What is the gi-ound of popish idolatries and abominations ? They con- ceive not aright of the fulness of Christ, wherefore he was ordained, and sent of God ; for if they did, they would not go to idols and saints, and leave Christ. Therefore let us make this use of it, go out of Christ for nothing. If we want favour, go not to saints, if we want instruction, go not to traditions of men. He is a prophet wise enough, and a priest full enough to make us accepted of God. K we want any grace, he is a king able enough, rich enough, and strong enough to subdue aU our rebellions in us, and he will in time by his Spirit overcome all, ' Stronger is he that is in us than he that is in the world,' 1 John iv. 4. The spirit in the world, the de-\dl and devilish-minded men, they are not so strong as the Spirit of Christ ; for by little and little the Spirit of Christ will subdue all. Christ is a king, go not out of him therefore for anything. ' Babes, keep j'our- selves from idols,' 1 John v. 21. You may well enough, you know whom to go to.
Therefore let us shame ourselves. Is there such a store-house of com- fort and grace every way in Christ ? Why are we so weak and comfortless ? Why are we so dejected as if we had not such a rich husband ? All our husband's riches are ours for our good, we receive of it in our measure, why do we not go to the fountain and make use of it ? Why, in the midst of abundance, are we poor and beggarly ? Here we may see the misery of the world. Christ is a prophet to teach us the way to heaven, but how few be there that wiU be directed by him ! Christ is a Idng to subdue all our spiritual and worst enemies, to subdue those enemies that kings tremble at, to subdue death, to subdue the fear of judgment and the wrath of God, and yet how few will come under his government ! ' Christ is the light of the world,' John ix. 5, yet how few follow him! Christ is the way, yet how few tread in his steps ! Christ is our wisdom and oui* riches, yet how few go to him to fetch any riches, but content themselves with the transi- tory things of this life ! Men live as if Christ were nothing, or did nothing concern them, as if he were a person abstracted from them, as if he were not a head or husband, as if he had received the Spirit only for him- self and not for them, whereas all that is in Christ is for us. I beseech you therefore let us learn to Imow Christ better, and to make use of him.
Again, if Christ hath ' the Spirit put upon him for us all,' then in our daily shps and errors make this use, to ofier Christ to God with this argu- ment. Take an argument fi'om God himself to bind him. God will be bound with his own arguments. We cannot bind him with ours, but let us go to him and say, Lord, though I be thus and thus sinful, yet for Christ Jesus' sake thy servant, whom thou lovest and hast put thy Spirit upon him to be a priest, and to make intercession for me, for his sake pardon, for his sake accept. Make use of God's consecration of Christ by the Spirit to God himself, and bind him with his o^vn mediator, and with his own priest of his own ordaining. Thou canst not. Lord, refuse a Saviour and mediator of thine own, sanctified by thine own Spirit, whom thou hast set .apart, and ordained and qualified every way for this pui-pose. Let us go to God in the name of this mediator Jesus Christ every day, and this is to make a good use of this, that God hath ' put his Spirit upon him.'
But to make a use of trial, how shall we know that this comfort belongs
22 A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST.
to US, that Christ hath the Spirit put upon him for us or no, whether he be ordained a king, priest, and prophet for us ? That which I said before will give light to this. We must partake of the same Spirit that Christ hath, or else we are none of his members. As we partake of his name, so we must also of his anointing. Thereupon we are called Christians, because we partake of the anointing and Spirit of Christ, and if we have the Spirit of Christ, it will work the same in us as it did in Christ, it will convince us of our own ill, of our rebellions, and cursed estate, and it will convince us likewise of the good we have in him. And then, he is a Spirit of union, to knit us to Christ, and make us one with him, and thereupon to quicken us, to lead us, and guide us, and to dwell in us continually, to stir up prayers and supplications in us, to make us cry familiarly to God as to a Father, to comfort and support us in all our wants and miseries, as he did Christ, ' to help our infinnities,' as the apostle at large, in Rom. viii. 20, sets down the excellent office of the Holy Grhost, v/hat he doth in those that are Christ's. Let us therefore examine ourselves, what the Spirit doth in us, if Christ be set apart to redeem us as a priest. Surely all his offices go together. He doth by the same Spirit rule us, Eev. i. 5, ' He hath washed us in his blood, and made us kings and priests.' Whosoever he washeth in his blood he maketh him a king and a priest, he makes him by the power of his Spirit able to rule over his base corruptions. We may know then, whether we have benefit by Christ by his Spu-it, not only by the Spirit witnessing that we are the sons of God, but by some arguments whereby the Spirit may witness without delusion. For though the Spirit of Christ tells us that we are Christ's, yet the proof must be from guiding and lead- ing, and comforting and conforming us to Jesus Christ, in making us kings and prophets, enlightening our understandings to know his will, and con- forming us to be like him. The Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of power and strength. It will enable us to perform duties above nature, to overcome ourselves and injuries, it will make us to want and to abound, it will make us able to live and to die, as it enabled Christ to do things that another man could not do. So a Christian can do that, and sufl'er that that another man catinot do and suffer, because he hath the Spirit of Christ.