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.

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.

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.

Reas. 2. From the good pleasure of God that hath appointed, That in Christ should all fulnesse dwell, Col. 1.19. Col. 3.4. All the springs of life flow from him onely, 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. Show some signs of life.

Ʋse 1. From hence we may have an evident ground of tryall, 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 signes 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.

For the first, we are said to have Christ four wayes. 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 peoples adoration, so by our adoring of God, we have God, Exod. 20.3. Thou shalt have no other Gods but me, that is, Thou shalt worship no other Gods 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 my self: 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 latchet 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 mans 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 honourable 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.

1. In our mindes; 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.

2. We honour 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 every one 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. We honour 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 vertue and worth of Christ, as Paul knew him, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. that is, to esteem all his best outward priviledges 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 every one that hath Christ desires to know what the power of his death is, and the vertue of his Resurrection, and the fruits of his mediation.