Page images
PDF
EPUB

continue in their enmity againft God and his people: "The wicked fhall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Yea, the greatest mifery of all the wicked, that remain in a Chriftlefs ftate, lies in this, though they do not fee it to be their mifery, namely, that they are under the power of all the nations of hell, under the power of the devil and their lufts, and in league with the nations that oppofe the true Ifrael of God, in their way to the heavenly Canaan.

4. Hence we may fee the reafon of the multiplied experiences of the believer, both fad and fweet; because the nations are caft out before him by little and little, and not utterly deftroyed while he is here. Hence many fad tales he hath to tell of the nations compaffing him about; iniquities prevailing against him; and lufts again and again, and a thoufand times, ftirring, and working, and warring, and overthrowing him, and treading upon him. And, on the other hand, notwithstanding all this, he hath many fweet tidings to narrate of the Lord's humbling and healing, convincing and converting him: many convictions, many converfions does he get from time to time; and the next conviction more deep than the former, and the next converfion more fweet than the former; and one converfion on the back of another, becaufe of one defection on the back of another, through the power of the nations of hell within and without him. As a dying faint that was asked, when he was converted? faid, 'He had been converted a hundred times:' so, in this fenfe, it is poffible fome believers, of long ftanding, may be converted a hundred times, and a hundred too. That faints may need converfion, is plain from what Chrift faid to Peter, who was a faint, 66 When thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren." Yea, every new converfion of the believer, may be more remarkable than another, while the Lord is thus, by little and little, deftroying the enemy; becaufe every touch of the nations power and policy, in drawing him afide from the Lord, and the recurring power of corruption, is fo horrible and monftrous to him, that he thinks with himself, Oh! will ever the Lord return again to the like of me? And, when the Lord returns, he wonders more than ever.

[ocr errors]

3

5. Hence

5. Hence we may fee, why there is no juflification by the deeds of the law, nor mortification by the means of the law: no juftification by legal works, nor fanctification and mortification by legal means. How does this follow, fay you? Indeed it is plain, there can be no jultification by the deeds of the law; for the beft believer on earth muft own, that at beft he hath two nations in his womb, and the company of two armies; an army of lufts, and an army of graces; the fleth lufting againfi the Spirit, as well as the Spirit againft the flefh: and when he finds nations of lufts and corruptions in his womb, in his heart, can he expect to be juflified by the deeds of the law, by a legal righteoufnefs of his own? No; he is made content to be obliged to grace, free grace, through the righteoufnefs of Chrift, for juftification.And as there is no juftification by legal works, fo there is no mortification by legal means; they never saw the power of corruption, that are not convinced of this, that nothing in the world but the power of God can deftroy it: The Lord thy God will put out thefe nations before thee, by little and little. O Sirs, pity ignorant Papifts, that think their whipping, and scourging, and beating themselves, will do it: pity ignorant profeffors, that think their fafling, and praying, and legal endeavours, will do it. It is true, our Lord fpeaks of fome devils that go not out but by fafting and prayer: not that these means of themfelves do it; nay, let our Lord explain his own word; The Lord thy God will put out thefe nations; he will fubdue your iniquities: fuch things go not forth but by falling and prayer; that is, by Chrift Jefus, fought and found in thefe means. Neglect not the means then; but, for the Lord's fake, remember, that if you go forth against lufts in the ftrength of means, or only with a verbal mention of the ftrength of Chrift, without ever having taken on with this glorious Captain, or being joined to him in order to draw ftrength from him, your Leviathan lufts will but laugh at the shaking of your fpear. Therefore,

6. Hence we may fee where the believer's ftrength lies. You heard before where the ftrength of the enemy lies; but now, Where lies the ftrength of the Ifrael of God?

[ocr errors]

66

Even in the GoD of Ifrael, the KING of Ifrael: The Lord thy God will put out these nations before thee.— Pial. Ixxiii. 25. My fleth and heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." My outward advantages, inward vigour, and all fail me; but my God will not fail me. More particularly, Ifrael's ftrength lies in God, as manifefting himself in Chrift. There are two things in Chrift that ftrength lies in, for the believer's fafety and deliverance from the power of fin, and victory over the nations of lufts and devils: One is the blood of Chrift; we overcome by the blood of the Lamb. The death of Chrift was the death of fin, for he nailed fin to the crofs, and detroyed the devil's power. Another is the Spirit of Chrift, who being in the believer, greater is he that is in them, than he that is in the world; and the Spirit mortifies fin. Here lies the believer's great ftrength, for actual mortification of fin, and victory over it; "If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live," Rom. viii. 13. And the Spirit carries on this work,

(1.) By the application of the death of Chrift to the foul; for, it is the virtue flowing forth from the death of Christ, that destroys fin; and the Spirit applies that virtue, and implants the foul into Chrift, that being ingrafted in him, and unite to him, the fin-killing, foul-quickening virtue of Chrift may flow in to the believer.

(2.) By the implantation of grace, and of grace contrary to corruption: in oppofition to unbelief, he implants faith; in oppofition to enmity, he implants love; in oppofition to flavifh fear, he implants fortitude and fpiritual courage.

(3.) By the excitation of the grace he hath implanted; which, though it be active in itfelf, yet, by reason of our indifpofition, needs to be whetted and actuated: when the Spirit lets grace alone, fin revives, and gathers ftrength.

(4.) By drawing forth faith, especially to a lively exercife; and then this is the victory whereby we overcome the world, even our faith; while the Spirit of faith draws forth the grace of faith: for faith carries up the foul to

him in whom ftrength lies; and then fays, "I can do all things through Christ strengthening me:" And faith employs the ftrength of Chrift against the ftrength of the enemy, and fo triumphs in its noble General, being ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Faith begets in the foul an antipathy against all fins and lufts, purifying the heart, and fetting it directly againft fin. Tell a carnal heart, fin lies at the door; why, let it come in, it is a friend of mine: but, acquaint a believer, exerciling faith, that there is fin in fuch a thing; Oh! it is an abomination. Faith difcovers the danger the foul is in by the nations of lufts that encompass it, and excites all the faculties of the foul to rife up against it, faying, "Rife, Samfon, for the Philiftines are upon thee;" canft thou fleep in the midft of troops and armies of lufts? And fo it rouzes the foul to figh, and groan, and pant, and pray, and cry, and wreftle; and fo to overcome, under the ftandard of the glorious Captain.

Ufe 3. The third Ufe is for Examination. Hence we may fee matter for trying our ftate by: What is the mark of a candidate for heaven, a traveller to Canaan? Why, The Lord bis God is driving out the nations before bim, by little and little. Is the battle with the nations. commenced, and fairly begun? And, is the Lord gradually carrying it on?

QUEST. How fhall I know if the war is commenced, and progreflively going forward?

ANSW. For a folution of this inquiry, you may take a mark or two out of the bofom of the text.

1. Have you got a view of the nations, that are in your way? I mean, a view and difcovery of your corruption, your original and actual fin, and your natural bondage and flavery by reason thereof? Have you seen nations of lufts within you? And have you feen them to be fuch powerful nations, that nothing but the power of omnipotence can drive out? And, confequently, have feen your own utter impotency to drive them out of yourfelf? Have you feen them to be fuch politic nations, and fo fraudulent, that nothing but the infinite wifdom of God could counteract this policy of hell;

know

knowing your heart to be deceitful above all things, as well as defperately wicked? Have you feen them to be fuch fpiritual nations, fpiritual wickedneffes in high places, that no carnal weapon could avail in this warfare, but only fuch fpiritual weapons as are mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the ftrong holds? Have you feen them to be fach numerous nations, that your name is LEGION; a legion of lufts, a legion of devils, that nothing but a word from Jefus can put out?— Now, this mark excludes all that never faw themselves, and their own natural bondage and thraldom; they are yet ferving the nations, which they ought to be driving out. They who know the plagues of their own heart, and have experienced the power of thefe nations in their way, look more like the travellers to Canaan. But take this mark in conjunction with what follows.

2. Have you got a difcovery of a God in Chrift, the glorious Captain of falvation, in whom alone your help and falvation lies, and who alone can put out these nations before you? Hath the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Chrift been given to you, fo as to reveal Chrift in you, and fo as you have fometime or other got Chrift in you the hope of glory, Chrift in you the hope of victory? Have you feen Chrift, as a victorious Conqueror, triumphing over all the nations of fpiritual enemies,"Travelling in the greatnefs of his strength, treading the wine-prefs alone, when of the people there was none with him, ftaining all his raiment with the blood of the enemy, and trampling them in his fury;" as this is elegantly reprefented, Ifa. lxiii. 1, 2,3. Have you feen help laid upon One that is mighty, One whofe name is JESUS and JEHOVAH both? JEHOVAH is his name, in the firit word of our text; and his name is called JESUS, becaufe he faves his people from their fins. As many difcoveries as you have got of the glory of Chrift as the Captain of falvation, fo many marks of victory begun have you.But this mark excludes all that never get their eyes opened to fee any form or comelinefs in Chrift, or any beauty, wherefore they should defire him and hence the beauty and glory of a prefent world bulks more in their eyes.

3. Hath the difcovery of the glory of the Conqueror

loofed

« PreviousContinue »