the finishing of his own work of redemption without us, gives full evidence that he will finish his work of sanctification within us ; and that because these two works of Christ have a respect and re- lation to each other ; and such a relation, that the work he finished by his own death, resurrection, and ascension, would be in vain to us, if the work of sanctification in us should not in like manner be finished. Therefore, as he presented a perfect sacrifice to God, and finished redemption-work ; so will he present every man per- fect and complete, for whom he offered up himself; for he will not lose the end of all his sufferings at last. To what purpose would his meritorious impetration be, without complete and full application ? Be not therefore discouraged at the defects and im- perfections of your inherent grace : be humbled for them, but be not dejected by them : this is Christ's work, as well as that : that work is finished, and so will this.
Inf. 4. Is Christ's work of redemption a complete and finished work ? Hozo excellent and comfortable beyond all compare, is the me- tliod and way of faith ! Surely the way of believing is the most ex- cellent way in which a poor sinner can approach God ; for it brings before him a complete, entire, perfect righteousness; and this must needs be most honourable to God, most comfortable to the soul that draws nigh to God. O what a complete, finished, per- fect thing is the righteousness of Christ ! the searching eye of the holy and jealous God cannot find the least flaw or defect in it. Let God or conscience look upon it ; turn it every way ; view it on every side ; thoroughly weigh and examine it, it wiil appear a pure, a perfect piece, containing in it whatsoever is necessary for the reconciling of an angry God, or pacifying of a distressed and perplexed soul. How pleasing, therefore, and acceptable to God must be that faith, which presents so complete and excellent an atonement to him ! Hence the acting of our faith upon Christ for righteousness, the approaches of faith to God with such an accep- table present, is called the work of God ; that is, the most grateful, acceptable, and well pleasing work to God that a creature can perform; John vi. 29. " This is the work of God, that ye be- " lieve.'1 One act of faith pleases him more, than if you should toil all your lives at a task of obedience to the law. As it is more for God's honour and thy comfort, to pay all thou owest him at one payment, in one full sum, than to be paying by very small degrees, and never be able to make full payment, or see the bond cancelled ; so this perfect work only produces perfect peace-
Inf. 5. Did Christ work, and work out all that God gave him to do, till he had finished his work ? Hozo necessary then is a laborious working life to all that call themselves Christians ? The life of Christ, you see, was a laborious life. Shall he work and we play ? Shall a
SERM. XXXV. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 43&
zealous, active, working Christ be reproached with idle, negligent and lazy followers ? O work, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. ii. 1£
Object. But if Christ wrought so hard, we may sit still. If he finished the work, nothing remains for us to do.
Solut. Nothing of that work which Christ did, remains for you to do. It is your commendation and duty to leave all that to Christ : but there is other work for you to do ; yea, store of work lying upon your hands. You must work as well as Christ, though not for the same ends Christ did. He wrought hard to satisfy the law, by fulfilling all righteousness. He wrought all his life long, to work out a righteousness to justify you before God. This work falls to no hand but Christ's : but you must work, to obey the commands of Christ into whose right ye are come by redemption : you must work to testify your thankfulness to Christ, for the work finished for you : you must work, to glorify God by your obedience : let your light so shine before men. For these, and divers other such ends and reasons, your life must be a working life. God preserve all his people from the gross and vile opinions of Jntinomian libertines, who cry up grace and decry obedience : who under specious pretences of exalting a naked Christ upon the throne, do indeed strip him naked of a great part of his glory, and vilely dethrone him. My pen shall not English what mine eyes have read *. Tell it not in Gath.
But for thee, reader, be thou a follower of Christ, imitate thy pattern ; yea, let me persuade thee, as ever thou hopest to clear up thine interest in him, imitate him in such particulars as these that follow.
First, Christ began early to work for God ; he took the morn- ing of his life, even the very beginning of it, to work for God : " How is it (said he to his parents, when he was but a child of " about twelve years old) that ye sought me ? Wist ye not that I " must be about my Father's business ?" Reader, if the morning of thy life be not gone, O devote it to the work of God as Christ did : if it be, ply thy work the closer in the afternoon of thy life. If a man have any great and necessary business to do, it is good doing it in the morning ; afterwards a hurry of business and diversion comes on.
Secondly, As Christ began betime, so he followed his work close : he was early up, and he wrought hard, so hard, that " he forgat " to eat bread," John iv. 31, 32. So zealous was he in his Fa-
* Da mihi Christum, non quarro dona gratia, sed Christum. Non qua'ro promissionest sed Christum. Non qucero sanctificationem, sed Christum. Nc mihi narrafabidam de mc- diatore, et officio i narra mihi de Christo. Commentarius de statu F.ccles. Brit. p. 45.
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tiler's work, that his friends thought " that he had been beside '• himself j" Mark iii. 21. So zealous that " the zeal of God's " house eat him up." He flew like a seraphim, in a flame of zeal, about the work of God. O be not ye like snails. What * Au- gustus said of the young Roman, well becomes the true Christian, " whatsoever he doth, he doth it to purpose.'*
Thirdly, Christ often thought upon the shortness of his time, and wrought hard because he knew his working- time would be but little. So you find it, John ix. 4. " I must work the works u of him that sent me, whilst it is day ; the night cometh, when " no man can work." O in this be like Christ : rouse your hearts to diligence with this consideration. If a man have much to write, and be almost come to the end of his paper, he will write close, and thereby put much matter in a little room.