This is the condition of all men by nature, they are ⟨p. 20⟩strangers to Christ, and live without God and Christ in the world, and Christ from them, and so Satan takes possession, and rules them, and so men are under the kingdom of darkness, so that the devil himself possesses every natural man, as the Apostle speaks, he worketh in the children of disobedience, to run on so, and remain so. Now the Gospel of the kingdom•, and the means to advance Christ in his kingdom, makes a free offer of Christ himself; indeed it offers pardon, grace, mercy, life, glory, but all these are in Christ himself, and we possess them by possessing and receiving of Christ himself; as a poor woman hath all the wealth of the man by entertaining of the man. So that the Gospel firstly and primarily offers Christ himself, and faith doth pitch on Christ himself, and doth open those everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in, John 1. 12. 'tis said, So many as received him, he gave power to be the sons of God, 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son, hath Life; so that now let a man refuse or reject the Lord himself as he is thus offered in the Gospel, he does refuse the kingdom of the Lord, and does refuse to be under the power of the Lord. True, it may be said the kingdom of God hath been nigh to him, when Christ is offered in the Gospel, and God says as it were nothing shall please me so mu•h as this, if thou dost receive me. Luke 10. Go and preach to these and these Cities, and if they will not receive you, shake off the dust of your fe•t, and let them know the Kingdom of God hath been nigh to them; then Christ comes into the soul when the whole soul takes the Lord for himself, Christ, and all that Christ hath, Christ in a pardon, and Christ in a promise: at that very day the Lord gave the heart to receive him, then is the kingdom of God come in that heart, and with him all, life, peace, joy, and glory, God, Spirit, and all.
This is the condition of all men by nature, they are ⟨p. 20⟩strangers to Christ, and live without God and Christ in the world, and Christ from them, and so Satan takes possession, and rules them, and so men are under the kingdome of darknesse, so that the devill himself possesses every naturall man, as the Apostle speaks, he worketh in the children of disobedience, to run on so, and remain so. Now the Gospel of the kingdom•, and the meanes to advance Christ in his kingdome, makes a free offer of Christ hims•lf; indeed it offers pardon, grace, mercy, life, glory, but all these are in Christ himself, and we possesse them by possessing and receiving of Christ himself; as a poor woman hath all the wealth of the man by entertaining of the man. So that the Gospell firstly and primarily offers Christ himself, and faith doth pitch on Christ himself, and doth open those everlasting doores, that the King of glory may come in, John 1. 12. 'tis said, So many as received him, he gave power to be the sons of God, 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son, hath Life; so that now let a man refuse or reject the Lord himself as he is thus offered in the Gospel, he does refuse the kingdome of the Lord, and does refuse to be under the power of the Lord. True, it may be said the kingdom of God hath been nigh to him, when Christ is offered in the Gospell, and God sayes as it were nothing shall please me so mu•h as this, if thou dost receive me. Luke 10. Go and preach to these and these Cities, and if they will not receive you, shake off the dust of your fe•t, and let them know the Kingdome of God hath been nigh to them; then Christ comes into the soul when the whole soul takes the Lord for himself, Christ, and all that Christ hath, Christ in a pardon, and Christ in a promise: at that very day the Lord gave the heart to receive him, then is the kingdome of God come in that heart, and with him all, life, peace, joy, and glory, God, Spirit, and all.
