3. There are no garments of salvation to be had but from Christ alone, no way else found out to cover our nakedness. Therefore we are said to put on Christ : Gal. iii. 27 ; and Eom. xiii. 11, ' Put on the Lord Jesus.' So that then we are not found naked, but clothed with Christ, who alone can cover our loathsome nakedness, and render us acceptable to God. As Esther had garments out of the king's ward- robe, so the church hath granted unto her, by the king's gift and allow- ance, ' fine linen, which is the righteousness of the saints,' Kev. xix. 8. Whatever the instruments be, yet Christ saith, ' I will give thee change of raiment,' Zech. iii. 4. Alas ! our own righteousness is as filthy rags, and will never cover our nakedness ; our best robes need to be washed in the Lamb's blood, or there is no appearing before God with any comfort and confidence.
Thirdly, Why none but they can groan, and desire earnestly to be clothed upon with the house which is from heaven.
1. None but tliey are in a state, or have a right to enjoy it. The change of an earthly state into a heavenly one requireth first, as a necessary foregoing condition, that we should be in this world clothed with Christ's righteousness, and regenerated and sanctified by his Spirit, and glorify God by new obedience ; for corruption cannot inherit incorruption, and none but new creatures shall inherit the new Jeru- salem ; and good works are the way to the crown, &c. Well then, none but they are got ready, and so are in a condition desirously to expect this glory. The soul, being conscious to itself of having this true qualification, doth more comfortly expect and desire and groan for immortality. It is but a small part of lost mankind who shall enjoy this blessedness ; for the flock to whom the Father will give the kingdom is but a little flock, and these are such as are
1 Qu. ' trafficking ' ?— Ed.
464 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIAKS V. [SeR. V.
justified and sanctified. They that are destitute of righteousness cannot look God in the face, much less desire his presence. Surely a man must be born again before he can enter into the kingdom of God, John iii. 3-5.
2. None have a right temper of heart to incline them to it but those that are clothed. A man is ashamed to be seen in his nakedness, especially before his superiors ; but being clothed, cometh forth with confidence. So here, guilt and sin breed a shyness of God, but pardon and sanctification give a holy boldness : 1 John ii. 28, ' And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming ; ' so 1 John iv. 17, ' Tiiat we may have boldness at the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in the world.' Be justified, be sanctified, and walk as Christ walked ; and why should you be afraid to ajipear in his presence ? Whereas, others are ashamed to be seen by him. Shame is properly a fear of a rebuke ; a reproof from the judge of the woi-ld is the greatest rebuke of all. Now what maketh the saints so bold, and allayeth their fear and shame, since they are conscious to them- selves of many infirmities? An.s. Their nakedness is covered, they have white raiment cast upon them, that all their defects and imfir- mities are hidden. More particularly —
[1.] That which is the matter and cause of fear and shame is removed. That which makes a man afraid is guilt and sin, which sometimes is represented under the notion of filthiness, and sometimes of nakedness. Now this filthiness is washed away by the blood of Christ ; this nakedness is covered by the righteousness of Christ. They have put on Christ, and are invested with righteousness, Kom. viii. 1.
[2.] The ground of our boldness is laid, so that we may have a comfortable expectation of everlasting blessedness.
(1.) The justified and sanctified are at peace with God : Rom. v. 1, ' Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' And for sanctification : Gal. vi. 16, ' And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.' Our great business is to be found of God, at peace, in a state of amity at the last day : 2 Peter iii. 14, ' Since we look for such things, be diligent, that we may be found of him in peace, and without spot and blame.' The great end of all diligence is to be found of him in peace ; and there is no way to be so, but to be without spot and blame. Without spot relateth to the soul, without blame to the conversation. The great business, then, wherein a christian is to be exercised, is in the getting off our sinful spots, and in putting off our filthy garments, that we may be clothed with change of raiment. Certainly much sweet peace and quietness is found in their spirits who make it their serious work to have the guilt of sin washed away by the application of the blood of Jesus, and their filthy natures changed by the power of his Spirit. On the contrary, others lie under much unquietness and bitter anxiety, who are still under the burden of unpardoned guilt and unrenewed nature. These are not at peace with God.