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.

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.

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.

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 satisfie 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 griefe 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 ⟨p. 383⟩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 our selves; 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 affecteth Christ, but the more he disaffects 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.

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 ⟨p. 383⟩after Christ, so it debased it selfe; the more we esteem him the more we debase our s•lves, the more we love him the lesse we love our selves; when Christ once revealed himselfe to J•b, Job 40.3. What laid he? Behold Lord, I am vile see

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 Gods 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 Gods 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 marvellous worship of Christ, when a man hath not a thought in him, but it is subjected to Christ.

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 Gods Commandements in his heart, that there is not one of them, but he hath respect unto, and submits his heart to it, this is a principall part of Gods 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 marvellous 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 Gods worship, 1 Sam. 3.18. It was a good testimony of Eli's sincerity, when he heard of a woeful judgement 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 our selves unto him in every thing, 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 our selves as great men in the world, and scorn to seek and mourn after Christ, when we will not be under Christs yoke, but scorn to stoop to him in every thing, 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.

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 principall part of Gods worship,