Christ is generally rich ; he is able to make up all your losses and wants : Philip, iv. 19, ' But my God shall supply all your need, accord- ing to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ,' as he did the widow's vessel. The fountain hath not the less water for the vessel it fills, nor the sun the less light for that it gives forth to the stars ; so the Lord Jesus Christ hath never a whit the less for what he gives forth unto his saints.
When Zedislaus, the king of Poland's general, had lost his hand in his service, the king sent him a golden hand. Ah, Christians ! when you lose this or that for him, he wall send you a golden hand ; if you lose a penny for him, he will give you a pearl. Christ will not live long in any man's debt ; if he should, he would lose his glory, &c.
(2.) Secondly, If the Lord Jesus be very rich. Oh then take heed of despairing by reason of your sins.
I confess, the least sin should humble the soul, but certainly the greatest sin should never discourage the soul, much less should it work the soul to despair. Read 1 Tim. i. 13-15, and despair, I had almost said, if thou can'st. Despairing Judas perished, Acts ii., whenas the murderers of Christ, believing on Christ, were saved. Despair is a sin ex- ceeding vile and contemptible; it is a word of eternal reproach, dishonour, and confusion; it declares the devil a conqueror ; and what greater dishon- our can be done to Christ, than for a soul to proclaim before all the world the devil a crowned conqueror ? A despairing soul is niagor missabib, a terror to himself; his heart a hell of horror; his conscience an acelda^na, a field of black blood. He hath no rest at home nor abroad, at bed nor board, but is as if infernal devils followed him in fearful shapes, terrify- ing and tormenting his perplexed soul. Eternity of misery, feared or felt, begets that monster which, like Medusa's head, astonisheth with its very aspect, and strangles hope, which is the breath of the soul. As it is said, du7n spiro, spero, so it may be inverted, duTYi spero, spiro ; other miseries may wound the spirit, but despair kills it dead, &c.^
(3.) Thirdly, If Christ be so rich, tlien take heed of presuming.
Take heed of taking encouragement to sin upon this account, that Christ is rich in grace and mercy. Christ is a lion as well as a lamb ; he hath a sword as well as a sceptre. To argue from the riches of mercy to sinful liberty is the devil's logic. A soul that thus reasons is a soul left of God, a soul that is upon the last step of the ladder, a soul that Satan hath by the hand ; and the eternal God knows whither he will lead him. What the women sung of Saul and David, that ' Saul had slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,' 1 Sam. xviii.
* ' My sin is greater than can be forgiven,' saith Cain. Thou liest, Cain, saith Augus- tine ; for God's mercy is greater than the sins of all men, and it is a great injury to God to distrust of his mercy, [/n loco. — G.]
194 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
6, 7, that I may say of despair and presumption, ' Despair hath slain her thousand, but presumption hath slain her ten thousand.' ' Shall we sin that grace may abound l God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?' Rom. vi. 1,2. As the beams of the sun, shining on the fire, put out the fire, so the shinings of God's mercy on us should extinguish sin in us, as the apostle argues, 2 Peter iii. 15, from Paul, Rom. ii. 4. Christ seems to say to souls, as Theseus said once, ' Go,' says he, ' and tell Creon, Theseus offers thee a gracious offer, yet I am pleased to be friends, if thou wilt submit. This is my first message, but if this offer prevail not, look for me to be up in arms.' Ah souls ! if you shall abuse the riches of grace to a presumptuous sin- ning against Christ, Christ will take up arms, and you shall die for it.
The next use is this :
Use 4. If Christ be so rich, Oh ! then, open to Christ ivhen he hnoclcs.
Christ knocks by his word, and he knocks by his rod ; he knocks by his Spirit, and he knocks by his messengers, and he knocks by con- science. Oh, open to him ! for he is very rich. Though you shut the door against a poor man, yet you will open it to one that is rich ; and why not then to Christ, who would fain have entrance ? 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 Avith me.'
' Behold, I stand.' I that am the King of glory, I that am ' King of kings, and Lord of lords,' Ps. xxiv. 7-9, Rev. xvii. 14. I that am rich in mercy, rich in goodness, rich in grace, rich in glory, 'I stand at the door and knock.' I that have gold to enrich you, I that have eye-salve to enlighten you, I that have glorious apparel to clothe you, I that have mercy to pardon you, I that have power to save you, I that have wisdom to counsel you, I that have happiness to crown you, 'I stand at the door and knock.'
' If any man open.' If the master will not, yet if the servant will ; if the mistress will not, yet if the maid will ; if the parent will not, yet if the child will ; if the rich man will not, yet if the poor man will ; if the pharisee won't, yet if the publican will ;
' I will come in, and sup with him, and he with me.' Jesus Christ hath the greatest worth and wealth in him. As the Avorth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold, so all the heavenly ex- cellencies that are scattered abroad in angels and men, are united in Christ ; yea, all the whole volume of perfection which is spread through heaven and earth is epitomised in Christ.
They say it is true of the oil at Rheems, that though it be continually .spent in the inauguration of their kings of France, yet it never wastes. Christ is a pot of manna, a cruse of oil, a bottomless ocean of all com- forts and contents that never fail. A saint may say, * In having no- thing, I have all things, because I have Christ Having therefore all thin<rs in him, I seek no other reward, for ho is the universal reward.'
Use 5. If Christ be so rich, then sit down and wonder at his con- descending love.
That one so rich should fall in love with such that are poor, wretched, miserable, blind, and naked. Rev. iii. 17-21, &c. ; that one so high
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 195