Sermon 7
Christ Alone
Exalted
By
Tobias Crisp
With explanatory notes by John Gill
The New Covenant of Free Grace
The New Covenant of Free
Grace
“I the LORD have called thee in
righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a
covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to
bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of
the prison house.” Isaiah 42:6 and 7
In the next place, as it is against the nature of a gift, so
God doth not expect, nor will accept of anything from men in consideration of
Christ; and, for this, the Scriptures are plain and clear, that the Father
expects nothing in the world of men; no one qualification or spiritual
disposition, before, or upon the communicating, of his Son Christ unto men: I
will but name some few passages to clear this to you, that I may not seem to
come in my own name, in this that I have delivered.
Consider, among other passages, that in Isaiah 55:1, it is
plain there, you may see, that God looks for nothing in the world of men; be
they what they will, be they in the worst condition, no matter what it is, they
are the men to whom Christ offers himself; “Ho, everyone that thirsteth,” (saith
Christ) that is, every one that hath but a mind to come to him, every one that
would take him, may have him: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters;
and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money, and without price.” “Wherefore do ye spend your money for that
which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?” “Hearken,
diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight
itself in fatness.” Eat, but not buy; for it is said, “Buy without money;” you
may eat without price, and that which shall eat is fatness. Mark what follows,
“Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your souls shall live; and I will
make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David:” here you
see the covenant mentioned. But what doth God require here in the covenant? No
money, no price; the covenant runs all upon mercy; it is an everlasting covenant
indeed, and an everlasting covenant of mercy. Now mercy is the doing a thing
only and merely of gift: if a man will forgive a debtor, and ask nothing of him,
then he is a merciful man: so far as men give, so far are they merciful; so far
as they sell, there is no mercy in that. But here is neither money, nor price,
nor any thing (Luke 7:42), at all in consideration of the covenant.
Likewise, in Hosea 14:4, God saith by the prophet, “I will
heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away
from them:” he will love you freely, that is the term: he will ask nothing for
that good he will do unto you, it shall be free; and what is more free than
gift?
Look also into that notable place, worthy of all
consideration, Ephesians 2 where the apostle speaks most admirably sweetly to
this point, of giving and communicating Christ, and all that is Christ’s, unto
men, merely of grace, merely of gift, without consideration of anything in the
world; and there you have the reason, why God will do it merely of gift, and
upon no other ground or cause at all, (in verse 4,) saying, “But God, who is
rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us;” (here is the great
principle that gives being to all that follows) “even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ” (by grace ye are saved). Mark what
follows, “and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus: that, in ages to come, he might show the exceeding
riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus: for by
grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” Here you see how notably the
apostle takes off all things in the world, whereby man may imagine to move God
to show kindness, and give his Christ unto them; and attributes all to the
riches of God’s grace because of that “love wherewith he loved us.” Hence it is
that he bestows Christ by grace; “and by this grace are we saved, and that not
of ourselves, not of our works, lest any should boast.”
I will not recite many places: one more, and then I have done
with this. Look into the last of the Revelation, you shall see Christ is so a
gift passed over unto men, that God looks for, asks, requires nothing of men to
their partaking of him: “Let him that is athirst come, and whoso will, let him
come, and take the water of life freely,” (Rev. 22:17). No matter for bringing
of anything with you; have you a mind to him? take him freely, God scorns to
make a sale of his Son. If men take him as a deed of gift, well and good; if
they will have him upon other terms, God never means to part with him. I tell
you, could you bring angelical perfection and obedience, and present that unto
the Father as a motive to him to bestow his Christ upon you; if you dare offer a
perfect righteousness in the world for Christ; I say, you shall be accursed for
it. “If we, (saith the apostle), or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you, than that we have preached unto you? any other gospel, than
salvation, and participation of Christ, by grace and free gift (for that is the
doctrine he had established before, and, through the whole epistle to the
Galatians, doth maintain) “let such person be accursed,” (Gal. 1:8), saith Paul.
And, concerning those that will preach any other doctrine, or will establish any
righteousness of man, and pervert the people of God from the sincerity of the
doctrine and gospel they have received; the apostle is so eager against them,
that he breaks out into this expression, “I would they were even cut off, which
trouble you,” in the same epistle, (5:12), and upon the self-same ground we have
in hand, he thus expresses himself; and, why? because they overthrew the great
intent of the Lord, and those great thoughts he hath of himself; namely, that
the world may see what a God of grace he is. If a man comes with works, towards
the enjoyment of Christ, he overthrows the grace of God, and frustrates the
great end for which God sent Christ into the world: for as you see it plainly
there in the epistle to the Ephesians, the place before mentioned, the Lord
therefore comes to give Christ, to set forth “the praise of the glory of his
free grace.”
Secondly, This Gift (Christ I mean) given as a covenant,
imports unto you, that as the Father looks for nothing in men to partake of
Christ, so also it doth imply, there is nothing in men, though never so vile,
that can debar a person from a part in this Christ. Some will not have Christ,
except they can pay for him: others dare not meddle with Christ, because they
are so vile and wretched creatures, that they think it impossible that Christ
should belong to such wretched persons as they are. You know not (saith one)
what an abominable sinner I am; you look upon others, but their sins are but
ordinary; but mine are of a deep dye, and I shall die in them: the rebellion of
my heart, is another kind of rebellion than is in others.
Beloved, let me tell you freely from the Lord; let men deem
you as they will, and make yourself as bad as you can, I tell you, from the
Lord, and I will make it good, there is not that sinfulness that can be imagined
in a creature, that can be able to separate, or debar any of you from, a part in
Christ; even, while you are thus sinful, Christ, may be your Christ. Nay, I go
further; suppose one person, in this congregation, should not only be the vilest
sinner in the world, but should have all the sins of others, besides what he
himself hath committed; if all these were laid upon the back of him, he should
be a greater sinner than now he is; yet, if he should bear all the sins of
others as I said, there is no bar to this person, but Christ may be his portion;
“He bore the sins of many,” (saith the text) but he bare them not as his own, he
bare them for many. Suppose the many, that are sinners, should have all their
sins translated to one in particular; still there is no more sin than Christ
died for; though they be all collected together. If other men’s sins were
translated upon you, and they had none, then they needed no Christ; all the need
they have of Christ, were translated to you, and then the whole of Christ’s
obedience should be yours.
Do but observe the strain of the gospel, you shall find that
no sin in the world can be a bar to hinder a person from having a part in this
Christ that is given: look upon the condition of persons (as they are revealed
in the gospel) to whom Christ is reached out: and the consideration of their
persons will plainly show to you, that there is no kind of sinfulness can bar a
person from having a part in Christ.
Look into Ezekiel 16 quite thorough; the person is there
considered in a state of blood, of menstruousness, of vileness, and greatest
filthiness that can be supposed; and when “no eye could pity” such a person, “or
do any good to him; I passed by thee, (saith Christ) thy time was the time of
love I sware unto thee, I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest
mine. Construe this in a spiritual sense, conceive of a spiritual estate of
filth, proportional to a natural estate of filth. That very time of the vilest
of our spiritual filthiness, is the time of Christ’s love when he enters into
covenant. Yea, but sure the case is altered, before Christ actually swears. No;
“then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood.” When?
even then when “I sware unto thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou
becamest mine,” First, he did sware, and then he did wash them: and not wash
them, and then sware unto them, and enter into covenant with them. First, “I
entered into covenant with thee, then washed I thee with water, and then put I
jewels upon thee,” &c. The first thing he doth, is, he enters into covenant, and
the people become his people, and then he takes them in hand, and washeth and
purgeth them, and not before.
Consider Christ’s own expression, “I came to seek, and save
that which was lost: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance; the whole need not a physician, but they that are sick:” here still
the persons are considered in the worst condition, (as some might think) rather
than in the best. Our Saviour is pleased to express himself in a direct contrary
way to the opinion, of men. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners:” the
poor publican that had nothing to plead for himself went away more justified
than the proud Pharisee that pleaded with God; “I thank thee that I am not such
an one.”
Men think
righteousness brings them near to Christ beloved, righteousness is that which
puts a man away from Christ:1
stumble not at the expression, it is the clear truth of the gospel, (Matt.
5:20): not simply doing of service and duty, doth put away from Christ; but upon
the doing of duty and service, to expect acceptance with Christ, or
participation in Christ, this kind of righteousness is the only separation
between Christ and a people; and whereas sinfulness in the world can debar a
people, their righteousness may debar them.
I need not tell you, what I have so often mentioned, that
there must be a believing in him that justifies the ungodly, (Rom. 4) what can
you look for of an ungodly person? If there can be any bar in the world to
hinder a man from taking Christ, you would think it should be ungodliness; it is
the ground of most, and all men’s fears. But if the term ungodliness be not bad
enough, consider, Christ goes further, even unto rebellion; he hath received,
gifts for the rebellious; “Thou hast ascended on high, and led captivity
captive, thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that
the Lord God might dwell among them,” (Ps. 68:18).
But some may be ready to say to me, Though God be never so
free in giving Christ unto men; yet they may never have a part in him, except
they have hands to take, and receive him.
I answer, I beseech you consider, and I answer peremptorily,
that though men have no hands to take Christ, yet may they receive him. I will
clear this a little to you, first by illustration, or by way of similitude: a
poor indigent person is speechless, he hath never a tongue; he is handless, he
hath never a hand: he cannot ask with the tongue, he cannot take with the hand;
if you have a mind to give, I ask, can you not give to such a person, because he
hath not a tongue to speak, nor a hand to take? you may behold, and see the
pitiful case of such a man, and your compassions may be stirred in you; and
whereas he cannot put a garment upon his own naked back, yet you may provide
raiment, and put it upon his back with your hands, as well as if he had put it
on himself: and thus God deals in bestowing Christ upon men; we are dumb, and
cannot speak, “We know not what to ask as we ought,” saith the apostle, (Rom.
8:26), but God being rich in compassion, he beholds our miserableness; his own
bowels stir him up, (Zech. 9:11). Although there be no language in the creature
to move him; yet out of these bowels of his, he will show pity and mercy to us,
and reach out his Christ, to those that have no hands to receive him, no faith
to believe in him. It is the Lord [that] put his Christ on the back of those
persons (Isa. 61:10), on whom he hath pity and compassion. I say, that although
we have no hand, yet the Lord puts this his Christ upon us; it is not we that
put him on, but the Lord that puts him upon us.
Secondly, To
resolve the case more fully and clearly, observe a distinction very needful to
be observed and considered: there is a twofold receiving of Christ; there is,
first, a passive recipiency; secondly, there is an active recipiency.2
First, There is a
passive receiving of Christ, and that is, so that Christ is received without any
hands; but in an active receiving of him, he is not received without hands: you
will say, what is this passive receiving of Christ? I answer, a passive
receiving of Christ, is just such a receiving of him, as when a froward patient
takes a purge, or some bitter physic; he shuts his teeth against it, but the
physician forceth his mouth open, and pours it down his throat, and so it works
against his will, (John 4:16-18) by the over-ruling power of one over him, that
knows it is good for him. Thus I say, there is a passive recipiency, or
receiving of Christ, which is the first receiving of him; when Christ comes by
the gift of the Father to a person, whilst he is in the stubbornness of his own
heart, being froward and cross; and the Father forces open the spirit of that
man, and pours in his Son in spite of the receiver.3
There is such a kind of recipiency mentioned in scripture: “I
have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I
was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I shall
be turned, thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented:
and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even
confounded,” (Jer. 31:18,19). Mark how Ephraim (who is the representative of the
church) stands affected and disposed; when God comes first to tame and break the
spirit of Ephraim, God is fain to get upon Ephraim, as an horse-rider is fain to
get upon an unruly horse, that was never broken; he must fetter him upon all
four, that he may stand still before he get up. So God must fetter Ephraim
before he can get up, before he can tame him; “I was as a bullock, unaccustomed
to the yoke,” nothing but kicking and spurning at first; afterwards Ephraim
becomes more gentle; “When I was converted, I smote upon my thigh, and was
confounded:” but before, Ephraim was a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Hence
it is, that the entrance of Christ into a person is attributed unto the power of
Christ; “Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power;” the
power of the Lord must overcome a person, before Christ can have a possession of
him, in regard of the crossness of the spirit of man to the pleasure of Christ.
At the first, then, there may be a passive receiving of
Christ, by which Christ may enter and doth enter into the spirit, (Acts 9:3)
though the soul reach not forth the hand to take him in; but rather on the
contrary part, fight against him by keeping him from entering: but now when this
Christ is poured into the spirit of a man by the power of the Lord, then he
begins to work, to break, and to tame the spirit, to be at his own beck and
pleasure: when Christ hath once revealed himself, and made the soul behold his
beauty, and acquainted it with his excellency, then it begins to embrace him,
and to bold him fast, and will not let him go.
Here comes in the second act of receiving Christ, when we,
take him, perceiving he is a friend and coming for good, and that there is no
good but by him. Christ is considered as given of the Father; and being given,
the Father hath no regard to any thing (Micah 6:6,7) a man can do for him, or
anything he can do against him, (Gen. 20:6).
But it may be, before I leave this, you will ask, is not
unbelief a bar to have a part in Christ?
I answer, It is a bar to hinder the manifestation of Christ
in the spirit; but it is not a bar to hinder one from having a part in Christ,
on whom God doth bestow him. It is true, that you, nor I, can say by experience
that Christ is ours, until we believe; as long as we continue in total unbelief,
we cannot conclude to our own spirits that Christ is ours: but unbelief is not
simply a bar to the bestowing of Christ, to such a person; he bestows him
without any regard (Luke xix. 5) to belief, or unbelief: if unbelief should be a
bar to hinder Christ from being bestowed upon men, where is the man to whom
Christ should be bestowed? There is no person under heaven considered simply as
ungodly, and under the notion of ungodliness, but he is considered as an
unbeliever, as well as a sinner in other respects; so that to the Father’s
giving of Christ, unbelief is not a bar; only to the inward satisfaction of the
soul and spirit, unbelief is a bar; a soul cannot be resolved till it doth
believe.
III. And so now I come to consider the third thing I
proposed, namely. What it is for Christ to be given to open the blind eyes?
There are two things very remarkable in it, that he is given
to do this: for hence I infer, and the thing itself will clearly bear it:
First, That Christ is actually passed over to a soul, and a
possession of Christ is delivered unto persons, before ever their blind eyes are
opened, or they come out of prison; that is, before they have any gracious
qualifications whatsoever; and this is a truth that follows upon the former,
that Christ himself is the first spiritual gift that the Father doth bestow upon
any, before there be wrought any opening of the eyes, which is the first of all
gracious qualifications wrought in a man.
Secondly, That the opening of the eyes, and bringing the
prisoners out of prison, is the sole work of Christ; none doth this business but
Christ alone when he is once given.
The first will need a little clearing (and thereby the second
will be sufficiently evidenced) being a truth of very great concern, and yet
seldom seriously considered; I say, that Christ is actually given and passed
over to men, and made really theirs, before ever there be any gracious
qualifications put into the soul of such a man. I say, as before, observe this
caution, I speak of God’s giving Christ unto men, not of the manifestation of
him unto a man to be his: there is, and must be faith, as I said before, for the
manifestation of him to be ours; but there is no qualification wrought in the
heart of any person, before Christ be actually passed over, and made his in the
covenant. Now, I say, Christ is given and passed over to such a person, before
he has any gracious qualifications; I do not mean, as some do, that God did
actually decree Christ, unto such and such, before he put any qualifications in
them; this is a truth indeed; but I say further, That God gives actual
possession of Christ, and Christ takes possession of that person, before there
be any qualifications wrought in him: now Christ is given, not only to perform
some common acts of God’s providence, but he is given as the covenant itself; he
enters, and actually justifies a person, before any qualification be wrought in
him.
Now I shall endeavor to clear this, by all possible evidence
I can; the Scripture is plain for it, in Isaiah 61:1, 2, and 8 and so forward;
there you shall see that Christ is actually given unto men, before any gracious
qualifications whatsoever be wrought in them; “The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me,” saith Christ; for they are his words, as he himself applies them, in
the sermon he preached: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the
broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight
to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised,” (Luke 4:18).
Observe it, I pray you, Here Christ hath a business to do in
the world; which is, “To bind up the broken-hearted;” and, the Lord hath
anointed him to this business. What is that anointing? The Lord hath separated
him, designed him to it; and according to his designation, places him where he
may do it; this is meant by anointing. Now, when a man is set apart, and sent
about such a business: he must be there corporally or virtually before that is
done, which he is sent to do; he is sent to do a thing, therefore he must be
there where it is to be done: a man is not said to do a thing, when it is done
before he come; if Christ be sent to bind up the broken hearted, and if it be
his business; certainly they are not bound up before he comes to bind them; and
if he comes to bind them up, then he is present before they are bound up.
But, peradventure, you will say, by this text, here are
broken hearts first, before Christ be sent to bind them up; therefore there must
be broken hearts before Christ come to the soul.
To this answer, That a broken heart is to be considered in a
double sense, either, first, Simply for a heart undone; or, secondly, For one
sensible of its own undoing: you know, men are said to be undone, and broke,
when their estates are broke; and their credit cracked; and, they may be said to
be broke, when they have examined their own books, and find that they are, and
so seek to their creditors to make agreement: they may be considered as broken,
supposing and considering what their condition is simply in itself, as they are
undone in it; or else, they apprehend themselves to be undone, and so make
agreement.
Now, these two kinds of brokenness of heart considered,
answer, It is most certainly true in the first sense, there is broken heart,
before Christ is considered as present to bind it up; that is men are really
undone, before he comes to restore them; but these persons are not sensible of
their own brokenness of heart, until Christ comes and makes them sensible of it.
Therefore, if you will speak of the sense of breaking, I
flatly affirm, Christ is actually given, and is come unto the soul, before
sensibleness be wrought in the soul. Mark but the covenant as it is recited,
Ezekiel 36:26, who is it deals with the heart of man to take away the stoniness
of it, and to give a meltingness unto it? “I will take away the stony heart out
of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh:” who is that? It is he
that did obtain a more excellent ministry, by how much he is the mediator of a
better covenant; even the mediator of this covenant, and it is he that takes
away the stony heart; and, if he breaks it, how can there be said to be a broken
heart, before Christ comes to do it?
Therefore, in brief, know this, Christ
is sent unto men, as to bind up their hearts, when they are broken, so
graciously to break them, when they are hard; first, he breaks them, then he
binds them up; “He is sent to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives, the opening of prison-doors the prisoners:” people think by their
humiliations, sorrows, mournings, and obedience, and such like, to get Christ;
but is plain that the very spirit of mourning is the work of Christ upon a
person, and he is present to work it too. “I will pour upon the house of David,
and the inhabitants of
Object any qualification whatsoever, and it will appear most
evident and plain, that it is Christ himself, after he is come, that works it;
even faith itself, which is called the radical grace of all graces, is not given
until Christ himself be given men, who works this very faith; “Looking (saith
the apostle) unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith he is the author,
(Heb. 12:2); what faith can there be then till he comes to work it?
Consider, Psalm 68:18, compared with Ephesians 4:8, and you
shall plainly see Christ is given unto men, before there be any qualifications
of any grace whatsoever in them; “Thou hast received gifts for the rebellious,”
saith the Psalmist; “Thou hast given gifts unto men,” saith the apostle: put
them both together, Christ received for, and gave gifts unto rebellious men;
consider, I pray, what gracious dispositions, and qualifications are
considerable in rebellious men; as they are rebellious, there can be none
considered: but Christ received for, and gave gifts to, the rebellious;
therefore, he is given, and accordingly gives whatsoever any person hath, before
he hath anything.
There are many notable arguments in scripture most absolutely
establishing this truth; that Christ is given and made over unto men before they
have any qualification whatsoever. Christ is called, “The head of the body, the
church, and the beginning,” (Col. 1:18). These two metaphors illustrate and
establish this truth.
First, Christ is the beginning. He that is the beginning of
all things, is before all things; not only in the being of nature before all
things, but actually present before all things be begun. He that is the builder
of the house, doth not come after it is begun to be built; but he is present at
the place before a stone is laid, because he is the man that must lay it, he is
the beginner of it; and if he be the beginning, whatsoever is begun, is after
him that is the beginning.
Secondly, Christ is the head. This is the other metaphor,
whereby is set forth, that Christ must upon necessity be in the soul, be
actually passed over unto men, before they can have any gracious qualifications.
A head is the fountain of all animal and sensitive spirits, and of all motion;
without a head, a man cannot hear, see, walk, feel, stir, nor do anything,
seeing all these operations come from the head. Consider the body as headless,
and all the senses are absent, and without a head nothing is done. Christ is the
head of his church, (so saith the apostle) that is, he is the fountain of all
spiritual sense and motion. You may as soon conceive that a man is able to see
whilst he hath not a head; as to think, a man can have spiritual eyes, whether
the eye of faith to behold Christ, or the eyes of mourning to lament one’s
wretchedness, before there be actually the presence and conjunction of Christ
the head, unto such a body. Beloved, to think a man can have any spiritual
sight, before Christ be actually united to the soul, is all one, as for a man to
think to see, before he has eyes. The eyes are placed in the head; both the
organs, faculties, and spirits all are in the head; how can a man see, that hath
neither eyes nor spirits to feed them? which he hath not, while he hath not a
head, where all these are planted. Christ must be the eye, and present, to give
sight; therefore, the scripture expressly says, “That he is given for a covenant
to open the blind eyes:” if to open them, then they are not opened before he
gives them sight.
And, thirdly, As Christ is called a head, and a beginning; so
also life, frequently in the Scripture. “I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh to the Father, but by me,” (John 14:6). Can a man be an active
creature, before there be life breathed into him? “The Lord, (saith the text) at
the creation, breathed into man the breath of life, and so he became a living
soul.” He was like a stone, till he had life; but now, saith the apostle, “I
live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, (Gal. 2:20). “And, by the grace of
God, I am that I am, and his grace that was bestowed upon me, was not in vain;
but I laboured more abundantly than they all.” Paul was an active soul. How? By
the grace of God,” (1 Cor. 15:10). That is, as a body, without a soul is dead;
so every person, in spiritual actions, is wholly dead, till Christ the soul of
the soul be infused into him, to animate and enliven him.
I shall not spend more time in urging more arguments; though
I might be large to show that Christ is the first thing given unto us, before
all other whatsoever. For if this light be not enough, we must wait till the
Lord in his time will reveal his truth.”
IV. And now in a word or two consider, who they are, to whom
Christ is given to be a covenant. All this is good news, will some say, to those
unto whom it is sent. Many thousands cry out, Oh, but it is none of my portion,
nor my portion, that Christ should be given as a covenant to me.
I shall not be large in this, though some may expect it; the
text will tell in part, who those are to whom he is given for a covenant, to
wit, the people, and the Gentiles, one, as well as another. God gives Christ to
men without respect of persons, to Jews and Gentiles. You shall find through the
whole course of the Scripture, the persons to whom Christ is exhibited, are
still expressed in the most general terms: if a man would know for whom he came,
it is answered, “He came to seek and to save those that are lost; in due time,
he came to die for the ungodly;” and “came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance; and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The
Scripture runs upon this strain; why then should any man come and cry, “He died
not for me, he is not given for me.” Why, art thou a convinced sinner? He was
given for thee, if thou art truly saying with the publican, “God be merciful to
me a sinner.”
The king puts forth a proclamation, and in it he pardons all
thieves: what mad or foolish thief will say, Oh, but the king doth not mean me,
he may mean others, but not me! Why, he means thieves in general, he excepts
none: why shouldest thou say, not me? If there be the name of thieves in
general, without particular mentioning of some, they will come in, and take
their portion. Beloved, so Christ deals with men, he is given to the people, to
the Gentiles; art thou of the people? art thou of the Gentiles? If thou art, why
is he not given to thee? Nay more, it is the people and Gentiles considered as
sinners?
But some will be ready to say, You know he is not given to
all people, and all Gentiles; some do miscarry, and possibly I may be among
them, that do miscarry; but how shall I know that I am among the number of such
sinners that shall not miscarry; and my portion is in, this Christ?
Beloved, here
observe by the way, now we are speaking of knowing whether Christ be mine, or
no, not simply of Christ’s being ours, but of his manifestation, or of knowing
him to be ours, how shall I know it? You will say, There are labyrinths, in
which a man may walk, and by hap may chance to hit the right, in the finding of
this great truth, so much searched after, how a man may know whether Christ be
his or no. To lead you a plain and sure way; the best way for any man to know
whether Christ be his or no, is to consider the conveyance in which he is made
over to men; see the terms of conveyance, and according to these terms, such is
the security of your title. Now the terms of conveyance (as I have often told
you) are only such as in deed of gift, and a deed of gift universally exhibited
and reached out. Therefore, I must tell you, there is no better way to know your
portion in Christ, than upon the general tender of the gospel, to conclude
absolutely he is yours, and so, without any more ado, to take him, as tendered
to you, on his word, (Isa. 55:1); and this taking of him, upon a general tender,4
is the greatest security in the world, that Christ is yours. Say unto your souls
(and let not this be contradicted, seeing Christ hath reached out himself to
sinners as sinners.) My part is as good as any man’s; set down thy rest here;
question it not, but believe it; it is as good security as God can make thee: he
hath promised, venture thy soul upon it, without seeking for further security.
But, some will say, he doth not belong to me: why not to thee? he belongs to
sinners, as sinners; and if there be no worse than sinfulness, rebellion, and
enmity in thee, he belongs to thee, as well as to any in the world:5
and there is nothing
at all [that] can give thee a certainty he is thine, but receiving him on these
terms; “He came to his own, and his own received him not; but, to as many as
received him, (mark that) he gave power to become the sons of God.”
He receiveth sinners, as sinners; he never shut out one of
all those thousands, that came upon the tender of the gospel; he never put any
by; “But to as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of
God.” Bring me any one instance in the whole book of God, of anyone that hath
come to Christ, and taken him upon the tender of the gospel, and yet he hath put
this person by. It is true, in a shallow matter, concerning a bodily cure, the
woman comes to Christ, and at the first, he would not hear, then he calls her
dog; yet before they parted, Christ not only accepts the woman, but breaks out
into admiration, “Oh! woman, great is thy faith!” But, I say, in the business of
partaking of Christ, show me an instance of any in all the book of God, that
have ventured upon the general tender, (Rev. 22:17) of Christ, which was
rejected. If there be no example, in all the scripture, from whence fetch you
this bitterness of your own spirits, that you may not, that you dare not close
with Christ?
But, you will say to me, If this taking of him be the best
security, how shall I know whether I believe or no? Or how shall I know whether
this my taking is not a counterfeit, but a solid, substantial, real, taking of
Christ.
I answer, By the reality of the thing. Do you it indeed?” If
you do it indeed, it is a real taking. If a man should ask you; How do you know
the sun shines? The light of it shows itself; and, by its light, we know it
shines. How shall I know I believe? There is a light in faith that discovers
itself unto men. The soul that really closes with Christ, may conclude he doth.
If you give sixpence to a poor man, and then ask him, How do you know I have
given you it, and that you have it? Why, saith he, I have it in my hand, and
find, and feel I have it. So, ask your hearts this question, How do I know I
believe in Christ? Do I cast my heart upon this truth? Do I receive it as one
that I do believe, or do I reject it, or will not receive it? Then I do not
believe: but if you sit down, and rest upon it, and receive it, and do in
reality believe it; then you may absolutely conclude Christ is yours. In respect
of time, I cannot amplify any further: but, I hope, for the present, this will
give satisfaction. A word or two for application, and so I will conclude.
Is this a truth, as hath been by scripture proved to you,
“That Christ is given a covenant to men, to open their blind eyes?” Then it is
plain, they begin at the wrong end of the bottom, who begin to wind up at the
graciousness of their own spirits, from thence to have comfort. If you begin at
any other end than at Christ to get grace and comfort, you do as they do that
take the inmost end of the bottom of the thread, and begin to ravel there; so
that little or no work is done, but much and many a knot, and broken ends made,
and the work quite spoiled; whereas, if they begun at the utmost end of the
bottom, it would have run, without disturbance.
Beloved, Christ is given to open men’s blind eyes; go whither
you will, you shall never have your eyes spiritually opened, except you go to
him: Oh, what a do is here with men, or in men, with breaking their own hearts,
and forsaking their sins! And whither do they run? they run to their inherent
righteousness, their qualifications, their prayers, their tears, their
humiliations, sorrows, reformations, universal obedience, and the like; but is
this to run to free grace and free mercy in Christ? nay, Christ, alas, is never
thought of; he is clean forgotten, and wholly neglected, and not considered all
this while. Here is ploughing with a wooden plough; here is a working upon a
dead horse, or rather with one; what is in the heart of a man to plough up the
rock of his own heart? No marvel, that you sweat and toil and moil all the day
long, and all lies in the same case it did: there is no strength to bring forth;
because you go in your own, or the strength of the creature, and not in the
strength of the Lord Jesus.
You know when a pump is dry, men use not to stand laboring at
it till they sweat; but they first come, and fetch a bucket of water, and pour
the water into it, and then they fall to pumping, and by virtue of the water
poured, there comes more water up, and by continual pumping they fetch out
abundance: so your hearts are dry things, there is no sap, no moisture, no life
in them; Christ must first be poured in, before you can get anything out;
wherefore then stand you laboring and tugging in vain? Oh, stay no longer, go to
Christ; it is he that must break thy rocky heart, before the plough can come
over it, or at least enter into it. As I told you before, so I tell you again,
you must consider Christ as freely given unto you by the Father, even before you
can believe.
There is a story of Ebedmelech; the black-moor in Jeremy, who
by his interest and favor with the king, got leave to go to the dungeon to
Jeremiah to fetch him out; he carries ropes with him, lets them down and causeth
Jeremiah to put them under his arms, and round about him; now Jeremiah by
holding fast the ropes, doth not pull him into the pit, but he pulls Jeremiah
out of the pit to himself. I speak this by way of illustration. Christ is our
Ebedmelech with the Father, the great King of Glory; his dealing prevails that
he may have liberty to pluck us poor Jeremies out of the pit and dungeon of sin
and Satan, of misery and destruction. How doth he this? He doth not first send
ropes, and then come after, but goes and carries them with him; that is, Christ
doth not send faith first to believers, and then comes after as drawn by it; no,
but he comes and brings it with him, and he, being present, lets it down to
them; and when they have it, they do not draw Christ down to them by it, but
holding it fast, he draws them up to himself. So here is not faith first, and
then Christ; but Christ comes first and gives faith to apprehend and lay hold
upon him: Consider, therefore, Christ as your Ebedmelech, who comes and reacheth
himself out to draw you up, and being first present, reacheth out faith to you,
by which you may hold; so Christ fetcheth you out of the pit.
Wherefore (to draw to a conclusion) remember this, as you run
to Christ, so shall you prosper in everything you take in hand; all the business
that Christ undertakes shall go on a-main, whilst that the creature undertakes
shall stand at a stop. Make trial, begin but with Christ; take him along with
you in your entrance upon anything, and you have a mighty counselor to guide and
direct you, for so Christ is called; and good counsel, you know, is very useful
for a prosperous expedition of things. Again, you have a tower and refuge fully
secure to retreat to, in case of extremity, or of over-mastership. It useth to
be a prime piece of policy, being to combat with an enemy, to make sure of some
good fort, and to maintain that; so that if the enemy be too strong, they may
know whither to go to be hid and saved from the present danger; and without such
a refuge they are all liable to be cut off; so do you begin with Christ; make
sure of him when you enter into the field of the world; get but this fort, and
you have a place of retreat upon all occasions, where there is most certain
security, which the gates of hell shall not be able to prevail against, for
Christ is that impregnable rock; but this is not all.
Christ is also
aqua vitae, water of life;
take but Christ along with you, and then in all your travels no sooner do you
begin to faint; but there is aqua vitae
at hand; you may drink of it, and your spirits shall be refreshed and revived.
What shall I say more to you? It is Christ that oils the wheels of your
chariots, and makes you run the ways of God’s commandments? It is he that fills
the sails; you must needs lie at a calm, if he be not present to blow in them.
Take Christ with you, and you have the wind at command. Many a mariner would
give the world to have such a privilege as to command the natural winds, and to
make them blow when, and which way he listeth; he would never then lie
wind-bound. Beloved, you that have Christ, have the wind in your fists; you may
be carried to any port you will. If you have him, you shall have a swift gale,
and shall sail a-main by his power.
Therefore, if Christ be poured forth, and a gift unto men,
and so cheap that you may have him for nothing, only receiving him, let this be
your everlasting cry and song, none but Christ, none but Christ! or, rather, in
the language of the Apostle, “I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him
crucified?”
Footnotes:
1
When it is trusted to, and depended upon, and put in the room of Christ and his
righteousness; or when it is brought to fit a man for Christ, and give him a
right and claim to him, and his benefit.
2
And an excellent distinction it is; the learned Hoornbeeck takes notice of it,
and has these words concerning it; “Neither do we reject some distinctions of
theirs (i.e.
Dr. Crisp, and others, called Antinomians) as of the reception of Christ
primum passive,
turn active, first passive,
then active.” Summa Controv.
cap. 10. p. 720.
3
This is to be understood of the state and condition, in which a man is, when God
comes first to work upon him, in which he is passive; and the simile made use
of, of a physician forcing a man’s mouth open, and pouring physic against his
will, is intended to illustrate, and does illustrate, the enmity and rebellion
of the heart of man against Christ and his grace; and shows how disagreeable, to
the carnal mind, are the methods which God takes when he first works upon it,
either by afflictive providences, or by letting the law into the conscience,
which works wrath there; and not, as D. W. suggests, in his Gospel Truth, &c.
(p. 101), as if men were said to receive Christ against their wills: for, as the
Doctor after observes, when Christ has entered into the soul, and has revealed
himself, and shown it his excellency and his beauty, it embraces him, and holds
him fast; when his power comes upon it, it is made willing to receive him, whom,
before, it had a dislike of, and an aversion to.
4
This is the principal passage on which the Dutch professor Hoornbeeck, has laid
the charge of holding universal redemption to the Doctor, concluding, from this
general tender, or offer of Christ to all, that he held the universal
satisfaction of Christ for all, and that all have an equal portion in it; from
whence they might be assured Christ as theirs, and not from any condition in
themselves: and, indeed the universal offer, cannot be supported without
supposing universal redemption; which those, who are fond of, and yet profess
particular redemption, would do well to consider. See Summa Controv. p. 703. 1.
10.
5
This is putting it upon a much better foot than the general tender; which is no
security to any, of Christ being his; nor even general redemption itself, since
all have not a portion in him, or are saved by him; but, Christ dying for the
worst and chief of sinners, and his promise to receive, and his actually
receiving them as such, are the best security, and on which a poor sinner, under
a deep sense of sin may, rely; and be encouraged to apply to Christ, and lay
hold upon him as his own Saviour. See the last paragraph of the next sermon,
where the Doctor mentions a better security than the general tender.
