The Strength of Saints

The strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their strength.

O Blessed Paul, what an happy improvement didst thou make of all thy glorious visions of Christ, and of thine heavenly rapture into such near communion with thy Savior. Thereby thou didst gain such transcendent opinions of him, that as a man top-full of him thou didst speak the greatest things of him. Witness the vast differeence between Saul & Paul. Act. 9. 1. 2. There Saul like a furious Apparritor to the Jewish high Commission, breaths out threatenings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord. And then Paul after Jesus Christ had met him so effectually, verse. 20 straight way he preached Christ in the Synagogues, that he is the son of God.

O admirable power of grace! straightway after, being a persecuting Saul, is now become a gracious preaching Paul. He felt the happy influence of this grace in the Text.

Its observed that you have Christ mentioned in Paul's Epistles 223 times, and Jesus at least 233 times. To make up this number, Paul contributes very much in his Epistles; His spirit was so brimfull of Christ, that his Pen overflows with his Name; whom several times he mentions Christ in 10 verses in the beginning of the first Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. Upon very good reason might Paul thank Christ that enabled him and counted him faithful, putting him into the Ministry. Fidelity and ability two great mercies when bestowed on a Minister Upon this stock of grace in Christ did the Martyrs spend when so victorious. Heb. 11. 33, 34, 35. Who through faith subdued Kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of Lions, qnencheà the violence of fire, cscaped the edge of the sword, (a) out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to slight the Armies of aliens, women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. What a full and rich expression is this, Out of weakness were made strong, nothing previously preparatory in them towards this strength, out of weakness made strong, they were first receptive of strength from Christ, before they could be active for Christ; This leads me to the second observation, the former having been handled in the foregoing Sermon, which was this,

1. There is a spring of strengthening Grace in Christ Jesus, for the advantage of Saints.

The second observation, which is this followeth, naturally arising out of the words.

It is the strength of Christians, their only strength, to learn how to make the Lord Jesus their strength;

You have an excellent place to confirm it in Eph. 6. 10. Finally my Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of hus might: Be strong, good reason for it: but where lies the strength? in the Lord, that is the former point, and in the power of his might; Go not out in any strength of your own, any confidence of it, for all is but impotency; but in the power of his might: This is very significantly in the Text by the Apostle Paul: Possibly there may be such an Emphasis in the composition, some intention; he doth not say, there is a strength within thee: But where shall I have it? from Christ; it is the strength of Christ Jesus; in him is all thy strength: I shall branch this before I come to the Application, to three heads: First, I will endeavor as God shall please to enable, to demonstrate the wisdom of this course the wisdom of it, for a Christian to learn this heavenly skill, how to make the Lord Jesus his strength;

2. To show you the effectual purposes of it, what good ends it serves to:

3. The possibility of it;

1. The wisdom of it; and that will appear upon these four considerations.

1. If you do but think upon your own impotency, reflect upon yourselves when you have been at the best, when you have thought your mountain hath been immovable, and you have stood most sure, have not you sometimes soon after driven very heavily in duties, as if your chariot wheels had been knocked off, & when you have thought to have done best, you come off most dryly? yea I am confident that divers Ministers understand this, and it may be others in part too, they have been preparing a sermon, and thought, O certainly, this passage will take, and it may be win souls, and when they in preaching or in praying have had some proud reflections upon such expressions, enlargements or hints from heaven, a little weed of pride hath begun to spring up, and (men love to much to look upon their own seeming beauty, and their own flashes,) hath provoked God suddenly to withdraw his spirit, presently thy strength hath failed, and thou art at a loss; what doth this argue there is an impotency in thy self.

As there is an impotency in thyself, and therefore it is thy wisdom to make Jesus Christ thy strength, so there is an insufficiency in all the best of Ordinances, they are but created means at the most, and further then the Creator continues to be a Preserver, and a Governor, and an Actor of his own workmanship, it can do nothing: many that lived under the most pure and precious Ordinances, where Paul was a Preacher, yea where Jesus Christ preached so many powerful sermons upon earth, yet you know there were Scribes and Pharisees still that did imprison those precious Gospel truths, that not only for the excellency, but for the novelty of them, should have been entertained, (Men use to bid welcome new things;) yet all would not do, (not as to the Ordinances themselves for then all would have been converted) only as Jesus Christ came in and seized upon such a soul, so many and no more werewon upon to embrace him; but self and Ordinances, as is spoken as I remember in that of Job: the latter end, concerning wisdom: c. 28. v. 12, 14. &c. depth saith it is not in me and earth and sea, and all disclame wisdom, it is not in me, we have heard of the fame thereof, but it is not in us; and so indeed may all the Ordinances say strength is not in me; and Ordinances indeed will speak great things of the strength of grace in Christ Jesus; but they will tell you, though it be set forth, it is not to be had in us, it is to be had only in Jesus Christ himself.

3. You may please to consider this, that Jesus Christ hath strength confined to him hath an office to that purpose, a commission under the broad seal of Heaven; all things are put into his hand the Spirit of strength and all; God the Father loved him and hath put all things into his hand, He being Immanuel God man, and the only mediator to bring sinful man into a capacity to receive grace and glory from God 2 Pet. 1. 3. And thus all this strength is concenterd in Jesus Christ, and so confined to him that there is not the least drop or dram of spiritual strength, but what comes derivatively and redundantly from him: Trust in the Lord Jehovah, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength; he was Abraham's Rock to anchor upon, and though many waves may have beat upon it since, yet it is not wasted; the same Rock in David's time, the same Rock in Paul's time, the same Rock for his poor Saints in this time; blessed be his name, he is the Rock of Ages, and therefore everlasting strength always to overflow to his people.

Fourthly and lastly, It is a high point of wisdom, because a Christian will have so much need of this strengthening grace from Christ there is an hint to this purpose in, the 6. Ephes. 10. a place I named before; there is a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Finally my Brethren, as if Paul should have said, I have been leading you through the great and mysterious depths of the Gospel matters of speculation, in the Chap. 1, 2, and 3. I have been leading you through the practicals of Christianity; in the fourth I have been putting you upon the exercise of relative graces, in the fifth and sixth telling you what husbands should do to their wives, and wives to their husbands; parents to their children, and children to their parents: But there is another piece behind that must not be forgotten, you must make account to conflict with temptations, and therefore endeavor after conflicting graces; you must wrestle many a fall with the Devil, before you go to heaven; a you must wrestle with God, so you must wrestle against the Devil; you will not be able to do this by any strength of your own, the Devil is a strong man, and there must be one that is stronger then he, that must be able to bind him, and take away his armor from him, and that is only Jesus Christ; therefore a high point of wisdom it will be for all the Saints to learn this heavenly skill, how to make Jesus Christ their strength; the next thing I proposed was this.

To what effectual purpose is this, for the Saints to be at cost and charges to learn this skill?

1. Hereby their spiritual and eternal estate will be much more confirmed and settled, being established in the faith, being rooted and grounded in Christ, in t e 2 Coloss. 6, 7. and you shall find all this is by being in Christ, for he wishes them in the 8. verse. take heed of vain Philosophy, or anything which is not after Christ, anything which should draw you from Christ; your rooting, your establishing lies in Christ, he is the root of your strength, and he it the foundation of your ability.

2. It will conduce to this purpose to enable you to perform good duties, and that with life and power; it is not enough for Christians to have a formality of godliness, an outward form, that is a pretty step, and very desirable; but you should have truth of godliness, that is a better step; and I will add this, there is a best step, not only truth, but strength; you must not have a form of godliness and deny the power thereof; in the 2. of Timoth. 3, 5. such persons are one of the Catalogue that shall help to make the last days perilous , and indeed the more dangerous, because the less discernible.

3. It will conduce much to this happy purpose, to fit you for variety of conditions; you may be led forth to prosperity, you may have sudden removes and changes from advesiry to prosperity, and from prosperity to adversity, and therein many loose themselves; It is clean water indeed, that when the glass is shaked, there is no filth appears: O they are rooted Christians in Christ, and have a great deal of strength, that walk unchangeably with God in changes, that are the same in all varieties; (Solomon and Hezekiah lost themselves therein;) this you cannot do but through Christ; Paul had learned particular lessons for particular estates, I have learned to want, I have learned to abound, and whence? I can do all things through Christ enabling me; Phil. 4. 12. And from the grace of Christ enabling him. You may be led forth to searching temptations; and then you will be at great losses, and plunges, without this strengthening grace of Christ; A little temptation will prostrate a strong Saint, if he be left to himself; it must be the issuing of continual supplies, from the Lord Jesus Christ that must animate; As constancy of supply from the Sun, doth quicken the plants here; when he withdraws the sap retires into the root, and trees look as if they were almust dead, when he returns, he brings a spring with him; so indeed doth the Sun of righteousness, into poor and (seemingly at least) withered or dying souls: Fifthly and lastly, and that may add a very great Emphasis to all the rest.

It will conduce much to this purpose; To have anhappy return of their prayers. If his words abide in you, and you abide in him in the 15 John 8. Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you; Ask what you will, there is none in the world but are desirous, in some degree & often moved very inordinately, to have their wills the great controversy on foot upon earth from time to time and that that hath cost so much blood-shed in England, and in other placesis this, Who should have their will; now if you would have your will, I mean here a rectified will, a holy, a gratcious will, if you would have it fulfilled and gratifyed, let the words of Christ abide in you, and do you abide in him; get that strength from him, from his quickening word and quickening spirit that hereby you may be fruitful in the strength of his grace, and you shall have your wills, the third thing proposed, for explication follows.

The possibility of this; how is it possible that Jesus Christ's strength should be conveyed to us, that we should make another's strength, our strength? The Papists have a great quarrel against justification by imputed righteousness, and they call it putative, and take upon them (at least) that they do not, or will not understand, how it is possible for a man to be justified by another's righteousness; Can a man be warmed by another's clothes, (say they) can a man be wise by another's wisdom? I answer, it is very easily possible, if that another man's wisdom be made ours, or another man's clothes be put upon us; so this is possible, if Jesus Christ's strength be made ours; that is the thing, the Apostle presses it here, be strong in the Grace in Jesus Christ, let this be your care, how to make the strength of Christ yours; and therefore (I say) this possibility will be reduced to act in these three particulars;

First, by our Union with Christ, when once you are united unto Jesus Christ, what is Christ is yours, for union makes way to communion; If there be a Union with him, there is a Communion with him, and a Communication of what he hath to us; As he communicates his righteousness for our justification, communicates his glory for our glorification so he communicates his spirit for our strength and holiness, and also conveys quickening grace to us first by our union with him.

2. By impressions from him; for when ever Jesus Christ draws us to union with him, he then draws us to communion with him in his Ordinances; If we indeed have communion with him, we go away with an Ordinance tincture, a Gospel impression upon our spirits, in some degree molded into that word, that was made known to us, and delivered to us, that you think, and speak, and act, in some conformity to that word that was delivered to you; and this is the blessed advantage of this mornings exercise, if people have hearts to make use of them, that before the Devil hath taken possession, of your souls, the spirit of God shall prevent him, and here you shall have the Gospel, come warm next your hearts, and that you may have something there, that may leave such a tincture that may fortify you against the incursions of temptations, & the ordinary invasions of the devil, here is strengthening grace conveyed by these impressions: as when a man throws a stone out of his hands, Philosophers have very great disputes how it is possible that a stone should move, they tell you there is an impression of something upon it vis impressa. I am sure, here is an impression, when Jesus Christ comes into the soul, and draws nigh to it, and puts somewhat into it, and by a sweet and a loving violence, carries on the soul in duty.

Thirdly, As by a union with him, as by an impression made upon us, by him, so by a continued influence from him; It is not enough to have uniō with him, it is not enough to have an impression made upon our spirits from him, bulit is his continued influence that doth it; when there is an obstruction in the passages, either betwixt the Liver, and Heart, and the Vitals and other parts, or betwixt the head, and the parts whence sense and motion should be conveyed; in any of those passages when there is any obstruction, at what a loss are we presently because the continual influence is hindered when there is no such thing that doth obstruct, and hinder the sweet intercourse betwixt the soul and Christ, and illapses from the spirit of Christ into our spirits; O it is that that doth indeed strengthen and animate them; and so you see the possibility: Here is some seasonable use in the first place.

I hope therefore, if it be so, you that are standers by (as I doubt there may be some here are still unacquainted with Jesus Christ, and at an unhappy distance from him, all this while (the Lord if it be his will discover so much of his goodness to you, that you may long after intimacy with him,) no such friend on this side heaven unto you) I say if there be such strength in him, and it be such a high point of wisdom for Christians to make him their strength, for all supplies, O think the better of him, I beseech you do not entertain any hard thoughts of Jesus Christ; let not either the weaknesses or impotencies of God's people, nor their failings, nor any prejudicate opinions that carnal men would scatter amongst you, any of your fellow drunkards, or Atheists, or Formalists, or what ever they are concerning Jesus Christ, let not them nourish in you a low opinion, it is the way to undo you; for all your strength lies in Him, you will never be able to overcome the least sin, or passion nor the least temptation without the powerful grace of Jesus him; (and then indeed you are everlastingly undone, if you cannot overcome the least evil;)

Alas what will become of poor souls? it would grieve one to think of it, that it may be are under the greatest snares, as of bad company for 20 years together, so hedged in with carnal friends and acquaintance, poor children with carnal fathers and mothers, and it may be a very carnal wife, sometimes a most carnal husband, and here she is entangled, tyrannized over &c. Brethren, I beseeh you consider it well, and you that have got any acquaintance with Jesus Christ already, O pity poor souls that do not know where their strength lies, nor have learned how to make use of him, & use all the Art you can, how to breed such opinions in them, of Jesus Christ, and his grace, that they may fall in love with him; It may be when they come to die, then they will send for their Minister, and then they would hear something of Christ. O but there is a sad story of a mean person that made love to one that had some kind of height of Condition, who would not; when he was grown great, then she would have had him, then he would not, he returned her this answer, you were wise, I am wise, you woul not before, now I will not; what if Jesus Christ should return you this answer, when you are upon your fick beds, and you send for your Ministers, and nothing will satisfy you, but the Communion then, though you cared not for Communion with Christ in your health neither can you make out upon any clear grounds of Scripture, why you should then so much desire it; and you would then it (may be) be absolved though you have no evidence at all in scripture for it, but what if Jesus Christ should return you this answer? I will lock up my Ministers Spirit, that it may be he shall not be able to pray for you, or at least lock up Heaven gates against his prayers, that he will not hear; and so upon this ground you are forever undone, if millions of Angels, if all the glorified Saints and Angels in Heaven, should join their prayers together, to beseige the Throne of grace for you, they could not prevail; and therefore let that be your care, I beseech you, to labor to gain good opinions of Jesus Christ, in them that they may heartily embrace him.

If this be so, that it is the only strength of Christians, to make Jesus Christ their strength, give me leave to commend a friendly, a brotherly caution to you at this time, Take heed of resting upon anything below Jesus Christ, for so far as you fall short of Him, so far you fall short of strength; when you would attempt anything, & you think to catch hold of such a rope, or lay hold of such a pole, if you be to go over a bridge, and you come short of it, down you may fall off the bridge, and break your neck; and truly so it is, with many thousand souls, they have wishings and wouldings, and some dull vellieties, some lazy purposes, and promises, sick-bed-vows they have, but alas, all this falls short of Christ, and so far they shall fall short of heaven, & roar eternally in hellish torments, in a remediless estate, bewailing themselves, that they have no better improved Jesus Christ in the day of their Visitation, when He did with so much loving importunity and with so much unwearied patience stand and knock at the door, Oh then it will be too late, it may be then you will weep over yourselves, as Jesus Christ did over Jerusalem, Oh that I had known the day of my Visitation, but now I see these things are hid from my eyes, and now eternal desolation in the depth of hellish torments will be my remediless portion; Oh! how sad will this be; therefore accept of this Caution, and these are four friendly Items under it.

First, I beseech you beware, that you do not rest upon your own preparations for Ordinances: It is a very commendable thing, I would have you pray that you may pray, and I would have you draw nigh, and make use of secret Communion with God, before you are to come to a Communion, and when you come to seek Communion with Him in a Sermon, let that be your great care, but take heed you do not rest upon your own preparation when you have prepared; for if you advance them into the Throne of Jesus Christ, and rest upon them, when you should rest only upon Him, truly it is the way to make all your preparations miscarry, and instead of fruit, you will have dry breasts, and a miscarrying womb; you will have nothing at all come to any perfection; let the Saints that are acquainted with such trading at the Throne of grace, (as I hope divers of you are) reflect and consult sometimes with their own experience, if it hath not been so; Have not you when you have prayed very much before a Sermon, (it may be) got little by the Sermon, though it was a very wholesome one? Have not you many times when you thought you had been prepared, and having kept a secret day of humiliation, (if there were no public opportunities) before a Communion, have not you found that sometimes you have had even then lesser comfort at communion? what is the reason of this? Though God doth ordinarily dispense mercy, according to our care to prepare, yet sometimes he will not do it, and then especially, when there is any little carnal dependence upon what we have done, for we may be carnally dependant upon Spiritual preparations for Spiritual duties: when there is the least degree of carnal dependence upon our preparations, he will not bear anything, to be a Corrival with Jesus Christ, and therefore he will let us see, that we shall fall short for that time of what we expected, and so do us good, and make us more fit another time.

Secondly. As I would have you beware of resting in your preparations for an Ordinance, so do not rest upon your enlargments in an Ordinance; It may be you have a Spring-tide of assistance comes in, a Minister preaches with great presence of the Spirit of God, and a Saint prays (as we find it) in the holy-Ghost, finds the holy Spirit of God leading him from Petition to Petition, and melting him with brokenness, when he is confessing sin, and filling him with rejoicing, when he is remembering mercy, and raising him with a high wing (as it were) of importunity, when he is begging of favor; as it was an admirable temper in holy Bradford, that he was not content, till he found God coming in to his spirit, with several dispensations, according to the several parts of his Prayer? Sometimes a Minister, and a Saint finds it thus: And so in other holy Ordinances, if you go away as soon as ever Duty is done, and stroke yourselves, Oh! what an admirable prayer was here: and surely I shall do well this day, now, and I shall be able to wrestle with all temptations, I have prayed well in the morning, and I have felt God with me; this is the way to miscarry, thousands have found it, and I am sure some of us can seal to it, when they have thought they have prayed with most assistance from God, and have been warmed in the morning; but the weeds spring up even when the weather is dry, you that converse with gardens know it, you need never sow weeds; no more need you in your hearts, they will come up fast enough, an evil weed called Pride comes up, which grieves the Spirit of God, that when we come to pray next, it may be we pray most dully, and flatly, and can say little or nothing; and when we come to preach next, yea sometimes when we come to preach the same Sermon again; this is certain, Ministers find they have preached such a Sermon in such a place with very much enlargement, it may be God gave in some soul, and quickn'd some others by it, and they hearing of it, do grow proud of it, come to preach the same Sermon and think this will do as much again, no such matter, they draw it out so heavily, and so dully as if it were not the same Sermon. As I could name you a most famous man, as any of his time in England (no dishonor to him) who having preached the same Sermon at his own Church with very much assistance, and going abroad, & one of his neighbors with him, hearing from him the same Sermon, saw him at some loss, coming home, talked together, Sir (saith he) did you find God's assistance this day as you were wont? I never heard you in my poor conceit so much out as today; O it's true, (brother, saith he) yet I hope, though it were one of the worst Sermons I ever preached for others, God may make it one of the best Sermons that ever I preached for myself; and truly God doth so, often there is a wonderful wisdom in it: let everyone of us take heed of resting upon any enlargements in Duties.

Thirdly, Do not rest upon the Comforts you have in a Duty, or after a Duty; It may be, when you have been at a Duty, and have had soul Ravishments, O now you think, my nest is built very high, and my rock is firm, and I shall go on vigorously: Chrysostom hath a good saying, Me thinks (saith he) a Saint, when he comes from a Sacrament, should be able to fly in the face of the Devil, and in every Temptation, and though he walk in the midst of snares, he will be able to encounter with them all. Comforts are very sweet things, and indeed strengthenning things, The joy of the Lord, is our strength, saith Nehemiah; nothing more animates souls than joy, and when they are in the most cheerful frame, then in the most praying frame; only here is the danger, If we rest upon those joys and comforts, we provoke God to withdraw them; for delicatissima, I will not say only dilicata, but delicatissima, res est Spiritus sanctus, the most choice and tender thing in the world, you must deal most tenderly with it; it is the holy Spirit, the holy Ghost, and it delights to dwell in none but a clean, pure Temple, most cleanly swept: Christians should not only have neat houses, but neat hearts, if they will delight to have the Spirit of God dwell in them; and therefore not any pride spring up even when they have most ravishing comforts.

Fourthly. If we would have much strength of grace from Christ (the Lord set it upon us all, I desire to preach to myself in it as well as to you) As we should not rest upon Preparations for Ordinances, Enlargements in Ordinances, nor Comforts by Ordinances; so not in Grace received from Ordinance. You will say; This is a strange thing, Not in Grace received! What shall we rest upon then? What, the Text will tell you, not in Grace received, not in your habitual grace, you have intrinsically in yourselves, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in that grace that is in Christ Jesus; there you must rest; And why so? because indeed that Grace is in him, not only Originally from him, but it is dependantly upon him, and by a voluntary communication from him: It is true, he is a fire that warms you, but it is not by any natural necessity, though he hath promised to Baptise with the holy Ghost and with fire, yet it is by way of free promise, though he be a Sun, a Sun of righteousness, yet he doth not issue forth his beams naturally, but spontaneously, he can Eclipse himself, as to us, when he pleaseth; though he be a Fountain, a full Fountain, enough for Judah and Jerusalem, and for all the sinners in the world to bathe in, yet he is a Fountain that can lock up himself when he pleaseth, and with hold his own streams and choose whether he will over-flow or no; therefore remember this still, you must not rest upon the grace received; It was Peters case, and that exposed him to that danger, he was full of conciet, and self-confidence, and he had grace; Lord, Though all forsake thee, yet I will not, and soon after did Peter forsake, and deny his Master, forsake and deny him, yea and forswear him, though still there was so much grace in Jesus Christ as to pity him, and you do not find Perter so confident afterwards, when Christ said to him, in John, Peter, doest thou love me more then all these? No comparative words now, not a tittle, no more, then, Lord, thou knowest I love thee, Peter, doest thou love me? Lord thou knowest I love thee; Peter doest thou love me more then all these? still, Lord thou knowest all things, thou knowest I love thee; he had denied him thrice, Christ would put questions proportionably to him, but no such answers stirring, Peter was whipped with his self-confidence, and the woeful fruits of it, and in a good degree it was purged out of him; It was a lesson well worth the learning, though it cost the whipping, it made amends abundantly by the grace of Christ overflowing. It is observable amongst the Eclesiastical stories, that the primirive Christians were so Heavenly, so Spiritual, that when they met together, they would salute one another; Christ is risen from the dead; I would & were it the Lord's will, we were more acquainted with it, one would reply again, of a truth he is risen, of a truth he is risen; Oh that we were better practiced in this also, it may be when we meet, we say, Good-morrow, how do your wife and children? how do all at home? Come, shall we go drink our mornings draught? What will the Parliament do today? What will the Army do? what will they disband? what shall we have Wars? And it may be such and such a question, till they do both talk one another into a passion, or into a prejudice, crying up this Party, or crying down another, and disparaging of one or the other, what then?

And he was seen of Simon; here was the grace of Christ, he was seen of Simon; why, seen of Simon? I confess it is not in some that do relate that story, but others add this, seen of Simon, because Simon was weak, and Simon denied him, Simon was discouraged at it, and others prejudiced, yet as weak as he was, Christ would appear to him, & show him the glory of his strengthening grace; here was wonderful mercy, here was confirming grace: Oh therefore do not rest upon grace received, but on that fullness that redundancy of Grace, that is in Christ Jesus:

A word of Exhortation, and I hope you will welcome it, Who would not embrace him who comes to tell people that are weak, how they should be strong, and where their strength lies? and all I add further is only this, How this strength may be made yours, Am I weak and impotent, and have I had so many falls, hath Satan out -wrestled me, and thrown me upon my back in the dirt, and broken my bones, and shattered my graces, and my hopes by temptation, tempting me to sin, one while by despair, and one while by presumption to sin? shall I have strength against all this? whence is it to be had? whence? I will tell you (my brethren) as God shall enable me, First.

1. Keep one eye upon this, that you are weak, and need a strength, & that you must go out of yourself, for your strength, wholly out of yourselves; make accompt strength lies not within, but without you; He is made of God, to all those that are in him; wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption; 1 Cor. 1. 30. made all these glorious privileges, & advantages to whom? to those that are in him & only to them, not to those that have not these things in themselves; Saith Paul, when I am weak, I am strong; I do not so much bring it by way of confirmation, as by way of allusion: though possibly there may be enough for confirmation in it, when I am weak, I am strong, how so? not only by an intrinsical disposition, that we are more inclined, to seek strength, but indeed by a Spiritual capacity Jesus Christ is more prepared, to bestow strength, when we are sensible of our own weakness, He fills the hungry with good things, and the rich be sends empty away. It is true in Philosophy, and as tiue in Divinity, A full vessel pour the best wine in the world upon it, none will enter; but Secondly,

2. Learn to maintain believing apprehensions of Jesus Christ, get such a piercing eye, look up to the Lord for such a degree of irradation from heaven; (whatsoever it was) that Stephen had, w ^c did uphold him when there was a volly of stones (as it were) about his ears, and when they ran upon him, and every way they were ready to stone him; Oh! he beheld Jesus Christ, sitting at the right hand of God; nothing could so much cheer him. Moses saw him that was invisible? and Paul saw those things that were eternal, and saw them in the hands of Jesus Christ, and this did uphold him: maintain (therefore) believing apprehensions of the Lord Jesus Christ your Head, the Spring of your grace, sitting at the right hand of his Father, having taken up a heavenly Mansion there for you, and acting there for you.

3. Come to the Ordinances with desire, and Expectation of grace, as indeed they are the Canales gratiae; and to that end, do use them, (Brethren) Do not come to the Word of God with respect of persons, I bless the Lord, that I observed it to be so, some years together, when I had that happy opportunity to be one, (though the most unworthy) of the Preachers here, that the Auditory met so constantly with a great degree of Uniformity, (for ought I know, it is so still) I rejoice in it; O do not say, I will go hear this man, and that man &c. I know there is an Inequalittie of gifts, and people may sometimes be edified more, by one than another, and may have occasion sometimes to bless God more for one than another, yet sometimes for the Meanest as well as for the Greatest, and God will do so, because he will take us off from dependancy upon men and means; Yet (I say) it's good to come not with respect of persons, disrespecting any faithful Minister, but to say, I will go to an Ordinance of Christ, I will go to seek Jesus Christ, and his strengthening grace. If one should come and ask you, Wither are you going this morning, brother, or sister? I am going to a Sermon, Who preaches? it's no matter, I am going to an Ordinance of Christ, where grace and strength is offered, I will go to seek that, I care not if I were blindfold, if I might hear the Voice of Christ: Oh this were an excellent temper: I am persuaded we should speed better, if we did come thus prepared and disposed.

3. As you should come first with an eye upon your own weakness. 2. With another eye upon Jesus Christ, where your strengt lies: And then with your judgment rightly set, what to seek and expect, as you should come to Jesus Christ, and to the Ordinances to seek the grace of Christ, so withal to come in the strength of the Promises of Christ, and by prayer put that bond in suit for grace at the Throne of Grace. The Promises, for there lies our strength, whereby are given unto us, those exceeding great and precious Promises, that we might be partakers of the Divine Nature: In 2 Pet. 1. 4. It is a blessed thing, when we come in the Authority of a Command to an Ordinance, and in the strength of a Promise, when we come Conscionably to comply with a Command, & when we come fiducially to close with a promise, what a sweet thing would this be, if a Gospel-promise should fall upon any of our hearts (God over-looking the unworthiness of the Preacher, and the unpreparedness of the Hearers,) and one beam of light fall upon your Spirits, and leave a heavenly tincture, that Parliament-men might go hence fitted for their work, more prepared for the service of Jesus Christ in all their Public Transactions; and Ministers of the Assembly, more fit for their holy, and humble, and serious, and brotherly Debates, and with the Spirit of meekness, and calmness, and publicness of heart; and all private Christians in their places, in their several Spheres, and to say now, O blessed be the Lord, for this mornings opportunity next our hearts, that we might hear first of Jesus Christ, and get something upon our spirits that might habituate us to walk with Him all the day, yea in Him as we have received Him: And then let me add this in the next place;

4. Beware (and I beseech you do not forget this, the want of which may mar all the rest) of Soul obstructions, of an afterclap, and of a back-blow from the Devil, who will endeavor to take you on the blind side, to surprise you with Incogitancie, or transport you with Passion: Remember what hath been said, do not applaud yourselves that you have heard such a Sermon, you had some delight in it, and may bless God for it; Oh but take heed now the Devil get not between you and your Sermon, by such or such a temptation; take heed of Pride, or any Carnal weeds, take heed of resting upon anything on this side Jesus Christ, but be often putting forth new actings of Faith in Him and His Covenant sealed with His Blood; remember this, to act this Truth: God grant, you and I may never forget this Gospellesson: It is a good Truth, let us learn to begin to make Jesus Christ our strength, in every duty, in little as well as in great.

In the last place, I will be so bold with your patience, as to ad a word by way of Expostulation, which I heartily desire may be as pleasing to you, as it is seasonable for you.

Why are you not more vigilantly jealous over any such things as would draw you from intimate communion with Christ, and close dependence upon him; whether they be creature-comforts, or any other vain inventions of men; will you prefer those perishing things which are not bread, before water, wine, and milk; It's good counsel the Lord gives by his Prophet. Remember the admirable caveat Paul gives to the Colossians: Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, according to the world and not after Christ; spoil you putting you upon anything which is not after Christ is to rob and undo you: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbaths, (as it is expressed in the Original) which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. Mind not their judging or condemning of you, who would bring from Christ to Moses, care not to approve yourselves to them who will set up anything against your Head, Why will you comply with any such carnal Politicians, who cry down such a Reformation as Christ Jesus expects, & say, Let us make us a Captain and return back into Egypt; so that we may have our fleshpots there, let us have our old Prelacy, and Service-book; we like Egyptian fare, though but garlike and onions. Let no man beguile you by a voluntary humility not holding the Head; Abhor all such Opinions and Practices be they never so pompous and specious, that will take you off from your Head Christ; and forget not Paul's faithful intimation, And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words; But let Jonahs Oracle, Chap. 3. 8. ever live in peace though they who wait upon lying vanities forsake their own mercy: They which gain Him have something, they may call their own human inventions, and creatures will deceive, Christ is the True Treasure and everliving Spring. Whether have you made any proportionable returns of thankfulness to God for your interest in 〈…〉 full and over-flowing Spring of Grace? Where are your ingenuous reciprocations. It's God's highest Gospel design to display the freeness and fullness of his Grace; hence expressions to this purpose frequently, often in Ephe. 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace v. 12. 14. Act, act rigorously I beseech you in a happy concurrence with God to magnify Jesus Christ; The more rich you are in faith, and all other Graces of his Spirit, I am. 2. 5. the more rich in good works: 16. 18. The greater riches of assurance you may hope for, as Col. 2. 2. and that Arich entrance shall be ministered into the Kingdom of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: the great Gate of Heaven shall be set open to entertain you, where after you have here lived unto the praise of his Grace in a fruitful expression of the Graces of the Gospel, you shall eternally live with him, and enjoy the sweet comfort of the Gospel of Grace through the rich Grace that is in him. Amen Lord Jesus.