justl}' kindled in God's heart against liim ; so he hath also that enmity which the heart of the creature is filled with against God : and paid for a new stock of grace, wherewith his hankrupt creature may again set up : so that, poor so\il, when thou gocst to pray for faith, look up unto Christ, as having a bank of grace l}'ing by him, to give out to poor sinners who see they have nothing of their own to begin v/ith, and in the sense of this their beggary, repair to him. ' Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast re- ceived gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them,' Psa. Ixviii. 18. This is, beyond all doubt, meant of Christ, and to him applied, Eph. iv. 8. Now observe. First, A bank and treasure of gifts in the hand of Christ, — ' Thou hast.' Secondly, Who intrusts him with them, and that is his Father, — 'Thou hast received gifts;' that is, Christ of his Father. Thirdly, When, or upon what considerations, doth the Father deposit this treasure into Christ's hands ? — ■' Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received,' &c. That is, when Christ had van- quished sin and Satan by his death, and rode in the triumphant chariot of his ascension into heaven's glorious city, then did Christ receive these gifts as the purchase of his blood, and the payment of an old debt, which God, before the foundation of the world, when the covenant was transacted and struck, pro- mised his Son, upon the condition of his discharging sinful man's debt, with the effusion of his own precious blood unto death. Fourthly, The persons for whose use Christ received these gifts, — ' For men,' not angels ; for ' rebellious ' men, not men without sin ; so that, poor soul, thy sinful nature and life do not make thee an excepted person, and shut thee out from receiving any of this dole. Lastly, Observe the nature of these gifts, and the end they are given Christ for, — ' That God may dwell in them,' or with them. Now nothing but faith can make a soul that hath been rebellious, a place meet for the holy God to dwell in. This is the gift, indeed, he received all other gifts for, in a manner. W^herefore the gifts of the Spii'it and ministry, ' apostles, teachers, pastors,' &c., but that by these he might woi-k faith in the hearts of poor sinners ? Let this give thee boldness, poor soul, humbly to press God for that which Christ hath paid for : say. Lord, I have been a rebellious wretch indeed, but did Christ receive nothing for such ? I have an unbelieving heart, but I hear there is faith paid for in thy covenant ; Christ shed his blood that thou mightest shed forth thy Spirit on poor sinners. Dost thou think, that while thou art thus pleading with God, and using Christ's name in prayer to move him, that Christ himself can sit within hearing of all this, and not befriend thy motion to his Father ? Surely he is willing that what God is indebted to him should be paid ; and therefore when thou beggest faith upon the account of his death, thou shalt find him ready to join issue with thee in the same prayer to his Father. Indeed, he went to heaven on purpose that poor returning souls might not want a friend at court, when they come with their humble petitions thither.
Section IL — Fourthly, Converse much with the promises, and be frequently pondering them in thy musing thoughts. It is indeed the Spirit's work, and only his, to bottom thy sold upon the promise, and give his word a being by faith in thy heart ; this thou canst not do ; yet as fire came down from heaven upon Elijah's sacrifice, when he had laid the wood in order, and gone as far as he could ; so thou mayest comfortably hope that then the Spirit of God will come with spiritual light and life, to quicken the promise upon thy heart, when thou hast been conscionably diligent in meditating on the promise ; if withal thou ownest God in the thing, as he did, who, Avhen he had laid all in order, lifts up his heart to God in prayer, expecting all from him, 1 Kings xviii. 36. I know no more speedy way to invite the Spirit of God to our assistance than this. As he tempts the devil to tempt him, that lets his eyes gaze or his thoughts gad upon a lustful object; so he bespeaks the Holy Spirit's company, that lets out his thought upon holy, heavenly objects. We need not doubt but the Spirit of God is as willing to cherish any good motion, as the infernal spirit IS to nourish that which is evil. We find the spouse sitting under the shadow oi her beloved, as one imder an apple-tree, Cant. ii. 3 ; and presently she tells us, ' his fruit was sweet to her taste.' What doth this her sitting under his shadow better signify, than a soul sitting under the thoughts of Christ, and the precious promises that grow out of him, as branches out of a tree? Do but, O Christian,
ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 461