Christ the fountaine of life: or, Sundry choyce sermons on part of the fift chapter of the first Epistle of St. John. Preached by that learned judicious divine, and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. John Cotton B.D. now preacher at Boston in New-England. Published according to Order.

SERMON XI.

1 JOHN 5.12.

He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.

HAving handled an Use of Tryal of life, and this depends upon our having of Christ. We come now to another Use from this Doctrine.

[Vse 2] It is to teach us the dangerous and uncom∣fortable estate of every such soule as hath not Christ, for the Text saith, he that hath not the Sonne, hath not life; No life in us, if there bee no Christ in us, this is that which Apostle speaks often to, that we are dead in trespasses and in sins, Eph. 2.1, 5. This is the of estate of them all, so farre as we are without Christ, we are without life; no Christ, no life.

It is with the sons of men in this kinde (that I may so speake) as it was with the Souldiers, 2 Kings 19.35. they were all dead corps: truly, that is the case of us all by nature; every soule of us, as long as we live in the world without Christ, so many men, so many dead corps, so many unsa∣voury carcasses: And indeede all that worke of life, which you have heard opened, it is no spiritual motion, no feeding upon Christ, no growing in grace, no expelling of noysome lusts, no care nor indeavour to beget others to an estate of grace, in any men that are dead, no motion at all to any spiritual good, Heb. 9.14. al our works, the best works we doe in an estate of nature, they are all of them but dead workes; And so are we to any spiritual motion. As the A∣postle tels you, we none of us doe good, and which is worse, wee can doe no good; yea, and stil, which is worse, wee

would doe no good if we could; this is the estate of us all by nature; The Lord looked downe from heaven, to see if any of them did good, but they are altogether become unprofitable, not one, doth good, no not one, Rom. 3.12.

And he speakes of all men in an estate of nature without Christ, not one doth any good, no not one; All the thoughts and imaginations of such mens hearts are evill, and only evill, and that continually, Gen. 6.1. and Christ saith as much of their words, Matth. 12.33, 34. And so in all our workes, A good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth e∣vill fruit, Mat. 7.18. Wherein he shewes you, that as we do no good, so we can doe no good, not a good thought, nor a good word, nor a good worke comes from such a man all his dayes; and all our speeches are rotten and unsavoury, not any spirituall life in most seeming best duties; we are not able to speake unto any good purpose, let if be truly moulded an it is a precious fruit of righteousnesse, but if spoke as comes from nature, be it never so well spoken, it is corrupt, either full of pride or selfe-conceit, or to please o∣thers, or the like; nor doe we regulate our words by the language of Canaan, nor open our mouthes from a spirit of saith, 2 Cor. 4.13. This is true in all naturall men; we doe not therefore speake because we beleeve, we speake not, be∣cause we beleeve God hath commanded us so to speake; as our Saviour said, Iohn 14. last. Nor therefore worke any thing because God set us aworke, or to aime at any service of God, or good to his people in it, so that as our thoughts be, so are our words, evill, and only, and continually evill; and much more all the workes of our hands, that require grea∣ter strength of grace then either our thoughts or our words doe; so that without Christ there is no act of spirituall life comes from us, we would doe no good if we could. If God should at any time assist us, and supply us with some∣thing more then ordinary, yet we will not be made clean, that we might doe well: O Ierusalem, wilt thou not be made cleane, when will it once be? Jer. 13. last. As if it were a thing never to be looked for, God might waite upon a man from one end of the yeare to another, and sometimes be asking

of him, Wilt thou be made clean? and he may aske again, Man, wilt thou be made whole? but if he but say, Wilt thou be made cleane, we have many devices to put off God, and we can never finde that day, wherein we will say, This day we will heare Gods voyce, and be made cleane; from this day forward I resolve never to think my own thoughts more, nor to doe my owne will more, but now will give up my selfe to seeke for life and salvation in Christ; that day is yet never pitched upon till we have found Christ, ne∣ver since we were borne untill now: but now it may be we are convinced, that it is good to become a Christian, and we wish well to such as are Christians; but when it comes to the matter, we are but almost Christians, as was Agrippa; or if we be satisfied, that we must become Christians in∣deed, then truly it must not be to day, but to morrow; and when we thinke to set God a day when indeed it shall be, as sometimes at our Marriage, or when we come out of our Apprentiships, or when we fall sick, when left alone upon the Death-bed, and if God say, Yet, when will it once be? we can∣not yet set him a day, only we will say, We will consider of it, and we would be loath to disappoint God; as Credi∣tors will say to their Debtors, We would be loath to set you a day, because we know not whether we shall hold or no, and therefore spare us in that, but we will pay you as soone as we can; but when will it once be? Truly we are not yet perswaded, there is yet something or other to be done; and therefore you shall finde this to be true, that we are so farre from spirituall life in Christ, that none of us doe any good; there is nothing you doe whereof you may say, This have I done because God hath set me a worke, and in re∣spect of Gods Command, or that God may be sanctified thereby, never yet could we say so; and as we have not done any good, so neither are we able or capable of good. And in truth this is a further want of spirituall action, that if God should make us able to doe it, yet we would not be willing to doe it, but if he put us to the question, When shall it once be? read that Chapter and the next, and see if ever they set God a time, they will by no meanes set God a

time, least they over-much ingage themselves; indeed, sometimes it may be you shall see such men lying under some heavie hand of God, and neare to death, resolve up∣on time. See our unwillingnesse to come off to God when we are in health, we thinke in sicknesse to be made cleane, but in sicknesse, what will we say then, some of you can tell what men are then wont to say; What doe we then say? Oh, if God would but restore me to health, you should see I would become a new man; why when he was in health he said, If sicknesse or danger came, that should be the time wherein he would be made cleane, but when sicknesse comes, then we put God off till health againe. As if a Debtor should put off his Creditor from Summer to Winter, and from thence to Summer againe, the answer will never be given; why now it shall be this day say you in sicknesse, it shall be when God shall bring me to health; but why not to day? you put off God from health to sick∣nesse, and from sicknesse to health againe, and when they doe not so, and come and tell them of it, they will say, Why it is true, God forgive them, they thought to have done such a thing, and they hoped to have done it; But when shall it once be? Why not to day before to morrow? what if you dye of this sicknesse, will you goe to Hell im∣mediately? will you take no course for turning the wrath of God from you; Are not you now sick, why doe you deferre it any longer? and though he be not able to turne himselfe in his bed, yet he may turne to God. It is a vaine thing to put off God to health, for in our sicknesse God will sooner visit us, and doth expect that in the day of our affliction we should seeke him diligently and early, Hos 5. last. When will it once be? So that take notice of this desperate deadnesse of a mans heart out of Christ, he is dead in sinne, so as that he neither doth any good, nor is able to doe any good, nor is willing to doe any good.

And as there is no spirituall motion in him, no act of grace, so it is another act of spirituall life, for a man to feed upon Christ; but doe you thinke a dead man is able to feed upon Christ? you know what God said of the Ido∣latrous

people in old time, Esa. 44.11, 12. The same saith 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to every naturall man; He feedeth, upon what? up∣on Christ? No, no, upon ashes; why upon ashes, ashes is farre from feeding upon the living God, and yet truly a man feeds upon ashes; every soule that feeds not upon Christ hath some Idol for his God, and so falls downe to worship it, some god of profit, or pleasure; and this is the estate of all wicked men, they feed upon ashes; upon ashes, it seemes to me to be a borrowed speech, or similitude taken from chil∣dren, or some women with childe, that being sometimes taken with some ill humour, and distemper of stomach, they have an eager desire to feed upon ashes, and such like dry unsavoury meat; Children will be eating coales, and ashes, and so will sometimes women with childe; so truly it is with every naturall man, he is a naturall Idolater, he worships something besides Gods, he feeds upon ashes, some dry and unsavoury, and unwholsome meat, which cannot pro∣fit him in the day of wrath, which gives not his soule any nourishment, for the soule of man is an immortall spirit, and we only feed it with profit, and pleasure, and credit, and these be but ashes, bodily food. The good things of this life are no more suitable to a mans soule, then ashes be to a mans body, and therefore Solomon so compares the estate of all the sonnes of Nature, Eccles. 3.21. Who knowes the spirit of a man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes downe∣ward to the earth? his meaning is this; he complaining of the vanity that lyes upon the sonnes of nature, he speakes not in the person of an Epicure (as some conceive) but his meaning is, Who knowes; which of all the sonnes of men considers, or takes it to heart, that his soule goes up to any better place then the soule of a beast, which of all the sons of Nature feeds his soule upon better food, then the soule of a beast is fed upon? Doe they not all feed, as if they all went to one place? and therefore upon the dust of the earth they feed; turne me out the man that is in an estate of nature, considers that his soule is to live for ever, and therefore takes care to feed his soule to immortality; this is the wofull distemper of all the sonnes of nature, that we

feed not upon Christ, but upon the blessings of this world, so long as we are without Christ, all our food is upon earth∣ly things here below, there is not any power in a man by nature, not any wisedome or strength in us to deliver our soules, and then is not this a false course? A lying vanity: is not my heart deceived with this and that? he is not able to aske his heart such a question, am I such a foole, to forget all good to my soule, thus long? it would deliver his soul, if hee did but consider that there was a lye in the other way, and he flatters himselfe in his good estate before God, and considers not the truth of the thing; he thinkes hee is as faire a dealing man as any of them all, but his heart deceit∣full, and desperately wicked, and so cannot see the falsehood of his way.

And for growing, which is a third act of spiritual life, a man is dead to any growth, never comes to any growth in grace, but he is apt to grow in evil and sin, evill men and decei∣vers shall wax worse and worse, 2 Tim. 3.13. take you any natu∣ral man, and he is ever growing worse and worse, ever grow∣ing of the worse hand; he growes more and more unprofi∣table, and more loose from God, and estranged from the wayes of his grace, and settled in the wayes of sin. And this is that which the Prophet, Jeremiah complaines of, chap. 9.3. they proceeded from evill to worse, and this is the estate of us all without Christ, we grow from prodigality to covetous∣nesse; and from wantonnes, to voluptuousnes, and so goe on til we come to take pleasure in all sinne, though it be but for a season: This is al the growth and progresse that such men make.

And in the fourth place, for cleansing our selves from al superfluous, and noysome lusts that we doe not, neither can we be freed from them: O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from thy wickednesse, how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee? Jer. 4.14. Purge out all those sinful lusts, God knowes the thoughts of the hearts of men are but vaine, 1 Cor. 3.18. and they being vain, God would have us to wash our hearts, how long shal it be that we suffer these lusts to lodge with∣in us? we never cleanse our selves from these: but such wo∣ful

cleansing it is, that if we goe about to purge them out, by the motions of the spirit of grace, that he casts into our hearts; we think its a troublesome worke, and doth crosse the tranquility, and peace of our estates, we thinke they are noysome, and therefore, if any good motion be darted into the heart, in the Ministery of the Word, or in the Coun∣sell of Christian friends, we are sick of it, till we have cast out all those good motions againe, and what ever good af∣fection God hath been pleased to cast into us, wee are not wel til we be shut of it: as was the case of Ahab, he comes sadly and mourning from Eliahs sharpe reproofe, 1 King. 21. two last verses, but he could not be well at ease, til he had cast it all off, with putting Naboth to death, and put it off with calling a Councel about going to War, and so dam∣ped all the sorrow that was in his heart. Let Caine have any good motion come in his heart, and he wil put it off with building of Cities: His sin, and punishment is great, Gen. 4.13. and would he not now seek to God for mercy that his soule might live? no he goes out from the presence of God, and from all good company, and good councel, and whither goes he then? Into the land of Nod, and there he builds Cities, and calls them by such and such names, and so takes off his thoughts from any good motion, and extinguishes all the motions of grace: And truly so stood the case with Foelix, Act. 24.25. when he trembled at Pauls Sermon, he would not indure to hear him any further, but when he had convenient leasure he would hear him again; but he never sent for him. And so you shall ever find this frame in a naturall mans heart, those motions which the spirit of God casts into his heart, that might induce him, and lead him on by the hand to better courses, we are not wel til we have cast them all off. Just as Paul complaines of the Jewes, Act. 13.46. since you have put it away from you, loe, we turne to the Gentiles, we purge, and cast out the motions of Gods spirit, and cannot indure that any Ordinance should bring us nearer to Christ; Act. 7.51. Yee have always resisted the holy ghost, expelled the blessed of God that if the holy ghost but dart any good councel into their hearts, they cannot indure to hear it, nor entertain any mo∣tion

of it, but grieve and vex the holy Spirit of God, and they are not well till they quench it, 1 Thess. 5.19. Esa. 5.3. we are alive to nothing but to run away from God, alive to sinne, alive to doe evill, but to doe well we have no understanding, Jer. 4.22. Apt to purge and cleanse our selves from all good things, but wholly undisposed to doe any thing that is well; this is the true estate of us all: Look at us as we are by nature, all of us without Christ cannot put forth one act of spirituall life, not one good motion to be found in such a condition.

And in the first place for begetting any unto grace, we rather doe the quite contrary, we addict our selves to be∣get men to become the children of Hell, worse then our selves, Matth. 23.15. two-fold more the children of Hell; and because that may be more proper to corrupt teachers, Jeremy speakes it of all the sonnes of nature, and those especially that had lived a while under the meanes, and were not thereby brought on to an estate of grace, those whom God had kindled some fire in their hearts, and whom he would have brought on to grace, even these; They are all grievously revol∣ted, walking with slanders, they are brasse and Iron, they are all cor∣rupters, Jer. 6.28. He doth not say, they are all corrupted, but all corrupters; that is, such as are not only naught them∣selves, but they corrupt others also, they make others worse for their sakes; No man that sets his face to God-ward, but if he come among them, he is the worse for them; every man is kept off the more from goodnesse by their meanes, they doe not love that men should be too forward, or too pre∣cise, nor to keep such a puleing, nor such a praying; we are all by nature corrupters, Gen. 6.11. All flesh had corrupted their way; even every man had done it, every one is the worse for us that hath to doe with us, if we see but any good disposition in them to be comming on in the waies of grace, we doe as much as in us lyes to quench, and damp, and smother them, and never rest by our good wills till we make them as ill as our selves, and harden their hearts from Gods feare; this is the true carriage of all those who are out of Christ: He that hath not the Son, he hath no life; no motion of spirituall life, no growing up in Christ, no purging out

of sinfull uncleannesse; and therefore now to apply this, conceive thus much:

First, It applyes it selfe against the Church of Rome; first, who maintaine, that men in the state of nature, have free will to lay hold upon Christ, and they conceive it is upon very faire termes; but I would only demand of you this question, Whether when they doe lay hold on Christ (as they conceive) whether they have him, or they have him not? they, will say, They have not Christ till they have received him; for what hast thou that thou hast not received? 1 Cor. 4.7. And till they have received him, how shall they lay hold upon him? and if not receive him, they are dead men; and when a man is dead what can he have by any be∣nefit that is offered him? Offer him never so largely, and he can receive no benefit by it; and if that any doe lay hold upon Christ, were they not living when they so layed hold upon him; so that when they doe lay hold upon Christ, whether is it an action of life or no? If not, how shall they lay hold on Christ, and without Christ no life. A man in the state of nature neither doth good, nor can he doe any good, nor is he willing to doe good; and therefore well doth the Apostle say, It is God that workes in you both the will and the deed, Phil. 2.12, 13. Any thing that we doe that is good, is wholly from the grace of Christ, and this is just a∣gainst the Papists.

Secondly, It serves to teach us all to bemoane our owne estates, or the estates of any of ours, that we yet see in the gall of bitternesse, lying in an estate of nature; is it thy selfe, or thy father, or mother, or thy children or servants? whatever he be, be he never so good a natured man, if he be yet without Christ, there is no life in him; I say, looke upon him as thy dead friend; If thou didst look upon thy father, and mother, or children, and see them lye dead be∣fore thee, thou wouldest mourne bitterly for them; you know what is said, Zach. 12.10. As a man mournes for his first borne; if our first borne, or any that is neare to us dye, we mourne bitterly for them, and refuse to be comforted, as was the case of Rachels mourning for her children, and

would not be comforted because they were not, Matth. 2.18. they were all dead, and therefore cau∣sed a bitter mourning; it was the wounding and rending of her soule. And may not this be the case of many a fruitfull mother, many children, and yet all of them dead in Gods sight, not a soule living in the sight of God? And is it not a farre more bitter death to be dead in sinne, then to be dead in the body, when it is a living soule in Gods sight? then, blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord, for even so saith the Spirit, that never spake words of falshood, Revel. 14.13. I say therefore, if that our children live to God, and have the life of grace in their hearts, there is no danger of their death; then thy children shall come againe to thy hearing, at the resurrection of the just, and thou shalt imbrace them with comfort, and fill thy soule with unspeakable joy, and fulnesse of glory; if they dye in the favour and grace of God, they shall rise to glory, but if they be spiritually dead, no goodnesse in the world in them, no spirituall life at all, no life of righteousnesse or holinesse, which are the first fruits of the Spirit, and of glory in this world; then weep for these children, and those friends, that husband, or wife, or brother, or sister; weep for every soule that is in an estate of sinne and death, they are as so many dead Corps; you may sometimes see a whole house-full of dead creatures, not one of them living to God, not one of thy acquaintance, not one of all thy brothers and sisters; weep and mourne bitterly for them that are thus wounded with sinne, and bleed deadly, and gaspe for their last breath, and it may be shall never finde grace from God in this world, their present condition is fearefull; and mourne thou for them in a godly manner, that thou mayest be the more earnest with God in that behalfe; and never leave, till thou hast got some grace from Christ for them, and in so doing you shall finde, that he that gave you children will give them life, and he that gave you bre∣thren, and sisters, and friends, and acquaintance, he will put some life into them, and it shall doe you good at the heart, as in vers. 16. of this chapter; Let him aske, and he shall give him life. The promise is marvellous sweet and strong,

you may handle the matter so, that as you have instrumen∣tally given them naturall life, you may procure them spirituall life, they came out of your loynes dead in sinne, and they will grow in sinne more and more, more unsavoury, and more unprofitable, and worldly, and proud, and wanton, this is their naturall condition; well, if they be so borne, then weep over them, and mourne bitterly for them. You would mourne for a childe if still-borne, much more if you see it dying, and giving up the ghost, and lying in extreame and bitter paine, how much more for that soule that hath no grace, nothing at all in them, in regard of which you can say, this is a pledge to me of Jesus Christ in them; you know what a bitter mourning fell out in Exod. 12.30. A great cry was heard in Aegypt, and they all rose up at midnight; What was the matter? Why this was it, There was not an house wherein there was not one dead, and upon this occasion they rose up at midnight, and filled their streets with bitter cryes, and what then thinke you would they have done, if in every family there had been but one alive? all dead but himselfe, neither one nor other, sometimes old, and some∣times young, all gone save only one, to mourne for all the rest; and this is sometimes the case of many a soule, he may rise every morning, and see not a soule in his family of which he can say, this is not a dead corps; if there were but one dead soule it might cause thee to mourne, and that greatly, just occasion to mourne bitterly, if there be but one in thy house that comes not on to the wayes of grace and salvation; this is it that God calls us to, sadly to consider of it, bitterly to bemoane it, and to pray heartily for such poore soules to God, that he would be pleased to shew mercy to them all, that you might have some living com∣panions, some that might be wrapt up in life and peace, and bring them within the covenant of grace, and life, and salvation; if you have but the bowels of friends, if but the bowels of Christian men, take to heart your owne, and o∣thers miserable condition, if they be dead, and without Christ.

Vse 3. To teach us all, that if so be that we, or any of

ours be yet without Christ, let it exhort us not to give rest to our eyes, nor slumber to our eye-lids, till we have pro∣cured Christ for our selves, and ours, that we may procure life for our selves, and others. What is it for a man to have a good wife, or a good husband, or beautifull children? What if he had rich kindred and acquaintance? What if he had all the world, and have not Christ, he hath no life; had we all the friends we have, and as much comfort as we could wish, and want Christ, it were poore empty comfort, and therefore labour above all things to get Christ.

For motives hereunto:

First, it is taken from the sweetnesse of life, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, Job 2.4. and what is a life without grace? What is the naturall life without a spirituall? This naturall life is worth the giving and parting with for a spirituall; What shall a man give in recom∣pence for his soule? Matth. 16.26. You know what Christ said of Judas, and the same reason holds true in every man that wants life in Christ, Matth. 26.24. It had been good for that man he had never been borne; so may we say of all our soules, it had been good for us we had never been borne, if we dye without grace, we shall then have our portion with hypocrites, and unbeleevers, and therefore let spirituall life be more sweet to you then naturall.

[ 2] Secondly, consider if you have Christ, you have life, and that in abundance, and you have all the blessings of God, of all lives it is the most comfortable, 2 Cor. 1.20. If you have Christ, you have all the promises, For in him they are, yea, and in him Amen; and they shall all be ratified and confirmed, and establisht to you, and all the blessings of God are thine, Esa. 1.3. He hath blest you with all spirituall blessings in Christ Jesus; all blessings both spirituall and temporall too, all the blessings of this and another life, 1 Tim. 4.8. 1 Cor. 3. last. All is yours; all the ordinances of God is yours, and all the world is yours; not a creature in the world but is at your service: yea your enemies is for your good and service. Esau was Jacobs Servant even then when he cals him Lord; and therefore make account of this, if you have

Christ, make account of this, you have all things; and therefore read the Promises, and gather them up, and lay them up as a treasure, all things are yours; all the blessings you read or heare of, they are all some way or other for your benefit, and I want but faith to see and discerne it, and an heart to acknowledge it, if I doe feele it; and there∣fore if you want righteousnesse, or peace, or goods, or friends, or any blessing in this world, or for another, if you have Christ you have all that his is; He that hath given us his owne Son, will not he with him give us all things also? Rom. 8.32. So that there is a double motive, that every soule might be stirred up to looke after Christ; and this is the season, stay not till to morrow, and though the morrow be a Sabbath, a blessed day, yet you know not what this day may bring forth; some of us may fall sick, or dye this night, or not fit to profit by to morrowes meanes, as it is this day, and therefore while the day of grace lasts, take hold of Christ.

Object. But what shall I doe to get him? how may I come to have him? you said, we cannot reach Christ by nature, and though we could we will not; Are not exhortations then in vaine?

Answ. No, they are not in vaine, for though in nature we are neither willing, nor able to looke after Christ, but looke at him as a vaine refuse commodity; we would have lands, and goods, but no Christ, and therefore what must we doe?

1 Though we be of that naturall sinfull distemper, that we would have all things but Christ, and let him goe, yet while we are thus speaking to you, God many times con∣veys such a spirit of grace into us, as gives us power to re∣ceive Christ; what power had the Cripple to stand, much lesse to walke, Act. 3.6, 7. he had no power to walke; and it had been a vaine speech to him if there had not been a power in it to convey strength into him by his breath, and the Lord Jesus working in it, which did convey such strength into him, as that presently he did walke. And tru∣ly so is it with the Servants of God, those that shal be saved, we speake not in vaine to them, the word that we speake

conveyes spirit and life into them, then they begin to re∣ceive life in him, and are glad, that they may finde Christ, and for other men, it leaves them without excuse, if they do not use the meanes, God appoints them to use.

And the means God prescribes to us are these.

First, as ever thou wouldest have Christ, labour wisely to ponder upon and consider, how dead thou art without Christ, for thou shalt never find life by Christ, unlesse thou find thy selfe lost without him, Luke 10.10. Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. If thou seest thy self lost, Christ will seek thee up; be fully satisfied of this in thy judgement and mind, that unlesse thou hast Christ, thou hast no life, and therefore mourn and pray, The whole need not the Physitian but them that are sicke, Matth. 9.12, 13. See thy selfe a sin∣ner and a perishing creature unlesse Christ seeke thee up.

Secondly, Take this meanes, as ever you desire to have life in Christ, if thou knowest any sin by thy selfe, thou art much to blame in thy selfe, if thou dost not by any meanes wash thy hands of it, cleanse thy selfe from it. There are many sins which a man lives in, which he might avoid by very common gifts, which would he renounce, God would not be wantng to lead him on to further grace, John 3.18, 19. This is condemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkenesse rather then light. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. touch no un∣clean thing, meddle not with vain company: and have nothing to doe with the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse, and then I wil be a father to you, and you shall be my Sons and Daughters; if wee would but abhor, that which we know to be nought, God promiseth to receive us. And it is the same that you read, Esay 1.16, 17, 18. to shew you that if men do begin to learn to be better, if they cease to doe evill, and learn to do well, if they acknowledge their sins, in the sight of God, God wil so sprinkle the blood of Christ upon them, as that their great sins shal be forgiven them; and upon the same termes men might feed upon the paschal Lamb, Exo. 12.15. they must put all leaven out of their houses, purge out therefore the old leaven, and ye shall become a new lumpe, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. purge out the old,

and ye shall be new creatures in Christ, purge out the leaven of maliciousnesse and wickednesse, and whatever is sinfull be∣fore God, away with it, touch no uncleane thing; and Esa. 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his wickednesse, and the unrigh∣teous his thoughts, and then, I am a God ready to pardon, I will forgive all your iniquities.

Thirdly, Seeke the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is nigh, Esa. 55.7, 8. Seeke him and your soule shall live; God is abundantly ready to pardon, &c. How shall I seeke him? no man hath a desire to seeke, but that which he hath a de∣sire to finde; and therefore hunger, and thirst after him, as it is in the first verse of that Chapter; desire nothing so much as thy part in Christ, and besides, endeavour to finde him in the meanes, vers. 3. Heare, and your soules shall live; hearken diligently to the Word of God. It is a notable pro∣mise that in Prov. 8.34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at the posts of my gates, for he that findeth me, findeth life. Consider, there is no man that heares Christ but hee findes him; and if he finde him, he shall have life by him. And therefore how much cause have men to straighten themselves a little in their worldly busi∣nesse, to heare daily? for who so findeth me findeth life, and he that hears me findes me: Heare therefore diligently, and your soules shall live: Shake off all drowsinesse of flesh and spirit, and be desirous to receive Christ in his Word that is spoken to you, and so seeke him in calling upon him, ver. 7, 8. Call upon him while he is nigh; And when is he nigh? Every day, if you stay longer then the present day, you have no fur∣ther opportunity offered you; call upon God now, and wrastle with him in your prayers, that that which you have heard may be life, and the length of your dayes.

Vse 4. To teach every soule that hath already found Christ, and yet complaines thou hast a dead heart, and a dull minde; an heavie spirit, heavie affections, nothing lively cannot ex∣pell thy corruptions, cannot beget others to God, and art not active in spirituall workes; then if thou finde a want or decay of life, then seeke for Christ againe, labour for more Christ, and thou shalt have more life; rest not in having a

good measure of grace, for thou wilt finde a world of dead∣nesse and weaknesse, in beginnings of grace; but as thou wouldest have any further measures of life, so looke for fur∣ther measures of Christ, for Christ dispenseth himselfe to us in measure by little and little, and use the same meanes to increase him, as thou didst to get him at the first; see thy selfe lost without him, and thirst after him, and heare dili∣gently, and call earnestly upon him for more strength, use Christ and have Christ, use grace and have grace; grow up in the use of him, and thou shalt grow up in the possession of him; and therefore as you have received Christ so walke in him, Col. 2.7, 8. As if that were the way to get more roo∣ting in Christ; labour to live by faith, and walke to the glory of Christ, and by the rules of Christ, and by that meanes you will be more built up, rooted, and established in him.

Vse 5. Of comfort to every soule that hath any part in Christ, thou hast life in him, and that in abundance, and fa∣vour with God, having him thou hast life, Prov. 8.34, 35. They that hate me love death; if you seek not Christ, you seeke death, and mischiefe, and destruction to your owne soules and yours, vers. last; and therefore as you desire to finde Christ seeke him, and having found him, rejoyce in him, that God hath given you to finde him, and then walke as those that desire for ever to have him, as not to change your portion by any meanes. If you have Christ you have enough, and if you sit loose to Christ for the enjoyment of earthly blessings, what will they advantage you; but chiefly labour to get Christ, and then, He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.

Notes

• Danger of being out of Christ.
• Jer. 13. last opened.
• Esa, 44.11. explained.
• Applica∣tion.
• Procure Christ for our selves, and others.
• Motives to get Christ.
• Means of having Christ.
• Note this.