Section 24
(3.) Upon the account of their honourable relations wherein they stand. He that is himself in honour reflects honour upon all that are related to him. Now what are the relations of true believers ?
They are all the children of God; and how, bat by faith in Jesus Christ? Gal. iii. 16. John i. 12. And is not that a high honour? We honour the children of great men for their honourable parents* sake ; and is there not reason then that we should honour true believers, that are the sons and daughters of God Almighty ? They are honourable by birth, not the first, but the second, both by father and mother. Gal. iv. 26. Amongst men some have one that have not the other; but we have both.
To be a servant, even the meanest, to men of honour, carries honour in it Then believers are honourable, for they are the King of heaven's servants, by their own choice and by his acceptance, Ps. cxvi. 16.
Nay; they are his friends, admitted to his secrets, acquainted with his counsels, John xv. 15. As Hushai was a friend to David, 2 Sam. xv. 37. Zabud to Soldmon*l Kings iv. 5. Sir Fulk Grevil had inscribed on his tomb—Servant to Queen Elizabeth, and friend to Sir Philip Sydney.
(4.) Some are made honourable by marriage;—the wife by the husband. Then all true believers are honourable, for they are all, and each of them, espoused to the Lord Jesus, and his honour is their honour, 2 Cor. xi. 2. Read Ps. xlv. which is the nuptial song.
(5.) Some are honourable on account of their WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. inourable hopes. Yoang heirs arehonoared for their boritance sake, though as yet under age. Then all lie believers ought to be honoured, for they are all ;irs, not of an earthly, but a heavenly, inheritance; sirs of heaven, nay roore» heirs of God. God him-ilf is their inheritance, and higher we cannot go, om. viii. 17. Their honourable attendants are e angels, Heb. i. 14. nay, the Son himself, Luke ii. 37.
(6.) Some are honourable on account of their ho->urable offices and employments. Rev. i. 6.—kings id priests ; so he makes them.
(7.) Others are honourable on account of their >nourable name, James ii. 7. The word Christian from Christ: all this honour have all his saints, s. cxlix. 9.
II. What kind of honour is it that true believers ave from Jesus Christ ? It hath these properties.
1. It is real honour. Other honours are but a ladow, a dream, a fancy. This hath substance in , Prov. viii. 21. As the riches of a believer are jbstantial riches, not things that are not, Prov. xiii. 5.—^so the honours of a believer are substan-al honours. God doth really and truly honour uch ; so doth the blessed Jesus ; so do the angels.
2. It is righteous honour. Other honours which le honourable men of the earth have, are often-mes unrighteous—unjustly given, and unjustly iken; when they that have them do not deserve to ave them. But here it is deserved; not, as we said eforc, at the hands of God—we can merit nothing, at at the hands of men it is, 2 Sam. vi. 22.
3. It is heavenly honour. Other honours are from telow, this is from above ; other honours are upon arthly accounts, this upon heavenly. The birth of . believer is heavenly, his endowments heavenly; le is heaven-bom, and heaven-bred. His inherits nee is in heaven hereafter; his conversation is here now. Therefore if it were asked—Is it from leaven, or of men? Luke xx. 4. you may answer, IS to this honour—From both ; but principally and originally from heaven.
4. It is harmless honour. Other honours often lart those that have them, puff them up with pride, aake them haughty and high-minded, as Haman, >at so doth not this. Paul, to whom Christ was nore an honour than to any other, was humble, ^ho was more humble than he, more low and mean n his own eyes? Eph. iii. 8. 2 Cor. xii. 11.
5. It is unsought honour. What endeavours are there to obtain other honours; what struggling and driving; what cringing and courting; what bribing md waiting. But here it is not so. This honour s truly like our shadow, it follows those that, in the «ense of their own unworthiness, fly from it, and it [lies from those that, in pride of heart, are ambitious 3f it. Matt XX. 20—28. Ezek. xvi. 6.
6. It is unfading honour. It is honour that lasts. it is lasting, everlasting. We have known divers that for a time have been in geat honour, upon the very topmost pinnacle of honour, and by and by in disgrace and dishonour, hooted at; but it is not so here. As be loves to ihe end, John xiii. 1. so be will honour to the end; not only to the end of time, but to an endless eternity; for ever and ever. We shall never fall from this honour. III. What may we learn from this subject ?
1. We learn what to think of the great and glorious Majesty of heaven and earth. His name, and his Son's name, is certainly, upon this account, to be admired and adored by us, and by all his creatures, angels and men. For what? For his infinite love and free grace, in condescending in this manner to a remnant of Adam's seed, so as to put all this honour upon them. We have cause to say, as David, *' O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained: what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him ? O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Ps. viii. 1, 3,4,9. Or, as the same David elsewhere, with reference to the honour done unto himself, in his advancement to the kingdom, ** Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto," 2 Sam. vii. 18. Especially may those say so, who themselves are made partakers of this honour, who are received into the family of God, who are made his servants, his friends, his children, though so mean, so vile. Lord, what am I, or what is my father's house ?
2. We learn what to think of those who are not believers; all the ignorant, careless, carnal, unre-generate generation; certainly, they have no part nor lot in this matter. They are none of those that God will honour. They are all strangers to this dignity and advancement. Would you know what the esteem of God is concerning them ? Look into his word; see what that says concerning good men. It says, they are God's jewels, the excellent of the earth, his favourites, his children, the dearly beloved of his soul. But what says it of the wicked ? They are chaff, dross, dogs, swine. O then, see that none of you be such; fear, fear lest it be your condition.
3. We learn what is the true way to true honour. It is in our nature to desire it—as to be covetous in desiring wealth, voluptuous in desiring pleasure, so ambitious in desiring honour. But the misery is, we mistake our end, and consequently our way. We take those things to be wealth, and pleasure, and honour, that are not so, and that not to be so which is so; and we pursue accordingly. O be convinced that the way to be honoured, I mean, to have Christ an honour to us, is to believe, that is, to close with him upon gospel terms, Isa. Ix. 19.— thtf God thy
APPENDIX. ghnlna xxiii. 5. John xii. 28. 1 Sam. ii. 30. Ps. xci. 15.
4. We learn what is our daty towards those to whom Christ is an hononr. Certainly it is our duty to see them truly hononrable, and to love and honour them accordingly. Alladeto2Kingsxx. 12,13. The Babylonians worshipped the son, and knowing that for Hezekiah's sake their god had gone back, they sent to do him honour. Let this advance your esteem and enhance your value of good men—^that Christ himself does them honour; and, they deserve it at your hands, though not at his.
6. We learn what is their duty to whom Christ is an honour. To make it their business to honour him all they can, all their days; as they should love him, so they should honour him, 1 John iv. 19.
Why it he to be honoured ?
He is worthy that it should be so ; truly worthy, as God, as God-man, as our Redeemer and Sa-Tiour.
It is the Father's will it should be so, John v. 22, 23. Col. i. 18, 19. Therefore, he has the pre-eminence, because it pleased the Father.
It will be our own benefit andisomfort, living and dying. We shall be no losers, but gainers, by it
Wherein are we to honour him t
In general—let him be precious to you.
Have high and honourable thoughts of him.
Speak high and honourable things concerning him, as Paul did.
Do nothing to displease and dishonour him, but every thing contrary, Phil. i. 2.
Let other things be precious to you, and persons, for their relation sake to him; his word, day, worship, people.
Stand upon your honour; perform promises; do nothing below you.
SERMON XXIX.
CHRIST IS OUR SANCTIFICATION.
1 Corinthians i. 30. Who of God is made unto ut sanctification.
Thesr words themselves are the Doctrine — That Jesus Christ is made unto us of God sanctification. The word translated sanctification, is most commonly rendered in Scripture holineee Rom. vi. 19. 1 Tim. ii. 15. Heb. xii. 14. Jesus Christ is made unto us of God, holiness; he is not only holy in himself, the hofy child Jesus, Acts iv. 27, 30. nay, moit holy, infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably holy; but he is made holinees to us, that is, 1. He is appointed of God to be the author of our sanctification, to work holiness in us ftn the raakiB: of us holy. As the efficient cause, as he is the Lo our righteousness, to make us righteous by impota* tion, so he is the Lord our holiness, to make us bd; by implantation. We are justified, that is, accepted of as righteous in the sight of God, .through Ms merit made ours. We are sanctified, that is, actually made holy, by his Spirit which is given to u, to abide with us for ever, 1 Cor. vi. 11. Justified u the name of the Lord Jesus, sanctified by the Spirn of the Lord Jesus, Heb. ii. 11. Now the questioB b —Are ye glad to hear this, or no? Eveiy one would be willing to be accepted as righteous, aGqiiitt&l from guilt, but are yon willing to be sanctifieii, \s be made holy ?
2. He is the pattern, the sample, the exemplar? cause, of our sanctification. Holiness in us is tkf copy or transcript of the holiness that is in the Lord Jesus, John i. 16. As the wax hath line for liu from the seal, the child limb for limb, feature fcr feature, from the father, so is holiness in as fm Christ—^To be sanctified is to be made oonfonnabk to the image of Jesus Christ, Rom. iriii. 29. It u to be made like him in heart and life; yet so, u that in three things there is a difierenee.
He eanetijied himeelf So do not we. We are sanctified by him, John xvii. 19. As he raised himse^' to life, so never did any other; but we are raised: n would have been long enough ere we should hae made ourselves holy.
He was originaiip holy, never otherwise, not oah as God, but as God-man, Luke i. 35. So are bo: we. We were unsanctified before we were sanctified unholy before holy. So was not he.
He is absolutely J umversaUy and completely heh. He had the Spirit poured out upon him without mn-sure. So have not we. Our sanctification, at tbe best in this life, is but imperfect. It is true there l* a perfect day to come, and our light shines most and more towards it, but here below we have it dol Our wine is mixed with water; our ^Id with dross. So was not his.
For further clearing of this I shall show, I. What sanctification is, or what it is to be sanctified.
II. That we have need of one to he niade sancui-cation to us.
III. That Jesus Christ is made so, and hov he sanctifies. And, IV. What practical inferences are to he dravB from this subject.
I. and II. I shall join the two first together, bj explaining what sanctification is, and by shoviof that we need one to be made sanctification to us.
To be sanctified is variously expre^^, repit-sented, and set forth, in the Scriptures.
1. It is to be renewed. Sanctification is the tiwt of God's Spirit, whereby we are renewed in the whole
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. man after the image of God, Eph. iv. 22—34. It is the making of us now creatures, 2 Cor. v. 17. It is the changing of our very nature. We are by it made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. i. 4.-^-a high expression. Now have we not need of one to do this for us ? Can we do it for ourse Wes, or for one another ? Wc cannot; therefore the great God hath undertaken it for us, Esek. xxxvi. 26. And he doth perform it by Jesus Christ. To him, therefore, we must go.
2. It is to be regenerated, that is, born again, John iii. 3, 6. As sure as there is a first, there is a second, birth. Now, can we beget ourselfcs? We cannot The second birth is from above; we are begotten of God, and born of God, 1 Pet. i. 3. John i. 13. Tit. iii. 5, 6.
3. It is to be raised from death to life; to be quickened, Eph. ii. 1. that is, sanctified. Sancdfi-cation is the first resurrection. Rev. xx. 6. Now, can a dead man raise himself to life again? Did ever any do it? He cannot. It is God alone that raises the dead. It is by Christ alone that dead souls are made alive. He is the resurrection and the life.
4. It is to be reconciled to God.—^There is enmity, enmity ever since the fall, between God and man ; mutual enmity. God an enemy to man, man an enemy to God, Zcch. xi. 8. Rom. viii. 7. Now Jesus Christ as Mediator brings them together, and makes them friends, and he alone can do it.
Ho makes God a friend by dying; his death satisfied, and so pacified. He hath said, in him I am well pleased.
He makes us friends by sanctification, destroying the enmity—^not all at once, but by degrees; and hath committed to us tho ministry of reconciliation, 2 Cor. V. Is this reconciling work done with you ?
5. It is to bo converted. Sanctification is tho same with conversion. It turns us about. We are born with our backs upon God and heaven, and our faces upon sin and hell, till grace comes, and that converts, turns. Acts iii. 19, 26. And we must be turning more and more all the days of our lives. Matt xviii. 3. Luke xxii. 32. Now, can we turn ourselves ? Have we not need of one to do it for us ? Certainly we have, Jer. xxxi. 18. *' Turn thou mc, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God."
6. It is to be called with an el Tectual call. There is a common call, and there is an efiectual call; it is the effectual call that is the same with sanctification, Rom. viii. 30. Now, calling is by another; we do not call ourselves; that other is Christ, 2 Tim. i. 9. Who called Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, and Zacohous? Did not he?
7. It is to bo changed, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Sanctification makes a great change; the judgment is changed, the disposition, the way, the company,—I am not I.
It is a greater change that grace makes at conversion, than that death makes. At death grace is turned into glory. Job xiv. 14—change come; which is the turning of the same thing from a lower degree to a higher; but at conversion it is from sin to grace, between which there is no likeness.
8. It is to bo cured. Sin is the sickness of the soul, a dangerous sickness, a mortal disease; though but few are sensible of it Can we cure ourselves, or cure one another? No: the only physician is our Lord Josus Christ, raised up of God for that purpose ; no hand but his can heal us: ** Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases," Ps. ciii.3./orveM in justifioation ; healeth in sanctification ; by degrees. *< I will heal their backsliding," Hos. xiv. 4. heal their bent to backslide. Compare Hos. xi. 7. " My people are bent to backsliding from me/'
9. It is to be cleansed. Sin is the pollution of tho soul: and it is pollution in grain, such as nothing can wash us from but the fountain opened, and that fountain is Christ, Zech. xiii. 1. <« Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you," Ezek. xxxvi. 26. This was fulfilled, when at their return from Babylon they were quite out of love with idols and idolatry, of which they were so fond before, 1 Cor. vi. 11. Eph. V. 25, 26.
10. It is to be clothed. A sinful condition is a naked condition. Rev. iii. 17. And what must poor naked souls do, but come to Christ, to his shop, and here buy of him white raiment? Rev. iii. la Zech. iii. 3,4. *' I clothed thee also with broidercd work," &c. Ezek. xvi. 10—14. The prophet's statement is understood of their public privileges an(> advantages, above other people; but it is true also in a spiritual sense. Grace is rich raiment, princely, priestly, comely clothing, that waxeth not old.
11. It is to be consecrated. Sanctifying is the same with consecrating, that is, setting apart from common and profane to holy and spiritual uses, as persons, places, vessels, times, were under the Old Testament In allusion to which, all true believers are a people sanctified, that is, set apart for God, separated from the world, and sin, and vanity, to be the Lord's peculiar; his temple; priests to him; anointed for that purpose, Ps. iv. 3. But, III. How is Jesus Christ made all this to us ? In what way, and by what means, doth he bring all this to pass in us and for us ? That he doth it is plain in the text and elsewhere; but query. How?
1. Principally by the working of his Spirit and grace. The Spirit of Christ is tho sanctificr. When he comes into the heart to dwell there, he renews, and he regenerates, and he raises, and he reconciles. The Father creates, the Son redeems, the Holy Ghost sanctifies, Tit. iii. 6, 6.—mark, it i* through Jenu
APPENDIX.
Christ, If be bad not aatis Bed and died, to make God friends witb us, he woald never have sent the Spirit, to make us friends with him. The sending of the Spirit to sanctify as well as to comfort us, is owing to the intercession of the Lord Jesns, John xiv. 16.
2. Instrnmentaily by the word, " Sanctify them through thy truth/'John xvii. 17. Error never sanctifies. False doctrine, corrupt erroneous opinions, may prevail to bring people over to a party, but never to turn them from sin to God; to convert, regenerate, renew. Truth only doth that. Jam. i. 17. Tit. i. 1.
The word of truth begins, and the same carries on, this good work—As a word of conviction, of humiliation, of illumination, of regeneration, of faith, and of holiness, and therefore this should advance our esteem of the word of God, the written word, the word preached; and we should hear it accordingly, Ps. cxix. 9.
IV. The practical improvement
1. Shall I propound one needful question to you ? —Are ye sanctified ? is Jesus Christ made of God sanctification to you ? It is a thing that may be known. We may make our calling and our election sure; our election by our calling, by our sanctification ; for to be sanctified is to be called, and to be called is to be sanctified: and not our election only, but our justification and our glorification may be made sure by it, Rom. viii. 90. And how sweet, how comfortable will that be ! But how is this to be done ? There are three marks : (1.) Where Christ is made to us sanctification, it is become natural to us to walk in all holy obedience to the will of God. I say natural, not to the old, but to the new, nature. Now what is done naturally is done "freely—as water from a spring, Ps. ox. 3. —easily, 1 John v. 3.—delightfully, John iv. 34.— and evenly, and constantly, and perseveringly. Fire always burns, stones always tend downwards, because their nature is so. Thus it is with the old nature in sinning, Jer. vi. 7. and thus it is with the new nature in obeying, John iv. 14.
Then, says one, I fear I am not sanctified.
I reply. The trial is not to be made by any one single action at any one time, but by our course and way. How is it ordinarily with us ? There is no man but doth something that beasts do ; but is he therefore a beast ? There is no beast but doth something that a man doth; but is he therefore a man ?
(2.) Where Christ is made to us sanctification, holiness is highly prized and dearly loved, and more and more of it earnestly desired. I believe it is never otherwise among the truly sanctified. Now, is it so with us? We love civility, and moral honesty, and temperance, and sobriety. So doth many a one that hates holiness.
(3.) Where Christ is made to us sanctification, he is owned and acknowledged as our all in all. The crown is set upon his head. We reyoioe in Christ Jesus. To us to live is Christ All the saiictifi«d are brought by their sanctification to Christ— Thtw were strangers to him before, bat now they are friends.
2. Shall I suppose you now propomiding to ne another needful question,—^What may I do that Christ may be made to me sanctification ?
'(1.) We must be inwardly and thoioagUy coa* vinced that there is an absolute necessitj he should be so. This most be the case.
If we mean to please God in tkisworltL —^None hot the sanctified are accepted of him. He hath bo pleasure but where his image is, and his likeness is. Our sacrifices are an abomination, oar prayen aa abomination, otherwise. Till the tree is good tbe fruit cannot be good. And also.
If we mean to enjoy Godin the other world. — ^* Widi-out holiness no man shall see the Lord," Heb. xii. 14. that is, see him so as to enjoy him. It is the pwre n heart who shall see God, Matt. ▼. 8. HeaTen would not be heaven to an unsanctified soul, if we might suppose such a one admitted there. Now are ve convinced of this? " Verily, verily, I say onto thee. Except a man be bom again, he cannot see the kiof-dom of Grod. Verily, verily, I say anto thee. Except a man be bom of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," John iii. 3, 6. When Christ thus discoursed to Nioodemns, he was ofiended. It may be, so may some of yoa.—Hov can this be ? But " Verily, verily, I say onto yoa." must silence all objections.
(2.) We must apply ourselves to the Lord Jesus by faith and prayer.
By faith: closing with him, not only as the Lord our righteousness, but as the Lord our holiness. Not only as our only justifier by his merit, bat as our only sanctifier by his Spirit.
By prayer: calling on him. Lord, if ever thoo wilt do any thing for me, sanctify me, Ps. li. 10. Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians, should be oon for ourselves, *' And the veiy God of peace sanctifj you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit aad soul and body be preserved blameless unto tbc coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,'' 1 Thess. v. 23. So should Christ's prayer, John xvii. 17, ** Sanetif? them through thy trath."
(3.) We must attend upon the ordinances. Thesr are the conduit pipes through which the grace of sanctification is conveyed to poor souls.
3. Shall I suppose you now proponndiog one question more,—What must they do to whom Chiist is already made sanctification ?
(1.) They have cause to bless God for it even day, all their days, Ps. ciii. 1—3.
(2.) They must press after further degrees of sanctification, more and more. Dying to sin. living to righteousness.
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS.
(3.) They mast promote the sanctification of others also.
SERMON XXX.
CHRIST IS OUR SUPPLY.
Phil. iv. 19.
But my God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, DocT. That the supply of all oar needs is only from Gody and only by Jesas Christ.
That is as mach as to say, that Jesas Christ alone is our supply. Can yoa readily turn to a more .sweet, comfortable text of Scripture than this is in all your Bibles, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.
Supplies we would have, and here they are for us.
Supplies to all oar needs; not some,, but all.
And that from God — My God shall supply. Paufs God was the same that we call our God—Jehovah, blessed for ever. He says. My God, because he had supplied him, and his God would.
According to his riches in glory; that is, in such a manner, measure, and degree as becomes him. Not what is fit for us poor worms to receive, but what is fit for him to give.
And all this in and by and through Jesus Christ, Without him no supply is to be had to any of our needs. We might have starved, and died, and perished eternally, but for liim; he himself is oar supply.
Show, I. What our needs are, and what it is that he supplies us with.
II. What are the properties of this supply.
III. What special resemblances there are of it.
IV. What practical inferences are to be drawn from the whole.
I. What are our needs, and with what does the Lord Christ supply us?
There are seven things that we have need of, and there is supply to be had for them all in Jesus Christ, some pertaining to life, some to godliness, 2 Pet. i. 3.
1. Righteousness and strength.
Righteaiuness. They that have none have need; There is none righteousf no not one, Rom. iii. 10. We have to do with a righteous God, and a righteousness must be had, or there is no standing before him. Ho! where shall we have it? Of our own we have it not, nor hath any creature in heaven or earth wherewithal to supply us. It is to be had only in and by Jesus Christ. He is the Lord our righteous-vesSf Jer. xxiii. 6. He is made unto us of God righteousness, 1 Cor. i. 30. Our God hath supplied our need of this in his Son ; Dan. ix. 24. He hath
G 2 brought in everlasting righteousness. To him, therefore, we must go; plead his righteousness for the forgiveness of our sins; the merit of his death, his righteousness, for the acceptation of our performances.
Strength. They that are weak have need. Of what? Of strength. Now we are all weak, weak as water. Weak as sinners; how weak is thy heart! Weak as saints; under manifold infirmities. Weak to resist temptations, to bear afilictions, to perform duties. What shall we do? My God shall supply. Jehovah-Jireh—God will provide ; nay, he has provided, " For when we were yet without streng, in du<i time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. y. 6. Have they need of strength ? I will die and purchase it for them. So that now the believer may say, ** I can do all things through Christ which strengthen-eth me,'' Phil. iv. 13. See both these together, Isa. xlv. 24. " Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength."
2. Mercy and gce.
Mercy to pardon. This we are, or should be, calling for every day, Ps. li. 1; Ivi. 1. for certainly we have need, whether we feel our need or no. Now have we any hope ? Will our God supply us ? He will, through Jesus Christ, but not otherwise. Out of him there is no mercy. The mercy of God is, therefore, called the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christf Jude 21. because our supplies of it are only in, and by, and through him.
Grace, Hast thou no need of grace, quickening grace, preventing grace, renewing grace, assisting grace ? They that think they have no need have most need of all. Now, where is it to be had ? My God shall supply, but it must be through Jesus Christ, <* Of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace," John i. 16. Compare this with Col. i. 19. '' It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." Away to him then, that is, to God by him. See both together in one scripture, Heb. iv. 16. '< Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
3. Peace and comfort.' I mean that which is inward; peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost. Do ye want it any of you ? Many who do, think they do not, mistaking false peace of their own speaking to themselves for the true peace. Away with that, and come to Christ for the true peace, for that which he calls his peace, John xiv. 27— my peace. If he speak peace no matter who speaks trouble; if he troubles no matter who speaks peace, Eph. ii. 14.— he is our peace.
4. Food and raiment. Under these two are comprehended all the necessaries of life, and sometimes under one of them—bread; Give us this day our daily bread. Now have we no need of these? We all have, we cannot live without them, without daily
APPENDIX. sapplies of them; and whence are they to be had ? Jehovah-jireh-—my God shall supply; but it is only by and through Jesus Christ. He bought every meal's meat for us, and every suit of clothes for us, or we had never had either, and, therefore, to him we must have recourse every day. In all our needs, even of these things, we should say. Lord Jesus, feed me, clothe me, to-day. Hath he ever yet failed you ? Luke xxii. 35.
5. Protection from enemies, bodily and ghostly; our great adversary, the devil, and all our little adversaries. They would swallow us up every day, if our God did not watch over us, if the blessed Jesus were not our shield. Our enemy sickness would destroy our health, our enemy pain our ease, our enemies the caterpillars, and the locusts, and the palmer-worms, all the increase of our fields; the murrain our cattle, the fire our houses; but he preserves and keeps us, Psalm cxxi. So likewise for public enemies.
G. A guard through death. We must all shortly, in the order in which God hath appointed, take our turn through the darksome valley; and dare we venture alone, without a convoy ? There is no safe convoy but Jesus Christ, Ps. xxiii. 4. His presence with us, will bring us safe through, else we perish, 1 Cor. XV. 55, 56. It is ho alone that can make a lane through this Red sea, this Jordan. Jordan's rough, said a dying person, often repeating it, Jordan's rough. It may be, we may find it so, but the winds and the seas obey him.
7. A guide to glory. Shall we be supplied with this also ? Never fear it, if Christ be ours, Ps. Ixxiii. 24. " For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death," Ps. xlviii. 14.—beyond death. Not only to death, and through death, but beyond death. Compare Ps. cxxi. 1. " I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,"—^beyond the hills,—'' from whence cometh my help."
II. What kind of supplies are to be had for poor needy souls with Jesus Christ ?
1. Rich supplies. My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches. A rich God gives rich supplies. He is rich in mercy, pardoning mercy, Ps. Ixxxvi. 5. Therefore, he multiplies to pardon great sins. He is rich in grace, 1 Pet. v. 10. the God of all grace; therefore he gives liberally, 2 Cor. ix. 9. He is rich in comfort, the God of all comfort, 2 Cor. i. 3. God who comforts, 2 Cor. vii. 6. Therefore he makes the consolations of his people oftentimes to abound ; not only full, but running over; '* I can hold no more."*
2. Ready supplies. We need not go far for them, they are always at hand; the word is nigh thee. Other friends that should supply our needs are many
" Sir," said the eminently holy Mr. John Janeway to a reverend divine who discoursed with him, in his last illness, on the excellency of Christ, and the glory of the invisible world, *' I times at a distance, afar off, and eitfaer know tbes not, or do know them, but cannot send to us. Bat there is nothing of that here. Our bea Tenly Father knows what we want, and whenever be pleases t» supply, the way is short In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we may hear and receive from the blessed Jesus in heaven, Ps. xlvi. 1—11.
3. Glorious supplies—according to his riches ta glory. That is glorious that is singular and superlative, such as makes him famous and renowned whose it is; now such fame, such great fame, is oar Lord's. His supplies are such as he is worthy to be praised for, his supplies of mercj and grace. How many thousands in heaven, how many thoa-sands on earth, are blessing him for these;— ** Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever,* Phil. iv. 20. They put a glory also upon them that have them, making them famous, as Manasseh, Mary Magdalen, Paul, being pardoned sinners.
4. Gradual supplies. We are not supplied with every thing all at once, but now with one thing, then with another; now in a lower, after in a higher, degree, Prov. iv. 18. A converted person no sooner hath a grain of grace, but his good will won Id immediately be perfect in grace; no sooner is he comforted a little, but presently he would have full assurance. Not so; soft and fair; when out of Egypt, yon are not forthwith in Canaan. Too must be willing to receive supplies as God is pleased to communicate them.
5. Universal supplies: all your needs.
But is there any more than one thing needful ?
There is only one main thing chiefly and principally needful, but that one thing branches itself out into many things. Lo, there are in Christ supplies for all; all persons, at all times, in all things.
6. Undeserved supplies. There is nothing in us to merit any good thing at God's hands. Whatever we would have, we must sue for it as a beggar for an alms. If a beggar be blind, sick, sore, naked, dumb, old, his blindness, sickness, his disease, his nakedness, his want of speech, his age, speak for him, not in a way of merit, but as a meet object for mercy to work upon: so it is here. Our spiritaal maladies bespeak us fit objects of mercy-^but thej surely lay no claim to it.
7. Covenant supplies, made over to us by promise; and he is faithful, that hath promised.
8. Constant supplies; daily, duly, for ever. III. What resemblances are there of this ? We see it illustrated,
1. As the heavens supply the earth. The earth would be a barren, useless thing, if it were not for what the heavens supply it with every day, in dailj influences; the warmth it has is from above; the feel something of it My heut is as full as it can hold in thi« lower state. I can hold no more here. O that I could hat let yoa know what I feel.** Clarke's Lives, foL ISSS. p, 77.
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. moisture, and thence comes its frnitfalness; Hos. ii. 21. *' I will hear the earth/' therefore the earth must call.—>We are the earth, earthly; the heavens are Christ, heavenly; unless he supply ns with warmth, moisture, sunshine, rain, what are we? Hos. vi. 3. But then he must hear us, hear from us. We should be crying, calling, Help, Lord.
2. As the earth supplies the inhabitants. The earth is not our mother only, but our nurse. We were not only made out of it, but we are maintained by it, Eccl. v. 9. Thence we have all our com, wine, oil, hemp, flax,—to feed, to clothe us. A good nurse gives abundance of milk. Now as the earth nourishes and maintains all that live upon it, high and low, rich and poor, so it is with Jesus Christ As we live by him, so we live upon him. But then as to this also, the earth must hear the com, and the com hear Jezreel, Hos. ii. 22. There must be asking by prayer; $eeking in the use of means; knocking by importunity; and persevering in both.
3. As the head supplies the members. The head is the treasure of the body, wherein the spirits are lodged and laid up for the use of the body; and thence it is that all the members are supplied, and when they fail the body languishes and dies. So all believers; from Christ their head, having union with him, receive vital influences—righteousness, and strength, and grace, and peace, and comfort, and quickening, in want of which they are weak, and can do nothing, John XV. 6b
4. As the root supplies the branches. In the root of a tree the sap is lodged, and laid up for the use of the tree ; thence it moves up into the branches, little and big, and the sap tiiey receive is that which nourishes and feeds, and makes them grow and bring forth fruit. So all believers receive from Christ. He is our root, John xv. 4, 6.
5. As the sun supplies the stars; the stars have no light of their own, nor the moon neither, no more than a clod of earth, further than the sun shining upon them puts light into them. Their light is a borrowed light. So is all the spiritual light that we have—knowledge, grace, comfort—^borrowed from Christ.
6. As the sea supplies the rivers, Eccl. i. 7. They come from it, they return to it So the glory of all oar receivings every day from Jesus Christ, should return to him again, in thankful acknowledgments.
7. As the fountain supplies the cisterns. The cisterns are often emptying, the bowls emptying: away to the well daily. So, in this case, Christ is our fountain.
8. As the store-chamber supplies the family. It is said concerning Joseph, that he built store-houses, and there he lodged the corn, and thence the people had it as they needed. Our store-house is Jesus Christ There God the Father hath lodged and laid up a fulness for us. Therefore, to him we must ko
And may we hope to speed ? Never fear it: My God tkali supply—he Ma//—observe with what confidence he speaks it. lY. The practical improvement.
1. Beg of God this day to make you sensible of your needs: multitudes are not. Rev. iii. 17. We do not look into our souls, turn our eyes inward, and that is the reason. Beg the eye-salve. Rev. iii. 18. For *' he hath filled the hungry with good things," Luke i. 53.
2. Believe the trath of this saying of Paul's ; he was not hired to proclaim that which is not, to deceive people. It is a real truth, My God shall supply tUl your need. —Ps. xxiii. I.
3. Have recourse to the blessed Jesus; tell him what thy need is—mercy, grace, righteousness.
4. Acknowledge him in all supplies.
SERMON XXXI.
CHRIST IS OUR RESURRECTION.
John xi. 25^ 26.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he t/iat believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in mtj shall never die.
Here we have it from the mouth of the Lord Jesus himself, and he having spoken it we may safely believe and assert, and make a Doctrine of it,— That Jesus Christ is the resurrection to true believers.
Show, I. How we are to understand this.
IL What proof there is of it.
III. How we are to improve it
I. How are we to understand this—/ am the re-surrection? There is a three-fold resurrection, and Jesus Christ is all the three to true believers.
1. There is spiritual resurrection; which is, the raising of the soul from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. It is called the first resurrection, for so I think we are to understand that passage. Rev. XX. 6. All that are made truly holy, by the renewing, sanctifying grace of God, are certainly thereby delivered from the second death, that is, from burning in hell for ever. Now all true believers have this holiness wrought in them; and how, but by Jesus Christ? When he is made unto us sane-tification, then he is thus made unto us resurrection Eph. ii. 1. It is his voice that opens the grave and fetches us out; he says unto us. Live; and we live, and the time is a time of love. " Verily, verily, I say unto you. The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live," John v. 25.—and now is ; APPENDIX. tben, at that very time. There was a present resurrection, in the conversion of divers that left all, and followed him. No less than almighty power can do this, can bring to pass such a wonderful change. Examine, inquire, brethren, Are ye thus raised again. Are ye passed from death to life ? There is such a thing, and it may be known, and we can have no comfort in living the life of nature, if we be not spiritually alive, if we do not live the life of grace.
Now one good mark to know it by is,—the end that we live to. Whether is that—God, or self? Do we live to God, or to ourselves? Rom. vi. 11.
Another, is by the food that we live upon. Is that Christ? Phil. i. 21.—his merit and righteousness for justification, his spirit and grace for sanctifica-tion?
Another is, by the rule that we live by. Is that the rule of the new creature—^the word of God ? Is that the card and compass we sail by, the light and lamp we walk by ^ or, is it something else—the distates of our own corrupt nature, carnal reason, fleshly appetites, the course and custom of this vain world ? Try by this.
Let me exhort you. Would you have Christ this resurrection to you? Close immediately with the gospel call; stand it out no longer against the voice, entreating—^beseeching. As soon as ever Christ said to Lazarus, Come forth, presently Lazarus came forth, without ifs or ands, without making objections. How, you ask, can I that am dead stir? No, though you are as he was with the grave-clothes about him, yet he that was dead came forth. So I address you —<' Awake, thou that slccpest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light," Eph. v. 14.
2. There is a figurative resurrection; and that is, the raising of a person, or people, from an exceeding, low, miserable, afflicted, helpless condition, to a state of comfort and joy, peace and safety. Such a thing there is, and it is a resurrection. There is something in it, like to a resurrection, Hos. vi. 1, 2.—when smitten and torn, reckoned as dead; when delivered, and recovered, and settled again, reckoned as raised again. Read Ezek. xxxvii. That valley of dead and dry bones, was the nation and people of the Jews, in the time of their captivity in Babylon, where they lay past all hope, till the end of the seventy years, and then, by a proclamation from Cyrus, they were released, and it was like a kind of a resurrection. It is in like manner with them at this day, and hath been for near seventeen hundred years,—a scattered, broken, miserable people. There is a time, we hope, at hand, when God will gather them-again, that there may be one sheep-fold, as there is one Shepherd. Now, how is that time called ? Resurrection time, Rom. xi. 15.—^life from the dead
—Once more: The condition of many ministers a&d people amongst ourselves, of many in France, kali been, in outward appearance, a dead conditioo. Jht words of the Act* are, that they shall be as if naturally dead ; but, blessed be God, there hath been a resurrection, in some measure, a coming out of the grave again, of which, whoever was the instrameDt, the Lord Jesus himself was the principal agent He is the resurrection to us. When a coinpany of Don-conformuts went to court, to congratulate tbe kicf and queen, and to thank them for the present liberty, being clothed alike in long black clokes, anebss ministers usually wear in London, a scoffer said. Whither are all these going, to a barial ? No, Sir. said one of them, to a resurrection.-!- It is so, likewise, in reference to personal deliverances from personal calamities, as Isaac, when bonnd and laid on the altar, Heb. xi. 19. It was Panics case, 2 Cor. i. 8—10. Hath not Jesus Christ, in this sense, been the resurrection many a time to thee, and to me ? We were brought low, and he helped as. Was not Job's restoration a resurrection? so some understand Job xix. 25,20.
Learn hence, on whom to depend, and to whom to fly, in such cases; even to the blessed Jesus.
Learn also, to whom to give the praise of suck t resurrection, public or personal; even to tbe same. 3. There is a proper resurrection, and that is, the raising up of the dead bodies, properly, natura Jlj dead, out of which the life and the soul is departed And is Jesus Christ that too ? He is. That is chieflv meant here. The text was spoken to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, upon occasion of raising ber brother to life again, after he had been dead four dayx Now, as to this, Jesus Christ Is the resnnectioo three ways: (1.) As he was the only one that ever raised himself to life again : no one ever did it but be. (It is not with us in the sleep of death as it is in tbe death of sleep, when we have slept enough we wake of oar-selves. No; the human body must be waked.) And therefore, as in some places it is said, God raised him from the dead, so in other places it is said, He rose again on the third day; nmking it bis own act and deed, 1 Cor. xv. 4. He had two natures, the divine, and human. His human nature could never have raised itself; no, his divine nature raised his human nature. Christ, as God, raised himself as man.
(2.) As by his power alone it was that all were raised that ever were raised ; all under tbe Old Testament, all under the New. Though himself id bis own proper person, raised three only; the raler's daughter, newly dead ; the widow's son, upon tbe bier; Lazarus, buried ; yet all that ever any of tbe prophets raised, or that ever any of the apost Jes
The Act of Untformity, 13 and 14. Cbas. II. c. 4. I of tbe ReT. Thomas Bmdbury, in tbe reign of KingGeofgeL t A similar anecdote, and probably originating in it, is related I See Wilson's Hist of Dissenting Churchea, t. X 514.
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. raised, they raised in bis name, not in their own; by a power derived from him, not by any power of their own : allude to Acts iii. 12,16.
(3.) As to the day of the great resnrreotion at the end of the world, when all the dead shall be raised. It will be done only by the power of the Lord Jesns, especially as to tme believers; the raising of them will in a special manner be his doing. And as to this it is that he is the resurrection, II. Let US consider the proof of this.
1. It is certain there is to be sach a thing. As sure as we must die, we shall live again; go to the grave, and come oat again. Bat Job asks,'' If a man die shall he live again V Job xiv. 14. I answer, —Not a life of opportunity again. There have been, and there are, those that deny this; old Saddacees, new Saddacees, 1 Cor. xv. 12.2Tim. ii. 18. Ishall give no other proof at present bat that of our Lord Jesus, Matt. xzii. 23^^-34. Therefore Abraham was aliye—^in soal-*bot the soal of Abraham was not Abraham, therefore his body most live too.—Can this be ? Yes, easily, to almighty power.
2. For the manner of it, how it is to be, God hath revealed it to his holy apostles, else we could not h ave known it:— *' For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord," 1 Thess. iv. 16,17.
The Lord himself shall descend. This Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other. The Father hath committed it wholly into his hand. He is the resurrection : the same that ascended, the same shall also descend. He descended once in rags of flesh, but when he shall descend the second time, it will be in robes of glory.
There will be a preat shovi the voice of the archangel that is, of Christ himself. We never read of more than one archangel, the Lord of the angels. And the trump of God. —Trumpets were used in calling of assemblies. So here—the greatest of assemblies that ever was. They are used at the assiees, when the judges are going to the bench. So here— This was the trumpet that Jerome * said was always sounding in his ears.
The dead in Christ shall rise first —either, the dead for Christ, the martyrs, before other saints—or, the dead in Christ, that is, all tme believers, before the rest of mankind. Those who lived and died in true union with him by faith, which union still remained even when dead; or, before those that shall then be found alive.
And what then ? Then we which are alive and remain shall he caught up j-e. This is the short account the
• A ee Ubaied father of the chiirch. He died A. D. 420.
Scriptures give us concerning this matter; and we are bound to believe, without doubting or wavering, that so it shall be.
Read to the same purpose, but more fully, 1 Cor. XV. It is the scope of the whole chapter. Where the apostle, (I.) Positively asserts and proves that there is to be such a thing, that all true believers must and shall certainly rise again at the last day. See one of his arguments, ** If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable,^' v. 19. (2.) Plainly lays the ground of it upon Christ's being made the resurrection to them. If he be risen, then they shall rise. But he is risen; therefore believers shall rise. The consequence he proves, From their union with him. He is the head, they the members. It is a real union, 1 Cor. xv. 15. If the body of one saint were lost, there would be a maim in Christ's mystical body.—^Therefore it is said we shall be changed, that of the same metal our glorious body may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, Phil. iii. 21. It is said also, that the head and members shall be together in the same place, John xvii. 24.
He is the first-fruits; they the lump, I Cor. xv. 20. Lev. xxiii. 10,11. Read Dent xxvL I, &c. It is a relative union.
He is the second Adam; they the children descended from him, 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22. This is another relative union.—He proves it also.
From the victory that he hath obtained over every thing that might hinder; sin, death, the grave, the devil, I Cor. xv. 25,26. Heb. ii. 14,15.
Is not Christ the resurrection to unbelievers, must not they rise also ?
They must rise; but neither by virtue of any union they have with him, nor any victory he hath obtained for them. The devil is not against the rising of the wicked ; he doth nothing to oppose or hinder it; he would have their souls and bodies to come together again, in order to their being tormented together. The grrave is free to part with them for the same reason. But they would hinder the rising of the godly. Aye, but they shall not, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56. The wicked are raised by the power of Christ, in order to condemnation ; but the righteous by their union with Christ: the one in wrath, the other in love, John v. 28, 29. The righteous to be married—crowned; the vricked to be executed.
3. He declares, also, with what kind of bodies they shall be raised: the self-same in substance. Job xix. 26. but greatly changed in qualities; no defect, no deformity. If scars have been received in suffering, they are not to disgrace, but to honour them. They shall be made like Christ's body; either APPENDIX. that, Matt xvii. 1, 2. or that, Acts i. 9—11. or that. Rev. i. 13—16. In particalar, see 1 Cor. xv. 35—^, 42—44. Their bodies shall be made spin-taal, immortal, incorraptible, powerfal, able to attend the soul in all its actings and operations, without weariness: not as here below; bat able to bear up all that weight of glory which is prepared. In a word, have yon seen the body of the son in its noonday brightness, such a light as yoo are not able to behold? Then yon have seen something like it. " They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars ;" but it is said in Matt xiii. 43. ** They shall shine forth as the sun."
III. The improvement. ' 1. That of the apostle, 1 Thess. iv. 16. '< Wherefore comfort one another.'' It is a thing that the servants of tho Lord should be often talking of one to another, for the comforting and encouraging one of another. If one another, sure ourselves much more. This should be done.
Under bodily blemishes and infirmities: —they shall shortly be done away.
Against fears of death and the grave: —^it is but unclothing us to put on better—^the gprave is as the refiner*s furnace.
Against inordinate sorrow at the death of godly friends, John xi. 23. 1 Thess. iv. 13. They are not dead, but asleep—as when we take leave over-night
2. That of the same apostle, 1 Cor. xv. 68. ** Be ye stedfast,"—it may be rendered, Exhort one another, —" unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
A notable spur to all manner of duty in general-^ to abound therein. It will certainly not be in vain.
In particular—^to serve God with our bodies, I Cor. vi. 14,15—not to serve the devil and lust, and sin with them.
SERMON XXXII.
CHRIST IS OUR REDEMPTION.
1 CoR. i. 30.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us redemption.
The words themselves are the doctrine — That Jesus Christ is made of God unto all them that are in him redemption. Show, I. What this means.
II. What kind of redemption.
III. What the duty is that it calls for from us.
I. What does this mean,— ** made redemption ?"
You may think we had this before, when it in showed that he is made freedom to as, from John m. 30.* But you will see presently that there b souk-thing else meant by it.
He is made of God redemption to as; that is, God hath ordained and appointed him from ail eternity, and in the fulness of time raised him op, and sent him, to be the author and procurer of ic-demption for us; or, which is all one, to be a redeemer to us. So that if asked, what did Jesos Christ come into the world to do? We answer, to redeem us. They are the first words of Zechariak's song, Luke i. 68.
Now to redeem is, in general, to recover those that are in bondage out of bondage. As suppose one rowing in a galley under the Turks, is rescocd (which may be done three ways, besides that of voluntary discharge and dismission)—^as the Jevs were released by Cyrus out of their captiritj u Babylon, he may be said to be redeemed. Redemption, vis.
1. By power; when those who kept os in bondage are conquered and overcome.
2. By exchange; when one prisoner is let go for another.
3. By price; when a sum of money is paid to baj off a prisoner, more or less, accordini as the qaalitj of the prisoner is. Now this last is properly redemption, and this last is the way in which Jesus Christ hath made us free. He hath bought as out of the hands of divine justice, by laying down t ransom for us.
If you ask what that was? I ansvrer, that sometimes it is said to be his life. Matt. xx. 28. sometimes himself, 1 Tim. ii. 6. and sometimes his blood, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. These three come to the same. We are redeemed by Christ dying for us, shedding his blood, laying down his life, offering up himself. This fully satis6ed the demands of God's justice. Let me have this, saith he, and I have enoagfa. I expect no more by way of satisfaction for the sin of man. I am well pleased, atoned, reconciled, made friends. To this purpose we are told of a cofenant of redemptioj} which was transacted from all eternity between the Father and the Son, the terms whereof were—That if the Son would come and be man and die, that dying of his should be accepted as the price or ransom of all the elect, how many soever tbeie were. The Son accepted of this motion, did what was to be done, suffered what was to be suffered, and so became our redemption. See some footsteps of this covenant transaction in two scriptures, P& xl. 6—8. Isa. xlix. 2, 6, 0. But, II. What kind of redemption is this?
1. Needed redemption. It is the redemption that we needed. He came to supply all our needs. Nov
• See Disooune XV.
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. noDg other needs, being in bondage, we needed ne to redeem ns: not only one to clothe as, being aked ; to feed as being hungry; to wash us, being Ith J ; to heal as being wounded ; to cure us, being ck:—^but to redeem us. If he had done all this for B in our bondage, and left us still in bondage, we id been miserable notwithstanding. Therefore, he 3mes and buys our freedom, pays our ransom. We ere God's prisoners, and the devil was the gaoler. Je were left in his hand, under his power, and his we ust have been for ever, but for Christ the Redeemer.
2. It is a nonesuch redemption, when compared ith other redemption. Whether personal, as Joseph it of prison, or Peter, Acts xii. or Daniel, out of le lions' den. Whether public; as from Egypt, om Babylon. It surpasses them all in number, ay, and consequences.
3. "Distinguishing redemption. It is the redemption I at others needed, as well as we, but it is denied I them, and granted to us, therefore, I must call it istinguishing redemption.
It is denied to the angels that sinned. They had i much need as we, for they are in bondage as well 1 we; under God's wrath and 4surse as well as we; ay, before we were; but he took not on him the atore of angels: the commons are ransomed, the dbles left behind. He paid no price to redeem lem. As that tree fell so it lies, and must lie for ifcr.
It is denied to the greatest part of mankind, as to le saving benefit and efl Scacy of it: the elect reap le benefit absolutely, others conditionally, yet there I no collasion, because the decree is secret; for mltitudes there are that know nothing of it, and of lose few that do multitudes reject and slight it, and re never the better for it: Rev. v. 9. " Redeemed to rod out of ewery kindred, and tongue, and people, Dd nation." How should we then adore, and ad-lire! ** Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thy-;lf unto us and not unto the world V John xiv. 22.
4. It is divers, manifold redemption according to le manifold evils that we lay under. They are of iree sorts—^temporal, spiritual, eternal.
(1.) He is redemption to us from temporal evils. ach as concern the body, and the life that now is; och as sickness, death, poverty. Not that they ball not befall us—for they do, and all things come like to all, redeemed and unredeemed. But, that ley shall not hurt us. The sting of them is taken at, Ps. xci. 10. No evil things befall. There is 0 curse attends them. Gal. iii. 13. Were this ightly understood, and duly made use of, it were tie sweetest argument imaginable, both against rars of temporal calamities before they come. Job • 19. And the best against inordinate dejections nd despondencies when they are come. But, (2.) Which is better, it is redemption to us from pirltual evils. These are worse evils than the former, because they affect the better part of us, which is our souls; them first and immediately, but not them only, but our bodies also. I shall mention two only: The ffuili of sin; whereby we are bound over to punishment, the fear whereof causes bondage, Heb. ii. 14. To redeem us from this, he is made righteousness to us for our justification, that is, for our discharge from that guilt, for the forgiveness of all our sins, and the accepting of us as righteous. This is an unspeakable blessing and benefit, and it is made over to all the Lord's redeemed ones, who are now to reckon themselves at peace with God, Rom. y. 1.
Ihejiith and power of sin; whereby sin hath dominion over ns, and we are perfect slaves to it, the vilest of slaves, John viii. 34. To redeem us from this he is made sanctification to us; he sends his Spirit into the heart, who renews and regenerates, turns the man from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, enabling him to die to sin more and more, and to live to righteousness more and more. This he doth as a Redeemer, and is doing; it is called redeeming us. Tit. ii. 14. By redeeming from all iniquity, the apostle doth not there mean from the guilt and punishment of it only, but from the power and dominion of it, from the love and liking of it It is the same with purifying. These two, justification and sanctification, are never parted, Ps. ciii. 3.1 Cor. ti. 11.
(3.) There is another sort of evils yet, and those are eternal evils; and by redemption here we are especially to understand our deliverance from those.
Because it is mentioned after righteousness and sanctification, as a thing different from them. And Because of what we find in other scriptures, where redemption is applied to something in the other world : " Waiting for the redemption of the body," Rom. viii. 23. that is, the resurrection and glorification of our bodies: compare Luke xxi. 28. with Eph. iv. 30. the day of redemption, Thisiscer* tainly some day yet to come, when the work of our redemption shall be fully finished, the top-stone laid; for hitherto, as we see and know but in part, so we are redeemed but in part. In Heb. ix. 12. it is called eternal redemption. Our present redemption by Christ is eternal in the design and tendency of it, it is in order to eternity; but that to come is eternal in regard of the eternal evils it frees us from, and the eternal happiness it puts us into possession of, when it shall be accomplished, and Jesus Christ is made all that to us.
Taking it in this sense, I shall show,
1. What those eternal evils are which redemption frees us from.
(I.) It frees us for ever, not only from the guilt, and filth, and power of sin, but from the very being of it also. It must not only no longer have a throne in us, as at conversion, but not so much as a seat
APPENDIX. or place in as, and that for ever. Anil are ye not glad at the very tbooght of this ? Nay, it frees us from all possibility of sinning to eternity. Adam had no sin, but a possibility of sin he had, and so it appeared, for he did sin. Paul groaned for this, Rom. vii. 24.
(2.) It frees us from Satan ever having any more to do with us, either as a tempter or as a tormentor. He is busy now with the saved, 1 Pet. v. 8. and he will be more busy hereafter with those that perish. Matt, xviii. 34. But where the redeemed are be comes not, Rom. xvi. 20.
(3.) It frees us from all sorrow and suffering, of what kind soever, in mind or body. All tears shall be wiped away, there shall be no weeping, nor wailing, nor gnashing of teeth; no fire, no worm, no brimstone, no darkness. These are the portion of the damned, not of the redeemed. Rev. xxi. 4.
It frees us from all society with wicked and ungly men, and that for ever. They are blended here, and it pleases neither, Ps. cxx. 6,6. But there is a redemption coming, Matt. xxv. 33. All this happiness you say a stone hath, no sin,—^no sorrow, —^therefore I shall show,
2. What there is that is positive in this redemption.
(1.) As soon as the redeemed die, (for die they must, even as others: Jesus Christ hath not redeemed us from dying,) their souls immediately go to God, to the vision and fruition of him in glory, Luke xxiii. 43. Phil. i. 23. It grieves me and shames me that I can speak with no more sense and savour of these things. Such apprehensions as a child prior to its birth hath of this world, such we have of the world to come.
(2.) At the resurrection, at the last day, the same soul and the same body shall come together again. Though we are not redeemed from death, we are to be from the grave ; not from going down into it, hot from being held by it, Isa. xxvi. 19. Hos. xiii. 14. Nay, not raised only, but raised incorruptible and immortal; glorious, like Christ's glorified body.
(3.) To all eternity there shall be a fulness of uninterrupted joy and felicity; a remaining rest; a sabbath without a week of working days after it, perpetual, eternal. Lo, " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him/' 1 Cor. ii. 9. It is a happiness such as the infinite love and wisdom of the great God could contrive, and the infinite love and power of the great God could effect and perform, on the behalf of a remnant, whom his delight was to honour. Read Esther vi. 6—9. But that was a poor honour in comparison with this honour.
3. I shall show how Jesus Christ is made this to us, this future redemption.
He is the purchaser of it; it was bought with his blood, bought back. We bad mortgaged It for «s apple, and must never have retrieved it, had not k died, Eph. i. 14. It is redeemed for us, and we ait redeemed for it
He is our forerunner in it, Heb. li. 20. He vea: thither as our attorney or proxy, to take posseasieB of the purchase in our name and stead, John xiv. 1,3.
It is he that himself actually pats na into povei-sion of it.
When we die the angels are his mes s e n g ers , «t by him to convey us into Abraham's bosom.
At the resurrection it is his voice and trumpet tbit raises the dead ; he is the resurreeium.
At the judgment he is the Judge, the sentence is from him; Come, ye blessed.
It is he himself alone that is the sole object of aU our future happiness; to be with kim to see aed enjoy kim, is our future redemption. Rev. xxi. 23.
III. The improvement,
1. Then it concerns us all, by all means, to p all diligence to make sure to ourselves (Kir interest is this redemption.
It is certain all are not thus redeemed; abundaace of mankind miscarry and perish. *
It is certain those that do are miserable creatoi«i and will be so to all eternity.
Those will be most miserable that were once in i fair possibility of being saved, and yet missed ; therefore, I beg of you, for the Lord's sake, and for ?oar own souls' sake, look about you.
Now those to whom Christ is made redemptioii afv such, and none but suck, a» mre in kim. Are je n him, grafted into him, by a lively faith ? Have >t his spirit ?
Those to whom Christ is made ledempdon ar? such, and none but such, to whom he is nnade ru-dam, and rigkteeuinesi, and stmttificatitm. Hath k been these to you ? If so, the redemption is yonn. Is he your wUdom T have ye left the follies ot sia and chosen wisely ? Is he your riktemuneMs f bavf ye called him by that name, and renounced vour own merits ? Is he your itmetifUaHfm ? are ye oev creatures ?
2. If Jesus Christ be made of God this redempiios to you, then, in God's name, take the comfort of it. Lift up the head and hands that hang down; rrjirr in ike Lord aiwoye, and again, I gay refaice. Were there but a small portion of worldly happiness madf sure to us in reversion, after a few years in tbi world; were we sure of some great lordship, with tk appurtenances of it; our thoughts would be ruaniD; upon it, we should solace ourselves in the foretaste of it; and lo, heaven itself made ours will not keep us from drooping ! It is our unbelief that binders ourjoy.
3. Then live as the redeemed of the Lord. Uve. With your eye upon the redemption: be vievin; it often, aiming at it as your scope, 2 Cor. iv. 18.
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS.
Ive witir yoar hand upon the plough; abounding lways in the work of the Lord, I Cor. xv. 68.
Xjive with your feet upon the world; despising its lories, bearing patiently its frowns, Heb. x. 34.
ILtive with your heart upon the Redeemer; in love nd thankfulness, Ps. cvii. 1,2.
SERMON XXXIII.
CHRIST IS OUR LESSON.
Eph. iv. 20.
But ye have not so learned Christ,
That our Lord Jesus Christ is the letson that we are to learn. Show, I. The meaning of this.
II. What kind of lesson Jesus Christ is.
III. What inferences may be drawn from it.
I. Let us inquire into the meaning of this—He is a esson.
To understand this, we must look upon the church M a great school, wherein we ourselves, and all others hat are baptized with Christian baptism, are thereby entered as scholars. Baptism is the enrolling or en-isting of us as scholars in this school. And can any hi Dgbe said then, with reason, against the baptizing tf infants ? Do not ye oftentimes send your children o school Tcry young and little, before you expect hey should learn much ? No matter, say you, we urill enter them. Now in this great school,
1. There is a head master, or teacher, and that is ;he Spirit of God, the alone teacher of hearts, Fofan xiv. 26; xv. I.
2. There are the ushers and under teachers; and those are the ministers, whose work it is, as ministers, to instruct and teach people, young and old, weak and itrong, one with milk by catechising, the other with strong meat by preaching, as they are able to bear it.
3. There is the lesson they are to learn, and that is, in one word, Christ. Christ is the lesson, the great lesson, taught in the church. Learn him, and yon learn all. JLicarn not him, and you learn nothing. The expression may seem harsh and uncouth, but you see it is Paul's phrase of speech, and, I think, he had the Spirit of God,— Ye have not so learned Christ, What is it to learn Christ?
1. We must learn to hnow him. This is absolutely necessary, and on this the foundation of all the rest is to be laid, John xvii. 3. it is life eternal; the way to life eternal; the first step towards it The knowledge of Christ b]e.«(sed Paul preferred before every thing in this world, Phil. iii. 8,10. Now how unlike herein are the most of us to Paul, who prefer every thing else before this. There are four things, especially, which we should all covet to know concerning Christ.
(1.) Who and what he is in himself. He is God and he is man. He is God-man.
He is God blessed for ever, begotten of the Father before all worlds. This account of the knowledge he had of him Peter gave when the question was put to him. Matt. xvi. 15, Whom say ye that I am ? -^Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Do ye know this ? Not with comprehensive knowledge,—as if we could, by our finite understandings, fathom the depth of it, for it is a mystery how it should be, a son without a mother,—^but with the knowledge of faith that it is. We are to believe it because God hath revealed it.
He is man also. He was bom of the Virgin Mary, in the fulness of time; when the word was made flesh: and here is another mystery to be believed, and not to be pryed into—^that there should be a son without a father. Now these two natures, united in one person, are Christ. Have ye learned this? O learn it.
(2.) What he hath done.
He hath fulfilled all righteousness, by the perfect obedience of his life.
He hath satisfied God's justice for all our sins, by the merit of his death.
He hath raised himself again out of the grave, on the third day, and thereby declared himself to be the Son of God with power.
Yea, and he is still doing for us in heaven, where he lives to make intercession.
And hereafter, at the end of the world, he will certainly come again with great glory to judge both quick and dead. Have ye learned this? Do ye know it ? Again, (3.) What he hath said. There are a great many choice sayings of his recorded in the book called the Bible; nay, choice sermons preached by him, for he was a preacher. Those we should learn, for they contain in them the whole will of God concerning our salvation, which he came out of the Father's bosom to reveal and make known. And yet how many heed them not, nor mind to learn them ; they had rather be reading an idle romance, or play-book. God complains, Hos. viii. 12. *' I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing,"—much more, my gospel.
(4.) What he is made of God to all his elect, suoh as were given to him from all eternity by the Father. He is their foundation, food, root, raiment, head, hope, refuge, righteousness. Have ye learned this ? Ye have heard it often, but have ye learned it ? Have ye understood all these things? Can ye say ye know them ? There is a two-fold knowledge: One that swims in the head, and goes no further.
Another, that sinks into the heart.
2. We must learn to believe in him. Not only learn what it is to believe, but to do it. Many can answer to what is faith in Jesus Christ that have not faith in him. Now to learn Christ is to have faith in APPENDIX.
Christ; none else can say they have learned him, John vi. 46. To beliefe in Christ, is to come to Christ, as the sick man comes to the physician, the thirsty to the fountain, the hangry to the cupboard, the malefactor to the city of refuge. Have ye thus learned him, received him, closed with him, let all go for him, all your sins, all your own righteousness, saying. None but Christ, none but Christ ?
3. We must learn to love him. The apostle speaks of being taught of God to love one anotkevy 1 Thess. iv. 9. and certainly there is such a thing as being taught of God to love Jesus Christ Now have ye been so taught ? Can ye appeal to him, with Peter, and say, Lord Jesus, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee? They that do not love him have not learned him. Learn but two things of him, and you cannot but love him: How lovely he is in himself, Ps. xlv. 2. Cant V. 10, &c. And How loving he hath been to yon in giving himself for you. Gal. ii. 20.—in washing you from your sins in his own blood. Paul prays—*' And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge," Eph.
111. 19.
4. We must learn to obey him, to do in every thing as he would have us to do. Faith and love without this, if we could suppose them without it, which certainly they are not if true, are nothing, signify nothing, John xiv. 15; xv. 14. Paul is in the context exhorting Christians to walk worthy of their calling, not as do the heathen; No, says he, you have not so learned Chriet-^you are better taught.
5. We must learn to suffer for him, if he call us thereunto. And what day passes over our heads wherein we are not, in one kind or other, called to it ? Now have ye learned to do it, to take up your cross, and to follow him? Luke ix. 23.
II. What kind of lesson is Christ ?
1. He is the lesson that all should learn; all that mean to be saved should learn Jesus Christ There is no salvation in any other, Acts iv. 12. John xiv. 6. You are not all bound to learn Latin, or Greek, or Hebrew ; to learn Logic, Philosophy, or Mathematics; to learn the several trades and manufactures ; but you are all bound to learn Christ, bound by the covenant of your baptism, bound by your being called Christians. Either cease to be called a Christian, or learn Christ,—^to know, believe, love, him.
2. He is the lesson that any one may learn. There are some arts and sciences that are above and beyond the capacity of some people, though they would never so much wish it; though they desire and endeavour all that ever they can, yet it will not do; they labour in vain. Now such a lesson Christ is not He is an easy lesson, easy to be learned. Mistake me not; I do not mean easy to mere nature; no, it is quite contrary; it is to mere nature hard and difficult, nay, utterly impossible, " The Batnral ma receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for tber are foolishness unto him, neither can he know tbea, because they are spiritually discerned/' 1 Cor. ii. 14. Witness Nicodemus, John iii. But easy—to the mind enlightened, easy—^to the willing learner, Piot. xiv. 6. easy—where God gives a facalty, whick be always doth to those that seek it Christ is a wsj~ wherein '* The way-faring men, though foob, skadl not err,'' Isa. xxxv. 8. O learn this way; jo« must travel it How could it have been else, that so many plain illiterate men, such as the apostles were, should all on the sudden be such proficients in this learning?
3. He is the lesson that few do learn : the more is the pity. People are taken up with the study of other things, but make light of this learning, u of the gospel feast. Matt xxii. 1—7. Matt vii. 14.
4. He is the lesson that mnltitades are damned eternally for not learning. If I should say it is the only damning sin, I could make it good from Scripture. Whatever we have done amiss, if we have learned Christ, it shall be forgiven: whatever good we have done, unless we have learned Christ, it mill not be accepted. This will be the question,—Hath he learned Christ? Is he found in him? Rom. riii. 1. If children at school do not learn their lessoo. there is but a rod to whip with ; bat if we do not learn Christ, there is a hell to bum us in.
6. He is a lesson that we must be sure to learn Bt heart, I mean, be hearty in learning, inward, siuoof, upright, serious. With the heart man helievtth laid righteousnetij Rom. x. 10. Prov. xxiii. 26. If ve learn Christ to talk of him only, and not to walk io him; to have him on the tip of our tonies, and not to lodge him in the secret chambers of oar hearts, it will not do.
6. He is a lesson that is best learned upon our knees. When in a humble sense of oar ignoraooe, blindness, darkness, dulness, we go to God, every day, for the unction, saying. Lord, teach me,—as David, up and down the 119th Ps. (he, tktf statytet— we, thy Christ) we learn best; we then make the best progress in this school, Ps. xxv. 9. Zeeh. iv. 5.13.
7. He is a lesson that but one book is enough to teach us. Other learning is not had withoat abundance of books; philosophers, historians, pkjsi-cians, lawyers, must have large libraries; but ooc book alone well learned will suffice to make tbee a Christian, 2 Tim. lii. 15. Then search the Scriptures, John V. 29. Prefer having eyes to read the S€ri(K tures, and be blind to every thing else, than to read every thing else and neglect the Bible.
H. He is a lesson that it will do as abundance of good to learn. It is a useful lesson. All kinds of learning are in some way or other useful, but ibis learning excels them all, for it is profitable for all things.
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS.
It is anspeakably satisfying to the understandiDg part. Tbe most learned, after all their inqairies into other learning, have professed themselves nneasy and dissatisfied, but this fills; as the great Mr. Selden,* when dying, said, he had rest no where bot in Tit. ii. 11—14.
It is anspeakably sweet, and comfortable, and refreshing, and joyous; like honey and the honeycomb. Every word of God is so, Ps. xix. 10. but especially God the word.—How sweet is it to a lost vndone sinner, to be acquainted with a Saviour! Other learning increased, increases, sorrow, Eccl. i. 18. but this doth not It is strangely renewing and changing within, in tbe inner man; making Uie tree good; bowing the will; raising the affections, 2 Cor. iii. 18.
It is strangely reforming and amending without-r in the life and conversation.
There is no bridle like this to keep us from sin. When a temptation to sin comes, it saysNo, I have not so learned Christ I thank God, I am better taught. There are other arguments on this head.
Is this thy kindness to thy friend ? It will be bitter in the end; Thy vows, O God, upon me lie. Should such an one as I am fly ?
Was Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. Did he teach me to be proud, passionate, envious, drunken ? No, I never learned that of him.
There is no spur like this to put us on duty.
He that hath learned Christ hath learned the example of Christ, learned him as a copy to write after. To learn Christ is to learn of Christ~'*Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me/' Matt xi. 29. It is called his law, Gal. vi. 2.
Ho that hath learned Christ, hath learned the encouragements given by Christ in the promises.
9. He is a lesson that we can never be perfect at He that hath learned it best, and learned most of it, must, after all, say there is more to be learned; —^yet ever Uaming, 2 Tim. iii. 7. is true of this learning.—It is a bottomless ocean that we can never fathom ; our finite understandings are not capable of reaching his infinite perfections, 1 Cor. viii. 2.
10. He is a lesson that when we have once learned we can never unlearn again. It is the better part, that can never, never be taken away, Luke x. 42. All other learning may be lost. Many a great scholar hath gone mopish. However, death dissolves it, melts it, it is gone like a snow-ball in a thaw. It is a pity it should be so, but so it is. But
CaUed by GroUus tbe Glory of England. He died A. D. 1654. / he that hath learned Christ, hath learned him for ever. Death robs him not of it, but perfects it, 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
III. What inferences are to be deduced from hence ?
1. An inference of reproof to several sorts of persons.
(1.) To those that slight and despise this excellent lesson and learning, as if it were not worth the looking after. ** Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." The blessed stoop to look into this depth, and is it below us?
(2.) To those that have learned Christ in some good measure, but do not improve their learning — Who do not improve it for their own furtherance in the ways of God and godliness ; that use it not as a bridle, a spur.—Nor for the instruction of others; especially those under their charge. When Andrew had found Christ he called Peter, when Philip found him he called Nathaniel, John i. So should we; not in pride and vain glory, but with an earnest concern that others may be acquainted with him.
2. An inference of comfort and encouragement to those that fall not justly under either of these reproofs—that prize this lesson, and are learning and improving it for their own and others' good. Go on and prosper; the Lord is with you," Your path shall be as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," Prov. iv. 18. There is a promise. Matt. XXV. 29. for your encouragement—'' Unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance."
3. An inference of exhortation to all.
By all means, whatever ye do, learn Christ Con this lesson ; be conning it every day. '* Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord," Hos. vi. 3. Follow on by daily prayer, reading, hearing, meditation, conference. When ye have it, it will make you rich amends—here and hereafter. Value that preaching best, that hath most of Christ in it. It is sad to see whole sermons printed, and Christ not once named in them. Is that preaching Christ ? Paul could say, "We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord," 2 Cor. iv. 5. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Remember, ye are Christians. What! and not learn Christ?
Ye that are young. Now is your learning age; some of you are scholars—O learn Christ.
Ye that are old. There is yet a learning day. Ni-codemus was old when he began.—Yea, all of you-*-learn Christ.
APPENDIX.
SERMON XXXIV.
CHRIST IS OUR LADDER.
Gen. xx Wii. 12.
And he dreanud and, behold, a ladder eet vpon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and, behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on U, This ladder which Jacoh saw, was no other than oar Lord Jesas Christ, who was, nnder that notion and resemblance, represented to him. What else should it be? And a very clear notion it is, and very helpful to our nnderstandinj to apprehend what he is made of God unto us— a ladder.
DocT. That our Lord Jesus Christ is made of Grod unto us our ladder.
You all know what a ladder is, and what use it is for. Now just such a thing our Lord Jesus Christ is— our ladder ; and of the same use he is to us spiritually, for the good of our poor souls.
But, says some one, it was only a dream.
I answer. It was a divine dream, sent of God; a vision, than which nothing can be more certain.
Show, I. The properties of this ladder.
II. Of what use it is to us.
III. The inferences.
I. I am to show the properties of this ladder. It is a ladder in all respects extraordinary ; there never was any other like it
1. It is a living ladder. In the same sense in which, as a way, he is called a new and living way, Heb. X. 20. in the same sense, as a ladder, he is a new and a living ladder. Other ladders are dead things, but this ladder lives. It is true he was dead, but he is alive again, and lives for evermore. Rev. i. 18. And it is well for us that he is so; for if he live, then we shall live also.
2. A long ladder. The longest that ever was, for it reaches from earth to heaven. That was the posture in which Jacob saw it— the foot upon the earth, and the top of it in heaven. Hereby was signified his two natures;—his divine nature, as God; his human nature, as man. As man—he was set upon the earth, a son of Adam, born of a woman, lived here upon the earth for a time, as other men do. As God —he was always in heaven, begotten of the Father before all worlds, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. The uniting of these two natures, the nature of God and the nature of man, in one person, is the mystery of all mysteries, I Tim. iv. 16. That the glory of the Godhead did not destroy the meanness of the manhood, nor the meanness of the manhood debase the glory of the Godhead, is mysterious indeed.—^The bush which Moses saw, burning and not consumed, was an emblem of this.
But what need was there that the foot of the U der should be upon the earth—that oor Redeeaier should be man ?
I reply. There was need, that he might have a body wherein to suffer and die; sach a body as ovn that had sinned, for whom he was to die.
But what necessity is there that the top oi it Aoold reach to heaven—^that he should be God!
I answer. That the Godhead might give virtue and value to the sufferings of the manhood, and that k might support it under them—^which else would hart failed. Besides, to bring God and man together, it was requisite he should be both God and man; G«d —that he might deal vrith God, which man as msm was not fit to do; man—^that he might deal with mas. which God as God, a holy God, could not do, vn out consuming him, a sinful creature; as a oonsuB-ing fire, with stubble. Here is the meaning of Wa being Emanuel, God with us; God in onr nature which if he had not been he could not have ben Jesus, a Saviour, Matt i. 21—23.
Now our duty hereupon is, (1.) To adore infinite love and infinite wisdom is the contrivance of this way, which no other oould have found out; saying. Lord, who is like onto thee. And, (2.) To say also—^What shall we render ?
3. A lasting ladder. Other ladders wear out is process of time, and fail, and come to be good fcr nothing but the fire: says the workman. I dare boI venture to climb it, I shall fall and break mj bones, it is worm-eaten and rotten. There is no danger of that in this ladder, Heb. xiii. 8. The rigfateonsDc» which is brought in by him is everlasting righteousness, Dan. ix. 24. All the saints from the beginninf have made use of it, and it never yet did fail any. nor never will, to the world*s end. " He is able io save them to the uttermost that come nnCo God bj him,'' Heb. vii. 25.—^to the utmost of times.
4. A free ladder, open and comnuHi to all; whosoever will may come, and make use of it and welcome. If we do not by unbelief exclude ourselves God hath no where excluded us. The promise mas in general terms, Isa. Iv. 1. Matt xi. 2S. John vii 37. Rev. xxii. 17. The fountain is open, not sealed. Zech. xiii. 1. Our Lord Jesus was bom in an idb* which is free to all comers;—died with his arms stretched out upon the cross, and was nailed so, to signify his readiness to embrace all that will eone to him.
6. A firm ladder; steady and strong. Our Redeemer is mighty, Heb. vii. 25— able to utoe. From what ? From our sins.
From the guilt of them: how many, how great soever; crimson, scarlet, guilt; by the infinite merit of his blood and passion.
From the dominion and power of them, by his Spi-rit and grace. Though the devil himself steps in to WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. strengthen the snare be Is able to burst and break it, and to set us free.—^Therefore fear not, nor be dismayed ; greater is he that is with us than he that is against us.
6. A ladder fitted every way for the use for which it was intended. But, II. Of what use is it to us ?
1. That by it blessings might descend from heaven unto us. If our Lord Jesus had not interposed by dying to make peace, this could not have been. Curses, wrath, light-bolts,thunder-bolts, might have come down, and would have come, without this ladder ; but, no blessing, no token for good, no beam of favour. There would have been fire and brimstone, as on Sodom.—^The reason was, because man had sinned, and thereby God was provoked, and till divine justice was fully satisfied, mercy could do nothing. The way was blocked up. Now Christ comes, and by dying makes satisfaction, and so takes out of the way that that hindered, and now blessings are showered down of all sorts, temporal, spiritual, concerning the life that now is, and that which is to come. " God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," Phil. iv. 19. —not some, but all. And how ? By Christ Jesus. He is the ladder by whom they descend, the conduit pipe for conveyance of all our fresh water from the fountain above to the cisterns below.
It is by this ladder—^that all our pardons come. We are needing of them every day; gve us this day —^and forgive us this day; and we never have them but when we come for them in his name. All the infinite mercy that is in God, did never forgive one sin out of Christ.
It is by this ladder—that all the grace and strength we have comes. Of this also we have daily need^—^for doing duty, resisting temptations, bearing afflictions. It comes down to us by this ladder, therefore it is called the ffraee of our LordJetm Christ because we have it only by him, and from him, and through him, John i. 16.
It is by this ladder—^that all the returns of prayer come in, John xvi. 23. Wb had lately a day of prayer, wherein special mercies were prayed for with reference to present affairs. Which way must those mercies come, think ye? Certainly down this ladden
2. That by it we may ascend from earth to heaven, and go to God.—From earth to heaven is a long way, and up-hill too. There is no ladder from AeZ2 to heaven. Fly ii we cannot, Luke xvi. 26. We have no wings for the purpose. But climb to heaven we may; and how, bat by a ladder ? Christ is that ladder.
By this ladder our performances must all ascend while we live; our prayers, and praises, and alms-deeds, our fastings, and humiliations. You would have them go to God, would yon not ? and be accepted of Gody would you not ? Then they must goby Christ, 1 Pet. ii. 6. Matt. iii. 17; xvii. 5. He is the high priest, his intercession is the incense. Rev. viii. 3.
By this ladder our persons must ascend when we die, John xiv. 6. No man cometh to the Father, but by him, to the kingdom of the Father, the glory, presence, vision, fruition of God.
It was the merit of his death that purchased it for us; that is the price of it
It is the working of his Spirit in us that fits us for it.
It is the efiicacy of his prayer that brings us to it, John xvii. 24. We never begin to climb this ladder till converted, and then step by step; gradually is sin weakened, grace strengthened; not all at once.
III. What inferences arise hence ?
The inferences shall be by way of answer to five questions.
1. If Chrbt be our ladder for us to ascend on, how is it then said here, that Jacob saw the angels of God ascending and descending?
The ascending and descending of the angels of God upon this ladder, Christ, is for our good, benefit, and advantage. The angels are ministering spirits for us, Heb. i. 14. The design of the vision was to comfort Jacob at his entrance upon a perilous journey in his flight from his angry brother. It was a seasonable refreshing cordial, Ps. xci. 11, 12; xxxiv. 7. 2 Kings vi. 17.
Bui why ascending ?
(1.) For fresh orders, to act for their good every day. Matt xviii. 10. their angels; though nothing else be theirs, ''their angels always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven,"—expecting the least nod or beck.
(2.) To give account of their stewardship; what they have done. Allude to Luke xiv. 21. Read Job i. and Zech. 1.
(3.) With separate, departed souls in their arms, to place them in Abraham's bosom, Luke xvi. 22.
But why descending ?
To execute their orders, for preservation, provision, society, supply.—Jacob was alone here, he had no company. O how sweet is it to see both the ladder, and the travellers going up and down! Note, all are either ascending or descending, none standing still, none idle, all busy. This may comfort all the Lord's poor Jacobs in all their straits and troubles ; not the Esaus, the wicked of the world; their attendants are ugly devils, living and dying.
2. If Jesus Christ be our ladder, what is faith ? The hand by which we take hold of the ladder. The foot also, by which we come to it, and climb by it As good then even no ladder as no hands and feet; as good there were no Christ as no faith, John viii. 24. an unbelieving soul is a maimed soul, hand-less and footless, and therefore helpless. Then be not faithless, but believing. Reach hither thy hand, as Christ said to Thomas, John xx. in a sight
APPENDIX. and sense of thy andone conditioii without him; receive the report of the gospel oonceming him, his ahility and willingness to save. Renounce all other ladders, and cleaveto this alone; behold,hecallsthee.
3. What are the rounds of this ladder ?
The several particulars of his undertaking: steps downward first, and then upwards; on each of which there is matter for faith to fasten on,—his incarnation, temptation, passion, resurrection.
4. Is Christ alone the ladder ? are there no other ladders but he ?
No other: how should there be? Who are they? Who besides him hath his foot on earth, and his head in heaven ? Name who.
The papists fancy other ladders to themselves; saints and angels; the Virgin Mary. Are these God ? The angels ascend and descend upon the ladder; they are not the ladder.
But their end in ascending and descending is as mediators for us; they ascend with our prayers and descend with God's answer.
What Scripture is there for that? Where doth the word of God tell us so ? If no where, there is no ground for faith, and whatsoever is not of faith is sin; nay, it says the contrary, 1 Tim. ii. 6.
The protestant, pharisaical self-justiciaries make a ladder of their own righteousness. They hope to work out peace, and pardon, and salvation for themselves, by their own performances, as the poor carnal mistaken Jews of old did, Rom. z. 3. Paul disclaims this way to heaven, Phil. iii. 7, 8. How can we be a ladder to ourselves? Alas ! the best of our doings are imperfect, and defiled. However, they are duty, therefore they cannot fiiert> any thing. Say then, I beseech you, None but Christ.
6. Why is it said. Behold a ladder ?
It is common both in the Old Testament and the New, when Christ is spoken of, to say. Behold, Isa. ▼ii. 14; xlii. 1. John i. 29. This notes to us, what our duty is in reference to him.
We are to admire and wonder, as oft as we think of him, Isa. ix. 6. his name is wonderful. They do not know him, that do not wonder at him; at what he is, at what he hath done and suffered, at what he is doing, at his love and free fpmce especially.
Behold and bless God for making and rearing this ladder.
To behold him, is to believe in him, Isa. Ixv. 1; xlv. 22— Looh unto me, as the stung Israelites to the brazen serpent.
There are four special seasons wherein to behold this ladder: (1.) when we are doing any thing for God, then behold it as the only way and means of being strengthened for it, and of being accepted in it.
(2.) When we have done any thing against God, when guilt stares us in the face, then behold—as the only way and means of peace and pardon.
(3.) When distress, and trouble, and danger ait before us, then behold it, and the angels aaoeodiB and descending on it.
(4.) When death is about to lay his cold hod upon us,—as Stephen, *' Behold, I see the bea Tee< opened, and the Son of man standing on the ri hand of God,'' Acts vii. 56.
SERMON XXXV.
CHRIST IS THE TRUTH.
JOHNi. 17.
The law toot given hy Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ, There are two Johns especially spoken of id ik New Testament, John the Baptist, and John the divine. These words were spoken bj the fonaer. and recorded or written by the latter, John hare witness of him, that is, John the Baptist, his fore-ruona or harbinger, that was to him, as the morning star n to the sun, his messenger, to tell the world that be was coming. And what was it that he bare vritoes to concerning him? This among the rest, fhatrsrr and truth came by him.
Two things are here opposed to the iaw that came by Moses.
Grace. It is elsewhere so opposed, Rom. vi. U " Not under the law, but under grace," —where bf law is commonly understood the Mosaical dispensa-tioD, the management whereof was in such a war, with so much terror, that it looked like as if it h been the first covenant of works; and some have so mistaken it to be, and called it so. Then by graa is meant the new covenant, called the covenant oi grace, which it is a great privilege to be under. There is between this covenant and the other as much difference as between being under the coki dark shades of the night, and the bright, warm, refreshing beams of the noon sun; between bcinc in bondage and being at liberty. Now taking greet in this sense, it came by Jesus Christ, it is made is him, and by him, and through him. And, theiefore, he is expressly called the covenant, Isa. xlii. 6; xlix. 8. We should bless God for this grace, and take the comfort of it, and walk answerably to it not letting sin have dominion over us.
Truth.
DocT. That truth came by Jesas Christ: it eame when Jesus Christ came**when the word «as made flesh and dwelt among us.
He is the truth, John xiv. 6.—^the way, thai way; —the truth, that truth; the life, thai life. Tliere arr many ways, and many truths, and many lives, or kinds of life, but Jesus Christ is most eminently vai
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. transcendc Dtly that way, truth, life: the true and living way, or the way in which, the truth by and through which, we come to that life, which alone deserves the name of life, and that is, eternal life.
I shall, I. Explain what the truth is, and hoir the truth came by Jesus Christ And, II. Apply it.
I. Explain the subject
When our Lord Jesus Christ was at Pilate's bar, John xviii. 37, 38. he said, " Fw tkU cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the troth,"—to which Pilate replies by asking him a question— What is truth? and before he had his answer, went his way. It is a pity he had not staid; we had then known from the mouth of truth what is truth; but he went out. It is so with many people; they take on them as if they desired to know the truth, and to know their duty; but it is but a copy of their'Countenance, really they do not; as Balaam, Numb. xxii. There is one way of knowing what is truth, by the contraries. There are three things that are contrary to truth, by considering which, it may be known what truth is:
1. Figures, and shadows, and types are things contrary to truth. As suppose the picture or representation of a man; we do not say it is the true man; the truth is he that is represented by it Now so the truth came by Jesus Christ; that is, all the figures, and types, and shadows of him whereby he was held forth to the fathers under the Old Testament, were all fulfilled in him, and therefore when he, the trutli, the substance, was come, they were all to vanish away; and so they did, Heb. ix. 24—<A« figures of the true. For example.
Under the Old Testament they had manna—little, round, and white—which came down in a dew every morning, and was their food for four years. Here was a figure, a shadow.—Now the truth of this came by Jesus Christ; he is the true manna, John vi. 32.— the true bread.
They had a brazen serpent hung upon a pole, that whosoever had been stung, and did but look, was healed by virtue of God's ordinance.—Now when Christ came, the truth of this came. He is the true brazen serpent, John iii. 14, 16. The looking is by faith, Isa. xlv. 22.
They had a rock that followed them, and supplied them with water.—^The truth of that rock was Christ, 1 Cor. X. 4.
We read of a ladder that Jacob saw, the feet whereof was upon earth, the head in heaven.—The truth of that ladder was Christ.
We read of a ram that was brought to Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac.—^The truth of that ram was Christ sacrificed for us and in our stead.
We read of a lamb that was slain at the passover, and the blood sprinkled, whereupon the destroying angel passed by.—^That lamb was Christ, 1 Cor. v. 7.
We read of a high priest richly clothed, and bearing on his breast the names of the twelve tribes, and going into the holy of holies, and burning incense there.—^The truth of this was Christ: and so of all the rest. Now to make more new significant ceremonies, is to intimate that Christ is not come.
2. Falsehood and error is contrary to truth. There is truth doctrinal, 2 Tim. ii. 18. Now this truth is but one; error is manifold. There are many errors, but only one truth, and that one truth is Christ When he came, the truth came.
A preacher of the truth came.
A witness of the truth came.
(1.) He preached the truth. All that he said in all his sermons, parables, discourses, disputations, was all true, as true as truth itself. He never broached, nor owned, nor patronized, any error; no, not any, not the least. Several great truths of grand importance he taught As, Concerning the design of the Father in sending him into the world, which was, to save the world, John iil. 16. He was the first that plainly and clearly revealed this. It was hid before, John i. 18.
Concerning the necessity of regeneration, John iii. 3, 5. Which of th<; prophets spake of such a thing as a new birth ? They call for turning, amend-ing^-but he, of being bom again.
Concerning spiritual worship, John iv. 24. in spirit; in opposition to the Old-Testament carnal way, by carnal ordinances. There is now an end put to those. The truth is come.
Concerning the process of the great judgdient. Where have we such a manifestation of it, as that in Matt. XXV. 31—46. " When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations; and be shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink ? When saw we thee a stranger, aiiH took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee ? And the King shall answer and say unto them. Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them
APPENDIX. on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ; for I was an hangred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we theo an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee ? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. The judge himself tells us here, how, and in what manner, he will proceed.—Now we have great reason to bless God that the truth is come in this sense also. But, (2.) He came a witness to the truth, John xviii. 37.
A witness is a martyr, and such was he: he sealed the truth with his blood. So have many others besides him, both preachers and others, but he led the van. We call Stephen the proto-martyr of the New Testament, Acts vii. No; Jesus Christ was the Proto-martyr of the New Testament. Therefore, none need to fear or be ashamed; their dear Lord went before them to martyrdom.
3. Falseness and unfaithfulness is contrary to truth. A man of truth is he, (I.) That speaks the truth in his heart, Ps. xv. *2. He will not tell a lie for the sake of any one, nor for any worldly gain or advantage whatsoever. Such a roan of truth was Jesus Christ; not only when in the pulpit, in his preaching; but in his ordinary converse. His word was not yea and nay, but his yea was yea, and his nay, nay.
(2.) That keeps covenant, and performs promise. This he doth. You may safely venture upon what he says in those scriptures. Matt xi. 28. John vi. 37— " Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" '* Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out"—And in any other, for in him all the promises are yea, and in him amen, 2 Cor. i. 20. Compare Rev. iii. 14. and read Ps. Ixxxv. 10. He promised his disciples, when he went, he would come again ; and did he not meet them in Galilee ? Did he not send upon them his Spirit? He did so.
Is he not true also to his threatenings ?
He is, certainly, except we repent. If we do, he repents; else not See, as to Jerusalem, Matt, xxiii. 38. which came to pass.
(3.) That is just to all his relations, and discharges honestly all his undertakings, without failing in the least.—So did he, to his disciples, while with them, as their master; so doth he to all his saints, as head, husband, father, brother, friend, king, cap. tain. Then for his undertaking, he fulfilled it to tbe utmost. I mean, his great andertaking to redeem and save. He fulfilled it-to the utmost, witbdat flinching, or starting back, John xyii. 4. Did his Father contradict what he said? No, be did not And then, for all his other undertakings sabordioate to this, he hath been, is, and will be, just and tme to them;—in hearing prayers, forgiving sins, supplying wants, subduing enemies.
II. The application.
Is Christ the truth ? When he came did the tratb come ? Then what is our duty ? what doth this calf for at our hands ?
1. We must know the truth, John Tiii. 31, 32. Be acquainted with it. It is a pity we should any of os be ignorant of it, not acquainted with it, perso Dallj acquainted. Do ye know Jesus Christ? Have re learned him ? O get to know him, it is life eternal, John xvii. 3. It will make you free, John viii. 33. free from a deal of bondage, and misery, and mistake, that poor ignorant souls are subject to. See Paul's resolution, " I determined to know nothiog among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified/' 1 Cor. ii. 2. Phil. iii. 7, 8. The way to know this truth is to search the Scriptures; dig into them, John Y. 39. Also pray much. Beg of God an eD-lightened mind.
2. We must buy the truth, buy it and not sell it, PiDv. xxiii. 23. Christ the truth is a jewel worth your dealing for. You may all have him, you cannot buy him at any rate too dear, though with the price of all you are, and have, and can do. He is the true treasure. Matt. xiii. 44—46.
3. We must receive the truth. This receiving act is it that makes the truth ours, John i. 12. Not only receive him in our understandings, by nnfeiga-ed assent, but into our wills and affections, into oor hearts and souls, by unfeigned consent; as the wife receives the husband when she takes him to be her husband; the servant the master. Matt xi. 29.
4. We must rejoice in the truth, 1 Cor. xiii. 6. This we cannot do till we know it, till we receiveiL Hast thou received Christ Jesus the Lord I Theo thou hast reason to rejoice in him, for if he be thine all is thine. We are told of a philosopher, • that having found out a mathematical demonstration, was so pleased that he ran about like a madman, cryiB|[. I have found it, 1 have found it Much more maj the upright soul, Phil. iii. 3. John i. 45.
5. We must love the truth, 2 Thess. iL 10. Zecb. viii. 19. Truth is a thing peculiarly amiable; it hath a loveliness in it above and beyond ail other things, especially this great truth, " Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners," I Tim. i. 15.— a truth worthy to be embraced with both arras.
Archimedes. He died about 308 years before tbe Christian I asra.
WHAT CHRIST IS MAD£ TO BELIEVERS.
6. We must speak the trnth one to another, Eph. iv. 25. It is an abominable thing for those that call themselves the followers of Christ—the truth—to be found liars, Eph. iv. 15. Isa. Ixiii. 8.
7. We must worship God in truth, John iy. 23,24. *' Let us draw near with a true heart/' Heb. x. 22. That is, in sincerity and uprightness, not in guile and hypocrisy,—or in truth, that is, in Christ, as our only medium of worship—in his name.
8. We must walk in the truth, 3 John 3, 4. that is, in Christ Jesus, Col. ii. 6. Have ye received him as the trnth ? then walk in him as the truth; By relying wholly and solely upon him, in the gpreat business of your reconciliation and salvation, and in all your straiCs and troubles, Acts xxvii. 25.
By being in your measure like him, in word and deed ; just and true, and fast and faithful, to Ood and man. Rev. ii. 10.
SERMON XXXVL
CHRIST IS OUR TREASURE.
Matt. xiii. 44.
Again: The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in afield.
By this treasure we are to understand our Lord
Jesus Christ, the king of this kingdom here spoken of.
DocT. That our Lord Jesus Christ is 6ur treasure.
He that hath found him, and hath him, may truly say he hath found treasure.
Show, I. What treasure is, and what it implies.
II. What kind of treasure Jesus Christ is; and, III. What use we are to make of it. I. What is a treasure ?
In treasure two things are supposed:
The one: That the things be excellent and useful.
The other: That there be abundance of them; else it cannot be said to be treasure.
The things must be such as are both excellent and useful; things of worth and yalue. We do not reckon a heap of stones or dirt to be treasure. Treasure is of gold, or silver, jewels ; either money or money's worth. In Jeremiah xli. 8. we read of treasures of wheat and barley, and oil and honey: though these are not gold and silver, yet they are things useful and necessary.
There must also be abundance of them. A little is not said to be treasure. No; where there is treasure, there is a deal to be had of such things; plenty of gold, variety of jewels, stores of wheat And is not Christ treasure, then ? Are there not abundance of excellent useful things to be had with him ? Can you name any thing that is either truly excellent, H 2 or truly useful, that is not to be had with him, and that in abundance, full measure, pressed down, and running over ? Col. i. \9,—fulness — all fulness dwelling in him.
1. Is he not the Sun of Righteousness ? Mai. iv. 2. the light of the world ? John viii. 12. As full as the sun is of light, and that is as full as it can hold; so full, and infinitely more so, is Christ of righteousness and grace, and strength of Spirit, and merit; which are excellent things, and I am sure useful to us, for we are undone without them.
2. Is he not the fountain opened? Zech. xiii. 1. A fountain is not a cistern, though it is true a cistern may be full; yet there is a great deal of difference between a cistern full, and a fountain full. A cistern may be full, but it doth not run over; if it do there is nothing to supply it with more, as there is in a fountain. Empty a fountain as often as you will, it fills itself without pouring any thing into it; not so a cistern. Now Christ's fulness is a fountain-fulness, and we have need of such.
3. Is he not a horn of salvation ? Luke i. 69. A horn signifies plenty. His salvation is plentiful salvation. He is able to save to the uttermost, Heb. vii. 25. And is not salvation an excellent useful thing? Is any thing more excellent, more useful ? Especially spiritual salvation ; to be saved from our sins, the guilt, the power of them:—eternal salvation, to be saved from the wrath to come, from hell, and damnation; to be instated in the heavenly inheritance ? Of all this there is a horn, an abundance, with Jesus Christ for poor sinners. Therefore, we may well say of him, he is our treasure.—But, II. What kind of treasure is the Lord Jesus Christ?
There are these properties of this treasure.
1. It is peculiar treasure. The great God hath such a saying concerning his people Israel, Exod. xix. 5. Ye shall be a peculiar people. —I am sure his people Israel may truly say so of him.—He is a peculiar treasure; that is.
He is treasure by itself; such treasure as hath none like it; a nonesuch treasure; a treasure beyond all other treasures. The peculiar treasure of kings, and of the provinces, which Solomon speaks of, Eccl. ii. 8. is not to be compared with, this treasure. It is as far beyond it as gold is beyond dross, as pearls are beyond pebbles, as substance is beyond shadow.
He is the treasure of but a few. There are people that have worldly treasure, here and there one in a country; there are few people that make Christ their treasure. The most despise and make light of him; they mind him not. God's number is by far the smaller number. Many are called, but few chosen ; like the grape-gleanings of the vintage, so like the shaking of an olive tree. But APPENDIX.
Those few that have him, have propriety in him, they may call him theirs. My beloved is mine — mine to all intents and purposes; a peculiar treasure unto me. And this is indeed the sweet of it: '* Who loved me and gave himself for me ; my beloved and my friend."
2. Precious treasure.
Precious in himself; of infinite worth and value. The pearl of price, v. 45. is Christ. His blood is' precious, 1 Pet. i. 19. His promises are precious, 2 Pet. i. 4.
Precious in their account and esteem that have him, 1 Pet. ii. 7. They have precious thoughts of him, Ps. cxxxix. 20. They have let all go for him, as Paul, Phil. iii. 7, 8. " What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ: yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." This is the language of one that had found this treasure.
3. Unseen, hid treasure. Other treasures are visible, this invisible, out of sight, as believers and God's bidden ones are. So Christ is a believer's hidden one. Col. iii. 3. Manna that none knows but they themselves that have it, and not they themselves always. Mary, when Christ spake to her, thought it had been the gardener, John xx. 15.
4. Undefiled; honestly come by. Other treasures are not so oftentimes; they that have them scrape them together by fraud, violence, oppression. That which Solomon had, was in a great measure of that kind, as appears by what they told his son— Thy father made our yoke grievous. But those that have this treasure, Christ, Have him by free gift, John iii. 16. He gave him for us, he gives him also to us. They have him
By lawful purchase. It is said here he bought it, V. 46.—not by paying a valuable consideration; I do not say so; it cannot bo. Christ buys us so, but we do not buy him so. It is a purchase without money and without price Isa. Iv. 1.—by barter or exchange. We part with our sins, and we have a Saviour; with our own rigbteousness, our rags, and have his righteousness, that white robe. Have ye been at this market? Have ye made this bargain ?
5. It is enriching treasure. It cannot be but that he that hath worldly treasure must needs be a rich man. But he that hath this treasure—Christ, is made rich by it towards God, and that is the true riches; that is to be rich indeed. A man may have treasure/or himself; such treasure as the fool, Luke xii. 20. had in his bams, and not be rich towards God, in God's account and esteem; rich towards the world, and a beggar towards God. But if Jesus be thine, thou art rich towards God, God will own thee for a rioh man; perhaps poor on earth, rich in heaven. O covet these riches. Get Chnst to be thine, and thou hast enough.
6. It is enduring treasure. Other treasares are not so: Sometimes they moulder away of themselves, Prov. xxiii. 5.
Other times they are spent by the owners.
Other times they are plundered and stolen by thieves.—But of either of these, there is no danger as to this treasure.
It hath no principle of oorruption in itself.
They that have it shall not spend it; they maj live upon it.
They that would cannot take it away. The hiding of it in God, speaks not only the tecrecy, bat also the safety, of it, John x. 28, 29. Luke x. 42. A good reason why we should each of us give all diligence to make it sure unto ourselves. Matt. vi. 19, 20.
III. What use is to be made of this subject ?
1. If Christ be treasure, then what a conditim are they in that are without him ? They are in a poor beggarly condition. Rev. iii. 17. IVoridly poverty nobody is fond of; it is a grief, a troable, a shame, a disgrace, a burthen. They that are under it are weary of it, and fain they would, if they knew how, be delivered from it; but as to spiritual poverty, it is not so; quite otherwise. There is no evil in it, nothing felt from it O be persuaded this day to change your mind herein. Believe a poor soul that hath no spiritual riches, no Christ to make it rieh towards God, to be in a far more miserable condition than the poorest beggar in the country, that hath not a rag on his back, nothing to eat, but what he wanders for, no bed to lie on, no place to hide his head in; I say, far more miserable. For, All this concerns the body only, which is but the shell of the man; the other concerns the soul, the heaven-bom soul.
All this concerns this life only, which is passing away, and will be gone shortly, and then in the grave the rich and the poor meet together; there will be no difference between the dust of the one and the dust of the other. But spiritual poverty is the forerunner of eternal misery. The Christless poor here, that live and die so, most be miserable for ever.
All this may be, and yet the man may be in the love and favonr of God; his sins pardoned, his peace made; as Lazarus, and many another. But if thy soul be Christless, thou art poor towards God. God is against thee, and all that u in God is agai nst thee, though nothing appear. So it is—there is no middle state.
2. What is to be done that this treasure may be ours?
What did this man do here in the text ? Hfifound it hid in the 6eld. He bid it. He vss glad he had found it. And, he went and sold all
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. that he had and bought it. Something like this is to be done by each of os that Christ may be oars.
(1.) We mast find him where God hath hid him, and that is, in the field of the Scriptures. I mean we mast mix faith with what God hath revealed there concerning him; his ability and willingness to save; his suffering, dying, rising again, with the design thereof; his many gracious invitations, encouraging promises, made to poor sinners to come to him, to accept of him. This must be done with application to ourselves, as if our own names were found written therein. Have ye thus found Christ? Hebids us, John V. 39.— search. Search the Old Testament; he is hid there, but by digging we may find him. Search the New Testament; he is above ground there; we are blind if we see him not In this sense it is said concerning the strait gate, and narrow way. Few there be that find it; and of the few thatnd it, fewer go in at the gate, and walk in the way: so as to this treasure, not one in ten, twenty, or even a hundred, who read the Bible, find Christ in it, or desire to find him.
(2.) There should be joy at our thus finding him, this was before making the bargain here. Have you ever seen, and understood, and been affected with, God's unspeakable mercy to you ia affording you the field, the Scripture, wherein Christ is ? in casting your lot and portion within hearing of the joyful sound ? Have you said. Lord, how is it? '* All the people," on one occasion, ** went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them,*' Neh. viii. 12. It cannot be but the joy. must be greater afterwards, when the treasure is made ours; but there is great joy even in this—^that it is revealed to us.
(3.) We must hide it. Not with the hiding of concealment, to conceal from others our having found it, lest they should put us by the purchase ; there is no danger of that; there should rather be an inclination to the contrary, to proclaim it, as Andrew told Philip. Read John i. Hezekiah did ill to show his treasures, but we must show ours. We must hide it with the hiding of meditation and consideration, as David hid the word, Ps. cxix. 11—as Mary, Luke ii. 19. We must hide it as the woman hid the leaven in the batch, as the husbandman hides the seed by harrowing it, as the stomach hides the meat in order to the digesting of it. Have we ever done this by what we have read and heard out of the Scriptures concerning Jesus Christ? Have we reflected afterwards, meditated on it, prayed over it ? If not, do it yet It is God's way, a special means that he hath appointed, and that he uses to bless.
(4.) We must sell all and buy it Is Christ the truth ? buy the truth. Is Christ the treasure ? buy the treasure. There is no making him ours any other way.
Begging will not do ; we may beg long enough, unless we buy. Read Matt. xxv. Luke xiii.
Steal him we cannot. Some have been made rich that way; but not with these riches, not towards God.
Borrowing will not do. The foolish virgins would have borrowed oil of the wise; but not so.
It passes not by descent from father to son, as land doth to the heirs, or personal estate to the executors ; nothing of that here.
There is but one way, and that is by buying ; and the terms are here set down,— selling all.
What all ?
(1.) All our sins, Ezek. xviii. 31. how beloved soever, Matt. v. 29, 38.
(2.) All our own righteousness, as to any hope or expectation from the merit of them. We are more loth to part with this than the other, but it must be done, or we cannot possess the treasure.
(3.) All our worldly concerns, if God calls. Matt. X. 37. Now what say yon to this ? Are you sorrowful, as the young man ? Matt. xix. 22. Or do you like the bargain, and will you strike hands this day ? It is all trash tliat you are called to part with; you shall have treasure for it Could I make you an offer, a real serious offer, of better clothes, instead of those poor ones you have; a better house, estate; you would be glad, and hearken to me, and thank me. But, alas ! I fear I shall prevail with none of you to do this for your poor souls. O be persuaded, not almost, but altogether.
3. What must they do that have this treasure, that can say, upon good grounds, I have thus bought it ?
There is cause why thou shouldst bless God, all the days of thy life, for enriching thee with this treasure.
Oppose the having of this to the want of all other worldly treasure, Phil. iv. 18.
Where your treasure is, there let your heart be also, Matt vi. 21.—^the thoughts, the affections.
Hold fast your treasure, Cant iii. 4.
SERMON XXXVn.
CHRIST IS OUR TEBIPLE.
Rev. xxi. 22.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are tlie temple of it.
That the Lamb here spoken of is our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no question; but the doubt is, what we are to understand by the city here described, whereof the Lamb is the temple. The description of it begins at v. 10. And be carried me away in APPENDIX. the Spirit to a great aod high moantaiD, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth four-square, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length, and the breadth, and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of tlie wall of it was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony: the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx ; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eight, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus ; the eleventh, a jacinth ; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls ; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein : for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of iC It cannot be understood literally; there never was and never will be such a city, literally taken, of gold, of pearls. All agree in that. It is therefore to be understood figuratively, and mystically, and spiritually. Something like it is said by the prophet Isaiah, ch, liv. 11, 12.
Now the query is, Whether it be meant of heaven, or of some future state of the church in this world ? when Babylon shall be fallen, the Jews called, and all the kingdoms of the earth be the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ.
I think of both, and that neither is to be excluded, for as we say of grace and glory,—that grace is glory begun; and glory is grace perfected: so of this city we say,—it is begun on earth, finished in heaven. If I can prove it is not to be understood of heaven only, that will serve my present purpose.
I prove it, 1. Because this city is the bride; the Lamb's wife, v. 9. Now that is the church—not triumphant only, but militant.
2. Because it is the holy Jerusalem, v. 10. And is not the gospel church so, even in this world; the Sion, the Israel, the Jerusalem of God ?
3. Because it is said to descend out of heave d, V. 10. therefore it is not heaven; for heaven doth not descend out of heaven.
4. Because it is said. The kings of the earth do bria their fflory and honour into it, v. 2. and the glory end honour of the nations, v. 26. Now that cannot veil be understood of heaven: therefore, of some future state in this world when religion shall be uppermost, and every thought brought into obedience. In like manner it may be queried. Whether Matt. xxiv. io-tend the destruction of Jerusalem, or the day of judgment. I think both.
This is the city; but what churches are in it ? How many, and what are they called ? Hath this Jerusalem no temple ? Yes: T/te Lord God Almighty, end the Lamb, are the temple of it: the Lord God and tkt Lamb, that is, the Lord God which is the Lamb—as John xvii. 3*-he is the temple.
This is true of heaven. There is no temple, bo altar, there are no sacrifices, no ordinances, there: God in Christ is all in all, 1 Cor. xt. 28.
It is true of all the future state of the cfanrches, that there will be ordinances ; and so of their present state, there are ordinances,—the word, sacraments, prayer; but the Lamb is the temple, Christ the sou], of those ordinances.
DocT. That the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb, the Lord God Almighty, is our temple, and is to be so more and more.
Show, I. The further meaning of this by way of explication.
II. The properties of this temple.
III. The use we are to make of it; which is the application.
I. I shall further explain tiie subject Temple is a general word, and signifies a place of worship, whatever it is that is worshipped in it, 1 Cor. viii. 10.—an idoTs temple, 2 Chron. xxvi. 7. Some think it were more proper to call oar churches, or other places of meeting for divine worship, temples, rather than churches. But the temple, peculiarly so called, is the house or place of worship built at Jerusalem by king Solomon, whereof we read at large in 1 Kings vi. &c. It was one of the wonders of the world for state and magnificence. Wfaea it was burnt, another was built, in Ezra*s time; short of that in outward glory, but beyond it, in that it had Christ's personal presence, who taught in it. Hag. ii. Now when I say, Jesus Christ is our temple, I mean, that the temple of king Solomon was a type of Christ, it was one of the shadows by which Christ was signified. He is the substance. This will appear in the following particulars:
1. The temple was the place of the peculiar residence of God; he dwelt there between the eheruhims 2 Chron. vi. 1,2. There his glory did ehinefortK it filled the house, 2 Chron. y. 14. It was called the Shechinah, —He was so there, as he was no where else
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS. in the world besides. So Christ, he is the trae temple, ** In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,'' Col. ii. 9.—bodily—not in such a manner as in the temple, but bodily—in a way far beyond it.
His conception was by the power of the Holy Ghost over-shadowing the Virgin Mary, Luke i.
The name given him was Emanuel, God with us; God in our nature; he thought it no robbery to be equal with God, Phil. ii. 6, 7. He was God manifest in the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. If asked. What think ye of Christ? who is he? Say—God manifest in the flesh, God clothed with a body.
His endowments and perfections were all of them divine ; his wisdom, power, holiness, 1 Cor. i. 24. Col. ii. 3. What else was it but the power of God, that wrought all the miracles that were wrought by him, that raised not others only, but himself also, from the dead? It was requisite it should be so; both, that he might bear up under his sufferings, and to give virtue and value to them. If the fulness of the Godhead had not dwelt in him, he could not have been a Saviour for us. We should adore this wise contrivance.
2. The temple was the place of the people's peculiar recourse to God. If any of them had at any time any special business with him, thither they must come, to the temple; and there he promised he would meet with them, and hear their prayers, and do fur them as there should be occasion, 2 Chron. vii. 12— 16. If they did not come to it, however, they must look towards it.—Now our temple is Christ If you have any of you, at any time, any thing to do with God, you must go to him in Christ In Christ it is that he will meet with you: no otherwise.
If you have done amiss and would be pardoned, it must be only in and by Jesus Christ; all your repentings are nothing without him; it is his blood alone that makes atonement, 1 John i. 7. Rev. i. 5. In the temple was the altar.
If you have done well and would be accepted, it must be only in and by Jesus Christ, Eph. i. 6. 1 Pet. ii. 5. The Jews when they pray turn their faces towards Jerusalem to this day, because of the temple that was once there—as Daniel, Dan. vi. 10. Compare 1 Kings viii. 28. So must we towards Christ; not the face of our bodies, no matter whether eastward or westward, but—the faces of our minds and souls, the face of our faith ; looking at him as our advocate with the Father, as the great high priest of our profession, as our altar, our temple, our all. We do certainly lose our labour if we do otherwise.
II. What are the properties of this temple ?
1. It is the only temple. There is none other besides it. There were many synagogues, but only one temple; '* so there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Tim. ii. 6. Saints and angels are no temples for us, no mediators for us. The one temple was to be to them their centre of unity, so should our one Christ be to us, Eph. iv. 4—6.
2. It is the ordained temple; set apart and consecrated by God, in his decree and purpose from all eternity, to be so. '* For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore, Heb. vii. 28. consecrated Rom. iii. 25— set forth. This decree and purpose of his was declared and published in the fulness of time, to the end that all might take notice of it, especially when he raised Christ again from the dead, Ps. ii. 7, 8. He said to the Jews, Destroy this tempUy and in three days I will raise it up, John ii. 19—meaning the temple of his body. This was the great sign of his divine commission, John ii. 18. He could give them no greater.
3. It is high and conspicuous, 1 Kings ix. 8. to be seen afar off. When he died be was lifted up upon the cross, John xii. 32, 33, When he went to heaven he ascended up on high. When he comes again, every eye shall see him. God hath not hid him from us, but laid him open to us, that whosoever will may come to him.—Cities of refuge were situate on the tops of hills. Christ is also high in place and pre eminence
4. It is holy, and beautiful, and glorious. The temple was called the beauty of holiness, Ps. xcvi. 9. To be sure Jesus Christ is so; absolutely, infinitely, eternally holy.
The temple of his body was holy, as it had no seeds of sickness in it, for we never read of any thing ailing him. So in him was no sin, no disorderly appetites, or desires, but all under rule. His eye was never guilty of one sinful glance; his tongue never spake one idle word. Grace was poured into his lips, Ps. xlv. 2. It was absolutely necessary it should be so, for be was to be an offering for sin, Heb. X. 10. And all offerings for sin were to be without blemish. Lev. xxii. 19, 20. Heb. vii. 26.
The temple of his human soul was holy. He received the Spirit without measure, was sanctified throughout. There was in him no defect, no darkness, no guile; all was pure, and holy, and without spot. He was so in all his faculties; his will was perfectly complying with the will of his Fathcr.^It is not so with us. In the temple there was the holy place, and the most holy place, called the holy of holies. Our temple is all most holy, the holy of holies. None is holy as he is holy.
5. It is a living temple. Solomon's temple was a dead thing, made of dead materials, but our temple is a living temple.
Christ personal is so; he was dead but he is alive, and it is well for us that he is so.
Christ mystical is a living temple, that is, Christ considered in union with all true believers; he is a lal
APPENDIX. living foundation, and they are the living stones, 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. And both together make a living house, Eph. ii. 20—22.
6. It is a lasting temple. Solomon's temple was long since laid waste; so was Ezra's temple, not one stone left upon another. But our temple abides for ever, Heb. xiii. 8. It is not a tabernacle to be taken down.
III. The improvement
1. If Christ be our temple, then we should, upon all occasions, rejoice in him, and make our boast of him. The Jews did so of their temple, even to excess; though it was far short of ours, Jer. vii. 4. They would not endure to hear any one speak against it; this was their quarrel with Stephen—" This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place," Acts vi. 13, 14. with Paul, Acts xxi. 28. Nay, before them, with our Lord Jesus himself, John ii. 19, 20. And have not we much more reason to carry it in like manner towards our temple, the blessed Jesus? Should we not boast of him, saying, with holy David, Ps. Ixxiii. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee 7 and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee ! or with that other good man. None but Christ, none but Christ. This is one evidence of our being the circumcision, Phil. iil. 3. as Paul was, Phil. iii. 7, 8. Can we endure to hear him spoken against, his name dishonoured, his blood and wounds blasphemed, by hideous oaths ? There are great outcries for the church, the church, but how Asw mind the temple, the temple, this temple. The less others do, the more let us.
2. Then it concerns us all to get into this temple; not to rest in the outer court of profession, but to press within the veil. The door into this temple is faith, Acts, xiv. 27. When we receive the Lord Jesus, as be is offered to us upon gospel terms, in the way of believing, we are brought into him, we have union with him. He becomes ours, we become his. Now inquire, I beseech you—Is this receiving work done? Are ye in Christ Jesus? If so, there is no condemnation, Rom. viii. 1. Joash was hid in the temple, and secured there, and so escaped, 2 Kings xi. 2. This temple of ours is a safe hiding place from guilt and wrath. It is our city of refuge. O refuse not this offer; say not, as Nehemiah, '* Who is there that being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life ? I will not go in,'' Neb. vi. 11.
3. All the worship we perform to God every day, of what kind soever, must be in this temple. If it be not temple worship, that is, if it be not offered up in the name of Jesus Christ, it is worth nothing.
We must go about it in his strength, not in our own; for our strength is weakness, John xv. 5. Compare Phil. iv. 13. There were two pillars in the temple—^Jachin and Boaz, 1 Kings vii. 21.
We must trust to his merit and mediation alone for acceptation. If we pray, whether in the closet alone, or in the family, or in the solemn assembly, it must be with an eye to Christ Turn your faces towards this temple. If so, we have a promise, John xvi. ^. Else none. If so, we have an encouraging instance, Ps. xviii. 6. Else none«—^It is said, Israel " hath forgotten his Maker, and baildeth temples,*' Hos. viii. 14. So of many—they have other confidences—their own merit.
4. Is Christ our temple, we most also reckon our* selves his temple, and carry it accordingly, I Cor. iii. 16. Even our very bodies, these poor, weak, frail bodies of oars, are dignified and honoored with that title, 1 Cor. vi. 19. Now temples most be kept for him whose temples they are, for his ose and service. Then glorify God, I Cor. vi. 20. 2 Cor. vL 16, 17. Temples must not be defiled, buyers and sellers most be whipped out of these temples, that is, the world, lust, sin. How angry was Nehemiah : ** And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eli-ashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore; therefore I cast forth all the household staff of Tobiah out of the chamber,'' Neh. xiii. 7, 8. We should do likewise : " Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
SERMON XXXVIII.
CHRIST IS OUR ARK.
Hebrews xi. 7.
By faith Noafi, being warned of God of things seen as yetj moved with fear y prepared an ark.
There are three arks mentioned in the Scriptore, and they had all some reference to Jesus Christ
1. Moses' ark, whereof we read in Exod. ii. 3. This was a basket or coracle made of bulrushes, by means whereof he escaped being drowned in the Egyptian river. Our Lord Jesus Christ is to us that ark. Bj him we are saved from being drowned forever in the infernal lake, which bums with fire and brimstone.
2. God's ark, whereof we read in Exod. xxv. 10. This was a chest or coffer of wood, covered with gold, wherein the two tables of the law, written with the finger of God, were kept; a sign or token of the special presence of God with that people. Where the ark went, God went Our Lord Jesus Christ is to OS that ark. By him the law was perfectly kept for us ; and if we have him with us, we have God with us as a reconciled Father.
3. Noah's ark, whereof we read in Gen. vi. 14—16. This was a boat or ship, wherein Noah and his family were all saved when the world was drowned. And to this I especially ref«;r, when I say, the Lord Jesos Christ is our ark. Of this the apostle here writes, giving us a short account of the story, bow it
WHAT CHRIST IS MADE TO BELIEVERS.
By faith Noali heing warned of God of things not teen a$ yet, moved with fear, prepared an arh.
DocT. Our Lord Jesus Christ is our ark.
He is that to us, and to all true belie Yera, that Noah's ark was to him, and to his family.
1. There are several things wherein they agree; and,
2. Several things wherein they differ. For the frit—They agree as follows:
1. Noah's ark was of God's directing and ordaining; he both appointed that it should be made, and also gave particular instructions how he would have it made, Gen. vi. 14, &c. It was no invention of Noah's; had not God himself spoken to him about it, it had never entered into either his head or heart. Now whose invention was the sending of Christ to redeem and save us, by suffering and dying for us ? Was it ours ? No; our heavenly Father himself, in in Onite wisdom, contrived it for us. Job xxxiii. 24. / have found a ransom Ps. Ixxxix. 19, 20. I have found—he seems to glory in it as his own invention. The angels contrived it not for us, but the great God himself. And how should this affect our hearts with love and thankfulness. It did Noah's, no question, that be that contrived heaven and earth how they must be, and every creature belonging thereunto, should so far debase himself, as to contrive a box for Noah, to save him in. Lord, what is man ? Lord, what am I ? might Noah say. And so must we. The first inventor of some rare device or engine, usually goes away with all the praise ; every one commends him. Lo, here is a rare device indeed.
2. The appointing of the ark for Noah, was the result of the world's sin. If the world had not been so vile and wicked as it was, there had been no flood to drown it. If there had not been a flood, there had been no need of an ark to save Noah in. So here, if the first Adam had not sinned, the second Adam had not been revealed: he came to seek and to save that which was lost. If we had not been lost, he bad never left the heavenly world. The whole need not the physician, but they that are sick. One of the fathers calls the sin of Adam, Felix culpa quae talem meruit habere redemptorem--il happy fault which deserved to have such a Redeemer, Not that wc arc, therefore, to think ever the better of sin, or to harbour a good thought towards it, or concerning it —either that or any other; no, but the worse. By the breadth of the plaister, you may judge of the length and breadth of the wound. It was a great debt that would not be paid without such a surety.
3. When the ark was ready prepared, Noah went not in of himself, till the Lord was pleased to come and call him, Gen. vii. I. Come thou —and then he obeyed and went in, and the Lord shut him in. So here, though there be a Christ given of God to redeem and save, a ransom provided, yet none are actually redeemed and saved by him, but those only to whom the Lord is pleased to give an effectual call, Rom. viii. 90. Till he says. Come, thou man, thou woman, thou by name, come thou into Christ, we never stir a foot towards him, John vi. 45. As it was with the Jews in Babylon, though a proclamation issued out, yet none moved but those *' whose spirit God had raised to go up," Ezra i. 5. Or as with Lazarus, though the stone was rolled away, yet till Christ said. Come forth, he never stirred, Eph. ii. 1. Isa. Ixv. 1. Jesus saw Zaccheus, and invited himself to his house, before Zaccheus saw him, Luke xix. And have not we cause, as to ourselves, to adore the free grace of God ? Then for shutting him in, that was also God's own act and deed, for his security and safety. He would not trust Noah to shut himself in. So, *' we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5. Phil, i. 6. John X. 28, 29. Were our salvation in our own keeping we should certainly lose it, as Adam did; therefore, see that sweet promise, and be comforted in it, Jer. xxxii. 40. *' I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."
4. When God put Noah into the ark, and shut him in, he did not leave him destitute. No, he provided comfortably for him.
He had the divine presence. It is not. Go thou, but. Come thou, implying that himself meant to go along with him, and to abide with him there, and to bear him company. All that God puts into Christ shall be sure of his blessed presence with them, at all times, and in all conditions, Isa. xxvi. 20. " Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers." Perhaps alludipg to this very passage: " When thou passestthrough the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned ; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee," Isa. xliii. 2. " He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," Heb. xiii. 6. Is not this matter of comfort to a child of God ? It was so to Moses, Exod. xxxiii. 14, 15. " My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence."
He had the benefit of a window Gen. vi. 16.
For the conveying of light into it, else it had been a dungeon to him, a cofiin, a grave; it had been called a darksome house. They that are in Christ are enlightened with heavenly light, Eph. v. 8. God opens the eyes of their minds. And, For viewing the mighty works of God in the great waters, and the sad desolations made thereby upon the earth, especially the drowning of his obstinate neighbours, that would not be persuaded: now he might see them floating by thousands. It is good for those who are in the ark, Christ, to be often looking abroad, as through a window, into the perishing world, where they may see both matter of APPENDIX. pity as to others; and matter of praise as to themselves, John ziv. 22.
By that window it was that the dove went oat, and hy the same was taken in again with the olive-branch. They that are in Christ have a window open heaven-wards, by which they send thither, in prayers and supplications ; and by which they receive returns thence, in suitable supplies: that window is Christ himself.
He had food also convenient for him. Gen. vi. 21. The ship was sufficiently victualled for the voyage, though a year long. They that are in Christ, are certainly well provided for; he himself is their meat and drink, meat indeed, and drink indeed. '* They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing," Ps. xxxiv. 10.
6. All the while Noah was in the ark, the ark, and he in it, was tossed to and fro with the winds and waves ; yet still, as the waters swelled and prevailed, the ark was lifted upwards towards heaven. The saints of God, in this world, are exposed to various trials, troubles, temptations, Isa. liv. 11.— iosted with tempests; —the ship was so in which the disciples were, and yet Christ him Self was with them in it And as the ark lifted heavenward, so we should be elevated towards heaven, weaned from the world, and things below, raised upward to things above, in our thoughts, affections, desires, hopes, 2 Cor. iv. 16—18. This benefit by their afflictions makes them say with David, '* It is good for me, that I have been afflicted," Ps. cxix. 71.
6. The ark was' a means of safety and preservation to Noah. Nay, it alone was so, and there was no other. All that were in it escaped, all that were out of it perished, though they climbed up to the top of hills, and mountains, and high trees; though they clung, as no question some did, to the sides of the ark, all would not do, they were fetched thence, and drowned notwithstanding. So here—there is no Saviour but Christ Out of him there is no salvation; in him there is no damnation. Acts iv. 12; xvi. 30,31. Rom. viii. 1. He is set forth, and there is no other, to be the propitiation for sin. There is only one sun of righteousness. There was only one brazen serpent. There is only one mediator, one advocate. People may climb high in parts, gifts, profession, in freedom from common pollutions, in the performance of external duties; but all will not do, unless they are in the ark, unless they are in Christ Jesus. They may cling to him by a temporary faith, but unless they are in him they will perish. It was, methinks, saddest of all with the carpenter, who helped to make the ark, to be shut out;—so it will be for those preachers, who are the means of saving others, but are not saved themselves.
7. They that were saved in the ark of Noah, were but few, very few; eight souls; Noah and his wife, and his three sons and their three wives. All the rest of mankind, men, women, and children, wer» all lost. In like manner, they that are in Christ are but a remnant. Matt. vii. 14. Not many are in him by external profession; far the greater part of the world are Jews, Turks, heathens. Amongst those who are in him by external profession, very few are effectually called, are truly such as thej profess to be. There are abundance of hypocrites. In the ark. of the eight, one was a Cham, whatever the four wives were. Among the twelve apo5tl«. one was a Judas. In the destruction of Sodom, onlr Lot and his family escaped. Of six hundred then-sand that came out of Egypt, but two entered the land of Canaan. This should be no offence to q«. nor occasion of stumbling. It is better to be in the ark with a few; than to be drowned with the rr5t for company. Do not ye think so? Won Id ye ddi choose so? When the saved come all together, ihey will be a great many. Let there be one the more for thee this day, and another for thee. It is observable, these eight saved ones in the ark, were all of Noah's family, either bom in it, or married into it We have a saying, It is good to be akin to land. Sdv I, It is good to be akin to God's Noahs; their kio-dred often fare the better in this world for their sakes, and sometimes in the other world, Luke xii. Acts xvi. All the eternally saved are such, and oolj such, as are of Christ's family, married to him, bars of him. He is no ark to others, as to their e verlastiog state. Should we not then forthwith flee into the ark' For the second —^Tey differ as follows:
1. The ark was a dead thing; made of dead materials, gopher-wood, pitched within and withoat ta hold out water; and when it had serted that prraeot occasion, what went with it we know not; probablj it rotted and became worm's-meat, as other ships are used to do. But our ark is a living ark, ihe same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning; so everlasting, ever-abiding Saviour.