with all the Strength of natural Reaſon, find out a better Way of Acceptance with God, than by the Righteouſneſs of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? Is it right to think your own Works can in any Meaſure deſerve or procure it? If not, Why will you not believe in him? Why will you not ſubmit to his Righteouſneſs? Can you deny that you are fallen Creatures? Do not you find that you are full of Diſorders, and that theſe Diſorders make you unhappy? Do not you find that you cannot change your own Hearts? Have you not reſolved many and many a Time, and have not your Corruptions yet Dominion over you? Are you not Bond-Slaves to your …, and led Captive by the Devil at his Will? Wh… th…n will you not come to Chriſt for …? Do you not deſire to die the … Righteous, and … your … like theirs? I am perſuaded … Thoughts of being annihil…ed, much leſs of being miſerable for ever. Whatever you may pretend, if you ſpeak Truth, you muſt confeſs, that Conſcience …reaks in upon you in your more ſ…ber Intervals whether you will or not, and even conſtrains … to believe that Hell is no painted Fire—And why then will you not come to Chriſt? He alone can procure you everlaſting Redemption—Haſte, haſte away to him, poor beguiled Sinners—You lack Wiſdom—Aſk it of Chriſt, who knows but he may give it you? He is able▪ For He is the Wiſdom of the Father—He is that Wiſdom which was from Everlaſting. You have no Righteouſneſs, away to Chriſt—He is the End of the Law for Righteouſneſs to every one that believeth—You are unholy—Fly to the Lord Jeſus—He is full of Grace and Truth, and of his Fulneſs all may receive that believe in him—You are afraid to die—Let this drive you to Chriſt, He has the Keys of Death and Hell—In him is plenteous Redemption—He alone can open the Door which leads to everlaſting Life—Let not therefore the deceived Reaſoner boaſt any longer of his pretended Reaſon—Whatever you may …, it is the moſt unreaſonable Thing in the World, not to believe on Jeſus Chriſt, whom God hath ſent—Why, why will you die? Why will you not come unto him, that you may have Life? Ho, every one that thirſteth▪ come unto the Waters of Life and drink freely—Come buy without Money and without Price—Were theſe bleſſed Privileges in the Text to be purchaſed by Money, you might ſay, we are poor and cannot buy—Or were they to be conferr'd only on Sinners of ſuch a Rank or Degree, then you might ſay, how can ſuch Sinners as we expect to be ſo highly favoured? But they are to be freely given of God to the worſt of Sinners—To us, ſays the Apoſtle—To me a Perſecutor, to you Corinthians, who were Unclean, Drunkards, covetous Perſons, Idolaters—Therefore each poor Sinner may ſay then, Why not unto me? Has Chriſt but one Bleſſing? What if he has ble…ed Millions, by turning them from their Iniquities, yet he ſtill continues the ſame—He lives for ever to make Interceſſion, and therefore will bleſs you, even you alſo▪ tho' Eſau like, you have been prophane, and hitherto deſpiſed your heavenly Father's Birth-right—Even now, if you believe, Chriſt will be made to you of God, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption.
But I muſt turn again to Believers, for whoſe Inſtruction, as I obſerved before, this Diſcourſe was particularly intended—You ſee Brethren, Partakers of the heavenly Calling, what great Bleſſings are treaſured up for you in Jeſus Chriſt your Head, and what you are entitled to by believing on his Name—Take heed therefore, that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye … called—Think often how highly you are …, and remember you have not choſen …, but Chriſt hath choſen you. Put on (as … of God) H…mbleneſs of Mind, and …, but Oh, let it be only …n the Lord—For … have nothing but what you have received or … ▪ By Nature ye were as fooliſh, as legal, …, and in …s damnable a Condition as …—Be pitiful therefore, be courteous, and Sanctification is a progreſſive Work, beware … thinking you have already attained.—Let him … is holy, be holy ſtill▪ knowing that he who … m…ſt pure in Heart, ſhall hereafter enjoy the cleareſt Viſion of God—Let indwelling Sin be your daily Burthen, and not only bewail and lament, but ſee that you ſubdue it daily by the Power of Divine Grace, and look up to Jeſus continually to be the Finiſher, as well as Author of your Faith—Build not on your own Faithfulneſs, but on God's Unchangeableneſs—Take Heed of thinking you ſtand by the Power of your own Free-will—The everlaſting Love of God the Father muſt be your only Hope and Conſolation—Let this ſupport you under all Trials—Remember that God's Gifts and Callings are without Repentance—That Chriſt having once loved you, will have you to the End—Let this conſtrain …u to Obedience, and make you long and look for that bleſſed Time, when he ſhall not only be your Wiſdom, and Righteouſneſs▪ and Sanctification, but alſo compleat and everlaſting Redemption.
Glory be to God in the Higheſt.