Champion? That which girt him with Strength was the glorious Name of the Lord; the Men of Ifrael, though Men of War, were afraid; but comes David without Armour, and he would encounter him; Verfe 45. Then faid David to the Philistine, Thou comeft to me with a Sword, and with a Spear and with a Shield; but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hofts: David.had made the Lord his Strength, he was girt about with the Strength of the Almighty Lord; the Name of Jehovah was the Breaft Plate he put on; but the Men of Ifrael that were great Warriors, were afraid to meet this Champion: So Perfons that have been great Difputers, great Difcourfers, Perfons that have been great in Knowledge in the Letter, fhall be afraid to meet Death that great Champion; when a weak Believer that hath made Chrift his Life, fhall go through the Battle with Courage; fo I fay, a Believer depends on Chrift for Life, for the Life of Grace, for the Life of Righteoufnefs, being girt about with Strength of the Lord. Secondly, Take Life for the Actions of Life: While a Man lives, he acts; when a Man is dead, he cannot act, faith the Apostle, first negatively, and then affirmatively, None lives to himself, none dies to himself; and then affirmatively, living or dying we are the Lord's, Rom. xiv. 8. So if we ask a natural Man, why, do we as a natural Man, why do you eat, drink, put on Cloaths and Work? That I may live: And if we ask a Chriftian, why do you pray, hear, wait on God in Ordinance? O that I may live on Chrift, enjoy Chrift: You fee me, (faith Paul) live, as you think, but you are mistaken, I do not live of myfelf, it is Chrift that lives in me, and the Life I live is by the Faith of the Son of God, Gal. ii. 20. Iam crucified with Chrift, nevertheless I live; I am dead, yet I live, I am dead to the World, yet I live in Chrift; I am a dead condemned Sinner by the Sentence of the Law, yet I live in the Righteousness of Chrift; I am dead to my own Righteoufnefs, to my own Works, but I am alive in Chrift; I am crucified with Chrift, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me; though I am dead to Sin, I am alive to Chrift; though I am a dead Sinner, I am a living Saint; I am pardoned in Chrift, beloved in Chrift, made alive through Grace in Chrift, clothed with the Righteoufnefs of Chrift; therefore I live though dead, as if a Man fhould fay, I am a Man fentenced, yet I am a Man abfolv'd, I am a Man dead in the Eye of the World, yet I am a Man acquitted, here is my Pardon; fo faith a Believer, the Law condemns me, the Law judges me, but I am alive in Chrift, pardoned in Chrift; now Law thou haft nothing to fay to me. me; Well but Paul, do you live? You have got your Pardon, will you live now to yourself? Nay, faith he, do not mistake me, though you hear me fay, I live, yet not I live, but Chrift liveth in I do not fay, I am pardoned and abfolved to live to myfelf; no, my Life is none of mine; though you fee me a living Saint, yet I have my Root in Chrift; it is not I, but Chrift lives in me: When I was a Pharifee it was I, then I prayed, I repented, I humbled myself, I did this or that, I lived zealouíly to the Law; but now it is no more I, though I do the Action of a Man, as before, I fpake as the Pharifee, I did fo and fo in myself; but now it is changed, D 5 now now it is in Christ all ; before it was in my own Righteoufnefs, now Chrift's Righteoufnefs; before it was my Duty, but now it is Chrift; Chrift liveth in me, Chrift reigns in me, Chrift is all in all; therefore not I, but Chrift; therefore look not on me; do you hear me pray, preach, do any Action, it is no more I, but Chrift in me, and the Life I now live is by Faith in the Son of God. If a natural Man eats, drinks, put on Clothes, it is that he may live ; but all that I do, is that I may enjoy Chrift: Some poor Creatures think when they have done fome Duties, they have done enough to justify them; but if they have not Chrift their Life, they will appear in as bad a State as the prophaneft Wretches on Earth: But I put on Chrift to be my Wifdom, Righteoufnefs, Sanctification, in all my Duties I am putting on Chrift. It is a hard Matter to turn Perfons from Prophanenefs; but when they are turned from Prophanenefs, and reft upon their Reformation, it is an harder Matter to turn them to Christ: Now all the Actions of a Believer are still that Chrift may be his Life, acting in Christ and for Christ. Be Thirdly, Take Life for the Comforts of Life: What is Man's Life to him, if his Comfort have taken their Leave of him? So it is with liever, faith he, if I cannot enjoy Chrift, I have no Comfort in praying or hearing, I have no Comfort, but as I meet with Chrift: What are Sabbaths or Ordinances? Though I use them, I cannot rejoyce in them, 'till I meet with Chrift; he is my Comfort, when he fhines on my Soul, then all goes well with me: He is the Health of my Countenance, faith David, Pfal. xliii. 5. How do Saints return mourning and forrowing, and what what a forrowful Story will they tell us, if they have not met with Chrift in an Ordinance? A formal Profeffor, he is content, if he hath been at an Ordinance, whether he meets with Chrift or no: But come to a Believer, ask him, how doth it go with you? Saith he, I have waited on God (and I blefs God that he hath brought me to wait on him) but I have not met with God; and he forrows and mourns with the Spoufe, I called, but he gave me no Answer, I could not hear one comfortable Word from him, Cant. iii. I went to the Watchmen, but I could not find him. Oh what forrowful Stories will Believers tell, if they do not meet with Chrift! If I could meet with him then should I rejoyce; though you may fee me perform Duties, what is this, if I do not meet with Chrift, and have him fhining upon my Soul? Thus take Life for the Comforts of Life; and the Believer hath no Comfort when Chrift withdraws; when they come from an Ordinance where they have met with Chrift, they will come leaping like an Hart; Oh I met with him whom my Soul defired! and that is to make Chrift our Life, to depend on Chrift, and in the Actions of all our Duties draw Life from Christ, and then our Souls have no Comfort in Ordinances without Chrift: So, therefore, the Spoufe invites Chrift very friendly; for fhe knew, that if the had not Enjoyment of him fhe fhould have no Comfort; he invites him in Cant. vii. 11, 12. Come my Beloved, let us go forth into the Fields, let us lodge in the Villages; let us get up early to the Vineyard; let us fee if the Vine flourish, whether the tender Grape appear, and the Pomgranates bud forth; there will I give thee my Loves. Ob come, faith she, my Beloved, let us go forth; : if I go without thee, I fhall have no Comfort in my Walk Lord Jefus, faith a Believer, come in this Ordinance, come in this Duty, reveal thy Grace and Righteoufnefs; without that I have no Comfort: Come, my Beloved, let us get up early to the Vineyards, let us fee if the Vine flourish: I am fure if I have not thy Prefence, I fhall have a dead and dark Time, a difmal Walk of it: Come Lord Jefus in the Revelation of thy Grace in my Heart, then will my Soul thrive in Grace; then fhall I receive Comfort. : If I have but the Buddings of Grace; if I have thy Prefence, I fhall make a good Construction of it; if I have but a little Grace and Chrift's Prefence? I can rejoyce in a little Grace: A little Grace when Chrift appears, is more to a Believer, than a strong Faith when Chrift withdraws The Spouse would not bring Discomfort to herself; Come let us fee if the Vine flourish, whether the tender Grapes appear; if there be but the leaft Grace in my Soul, what will you do? There will I give thee my Loves, there will I give thee my Delights, there will I embrace thee with open Heart, with warm Affections; there will I give thee my Praises, there will I exalt thy Name: Come let us fee whether the tender Grapes appear and the Pomegranates bud forth; fee how my Soul thrives, let me take Comfort though there be but the least budding forth of Grace; though I have but a Dram of Grace, let me have thy Prefence; there will I give thee my Loves: First, My Soul fhall have Heart-joy, and be full of Delight. Secondly, Then will I give thee the Glory of thy Grace. Thirdly, There will my Soul be endeared to thee: When thou art prefent the very Buddings of Grace will be fweet: The strongest Believer |