A treatise of rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all cases and conditions ... together with a Christians hope in heaven, in one sermon, and freedom from condemnation in Christ, in two sermons being the last preached / by Robert Asty.

SERMON IX.

Habakkuk 3.18.

Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation.

I Shall now proceed to help and direct those Souls that are able to reflect upon their own In∣terest and standing in Christ, that they may live up∣on Christ, and glory in him in all conditions, and under all changes of Providence, that though they have none else, though they have nothing else in this world but the Lord Jesus Christ to live upon,

their hearts may be full of joy and comfort. And before I come particularly to speak unto this, I shall premise and propose several considerations that may help to clear the way to what we design to speak to, and to encourage your hearts unto a living upon, and glorying in Christ, when you have nothing else to rejoyce in.

First, Consider that all the comforts of an outward condition are held at great uncertainties, and continued at the soveraign pleasure of the great disposer of Hea∣ven. The Lord hath not fixt us unchangeably in the enjoyments and comforts of an outward state, but he reserves a soveraign power in his own hand to remand from us what at a time he was pleased to command down upon us. And all the comforts of an outward condition they are mutable, and we are exposed unto a variety of changes of condition in this world. All our outward comforts they are exposable unto the spoil; and the very foundation of our Joy in this world is avertable: He that hath to his own apprehension a mountain that stands strong, that he thinks can never be moved, is ex∣posed to the soveraign alterations of the great Ru∣ler of Heaven, that he may have his mountain over∣turned in a moment; and he that is lifted up on high, and seems to himself to be so upon the ad∣vance, that he shall never fall: The Lord can sud∣denly like unto Job, lay him in the dust. We are full one day, and the Lord may empty us before the next; we are rich to day, and we may be poor before to morrow; we are comforted to day on eve∣ry side, and we may be left naked, destitute and broken before to morrow: As to our Stocks, they are losable and spendable; and as to all Lands and

Inheritances, they are saleable and morgageable; uncertain riches, they make to themselves wings and flee away; they have the wings of fire, or the wings of Thieves, or the wings of this providence, and the other to flee away with. The Lord he suffers one man to run away with so much of such a man's estate, and suffers another to run away with ano∣ther part of his estate, that those that were rich are soon made poor; and as to your relations that you at present take comfort in; now they are, and anon they are not, Parents, Children, Friends, Com∣forters, Counsellors, they die away from us, and we see them, and we know them no more for ever; and which of you that are here in the Lord's pre∣sence, that may not sit down & weep over your bro∣ken pitchers, and say, This once I had, and that once I had, but now I have it not; once I was full, but now I am empty; once I was lifted up on high, but now I am brought down very low; once I was a lender, but now I am a borrower; once I had most comfortable relations, none happier than I, in a tender Father, in a loving Yoke-fellow, in a desirable Child, in a faithful Friend; but now it is quite other∣wise, they are all like Jonah's Gourd that grew up and withered on a sudden. This you may see in the verse before the Text; the Figg tree that blossoms not, the fruit of the Vine, and the labour of the Olive they fail, and the Fields yield no meat, the Flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stall. The Lord you see hath given us but a weak tenure to all these outward enjoyments, and he maintains a Soveraignty over every comfort that he is pleased to bestow upon us, that so we shall hold all that we have in this world at great

uncertainties, and must day by day stand to the al∣lowance of the great disposer of Heaven, who will sometimes give, and will sometimes take what he hath given.

Secondly, The Lord Jesus Christ is, and hath what∣soever the Scripture hath said, and much more than we are able to conceive of him, in our largest and utmost apprehensions: He is, and he hath, according unto all Old Testament Prophecies and Predictions in the utmost Exposition that can be made of them, in the largest extent, and he is, and he hath according to the utmost word of the revelation that is made of him in the New Testament; and you are not able to conceive and apprehend what he is, and what he hath in the considering of the Scripture expressions that are made use of to set him forth unto you. You cannot measure Christ by your thoughts and imagi∣nations; but when you have conceived all that you can, Christ is more, and Christ hath more than you are able to apprehend of him. The Scripture tells us, that the Lord Jesus Christ hath a fulness of grace in him; now you are not able to apprehend what this fulness of grace is; it is an infinite fulness, and you are not able to comprehend it in your finite thoughts, how comprehensive soever they are. The Gospel tells you of the outgoings of Christ's heart un∣to sinners, but you are not able to apprehend, nor to measure what is the love of the heart of Christ to poor sinners; but when you have conceived never so much of his love, there is more still than you are able to grapple. The Scripture tells you of a great power that is in Christ; conceive never so much of his power, what it is that he is able to do for you, in a strait, and how wonderfully he is able to work,

there is yet a greater extent in the power of Christ than your apprehensions can reach. The Gospel tells you of an All-fulness, or an Allness that is in the Lord Jesus Christ: Sum up all that you can think of, and all, that the Scripture can help you to con∣ceive of, to add unto this Allness of Christ, and yet behold you are not able to tell what his All is; you may soon tell what your All is, or you may tell what anothers All is, what a great man's All is, or what a Prince's All is, or what a Kingdom's All is, but you cannot tell what Christ's All is; but when you have thought and conceived, when you have dived and reached until you are weary, still the grace, the power, the love, the fulness of the Lord Je∣sus is above your reach, and there is more than ever entered into your hearts to conceive of him. This you have, Isa. 55.8.9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your waies my waies, saith the Lord; for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my waies higher than your waies, and my thoughts than your thoughts. See how the Lord tells us that he is advanced above all our imaginations of him. Now the thoughts of Christ's heart are alwaies to∣wards us, and alwaies proportioned unto the fulness that he hath received: Now, says he, My thoughts are not like to your thoughts; you thought that I could relieve only in such a case, or I could help only in such a strait; you thought I could do thus, and that I could do thus, and do no more; but alas, says Christ, you are mistaken; there is as great a di∣stance between my thoughts and your thoughts, as there is between Heaven and Earth; so as the ful∣ness of Christ Jesus is a most glorious and blessed fulness, enough for all your Soul's relief, and to spare.

Thirdly, Christ's fulness of grace is alwaies sub∣jectively and objectively the same.

First, It is alwaies subjectively the same. Christ's Spring is not a rising and a falling Spring, but the waters of it are alwaies of the same depth; the wa∣ters of this Fountain do not admit of an ebb and of a flow, but they are alwaies at one and the same height. Christ hath not a more and a less; his ful∣ness will not admit of an augmentation and a dimi∣nution; but notwithstanding all the overflowings of the fountain, still it is a fountain-fulness; notwith∣standing all the streams that have run from it, still it is as full as ever; notwithstanding all the thousands of Souls that Jesus hath relieved, and empty hearts that Jesus hath filled, still he is as full of grace as ever, as full of mercy as ever: There is no less in this fountain as it is subjectively considered, upon all that he hath given and dispensed; but he is as rich in grace, and there is as great a plenty in him, as there was when he first opened his fountain unto sinners, Col. 1.19. For it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell: There it doth alwaies abide, and the same fulness without change, the same fulness without diminution. That fulness that God placed in his Son, there it doth abide in the glory of its utmost height, Heb. 13.8. Jesus is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever. This is that that is said of your Jesus, his fulness was a great fulness at first; why, he is the same to day; spend Christians what you will, and draw out of the fountain what you can, it will be as full to morrow as it is to day; Yesterday, to day, and the same for ever.

Secondly, Christs fulness is alwaies objectively the same unto all those that do possess it; the Soul

that hath an interest in Jesus once, hath an inte∣rest in him for ever: and the Soul that is once admitted unto the fountain of Christ Jesus, shall never be debarr'd more; you have not a com∣ing and a going interest, an interest that is to day, and may be taken away to morrow; indeed your outward comforts they are losable com∣forts, and your outward blessings are spendable, God may give you much to day, and you may have nothing of all that much to morrow; but it is not so here, you are not interested in Christ to day, and dis-interested in him to morrow; but once interested, and for ever interested; not gracious now, and graceless by and by, but your interest in the grace of Christ is an everlasting interest; and you have the immutable fulness of the Lord Jesus ever to go unto, whatever your strait is, having once an interest given you in him; the Lord doth not give you a part in himself, and then take away that part, but Christ once yours, is for ever yours, and your foun∣tain fulness none shall ever be able to take from you, nor to deprive you of, so as if thou hast once Christ to go unto, thou hast alwaies Christ to go unto; and if thou doest once discern thy interest in Christ upon good and Gospel substan∣tial grounds, thou mayest alwaies glory in the Lord, that thou art once interested in.

Fourthly, All Saints have the same Jesus to live upon, and the same fulness of Jesus in all its di∣mensions to go unto: The Lord hath not given one believer a greater propriety in himself then he hath given another; neither hath one a ful∣ler way prepared for him of going unto Christ

than another hath; the same Jesus that Abra∣ham had to do with, and did live upon, is in common for every Son and Daughter of Abra∣ham; and the same fulness of Jesus that Abra∣ham had, you have in all its dimensions; the Lord did not open a Fountain unto Abraham, and open only a stream unto you, but if you be a Son or Daughter of Abraham, you have the same great Ocean to go unto in all its fulness that Abraham had, you have the same merits to implead that Abraham had; you have the same blood to be washed in, and to wash in, that any other believer hath; and you have the same great and precious promises to apply that ano∣ther believer hath; one believer cannot lay a challenge upon this promise, and say it is mine, and not yours; but 'tis yours as well as his, the same Fountain in all its dimensions you have to go unto in all your streights, that another be∣liever hath; and therefore if you have not that strength, if you have nor that grace, if you have not that riches, if you have not that fulness that another believer hath, you must blame your felves and not Christ, for he offers himself alike unto all, and discovers and holds forth his Foun∣tain alike unto all.

Fifthly, There is a vast disproportion between your creature losses, and your gains and enjoyments in Christ; your losses in the creature they are but shadows, and not substance; there is an emp∣tiness in the fullest outward condition, take it as an outward condition, and there is a bitterness in the sweetest outward enjoyment, and the los∣ses that you can meet withal in this world, they

are only such as reach and concern an animal life; but now there is more in a little of Christ Jesus, then there is in a great deal of the Creature, nay in all creature enjoyments, so as whatsoever the loss is that you meet withal in the crea∣ture, a little of Christ Jesus will make it up; the least gift of Christs right hand doth far ex∣ceed all the gifts of his left hand, and one draught of the water of the upper springs is more then all the waters in the nether springs, so as though thou meetest with sore losses, and great blows and breakings in the outward man, yet know that a little of Christ will fill up thy Soul, that there will be no want, whatsoever thou hast lost: it may be Christian, that the Creature that thou hast lost, would have been enjoyed to thy disad∣vantage, if it had still been kept in thy hand; it may be it had been to the loss, to the hurt of the possessour: but now Jesus Christ is alwaies enjoyed to the advantage, and Christ Jesus is such an advantage as will answer all losing dis∣advantages, so as Christian, be not overmuch de∣jected at the passing away of the Creature, when there is still enough in Christ to make up the loss that thou hast sustained.

Sixthly, The joy that is drawn from Christ de∣pend, not upon sensible things, but lives in the Soul when all outward comforts are gone: you may as to the world be an undone man, broken in your outward estate, and yet your joy none can take from you, but now whatsoever you have in the Creature, if you have not Christ with the creature, you have no ground of joy, so as Christ he is alwaies a ground of joy whether the Creature be absent or present, but the Crea∣ture

is never so without Christ; do but consid∣er the Apostle Paul, he had an interest in Christ, and he glories in his interest when he had no∣thing else, Rom. 5.3. We have peace with God, saies he, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and we re∣joyce in hope of the glory of God; and now saies he, we glory in tribulation; we are spoyled in our goods, and we are sore broken, and left sor∣rowful, and desolate, and forsaken as to outward supports, and supporters, and yet saies he in the midst of all we glory in tribulation; or if you will according unto another Scripture; we are saies he, but as sorrowful, and but as poor, 2 Cor. 6.10. For indeed we make many rich, we have grace, and abundance of grace in Christ Jesus, and we are in no want: Paul and Silas, Acts 16.26. they were in Prison, and in the Stocks, and yet behold, at midnight they break out in singing prai∣ses unto God; their hearts were full of joy when they had nothing of the Creature in their hands; and thus did the Prophet in the text; there comes a famine upon all his outward comforts, that behold he had nothing to live upon, and yet will I rejoice in the Lord; we have all in him, (saies he) when we have nothing out of him: Joy that is drawn from Christ shall abide in the Soul, when all visible creature supports shall fail; though his entertainment in the world be very mean, and his outward burthens be very great, and his poverty very pressing upon his outward man, yet the Soul that hath an interest in Christ, will joy, notwithstanding all this.

Seventhly, Again; The Lord Jesus Christ in his Gospel-fulness of grace is under an indispensible

obligation to dispense that grace, that as the great officer of Heaven he hath received the charge of: The fulness of Christ Jesus, it is a common ful∣ness, it is a fulness for all believers, and Jesus Christ doth not live and spend upon the fulness of grace that he hath received; but he disco∣vers it to the Saints that they may have it to live upon; and he lieth under indispensible obli∣gations to dispense it to those that come unto him, and Jesus Christ will not debar any Soul that comes unto him for spiritual relief; he is engaged in faithfulness unto his Father to relieve those that come, and he must deny his office, (which he can never do) should he not do it, for the Father hath entrusted him with grace, that he might dispense it, and he hath given him his fulness that he might communicate of his fulness to those that are in want, Psal. 68.18. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led Captivi∣ty Captive, thou hast received gifts for men; Jesus Christ he hath received great gifts from his Fa∣ther; he hath received grace gifts & office gifts, and he hath received personal gifts, and all these gifts that he hath received, they are for men, and 1 Cor. 3.21. All is yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or things present, or things to come, all is yours; all that Christ hath recei∣ved from his Father, or is ordained to dispense, he must dispense, and he will dispense, Isaiah 61, 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, be∣cause the Lord hath anointed me to preach good ti∣dings to the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the prison doors to them that

are bound, &c. saies Christ, there is a poor Soul that I must deliver, and there is a wounded heart that I must heal, and there is a bruised reed that I must bind up, and there is one weak in grace that I must strengthen, and why must I do it? Why saies he, I am anointed to do this; the Fa∣ther hath commissionated him to do this, he hath ordained him hereunto, and he must deny his ordination, and refuse the office that he is to act in, should he refuse a poor Soul, and not give liberally to those that come to him, John 6.27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that meat that endureth to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you, for him hath God the Father Sealed; in these expressions are discove∣red the great blessings of the Gospel that are dispensible by the hands of Christ; now go un∣to Christ Jesus, if you be hungry; if you be thirsty go unto Christ Jesus; if you be naked go unto Christ Jesus, if you be empty; why? will he bless such an one as I am? will he look up∣on such an one as I am? yes, saies the Father, go, and you shall speed, my Son shall give these things to you, for I have sealed him; or you may consider these words as spoken by Christ, and as the indispensible obligation that lies upon the Son, from the charge that he hath received, an Office-charge of all that grace that the Fa∣ther hath designed should be dispensed; do not question therefore the Lord Jesus Christ, but let your applications be frequent to him, he will be faithful unto his Office.

Eightly, There is an exceeding tenderness in the heart of Christ unto distressed Sinners, accord∣ing

to all the concernments of his Office: There is a very great willingness, and forwardness in the Lord Jesus Christ to be dealing out his grace unto those for whom grace was designed, or to whom grace is to be dispensed; there is an un∣expressible desire in the Soul of Christ Jesus to be dealing out the grace that he hath received the charge of; all Office-work is most desirable work to Christ, though never so hard, therefore when he speaks concerning his death, saies he, I have a Baptism to be Baptized with, and how am I streightned till it be accomplished. But now we may conceive that there is much more a de∣sire in the heart of Christ to dispense the grace of his death, Psal. 16.3. Thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not unto thee, but to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent in whom is all my delight; My delight saies Christ, it is with the Saints, to be relieving the Saints, and to be comforting of the Saints, and to be bles∣sing and strengthening of the Saints. The heart of Christ takes great delight in this, my delight is with them saies he, as to all my goodness, as to all my kindness, as to all the gifts of grace that I have received, and as to all my fountain fulness, it doth not extend to the Lord, but it is to the Saints, and my delight is with the Saints, on the consideration of the grace that I have to dispense to them, and Heb. 4.25. Jesus Christ he is touched with us, he hath a feeling of our in∣firmities, not a feeling in a way of passion and suffering, but a feeling in a way of compassion and tenderness, that is his feeling, as the Mother hath a feeling of the pain and sickness, and weak∣ness

of the Child, through the sympathy of her spi∣rit, and the yernings of her bowels over it; so the Lord Jesus Christ stands with yerning bowels over his Children, and he is touched with our infirmities: You have not a weight upon your spirit, but in com∣passion and tenderness Jesus Christ feels it; and you have not a burthen on this respect, or the other, but Jesus Christ feels it; such are the compassions of his spirit towards you in all the concernments of his Office. It may be you are ready to say in a great strait, or under a sore Trial; O that such a friend knew how it is with me! O that my Father were here! or such a Relation were here! that they did but know how it is with me! Why Soul, Jesus Christ he knows, and he feels the weight of thy troubles; & sympathiseth with thee under all thy sorrows. We have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Now this tenderness of spirit, this sympathy of Christ, does influence his hand unto a liberal and free discharge of his Office. So that whatever are your losses in the creature, and however your outward condition is broken, you may go to the Lord Jesus, you see he is such a one as you may take comfort in.

Ninthly, Faith is the great instrumental means that receives from Christ, and that establishes the Soul in Christ. All our blessings they are lodged in the Lord Jesus Christ, and there they meet as in a foun∣tain. Now faith that is the drawing grace, that draws out of this fountain for the Soul's supply. The Father hath placed all in Christ, and faith is the receiving grace, that takes all out of the hand of Jesus Christ that he offers to the Soul; by faith we are united to Christ, and by faith we receive from

Christ upon the union: As the Pipe that is laid unto the mouth of the fountain doth receive and convey water into your houses, so doth faith receive from the Lord Jesus Christ, and convey into your Souls. Faith is the great Conduit that Jesus Christ doth send down his grace in into our hearts. Faith, that deals with Christ in all his royalties of grace, and takes life from him, and takes comfort from him, and peace from him, and joy from him, and whatsoever the Soul standeth in need of. Faith is the life-grace, that feeds your Souls, and that keeps you living and thriving, and that makes you strong in the Lord; we are said therefore to stand by faith, Rom. 11.20. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off; and thou standest by faith. Faith is a confirming grace, it doth build the Soul upon, it doth root the Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ, and doth receive strengthening, confirming, assisting grace from Christ, according to to the Soul's necessity: So as Christians, if you would be strong in the Lord, you must get your faith strengthened more and more.

Tenthly, The Lord Christ, in the dispence of mercy hath great respect unto the glory of his office-fulness, and office-faithfulness. The Lord Christ in the com∣munications of grace, hath not only a respect unto your necessity, but also to his own glory; and he will dispense in such a way, and at such a season, and under such circumstances as shall make most for the glory of his office-fulness, and office-faithfulness. The Lord Jesus Christ therefore he comes in such a way, and at such a time, as shall most of all pub∣lish his glory unto those to whom he comes, and before whom he comes. When the creature is run into emptiness, and hath spent all, then doth Jesus

Christ open his fountain-fulness. In the weakness of the creature does Jesus Christ discover his all-power; and in the uncertainty of the creature, doth Jesus Christ glorifie his constancy; in the darkness of an outward condition, doth the Lord Jesus Christ cause his morning Star to arise, and shine from on high, that gives light to our feet, when we know not how to direct our own paths; when we have lost all here below, and all our comforts have failed us, and forsaken us, then doth Jesus Christ appear as a friend that stands up in a time of adversity; that neither troubles, nor crosses, nor trials, nor temptations, shall separate. And he chuses this most dismal state to come in, that he might glorifie his office-fulness, and his office-faithfulness; that he might glorifie his office-fulness, to let us know it is a never failing ful∣ness, it is a fulness that is alwaies running over; that is not dry when streams are dry, but can fill streams at any time, when they are never so dry and emp∣ty, and then he comes that he may glorifie his office-faithfulness, to appear as one that never doth forget his people, that can bear all the concerns of his people upon his heart, 2 Cor. 1.9. But we had the sentence of death in our selves. So the Lord Jesus Christ he comes and discovers himself when the sen∣tence of death is upon our outward mercies, and upon all our outward supporters, that they are fa∣ding, dying, and falling down under us, then doth the Lord Jesus Christ appear as our God; Ye had the sentence of death in your selves, that ye might trust in the living God. The Lord will so appear, as his appearance shall be unto the glory of his own Name in the Office that he is placed in by the Fa∣ther: And therefore do but consider what titles Je∣sus

Christ hath put upon himself, that are denomi∣native thereof, Psal. 9.9. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. A poor distressed Soul that hath no whither to go, that is driven off from all his former holds, and that hath all his other Wells of consolation dryed up, Jesus will be a refuge to such an one, and that at such a time. And Psal. 10.14. The poor committeth himself to thee, and thou art the helper of the father∣less. And Psal. 68.5. A Father of the fatherless, and a Judge of the widdow is God in his holy habitation. Why, says the Soul; Now all is gone, my Father is gone, and my Husband is gone, and my Friends that use to comfort me have left me, and I am now a miserable creature! No, says Christ, this is my time to appear to shew my self to be a Father to the Fatherless, and a Judge of the widdow. And Isa. 25.4. Thou hast been a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible one is like a storm against the wall. Why Christian, do not fear an outward distress then; do not fear a low condition; do not fear a breaking providence; why, because Jesus Christ doth then take his time to discover his All to you; he will then take his time to discover a Fountain to you that can never be exhausted; he is a refuge to the poor and needy. And these considerations might be prevailing upon your spirits, to gather off your eyes from beholding other objects, and place them upon the Lord Jesus Christ, where there is a sufficient ground of Joy to us, whatever our condition is.