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 dyed, 1 Cor. 15.22. and therefore its Christ alone that hath restored as to life and glory.

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 righteousnesse 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 himselfe give us this life, for in Adam all dyed, 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.

Ʋse 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 fruites of all that life that we enjoy, he loved Christ, and in him loved us, he first gave him eternall 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 oyl of grace, and from him it drops down upon us; he first crowned him with glory, that he might glorifie us.

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.

Ʋse 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? doe you not hear that there is life laid up in Christ, goe and buy of him: its the speech of Wisdome, even of Christ the wisdome 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 our selves 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 Gods 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 our selves 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.

Ʋse 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 eternall, 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 holinesse said up in him, so that though we want zeal, wisdome, 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 rejoyce alwayes; and what though our life here be poor and base, yet there is an eternall life said up for us in him, and when he appears, we shall appear with him in glory,

1 JOHN 5.12. He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.

This Verse contains the third record God hath given us of his Son, and that is the subject of this eternal life to whom this life is given, and that is only to the true believers, He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.

THis Verse contains the third record God hath given us of his Son, and that is the subject of this eternall life to whom this life is given, and that is onely to the true believers, He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.

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

Doct. Ʋpon 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 our selves, 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 innocency 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?

Reas. 1. From the insufficiency of all the creature to give life, Heb. 10.1, 4. For it is impossible that the bloud of Bulls or Goats, should take away sin. Besides, should we die for our sins our selves, yet we could not satisfie 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 naturall life, much lesse a spirituall; yea Adam in innocency was taught to look for the preservation of his life out of himselfe, 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 himselfe, but he must eat of the tree of life, a type of Christ; How much lesse 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.

Answ. 1. From the preciousnesse 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 onely the obedience of Christ as suffering to the death, that could give a sufficient price for us, and none but Christ could doe it, because he thereby declared himselfe 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.

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 onely 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 humane 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.

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