The First Sermon - Deuteronomy 32:5
Courteous Reader, Here thou hast before thine eyes a little Manuel, taken by a Dextrous
Baruch, from the mouth of Jeremiah. By it, as Abel, though dead, he speaketh; and albeit the Carkass of the dead Lyon lyeth rotting in the ground, yet his Name and Doctrine yeelds Sweetness. He needs no Herauld to proclaim his praises. His own works do sufficiently praise him in the Gates. Aaron and his Sons had discerning spirits to destinguish the spots of Leprosie, shewing which made unclean, and which not; and this Author treads in their steps, and, as a judicious
Critick, discerns between the precious and the vile, distinguishing the Faint-spots of Weakness, from the Plague-spots of Wickedness, that so we may cease from false plea's, and be found spotless at the great Day. He makes not spots where were none, but seeks to cleanse them where they are, by the sweet Calls of Admonition and Reproof:
If he discover thy secret spots and sores, like the good Samaritan, he'le give thee oyl and wine to cure them. Some spots are inconsistent with grace, and if not cleansed, they'le be thy death, even Plague-sores that will eternally separate thee from God. Come therefore, and purchase this little Treatise, which may be of great and eternal concernment, helping thee to be found of the Lord Christ at the last day, without spot, and blameless.
The First SERMON July the 6th, 1645
Deut. 32:5. Their spot is not the spot of his Children.
The words read, is a part of Moses Song, that he sung a little before he was to die; (like the Swan that sings sweetest when Death approaches) The Scope and End of this Song of Moses, it was to leave a Testimony behind him after he should be gone, of the goodness, and mercy, and faithfulness of God towards this people; and of their sinfulness, and perversness toward; him again; to the end, that if great evils should befal them after he was gone, they should have no cause to speak ill of God, or of his Servant Moses. You have brought us to a fair Land, you gave us many fair Promises, that God would be our God, and be gracious to us, and that he would never leave us; yet see what befalls us. Moses now leaves this on purpose behind him, for ever to stop their mouths; as if Moses should say, It's true, the Lord hath made me an Instrument of bringing you out of Egypt, and by me hath made many Promises to you, to encourage you; and hath chosen you to be a peculiar people, and led you along all this while:
But, if evils do befal you, if you be brought into a sad, and distressed Condition after I am dead and gone; Remember what I leave behind me, and know, that God is to be justified in All, and his Words is to be justified; but you have sinned and rebelled against God, and have brought upon your selves all the evil that is come upon you. This is the Scope of this Song of Moses.
He leaves this by way of a Song; for so was this 32d of Deut. in the Heb: a Song like one of David's Psalms; and he leaves by way of a Song, that they might the better remember it, and teach their
Children the very words of if. And he begins in a very elegant way; Give ear, oh ye Heavens, and will speak; and hear O Earth, the words of my mouth. Why Moses, there was a time thou saidst, thou was't
not eloquent? but that was because he would excuse himself from work: But here it appears that he was very eloquent; Give ear, O
Heavens, and hearken, O Earth, as if Moses should say, That, that I am speaking of this people (that are a wretched and stout-hearted people) will not be regarded; but Heaven and Earth shall be witness against them; the Heavens and the Earth shall hear. Though what's spoken out of the Word by way of reprehension of a sinful people, may be neglected and past by; yet know, that there is an Impression upon the Heavens and Earth; and rather then the Lord will want witnesses, Heaven and Earth shall come to witness against that people.
After his Preface, which is in the two first verses. He begins with lifting up of the Name of God; Because I will publish the Name of the Lord, Ascribe the Greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his Work is perfect; for all his waies are Judgment: a God of Truth, and without Iniquity, Just and Right is he: As if he should say,
Whatsoever becomes of you, yet the Name of God is Great and Glorious. —— And it's a good way to convince and humble sinners, by lifting up their hearts to see the Glory of the Great God, with whom they have to do, against whom they have sinned —— And it was an excellent Argument of Moses's Faith when he was to die; yet he could bless himself, as it were, in God —— as if he should say,
Well, the Lord hath carried me through many Changes and Troubles, and many Afflictions, varieties of Conditions; and what yet God will do with his people, I know not; but this I am sure, he is a Great God, and Blessed; and he is a Rock, and his work is Perfect, and all his waies are Judgment, a God of Truth, without Iniquity, Just and Right is he: I am sure, whatsoever becomes of me, whatsoever becomes of the people; yet God is to be acknowledged, Holy, Righteous, Just,
Perfect, Great and Good in all his Waies. O! 'tis good to have our heats so confirmed alwaies in God, to keep good thoughts of God, to have God high in out thoughts and hearts, whatsoever changes or state we meet withal in this world.
But then he comes upon them, having lifted up God, and justified God, That they have corrupted themselves; they have forsaken this
Blessed and Glorious God that hath bee so true to them in all his waies.
Corrupted themselves! you will say, who is not corrupted? who is not without sin? O but were it but onely some human frailty, were not so much; but they have so corrupted themselves, that Their spot is not the spot of my Children; It is beyond that could have been expected; for those that had so near a Relation to God as this people had! they are bespotted and defiled with their sin, and so, as this spot of theirs is not the spot of his Children. Thus you have the scope of the words, and how they came in.
Their spot. The word translated here spot, signifies a blemish, a fault; 'tis the same word that you have in the 17th of this Book, i.e. Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, any Bullock or Sheep wherein is blemish, or any ill-favouredness. But we know what the English word is; Their spot; the spot of their sin; that sin of theirs; that blemish is not the spot of his Children: What though the Children of God have spots, while they live in this world? they have many sins that are defiling: But, the spots of these men is of another nature, it is not the spot of his Children.
There are Three Doctrinal points in these words; the first two implyed, the third expressed: The two that are implyed, are these:
1. Doct. First, That sin is a spot.
2. Doct. Secondly, That even the Children of God while they live in this world, have their spots.
3 Doct. Thirdly, (Which is the main and scope of the words) That there's a great deal of difference between the sins and spots of wicked and ungodly men, and the spots of Gods Children.
That's that, that I aim at in the choice of these words, To shew the difference between the sins of wicked men, and the sins of the Saints;
And I have chosen this Scripture to handle this point for these two end:
First, To take away that great plea that most carnal hearts have, whereby they put off the power of the Word from their hearts, and are secure in their sinful waies. Way, say they, can we be without sin? are the best without sin upon them? now because none are without sin, therefore they think to put it off, and grow secure; and upon this very thought, put off abundance of truths that they heard preached out of the word, that doth them no good at all, and meerly upon this
Reason. Now were it that this plea were but taken from them, the word might prevail a great deal more upon them.
Now therefore, I hope before we have done this Scripture, I shall weaken, if not wholly take away that plea that secure-sinners have for themselves, because all have their sins: I shall shew thee, that there is a great deal of difference, perhaps, between thy sin, and the sins of a Child of God.
And then the second End why I chose this scripture, is, for the comfort of Gods Children. On the one side, one man is secure and hardened, because though he hath sins, why, all men have sins: On the other side, those that are Gods Children, because they feel so much sin in them as they do, they are afraid that they are not Gods
Children; they are afraid that their sins that are in them, doth argue them not to be Gods Children. Now they will have help likewise in the opening of this point, when they shall have laid before them that are the sins of Gods Children, and the sins of the wicked, and the differences of them.
I shall, for the making way to this great point, first speak a little of the two former that are implyed, and no farther than to make say unto the third, which is the great point in the Text.
1 Doct. First then, That sin it is a spot; A [spot?], in Jam. 1:27. Pure Religion, and undefiled before God, and the Father, is this, To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world: That is, to keep from the sins of the world; the of the world, are the world-spot. Sin it is,
First, A defiling spot; a spot that doth defile, a blemish that doth defile the soul of man in the presence of the Holy God: It's contrary to the pure Nature of God, it is the mixture of the soul with that that's worse than its self; it's a defiling thing. The mingling of Gold with Silver, doth not defile the Silver; but mingling of Lead with Silver, doth defile the Silver, because the Lead is worse than Silver:
So the Communion that the soul hath with God, and as it were, the mingling of the heart in God, and with Divine things, doth not defile it, but make it better; but the mingling of the heart with the world, it
doth defile the soul, because the soul is mingled with that that's worse than it self; It is a defiling-spot: You know what it is to have the Body besmear'd with dirt, and have Clothes bespotted with filth and dirt; look how it is with your Bodies besmear'd with dirt, or your
Clothes, so it is with the Face of your Soul in the Presence of God, when sin is upon you; It's a defiling-spot.
Secondly, Sin it's a spreading-spot, it's like the spot of the Leprosie, that spreads more and more; and let a sinner live never so long, this spot will bespread him more and more. If you had a spot upon your
Flesh, that were but little at the first, it may be you would neglect it; but if you saw it spread more and more then you would think there were something in it: It is so with thy sin, when you are young, the spot is but small in comparison; but as you grow, the spot spreads more and more until you are all over blains and spots: So are old sinners; sin is a spreading-spot, it spreads in a soul, in a family, in any society where sinners live.
Thirdly, It is an infecting-spot, a spot that of itself infects; a Plague spot, that doth infect the soul, and infects every thing you meddle with, and doth infect the company you converse with; that's the nature of this spot.
And then Fourthly, It's a staining-spot, It doth pain the soul, so as all the created power in Heaven and Earth is not able to wash it away; thou mayest think little of the sin that thou committest, thou committest it, and hast pleasure and delight in such a sinful way, for a quarter of an hour; it may be thy pleasure lasts no longer; well, but when this pleasure is done, there's a stain left upon thy soul that doth mark thee out to Eternal Death; such a stain left, that will abide to all
Eternity upon the Soul, if onely, that one means be not applied, the Blood of Jesus Christ. Let all the Angels in Heaven, and Men in the World, put to their wisdom and strength, to get cut the stain that is in thy Soul, and it is too little; onely the Blood of the Son of God, can cleanse and take out that stain that is in thy soul; such a spot is sin! a staining spot! In Jer. 2:22 Though thou wash thee with Nitre, and take thee much Sope; yet thine Iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord: Ye may use many means to get away your sin, perhaps you may cover it over, or there may be some kind of slight sorrow; But it's not all the sorrow in the World, if thou wert able to shed as many tears as there are Drops of Water in the Sea, to wash away thy sin, if their were nothing else to do it, all thy tears will not do it; It must be onely the blood of the Son of God. Many people think to wash away their sins with their sorrow; But they must know, there is something beyond sorrow, it is onely the blood of Jesus Christ, can cleanse and take away this stain.
Use, Now, If sin be such a stain, such a spot; hence then, let us learn to look into Gods Glass, to see out own spots, how we are bespotted by our sin; if it is such a Foul, such a Spreading, such a Staining spot,
How is it that Men and Women see it not? they see not their own faces; Oh they never were acquainted with Gods Glass; What's that, you will say? why, James 1:23. will shew you what the Glass of God is, in which you may see your Faces, in which you may see your spots; If any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural Face in a Glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner a man he was. But who looketh into the perfect Law of liberty, and continueth there in, &c. And the Law of God is the Glass that God would have thee to look unto, to see thy face in; thou canst not know
thy heart, but by holding the Law of God before thee. Paul thought himself beautiful enough, until the Law came. That Scripture is notable for it, in Rom. 7:9. For I was alive without the Law once; But when the Commandment came, Sin revived, and I died: I was alive, I was jollie, and thought my self well enough; but when the Commandment came, when God did but take the Glass of the Law, and hold it before my face, I saw my self a most ugly Monster: I remember I have read of an old strumpet that had sed a false Glass continually to look in, and that presented her beautiful unto her self, and she would never look upon any other: But once there being a Glass by, she chanc'd to look into it, wherein she beheld her face, and being told her that it was a true Glass, she ran mad upon the sight of her ugly face: certainly the generality of men have no other Glasses to look into, and to behold the face of their souls, but their own carnal conceits, and the wayes of other men, and the like: But if God should but hold the Glass of his Law to some of your faces, to behold how loathsom you are in the Eyes of God) for so they are in Gods eye as this Glass presents them if they are not washed in the blood of Christ:) and it would be a dreadful sight to many a soul: But yet better that you saw it now while there are wayes to cleanse your souls of their spots, than when you should die; for if when you should be at the point of Death, and be ready to go to the great God to Recieve the sentence of your Eternal Doom; If conscience should hold the Glass of Gods Law before you, and there make you see the ugly face of your soul, spotted by sin, Oh! it would be a soul-sinking sight unto you.
Learn you to look now into the Glass of the Law, and examine your soul by the holy Law of God, that you may see your spots there; many of you spend a great deal of time every morning in looking into the Glass, to see if all things be well in your face; Oh that you would but
spend as much time in looking into the Law of God, and examining of your hearts by the word: There stands a Glass in the window, and there lies a Book on the shelf; Why may not the Law of God be as well taken, to look into your hearts, as the Glass taken to see your face in?
People are little acquainted with this Glass; and therefore know not their own souls.
Secondly, If sin be such a spot, O learn we to be humbled for our spots, if we have seen them, and to be ashured of them: If we have seen our faces besmear'd, it doth deject us, especially if we be in Company that are our Superiors: Know that you are alwayes before the Infinite God, and his blessed Angels, and they behold your spots;
O therefore be humbled and be ashamed for your spots. An Ingenuous disposition of heart, is ashamed if either flesh or garments bespotted; but now, one of a sordid disposition, that is all the week raking in Kennels, or Dust-heaps, though they be bespotted, they care not, because many times the very temper of their spirits, is like to their employment; but now one that is of an Ingenuous disposition, if he be defiled, he is ashamed and troubled for it: O labour to purge your spots and stains; know, that this is the work that you have to do, To get your souls cleansed and purged; The Lord hath set open a Fountain for sin, and for uncleanness, for Judah, and for Jerusalem to wash in, O wash your hearts, O
Jerusalem. So I may say to every soul, wash thy heart from thy spots; thou wilt wash thy face and hands dayly, O that dayly there might be a washing of thy heart! If thou hast committed sin, let it not lie and soak in; if there should any spots happen upon your cloeths, you presently lay salt upon it, to keep it from staining; so, so soon as thou hast committed sin, lay the salt tears of thy Repentance, though that be not all, the blood of Christ is the main thing, to keep thy soul clean
from this staining-spot; and to do it presently will be a great deal more ease than to stay long; as a spot of Ink, as soon as it falls, if you seek to get it away, it will be done with a little trouble; but if you let it soak in, you cannot get it out after wards. And so it is with sin that lies long upon the soul: O! many of your sins are old stains that have been many years upon you; and as it is in your cloeths that have old stains, washing will not serve, all the Soap you can use will not get them out, but you must lay them a frosting in a winter night; O! so your old sins; you must not think that those old spots and stains upon your soul, that you shall get them off so easily, you must be willing to lie a soaking, and frosting, to indure what hardship God calls you to, so be it that you may be cleansed from them: It's an expression that I remember Austin hath; saith he, You would have all things good and clean in your house; all the furniture in your house; yea your shooes if they be bespotted, you will have them clean: And hast thou more care of thy very shooes, then of thy soul that's spotted and defiled: O! there's little care for the cleansing of that: But now my Brethren, these things especially should be applyed, when we are to go more immediately and solemnly into the presence of God. We must look into the Glass of the Law every day, be humbled, be ashamed; and labour to purge the spots of our souls, and that continnually; But I say, when we are to go into Gods presence in a more immediate manner, as when we are to go to prefer a petition to God, and that, such a petition as concerns our souls and Eternal estates, when we are to go to hear his word, and worship him: When we are to go to his Table, at the Lords Supper, we had need then prepare by looking into that Glass, and by being humbled for our sins, and labouring to cleanse: Though you care act so much for spots upon your face and clothes when you are at home, yet when you are
to go before your Betters, then what looking is there in the Glass to be trim, and to have clothes that are clean washt. Remember now, that every time thou art to go to worship God, thou art to set thy self as in his immediate presence, to have to deal with that infinite holy
God whose pure eyes cannot indure to behold the least iniquity; that God that is so Holy that the very Angels cover their faces as not being able to behold him, thou art to go before this God, and wilt thou go bespotted and be smeared, and never look into the glass of the Law to see how thou art there, that thou mayest labour to cleanse thy soul? wilt thou come into Gods presence in thy filth? O! bold sinner that know'st not what it is to deal with the Infinite Holy God: Those that know what God is, what his Infinite Holiness means, when they come into Gods presence they make it the great part of their work in preparing their hearts before they come; and indeed the spiritual part of Godliness doth a much consist in this one thing, as in any, in the preparation of the heart for the presence of God in Holy dutyes; and that man or woman that is careful and conscionable in this thing, may have good comfort to them selves that they are acquainted with the spiritual part of Godliness; that wherein the power of it consists: But for such that can go into Gods presence, and no such sear and reverence of God is in their heart, certainly these neither know God, nor have any thing of the power of Godliness in their hearts —— Now no matter my Brethren, what we endure in this
World so be it we may get our souls cleansed from the filth and the spots that are upon them that when there shall be a farther Presence of God, which we shall have, than that we have now in Holy Duties; that then we may stand before him without spot; so saith the Apostle in 2 Pet. 3:14. Wherefore (Beloved) seeing ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and
blameless —— You look for new Heavens and new Earth; when all the world shall be on fire about your ears, and the Elements melting with servent heat; and the Heavens departing like a Scrowl, and the like: do you look for such things? do you look for the appearing of the Holy God? and dare you stand in the Presence of that Holy God, when he comes to pass the Sentence of your Eternal Estate upon your souls? dare you stand before him with such defiled, stained souls, as you have? Oh no! Saith the Apostle, Wherefore, Beloved, seeing ye look for such things, be diligent, that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless —— If those spots that are upon many of your Spirits shall abide upon you at that day, Wo be to you that ever you were born; you cannot be found in peace before God, except you be found without spot, and blameless ——
Yet, let me say farther, Wo to that soul that shall have one spot upon it at that day.
If this should be means of the Great Day of Judgment, as many Divines take it; though there may be some doubt about some other time: But suppose that it be meant of that day, as it is ordinarily taken; Then, wo to that man or woman that ever they have been, that shall have but one spot upon them: For, then we must be delivered from every spot, or otherwise our souls will perish for ever: But ye may be without spot, and blameless before him —— Thus much for that point.
2. Doct. The Second Point is, That Gods Children have their spots; the best of all, have their spots.
The Church is compared to the Moon; Christ he is the Sun of Righteousness but the Church, in Rev. 12, is compared to the Moon,
and the Moon hath her spots, the Sun none. No godly man or woman, in regard of their souls, is like Absalom, as he was in regard of his body; his body was without any blemish, from the crown of the head, to the sole of the foot; but it can be said of no bodie's soul so; you are clean, but not all: The best Garden hath its worms; and the best Soul hath its spots; for while we live here, there is that Corruption remaining, that will breed defilement of it self: But considering that we live in a wicked world here, and converse with wicked men, it is as impossible to live in the world, and to converse with men, without any spots, as for a company of people to ride together in foul way, in the midst of Winter, and to keep their
Garments so, that none should have a spot. The Condition of this world is such, as indeed, it is not fit to have a Saint in it without spots. God hath reserved the time of full-cleansing of his people, to another world. Christ could cleanse his people presently from all their spots; I, but because they are to live in this world, Christ sees it is not so suitable for this vile world.
This world is not worthy of the Saints, take them with all their infirmities; but it is not for the world to have the Saints live without spot; and if the world be offended at it, let them be offended; let them be stumbling-blocks unto them; and I make no question, but it is so to many souls: The world they rejoice when they behold the sins that are in the Saints; but thou hast little cause to rejoice in the sins of others, if thou knewest all; for it may be intended for thy ruin: I know no greater stumbling-block to wicked men, than the sins of those that do profess Godliness; but wo to those by whom offences come: The Lord by continuing of spots in his own people, doth exercise Faith, and Humility, and Patience, and other Graces, in such a way, as he takes pleasure and delight to see the exercise of them.
But this is not the Point that I do intend. Yet, O thou godly heart, thou knowest this to be a truth, That there are spots in thee; yea, sometimes those that are Godly, think there's nothing else but spots in them; but be of good comfort in this, though thy Condition be sad in this world, so long as thou art spotted, yet be of good comfort here,
Jesus Christ is without any spots, Christ thy Saviour hath no spots.
Heb. 9:14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your
Conscience from dead works, to serve the Living God? Christ offered himself without spot; and this is the comfort of the Saints while they have their many spots in this world —— And so in 1 Pet. 1:19. there's the same expression: We are redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb, without blemish, and without spot. You will say,
What comfort is it to me in the midst of my spots, that Jesus Christ my Saviour hath no spots? —— What? This is comfort, Because God looks upon thee not as thou art in thy self, but in his Son; and reckons thee as a member of his Son, and deal with thee according to the Relation thou hast to him —— And the Righteousness of his Son is made over to thee. Christ is a Covenant-Head, the Head of the Covenant; and in that regard, being without spot, it is of unspeakable comfort unto a gracious heart, when it sees it self defil'd and bespotted by sin.
And then yet further, know, That through the righteousness of Christ, thou art lookt upon thy self, in the point of Justification, without spot too. The Saints have their spots that is, they have their weaknesses, and some sins, their Sanctification is imperfect; I, but in regard of Justification, so, they are altogether without spot: So you have it in Cant. 4:7. Where Christ speaks of his Spouse, Thou art all fair, my Love, there is no spot in thee —— You will say, This seems to
be against this text: No, not at all; for we may be without any spot, in regard of our Justification, and yet we may be spotted and defiled, and God may see that we are defiled with spots in our sanctification.
It's true, the Lord will not charge these spots upon thy soul that art in Christ; yet he doth expect that thou shouldst be humbled for them.
And so in Ephes. 5:27. there we have both together, there's a Scripture that shews that thou shalt one day be without any spot in regard of thy sanctification too; though thou be'st spotted now, yet the time is coming when thou shalt be delivered from all these spots in regard of thy sanctification; saith the Apostle there, Christ loved his Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word: That he might present it to him self a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinckle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blame.
Mark, what heaps of words here are; here's sanctifying, cleansing washing, presenting a glorious Church, not having spot, not having wrinckle, or any such thing; But that it should be holy and without blemish: All these expressions are to shew the state the Saints should be brought unto, and to uphold thy spirit in the sight of all thy spots:
—— Let me speak to thee who art sensible of the many spots that are in thy soul. What is it that doth uphold thy heart? One would wonder that any soul that knows what it is to deal with such an infinite holy
God as the Lord is, one would wonder what should uphold the soul, seeing it's so defiled, and nothing but spots in every thing! What can uphold it here from sinking? It may be that that upholds you, is this,
We have all our sins, and we are all sinners. If there were nothing else to uphold a gracious heart but that, it could not but sink even in dispair, notwithstanding that. But now these three things uphold a gracious heart: I have my spots indeed, and am defil'd, wo to me, for
the defilements of my soul, my life: This is indeed the burden that I have in this World, the great affliction that is upon me, that my soul is so defil'd: O! but blessed be God, I have to deal with God through Jesus Christ, who hath offered up himself to the Father without any spot; I have to deal with God through the Lamb that was sacrificed, that had no spot, and it was for me that he was slain, and God looks upon me through him, and he is made of God sanctification —— I am indeed imperfect, and have many spots; yet, blessed be God he hath reveal'd, that justification is perfect in this life: That the Lord through the righteousness of his Son, looks upon me as without spot; that is, will not lay any of these spots to my charge —— Yea, and further, This is the comfort of my soul, that though I have many spots now, yet there is a way reveal'd to cleanse my soul from all spots, through the blood of Christ, and through the word of God, to cleanse and wash me: Yea, I find in the word, that Jesus Christ had such a desire to cleanse my soul from spots, as he gave himself to that very end: And there is a time when all these spots must be washed away, and when this defil'd, polluted soul of mine shall be before the Lord and his Christ, and live for ever with them, without any spot o[r] wrinckle, or any defilement whatsoever; but shall be made fully perfect in my sanctification, as now I am in my justification: And it's this that upholds my soul —— That's somewhat indeed; that in this life of thine, wherein there is so much corruption, if thy soul be upheld from sinking with such considerations as these are, surely thou art gone beyond a carnal heart, and I may even say,
That thy spot is the spot of Gods Children, from this, and not the spot of the wicked and ungodly: Remember that one expression in Ephes. 5. which is very remarkable, and of great use; Christ loved us, and gave himself, that he might sanctifie and wash us, and the like:
Mark, it is made the great fruit of the love of Jesus Christ, to sanctifie a soul, therefore it's matter of great consequence; for Christ shews his love in a special manner in sanctifying and cleansing the soul ——
This is from the peculiar and electing love of God —— And it shews, when Christ comes to cleanse the soul from spots and defilements, that he had loved from all eternity, that soul. But on the contrary, if the Lord do let thee lye in the filth of thy sin, it is an Argument that he never set his heart upon thee. As for instance, suppose a man were riding on the highway, and sees a Child there lie all in the filth, ready to be choak't with the dirt and mire, and to perish there; well, as he is riding by, he looks upon the Child, and sees it ready to perish; and when he hath look't upon it, away he goes and leaves it there; would not every one say, Certainly this is not the Father of the Child that rides so away. But now if the Father or Mother should come by, and see the Child, the Mother would screek out, O my Child! and snatches it up, and carries it away, and gets water and washes it, and so cleanses the Child. And herein doth the Mother or Father shew their love they have to the Child. Thus it is (for all the World) in the love of Christ; Christ, he sees all your filthiness and pollution; he sees
Men and Women wallowing up and down in the dirt; Christ looks upon them, and goes by, leaves them still, and lets them wallow in their corruptions more and more, and passes by; surely the heart of Christ is not much towards them, there's little relation that Christ or God hath to such as these are: But now, when as there is one that belongs to Jesus Christ, and that Christ hath set his love upon from eternity, Christ sees such a one wallowing in the filth of sin; O! the very bowels of Christ do earn, O! Christ takes them, and with his own blood cleanseth them: and will never leave washing and cleansing of
the soul, till he hath cleansed it from all its spots, and presented it before the Father.
And mark, in the second place; Christ loved us; and this is a fruit of Christs love, to cleanse us from our spots —— And then he gave himself, that he might cleanse us, perhaps you think it's of little moment to be cleansed from the filth of your sin; but Christ accounted it such a matter, that he would give his life for it: I account the cleansing of these souls from the filth of their sins, worth my life;
I will give my life for it; so that it cost more then Ten Thousand Worlds to cleanse a soul from the filth of its sin, as well as from the guilt: I beseech you consider of this, that the cleansing of a soul from the filth of sin, did cost Christ that which was more worth than Ten thousand Worlds, but, O! how many is there that can wallow in sin, and take delight in it? But I say, it is of so great consequence to be cleansed from sin, as Christ is content to give his very life to cleanse his Church from sin —— Now if thy heart be thus, that thou account the love of Christ to consist in this, and that thou canst prise Christ upon This, That he gave himself, to the end that he might cleanse thy soul from thy sin; surely thou dost prise cleansing from sin indeed; and if thou dost prise it at so high a rate, this is a good Argument that thou art one of Gods Children: Therefore daily exercise thy Faith upon this Christ, by the applying of the blood of Jesus Christ to thy soul, and the renewing of the work of thy repentance, seeing, as long as thou livest, their will be spots.