1. It is not a rash consent, but such as is deliberate, and serious, and well-advised. When God in the gospel biddeth us to take Christ, men are ready to say, With all their hearts ; but they do not consider what it is to receive Christ, and therefore retract their consent as soon as it is made. No ; you must sit down and count the charges, Luke xiv. When you have considered his strict laws, and made a full allow- ance for incident difficulties and temptations, and can resolve, forsaking all others, to cleave to him alone for salvation, it is an advised consent.
2. It must not be a forced and involuntary consent, such as a person maketh when he is frightened into a little righteousness for the pre- sent ; such as a person would not yield to if he were in a state of liberty. It may be in a distress or pang of conscience ; by all means they must have Christ when sick, when afraid to die, when under some great judgment. No ; the will must be effectually inclined to him, and to God the Father by him, as our utmost felicity and end. Christ's people are a willing people : Ps. ex. 3, ' Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.'
3. It must be a resolved consent, a fixed, not an ambulatory will, which we take up for a purpose, or at some certain times, for a solemn duty, or so. No ; you must cleave to him : Acts xi. 23, ' He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.' You must trample upon everything that will separate you from him : Phil. iii. 8, 9, ' Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I bave suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that
116 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. 3.
I may win Christ,' &c. ; and Eom. viii, 38, 39, ' I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'
4. It must be not a partial consent, but total ; not only to take Christ as offered with his benefits, but a consent of subjection to him as our Lord. We are to take him and his yoke : Mat. xi. 29, ' Take my yoke upon j'ou, and learn of me.' We are to take liim> and his cross : Mat. xvi. 24, ' If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' It is accompanied with a resolution to obey his laws and keep his commandments, that we may abide in his love.
Thirdly, Besides this consent, there must be a recumbency, depend- ence, resting, or a fiduciary reliance upon him for all things we stand in need of from him. Recumbency is a special act of faith : Isa. xxvi. 3, ' Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.' Now what do we rest ujion him for ? For somewhat here and somewhat hereafter — (1.) Here ; for tlie inward man, for all kind of grace, justification, sanctification, privileges, duties, for the beginning and continuance : Phil. i. 6, ' Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ ;' and Acts v. 31, ' Him hath Cod ex- alted to be a prince and a saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' He is the author and fountain of grace, as well as a Lord and lawgiver, and the ground of our hope and confidence, as giving us that righteousness whereby we may stand before G-od, and have comfortable access to him. And then for the outward man, God hath not only undertaken to give us heaven and happiness in the next world, but to carry us thither with comfort, supplying us in a way most conducible to his glory and our welfare : Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' The Lord is a sun and shield ; the Lord will give grace and glory ; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.' All things are yours, ordinances, providences : 1 Cor. iii. 21, ' For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' (2.) Hereafter ; that Christ will give us eternal glory and happiness in the other world: 1 Tim. i. 16, ' For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should here- after believe in him to life everlasting ; ' and John xx. 31, ' These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name.' This is the main blessing which faith aimeth at : 1 Peter i. 9, ' Eeceiving the end of yom- faith, even the salvation of your souls.' By this all temptations of sense are defeated.