And do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
And do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
And do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. - PHILIPPIANS 3:8,
MANY are mistaken in their first accounts, and therefore throw away what they would gladly take up again, when they have made a second reckoning. Such are the foolish builders, Luke 14:29. But the apostle, who first counted all loss, and then parted with them for Christ, upon a review counts them but dung or dog's meat, such things as are only fit to be cast to the dogs: and so repents not his parting with them, but takes his heart away from them all, that he may gain Christ. This was his grand object in the world, to which all things behoved to yield. And gaining Christ with the loss of all, counts himself a great gainer.
DOCTRINE I. It is the Christian's grand object in the world, and should be the grand design of every one, to win, or gain Christ.
O, my brethren! what is your grand object or design in the world? what is the great business which you have in view? No doubt it is to win something. But what is that something which you chiefly set yourselves to win? Is it to win preferment? to win an estate? a stock to yourselves, and your families to live upon, after you? To win a livelihood? Are these your grand objects in the world? I fear most of us rise no higher. These are too mean, too grovelling. I shew you a more excellent way. If you make not this your choice, you will be fools indeed.
I. I will shew you what it is to win Christ, and how we are to win him.
II. Give the reasons of the point. Let us then,
I. Shew what it is to win Christ, and how we are to win him.
To win or gain Christ, is to get him to be ours. To get an interest in him, and enjoy him. This we have always to seek till we come to heaven, where we will have the full enjoyment of him. This is that which is the grand object of some, and should be of us all. Now this winning of Christ imports, that naturally we are without Christ, Eph. 2:12. He is not ours naturally. This spiritual relation to Christ must be by the sinner's consent, who must take him for Lord and Husband, and then he is theirs. But all naturally are destitute of an interest in this blessed treasure. It imports, also, that Christ is gain. They are great gainers that get him. He is an inestimable treasure, "the treasure hid in the field." "The one pearl of great price." They are enriched for ever that have him to be theirs. Lose who will, they are gainers. The blind world see no beauty for which he is to be desired. But it is no wonder to see the most gainful bargain slighted by fools, who have a price put into their hand to get it, but have no heart for it. It imports that this gain may be got. We may have Christ for the winning. The treasure is hid in the field, they may have it that will dig for it. Christ is revealed and offered in the gospel. The door of access to him is open. The proclamation is made, "whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." It is our own fault if we want him. But they that will have him must win him ere they can get him. People must not think to sit at ease, and wait till heaven drop down into their months; or that an interest in Christ, and the enjoyment of him, will be obtained by drowsy wishes, with folded hands. No, we must lay this bargain to heart, and leave no stone unturned to make it effectual; nay, in order to win him,
1. We must work and win as labourers do. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." It will cost working, and sore working. What severer work, than that of those who dig in mines. "If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." Up then, you lazy souls, if you would have a Christ; you must put your hand to work; yea, your heart must be set to work. "Ye shall seek me and find, saith the Lord; when you shall search for me with all your heart." God gives Christ freely; but I assure you it is to labourers, not to loiterers, that gift is made. You will toil sore to win something for the body, but what are you doing to win Christ?
2. We must fight and win as soldiers. "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." If you have a mind for Christ, to come even to his seat, you must fight your way to it. "To him that overcometh," saith he, "will I give to sit with me on my throne; even as I also overcame, and as set down with my Father in his throne." Whenever a soul is on the way to Christ, the alarm is sounded in hell, and if the soul will have him, it must have him in opposition to flesh and blood, principalities and powers. You must fight your way through the white band of the world's smiles, profits, and pleasures; and refuse to be held by these silken cords, which the devil uses to keep souls from Christ; and also through the black band of temptations, doubts, fears, discouragements, that he will muster up against you; and, by all appearance, the red band too, so that it may cost you to resist unto blood, Heb. 12:4. Sometimes Satan gets plunderings, prisons, tortures, yea, and death, set up between Christ and them that would be at him; but you must fight and win, saying, in all these things, "we shall be more than conquerors, through him that loved us."
3. We must wrestle and win, as those do who strive for the mastery, Eph. 6:12–14. There will be a combat, in which you must be engaged against your own lusts, "for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." If you tamely yield, truly you will never win Christ. You must in his strength cast them down, get them nailed to his cross, and make your way over them, to the enjoyment of himself. You must cut off right hands, and pluck out right eyes, that you may win Christ.
4. We must run and win as racers do. "So run that ye may obtain." "Lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth most easily beset you, and run with patience the race set before you." There is a race proposed by the Lord, namely, the profession of the truth, and practice of holiness. The Lord Christ and his apostles opened the race, and ever since that time there have been many who engaged to run that race. But as soon as it was opened, the devil planted thorns on the race ground, kindled fires, set up gibbets, laid misery, shame, grief, poverty, and temptations of all sorts in the way. Many fell, many turned back, a great many run faintly, but all go forward that win Christ. In the world, men suppose but two fixed points, the highest and the lowest; the bodies betwixt the two are in continual motion. In the rational world, the glorified are in the highest point, the damned in the lowest. Both fixed, neither of them can go farther. We that are betwixt the two, are in motion either to heaven or hell. If we would win Christ, then, let us set our face heavenward, and run and win.
5. We must trade and win as merchants do. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." And, as spiritual merchants, we must be at pains; we must exchange and win, as they do. They that have a mind for Christ, have much business in the royal exchange of heaven. And you will say they win indeed, if you consider what they exchange with the Lord. "A new heart also," says he, "will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh." Christ takes off their rags, and gives them his robes of righteousness. He frees them from the curse, and sends them away with the blessing. You must also sell and win, as merchants do. I had occasion, on another subject, to tell you how you must sell all you have at the market of free grace, Mark 10:22, and condescended on the particulars which you are to sell. Be sure this is a gaining trade.
You must also buy and win, as merchants do. I find three things, which the spiritual merchant, who would win Christ, is this day called to buy. Precious truth. "Buy the truth, and sell it not." It can never be too dear bought; whatever people may pay for it, they are gainers. This is like to be a time for selling of the truth, and persons of Judas' trade will never be wanting, saying, "what will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you." But let men get for it what they will, they will find at length that they have made a fool's bargain, and they will be losers at the end of the day. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" A second thing you ought to buy, is precious time. "Redeeming the time," says Paul. We have had a long time of selling it, and squandering it away, though we have not enriched ourselves with the price. We have allowed our precious opportunities of communion with God to go for trifles. But buy again now, for the days are evil. That is, as the merchant who has foolishly neglected his business most of the day, plys it most eagerly when he sees the market is near a close, if by any means he may make up his former loss. So do you. The third thing you must buy, is the precious riches of Christ. "I counsel thee," says he, "to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed." His merit; that is, gold able to purchase heaven. His righteousness; raiment for your souls. His Spirit; salve for your blind eyes. It is a blessed market this. You cannot but be gainers. Here we are to "buy without money and without price." For I hope you will not count upon renouncing your own merits, righteousness and wisdom, as a price for these things. You must also export and import, as merchants do. Our trade to heaven consists much in our export to Immanuel's land. And what have we to export, but the home product of guilt, weakness, poverty and wants. But let us carry them all away to the Lord, we will gain by it, leaving them there. We must import the products of the King's country, consisting of pardons for our guilt, strength for our weakness, and fulness for our wants, and then we will gain indeed. We now proceed,
II. To give reasons of the point. It is the Christian's great object to win Christ, and should be the great object of all.
1. Because if we win Christ, we gain all. This is the shortest way to make up a stock, a treasure that will enrich us for ever, in time and eternity. He thought so who said, "one thing have I desired of the Lord; that will I seek after." So also did the wise merchant, Matth. 13:45, 46. He were a foolish man who would spend his time in making a great number of petty bargains, by which he gained but little, and would neglect a bargain that would make up for all his days, when in his offer. Thou art the man, whose great object is not to win Christ. If you win Christ, you are made up for time. "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is." What would you have for time? Would you have food and raiment? win Christ, and you shall have them. With the kingdom of God your great object, "all these things shall be added unto you." It will be a very bad time indeed, in which Christ's spouse may not promise herself food and raiment. It is not an uncertain, but sure thing: "Bread shall be given her, her water shall be sure." She wants then only a dwelling-place: well, "she shall dwell on high; yea, the Lord himself is her dwelling-place, in all generations." But some people would have land too. Then there is no such sure way to make a purchase as this, win Christ. He is Lord of all the land in the world, and the whole earth is thine in the right of thy husband, Matth. 5:5. But what will people do for money? Win Christ, and you shall not want it. "The Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver." (Hebrew,) gold; and the silver of thy strength.
OBJECTION. Yes, says the unbeliever, these are brave words, but depend upon them, and see what they will bring in to thy treasure, ANSWER. They are God's words, and his good words are better than all the world's good deeds. God gives some persons, for whom he hath no special care, their portion in their hand, and sends them away; and others, his dearest children, he gives them the good words of a promise, and keeps them at home with himself. Say now, who has the best of it, Matth. 25:34, "Ye blessed of my Father;" (Greek,) you to whom my Father hath spoken well. God's good words have always good deeds in their bosom. He will not approve of those who say to the needy, "be ye clothed, be ye fed, but give not the things that are needful for the body." And will he be found such an one himself? No, no. Many of the saints have depended upon his words, and they have been fed and clothed, and left their experience on record, Psal. 34:6–10. They have declared, that like the disciples, "they had lacked nothing." The mistake of the unbeliever is, he thinks God's bond cannot be paid, unless it be paid in cash, the very thing itself. No, God can make it out another way, and his people can say, "as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Had Moses any reason to complain, when he wanted meat forty days, when God so supported him, that he needed it not. Adam lived very well at first, when the heaven was the roof of his house, the earth his floor, the grass his seat, and the shade of trees his bed-chamber. He did not complain of the want of a house, when God was his God, and he was so provided. Stamped leather has sometimes gone for money, and they that had enough of it were even as rich as they that have the silver and gold now; and if it was as good, I hope you may allow the Almighty himself to be better than gold.
Again, thou art made up for eternity. "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." Come death when it will, thy lodging is taken up on the other side of Jordan. Thou hast won the Lord of the land to be thine, how canst thou be but welcome there? John 14:2. The law cannot lay aught to thy charge, for he has satisfied it, and thou mayest say, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live." Justice cannot apprehend thee, for the debt is paid and Christ has got up thy discharge. When the gain of other people, who are winning the world, is at an end, thy gain is but in some sort beginning to come in, but it is a gain that will tell out through the ages of eternity.
2. Because if we win not Christ, we win nothing, we lose all. We lose our souls, and where is our gain then? Matth. 16:26. Without Christ, without hope, for he is the only way to the Father, John 14:6. The wise people of the world need not boast of their winning; they are penny wise and pound foolish, win what they will, seeing they win not Christ. "Whatever they are winning, there is a thousand times more going to destruction in the meantime. Would he be a wise man that would go abroad in the harvest, and while he is winning by some little bargain, his whole crop in the meantime is shaken with the wind, and rotten with the rain. That is thy case, O man! thou art abroad winning the world, but all is going wrong at home within thy own soul. And when thou comest home to thyself, at death, or otherwise, it will be sad. Whatever you are winning, is but like children winning of their fellows, that will never make them rich, never buy meat nor clothes to them. It is money "for that which is not bread, and labour for that which satisfieth not." A thousand worlds will not purchase a pardon; a heaven to you, without which you will be miserable. It is a poor trade, where a man is not winning Christ. It will never bring him the one thing necessary, and what winning can be there?
Whatever you are winning, if you would count what you give out, as well as what you get in, you would find all your winning is worse than nothing. Count your days, your precious time, precious opportunities of grace and salvation, your precious souls laid out in winning the things of the world, but not Christ; each of which is far more precious than what you can win that way, and you will see you win nothing by the bargain, but are great losers.
USE 1. It reproves several sorts of persons; and first, those who are taken up about nothing but to win the world, utterly neglecting to win Christ, and to get an interest in him. There is little difference between such and the brutes. They work, and eat, and sleep; these are the all of the beasts, and the all of some who are worse than the beasts. They never seriously set themselves to get matters right for their souls. It were their advantage that they could die as the beasts, as they live like them.
You whose business it is to win Christ, but it is not your main business. It is but a bye-hand work with you. It is the world that is nearer your hearts than an interest in Christ, and the enjoyment of him. You walk with God at all adventures. Assure yourselves that no man will stumble upon Christ by accident, or snapper into heaven, or fall into it by guess. If you make it not your chief business, you may gain a name, but you will never win Christ.
Those who sell the truth and a good conscience, that they may get the world kept. People that will sail with every wind, and keep always on the side that is upmost in the world, are not in the way to win Christ; "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." Take heed to yourselves, our time is like to be an ensnaring time. You will be fair to lose the world and its countenance, or to lose Christ. But be you ready to let all go which you cannot hold in his own way, with his favour.
Those who will not stand to sell soul and conscience, to win something of the world, if they can but get their hands on it. They are careful for nothing but their credit, which is in hazard too, if so be they can gain some little thing in the world. It seems we have such persons among us, by the frequent complaints people are making of their losses that way, not only by picking, but stealing. May the good Lord discover them for a terror to others! O! how are people's consciences thus seared, and their hearts hardened to defy that curse, that roll of curses that God has said he will send into the house of the thief, Zech. 5:4; that bill of eternal exclusion from heaven, passed against the unrighteous, 1 Cor. 6:9, 10. Read their doom, Deut. 29:19, 20.
USE 2. I exhort you to make it your main business in the world to win Christ. Consider this is the way in which every person may win, the poor as well as the rich. It is not much the most part of us can rationally propose to win to ourselves in the world. It is difficult to win much, unless people have a good stock, and be very diligent also. But come here and win, even you that hath no money.
You have been at pains to win something of the world. Some of you have won, some of you have lost; many of you have real difficulty to win your daily bread. You have tried the one, will you not do so much as try the other also. Sirs, if you will not, your toil, sweat, and weariness, in winning the world, will be a witness against you before the Lord, that you could be at pains for other things, but at no pains for Christ.
This is the shortest way of winning. No man will choose the winning by many small bargains, when he can win all that and more by one great bargain. This is the case, win Christ and you win all. In short, it is a safe and sure way of winning. The best traders that ever carried on merchandise have lost of some bargains; but never one was a loser here. You will be sure to win if you set yourself to win Christ, and your winning will be beyond your expectation.
Lastly, It is a durable winning that can never be lost. People will be winners one year, and lose all that and more, another year; win of one bargain, and lose it again of another: but win Christ once, and you will never again lose your winning.
USE. 3. Of trial. You may see whether you be Christians or not. Try what is your grand object. Is it to win Christ, or not? You may know it by what follows.
DOCTRINE. II. They whose grand object in the world is to wia Christ, will count all but dung that comes in competition with this bargain. For explication of this, they will count,
1. Nothing too much for him, but be content to have Christ on any terms. They will say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do." Dung is a worthless thing, that nobody makes account of. They will think no pains too much for him; and they that think otherwise, never saw the worth of the pearl, Prov. 2:4, 5. They will hang on about his door, and think they speed well, if they be heard at length. They will count no cost too much. Sometimes men have a cheap religion; but it is not to be supposed that they will always get the Lord served with that which cost them nothing. It is very like that God will have a costly sacrifice of the hand of these nations; to which both his own people, and the enemies of religion and of his work, shall be obliged to contribute both of their goods and of their blood. These lands are defiled with blood. So many murderers escaping unpunished; and the blood of the saints shed in these nations remains unpurged, though it is like there may be more put to it, and the land may get blood to drink. It nearly concerns us that God hath said, "I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant." We have mixed with the nations and learned of them their ways, and justly may the Lord send the instruments of his vengeance from the places from which we have brought the atheism and profanity of the day. But cost what it will, the saints will think nothing too much, so as they win Christ.
2. Cost what it will, they will not think that they are even hands, but that they are gainers, if they can win Christ. Whatever be laid in the balance with Christ, it is but so much dung and dross for so much gold. They must lay out for Christ, lusts dear as right eyes; yea, it may be also goods, liberty, and life. The carnal world cannot see how they can hold their own with such trading, and therefore will trade no such way. But he whose grand object is to win Christ, considers it the most gainful bargain; even a hundred-fold got in, for one given out, Matth. 19:29.
3. Have what they will, they will count they have nothing, while they have not Christ. What avail barns, and coffers full of dung, to a man? What do food and clothing, riches and honour, avail to a man who sees the need and the worth of Christ? Will he not be ready to say, what wilt thou give me, if I go Christless? These things can do no more to my poor soul, than dung to my body. Could the soul dwell and feed with the swine, they would have enough, while they have dog's meat. This says, few make it their grand object to win Christ, seeing so many can live and reign as kings without him; and give them the world and their lusts, and they have the desire of their hearts.
4. Win what they will, they will count they win nothing, if they win not Christ. It is but dung they can win that way. The world thinks godly people fools, while they care not for winning, as they do. But see the world's fool's, while they lose so egregiously, yet count themselves gainers. Achan was no gainer, when he brought into his tent a wedge of gold, and a weight of wrath far heavier than the wedge. That meat is but dog's meat, that has a bone in it to stick in the throat of the eater. The open fields are better than a house in which brimstone is scattered on the habitation. Wealth, with the want of God's favour, is but dung in comparison of want, with God's good will. I am afraid there are but few who count this way.
5. Be about them what will, if Christ be not in them, they will count themselves loathsome with it all, like persons that have nothing but dung about them, Job 9:31; therefore they count wicked men vile men, Psal. 15:4. Rags, with righteousness, are more desirable to them than robes and gay apparel, where there is a naked soul. What is a throne for the body but dung, while Christ has not the throne of the heart; or riches, while men are not rich toward God.
6. Be in their way what will, to hinder them from Christ, they will shovel it out of their way as dung, rather than be kept back from Christ, Song 8:6. 7. Him they cannot want, him they must have. "Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way; take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people." They must be at Zion; and if they should cut their way through rocks and over mountains, they must be there; if a Red Sea were before them, it shall not stop them. O! how easily are the most of us kept back from Christ! Little thing will stand betwixt him and us, which we will be as loathe to cast out of our way, as if it were gold.
Lastly, If they cannot shovel it out of their way, they will tread and trample on it as dung, that they may win Christ. "Thus Levi said unto his father, and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children; for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant." The street of the New Jerusalem is laid with gold, for the citizens thereof will tread on gold, and on what is most valuable in the world, that they may get forward to God. If waters be in their way, they will pass through them; and if fires, they will walk over them, and therefore all the travellers to Zion "have their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."
USE 1. Of information. This lets us see that there are few in the world whose grand object is to win Christ; so far are they from counting that dung which comes in competition with Christ. Nay, instead of that, people are worshipping dung gods, so the original calls idols. The gods of many are no other than gods coming out of the earth. It is the earth, and what is in it, that has most of their hearts. The belly is the god of many, the world of others, for covetousness is idolatry; yea, who is the god of this world, but the devil, Beelzebub; that is, the god of dung, (Syriac.)
They are also wallowing in the mire of profanity, 2 Pet. 2:22. Mire, the word properly signifies the dung that is carried out of stables in which swine wallow. And what are these profane courses, but that which comes out of the vile stable of an unrenewed heart, Mark 7:21. And alas! many washed swine are found there, who sometimes appeared another thing than they are now.
They are loading themselves with the thick clay of the world, Hab. 2:6. Taking a complete burden of the world, pressing them so that they cannot get up their heads toward heaven. Surely these count not the world dung, or less of it would serve them. The cares of it stretch their minds like tenter hooks, and are Satan's cords binding them down to the earth, that they cannot lift up their souls to the Lord. Thus the houses of many are but dunghills, where all is for the world, nothing for God and themselves, but dung to fatten the earth, not to help to replenish heaven. Dust is their meat, for they are the serpent's seed, Isaiah 65:25. That is to say, they fetch their satisfaction from their lusts, they cannot rejoice in God, nor in the ways of holiness. These things are tasteless to them, and nothing relishes with them, but the husks of sin, which the swine of the world eat.
Finally, The worship of many is but dung and loathsome. God says to the in, "I will spread dung on your faces, even the dung of your solemu feasts." There is nothing of spirit in their worship. It is but a loathsome carcase of bodily exercise, which is good for nothing but to be cast out. They may value it themselves, for sometimes dung was valued highly, when "a fourth part of a cab of it was sold for five pieces of silver," but God abhors it. There was a gate in Jerusalem called the dung-gate, Neh. 2:13. Such may be in the church, but they will be carried out at the dung-port by death, or otherwise; and see their end, "they shall perish forever, like their own dung; they who have seen them shall say, where are they?"
USE 2. Evidence yourselves true Christians, by counting thus. There are three parts of counting, which the carnal world cannot learn, but Christians learn them at the school of Christ:
1. Counting days. "So teach us," says Moses, "to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." The carnal, when they begin to count their time, they number by years, and many years, Luke 12:19; and hence they always fool away the present time. But the Christian will count by days, and these few days short and uncertain, Gen. 47:9; and "so apply their hearts unto wisdom."
2. Counting afflictions and trials to be gainful. The carnal world can make nothing of these that is desirable, but the total of them is still grief, sorrow, and loss; they cannot see how to make more of them. But the godly are taught to count them light, momentary, and gainful; yea, "as working for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." They count them all joy, and that they are happy that endure them, James 1:2, and 5:11.
3. Counting things of this world, in competition with Christ, to their true value. The world is ever completely wrong in this counting. Here they count their mites to talents; and instead of fifty, set down an hundred. They count them ever above their worth, better than Christ and his favour. But Christians have learned to count them at another rate, all loss and dung for Christ; and I would have you count so. Consider,
1. How God accounts of them. The verdict of the Spirit concerning all is, "vanity of vanity, all is vanity." "Riches are that which is not." Agrippa's great pomp is, in the language of the Holy Ghost, much fancy, (Greek,) Acts 25:23. God is no accepter of persons. None of these tilings commend us to God, more than if we were naked and bare; the judgment of God is according to truth. Consider,
2. How you will account of them when you are going into another world, and when you are there. When death stares you in the face, and gives you a warning away from all you possess, what will you think of them then? When you are in another world, and standing before the judgment-seat of Christ, whether will grace or gold, robes or righteousness, Christ or the world, be of greatest value in your eyes?
3. Consider you will never honour Christ, and if so, he will never honour you. You will never honour him in your hearts, while you prefer every thing to him; nor in your lives, by doing much, or suffering for his cause. A man that counts not thus, is not fit for such a time as this, in which God seems to be about to put it to the trial, what men think of the world, in comparison of Christ.
Labour then to get a view of the glory, riches, and excellency of Christ, and then you will count all things but dung for him. If men knew the worth of Christ, they would think nothing too much for him.
DOCTRINE III. They are truly winners, lose what they will, that gain Christ. To confirm this point, consider,
What he is in himself. He is God, and so if he be yours, God is yours, for he is God; the Son of God begotten by the Father, by an eternal unspeakable generation, so that he has life in himself. He is man, God-man, fairer than the children of men. The human nature is united to the divine in the person of the Son, and so lies at the fountain head, as the bowl in Zechariah's candlestick.
2. Consider what he is to us:
1. Winning Christ, we gain a ransom for our souls. "He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity." If one were a slave to the Turks, what matter what he lost, if he gained a ransom for himself. We are debtors to justice, criminals in law, prisoners of Satan, bound over to the wrath of God by nature. Now the soul's redemption is precious. If we could gain the whole world, that could not ransom us, Hos. 13:14; Job 33:24.
2. Winning Christ, we gain a purchase. He not only ransoms us from the wrath of God, but purchaseth heaven to us. He gives us gold tried in the fire, to enrich us. If Christ be thine, he communicates his merit to thee for thy justification, and title to eternal life; so that it is a righteous thing for thee to get heaven, 2 Thess. 1:6, 7.
3. Winning Christ, we gain a treasure; the treasure hid in the field. Consider that whatever you can lose for Christ, if you win him, you win a treasure, when you lose but some small mite for it. Christ is a treasure for preciousness, everything in Christ is precious. When Solomon counted all that was in the world, he sets down the total in two great cyphers, vanity and vexation. And is this the prize for our sweat and cares? Why so eager on vanity, so foud of vexation. But all in Christ is precious. Is not grace, pardon, peace, precious? They were purchased with his precious blood, 1 Pet. 1:19; they are wrapped up in precious promises, 2 Pet. 1:4. O precious promises! where happiness is wrapt up in words and syllables. Eternity couched in a sentence! an eternal weight of glory in a word! Christ is also a treasure, for variety and abundance of precious things. The treasure of worldly things is soon counted. We have the inventory of it, consisting but of these three things, "the lust of the eye, the Iust of the flesh, and the pride of life." But it "hath pleased the Father, that in Christ should all fulness dwell." "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God hath laid up for them that love him." I will only tell you of the following things in it. The whole constellation of graces, each more precious than gold, of more worth than a world. The whole privileges of the saints: an eternal weight of glory. Finally, the whole Trinity. Christ is also a treasure in respect of secrecy. Hid to the unrenewed world, and even to believers in a great measure. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." But even in glory, they will never see to the end of it.
4. Winning Christ, we gain that which will turn every thing to our advantage. "All things shall work together for our good." This is the stone that turns all to gold. If we be in Christ, death shall be profitable to us as an inlet to eternal bliss; the grave, a place of rest, as God's field, where the seed sown shall spring up with increase; the wind of afflictions shall drive us more speedily to our harbour; our crosses shall be for crucifying our lusts; our losses shall be our gain to bring an hundred-fold. Thus, in a word, all things shall work for our good.
5. Winning Christ, we gain an heirship. We "become heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." More by far, than if we were heirs of the greatest monarch on earth. By this you will be heirs of the promises, young heirs of glory. Attended by angels, and duly provided for while in your minority, and at length admitted to your inheritance. Yea, all is yours.
6. There is nothing, then, which we have to lose for Christ, that is worthy to be laid in the balance with him. The loss is infinitely made up in him. What are our worldly goods, in comparison of the goodness laid up for those that are in Christ. May not the relation to Christ and his Father make up all the loss of other relations? The glorious liberty of the sons of God, make up the loss of our liberty in the world; and an eternal life, our natural life.
Lastly, It is below the honour of God to let sinners be losers at his hand. He will not be behind with his creatures. They shall have good measure, pressed down and running over. "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.
USE 1. Of information. The worldly man is penny wise and pound foolish. "He strains at a guat and swallows a camel." He will be loath to lose a sixpence, but he can let a talent of glory slip through his fingers. He watcheth a little gilded earth, lays it up securely, holds it fast in his hand, nay, in his heart; but he can let a crown, a kingdom, a heaven, a Christ go. Though it is difficult to beguile him in other things, he will be cheated out of these for a trifle, like a child. Esau was a cunning man, yet he was as easily cheated of the blessing as if he had been a fool or idiot.
2. In a time of giving out for Christ, they are not the greatest gainers that lose nothing for him. When the trial is over, and every one counts their winning, the greatest losers will be found the greatest gainers. The greatest outgiving has the greatest income, as in the parable of the talents. Alas! what is the winning of others, but that they have saved the shoe, but lost the foot; saved the cabinet, but lost the jewel; saved the body, but lost the soul; the world is gained, Christ is lost.
USE 2. Of exhortation. "Buy the truth, and sell it not." Win Christ at any rate, lose him at no rate. Remember you cannot make too dear a purchase in this point. There are three cases in which I would have you to walk by this principle,
1. When sin comes to you, like Potiphar's wife to Joseph, and offers you deadly poison in a golden dish. Now Christ and a lust are in competition. Now here is a goodly price offered you for the Lord's favour and countenance; but sell it not, for all you can make by it will not clear the cost, but it will be bitterness in the end. Now you must have him at the rate of plucking out a right eye, yet buy the truth, assure yourself it is cheap enough of all.
2. When sloth comes to you, as Peter to Christ, covering a sharp sword with words softer than oil, saying, "Master, spare thyself," what needs all this trouble about religion? What needs such bitter repenting, wrestling in prayer, watching over heart and life? What needs this exposing yourself for a sermon? Now sloth and Christ are come in competition. Here is a goodly price for Christ, a sound sleep on the sinner's soft bed, a way strewed with roses, pleasant carnal company, and a warm fireside; but sell it not so cheap: all that is not worth one smile of his face: nay, of one check from him. Take him, though at the rate of the most exquisite diligence, the most painful exercise, most difficult and grating to the flesh, and cheap enough.
3. When the enemies of Christ and his work come to you, as the chief priests to Judas, offering you thirty pieces if you will betray him; and when you are put to loss in his cause, say, like Judas to the honest woman that bestowed a box of ointment on Christ, "What needs all this waste?" Now Christ and the world are in competition. Here is a goodly price for Christ. You may keep what you have, and also get more; you shall get the world's smiles, if you will venture on his frowns. Let them guide God's house as they will, and you shall dwell in ceiled houses. Take the mark of the beast in your foreheads, or in your hands, and you shall obtain leave to buy and sell. But sell him not. The world's offer is not worth the hearing; it is but dung for gold, counters for pearls. But in such a case you cannot have him, but at the expense of the world's countenance, loss of means, and perhaps liberty and life itself, but he cannot be too dear bought.
MOTIVE. You will get all in Christ that you are seeking to win in the world, and more. If you would have a name, you shall get one, better than that of sons and daughters. Would you have honour? you shall have it. "Him that honoureth me," says God, "I will honour." Would you have gold? you shall have it. The very streets of heaven are paved with gold. Amen.