Commentary on 1 John

Doct. That there are three Persons, yet but one God, that do bear witness to the divinity of Christ, and of the plenteous salvation wrought by him.

For Explication.

Quest. Who those three Persons be, and why so called?

Answ. The first Person is the Father, so called,

1. Chiefly because he is the Father of Christ, 1 Pet. 1.3. Partly by eternal generation, as he is God; partly by adoption, as he is man.

2. As he is the Father of all the Elect, 1 Pet. 1.3, 5. John 20.17.

The second Person is styled the Word, as likewise, John 1.1. A solemn name given him in his greatest triumph, Rev. 19.13. A style seldom attributed to Christ, but by St. John in all his Books, although some understand it of Christ, Heb. 4.12.

Christ is called the Word in a fourfold sense, he is a Word of wisdom, of representation, of revelation, of promise.

1. Christ is a word of wisdom: for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is not only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ratio: now Wisdom is accidental, but ratio is essential to a human soul: Now such a thing is Christ to his Father, he is the wisdom or reason to his Father, Prov. 8.23, 24: he is the begotten of his Father; they that write of the Trinity express it thu • , the Father from eternity considering and understanding himself, from this conceiving of the Father resulted the Image of himself, that was his Son, from them both resulted the holy Ghost.

2. He is called the Word of God, as he is a word of representation, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , so Christ is the living Image of God, Heb. 1.3. the character of the Father, like a seal stamped in wax, they answer in every point.

3. He is a word of revelation, John 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time, but Christ the Wisdom of the Father hath declared unto us, and revealed God's will, it was the Lord Christ that appeared to Adam, and Moses, and Abraham, and Gideon, and the rest of the Patriarchs; as a word expounds all our meaning and reveals our will, so it is Christ the Word of God, that reveals the will of God to us.

4. He is a word of promise, Heb. 11.39. Christ was promised of old, but not exhibited till the last days.

The third witness is the Spirit, every Person in the Trinity is an holy Spirit▪ John 4.24. yet it is more particularly attributed to the third Person, because he works powerfully and effectually, all that life and power we see the creature express, so we see that there are three 〈◊〉 as that bear witness to the Divinity of Christ, and if three, there is a difference in number▪ now there is no dissertion but a Personal difference, Heb. 1.3. so that the Father is one Person, the Son a 〈◊〉 , the holy Ghost • third, yet these Persons make but one in Na •• , and so they are one in witness, D •• . 6.4. Jehovah our God is but one, for it is impossible there should be more then one God: Nature of it self abhors more Infinites then one; if there were more God's then one, if many gods, how could they be Al sufficient, but that one should have the perfection of another?

Quest. What is that they witness to?

Answ. They all witness Christ to be to the Son of God, and that he 〈◊〉 by water and blood.

1. The Father testifies this, by that voice that came down from Heaven, T •• is my 〈…〉 and well ••• sed, Mat. • .17.

He 〈…〉 to his works, John 6. •• , 9 • , 3 • , 36, 3 • .

2. Christ 〈…〉 himself; that 〈◊〉 the Son of God by his Ministry as oft as occasion • r •• d, John 14, 17, • 8.

2. By his works, John 5.36.

3. By his Resurrection he declared himself mightily to be the Son of God, Rom. 1.

3. The holy Ghost have witness of him, by descending upon him in the shape of a Dove.

2. By convincing the world of sin, because they did not believe on him.

3. By sealing up this 〈◊〉 to the conscience of men, Eph. 1:13.

Use 1. Of refutation of the Jewish heresy, that denies the Trinity of the Persons, and others that 〈◊〉 the unity of the Godhead, all such heresies are here condemned, There are 〈◊〉 that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the W •• d, and the S •• ing and yet the •• 〈…〉 .

Use 2. Learn here a just 〈◊〉 work of 〈◊〉 faith, there is nothing we believe concerning Christ, but we ••• e sufficient testimony 〈◊〉 , Mat. • .19, 15. At the 〈◊〉 two or three witnesses every truth shall stand: now we have s •• wit • esses, thee 〈◊〉 , and three 〈◊〉 , if therefore we believe this truth, we • et to 〈…〉 God is 〈◊〉 , who hath witnessed it, 1 John • .10. But if we believe not Jesus to be the Son of God, we make God a liar, because we believe worth testimony that he hath given us of his Son, were not 〈◊〉 hearts slow to believe this truth, what need we so many witnesses?

Object. There is none but believes this truth.

Answ. •• not enough to believe this upon antiquity, or authority, or universal consent of the Christian world, but God calls us to believe this, upon some divine testimony of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Spirit; its 〈◊〉 enough for us •• believe that Christ is the Son of God, but that God is our •• ster in him▪ so that 〈◊〉 that doth not give up it self to be conformable to the Image of God, the wisdom and revelation of Christ, and unless the Spirit likewise transform our spirit to holiness and purity, we do not believe this truth upon any Divine testimony, but upon human credulity.

Use 3. If all the three Persons in the Trinity agree together in the witness of this ••• th, their we see what manner of men we ought to be in our witness were we never so many persons; as the Persons in the Trinity are three, and yet their nature such, as they cannot be but one, one holiness, one goodness, one truth, so all that worship him, though their persons be never so different, yet let their spirits be all one.

1. Hence learn, not to take up a truth upon a slight report; God would not commend any work of his to us, unless he had confirmed it by three witnesses, therefore believe not single reports; say not he was a good man that said it, for God would not put upon us any truth, but confirmed it by sundry witnesses, therefore believe not every report, though brought by a good man, let God be true and every man a liar, Rom. 3.15. Jer. 9.2, 3, 4, 5.

2. Hence learn, that all that believe this divine testimony of the Son, ought to be compounded into unity; it was the last solemn Prayer that Christ put up for the Church, that they all might be one with him, as he was one with the Father, John 17.8, 9, 20, 21. where he useth this as a motive to God, to bring on all believers to unity, because he was one with the Father, and the Father with him, and therefore he prays that they be one, that hereby the world might believe that God had sent him; as if dissensions among brethren would bear witness to the world, that God did not send his Son to be our Savior; so that by these dissensions, as much as in them lies, they make the promises of God of none effect.

2. They annihilate all the testimony that the three Persons give to Christ; this unity is that mark whereby all the world shall know them to be Christ's Disciples, and it is the main duty Paul calls for, Ephes. 4.3, 6. from this ground, because there is but one God; and one Christ, and one faith, Acts 4.31, 32. And indeed all the dissensions of the world have sprung from this ground, that they do not all worship one God, or believe not that God is but one: For what makes a man to fall out with his brother, but either his profit, or pleasure, or credit is conceived to be hindered, and is not this because I make my profit, or my credit my God? and so I had rather lose God, and fellowship with his Saints, then lose any gain and pleasure, and so I am a lover of pleasure more then of God: Now the Apostle made account, if we profess but one God, the unity of God should be more powerful to make us one, then anything in the world should be to make us two: so much dissension, so much atheism: If we suffer the world to be more mighty to make difference then God to make unity, we make God our Idol.

Doct. The Spirit, the Water, and the Blood, are three principal witnesses on earth, that bear witness to the Sonship of Christ.

The three principal witnesses, for he doth compare them to the three witnesses in Heaven.

Quest. What these three witnesses be?

Answ. The Spirit partly breathing in the Scripture, partly in the conscience of men.

First, The Spirit breathing in the Scriptures, for they in a special manner bear witness to Christ, and they are called Testaments, and indeed they are so far witnesses, as no witness is to be received, unless it be consonant to the testimony of the Scripture, Gal. 1.7, 8. and it is not Paul, or Peter, that testifies this, but the Sp • rit breathing in them, otherwise Christ receives not the testimony of men, neither doth the conscience of a Christian receive the testimony of any living man, except he find the Spirit breathing in him; for let God be true, and every man a liar. This Spirit breathing in the Scripture is a Spirit of power, and perfection, the Spirit of power in the Scripture, is discerned partly,

• 1. In convincing men, John 16.9.
• 2. In comforting those that are dejected, Rom. 3.16.
• 3. In strengthing us against temptation, 1 John 2.14.

Secondly, There is in the Scripture a Spirit of perfection, so that if we have but the testimony of the Scripture, what need we any further witness? 2 Tim. 3.16, 17.

Thirdly, There is a Spirit that bears witness in our hearts, that Jesus is the Son of God, and that Spirit is the same that breathed in the Scripture, so that when we are hearing, or reading, yet the Spirit sets it home to your hearts and souls, so that we go home either convinced, or comforted, or strengthened to every good work and duty God requires; now this Spirit fully persuades us, that Jesus is the Son of God; for this Spirit goes beyond the power of all created things; for no created power is able to convince an hard heart, or comfort a dejected Spirit, or strengthen us in our Christian course, therefore if we find a Spirit in us, enabling us to do all this, the soul rests satisfied without any need of further witness, that Jesus is the Son of God.

Fourthly, Water bears witness to this; by water some understand the water of baptism, and indeed that gives strong testimony to Christ, especially to them that are prepared to receive it: as in the Apostles times, when they were first brought on to believe, and then to be baptized, God then strongly testified this truth, so that after baptism, they were filled with much joy, and ofttimes with divers gifts and tongues, Acts 8.36. The water of baptism sent away the Eunuch rejoicing, see Acts 19.6, 7. and though children be not capable of this mercy now in their Infancy, except by an extraordinary power, yet notwithstanding a Christian afterwards finds such virtue and strength from his baptism, that he sees there is no water like it, but that there is a divine testimony in it: But because water is but a representation of this Spirit, therefore by water here, may be understood the water of sanctification, the Spirit of God sanctifying and regenerating us; for besides the Spirit of God, that at some extraordinary times fills with unspeakable joy of the holy Ghost; there is also an ordinary work of God's Spirit, partly cooling, refreshing us, as water doth, partly making us fruitful in our Christian course; for those great enlargements of God's Spirit, do not always abide with us in that measure, but this water is a spring in us, continually afording us something which evidently witnesseth this truth, Tit. 3.5. John 4.14.

1. In this water of God's Spirit, we find a power to cleanse us from our lusts, as running waters do channells and sinks, Ezek. 36.25. when I see something in me conforming me to Christ, that water bears witness, that Jesus is the Son of God.

2. There is a power in water to cool and refresh us, when God sheds abroad his Spirit in us, there is something that cools us from the heat of God's wrath, Isa. 44.3.

3. This water is of a mighty power to make us fruitful, Psal. 1.3. A Christian watered by the Spirit of God, draws such moisture and life from every Ordinance of God, that he brings forth fruit in due season, according to his calling, Ezek. 30.26, 27.

Quest. How doth this water bear witness that Jesus is the Son of God?

Answ. Because all the virtue that this water hath to cleanse, comfort, or fructify us, springs only from faith in the testimony, that Jesus is the Son of God, Gal. 2.19, 20. Let Christians observe, when we walk in the strength of our own spirits and graces, we shall grow so dry and barren, that not one good fruit comes from us, and this is because we suck from our own graces, and so spend on the stock, and so soon draw ourselves dry, for want of living by faith in the Son of God; but a Christian that hath the water of Sanctification, let him do all in the Name of Christ, and suck life from him daily, and he shall be sufficiently enabled to every duty that God requires; we never found this water, till we believed on Christ, and this water no longer runs fresh and full, then we renew our daily dependence on him, and if we did so daily, we should always find it full Sea in our hearts.

3 Blood is a third witness on earth, and that is the blood of his sufferings that doth bear witness to our souls, that Jesus is the Son of God.

And it bears witness to us, 1. by pacifying our conscience, Heb. 12.24. There is a louder cry in the blood of Christ to pacify our souls, then in the guilt of sin to bring wrath upon us, and this is so lively a testimony, that a Christian knows, were it not for the blood of Christ, all the things in the world would not have quieted his conscience.

2 The blood of Christ, purchaseth us to become his, Acts 20.28. Now when we can find ourselves the purchased ones of God, the peculiar people of God, this blood of purchase witnesseth, that it was the Son of God that redeemed us from the world and our own corrupt hearts.

3 The same blood doth therefore bear witness, that Jesus is the Son of God, because it's a blood of purity, sprinkled upon every Ordinance and creature, everything was purified by blood, Heb. 9.19. to 23. this blood of Christ on everything makes it pure, To the pure all things are pure, so that to such a one, his calling and company, his meat and drink do not ensnare him, as they do other men, set further off from God, but by this blood it is, and the blessing of God, that we are made more fruitful and serviceable to God, yea were it not for the blood of Christ, our very graces would corrupt us, it's the blood of Christ that makes them all useful and savory, and turn to our good.

Doct. These three witnesses, the Spirit, the Water, and the blood are in one.

Not only in this witness, but they are all one for one work; in the Original, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, they all consent to one truth.

And 2. they all go an end and conspire in one work of our Redemption, so that one would be of small use without the other.

Use 1. To establish our hearts in this testimony, that Jesus is the Son of God, and so to believe it, that we may overcome the world; In the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall stand, how much more when three in heaven and three on earth testify the truth? and it's not enough to believe this upon the authority of the State, or thy Parents, or upon the universal consent of all men, for this is no part of divine testimony, and this belief will never help thee to overcome the world; and yet this is the testimony of the Church of Rome, but these human testimonies will beget but human credulity.

Use 2. For trial, whether you believe this truth aright or no; if your faith be built upon the testimony of the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, upon the testimony of the Spirit breathing in the Scripture, and in your own conscience upon the water of Sanctification and blood of Redemption, if your faith be built on these principles it will stand.

Use 3. Reproves that Popish doctrine that maintains a Christian can never attain to any certain assurance; Why, if a Christian have six such strong witnesses, and divine, as these, will they not breed more then probable conjecture? Six be • est men's testimonies would breed more then probability; And do not God the Father, Son and holy Ghost breed assurance in their testimonies? It's a dishonorable thing to think otherwise.

Use 4. Of consolation to everyone that hath found this witness in him, it is a ground of singular comfort to them, that that Jesus on whom they have believed, will help them to overcome the world.

Use 5. Since these three, the Spirit, the water, and blood, do bear witness to the Sonship of Christ, it should teach us to keep our hearts and ears always open to these testimonies. Two things hinder this testimony, the noise and tumults of worldly businesses so fill our hearts and hands, that we cannot hear what the Spirit speaks. Secondly, the noise of our lusts doth so fill our souls, that we cannot listen to the peace Christ's blood speaks, which speaks better things then our lusts: therefore we should always keep our hearts and ears open, and free from tumults of the world, or the noise of our own lusts, that so we might hear what God's Spirit testifies to our own hearts.

Doct. The three witnesses in heaven, and the three witnesses on earth, are all of them divine and inward testimonies in the hearts of believers, and therefore far more to be credited, then the witness of all men in the world.

1 That the Father, Son, and Spirit, are divine witnesses, is no question, for they are the three Persons in the Trinity, and yet are but one God, Deut. 6 4. Therefore their testimony must needs be divine. But the question is, How do these hear witness in our hearts to this truth, he that believeth hath all these witnesses in himself?

1 The Father, as he is the Fountain of the God head, so his work is a work of Almighty power, and that is it which speaks in the heart of every believer, John 6.44. No man can come to me; except the Father which sent me draw him: as none come to Christ, except the Father draw him; so he draws none, but by the same power whereby he sent Christ, and that was by his Sovereign authority; if God should draw us only by the cords of men, we should break through all, as the Israelites did, Hos. 11.4. But when God shakes our hearts by an Almighty power, and lets us see the danger of our estate, and after enlightens us to see the ways of salvation, then he draws a man on to Christ: take a natural man, all the world cannot persuade him of his dangerous estate, but he is persuaded of his good nature and good heart towards God.

Secondly, If he be convinced of it, all the world cannot persuade him, that any promise belongs to him, and therefore here God must put forth an Almighty power of a Spirit of adoption, whereby he is brought on to believe the promises; before he had only an human credulity, now he believes it from a testimony within himself, John 6.45.

2 The Son of God bears witness in our hearts of this truth, by speaking freedom and liberty to our souls from the guilt of sin, John 8.36. If the Son shall make you free, then shall you be free indeed, that whereas before we were bound to our sins, and lusts, and ways, Christ comes and sets us free from all, so that now we serve not ourselves or men, but the Lord Christ; & by this a Christian knows that surely Christ is the Son of God, that hath made me a son of God myself.

3 The Spirit bears witness to our hearts of this truth, by convincing our hearts of it, John 16.9.

Secondly, By working a Spirit of faith, and a spirit of joy in believing, John 14.16, 17. Hence he is called the Comforter.

Thirdly, By giving us a spirit to make us overcome the temptations of the world, and the lusts of our own hearts, 2 Tim. 1.7. 1 John 4.4. and this testimony is divine.

1 Because it is the revelation and will of God himself.

2 Because it is above all human power thus to draw us and convince us, and strengthen and comfort us against all temptations.

For the three witnesses on earth, they likewise bear witness to this truth in our hearts.

1 The Spirit, that is, the Spirit breathing in the Word hath such a mighty power to enlighten, and quicken, and strengthen a soul, that whatsoever the Spirit speaks in the Scripture, the same it witnesseth in our souls, 1 Cor. 14.24, 25.

2 Water bears witness in our hearts to this truth, that is, the water of Sanctification doth so cleanse, and cool, and refresh the conscience of a man, and make him so fruitful in his Christian course, that it's plainly a divine testimony, it passeth all the power of the creature thus to pacify and quiet the conscience; it is only the Spirit of God that is able thus to pacify a guilty soul; thus to cleanse an impure heart, and to make these dry barren stocks as we are fruitful; this is a divine work of God's Spirit.

3 The blood of Christ witnesseth this truth to our hearts, by being sprinkled on our consciences, and so speaking peace to us; this is a divine work.

2 The same blood purifies every Ordinance, and creature; there would be no virtue in any Ordinance, nothing would do us good, but for the blood of Christ sanctifying it to our use: now this testimony is of greater force then the testimony of all the sons of men together. There be three things needful in a testimony.

• 1 That it be certain.
• 2 Evident.
• 3 Powerful and Effectual.

1 This divine testimony is more certain, then all the testimonies of the world, because God is greater in knowledge, and so knows more then men can.

2 Because he is greater in truth; men may err, but God cannot lie, Tit. 1.2, 3. Rom. 4.2.

2 This testimony is more evident, to make a thing evident is required,

• 1 Objectum perspicuum.
• 2 Organum been affectum.
• 3 Medium apt dispositum.

Now God doth make this truth evident by the concurrence of all these.

1 He lets us plainly see the danger of sin, and the virtue and worth of Christ's blood; God reveals his Son to our hearts, John 3.12. Gal. 1.46. so what the Gospel speaks of his Son, the same is plainly revealed, and so he makes the object perspicuous.

2 He opens the eyes of men to discern it, to long after it, to taste of his virtue and power, Acts 26.18. 1 Pet. 2.3. 1 Cor. 2.14, 15. A natural man sees nothing of this work.

3 He clears the Medium, that is, the Word and Sacraments, Prayer & Christian Communion; so that whereas before we looked at them, but as beggarly rudiments, of little power or worth, after God hath once enlightened us, we see the power and virtue of God therein, so plainly, as if we had been touched by the Sun beams.

3 This divine testimony is far more powerful then any human testimony, Heb. 4.12, 13. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. The Ordinances of God are mighty and effectual through God, so to change and renew our hearts, that no human power is able to reach them.

Use 1. To refute two doctrines of the Romish Church.

1 That the last ground-work of faith is resolved on the testimony of the Church: Ask them if they believe Jesus to be the Son of God, they say yes; ask them why? Because the Scripture say so: ask rhem, But why do you believe the Scripture? From the testimony of the Church, say they; so that their best faith is but human credulity: But ask a true Protestant, why he believes Jesus to be the Son of God? he tells you because the Scripture say so; ask him why he believes the Scripture? he saith, not because the Church believes so, but he believes it from a testimony within himself. What say they, you trust a private spirit of your own? nay his private spirit is common with him to all believers, ever since the world was, and that spirit is no other then the Spirit of God that breatheth in all his children. Besides, he hath other witnesses in his heart, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and this is a divine testimony, greater then the witness of all the world; so that here is a double error of theirs; 1 In grounding their faith upon the Churches testimony. 2 In blaspheming the Spirit of God, for a private spirit. Fundamental errors.

That Doctrine that lifts the Church from Christ, and builds it on the testimony of the Fathers and the Schools, that doctrine overthrows the foundation; for other foundation can no man lay, then what is laid already, even Jesus Christ.

2 It refutes another uncomfortable doctrine of the Romish Church, that teach, that a man cannot by divine faith have assurance of his estate in grace and salvation; for say they, all divine faith is general; thus he that repents and believes shall be saved, but I repent and believe, this say they, the Scripture nowhere saith: But say we, besides the testimony of the Scripture, there is a threefold witness in heaven, and three on earth, all witnessing this truth; now their testimony is divine, and therefore my faith is divine, and they all witness to this truth, that Jesus is the Son of God; and that I believing on him shall be saved.

Obj. All these are but suavis quidam motus, & cannot produce a divine faith.

Answ. Can the testimony of men produce an human certainty, and cannot three divine witnesses in heaven, and three on earth, produce more then an human probabilty? If not, how doth the text say, their testimony is greater then the testimony of men?

Object. How comes it to pass then, that this witness is so low sometimes, that we can hardly discern it?

Answ. We so grieve the Spirit of God sometimes, that he delights not to reveal himself to us; but this is our own fault, that we so black this evidence, that we cannot read it; but if we maintain and cherish it, it will be a strong testimony to our souls.

Use 2. For trial of our faith; wouldst thou know whether thy faith be true or not? If it be, it will convey a double trinity of witnesses into thy heart, witnessing that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he came by water and blood. If you should resolve most men's faith into its principle, you should find most men's faith built upon antiquity, and authority, and universal consent of all men: Why, if these be the best grounds of thy saith, the Devil hath better grounds of faith then so; but if thou find this truth confirmed to thee, by the testimony of God's Spirit within thee, this faith will hold trial.

Use 3. Of consolation to all them that find this witness in themselves. Why, they have grounds of full assurance of their good estates, seeing they have such divine and certain witness of it, both in heaven and earth.

Doct. True faith that believeth God believeth also on the Son of God.

There is a double phrase used,

• 1 Credere Deo.
• 2 Credere in filium Dei.

Credere Deo, is to believe that there is a God.

2 That every testimony God gives us is true, Act. 27.25. I believe God, that it shall be so as he hath said, but to believe on God, or on the Son of God, is a phrase peculiar only to Scripture, not found in any human Writers.

Now to believe that there is a God, and that his Word is true, are acts of the understanding; but to believe on God, is not only an act of my understanding, but of my will; whereby I trust on him, and roll myself upon him, it's expressed by laying a stone upon a foundation, 1 Pet. 2.5, 6. Christ lies as the corner stone of his Church, every living stone lies upon him, depends upon him, and that is to believe on God, to lift up our souls, and lie on the foundation, John 14.1. Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe on God, believe also on me; so much belief so much less fear; and so much fear, so much less faith, Jam. 2.19. The Devils believe and tremble; but he that believes on the Son of God fear not, this believing on him, is a resting on him, for many may have faith, and not rest on Christ, Isa. 30.15. In quietness and confidence shall be your rest, there is no such rolling ourselves upon Christ; so that as living stones we lie still and quiet upon Christ the corner stone, so that you cannot lift off a Christian from his foundation, except you overthrow the building, and this is, when a Chrstian is so established in faith, that all mists of doubtings are removed, and God's favor clearly seen, and then the soul sits down in calmness, and quiet, Psal. 3.5, 6. and this hand of faith the children of God are wont to put forth in dangerous times, Psal. 91.12. He that abideth in the secret place of the most High, &c. Two things are in God, which are the secret place of the Almighty, and both expressed in the Name of the Lord.

Which implies, 1 his attributes of mercy, goodness, and patience, and the like.

2 His truth, Psal. 138.4. Thou hast exalted thy word about thy Name, the Word of God doth more comfort, and command, then any attribute without the Word; so that the Name of God, is the secret place of God in danger; A Christian runs to the attributes and promises of God.

2. But if this were all, it would exclude from faith, all those whose faith is not grown to this quietness and rest, for many a day is it before we come to such quietness and rest, but full of doubts and agitations are we: as if you commit such a sum of money to be paid at London, into a faithful able man's hand; I never doubt of his care or faithfulness, if I doubt of either, my heart is never at rest, till I hear how matters go? no Christian ord • narily doubts of God's power and ability; but he doubts whether God be willing to put forth his power for my salvation or no; hence a poor soul hath many thoughts and cares what will become of his soul, yet there is some kind of saving faith in him that believes his ability, and this faith makes him in some measure to lean on Christ, as Mark 1.40. the poor Leper came to Jesus, and said, If thou wilt thou canst make me clean, he believed his power, yet something doubts of his will; yet he comes to him that he might be willing.

3. There is a weaker faith then this, that is, a Christian comes sometimes to doubt even of the power of God, that he is not able to show him mercy, and so doubts of it, as thus, because God hath said, That they that have sinned against the holy Ghost shall never be forgiven, and they are afraid they have committed this sin, and they know God is not able to break his word, Mark 9.22. There comes a poor man to Christ for help for his son, and said, If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us; What saith Christ, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth? viz, that I am able; why, saith he, Lord I believe, help my unbelief, he believed God was able to help him, and yet was not certain of it neither, and yet this faith procured this blessing from God.

Quest. How can this be called believing on Christ, when the heart is not grounded on Christ, nor rests on him?

Answ. As to believe on Christ, is to rest on him, as a stone on the foundation, so there is a believing on Christ, when the heart yet rests not one Christ, but rowls it self on Christ, and that may be done, while the heart is yet in motion. Resting is a settledness of condition, but rolling is an unsettled tumbling about, sometimes rowls one way, sometimes another; yet such a Christian believes on Christ, because he is rolling towards him; that so he may lie on him, Psal. 37.5. Commit thy ways to the Lord, in the original, roll thy ways upon God, lean thy soul that way, that is done by rolling thyself towards him, that thou mightest rest on him, Prov. 3.6. Trust on the Lord with all thy heart, lean not on thy own wisdom: a man may be said to lean that way, whereon he is not yet settled.

Quest. When is a man said to lean on Christ?

Answ. 1. When a man is persuaded that God is able to help him, yet doubts of his willingness, and yet comes to him, leans towards him, craves his help: as Mark 5.25. there comes a woman to Christ with a bloody issue, she came, neither doubting of his ability, nor will, If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole, this was a resting on Christ: But the poor Leper was not come so far, as to assure himself that Christ would do it; but he believes his power, and useth the means to make him willing, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean

2 A man may be said to lean on Christ, when he believes not his willingness, nor yet confidently his power, and yet desires God to help his unbelief, this is a rolling upon Christ; If thou ca ••• do anything, help us, in Scripture phrase, this kind of rolling upon Christ, is called a coming to Christ: it's one thing to be coming to Christ, and another thing to rest on him, but yet he is a believer, if he do but come to Christ, Math. 11.28. this coming to Christ, is believing on him, for to such he promiseth that he will refresh them, and he refresheth none but believers, Joh. 6.35, 37, 67. By coming to Christ, we believe on him, and he that cometh to him, he will in no wise cast out; if a man be but coming onwards, humbled for his sins, and persuaded that God is able to help him, if not, yet if he be grieved for his unbelief, and prays to God to help his unbelief, this is coming to Christ, that is, making towards him, and this is faith. Suppose a man tell you in such a field of yours is a rich treasure, if you believe the man, will you not go about to dig it up? but if you doubt of the truth, then you let it alone: so God tells you all the treasures of life and grace are laid up in Christ this record God gives of his Son; now if we believe this record, we will use all good means to attain this eternal life, otherwise if we do not use the means to get this treasure, we make God a liar; as if his record were not true.

Use 1. It reproves the dangerous sin of such as neither rely on Christ, nor roll towards him, St. John tells us, we make God a liar, a fearful thing for mortal men, to make the God of truth a God of lies; now if we make God a liar, we make him no God at all; if we live in unbelief, we live in Atheism; all such as find not their hearts resting on God, or rolling towards him, they make God a liar, and there is no truth in them, for if we did but believe that eternal life were to be found in Christ, we would not rest till we were assured of it; if we know of any Inheritance left us, we will • ow from one end of the land to the other to obtain it; so if we believed that the treasure of salvation were laid up in Christ, we should never rest rolling towards him, till we had got possession thereof.

Use 2. May stir us up never to rest, till we have brought our hearts to rely upon Christ, to lean on him, to roll towards him, if we do not this, we are Atheists; therefore as we desire to make God, a God of truth, let • s never rest, till we have found our hearts relying on him. Psal. 132. • . to 6. It was a notable resolution of David, in the midst of all his •• bless, that he would not give himself rest, till he had prepared as habitation for God, so let us never cease rolling towards Christ, till at length we find ourselves resting on him.

Quest. What would you have us to do to •• ing our hearts to rely and 〈◊〉 on God?

Answ. 1. Rowl yourselves to such places where you may have means of grace, Faith comes by bearing, Rom 10.17.

2 Rowl off your hearts from all your sins, come out of your sinful corruptions, roll yourselves out of your bod • of security, 2 Cor, 6. two last verses.

3 Rowl yourselves so far from all worldly comforts, as that you set not your hearts on them, Psal. 62.10. nor on great friends, Psal. 146.3.

4 Cast your meditation on the mighty power of God, which is able to heal such untoward hearts as yours.

5 Use all the means you may, and endeavor with all the strength you may, that God may heal you.

6 If you doubt of his will, and are not confident of his ability, pray that God would give you a believing heart. Lord help my unbelief.

Use 3. For them that have rolled themselves on Christ, rest not in rolling, there is no rest to be had in rolling, therefore from rolling 〈…〉 come to establishment in Christ, and th • re rest, sit down in quietness and confidence; now if thou wouldst have a stone lie on the foundation, thou most cut off all the roughness and unsquarenesse, or else it cannot lie 〈◊〉 there is none but either he hath some doubts that make him under or else pride that is a great swelling, therefore we must lay down all our high thoughts and 〈◊〉 level with Christ, for he is meek and lo • lie: besides, all hatred and 〈◊〉 , is an uneven swelling in our hearts, and how 〈◊〉 can they lie smooth in the building? bowles and swelling bodies will not touch but in 〈◊〉 point, smoo •• things lie flat: what swelling of heart we see in us, either to pride, on covetousness, or wrath; if we would lie smooth and sure in the building, we must pare off all these out-running and swellings of our hearts, and so bring 〈◊〉 smooth and even, we shall lie sure upon the foundation.

Doct. Eternal life is the gift of God.

Here two things are to be opened, 1 That the life given us by God in Christ is eternal life.

2 That this eternal life is the gift of God.

1 It's eternal life, 1 John 3.16. Eternal, ab ante, because it was given us before the foundation of the world, it's more ancient then the world, or man's fall, and this was not only purposed in God's Council, but this was manifestly promised before the world began, Tit. 1.2. And The Trinity then concluded that the Lord Christ should be made head of all.

2 That all that did believe on him should have eternal life, therefore it's said, He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, Ephes. 1.4. and therefore God choosing us as members of Christ, he promised to Christ, that he would give them all eternal life, 2 Tim. 1.9. There was not only a purpose of God, but a declaration of the same to Christ, of this gift our Savior speaks, John 17:6. Revel. 13.8. and this gift is more ancient then our actual vocation, for a man is said to be given to Christ, when he gives up his heart and service to him, but this is given in fullness of time; but we were given to Christ, before we were called to the fellowship of his Spirit, and adoption of sons, John 6.39.

2 It's called eternal life, because the fountain and principles of this life are eternal; the Word of God was revealed from eternity, and of this Word were we begotten, 1 Pet. 1.23. And as in seed there is something more material, something more spiritual; so in the Word there is both the matter of the word and there is the Spirit of the Word, John 3.5. Now we are born of the Spirit, and this Spirit in us is a fountain of living water, springing up to everlasting life, John 4.14.

3 The continuance of this life is to everlasting, He that believes on Christ, shall never die, but have everlasting life, John 3.36. John 5.24. and this eternal life is a record which God hath given us of his Son, because the gift was given to Christ, and througst him, as by our Head, is the life conveyed to all the members.

2 This life is a gift of God, Rom. • .23. All the life we have is God's gift: There is a fourfold life, and all given us by God.

First, The life as justification is a free gift, Rom. 5.15. we lay all dead in sin, now the pardon of all these is the very life of our souls, Col. 2.13.

Secondly, There is a life of holiness whereby we live to God, are for his • nds, and walk by this rule, and this life is the free gift of God, Ephes. 2.4, • .

Thirdly, There is a life of consolation, which is called a man's life, 1 Thes. 3.7, 8. We live, if you stand fast, he means a life of comfort, and this life is given by free grace; 2 Cor. 1.4, 5. When God so comforts a poor soul, he is to be looked at as the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation.

Fourthly, There is a life of glory, which God hath given us by Christ, Rom. 6.23.

Reas. 1. A minori, If our natural life be God's gift, how much more this spiritual and eternal life, Job 10.12. Thou hast granted me life and favor, and he speaks of natural life, that is, thou in thy favor hast granted me life, and preservest it: Now if that be a gift of God, as it is, for it was neither Father nor Mother that could give us life, how much more is eternal life the gift of God. It was Mephibosheth’s speech to David, 2 Sam. 19.28. What was all my Fathers house, but dead men before my Lord the King? so take us without God's gift, we were but all dead men before him. Now if this natural life be a gift of God, and that of his favor too; how much more is this spiritual and eternal life a free gift from God?

2. All our life must needs be God's free gift, by removing all that might concur to the making up of our merit of this life.

Four things must concur to merit, which are all wanting in this gift.

1. If you would merit, you must prevent the other in giving but who hath given to God first? Rom. 11.35. and if we give God but his own, how then do we merit? 1 Chron. 29.13, 14, 15.

2. In the nature of merit is required, that what we give we should give • eely, not of due debt, nor due recompense, Luke 17.9, 10. If we do but ou • duties, what do we merit? When we have done what we can, we have done but our duty, and how then do we merit?

3. What merits at God's hands, should be perfect and par • , without spot, else it deserves nothing: Now our best righteousness is defiled, Isa. 46.6. Exod. 28.38. Our best offerings, if God did not accept of them in Christ's holiness, he might justly reject them.

4. In all merit it is requisite that there should be something proportionable betwixt the work and the reward, now what proportion is there between natural life and spiritual, and betwixt our life of grace, and the life of glory? Our sufferings, which are the highest part of our obedience, they are not worthy to be compared to the eternal weight of glory; indeed they work for 〈◊〉 a plentiful recompense of reward, 2 Cor. 4.17. But this is through the free gift of God.

Use 1. For reproof of Popish merit, if eternal life be the free gift of God, then the life of grace is not given us of merit, ex congru • , not this life of glory ex condigno; if it be gift, then sure we pay no answerable price for it; there is no purchase on our part, but a gift on God's part. I would know whither this natural life was given us of merit; who d • re say, • e hath merited to be a man, rather then a Beast, of a Serpent, or a Toad, and how then can we say our eternal life is of merit? Doth not every Christian freely confess at his first conversion, that if God should utterly cast him off, and never show him mercy, just and righteous should his proceedings be? And how dare any appear that dare claim grace and glory of merit? In the continuance of his faithful obedience, who dare claim the least mercy ex condigno, how much less eternal life? Whereas e contra, God's servants do not think God beholding to them for their service, but they never think themselves more engaged and beholding to God, then when he enables them to most service, they say with David, Who are we that we should be able to offer thus willingly, 1 Chron. 29.14. they know every jo • of mercy is free grace, every sin pardoned is free grace. No Malefactor on earth, but if the King send him a pardon, he acknowledgeth it to be of the Kings free grace and Royal compassion▪ but yet the Synagogue of Rome will not acknowledge God's pardon to be of free grace; but God's people acknowledge they are 〈◊〉 but as dead dogs before God; and were at not for the free grace of God, they had never seen life.

Use 2. Of exhortation to all the sons of men, that never look after Christ, why as ever you desire to see me, and that life forever, look up to God for it to derive it from him, it is his free gift, Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, Prov. 19.6. Shall we respect Princes so, that have but earthly honors and profits to give, that we think it our happiness to do them any service, and shall we neglect God that hath such great gifts to give, even eternal life, and a Kingdom of glory; it is God that gives us these natural lives, and that gives us power to get wealth, Deut. 8.18. nay its he that gives life of comfort, and the life of justification, and holiness, and also the life of glory, and shall we neglect this great gift, and more respect the poor comforts of the world then him, in whose hands is our breath and life? Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, he means for his natural life, and shall eternal life lie by like a refuse thing that no man looks after.

Use 3. Of trial whether God hath given us this life or no, and this we may discern for the eternity of the gift, consider whether there be any eternal life shed abroad in thy heart or not, hast thou found any pardon of sins? that whereas thou sawest thy soul as a dead dog for want of this life, now God hath justified thee from thy sins; Why, the life of justification is eternal life, if he hath once pardoned thy sins he will remember them no more, Jer. 31.33.

Secondly, Hast thou found a spirit of life in thee to obey and serve the Lord, Rom. 8.2. Why this is eternal life, that will never decay, John 17.3. hath God shed abroad the comfort of his Spirit, and the joy of the holy Ghost into thy heart, which is better then life, Psal. 63.3. this is eternal life, which though it may be sometimes overwhelmed, yet it shall spring up again, as trees after winter; if thou find none of these works in thee then thou hast no life.

Use 4. Of consolation to all those that have received this life, if we have found the life of justification in the pardon of our sins, the life of holiness in our Christian obedience; if we have found the lively comforts of God's Spirit: Why, know this is a life that will never decay, this is the record of God himself, that the life which he hath given us is eternal life, it was given us before we were born, and will he take it away when we are born? that which he gave us before there was a world, he will not take away when the world shall be no more? it comes from everlasting principles, 3rd therefore it cannot decay; if therefore we find this life in us, we may be assured, that God hath given us this life, will preserve it to eternity; if it be eternal, how can it decay? Therefore let us walk worthy of this eternal life, and pray with David, Consider me Lord, if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting, Psal. 139. ult. Sinful lusts are dead lusts, and what hath eternal life to do with dead lusts, keep your hands off from a sinful carnal life, but lay fast hold on eternal life, 1 Tim. 6.12. get sure possession of it, and let neither Satan not the world wrest it out of your hands.

Doct. THe Eternal life that God hath given us, is laid up for us in Jesus Christ, John 11.25, 26. Col. 3.3. John 14.6.

This life is fourfold, of Justification, Sanctification, Consolation, and Glorification. All these are laid up in Christ, Jer. 23.6. He is the Lord our righteousness, Psal. 4.1, 2. For them altogether, see 1 Cor. 1.30. He is made our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption. Our Redemption not only from the guilt eternal and punishment of sin, but from all the afflictions both inward and outward that God's servants he exposed unto, as for inward temptation in sickness, and griefs, &c. Col. 3.3. Your life is hid with Christ in God, Its sometimes under a veil of corruptions, sometimes of affliction, but yet laid up in Christ.

Quest. How is our life said to be laid up in him?

Answ. 1. Because he hath received it for us from God the Father to give unto us, John 5.21, 26. 1 Thes. 5.9, 10. He hath appointed us to salvation, through Jesus Christ, that so whether we remain alive or die, yet we may live in Christ.

2. Christ hath purchased this life for us, 1 Thes. 5.9, 10. the Father hath not only appointed us life, but he hath appointed it through the death of Christ, John 10.10. I am come that my sheep may have life, and that they may have it in abundance, and this is by giving his life for us.

3. Its laid up in Christ as one that prepares it for us, and us for it, Col. 1.12. its he that makes us meet to be made partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light, that whereas before we were unfit, now he hath adorned us, and made us fit Spouses for himself, which he doth by turning us from darkness to light, by giving us of his Spirit, by dispensing himself to us in his Sacraments, and Christian communion, wherein all the members receive nourishment from the head, Eph. 4.16. and as he thus prepares us for eternal life, so likewise he prepares a place for us, John 14.2, 3.

4. Its reserved for us principally in himself, notwithstanding the communication of it daily to us, Jude 1. we are said to be preserved in Jesus Christ to life, all our life of grace here, and of glory hereafter, is preserved in Christ.

First, Because all the claim of eternal life is laid up only in him, we neither desire nor beg any pardon of sin, or any grace, or comfort, or glory, but through Jesus Christ, the claim of eternal life is wholly in him; for though God hath promised all those kinds of life, its only in Christ.

Secondly, As he reserves the claim of it in his own hands, so he reserves the security of it in his own hand, even as a Father doubting how his son will spend his estate, he puts not into his hands the writings or evidences, but he keeps them in his own hands; so God saw the life he communicated to our first parents, they prodigally wasted it away, and therefore never since would he put it into our own hands, but reserved it in the hands of Christ, Rom. 4.16. Therefore it is faith that the promise might be sure. If our salvation had stood upon our own works, the promise had been sure only so long as we kept our obedience, but we are unsettled, sometimes enlarged, and sometimes straightened, so that we should have been at a stand oftentimes, not knowing whether we had life or no, therefore he hath laid it up in Christ, that it might be sure.

Thirdly, The possession of this life is reserved for us in Christ, our justification is complete in Christ here, never increased, though the sense of it may; the first day we are regenerate, we are fully justified; the justification of all Christians is equal, though their sanctification be not alike; our life of justification is complete, but yet our life of holiness is but imperfect, We know but in part, and believe but in part, but its fully laid up in Christ: so for the life of consolation, we have some beginnings of it here, Phil. 4.7. 1 Pet. 1.8. But sometimes all our comforts are lost, and where then lies it but in Christ; as the sap doth in the root in winter time, so that in him we rejoice always, Phil. 4.4. and so our eternal life is reserved in him, John 14.2, 3. Eph. 2.5.

Fourthly, In regard of the glorious manifestation of this life at the last day, 2 Thes. 1.10. when he shall come to be admired of all his Saints, this life is now laid up for his Saints, which at that day he will dispense to his servants, to the admiration of all men.

Quest. Why hath God laid up this life in his Son?

Reas. From the impossibility of laying up life for us in the law, or in the first Adam, Gal. 3.21. If the Law could have given us life, verily righteousness had been given us by the law; No, the law that Adam had given him in Paradise could not have secured our life, but that we might forfeit it by our own fall, nor could Adam himself give us this life, for in Adam all died, 1 Cor. 15.22. and therefore its Christ alone that hath restored as to life and glory.

Use 1. Hence learn the order of all that life, and grace, and salvation, that is derived to us, God did not first give us life, and then provide Christ to maintain it in us, but he first appointed Christ, that in him we might have life, Eph. 1.3, 4. He hath chosen us in Christ, Christ is the first fruits of all that life that we enjoy, he loved Christ, and in him loved us, he first gave him eternal life that he might give it to whom he would, John 5.26. he poured this life first on his head, and from him this life runs down to the lowest skirt of his garment, to the meanest member that belongs to him, he poured on him the oil of grace, and from him it drops down upon us; he first crowned him with glory, that he might glorify us.

Use 2. It teacheth us the dead estate of all men by nature, if all our life be laid up in Christ then such as want this life, they want pardon of sins, and want holiness, and want comfort, and want eternal life, Eph. 2.11, 12. Eph. 4.19. We by nature are aliens from the life of God, strangers from the Covenant, that as strangers neither meddle nor make with that which is none of theirs, so we have nothing to do with the promises of life, till we be in Christ; let natural men go look at themselves as dead men, all their best comforts are but as the crackling of thorns, they may warm themselves a while with the sparkles of their own fire, but this they shall have at length, They shall lie down in sorrow, Isa. 50.11. Nay by nature we have no hopes of eternal life, we must be regenerate to this hope, 1 Pet. 1.3, 4.

Use 3. May teach all such as live in a dead estate, to look out where they may have life; look into your own hearts, there you shall not find life, look into the world, that is not able to give you life, but get Christ, and then you get life; as Jacob said to his sons, Why stand ye gazing one upon another, have ye not heard there is corn in Egypt? why, go up, go and buy it that we may live, Gen. 42.2, 3. So the Spirit saith to us, when we find our hearts ready to starve for want of this life, for want of pardon of sin, of grace, of comfort; why stand ye gazing upon the profits and pleasures, and contents of this world, none whereof can give you life? do you not hear that there is life laid up in Christ, go and buy of him: its the speech of Wisdom, even of Christ the wisdom of his Father, Prov. 3.85. Who so findeth me, findeth life, and all that hate me, love death.

Use 4. Of consolation to all those that have found their parts in the Lord Christ; if you have found him, you have found life, pardon of sin, peace of conscience, and life eternal, Rom. 5.1. If you have found him, your sins are done away, and no Saint under heaven is justified more then you. 2. Having found him, thou hast a life of holiness said up in him, so that though we want zeal, wisdom, patience, we may fetch it from him, and though we find our hearts, sometimes drooping under heavy discouragements and afflictions, yet in him thou mayst rejoice always; and what though our life here be poor and base, yet there is an eternal life said up for us in him, and when he appears, we shall appear with him in glory, Col. 3.3, 4. And the more we may comfort ourselves in that our life is not laid up in Satan's hands, for then we should never finger any of it, nor in our own hands, for we should lose it at every hand; but this is our comfort, that our life is laid up in Christ, and reserved safely for us in him▪ and therefore it may teach God's people, that if our life be laid up in Christ, we must be daily spinning out life from him; what ever we do, let us do all in the Name and power of Christ, 1 Thes. 5.9, 10. all the peace and comfort we find in ourselves or families, let us derive it from him, live not upon the stock of your own graces, but fetch your daily supply from him, Gal. 1.20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, live upon Christ daily, fetch all your help, and comfort, and life from him; and for eternal life, seeing it is laid up in him, let us lay claim to it in his Name, and lay up the security of all our life in him; that so though it be unsettled, yet in him it may be sure.

Doct. Upon our having or not having of Christ, depends our having or not having life.

Prov. 8.35, 36. He that findeth me, findeth life, but he that hateth me loveth death. Eph. 2.11, 12. Without Christ we are aliens from life, and strangers from the Covenant.

Quest. Why doth our life depend upon the having of Christ?

Reas. 1. From the insufficiency of all the creature to give life, Heb. 10.1, 4. For it is impossible that the blood of Bulls or Goats, should take away sin. Besides, should we die for our sins ourselves, yet we could not satisfy for our sins, because we could never overcome death, neither can our obedience to the law give us life, Gal. 3.21, 23. David speaks it fully in the Name of Christ, Psal. 22.29. No man can keep his soul alive, he cannot keep natural life, much less a spiritual; yea Adam in innocence was taught to look for the preservation of his life out of himself, and therefore he was to eat of the tree of life, implying that the maintenance of that life he then lived, could not have been in himself, but he must eat of the tree of life, a type of Christ; How much less could Adam fallen keep this life in him?

Quest. Why is the creature insufficient to give life?

Answ. 1. From the preciousness of that price which was to be paid for our life, the matter of our justification, is the price paid for our redemption, Psal. 49.8. The redemption of souls is precious, and it is beyond the power of the creature, it was only the obedience of Christ as suffering to the death, that could give a sufficient price for us, and none but Christ could do it, because he thereby declared himself mightily to be the Son of God.

2. For our life of Sanctification and Consolation, that proceeds from the Spirit of God within us, springing up in us to everlasting life, John 16.7. John 4.10. Now its only Christ that can give us this life, its he that must ascend up to heaven, and send down the Comforter; its he that sets open this living Fountain.

3. For eternal life that can only be given by Christ, in regard of the difficulty of it, above all human reach, no man is able to deliver his soul from the grave, Psal. 49.7, 8. Death is the passage to eternal life; now for a man to die, and afterwards to raise up himself, is above created power, John 11.25.

Reas. 2. From the good pleasure of God that hath appointed, That in Christ should all fullness dwell, Col. 1.19. Col. 3.4. All the springs of life flow from him only, there is no deriving of life from any other fountain.

Use 1. From hence we may have an evident ground of trial, whereby we may know whether we be alive or dead; why, if we have the Son, we have life, if we have not the Son, we have not life. For the understanding of this we are to consider,

• 1. What it is to have Christ.
• 2. What it is to have the Son.
• 3. Shew some signs of life.

For the first, we are said to have Christ four ways. 1. By way of service. 2. By way of purchase. 3. By way of Covenant. 4. By way of acceptance.

1. By way of service or worship, a man is said to have God that worships God, as some Princes are chosen by the people's adoration, so by our adoring of God, we have God, Exod. 20.3. Thou shalt have no other God's but me, that is, Thou shalt worship no other God's but me, if thou worship me, you have me, Psal. 45.11, 12. For he is the Lord thy God, and worship thou him: we receive Christ to be our Lord, by worshipping him. This Moses sang at the red Sea, Exod. 15.2, 3. to exalt and worship God, makes him our God; the worship of God is performed in our minds in our wills, in our live • .

1. In our minds; we then have Christ, when we have him in high estimation, Cant. 5.10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, who is like unto thee among the gods? Psal. 8.7. Exod. 15.10, 11. when the soul prizeth Christ above all, then we have him; this is the difference between spiritual and earthly things: a man may prize gold, and silver, and riches, and yet not have them; but we never prize spiritual things, especially Christ, but we have them; and this is worship, for all worship stands in exalting another, and debasing myself: now if I give Christ divine esteem, its divine worship; now when the soul thus esteems Christ as the highest, and debaseth himself to the lowest, it hath Christ. John 1.27. John the Baptist he so advanceth Christ, that in comparison of him, he thinks himself unworthy to loose the lachet of his shoe: no mortal man so great, but another may be worthy to loose his shoe; but Christ is so highly advanced, that we are not worthy to do him the meanest service; when a man's heart thus advanceth Christ, and thinks himself most unworthy of the meanest service about him, much more of having Christ himself; when once we have Christ in such high esteem, we have him indeed, and this high prizing of Christ may a poor soul have, when it can express little else; and this is an evident argument of our having Christ, when we can think the worst thing in Christ honorable and precious; this was Moses his faith, that he looked at the very reproaches and afflictions of Christ as greater riches, then the treasures of Egypt, Heb. 11.25, 26.

2. We honor Christ in our minds, when we esteem nothing more worthy knowing then Christ. 2 Cor. 2.2. For I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified, John 17.3. and to know Christ, is to know the virtue and worth of Christ, as Paul knew him, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. that is, to esteem all his best outward privileges as base and filthy in respect of the knowledge of Christ, an evident sign that Paul had him. In Nature we never have a thing, but we desire to know the worth and use of it, Phil. 3.10. so everyone that hath Christ desires to know what the power of his death is, and the virtue of his Resurrection, and the fruits of his mediation.

2. In our hearts and wills, we have Christ, when we look at him as our chiefest good, that there is nothing in heaven or earth, that we desire in comparison of him, this is an act of the will and affections, Psal. 73.25. Psal. 42.1, 2. this is called hungering and thirsting after Christ; No hunger is satisfied, without eating of that we hunger after; so when a soul hungers and thirsts after Christ, give him pleasures and profits, yet they satisfy not, except you give him Christ; and this is an high point of worship, Gal. 6.14. when our hearts are set on him, that our chiefest care is to get him, our greatest grief to lose him, our chiefest delight in him; why, if we be thus affected to Christ, we have him.

Object. The Church earnestly desired and sought after Christ, yet found him not, Cant. 3. 1, to 4.

Answ. 1. She could neither have sought after him, nor desired him, except she had had him.

2. When she sought him, and said, She found him not, she means, I found him not in that measure of peace and comfort, and fellowship I desired, but yet she had him, for she said, She sought him whom her soul loved. Secondly, Such a soul as it thus highly prizeth, and desireth, and hungers after Christ, so it debased it self; the more we esteem him the more we debase our s • lves, the more we love him the less we love ourselves; when Christ once revealed himself to J • b, Job 40.3. What laid he? Behold Lord, I am vile see▪ Job 42.4, 5. No soul that highly prizeth and aff • cteth Christ, but the more he d • saffects and loathes himself, as unmeet to come into the presence of Christ, Isa. 6.4, 5. Then said I, woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts, the more he sees Christ, the more he abhors himself, as an unclean and abominable thing, that if he could, he would go out of himself; this self-denial is the first principle in Christianity, Luke 9.23.

3. We worship Christ in our lives, by our obedience in doing his will, and by patience in suffering for him. Our obedience is a true worship of Christ, 1. When a man hath such respect to all God's Commandments in his heart, that there is not one of them, but he hath respect unto, and submits his heart to it, this is a principal part of God's worship, Psal. 119.6, 2. When he hath respect to them all in his conversation, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. The Gospel of Christ brings every thought into subjection; now this is a marvelous worship of Christ, when a man hath not a thought in him, but it is subjected to Christ.

4. We worship Christ in our lives, by our patience in suffering, if the Lord call us to suffer for him, when we can sit down quietly, and rest well contented to endure his good pleasure with patience, this is a principal part of God's worship, 1 Sam. 3.18. It was a good testimony of Eli's sincerity, when he heard of a woeful judgment denounced against him, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good in his eyes, we have the Lord for our Lord, when we give him leave to rule us as he pleaseth, and patiently submit ourselves unto him in everything, Job 1.21. an argument we have God for our God, otherwise how should we complain and murmur at the instruments? Psal. 39.9. Lam. 3.29. The Church complaining of her misery, tells us the frame of her Spirit, in such a time it is good to bear the yoke in our youth, she sits alone and keeps silence, Psal. 62.1, 2. Micah 7.7, 8. This is a solemn worship of Christ; if God call a man to suffer for his Name divers evils, he is so far from being ashamed of it, that it is his glory and rejoicing; if any man suffer as a Christian, let him rejoice in that behalf, when a man is thus framed to obedience in doing, and patience in suffering the will of God, such a soul is a true worshipper of Christ, and by worshipping him, we have him; if contrary, we look at Christ as no such excellent thing but are ashamed of him; if we can look at ourselves as great men in the world, and scorn to seek and mourn after Christ, when we will not be under Christ's yoke, but scorn to stoop to him in everything, and by no means we will endure any hardship for him; why, then we do not worship Christ, and if we do not worship him, we have him not, and not having him we have no life.

5. We are said to have Christ by purchase, this is expressed partly in that parable, Mat. 13.46. One way to have this Pearl, is to buy it, see Isa. 55.1, 2. Come and buy, yea without money; why, without money? Cant. 8.7. If a man should give all the treasure of his house for Christ, they would be greatly despised, Acts 8.19. when Simon Magus offered money, for the gift of the holy Ghost, Peter tells him, Thy money perish with thee, yet many times without parting with money we cannot have him, the holding fast of money ofttimes looseth Christ; upon this ground the young man went without him, Mat. 19. 21, to 25. Upon the point of money Christ parted with the Pharisees, Luke 16.14.

In three cases money must be parted with, else you shall not purchase Christ.

First, When the Lord upon some special command requires it, as he did the young man expressly; now for him to stick for money, for want of parting with it, he lost Christ; upon the same point Ananias and Sapphira lost Christ, because they kept back some of the price, Acts 5.1, 2, 3, 4. a fearful judgment felt on them, to show how dangerous it is to stand upon terms with Christ; in this case money must be parted withal.

Secondly, When in times of persecution, a man cannot have Christ with peace and purity, unless he be willing to part with all for him, as sometimes the m • rket goes higher, sometimes lower, but at what rate soever it goes, a Christian is resolved to take Christ at the highest rate; sometimes unless a man be content to be spoiled of all his goods, he cannot have liberty of conscie ce: in this case set money, and goods, and lands, and all go, and suffer joyfully the spoiling of your goods, Heb. 10.34.

Thirdly, When sometimes by laying out money, we may win Christ, as in case we want a good Ministry among us, and cannot have it unless we be willi • g to lay out money for obtaining the Gospel, and this he calls sowing to the spirit, Gal. 6.8. As a man by laying out money provides things needful for him, so when a man lays out for spiritual uses, he shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. In these three case money must be parted with, and yet if you think money can purchase Christ, you are not worthy of him.

1. Christ must be purchased, by parting with all those strong lusts that keep us off from Christ, Isa. 55 7. v. 1. having bidden us buy without money, he tells us then what it is that we must lay out for Christ; why, Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him forg • e his secret and open sins, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will abundantly pardon, upon this point sundry have broken off from Christ; Jehu was carried with ambition to rule, and when he saw it would hazard his Kingdom to forsake his golden Calves, he would rather part with God, then with his Kingdom, 2 Kings 10.29, 30. and therefore he is said, Not to regard the Commandments of the Lord, and therefore because he cut short his reformation, and did it not fully, therefore v. 33. the Lord began to cut short Israel in his days, so tha • Hazael cut off many of the out parts of his Kingdom; if we cut short with God▪ God will cut short with us: so Herod heard John the Baptist gladly and did many things, but when he would not cut off his lust of uncleanness, but rather cut off Johns head that reproved him, it's said he added this above all his other evils, that he shut up John in Prison; they that will not be cut off from their sinful lusts, they cut themselves short of mercy; Demas a forward Christian, yet the love of the world so prevailed with him, that he fell off from the Lord, and embraced this present world▪ if we would have Christ our lusts must be parted with, Judge. 10.10. to 16. the people were in great distress by their enemies, they come and cry unto God for help, God bids them go to the gods that they had chosen, to see if they would help them, I will deliver you no more, upon this they put away all their gods, and then the soul of the Lord was grieved for them, and he raised up a deliverer for them; when he saw they were willing to part with their gods for him, then God had compassion on them; so when men are willing to forgo their honorable and profitable sins, which stick as close to a man as his very heart, if God see men willing to rend out their dearest lusts for him; why, then God's soul is grieved for them, Hos. 14.23. then the Church cries unto God, Take away our iniquities and receive us graciously; and thats not all, but they go about to reform their ways, Ashur shall not save us, neither will we ride upon Horses; Why then v. 4. I will heal their backslidings and love them freely; the like means Ephraim useth, v. 8. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do anymore with Idols? What saith God to this? I have heard him and observed him. When we begin to protest a solemn abandoning of all our corruptions, then God hears such a soul: many a soul cries hard for mercy, Take away all our iniquities, and receive us graciously, and God regards them not, but when we not only cry to God, but set to in earnest, to turn from all our evil ways, and say, What have I to do anymore with Idols? Why then God hears and observes us: when we abandon all our lusts, then Christ shall suddenly come into his holy Temple.

2. We must purchase Christ sometimes, by parting with all confidence in his Ordinances; we may soon lose Christ, if we look for life in them, and not in Christ, not that we are to reject the Ordinances of God, but account them a great blessing, and earnestly desire them, Psal. 27.4. Psal. 84.10. but yet we should not put our trust in the Temple of the Lord, Jer. 7.3, 4. Part not with your fellowship in them, but yet trust not in them, Mat. 3.9. Rest not in the outward letter of any Ordinances, count all your best privileges, as dross and dung that you may win Christ, Phil. 3.8. Many that have lived under great means shall say at the last day, Lord thou hast eaten and drunken in our presence, and we have heard thee preach in our streets, but Christ shall say, Depart from me, I know you not, ye workers of iniquities: trust not therefore in often hearing, or in the great means you enjoy; for what is Paul, or Apollo? they are nothing, but it is God that giveth the increase, 1 Cor. 3.6, 7, 8.

2. Sometimes we must be content to part with the very Ordinances themselves: if we cannot enjoy the Ordinances of God in purity; without sin, let us part with them all, so when the Priests could not enjoy the liberty of their places in Jeroboams days; except they would offer sacrifice in their course to the golden Calves, which were the Image of the Cherubims, they left all and came up to Jerusalem, 2 Chron. 11.14. where they might enjoy God's Ordinances in purity, and as the Priests did, so did the people, verse. 16. as Christ wisheth them, Cant. 2.7, 8. which is spoken of Jeroboams days; and so in case we cannot have the liberty of the Ordinances, without some impurity, which may defile the conscience, in this case part with all, for we come not to the Ordinance for the Ordinance sake, but for Christ's sake; therefore if we cannot have them without sin, in this case part with them.

4. We must part with all our good parts, and good gifts, and good natures for Christ, 1 Cor. 3.18. If any man seem wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise; we must lay aside all carnal wisdom and reasonings, and be content to be counted fools, that we may win Christ.

2. We must part with all common graces, which commonly choke all hypocrites, who having received some common gifts and graces, they think they have part in Christ, or else he would not have vouchsafed them such graces, Matth. 7.21, 22. We see there they not only plead their privileges, but their gifts and graces, that they had prophesied in his Name, &c. and so trusting in them, they fell short of saving grace. And it is a wonder to think what a strange change a Spirit of Prophesy works, 1 Sam. 10.10. 1 Sam. 19.20. As in a Scholar, when a man hath been given to loose vain courses, yet when God begins to enlighten his mind, and to enlarge his affection, and comfort his soul; 'tis a wonder to think what a change it will work in a Scholar; so that now he will leave his old vain courses, and compose himself to more edification and spiritualness in his teachings: why; such a change works such a confidence in him, that he thinks all the Congregation may sooner perish then he; and if Ministers may be deceived upon those common gifts and graces, how much more may people be deceived? Herod's joy, and Jehues zeal, all these you may have and yet want Christ, a man may have these, and yet not prize Christ, not give up himself to him, he may still reserve some lust which he favors; therefore if thou hast such common graces, observe, in the midst of those, whether thou cleavest not to some lusts, for so Christ shall tell such at the last day, Depart from me ye workers of iniquities: if thou beest a worker of iniquity, all thy good gifts and parts will deceive thee in the end, but if in the midst of such gifts and graces, thou hast a care to keep thy heart clean, and doest favor no lust, and dost not place any confidence in these, but in Christ, thy case is safe; for this is a true rule: hypocrites though they have many good common gifts and graces, yet they are given up to some sinful way, by which the world shall know what they are, by their fruits shall you know them. 3. We must part with all confidence, even in the saving graces of God, Spirit, trust not to them for justification, look not to be justified by them; if you think to be justified by your own works or graces, Christ shall profit you nothing, only by faith in Christ stands our justification, Rom. 4.5, 8. 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by myself, that is, wherein I have failed yet am I not thereby justified, and this is the error of the Romish Church, if God give them any common graces, they look to be justified by them.

2 Trust not on them for the life of your sanctification, for though they be true parts of sanctification, and we may look at them as precious talents, yet if you shall trust your graces, and go about your performances in the strength of grace received, you will want Christ, the life and power of Sanctification; you may have Christ, and he lie like a dead Christ in your hearts; though you have saving graces, yet know that the life of a Christian is not a life of graces, but a life of faith in Christ, Gal. 2.20. If you would have Christ live in you, you must live by your faith, fetch all your grace and strength from him, Isa. 40.30, 3 • . If we go about any duty in our own strength, we shall utterly saint; but if we wait daily upon Christ, we shall renew our strength as Eagles, we shall mount above all straights and difficulties, our graces are too weak to carry us through in our Christian course, and therefore live upon Christ daily.

3. We are said to have Christ by way of Covenant, Isa. 49.8. Psal. 50.5.7. Gather my Saints together to me, those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice, and then verse. 7. I am God, even thy God, and so the tenure of the Covenant runs, Gen. 17.17. Deut. 29.10. to 13. Deut. 26.17, 18. This day thou hast avouched God to be thy God, Sponsionem stipulatus es, Junius reads it, When God's people give up themselves to the Lord, and yield themselves to what God requires, the God is their God, and they his people, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. This Covenant is made by Sacrifice, Psal 50.5. and he means that solemn Sacrifice then offered before the Lord, Exod. 24.7, 8. wherein they promised before the Lord, to be obedient to all the Lord would command them, and on the other side Moses sprinkled the people, and said, Behold the blood of the Covenant, which the Lord hath made with you, which implies when we come to make a Covenant with God, we confess before God that death is our just portion▪ and therefore we look up to Christ, that his blood being sprinkled on us, he might impart life to us; this is to make a Covenant with God: for burnt offerings typed out Christ the meat offerings typed out the people, giving up themselves to God, and when we do thus, God for his part promiseth, to be our God, Gen. 17.7. I will be thy God, that is, not only a good Father a good Mother, a good King, a good friend, but whatsoever is good in the creature, that he promiseth to be to us, he will be a good Father, and Ruler, and Friend, and Husband to us, partly in his own person; that if all those fail, he will be all these unto us, or else he will dispense himself so in those instruments, that we shall see God's goodness in every creature; when therefore we desire God to be our God, we desire him to do all that good for us that our estate in this life, or another world requires. 2 We on our parts offer ourselves to be obedient to every command, and to expect from him all that goodness that he hath promised; and as we offer up ourselves to God, so must we offer up all our children and servants and friends, all that are under our reach, we promise before God, that as much as in us lies, we and our household will serve the Lord. Josh. 24.15. and when we give up ourselves and ours to the Lord, God promiseth that he will be a God to us and ours.

There is a threefold Covenant that passeth between men in civil society in this world. 1 There is a Covenant between Prince and people, 2 Chron. 23.16. 2. Between man and wife, Matth. 2.14. 3 Between friend and friend, thus David and Jonathan made a Covenant together, 1 Sam. 20.16. Now in all these respects God makes a covenant with his people.

1. He makes the covenant of a Kingdom with them that as a King he will rule us and defend us, and we for our part promise to be at his command, and to be obedient subjects to him.

2. There is a covenant of marriage between God and his people. Jer. 3.14. Turn O back sliding children, for I am married to you, that as a wife promiseth to be for her husband alone, and he for her only; so doth the church promise, that she will be for Christ alone, and he for her, Hos. 3.3.

3. There is a covenant of friendship betwixt God and his people, 2 Chron, 13.5. Ought you not to know that the Lord gave the Kingdom to David, and his sons forever by a Covenant of salt, that is, a covenant of friendship, such a covenant as friends that eat salt together, make and its a perpetua • l covenant, 2 Chron. 34.31, 32. and this covenant implies not only subjection and affection, but communication of secrets and counsels one to another, and to do all things out of friendship and love, heartily, and readily; thus God said of Abraham, I know that Abraham will command his family to keep the way of the Lord; therefore saith God, shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? If God be our friend, he will communicate many secrets to us, which the world shall not know of, Psal. 25.14. And 2. he will counsel us for the best, Psal. 25.22, so that in a doubtful case, he will still tell us what way to take, he will guid us by his eye, Psal. 32.8. 2. We on our parts shall communicate all our counsels to him, that we shall do nothing, but we shall acquaint him with it, we shall acknowledge, Lord we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee, and withal we are ready to do whatsoever God commands us, Psal. 119.5. & 24.

Try therefore if such a covenant have past betwixt you and God, have we for our parts given up ourselves to God, be sure God hath prevented us in all this, if there have no such covenant past between you and God, then God is not your God, you have not Christ.

Object: Who is there to be found, that so looks to his own ways, and his households, that he walks so strictly with God as you require?

Answ. True they that do make a covenant with God often break, even as often as there is a thought, or word, or action that was not from God's word, or mouth, or counsel, but this is our hope. 1. We have Christ for our surety of this covenant, Heb. 7.22. and he will make up all breaches; when therefore we break covenant with God, let us renew our humlliations, and be ashamed of our breach of covenant and charge our souls for it, and acknowledge, that as we have broken covenant with God, so might God justly break covenant with us, and if we thus return and humble ourselves, then God will renew his covenant with us again.

2. We have Christ by way of acceptance, this is expressed, Joh. 1.12. To as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God; to receive him, as divers express this place, is to receive him as a Father, as a King, as an Husband, but it may rather be conceived, that to receive Christ, is to receive him into an house or Temple, and this may be gathered from the precedent words, verse. 11. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is meant his own place or own home, for so it is used, Joh. 19.27. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he took her into his home, so as many as received him, as many as received him into their hearts, as into a Temple, when we thus receive him, we have him.

Quest. How do we receive Christ as into a Temple?

Answ. Three ways, 1. When we prepare a way, for him to come into his holy Temple, Mal. 3.1.

Now what is this preparation? Isa. 40.3, 4.

1. Mountains must be pulled down, that is, the lofty spirits of man must be pulled down, and that is, when we subject ourselves at his feet, willing to be disposed and framed which way he pleaseth, and to do what he would have us do; if we would have Christ come into our hearts, he must not find high craggy rocky ways; but all must be laid level and even.

2. Every valley shall be filled, that is, every base eatthly heart shall be lifted up to the high ways of the Lord, to mind life and heavenly things, raised up above earthliness and low things of the world, Psal. 24.7. to 10. Lift up your heads O ye Gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in; Christ will not descend into pits, but if your hearts be set on heavenly things, on God's favor and his heavenly Kingdom, then you are fit for Christ, 2. A man's heart may be too low through despair, many a poor soul, after his high thoughts are pulled down, he sinks down so low into despair, that he thinks no promise or mercy belongs to him; Why, this heart is too low for Christ, therefore it behooves a Christian to believe there is an hope in Israel concerning this; Christ hath had mercy on as bad as me, and therefore we will lay our mouths in the dust, till he shall have mercy on us; and if he offer grace, we are willing to receive it,

3. Crooked things must be made straight; there are in our hearts many turnings in and out, these must be made straight, it's when we look with a single eye, and are willing to be guided by a straight rule, and aim singly at God's ends, such an heart is fit for Christ, when it's cleansed from all hypocrisy. 2. There is another crookedness of our hearts, when we shift off and cover sin, Psal. 125.5. but to prevent it, Christ will, have us deal plainly, discover our sins openly before God, and then is Christ ready to come suddenly into his Temple.

4. Rough places must be made smooth, many a man's heart is rough and harsh, and bitter; why, God will have this frame of heart laid down, all bitterness and wrath put away, and the heart made loving and meek; the Lamb Christ will not rest in Lions dens, therefore rhe Apostle bids us lay aside all wrath and malice; when our rough hearts are made smooth end amiable; why, then undoubtedly Christ will come into his Temple. 2. When Christ is come into our hearts, if we would look to keep him there, we must look to it, that there be no common and unclean thing found there, 2 Cor. 6.16, 17, 18. This Temple is an holy place, therefore put away not only unclean, but common things; all your affairs must be dedicated to the Lord, all your wealth and store, all your household and children must be consecrate to the Lord, Christ loves to lie clean, he dislikes even bodily slovenlinesse, much more spiritual defilements. 3. To receive Christ into his Temple, is to look well to the charge of God's holy offerings; God would have every man in particular to take the charge of his holy things on himself, and not put it off to others; let everyone keep his charge, everyone offer up his daily sacrifice, and his service for the Sabbath; all God's offerings must be looked to, and if we do thus, God will rest in his holy Temple forever, Exod. 15.2. consider therefore whether you have thus received Christ, have you found your proud hearts humbled, your base earthly hearts lifted up to God's ways, all crooked by-paths of hypocrisy and shifting put away; do you find your rough spirits made smooth and amiable? Why, if it be so, then Christ is come, and when he is come, do you strive to keep your hearts clean, and undefiled, and dedicate yourselves and yours to God, you keep the charge of God's holy offerings, and set up his Ordinances amongst you; why, then we have received Christ: e contra, if we find it not thus, we have no Christ, and so no life. Hitherto we have heard what it is to have Christ; the second thing to be inquired after, is, What it is to have the Son, He that hath the Son hath life, it is not enough to have Christ, but if we would have life, we must have Christ as the Son.

Quest. What then is it to have the Son?

Answ. There are three things implied in having the Son. 1. That such a have Christ in truth, do not rest so much in having any of the benefits of Christ, but they do chiefly affect to have the Son himself: many professors sought after Christ for the loaves sake, John 16.26, 27. But Christ bids them not to labor for the meat that perisheth, but to labor for Christ himself, the bread of life: hereby Peter discovered hypocrisy of Simon Magus, in that he desired the gift of Christ, but not Christ himself, and such gifts as might tend to profit; but Peter tell him, Thy money perish with thee, Act. 8.18, 19. So Balaam wished, O that I might die the death of the righteous, Numb. 23.10. but he desired not Christ, but own happiness and freedom from hell and misery, and therefore what ever gift he had besides, as indeed he had a goodly gift of prophesy, he never sought Christ in any of them. Nay further, a true Christian that affects Christ himself seeks him, not only without respect to profit or gain, or happiness hereafter, but even here in this life, in the Ordinances of God, wherein he seeks for help against his lusts, for increase of grace, for supply of comfort, he doth not so affect them, as to find Christ in them: When David fled from Absalom, and the Priests carried the Ark after him, as knowing, they should never meet with a Prince that more favored and upheld God's worship, then he; David bad the Priests carry back the Ark again, If I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back again, and show me both it and his habitation; but if he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do what seemeth him good, as if he had said, the Church shall not be so much prejudiced as to be deprived of the Ark of God for my sake, without which they cannot offer their solemn Sacrifices, nor find the presence of God, therefore he considers, that thereby God's Name should be dishonored, and the Church wronged, and rather then he would do that, he would part with the very Ark, the presence of God, and his Ordinances, which yet was his greatest care and desire, Psal. 27.4. Now this is an argument of grace in sincerity, to be willing to part with the Ordinances, rather then have God dishonored, and the Church prejudiced. This was Moses care, rather then God should be dishonored by the Heathen, he would have God blot his name out of the book of life, Exod. 32.32, 33. A true Christian perfers God's honor, above the pardon of sin, above the best graces, yea above salvation itself; if a Christian desire the Ordinances, it is that he may find the beauty and loving kindness of the Lord in them, Psal. 63.1, 2, 3. if he desire the subduing of his lusts, it's not so much for his own comfort, as that the power of Christ might he magnified in him; he desired, salvation, if he desires gifts and graces, it is not that he might be made excellent, but that the grace of Christ might be magnified in him; if he desire salvation, it not so much for his own joy and happiness, as that he may be with Christ, Phil. 1.28. having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, Cant. 5.10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, not only of persons, but the chiefest of ten thousand benefits and privileges which God gives, pardon of sin, and grace, and comfort, and salvation itself, Christ is better then all these, and he that thus affects Christ, hath the Son, and so hath life. Grounds of this.

1 Christ must be so received as God gives him, but God gives us Christ first, in every Ordinance: when Philip preached to the Eunuch, it's said he preached Jesus to him, Act. 8.35. So in the Sacrament, you must first take and eat his flesh, and drink his blood, and then you have remission of sins, Mat. 26.26. No gift of grace but is given through Christ, if it be lively and true. Herod received joy, Jehu zeal, Ahab humiliation, but none of these received life, because they received the shell and not the kernel, the casket, and not the Pearl, the gift, but not Christ; and therefore their graces were not lively. Simon Magus believed yet had no lively faith, because Christ wanting: except we find Christ, we find no true grace, Hos. 4.8. in me is thy fruit found, without me you can do nothing, Joh. 15.5. Hence let us gather an estimate of ourselves, whether we have life or not, If you have the Son, you have life, try therefore whether you labor not more for the loaves, for the benefits of Christ, then for Christ himself; if thou findest thou comest to the Ordinances rather to find Christ, then the pardon of sin, and comfort, and happiness, and salvation; if with the Church in the Canticles, thou seekest Christ and not the loaves, if thou with her inquirest of the watchmen, where thou mayst find him whom thy soul loveth, if we thus affect Christ, we have the Son, we could never have sought him thus, if he had not first sought us: but e contra, if we have longing desires after pardon of sin, and after grace and salvation, those desires indeed are ordinarily sincere, but there may be an Harlots affection in them; as an Harlot seeks her an husband not for his persons sake, but for his goods sake, that her debts may be paid, and that she may be a sharer in his wealth, now she seeks him not for his ends, but for her own: so if a man shall desire Christ, that he may have his sins pardoned, and his conscience pacified, and seek not Christ himself; why, this is but an whorish affection; whereas one that loves her husband, she will have him though she have but the bare man, though she beg with him; so one that truly loves Christ, he would be glad and think himself happy to have him, though he should never see good day after, never find peace or quiet after, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is nothing on earth, that I desire in comparison of thee.

This will exclude from having of Christ.

1. All such as are so far from seeking Christ himself, that they do not seek the benefits of Christ, they look at grace and Christian duties as melancholy wearisome things, for pardon of sins, they never look after it, and for heaven they hope they shall do as well as others; why, these men they will neither have Christ nor anything of his.

2. This excludes such from having Christ, as have more desire of his benefits then Christ himself, pardon of sin, and grace, and peace of conscience, and comfort that they look after, but Christ they forget; why, as yet our seeking is not sincere: if a woman perceive that her love seeks more for wealth and dowry, then her person, no wonder, if she hold off; so if Christ find we come to him, and seek for pardon of sin, and grace, and peace, more then for himself, no wonder if he keep off and hide himself from us, because this may come from self-love, from respect to our own good, and yet nature teacheth us not to seek such things, and those desires are ordinarily good beginnings; for indeed Christians at first are full of self-love, but yet Christ will never fully reveal himself, till we seek his person rather then his gifts, therefore first labor to get Christ and he will bring all these privileges with him, Rom. 6.32. seek him chiefly and not his gifts; you must first know Christ will be more loved for his own sake then his gifts, before he say to you as to the church, Cant. 2.14. O my Dove, let me see thy Countenance, let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance lovely, before he thus manifest himself to thee, he will make thee willing to seek thee as thy head and husband, as the most wise, the most beautiful, the chiefest among ten thousand; and let but thy desire be towards him, and his desire will be towards thee, Hos. 3.3. Stand not upon dowries, take him without Feoffments, for better, for worse: and if you thus take Christ, and choose his person in the first place, then all his benefits and privileges become yours, 2 Cor. 3.22, 23. 2. A child of God is said to have the Son, when he hath the Spirit of the Son, 2 Cor. 3.17. Having spoken before of a Spirit of ministration and grace; why, saith he, the Lord is that Spirit, not only because he is the giver of it, but there is a secret union betwixt Christ and his Spirit, so that if you have the one, you have the other, Rom. 8.9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Gal. 4.6. he that hath the Son, hath the Spirit of the Son, and is made conformable to his Image.

There is a twofold Spirit whereby we are knit to Christ, and Christ to us 1. A Spirit of union. 2. A Spirit of liberty.

1. He that hath fellowship with Christ, hath a Spirit of union, whereby he is made one with him, Joh. 17.21. It's the prayer of our Savior for all believers, that they all may be one, As thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, thou in me by thy Spirit, and I in them by the same Spirit, hence it is, that of his fullness we shall receive grace for grace, Joh. 1.16. Rom. 8.29. We are predestinate to be made like to the Image of Christ. There is a threefold conformity and likeness betwixt Christ and us, that is wrought by the Spirit.

1. We are like him in his nature, 2 Pet. 1.4 by the precious promises, we are made partakers of the divine Nature, so that we are meek as he was, lowly as he was, innocent and harmless as he was the Spirit of God stamp • the same Image on us that was in Christ, Joh. 1.16. Hence it is, that the e that have Christ, they reason from Christ's nature to theirs, and from their nature to Christ's, 2 Cor. 1.17, 18, 19. Paul had sometimes sent to them, that he would come to them as he passed by into Macedonia, but neither in his going not his return did he come to them, therefore they accuse him of levity and inconstancy; Paul excuseth this, and he pleads from the nature of Christ; for the Son of God, Jesus Christ that was preached among you by us, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea; Why, what's that to him? Yes, look as Christ is yea and amen, the faithful witness, that what he speaks, he will perform, • o make account that Christ hath poured the same Spirit on us, that our words likewise are yea and amen, had not God's providence hindered it; there is such a participation of the divine nature, that the nature of Christ, the nature of the Gospel, and the nature of a Christian, all of them answer one another; the same Spirit that made Christ yea and amen, faithful and true, hath made the Gospel, and so the same Spirit in God's people makes them true and faithful, so that look what they say, their hearts go with it, and if God's providence hinders not, they will perform their word.

2. There is a conformity in his offices, he hath made us Priests, Kings and Prophets to his Father, Rev. 1.6. Kings to over-rule our lusts, to overcome the world, anointed with a royal Spirit, although not yet invested with full glory; Priests, to offer sacrifices of prayer, of a broken spirit, Psal. 51.12. Sacrifices of righteousness, Psal. 4.5. and to sacrifice our lives for Christ, Phil. 2.17. so he hath made us Prophets of God, Act. 2.17. he hath poured on us the Spirit of prophesy, poured, not dropped sparingly, but poured on us abundantly, hence it is that a Christian understands many secrets of God's will, Psal. 25. 14. many hidden mysteries of the Scripture, so that he is bound to see a secret providence of God, guiding him in his way.

3. There is a conformity in their estate: our Savior in this world went through a double estate, 1. Of Humiliation, 2. Exaltation, and in the most deep passions he went through, when he was excommunicated by the Church, hated, crucified, yet even then he mightily shown forth his divine power; hence he is said to triumph openly on the cross, Col. 2.17. and such is a Christians estate, Psal. 34.19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, there is his humiliation: but the Lord delivers him out of all, there is his exaltation, for by those deliverances he makes them glorious, Psal. 149.4. He will beautify the meek with salvation; nay a Christian in the midst of all his worldly comforts, he gets loose from them, so that you may see those are not the things he chiefly looks after, if he have great parts and gifts, yet they are clad with a Spirit of Christ crucified, Gal. 6.14. their outward deportment is but mean and homely, yet in their outward meanness and baseness, you may discern the power of Christ crucified, 2 Cor. 13 4. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, as he was crucified through weakness, and yet live • h in me by the power of God, even so we are weak with him, that is, in outward show, why, yet as Christ when he was most deb • sed▪ shown forth most power; so a Christian in his greatest debasements and weaknesses, God's power is most magnified in him, never more glorious then when most debased. Hence those strange phrases, we are dead with Christ, Col. 2.20. and risen with Christ, Col. 3.1. crucified with Christ, Rom. 6.6. that is, by the same Spirit of Christ that is in us, we are so knit with him, that we are made of the same state with him; that as he was weak and base, and yet glorious; so are we,

2 There is a Spirit of liberty; nothing better expresseth the temper of the Son, Christ the Fathers Image, then a Spirit of liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; If the Son shall make you free, then you are free indeed, Joh. 8.36. His liberty is a real liberty: And this is

1. Liberty from the fear of sin of hell of the grave, and of all his enemies he is not afraid like a sla • e that is not is a 〈◊〉 of liberty, Rom. 8.15. H • b. 2.15. A Spirit of liberty is a Spirit of freedom from all fear, Luke 1.74, 75. Such a man is not afraid what flesh can do unto him, Psal. 3.5, 6. I will not be afraid though ten thousand shall compass me about I will lie me down and sleep quietly, the fear of men shall not break his sleep, so Psal. 56.3.10 11. this holy tranquility frees us from all fears, and this liberty is proper to a Son, he fears not others, so he may please his father; he knows his Father will give him protection, and provision, Rom. 8.37.

2. He hath a liberty from the dominion of sin, sin hath not that power to carry him captive, Rom. 6.4. Rom. 8.2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death, that is, the Spirit of grace that commands and rules me like a law, hath freed me from the law of sin and of death, that a Christian is now but a beginner of sin, sin hath not that power over him that formerly it had; time was when I could not break off from evil company, but now the Law of the Spirit of life hath set me free from them; many a valiant spirit fears not death; many a soldier venters upon a Canons mouth, but yet I presume he is captivate to many a base lust; but a Christian is not only freed from the fear, but the bondage of sin.

3. He hath liberty from being servant unto men, 1 Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a price, be not servants of men: he doth not mean that they should shake off all obedience and subjection; but though they should be subject to their Masters, ye now they should not serve them in a slavish manner, but with freedom of Spirit in obedience to Christ, heartily and readily, 1 Cor. 7.22. he that is called in the Lord, being a servant is the Lord's freeman, he doth his Masters work with a free spirit, and withal he doth the work of God's service with much more freedom, and when they come to their own liberty, they will be inclined to good duties, strive to gain opportunity for prayer and reading, and hearing, whereas others though they have much more outward liberty, yet they have far less inward.

4 The Spirit of God that sets me free from the service of men, makes me free to every duty of God, to have free access to him, the Spirit that set me at liberty from Satan, will make me run the ways of God's Commandments with an enlarged heart, Psal. 119.32. Ps. 110.3. God's people are a willing people and as he is free from the bondage of men, so he is Lord over them, he can make them all serve him; Gen. 25.23. God told Rebecca there were Nations in her womb, and the elder should serve the younger, how was that fulfilled, seeing Jacob calls Esau Lord, and himself his servant? Gen. 33. Why, as some say, that must be understood of the Nations, not of the persons; but it may be Esau's Lordship and roughness did Jacob more real service then ever Jacob did him, whence was it that he went out of his Fathers house, met with so glorious a vision the first night? whence was it that he made such a vow to God, that if the Lord would be with him, and bless him in that country, then the Lord should be his God? whence was it that he returned with such a blessing? whence was it that he so wrestled with God and obtained a blessing? was not this from Esau's bitterness, and for fear of him? which shows that every fury and persecution of wicked men do Christians the truest service, as it was with the Tyrants in Syria, and Egypt, all the tyranny did but purify the people of God, and make them white, Dan. 11.35.46. they are but as scullions to scour and rinse God's people, they are but as servants or like house-wives, they lay them in soap, and dung, and sharp lee, but it is but to make them white.

Try therefore whether you have the spirits of sons. Do you find in you the nature of Christ? do you find yourselves invested with a Kingly Royal spirit? do you find in you the spirit of prophesy? do you find in you the state of Christ, that in the meanest condition you have a mighty power of Christ breathing in you? why, then it is evident you have the Spirit of God, but if we find we are not like him in his nature, we cannot pray or prophesy, then we have none of God's Spirit.

Do we find ourselves still in bondage to sin, lying under the fear and dominion of it? then we have not God's Spirit in us, God's Spirit would set us free from all bondage.

3 We are said to have the Son, when we have Christ not only for our Savior, but for our Prince. Acts 5.31. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Savior. To whom he is a Savior, to them he is a Prince. It were dishonor, to God to save those whom he cannot rule, to deliver them from sin and Satan and yet leave them in their sins; God hath sent his Son not only to save but to rule us.

Two things here are to be opened.

• 1 That he that hath Christ, hath him for his Savior.
• 2 That he that hath him for his Savior, must have him for his Prince likewise.

We are ready commonly to conceive, that everyone would have Christ for his Savior, but indeed they are but rare that would have a Savior indeed. To have Christ for our Savior implies two things.

1 He that hath Christ for his Savior, looks up to him for salvation in all his distresses, Isa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be saved, all ye ends of the earth. He that looks for any other Savior, denies Christ. He that hath Christ for his Savior, in what coasts soever of the world he lives, he must look up to him for salvation, as they that looked towards the Temple, had their petitions heard: So, wheresoever we are in what condition soever, we must look towards Christ, and long after him for salvation, not only from God's wrath, and hell, but even from whatever distresses we are in, torment of conscience, sickness, imprisonment; we must wait upon him for deliverance. Isa. 8.17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. The Church was then in grievous distress, both in regard of sin and calamity, there were none for her to look unto, either Princes or Priests, to redress the matter, all had been in vain; but there was no hope in them, yet I will look unto the Lord, and wait on him that hideth his face, Isa. 17.7. Speaking of such times wherein only a few gleaning grapes should be left. In that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the holy one of Israel. We cast respect or disrespect upon one with our eye, whilst our eyes are upon the creature, and turned away from God, we disrespect God; but when our eyes are toward him, set on him, we show respect to God, and this man hath Christ for his only Savior. This was Jehosaphats practice, 2 Chron. 20.12. Being in a great fear of a mighty host that came against him, he set himself to seek God, and prayed, O Lord, we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee. This having our eyes towards Christ in evil times, argues that we have Christ for our Savior, Psal. 121.1. I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. And he means the Hills of Zion and Moriah, where the Temple and Ordinances were. My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Jonah went away from God when he should have gone to Nineveh, he sent him to Nineveh, but he fled to Tarshish; and therefore, because he would not have God for his Prince to rule him, he would not be his Savior, but sent out a mighty tempest against him, and the most unruly creature of the Sea to swallow him up; and then Jonah out of hopes prays out of the Whales belly, If I am utterly cast out of his sight, yet I will look again towards his holy Temple, Jonah 2.4. His heart had respect to it, though he could not tell which way it stood, and in that he had respect to Christ, a d therefore the Lord sent him a glorious deliverance, If you have Christ for your Savior, your eyes will be towards him in every distress.

2 He that hath Christ for his Savior, not only looks for salvation by him from all his distresses, but from all his sins likewise, Psal. 130.7, 8. He shall redeem Israel from all his sins, and therefore his name is called Jesus, Mat. 1.21. Hos. 14.2. They said unto God, Take away all our iniquities & receive us graciously. They desire God not only to take them away, that is, to pardon them, but to heal them, for so God understands them, verse. 4. I will heal your backslidings. We think it a common thing for men to desire Christ to be their Savior, but how sew are there that desire to be redeemed from all their sinful ways? How many are there whom Christ would lovingly gather, but they will not be gathered? Mat. 23.37. And if God speak so of his Church, wonder not if he say so of Babylon, He would have healed her but she would not be healed, Jer. 51.9. God looked that his people, living amongst them 70 years▪ they should be brought on, but none were, or very few, therefore God bids his people, Come out from amongst them, Jer. 24.25. God complains of the evil lives of his people, that they were like wild asses, snuffing up the wind at their pleasure; and when he called to them, Withhold thy foot from being unshod; they said desperately, No, strangers have I followed, and after them will I go. How do such men look for Christ to be their Savior, when they will not be delivered from their sins? when Christ comes to cast out their sins, they are ready to cry as the man possessed with the Devils, Art thou come to torment us before our time? Pulling away their sins from them, is a grievous torment to their souls: do but take away their hopes of some gainful sin, and they are enraged, Acts 16.19.

2 If we have Christ for our Savior, we must have him for our Prince, Act. 5.31. that is, we must resign up ourselves and submit ourselves to him. Isa. 9.6. Unto us a Son is born, to us a child is given. And why, how shall I know whether the Son be given me? Why, the government is upon his shoulders.

Two ways we are said to have Christ for our Governor,

1 When we resign up ourselves in obedience to him, when we have not a thought within us but is brought into subjection to the Lord Christ, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Prov. 12.5. The thoughts of the righteous are right thoughts, coming from a right ground, guided by a right rule, tending to a right end.

Obj. But, whose heart is so right, that every thought is subdued to the will of Christ? Who is there but have many vain thoughts lodge in them? Jerem. 4.14.

Answ. He that hath Christ for his Prince, will not have a vain thought lodge in him; indeed, evil thoughts may rush in upon him, as sturdy beggars into an house, and they would be Masters, and have everyone tend upon them; but a Christian, he suffers them not to lodge there, he rests not till they be thrown out of doors, they find no welcome in his heart: Indeed, a Christian man may have many evil thoughts within him, but yet here is the difference between him and the carnal man, a wicked man that hath not Christ, he hath not one good thought in him, the frame and inclination of, his heart is wholly evil, Gen. 6.5. Or if good thoughts or motions be cast in to stir him up to repentance; why, they suffer them not to lodge there, but they bid them come another time; whereas a good man, if a good thought come, it's most welcome to him, he entertains it; and cherisheth it, even as a Messenger sent from his Prince.

2 If an evil thought come into a natural man's heart, it's connatural to him, it finds lodging and welcome there, Eph. 4.18, 19. But a godly man, if an evil thought come, he looks at it as an enemy and traitor, he calls to all the family, to all the faculties of the soul to help against it: and if he be not strong enough, he calls to all his Christian friends, but especially he calls to his Prince to deliver him, even as a good Subject that hath a Traitor got into his house, that plots treason against the King, and spoils his goods, and he is not able to get rid of him, be secretly sends to his Prince for aid. This course David took, Psal. 139.23. Search me, O Lord, and try me. He would have God to make privy search, and find out the frame of his heart; unlike to them, Isa. 29.15. And then v. 24. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And if he would have God to be ruler over his thoughts, then much more of his words and actions. Now there are some men whose hearts are like the high-way ground, let evil thoughts come and go at their pleasures, they will not be subject to Christ. As for this man, we will not have him rule over us, Luke 19.14. What say they? Thoughts are free, and our tongues are our own, who shall control us? Whereas a Christian would have God rule all his thoughts and words; nay, a carnal heart is so wonderfully desperate, that they will not only not be servants to God, but they will make God servant to them. Isa. 43.24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, and wearied me with thy iniquities. They make God to serve a wearisome service, that as a cart is pressed under the sheaves, so is God under them; they load God's patience with one sin after another, pitch one sin upon another, till he be burdened with our sins; and what parts and gifts, and liberties God gives them, they abuse to God's dishonor, And is not this monstrous rebellion, for poor creatures to make God serve a wearisome service? Wonder not therefore if he say, Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, 1 Sam. 15.26. As a Witch gives her soul to the devil, to have her own liberty for a while, so rebellious sinners are at league with the devil and hell, to serve their lusts whilst they live.

2 As a witch makes the devil serve her all her life, but at death she serves the devil; So God shall serve them all their life time, but at death they would serve God, and then they will do him the best service they can. Why do you think God will accept our service when we die, when we have made him serve us all our life time?

2 To have Christ for our Prince is not only to serve him, but we must give him Princely service, such service as becomes so royal a Prince, Mal. 1.8. Serve not him with blind and lame sacrifices, but with the best and fattest; crucify your fattest and dearest lusts to him, let him have your best parts, and best affections; righteous Abel brought to God the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof, Gen. 4.4. So let God have our first years, and the strength of your affections, give not him your old, decrepit age. 2 Sam. 24.24. I will not offer to God (saith David) that which cost me nothing. Araunah indeed gave them all freely to the King, like a King. If a man give to a King, he must give as to a King, he must give as a King. Nay, (saith David) if you as a King give those things to me, must not I then who am a King give as a King to that King of Kings? Let God have all you have, give up yourselves and all your families to him.

For application.

Would you know then whether you have life? Why, if you have Christ, you have life; and if you would know whether you have Christ or no, you must consider, God hath exalted him to be both Savior and Prince. Dost thou find thy heart looking up to him for help in all thy miseries? Then thou hast him as a Savior. If in cases when thou knowest not what to do, yet thy eyes are towards him? Why, this very looking towards him, is of an healing nature, as was the looking towards the brazen Serpent, Numb 21.9. The Conies are but a feeble folk, and yet they make their nests in a rock; so, it's good for us in our distresses, to have recourse to the rock that is higher then we.

Again consider, are there any lusts in us that we desire to be spared in, and would not be saved from? Why, then we have not Christ for our Savior. So consider, Have we Christ for our Prince? Do we subject every thought unto him? Dost thou not entertain an evil thought? if they rush in upon thee, dost thou strive to thrust them out? Then thou hast Christ for thy Prince. But if thou findest evil thoughts in thy heart, and sufferest them to rest in thee. Dost thou make God to serve a wearisome service from month to month, and year to year, and over burden his patience and mercy? Then Christi not thine. If thou lookest at him as thy Prince, he should have the best service thou couldst afford him.

A third head of signs whereby we may know whether we have Christ or no, is expressed in the text, He that hath the Son, hath life. For we may as well argue from having of life that we have the Son, as from the having of the Son that we have use; they are reciprocal, he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath life hath the Son.

This Life is fourfold:

• Of Justification,
• Of Sanctification,
• Of Consolation, and
• Of Glorification.

If we have good evidences of the three former, we may have assurance of the latter.

The signs of life are of three sorts, our spiritual life may be discerned three ways:

• By the causes.
• By the effects.
• By the properties.

For the causes, the holy Ghost gives us three causes of our spiritual life, which if we find, we may assure ourselves that we have life, and so consequently we have the Son.

1 Cause of our spiritual life, is God's own good pleasure. Of his own will hath he begot us▪ Jam. 1.18. This St. John proves by denying all other causes of our begetting to life, John 13 Not of blood: that is, not of parentage, for godly parents may have wicked children; though God's commandment do much, yet it is not from their good parentag • , but from God's pleasure in the covenant. Nor of flesh, that is not of corrupt nature: nor of the will of men; that is, not of the will of our best friends, that desire it, and pray for it, unless God set in with all those of his good pleasure, he shall not have life, Ezek. 16.6. It was od that said to us when we were in our blood, Live. This is an eviden • sign of the life of grace. Such a man's heart acknowledgeth all the grace he hath to be of God's good pleasure. Take a natural man, he thinks well of him elf, that he hath always had a good nature, and towardly, and hopeful, and all his friends could say no less But now a regenerate Christian acknowl • dg • th that he had no heart to goodness by nature, only some outward correspondency towards his friends, to please them; but he acknowledgeth what Paul doth, Gal. 1.15, 16. When it pleased God to call me by his grace, and to reveal Christ in me, then I lived, but not before. A living soul never attributes anything to his good nature or towardliness, but when it pleaseth God to call him to his grace.

A second cause of life is a word of promise; for, all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham, only the seed of promise, such as are begot of a word of promise, as Isaac was, and least you should think it belongeth to Isaac only, he makes it common to all the elect, that they are all children of promise, Gal. 4.28. But yet Isaac had the peculiar, in that even his birth was by promise to Abraham and Sarah: But the Apostle would thereby infer, that all our spiritual birth, is by a word of promise. Here therefore try thy life, thou sayst thou livest, but what word of promise wert thou begot of? Faith comes by hearing, Rom: 10 17. Gal. 3.5. There is some word of promise dispears • d in the word preached, which the soul lays hold of, and is thereby knit to Christ by faith: Indeed, many a good soul cannot tell what word of promise he was first begot of, yet sure it was by a word of promise; and though thou dost not know this promise, yet there is no Christian but he sustains himself by some promise, which shows plainly that he was bred of a promise which is fed by a promise. Many times a word of grace and wise admonition sinks so deep into the heart, as that it makes many a one amend his wicked ways, and take better courses, and reform his life; but this is no evident sign of spiritual life. So an hypocrite may be so far convinced as to turn the stream of his life, and yet without all power of godliness, and the ground is, we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law, it's altogether impossible, Gal. 3.21. All true spiritual life is from some word of promise that hath been dispen • ed to us in the Word. The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offense, but yet without all respect or obedience to God. But when we are quickened by a word of promise, then the love of God constraineth us.

Obj. Is it not ordinary for the word of the Law to cast down and humble us, before we can lay hold on a promise.

Answ. True. Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man, this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins, but yet it gives not spiritual life, till we begin to think of, and long after Christ, and meditate and talk of him, till at length the sight of Christ, doth so work on us, that we do not only long after him, but we so receive him, and embrace him, that we are enlightened by him.

A third cause of life, is the Spirit of God, John 3.6. There is a shedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man, that he hath not the same spirit he had before. Now a man's spirit is the bent and inclination of the soul. Eph. 4.23. Be ye renewed in the spirits of your minds. The soul and the body is the same: But there is another spirit, they see other things they never saw before, judge otherwise then they did before; now they have new thoughts, and judgments, and affections, so that their heart is far off from earthly things, and let on spiritual things. All things are become new. A new heart, new conference, new employment, new company, the whole man hath another frame of spirit in him. He that finds it thus hath life.

For application.

Consider therefore how you find your hearts speaking concerning your estates. Do you find indeed that sometimes you have had good motions cast in, but before God was pleased to call you to his grace, nothing did you good. Do you find your life wrought by a spirit of promise. Do you find that you are renewed to a new inclination and frame of spirit, then you have life. Your life springs from true causes, if not you have not life.

A second sort of signs of life is from the effects of spiritual life; And,

1 Justification or pardon of sins is a principal part of our spiritual life, Psal. 32.2, 3. And this is called justification to life, Rom. 5.18. Even as a condemned man's pardon is the life of the man, so is the pardon of our sins the life of our souls. Now the first effect flowing from the pardon of our sin, is,

1 Some inward peace of conscience, some inward satisfaction that he never found before. My sin is not pardoned, at least not manifested so to be, till I find some measure of inward peace, Rom. 5.1. What was it that burdened thy conscience, but guilt of sin? If therefore God say to my soul, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee; upon this follows the tranquility of the mind, and sometimes in that unspeakable manner, that passeth all understanding, Phil. 4.7. Though this be not so ordinary, yet they always find a secret peace and ease, as if you had cast off millstones from the heart, Isa. 32.17. The effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever; if sin be pardoned, peace and everlasting assurance follows.

A 2. effect of this life of Justification, is, that look as you see in a moral life, no man hath received life, but he strives to maintain it, so that all that he hath will he give for his life; So, if thou hast received the life of the pardon of thy sins, thou shalt find a serious, and constant care of preserving that life and peace, so that you will let all go rather then the peace of your conscience. Thy loving kindness is better then life, Psal. 63.4. And therefore if I find a tender care in me to maintain my peace, it's a sign I have received life, seeing I am so careful to maintain it. A man that hath been in a great debt, and lately paid it, he is careful to run on the score no more; so when God hath blotted out the score of our sins, a Christian is very sollioitous to sin no more, but that he may live an holy and spotless life all his days. Notable is the example of Joseph, Gen. 39. How shall I commit this great wickedness and sin against God? How shall I break my peace of conscience, and run on a new score? Sometimes indeed God's children have received pardon of sins, and yet afterwards turned God's grace into wantonness; but withal observe if they have been overtaken with some grievous lusts, the loss of their peace, and favor of God, hath been more bitter to them then death itself; and if the Lord give us hearts follicitous to maintain our peace, it is a sign that he hath given us peace, those sins are pardoned which we abhor; it's the nature of life to preserve itself, and to expel what may be an enemy to life: And this is a sign our peace is not counterfeit, but sound, if we be careful to preserve it.

A 3. effect of our life of Justification is that which our Savior gives, Luke 7.47. Her sins which are many are forgiven her, because she loves much. He that loves much hath much forgiven him. The love of God in some measure proportionable to the sin pardoned, is a good evidence of the pardon of our sins. God's pardons are lively pardons, they leave not a man as he was, but whom he pardons them he heals. This woman was a notorious Harlot, her loving much shown that her many sins were forgiven her; according to the multitude and measure of sins pardoned, such is the measure of our love to God and his Saints; And indeed, there is none hath so little forgiven him, but he thinks it a great deal, as indeed well he may, and thinks himself bound to love God abundantly.

For application.

Consider therefore what peace thou hast. Perhaps thou wilt say, I have had peace all my life long, but such peace is ill rooted, it springs not from a word of God; And,

2 It's fruitless. Thou sayst thou hast peace, but what care hast thou to maintain it, and to expel thy sins which hinder thy peace? And again, if thou hast such peace, where is thy love? If that be wanting, pardon of sin is wanting.

If thou wouldst have good ground of the pardon of thy sins, try thyself by the former signs.

Having before heard of the effects of the life of our Justification, now we come to show the effects of Sanctification. Now because Sanctification is found partly in the heart, partly in the life of a Christian, First, I will show you the effects of Sanctification in the heart. Wheresoever this Spirit of Sanctification is shed abroad, you shall find variety of graces, so different and various, that in nature they could not stand together. There are in Christians certain combinations of graces.

1 Look at grace as it first works in the conversion of a sinner. When a man is first brought on to God, he is then taken up with two contrary effects, with joy that God should have such mercy on him, and withal grief and sorrow for his sins, whereby he hath offended so merciful a God: as it was with the return of the Jews temporal Captivity, Psal. 126.1, 2, 3. We were like them that dreamed, then were our mouths filled with laughter. They were out of themselves, like men in a dream, they rejoiced at this their delivery, and yet the same people that rejoiced at this their delivery, yet in their return they went up mourning with weeping and supplication, for their unworthy dealing with God, Jer. 50.4, 5. And such a combination of affection is there in a Christian at his first conversion, he rejoiceth in his deliverance; and yet never was there any so kindly mourning as a Christian sensible of Christ's redemption and goodness to him, in this case he mourns as a man that mourns for his first-born, Zach. 12.10.

2 In the duties of God's worship there is another combination of affection, and that his joy and fear, Psal. 2.11. Rejoice before him with trembling, When grace is lively and stirring, a Christian comes with holy fear and awefulnesse, & yet none comes with more joy and holiness. A dead hearted Christian he comes very unwillingly, and holds back; but living Christians are a willing people, Ps. 110.3. It's the joy of their hearts to do God any service; and yet withal, never do Christians go about any duties with more awefulnesse then when they come with most joy. In another thing those affections do not concur. When a man goes joyfully about his business, he goes not about it with trembling; or, if he goes trembling, he goes not rejoicing; But a Christian, though he go about a duty with much fear, yet with much joy, Psal. 130.4. There is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared. Exod. 15.11. God is fearful in praises. When the heart is most enlarged to praise God, then is it most awful of God.

3 Take a godly man in tribulations, when he is most oppressed with afflictions, and made sad and awful by them, yet then is the heart most joyous. This was an argument of their sincerity, 1 Thess. 1.6. Having received the Word in much affliction, and joy in the holy Ghost. Now, naturally no affliction is joyous, and yet Paul saith, We rejoice in tribulation, Rom. 5.3. A Christian under sore pressures of God's hand, that doth thresh them out of his husk, is not only content, but joyful; and that is above all nature.

4 There is a mixture in his affections, in his dealing with men. In a Christian you shall find much patience, and yet without all forbearance; very patient, and yet by no means bearing with evil, Rev. 2.2. This is the nature of spiritual patience; injuries put upon himself, he endures with patience, but injuries against God, he will by no means bear.

5 You shall find gentleness and meekness mixed with much austerity and stiffness. The wisdom that is from above is peaceable and gentle, Numb. 12.3. Moses was the meekest man upon the earth, yet the same Moses so meek and gentle in his own cause, if it be in God's cause, he is so stiff that when the King would have the cattle left, he would not leave so much as an hoof at the Kings command, he is inflexible in God's cause; even as the liquid air most easily yields to the least fly, yet if God set it as a firmament, to separate the waters above from the waters below, it stands like a wall of brass, it yields not, only lets it drop through by small drops, as through a sieve, but not to fall into a deluge: So, though a Christian be as the liquid air, easy and gentle, apt to yield, yet in a cause of God, let there be never so great a mass pressing on him, he stands steadfast and immovable.

6 There is a modesty mixed with magnanimity, a thing not easily found in moral virtues Paul looks at all his outward privileges but as dross and dung in comparison of Christ; a man that speaks of himself, I am less then the least of all Saints, Eph. 3.8. though he were not inferior to the chiefest of the Apostles, 2 Cor. 12.11. Yet this modest man, Acts 10.37. when the Magistrates had whipped him and his companions, and then when they had done, would have sent them away; Nay, (saith he) but let them come and fetch us; see the magnanimity of his spirit, when his person, or calling, or cause is called in question, in that case he will put forth himself; deep modesty and high magnanimity to meet in one man, at one time, in the same action, this is a work above nature, Psal. 131.1, 2. You would think that such a weaned child as David was, should not have an high thought or word in him; but he that was thus mean, and low, and thus weaned from earthly preferments, if you come to speak of spiritual things, he looks at all worldly things as too mean for him. Psal. 24.7.9. Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, that is, let your hearts be lifted up to higher objects then the world can afford; his heart is weaned from the Kingdom and Crown, but to God's favor and grace, and the Kingdom of heaven; why, are not these of an higher nature then they? Yes, and yet in these matters his heart is in a kind haughty, and his eyes lifted up, and he exerciseth himself in great matters; so that a Christian hath not a base spirit, but an heart lifted up above the world, to the favor of God, and pardon of sins, and an eternal Kingdom. Psal. 149.6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouths, In the Or ginal, high things, great and mighty things of God, his mighty majesty, and power, and glory and praise, let these be in your mouths. He would have a Christians spirit filled with high thoughts, and his mouth with high words, high words and powerful threatenings to bind Princes, the high promises and commands of God; nay, the high counsels of God, that are unsearchable, yet as far as they are revealed, a Christian will be prying into them, yet with much modesty and Christian magnanimity, his spirit searcheh out the deep things of God.

7 There is another combination in a Christian, busy diligence in worldly affairs, and yet a dead heartedness to the world. For a man to rise early, and sit up late, follow his work hard, take much pains, is not a thing to be discommended, Prov. 10.14. Prov. 31.27. It's commended in the good Housewife, even the greatest Princesse may not eat the bread of idleness, then we see diligence in worldly business may well stand with grace; but yet the same person must be dead to the world, his heart must be set on things above, these are not his life, that is laid up in Christ, Col. 3.1, 2, 3. His heart is crucified to the world, Gal. 6.14. Though his employment be in the world, yet his conversation is in heaven, Phil. 1.20. Prov. 6.5, 6. It's made a part of wisdom to be as busy Ants, gathering and laying up, but all the while his hands are there, his heart is in heaven; he doth things in obedience to God by the rule of his Word, and for his freedom in God's service, another may do the same work, with the same care and success, and yet the heart far unlike.

3 The love of our enemies is a particular virtue of God's Saints, Matth. 5.45, to 47. Now this very grace hath in it contrary works in our heart, it's like fire, and water both; naturally our hearts are very cold, and hard, and frozen like ice towards our enemies, but Christ comes and thawes these frostlings, and warms us with compassion towards them, that his heart oftentimes mourns for them, to see them take such unjust courses against them who have not wronged them; and on the other side, whereas a natural man if he see his enemy, he boils in wrath and passion against him, love comes like a cool water and cools the heat of passion in our heart.

For application.

Wouldst thou know whether thou hast life or no? Why, hast thou found thy heart affected with joy for God's goodness to thee, and yet withal grieved and sorrowful for thy unkind dealing with him? These are certain evidences of the life of grace in thee. You may find many affected and comforted with the Word, as Herod was; but if this joy were of God, it would not vanish away like smoke, but would administer so much the more sorrow and mourning for sin; though a Christians joy may suddenly vanish, yet it always leaves behind an inward grieving for sin, to keep possession for it.

2 How do you find your hearts affected to God's worship? Do you find your hearts generally unwilling to pray or hear? This is an ill sign. But if you find your hearts willing, and the more willing, the more careful withal. In this case there is life. But if a man have fear without joy, or joy without fear, the heart is not in a good temper.

3. How dost thou find thy heart in tribulation? Dost thou find no consolation supporting thee? This is an ill sign. But if thou findest with David, in the multitude of thy troubled thoughts, God's comforts sustain thy soul, Psal. 94.18. in this case thou hast life.

4. Observe your carriages, Do you bear patiently with bad men, and yet not so patiently as to bear with evil? Patience and zeal must go together.

5. Are you of a meek, gentle, and flexible temper? Its well. But how are you in God's cause? Are you there inflexible, and immovable, so that you will not abate an hoose in God's cause? Why, both these are a life of grace.

6. Thou sayst thou art modest, and thinkest meanly of thyself; I, but how is this grace coupled? for God sends them two and two together, as he did his Disciples, to balance one another. Hast thou withal a lofty spirit in the ways of God, an heart lift up to heavenly things? Why, such a spirit hath life. The most modest should be most magnanimous.

7. Look at worldly business, Canst thou be diligent in thy calling? Why, this God requires. But how stands thy heart? Art thou busy in the world, and yet thy heart dead to the world? This is a sign of true spiritual life.

8. If we find our hearts so abounding in love, that like fire it thawes our cold frozen affections; and again, like water, can cool our hot passionate spirits; why, this love is a fruit of faith, and a sign of life; its a sign our sins are forgiven us, if we have hearts forgiving others.

Now we come to the effects of Sanctification, as they are expressed in the life of a Christian, and they are answerable to the effects of natural life. The effects of natural life are principally five.

1. Motion.

When a creature is able to move it self in its place, to those duties of this or that life, its said to live. If a thing move not but by others, its not alive; or if it move out of its place, its not alive, as a stone thrown up moves downward, and fire moves upward; but this is not properly life, but rather a desire of rest; and for things that move, they move according to the life they have; as, a tree a vegetative life, a beast a sensitive life, a man a rational life; but if a man have a spiritual motion in his proper place its a sign of spiritual life; sometimes a man reacheth out of his place, reaching to higher matters, and more ambitious thoughts then his calling leads to, those move not from an inward principle of grace, but from levity of heart; so the Pharisees, they moved to holy duties, but it was for credit, others for profit, for loaves, John 6.26. Its one thing to move to spiritual duties out of an inward inclination and affection to them, another thing to move out of levity or desire of eminency; it is one thing to move to them out of love, another thing to move to them out of respect, or credit, or profit. Why, this is but as the moving of a stone out of its natural gravity. Absalom had a marvelous affection to reign, and oh that he were King, everyone should have justice, 2 Sam. 15.13. But he was now out of his place, and therefore the thing he did, was but to attempt the cutting off his Fathers life; but that is life properly that moves in its place.

Again, a man may move in his place, and yet by an outward principle, as a clock moves by the weight that hangs on it: so a man may move to some duties of Religion by the weight of the Law, or authority hanging on him. Again, Jehu may move in his calling very busily, and yet have no spiritual life; so it must be inquired whether the duty a man doth be spiritual or no. And a duty is spiritual,

1. When we are sensible of our insufficiency, and therefore depend upon Christ, that thorough him we may do all things.

2. When we have respect to the Word of God as our rule.

3. When we do all for the glory of God, Gal. 2.20. The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God. So far a man lives, as he denies his own sufficiency, and depends on Christ for assistance, and hath respect to God's commandments as his rule, Psal. 119.6. and aims at the glory of God as his end. Zech. 7.5, 6. When ye fasted, did ye fast unto me at all? Did ye it to bring any service or glory to me? Did ye it not for yourselves, for your own safety and deliverance? Why, if we go upon such principles, we want life, till we be in Christ we detain all the graces we have in unrighteousness, to magnify ourselves, to bring about our own ends.

Obj. May not a good Christian have his heart so dead that he is unfit for prayer, or hearing, or any holy duty, that he is unwilling to pray at all or to receive the Sacrament at all? Will you say such a soul is dead, because unfit for motion?

Answ. True, there may fall such a deadness on the heart of a Christian, as whereby he may be both unable and unwilling to good duties, to which God usually leaves us, when we go about things in our own strength, and grow self-sure; but when by this God hath schooled us, and taught us thereby that all our life is hid in Christ; why, in this case God is wont to make us sensible of this sinful disloyalty, and that in us dwells no good thing, that we of ourselves are unable to do any good duty, and for this distemper we mourn and grieve heartily. Why, this very sense of deadness is an act of spiritual life, which in time will work him to a farther dependence on Christ, and to be more heedful of God's Woe • d, and by how much the more we strive thus, so much the more life we have.

A second effect of life is feeding. This sign Christ gives, John 6.54. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. This is not meant of the Sacrament, for it was not then instituted, but of Christ himself; but when God hath instituted ordinances, this is a sure sign of life, if in every ordinance we partake in, we feed on Christ, on his blood; he that feeds not, lives not, he that forbears his meat, and forbears it long, he cannot live. Indeed, for a time a man's stomach may be so distempered, that he cannot eat, but he recovers himself and falls to his food.

Q. How shall we know whether we feed on Christ?

A. 1. Do you find an inward longing after Christ in every ordinance, that nothing will satisfy your soul but Christ, he is a sweet savor to you; as an hungry man, give him silver and gold never so much, he is not satisfied unless he have meat? It was an argument of life in the Spouse, that she sought Christ diligently in every ordinance, and her soul was grieved because she found him not. If a man therefore come to the ordinances, and it never troubles him though he go home without Christ, this man feeds not on Christ.

2. Feeding implies a finding of sweetness and relish in our meat: So consider, how do you find Christ, is he a sweet savor to you? Do you find comfort and strength in him, 2 Cor. 2.15, 16. Why, its a sign of life that you relish your meat well; nay, its a sign of health, for a sick man cannot relish his meat; and if a Christian find no relish in the ordinances, he complains of it as his sickness, and looks up to God for help against it.

3. In all feeding there is a taking of the meat down, we do not spit it out, and when it is down it must continue there, we must not cast it out: So, if God's Word abide in us, and we hide it in our souls by a wise applying of it to our souls, Psal. 119.11. and therefore give up yourselves to be guarded by it, this is a sign of life and strength.

4. All feeding implies a conversion of the aliment into the thing nourished so that in time our meat is so digested that its turned into our own nature and this is more then receiving Christ by faith; for when we receive him, and apply him to ourselves, this is faith; but to be conformed to him in everything, to be fashioned according to his nature, this is a farther act of life. When a Christian so feeds on Christ, that he is of the same nature with him, meek, lowly, and patient, as he was, this is a sign of life. When we are turned into his nature by feeding on him, and he into ours; why, this very feeding on spiritual food, implies a spiritual life: e contra, he that eats not the flesh of Christ, hath not Christ; he means not a Cannibal -like eating of his very natural body and blood; for if a man should indeed eat the flesh of Christ, and suck out his blood, it would profit him nothing, John 6.63. And this the Capernaites thought a monstrous thing to eat the flesh of Christ, therefore it is not the flesh of Christ, but the Spirit that quickeneth and giveth life.

A third effect of spiritual life is growth, that which lives grows, until it comes to full maturity, and then it either stands at a stay, or begins to decay; but a spiritual life grows up to full perfection, and then it continues in that perfect estate forever in heaven, 1 Pet. 2.2. & 3.18. Eph. 4.11, 12. Col. 2.19. If a Christian grows, he lives.

Obj. Doth not many a Christian stand at a stay, or ofttimes go back, and lose his first love and fruitfulness?

Answ. True, for a time he may, as a living man by sickness may lose his strength and vigor, and be made unfit for any employment, but if he strive to recover himself, its a sign of life: so a Christian by some corrupt lusts may wast his best graces, like a thief in a candle, but if he be a living Christian, he strives against them, and prays with David, O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength, before I go hence, and be no more seen! If he find a decay, he considers from whence he is fallen, and he recovers himself, and doth his first works, Rev. 2.4. Repentance is the purge of the soul, it expels out evil lusts, and then we do more at last then at first, Rev. 2.17. So then, a Christian is continually a growing, if not in the bulk of grace, yet in more sweetness, and mellownesse; as apples at their full bulk, yet grow more ripe and sweet; so a Christian, though he grow not to more tallness, yet he may grow to more rootednesse in Christ.

2. In more sweetness of spirit, that is, in more love to his Brethren, and care of God's glory.

A fourth effect of life is this, life hath an expulsive power to expel that which is noisome and dangerous to it, it will cast it out either by purging, or sweat, or vomit, any noisome humor is burdensome to nature; so if grace be living, there is a power to expel everything that is superfluous, much more what is noisome and hurtful, nature keeps nothing but what it converts to its own nourishment; so a Christian cuts away every superfluity, if it be a thing of no purpose, or no use to his calling, though it may to others, this he abandons, James 1.21. But that knowledge which may be either necessary or expedient for him, that a Christian retains, a Christian casts out that chiefly which is contrary to grace.

1. Doubtings, for that is contrary to the life of grace. 2. It casts away all presumption, and self-dependence, perfect love casts out fear, and patience strives against frowardness, and every grace against its contrary, so that he may grow up to full holiness; the life of grace casts out the life of the world, so much of the world as is cumbersome to his spirit, so much a Christian lays down.

A fifth act of life is the begetting of his kind: nature grows up to this ability, though at first it be but weak; so grace no sooner moves, or grows, or feeds in any measure, but it hath a mind to beget others; as soon as ever the woman of Samaria began to be acquainted with Christ, she ran to all her neighbors, and tells them she had met with one that told her all that ever she had done, Is not this the Christ? John 4.29. This is the nature of spiritual life, as soon as they are well begot themselves, they are ready to beget others. Indeed, a Christian may hide himself a while, but as soon as he is assured of life himself, he propagates the same to others, John 1.41, to 46. When one Disciple was called, he goes and calls another to come and see. Psal. 51.10, 11, 12, 13. David professeth that if God will but assure him of mercy, and establish him therein, then he will teach others God's ways, and sinners shall be converted unto him, he that is once converted himself, his care is to convert others to God.

Try yourselves by these signs.

Do you find yourselves moving a life of grace, growing up therein, feeding upon Christ, expelling the enemies of life, and drawing on others to the same life? these are evident signs of life; if you find it not thus, there is no true sign of the life of grace in you.

3. This life may be discerned by the properties of it, by finding of which we may discern of our spiritual life. And there are three principal properties of life.

1. Where ever life is, there is some warmth. When Elisha had stretched himself over the dead child, the flesh of the dead child began to wax warm, a sign of life, 2 Kings 4.34. So the presence of the Spirit united to the soul of man is the cause of all spiritual heat. Rom. 12.11. Fervent in spirit. Therefore the Spirit is compared to fire, Mat. 3.11. 1 Thes. 5.19. Quench not the Spirit. A sign that the Spirit is of a fervent nature. So 2 Tim. 1.6. I put thee in remembrance to blow up the graces of God's Spirit. A Metaphor taken from blowing up the fire with bellows; all which imply, that the Spirit of Christ communicated to Christians is a fervent spirit. Where there is no warmth, there is no life. If our spirit begin to wax warm, its a sign of spiritual life; as the two Disciples that went to Emmaus said, ( Luke 22.32.) Did not our hearts burn within us whilst he spake those things? Implying the Word hath a power to quicken, and warm, and heat the spirit of a Christian. This same warmth and heat is expressed divers ways.

1. The very knowledge of a Christian is warm, whereas in all others the knowledge is cold, and merely speculative, without any life or power. There is a zeal according to knowledge, and there is a knowledge according to zeal. The zeal that is not according to knowledge is a rash vain zeal, Rom. 10.2. So, it is a cold empty knowledge that hath not zeal with it. John was a burning and a shining light, showing every several condition what they should do, but he burnt up the hypocrisy and lusts of the body, and inflamed their affections with zeal and warmth, as Herod heard him gladly. Where there is truth of light and knowledge, there is burning. The knowledge of a Christian makes him fruitful in a Christian course, 2 Pet. 1.8. So that whatever he knows either necessary or expedient for him to do, he will do it, and he will cause others to do their duties that belong unto him; such is the heat of his spirit, that he will not suffer his Brother to lie in sin, Lev. 19.17. Now another man knows many things, but doth them not, nor thinks he is bound to do them; but a Christians knowledge is of that nature that it will not suffer him or his Brother to lie in any sin. True Christians are thought ofttimes to be more busy then needs.

2. There is warmth in our breath; as long as there is life in us there is breath, and that breath is warm; so if there be any spiritual life, there is always some warm breathing, some warmth in his breathing towards God, there is always some warmth in his prayers, the prayers of hypocrites are but cold, and empty, and vanish away, but there is always some breath of life in a good man's prayers, even then when we know not what to pray for, or how to pray, yet then there is always something in him that expresseth warmth, his very sighings and groans come from some kind of heat and life, Rom. 8.16.

2. As their breathing towards God is warm, so they breath warmth one towards another, so that in their conference, if they speak of the things of the Word, they do not speak slightly, and overly without any affection, but they speak of them with reverence, and fear, and love, and affection.

3. There is that kind of warmth in him, as that thereby he doth not only affect the Word, but he is able to digest it in some measure; there is no life, but there is some power to digest something, if not strong meat, Psal. 119.20. My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgments. So Psal. 42. My soul panteth after thee. This very panting and breathing of the soul after God, so unites the soul unto God, that thereby he digests something that enables him to walk before God in the land of the living, whereas an hypocrite is hopeless to any good.

4. If things be warm, the more they lie together the more warmth and heat; cold logs laid together heat not one another, but two or three brands put together are enough to kindle an heap of wood: so take a Christian that is very cold, and almost benumbed, yet put him to two or three more, and one word kindles another, and their spirits are more and more inflamed, more fit to pray, and fitter to admonish, and comfort, and help forward one another, 1 Pet. 4.8. Fervent love among Brethren so kindles one another that they are inflamed to any good offices; but when Christians are disjointed they lose all their heat, as when a man means to put out the fire, he lays one brand from another, a sign he means to go to bed and sleep; so when Satan would put out the life and heat of grace in a Family or Town, he disjoynts Christians, and so they fall into security, and grow dead in sins and trespasses, all their heat is quite extinguished. Therefore the Apostle exhorts us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, Heb. 10.25. 2 Pet. 1.21. See that ye love one another, with pure hearts fervently.

Obj. If this heat be always found where life is, how comes it to pass that the hearts of Christians are so cold and dead? How comes a Christian to be so unprofitable if he digest the Word? Do not Christians meet and afford little warmth and help one to another? Luke 24.32. The two disciples hearts burned when Christ talked with them, a sign before he came and chafed them up, they were cold and dead-hearted.

Answ. True Christians ofttimes find a marvelous coldness and benumbedness of heart, that they find little warmth in their breathing, in their prayers or conferences, and this comes partly from want of supply of new fuel, when they walk in their own strength, without looking up to Christ for new supply; and partly by pouring cold water upon it, that is, some noisome lusts that put out the grace of God, or else the use of outward comforts with worldly hearts, these cast cold water on the fire, as the fire is put out either by withdrawing the fuel, or by casting water on it: But yet though this be their fault, yet even then when they want chafing and heat, there is some striving in them, which argues life, so much life as in them, so much heat. As for those two Disciples that went to Emmaus, though their hearts burned whilst Christ spake, yet before Christ came, they were talking of Christ, and of his sufferings, which made them sad, then Christ comes and puts life, O fools and slow of heart to believe; This blew up the sparks in them. So much as a Christian hath lost of his heat, so much of his life, if his warmth be smothered his life is smothered.

Now this warmth is sometimes expressed in sad looks, and pantings, and deep sighs, and groanings and mourning for his forlorn estate, and surely there is life in that, for in grief the heat runs to the heart. But worse then this, a Christian sometimes vanisheth away in much frothy emptynesse, outwardly rejoicing in worldly comforts, when there is no life within. Peter when he denied his Master, his heart was filled with grief and sorrow, and he went out and wept bitterly. But what say you to David, when he had committed adultery, how did he go on from one sin to another? He can make Uriah drunk, and then kill him, and then make no matter of it, he is careless in all this, as if he had quite lost all life and affection to God, there was not the least beating of the pulse of a Christian, such a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that a man that knew him not before, might have written in his forehead, a man forsaken of God, without any life of grace in him, Where now was David's life? None so far gone as he; 'tis a question whether he prayed or no all this while; as some Christians have so lost themselves, as for three years together they have not prayed at all, as doubting of any acceptance, because they were so sinful, yet there is some habit of grace, but hardly one act of life; yet still this holds true, so much warmth so much life, as by the Almighty power of God, there may be fire and yet no heat; as the fiery furnace, though made seven times hotter then ordinary, yet God so restrained the act, that it did not so much as singe the garments of the three children that were cast into it, Dan. 3. So e contra, there is a marvelous hellish power in sin, so as it will suspend all the acts of grace, so as a Christian may express no acts of grace, but lie as a man in a deep swound, without life and motion, that can be discerned, and yet this you shall find in a Christian at such times, a listlessness of his heart to sin, that he cannot break out into sin with all his strength and power as he did in his natural condition; and the ground is this, because there is still flesh and spirit in him, so that as the spirit cannot do what good it would, so the flesh cannot do that evil it would, Gal. 5.17. And when a Christian is most lively, yet there is still some faintness and weakness in him; so e contra, when grace is most weak and corruption most strong, yet he cannot commit sin with all his strength as formerly he hath done, but he goes about sin unwillingly, not with the full sway that he was wont to do, he goes listlesly about it.

Try yourselves therefore by these signs, if thou hast Christ, thou hast life? if life, thou hast warmth and heat; look to thy knowledge, doth it puff thee up, and not edify? Dost thou magnify thyself by it? If it be lively knowledge, it is joined with zeal, as Christ revealed himself to the Church of Thyatira, Rev. 2.18. Thus saith the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, writing to the Church of Thyatira that was warm in love, and growing up therein, he revealed himself according to the state of the Church, as having eyes like flames of fire, as that Church had zeal with her light; so that if thou hast a true knowledge, thy eyes are like flames of fire, what thou knowest thou dost with zeal and fervency of spirit, as Peter and John said, We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard; that is, which we have certain knowledge of, Acts 4.20. See Jer. 20.9.

1. Consider therefore whether thy knowledge be joined with zeal: How dost thou breath? dost thou smell a sweet savor in the Word? Then there is breath in thy nostrils.

2. Dost thou breath warmth in prayer, pant and sigh after God? In thy conference, dost thou express life and heat? Then thou art a living Christian.

3. How dost thou find thy stomach to the Word? dost thou relish it, or else art thou ashamed of thy unprofitableness? Then there is life.

4. Dost thou love to be disjointed from thy Brethren, like brands cast one from another? Then there is no life. Life loves to preserve it self; if you sit loose one from another all heat and life goes out, religion ceaseth, there is a bidding farewell to all Christian duties; but if you see bone join to bone, one gather to another, then you shall see flesh and sinews will cover them, and life will come in, Ezek. 37.7. Put brands together, and there will be some fire and heat propagated.

2. A second property of life. Where life is, there is some pliableness and flexiblenesse, a dead carcass is always stiff: So consider whether you be stiff or no; why, if there be life of grace in you, That wisdom that is from above, is gentle, and easy to be entreated, James 3.17.

There are four things in this pliableness.

First, He is easily pleased with any indifferent endeavors, 1 Pet. 3.8. A gracious man is easily pleased; if a man be froward and hard to please, its a sign such a soul is stiff and dead.

Secondly, If he be offended, he is easy to be entreated, James 3.17. Its a sign • of a reprobate sense to be implacable, Rom. 3.1.

Thirdly, If he have offended another, he is willing to yield to that man whom he hath offended; so much stiffness, so much deadness.

Fourthly, There is this gentleness in every living Christian, he is willing to deny himself upon unequal terms, when he might stand upon his right, yet he yields his right, rather then any offense should grow; so Abraham did to Lot, Gen. 13.8, 9. If we find it thus, we are loving Christians; but if men be hardly pleased, like Nabal, churlish, hardly recalled, will not yield, but stand upon their right to the utmost, then they are in a deep swound, or dead.

3. Whilest the body is alive, its savoury, a dead carcass is very unsavory; mark your spirits, every living Christian is a sweet savor to God, his words are savoury, Col. 4.5, 6. Ephes. 4.29. His works savor well in the nostrils of God and man, Ephes. 5.10. But if your speeches and carriages be unsavory, uncomely, and profane, are ye not then carnal? 1 Cor. 3.3. But a good Christian so carries himself, that the bowels of the Saints are refreshed by him. Unsavoury speeches and carriages argue the deadness of such a soul.

Use 2. May show us the dangerous and uncomfortable condition of every such soul that hath not Christ; He that hath not the Son, hath not life. If we be without Christ, we are dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2.1, 5. We may say of men by nature, as was said of Sennacherib's host, Behold ye are all dead carcases, 2 Kings 19.35. We by nature have not this act of life.

Five acts of life we heard of before, by Nature we are wanting in them all.

1. By Nature we have no spiritual motion, all our works are but dead works, Hebrews 9.14. And so dead are we by Nature that we do no good; nay, we can do no good; and, which is worst of all, we will do no good. Rom. 3.12. There is none that doth good, no not one. All the imaginations of our hearts by nature, are wholly evil, and that continually, Gen. 6.5. And as all his thoughts are evil, so are all his words, Mat. 12.33. And so are all his works, Mat. 7.18. We are as rotten trees, we cannot bring forth one good fruit. There is not so much in a natural man, as one good thought, or word, or action, that proceeds from faith, or is regulated by God's Word, or aims at God's glory; nay, if God should raise us up, and enable us to do good, yet we would not. Jer. 13. ult. Oh Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be? The man that had a bodily disease on him, when Christ asked him, Wilt thou be made whole? He said, Yea Lord. But if God ask us the question, Wilt thou be made clean? we refuse it. We find shifts to put off Christ, never could we find that day, wherein we could say, This day I would be a Christian, but we are either almost persuaded to be Christians, or else it must not be this day; as bad debtors, they would not have the creditors set them a day, lest they should break it; so we would be spared from setting God a day, for surely we would break it; indeed, when we are pressed with some fore sickness, endangering death, what say we? O! If God would but once restore me to health again, all the world should see I would become a new man, and yet when he was in health, he said, I will seek God, and turn to him in sickness; and thus we put God off from Winter to Summer, from Spring to Harvest; when we are sick, we promise amendment, if God will send us health; but why not now? Do you know whether ever you shall have health or no? And will you hazard your souls? And therefore God expects that in afflictions we should seek him.

2. They feed not on Christ, which was a sign of life, but as God said of his superstitious people, Isa. 44.20. the same may be said of every natural man, He feedeth upon ashes, a deceitful heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Every natural man hath an idol that he sets up in his heart, and whoever he be that feeds not on the living God, feeds upon ashes. It is taken from children, that for some evil humor, delight to be ••• bling upon ashes and coals: So every natural man he feeds upon ashes, that is, upon dry and unsavory meat that will not profit the soul, for the soul is spiritual and fed upon spiritual food; profits, and pleasures, and honors are no more fit meat for the soul, then ashes for the body. Solomon complains of the vanity of mankind, Eccl. 3.21. Who knoweth the spirit of a man that goeth upward, or the spirit of a beast that goeth downward? Who knows? Who considers, or takes it to heart, that his soul goes to a better place then the beast? Who provides better for his soul then the beasts? Do not they all feed on worldly comfort who should feed on immortal food? We by nature all of us feed on ashes, so that we cannot deliver our souls, and say, Is there not a lie in my hand? Is not this a false course, a lying vanity? Will not profits and honors deceive me? A seduced heart hath deceived him.

3. A third act of spiritual life is growth. Now a carnal man is far from growing in grace; apt is he to grow in sin, to proceed on in evil, to increase in ungodliness, 2 Tim. 3.17. Jerem. 9.3. From covetousness to ambition, from ambition to voluptuousness, this is his best growth.

4. A fourth act of life was expulsion of noisome lusts. Now by nature we are loath to part with our lusts. Jer. 4.14. O Jerusalem! wash thy heart from wickedness, how long shall vain thoughts lodge in thee? We by nature will never cleanse out our lusts, but if we do cast out anything, its the motions of God's Spirit, we think them superfluous and burdensome, and hinderers of our credit and pleasures, so that all good motions and good counsels that have been put in us, we cast them out. Ahab is struck with fear and humiliation, but he casts out all by calling a Council for War; Let Cain have a good motion, he puts it off by building a City, and so takes off his thoughts from once seeking to God to heal his sins. Felix, when Paul's words made him to tremble, he would hear him no more at that time, Acts 24.25. As Paul complains of the Jews, Acts 13.46. And Stephen, Acts 7.52. Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart, ye have always resisted the holy Ghost. They are not well till they have cast out all such thoughts; we are not well, till we are alive to run from God; wise are we to do evil, but to do good we have no knowledge, Jer. 4.22.

5 A fifth act of life was begetting men to grace, but we e contra endeavor to beget them to the devil, and make them seven times more the children of the devil then before, Mat. 23.15. Though we understand that chiefly of corrupt Teachers, yet Jeremy speaketh it of all men by nature, Jer. 6.28. They are all corrupters; not only bad themselves, but corrupters of others, none that comes amongst them but is made worse by them, kept off farther from God, they would not have their friends, look towards matters of Religion. All flesh have corrupted their ways, Gen. 6.11.

Use 3. It may teach us to bemoan all those our friends that yet lie in the state of nature. Hast thou any child, or wife, or friends that lie in the state of nature, look at them as thy dead children, and dead friends; and if our friends lie dead, how bitterly do we mourn for them? Zach. 12.10. They so mourn, that they will not be comforted, Matth. 2.18. All was full of mourning, and lamentation, because all the children were dead, and have not many parents many children lying in their natural condition, and is not the spiritual death far worse then the bodily? if they be alive in grace, Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, Rev. 14.17. Therefore mourn not so 〈◊〉 for their natural death, but if they be spiritually dead, without God, without Christ, without the life of grace; why, weep then for this child and that friend that lies dead before you. It may be thy whole house is full of dead carcases, not one child or servant alive. Oh! then weep over them, mourn for them, • e earnest to God for them, and never leave till thou hast got life propagated to them. And if thou dost th •• , he 〈◊〉 hath given thee children will give them life, some of them at 〈◊〉 that promise is full, 1 John 5.16. If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is 〈◊〉 unto death, he shall •• k, and he shall g • ve him life. You may therefore so handle the matter, that as you have given them natural life, so you may give them spiritual life. You know what a sore and bitter cry there was in Egypt, so that they arose at midnight; why, what was the matter, there was not one house wherein one was not dead; what would they have done then, if there had been but one alive in every house? Such is the case of many families, that a man may rise up in the ••• ing, and not find one alive in his family beside himself, it is a just occasion of bitter mourning, if there were but one dead, how much more then when there is hardly one alive? Therefore pray heartily for them, that their soul • may live in God's sight. If you have the bowels of parents, be earnest with God till you have procured life for them.

Use 4. To condemn the Church of Rome, that think by nature men have free will to lay hold on Christ; but I would ask them, when they lay hold on Christ, whether they have Christ or no before; why, before they have received him, they have him not, and if they have him not, they are but dead men, and how shall dead men lay hold on Christ? If they do lay 〈◊〉 it's an act of life, if we be either able or willing to do any good, it proceeds from the grace of Christ, Phil. 1.12, 13.

Use 5, Let it teach us all, if we yet be without Christ, let us not give rest to our eyes, nor slumber to our eye-lids, till we have procured Christ to ourselves and ours. What if a man have wealth, and honor, and beauty, if he hath not Christ, he hath not life. Therefore labor for Christ, that having him thou mayst have life.

Motives.

1 From the sweetness of life. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life; and he means natural life, but truly our spiritual life is worth the laying down our natural life. What shall a man gain, if he win the whole world, and lose his own soul. If a man live and die without Christ we may say of him as Christ did of Judas, It had been good for that man if he had never have been born. Mat. 26.24.

2 Consider, if we have Christ we have life, and that in abundance. If you have all the promises, for in him they are yea and a men, 2 G •• . 1.20. All the blessings of God are yours, both spiritual, Ephes. 1.3. and temporal, 1 Tim. 4.8. 1 Cor. 3.2. last verse. If you have Christ, the world is yours, all the dealings and carriages shall be serviceable to you, whatever you want, peace, or comforts, or outward things, if you have Christ, you have all things, Rom. 8.32.

Q. But what shall we do to get Christ? Are we not by nature unable and unwilling to receive Christ? To what end then is this your exhortation?

Answ. Though this be our sinful distemper, yet our exhortations be not in vain, for God by his Word ofttimes conveys a power whereby we are enabled to lay hold on Christ Peter spake to a lame man to walk. Acts 3.6, 7. Would you not think it was a vain word? No, because he conveyed strength withal, whereby he was enabled to rise up and walk.

Means to help us to get life i • Christ.

1 Consider how de • d and lost thou are by nature. Christ came to call such as feel themselves lost, Luke 19.10. Mat. 9.12, 13.

2 If thou knowest any fin • lly thyself, • id thy hands of it, cast them such thee. Many a man lives in sin, which if he would but renounces God would receive him to mercy, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. Isa. 1.16, 17, 〈…〉 • f the Passover, except they put away ••• en, Exod 12.19, So if 〈…〉 the old leave • , we shall become a new 〈◊〉 , 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. Is • . 55.6, 7.

3 Seek the Lord whilst he may be found, Isa. 55.6. Do but seen him, and he will be found.

And how is this done?

1 By longing and thirsting after him.

2 Seek him in all the means. Hear diligently and your souls shall 〈◊〉 , Isa. 55.13. It's a notable promise, Prov. 8.35, 36. Therefore men should be willing to straighted themselves a little in their worldly business • , to loy • and hear God's Word.

3 Seek him in prayer, Isa. 55.6.

Use 6. To teach every soul that hath Christ, and yet complai • s of the deadness and dullness of his heart; if thou findest a decay of life, seek Christ again, get faster hold of him, and thou shalt increase thy life; exercise your faith, live daily by faith, and you shall not want life.

Use 7. Of consolation to every soul that hath Christ. If thou hast Christ, thou hast life, and shalt have it more abundantly; he that findeth him, findeth life; and they that seek not Christ, seek death.

Doct. 1. This Epistle of John was written and delivered to believers only.

This is evident not only in the Text, but sundry other places of the Epistle, cap. 1.4. He wrote it to such, as by reading this Epistle might attain to full joy. This is evident likewise by recounting the several sorts of persons to whom he wrote, cap. 1.12, 13, 14. Which were of three sorts, Babes, Young men, and Fathers, yet all believers so, cap. 4.4. Ye are of God little children. His second Epistle was written to the elect Lady; and the third Epistle to his beloved Gaius, verse. 1, 2. All his writings were directed to believers; so were all the Epistles of the rest of the Apostles, directed to believers, to Saints, to the chosen of God, to their brethren, as will appear in all their first greetings; when our Savior himself wrote, he wrote to such in whom he acknowledged many special graces, yea even in the worst of them, in the Church of Sardis, he acknowledged that she had a few names. Now this gives us just occasion to inquire; Why they were written to believers? 2 Why to them only.

To Believers, 1. In regard of the special help, and benefit their writings afford the Church; the benefits of their writing to the Church, were 1 Teaching, 2 Thess. 2.2. 2 Putting them in remembrance, 2 Pet. 1.22, 23. 3 Stirring them up to practice what they knew, 2 Pet. 1.2, 3. 4 To humble the spirits of them that were puffed up, 2 Cor. 7, 8. 5 That they might be strengthened in their faith, 1 John 5.13. 6 That their hearts might be filled with joy, 1 John 1.4. which was effected, Acts 15.31. 7 These writings have been the foundation of the faith of all Christians to the end of the world, because they have afforded matter of all the preaching of the Ministers, for by them the men of God are fully furnished, and made perfect to every good work, 2 Tim. 4.16, 17.

2 He writes to believers only, the reason is taken from the little use or profit that unbelievers will make of these writings, till they be brought on to believe, which is so little, that not one of the Apostles directs any of their writings to them, but only for the believers sake, amongst them; it's with the Apostles writings, as with prophesies, and not miracles; Prophesies are not for them that believe not, but for them that believe; Miracles are not for them that believe, but for them that believe not; not but that Miracles may confirm believers; but believers should chiefly attend to Prophesies. Take a company of unbelievers; it's little good they get by reading their writings, for no good is done without faith; now faith comes not by reading, but by hearing, had God ordained that reading should be effectual to the conversion of men he would have confirmed it by Miracles, as he did the preaching of the Apostles. Again, had their writings been sanctified for the conversion of men, they would have sent them abroad to the most remo • e places of the world, where they were never likely to come, but we see they did not, but rather took pains themselves to go about the world, Rom. 10.15, 16, 17, 18.

Object. Sometimes God hath blessed the reading of the law to the conversion of men, Deut. 31, 10, 11, 12, 13. He blessed it not only to them that knew the law before, but to their little ones that knew nothing; and why then should not the reading of the Gospel be as effectual now, seeing of the two it's fuller of power?

Answ. You shall not read that God blessed the ordinary reading of the law to this end, but the reading there spoken of Deut. 31. was a solemn reading of the law, at the years of solemn release, which was but once in seven years, and the reason of it was, because that year of release was an acceptable year, and typed out our redemption by Christ; for in one of those years of release, Christ was put to death; therefore to denote that God could give an extraordinary blessing to the reading of the law even to little children, and show that those that are released by Christ, they shall read with understanding and profit, this solemn reading every seventh year was instituted and blessed.

2 He doth not speak of bare reading, but of expounding and applying it likewise, which ordinarily accompanied their reading • of the law, for so we read expressly that they did at that very feast, Neh. 7. ult. & cap. 8.4, to 9. Ezra stood up and read, and then gave the sense, whereat they were so much affected, that they all wept abundantly.

Use 1. May show us the reason, why so many good books, written by learned godly men, have so little prevailed to bring on any of the Papists, few or none converted by any of our writings; and no wonder, for the writings of the Apostles themselves were not sanctified to this end; it's true, writings have ever been useful to the convincing of some, to the establishment of others, to the satisfaction of others, but none have prevailed to the conversion of any,

Use 2. The like may be said of our reading Ministers, look at all the good that hath been done in such Congregations, where they have only readings, you shall find them as ignorant of Christ, and empty of grace, as if they had never heard of such things. You will say, this is an uncharitable saying: But I would know whether is more uncharitableness, to flatter you in your woeful condition to your destruction, or to tell you of your danger? 2 Chron. 15.2, 3. Now for a long time Israel had been without the true God, and without a teaching Priest, it cannot be conceived, but that they had the law read in their Synagogues, for the very Judicial law of Moses, was the form of the Government, which they could not be ignorant in, but yet they are said to be without God, because they had not a Priest to teach.

Object. Acts 15.21. For Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach, being read in their Synagogues every Sabbath; Doth not that imply that reading is preaching?

Answ. No, it implies that when he is read, he is also preached, for they used with the reading to expound, and lay open the law to them, Amos 8.11, 12, 13. God threateneth a famine of hearing his Word; never was there a famine of reading▪ since the Church was in any measure established, but it's threatened as a grievous curse to want the word preached Hos. 4.6. My people perish for want of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee: Now wherein they did refuse knowledge, did they refuse to read? That cannot be conceived, but because they refused knowledge to instruct and comfort the souls of the people.

Use 3. May teach all that are believers, diligently to be conversant in the reading of the writings of Saint John, and the other Apostles. Shall the holy Ghost have an hand to write, and shall not we have an hand to receive, or an eye to read? To us were those Epistles written, even to all that believe to the end of the world, Rom. 15.4. How much then is the Church of Rome to blame that lock up those writings from the people, that they may not hear them, but in an unknown tongue which they understand not? nay sometimes the Priests understand not the Latin they read, much less are they able to expound it.

Use 4. Of direction to carnal men, what will you say they have no benefit or profit by reading the Word? Yea surely.

1 By hearing the Word expounded, they may be brought on to faith.

2 The very reading itself is useful to beget knowledge, to stir up their memory, to quicken their desires.

3 They serve to discover to the people what sin is, what moral works be; so that they have a power to keep men in civil conformity, so that there is good use of them to moral men; but they were chiefly directed to believers. But yet for unbelievers, how should this stir them up to be diligent in hearing the Word preached; for may I read much, two or three times a day, and yet little the nearer salvation? How should it provoke them then, to give diligent heed to hearing? that so wherein reading prevails not, hearing may.

Use 5. To teach all those that are believers, not only to read, but to expect and look for in reading, those benefits before mentioned; if you do not find those benefits by reading, you read unprofitably and take God's Ordinance in vain.

Now for the ends of his writings, which were two:

• 1 That they might know that they had eternal life.
• 2 That they might believe on the Name of the Son of God.

Doct. 2. Such as do believe on the Name of Jesus Christ, by reading the Epistles of John, may come to know they have eternal life.

1 Because he sets before them, where eternal life is to be found, and that is in Jesus Christ, as verse. 12.

2 He directs them to certain means, whereby they may attain eternal life. As 1 Confession of sins, 1 John 1.9. 2. By looking up to Christ as our Propitiation and Advocate, cap. 2.1, 2. 3. By walking in the light. cap. 1.8, 9.

3 He gives certain signs, whereby we may know whether we be in an estate of eternal life. As 1 Walking in the light, cap. 1.7. 2 Keeping his Commandments, cap. 2.3. 3 Purifying ourselves from sin, cap. 3.3. 4 Love of our brethren, cap. 3.14, 5 Boldness towards God, cap. 3.21.

Use 1. This may be a just refutation of the Popish Doctrine, that saith we cannot know that we have eternal life, but if that be true, then St. Johns end in writing these Epistles is disappointed, and not only St. John, but the holy Ghost himself is deceived: Whereas they tell us we cannot have a certain, but conjectural knowledge only, there is a contradiction; for if a man saith he knows such a thing, it implies he is certain of it, or else he speaks safely: and were it for nothing else, this doctrine of doubtings were a sufficient discouragement against their Religion; that Church, that trains up her self and children to be ignorant of their Father, is not the true Spouse of Christ, but an Harlot; a sign the Church of Rome hath mixed her self with so many false gods, that she knows not of whom her children are begot.

Use 2. It condemns their excluding the vulgar sort from reading the Scriptures, for if by them we may come to know Christ, and that we have eternal life, then take away them, and you take away a principal means of salvation.

Use 3. For such Christians as are doubtful of their estate, above all the writings of the Apostle read this Epstile, it was the main scope of St. John, in this Epistle, that their joy might be full, and that they might know they had eternal life, here you shall find a good ground-work of your good estate.

Use 4. To teach all believers to know what they have profited by reading: it's an usual thing to content ourselves, if we do but read a chapter, and pray every morning, and our conscience is not satisfied if we omit it, but a man may read and pray, and yet get no good, but if you would read profitably, so read that you may know that you have eternal life, & when you have so read, then you have read to purpose, therefore in reading learn to search out diligently the knowledge of your estates.

This verse declares a double end of St. Johns writing this Epistle, one was, that believers might know they have eternal life, of which before; the second end was, That they might believe on the Name of the Son of God.

Doct. 3. It's one of the holy ends, and scope of the holy Scripture, that believers might belive.

St. John when he wrote his Gospel, it was for this end, That they might believe, John 20.31. For though believing be already wrought, yet they that do believe had need to believe more, the Word is the mighty power of God to lead believers from faith to faith, Rom. 1.17. that is, from one degree of faith to another, Phil 1.25 as that is not only faith, but increase of faith, so 1 Thess. 3.10. there is not any of God's servants, even the most exemplary Christians, but there is some defect in their faith, which had need to be supplied, and this may be the first reason.

Reas. 1. Taken from the defects that are found in believers, the supply whereof they had need to increase and grow up to. 1 They had need to grow up to the belief of some principles which they believed not before, and this is a defect in the objects of faith; many of the Apostles believed not the Resurrection of Christ; nay Thomas