The Spanish ambassador, coming to see the treasury of St Mark in Venice, which is cried up throughout the world, fell a-groping to find whether it had any bottom, and being asked why, answered, In this amongst other things, my great Master's treasure differs from yours, in that his hath no bottom, as I find yours to have, — alluding to the mines in Mexico and Potosi. But what are the Spaniard's treasures to Christ's treasures ? A man may, without much groping, find the bottom of all earthly treasures, but who can find the bottom of Christ's treasures ?' Should all created excellencies meet in one glorified breast, yet they could not enable that glorious God-like creature to sound the bottom of those riches and treasures which are in Christ, Ephes. iii. 8 ; all which speaks out Christ's all-sufficiency ; and thus much for the second thing.
(3.) Thirdly, If you would be good betimes, then you must know betimes, That there is a marvellous ivillingness and readiness in Christ to embrace, to enteHain, to welcome returning sinners, and to shew mercy and favour to them.
The young prodigal did but think of returning to his father, and he ran and met him, and instead of kicking or killing him, he kissed him and embraced him, his bowels rolled within him, and his compassions flowed out freely to him, Luke xv. 20-22. ' Ho everyone that thirsteth, come ye 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,' Isa. lv. I.2 Nazianzen improveth this place thus: ' Oh, this easy way of contract, he giveth more willingly than others sell ; if thou wilt but accept, that is all the price ; though you have no merits, though you have nothing in yourselves to encourage you, yet will you accept ? If you will, all is freely yours ; the waters shall be yours to cleanse you, and the milk yours to nourish you, and the bread yours to strengthen you, and the wine yours to comfort you. Here poor sinners are called three times to come : Come, saith Christ, come, come, to shew how mar- vellous ready and willing he is that poor sinners should taste of gospel delicates.3 So in that John vii. 37, ' Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink ;' so in that Rev. xxii. 17, 'Let
1 //m« Deus si/fficit ad pramium. — Bernard.
'-' The meaning is, Bel) thyself, thine own wit, reason, self-worth ; and that is all Christ desires, saith Augustine upon the words.
a Cant, ii 8. Christ comes leaping upon the mountains, and skipping upon the hills, to shuw his readiness and willingness to do good to souls.
1 Kings XIV. 13.] apples of gold. 243
him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely' ; so in that Rev. iii. 20, ' Behold, I stand at the door and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me ;' and so in that Luke xiv. 21, 'The master of the house said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.' Here is no man of quality, of dignity, of worldly pomp or glory, or of any self-sufficiency, that is invited to the feast, but a company of poor, ragged, deformed, slighted, neglected, impoverished, wounded sinners ; these are invited to feast with Christ.
Concerning this willingness of Christ, I shall speak more when I come to deal with old sinners in the close of this discourse, and to that I refer you for further and fuller satisfaction concerning the great readiness and willingness of Jesus Christ to entertain returning sinners.
(4.) Fourthly, If you would be good betimes, then you must know betimes, That Jesus Christ is designed, sealed, and appointed by the Father to the office of a Mediator}
' Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you ; for him hath God the Father sealed.' God the Father hath made Christ's commission authentical, as men do theirs by their seal. It is a metaphor, a simile taken from them who give commissions under hand and seal. God the Father hath given it under his hand and seal, that Jesus Christ is the only person that he hath appointed and sealed, allowed and confirmed, to the office of our redemption. If J esus Christ were never so able to save, and never so willing and ready to save poor sinners, yet if he were not appointed, designed, and sealed, for that work, the awakened sinner would never look out after him, nor desire union with him, nor interest in him ; and therefore it is of very great consequence to know that God the Father hath sent and sealed Christ to be a Saviour to his people : ' Him hath God the Father sealed.' Sealed by way of destination and sealed by way of qualification, sealed by his doctrine, sealed by his miracles, sealed by his baptism, sealed by his resurrection, but above all, sealed by his glorious unction. ' The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek : he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God ; to comfort all that mourn ; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness : that they might be called trees of righteous- ness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified,' Isa. lxi. 1-3, Luke iv. 18.2 Neither saints nor angels are sealed and anointed to the great work of redemption, but the Lord Jesus is. You should always look upon the Lord Jesus as sealed and anointed to the office of a Me- diator, and accordingly plead with him.
1 John vi. 27, The Father sealed, even God ; so the Greek hath it.
* Christ was anointed of God, 1, by way of designation ; 2, by way of qualification ; 3. by way of inauguration. This anointing was ordinarily used in the installing men to offices of any eminence.
244 APPLES OF GOLD. [1 KlNGS XIV. 13.
Ah, Lord ! it is thy office, as thou art a sealed and an anointed Sa- viour and Redeemer, to subdue my sins, to change my nature, to sanctify my heart, to reform my life, ;u'd to save my soul; and therefore do it for thy Dame's sake, oh doit for thy office' sake, do it for thy glory's sake !