CHAPTER VIII: How a spiritual heart is affected to inherent graces and holy duties.:
'not by gold or silver, &c., but by the precious blood of Christ,' 1 Pet.
1:18, 19. Oh, value your redemption by this great price of it. And to this Paul also directs us when he speaks, Acts 20:28, of the church which God 'hath purchased with his own blood.' Mark it, the blood is valued as it bath relation to the person whose own it is. And again
John speaks to the same purpose, Rev. 1:5, 6, 'From Jesus Christ, who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever!' How was the thought of forgiveness of sins (as it is a mere benefit to us) swallowed up into an adoring and giving glory to him who shed his blood for that benefit! When the apostles speak but of faith as in this its relation to Christ's person, Oh! how do they singularly term that grace above all others precious in that respect, and call upon all generations to call it blessed, because it is that grace which thus adores, glorifies, and magnifies the blood and the righteousness of God and of our Saviour
Jesus Christ: 2 Pet. 1:1, 'To all that have received like precious faith,' ἐν δικαιωσύνη, 'on the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ.' Faith may have a thousand other virtues and properties in it; but the glory it gives to Christ and his righteousness in point of justification is that which makes it precious faith indeed. This stone set in it, serving to make the lustre of this righteousness to shine forth, is that which makes the ring so rich and precious. I shall name one general conclusive place more, in 1 Cor. 1:29–31, 'That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, according as it is written, Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord.' The thing I quote this now for is, that it is not justification or redemption, alone and singly taken, nor Christ's being made righteousness and justification to us, and our sanctification, being accepted in him, which the heart should alone glory in, but the heart should rejoice in the honour which Christ hath by all his, or it is not truly spiritual.
CHAPTER VIII
That a spiritual heart desires heaven, as it is a spiritual happiness; desires and prizes inherent, graces as spiritual ornaments of the soul, and a divine likeness, in which God is pleased; takes pleasure in holy duties, on the account of his having converse and communion with God in them.
You have hitherto seen how all the benefits reckoned, Eph. 1, are spiritualised.
Now take heaven itself, which he there also mentions, ver. 11, 'In whom we have obtained an inheritance,' &c. If any benefit seems to be desired and affected by the generality of men, it is heaven; because it is conceived to be the ultimate happiness that will fill up the natural desire of the soul to the full. Yet if men did take in true and genuine notions of it, what that happiness is, and wherein it lies, in the spiritualness of it, and we could suppose their hearts remained still carnal, nothing would be more unsuited to them. If (as Christ says to the sons of Zebedee) you knew what you asked, or knew what it is to be there, none but a heart truly, yea, sublimately spiritual, can find in its heart to desire it. The apostle Paul, Eph. 1:17, 18, prays for these Ephesians, that they might have a spiritual knowledge of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, in these words, 'That the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.' Elsewhere it is called an inheritance of the saints, Col.
1:12, as the possessors of it: here (in Eph. 1:18) he speaks otherwise of it, as an inheritance, ἀυτοῦ, of him. It is translated, 'his
inheritance in the saints.' The signification of it is, that it is what the saints have by inheriting himself. I would but ask who or what in heaven is the inheritance of the man Jesus? It is said, Rom. 8:17, that we are 'heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ.' Now what is Christ's inheritance? It is God himself: Ps. 16:5, 'Thou art the lot of mine inheritance.' It is Christ's speech. It is not a happiness only from God as the author, but it is in God himself, who is there to be enjoyed. In heaven, God is set afore us to pick all happiness out of; and so all that happiness must arise from suitableness of heart to him. And therefore the saints are said, Col. 1:18, to be 'made meet to be partakers of it.' And here in this place of Eph. 1:11 it is added, 'in the saints;' for none else can take comfort or joy in God, Rom. 5:11. Come now, canst thou say, and say it heartily, out of a taste how good the Lord is, 'Whom have I in heaven but thee?' Canst thou out of a taste
(I say) declare there is nothing on earth which thou hast enjoyed in comparison of him; so as thy soul saith with itself, If God be in heaven, and if all hold good which the word says of him, and I have him there, though I should have nothing but him, I find I should be happy enough? Canst thou say this? It is a sign thy heart is spiritual.
5. Take grace inherent in us, what is it draws out thy heart to desire it but the spiritualness of it?
(1.) It is certain that grace hath the greatest dowry that any creature, whether in heaven or earth, hath. 'Godliness is profitable to all things,' 1 Tim. 4:8, 'having the promise of this life, and a better belonging to it;' but these simply are but additionals unto it; and it may be thy heart is only willing to match with so rich an heiress.
(2.) Virtue hath an ornament in it, as it adorns the soul, and is the perfection of it. And so the philosophers, Plato, Hercules, and others, judged it. But wherein doth the excellency, the spiritualness of grace, lie? 1. That it is the image of God and Christ, and so is allied to him, of kin to him, as being divine nature. 2. That it fits thee for, and carrieth forth thy heart unto communion and fellowship with God, and is a principle that enableth thee to sanctify him in thy heart. 3.
That it makes thee in these respects beautiful, amiable, yea, glorious in God's eyes and esteem, whose favour thou valuest above life. It makes thee such that Christ greatly delights in thy beauty, Ps. 45.
Doth God there move the church to get much of grace, Eph. 5:26, 27, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, and present it glorious to himself; that is, for his own delight and rejoicing in her as his spouse? And doth godliness thus alone considered, or (as the apostle's own phrase is, 1 Tim. 6:6) in its own self-sufficiency, μετὰ ἀυταρκείας, take thy heart to seek it as great gain? Here is spiritualness.
6. Take duties of obedience, as prayer, reading the word, partaking of the holy ordinances of God: there is a spiritual part in all these; which is, to meet with God in them, to sanctify him in the heart whilst we are conversant in them. The law of these duties is to have to do with God; and if with God, then to glorify him as God in our hearts and affections; that is the spirit of them. And therefore, 1 Tim.
4:8, godliness is opposed unto bodily exercise, that is, the outward performance only, for godliness is the spirit of obedience; which is,
(1.) When God is sanctified as the end of thy duties.
(2.) When he is regarded as the object matter of them, and as one with whom we converse in them, then they are spiritual duties; when
God is sanctified in the heart; and then God is sanctified, when either the motives for duties are fetched from considerations of God, and he is made the matter of them, and the converse we have with him is from some suitableness of heart unto him. But that which causeth carnal hearts (or any heart so far as carnal), to neglect them, or to be weary of them, or wish they were over and done, is, that the law of them is to have to do with God all that while, who to a carnal heart is burdensome company. And so carnal men perform these duties to him, as complimenters do visits to persons whose company they regard not. 'Will the hypocrite pray always?' says Job. And why will he not? Because 'he will not delight himself in the Almighty,' Job
27:10. That is the law of the duty, and he cannot consort with God,
but overly, and so his prayers grow overly, arid in the end he gives over. To pray, or read, to ease thy conscience, and to keep all quiet there, what is it? That is not the essential part of the duty. Paul considered the law and duties of it in its spiritual nature, Rom. 7:14.
The law is spiritual and good, and, verse 22, he tells us that he delighted in the law of God in the inner man, and in every duty of it.
Now delight is out of suitableness, and why? Because his inner man, that delighted itself in God, was assimilated to God, Rom. 8:7. The carnal mind is said to be enmity against God, first, and therefore not subject to the law; and so the reason men delight not in these duties of the law, whose tendency is to carry the soul up to God, is because they delight not in God. But the state of the case is quite contrary in a godly man: Ps. 143:10, 'Teach me to do,' says David, 'thy will, for thou art my God; thy Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness.' None but a spiritual heart could experimentally and feelingly have moved God with this, as being first moved thereby itself. He had found the Spirit of God coming upon him in duties, teaching and leading, acting and quickening him, verse 8, and was so good to him, that he loved these inward influences and effluxes of his heart to God therein; and they were so good to him, so suited, that he prays for more, and could not be content without it. Oh! (says David) thy Spirit is good! Oh, therefore, give me him, act me by him in all that I do.
7. To mention no more; take God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit, which are (as I said) prima spiritualia, the first and chiefest spirituals. What suitableness hast thou had unto these, abstractly considered in themselves, cutting off what accidental goodness is annexed to them as represented in the word? Doth thy soul say at times, yea, at any time, 'The Lord is my portion?' Lam. 3. Doth thy naked soul say it of the naked Lord, and say it heartily from the soul?
Lovest thou him by all thou hast heard, of him, or knowest of him by his attributes, laws, decrees, and dispensations? Thus also for Christ, dost thou love him for himself, and not only as a Redeemer? Though to love him as such, he doth allow thee; for therein he hath shewn and manifested infinite love unto thee. But yet there is aliquid in
Christo formosius Salvatore, there is that in Christ that is far more amiable than his being a Saviour. Dost thou love him as thy head and husband, more than as thy Saviour? So a wife unto a physician, if she loves him, will really do all for him, although she be never so diseased and needs his help (both these relations of head and Saviour in Christ, are distinctly insisted on, Eph. 5). Or dost thou love him for what God most loveth him (and that is, that he is his only begotten, and therefore beloved, Son, and because he pleased his Father in all things), as well as because out of love he did work thy righteousness? God therefore loved and exalted him, because he was obedient to death, Phil. 3, because he loved righteousness and hated iniquity, Ps. 45, therefore God exalted him, and anointed him with the oil of gladness. There are and have been souls that have found their hearts drawn forth in love to Christ, chiefly because in doing (though for themselves), he expressed so much obedience to his Father, and thereby shewed he loved them,* John 14:31, having that in his eye more than their salvation. And dost thou reckon withal this as thy chiefest good, and desire of thy soul, to be and live for ever with him? Oh, to be with Christ is best of all, says Paul. Dost thou value the indwelling of the Spirit? Canst thou say to God, 'Thy
Spirit is good,' who helps me to all that sweet communion with thyself, and takes of Christ, and gives it to my soul. 'Oh, take not thy
Spirit from me,' for 'thy Spirit is good,' &c.
Obj. You will say, these are but notions, and such as are invented to express in the abstract spiritualness by.
Ans. I answer, they are such notions as will distinguish one day all your souls into heaven, or into hell; and they are such real notions, as holy and happy souls feel them and live upon them. Paul, you see, writing to them that were spiritual, spiritualiseth all these things in this manner as I have now done, and thus sots out these things, as taking it for granted they (as so represented) would take with spiritual hearts, as suited to them. And therefore he provoketh these
Ephesians to bless God for them as spiritual benefits, spiritual in these respects, as he had set them forth; so he writ, so he preached,