4. And not only know that they are ours, but use ours to our own good and benefit upon all occasions. If we offend God, as every daj^ we do, make use of our riches in Christ for the pardon of our sins. He is full of favour, he is our High Priest, he makes intercession for us. If we want knowledge he is a Prophet to teach us by his Spirit. If we find our natures defiled, and want power over our corruptions, he is a King to guide and lead us, in the midst of all our enemies, to heaven. If we find our consciences troubled, consider what peace we have in Christ. If we want outward things, let us consider we are under age. Great persons enjoy not their inheritances when they are under years. If God dispense outward things to us, it is for our good. If he send poverty and disgrace, it is for our good, to fit us for a better state. God in his infinite wisdom knows better what is good for us than we do for ourselves. In the want of anything let us believe that Christ is given as a public treasure to the church. Thus we may improve the grace and riches we have in Christ.
5. Again, let us labour to make a good use of evenj favmtr ice enjoy ; of our liberties and recreations. We have all by the poverty of Christ. There- fore let us use them in a sober manner, not as the fashion is, to cast off all care of Christ ; to pour out ourselves to all licentiousness. Let us consider, this liberty and refreshing that I have, it is from the blood of Christ ; as David's worthies, when they brake through with the danger of their lives to get him water, ' Oh,' saith he, ' I will not drink it, it is the blood of these men,' 2 Sam. xxiii. 15, seq. So whatsoever liberties and good things I have, I have it by the poverty of Christ, by the blood of Christ ; and shall I misuse it ?
And certainly it will make us esteem more highly of our spiritual privileges than of outward, considering they cost Christ so dear. He became poor to set us up when we were utterly bankrupt. He stripped himself of all, to make us rich. Shall we not therefore esteem and use these things well ? And when we ai'e tempted to sin, this will be a gi'eat means to restrain us ; I am freed from sin by the blood of Christ ; shall I make him poor again by committing sin ? Shall I wrong him now he is in heaven ? The Jews despited him on earth in the form of a servant ; but our sins are of a higher nature, of a deeper double dye ; we sin against Christ in heaven in glory. * That is, ' contentment.'— G. t Qu. ' Christ'?— Ed.
512 THE cnuRcn's riches.
When we arc tempted to sin, this consideration will make us ashamed to sin : Since Christ hath bought our liberty from sin at such a rate, shall we make light of sin that cost him his dear blood, and the sense of his Father's wrath ? that made him cry out, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?' It is impossible that any man should pour out himself to sin that hath this consideration. Christ became poor, that we through his poverty might bo made rich.
The next thing is the (jronnd or spring from xchcnce all tins comes ; it is from grace. ' You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.' It was his mere grace. There was nothing that could compel him. God the Father could not compel him, because ho was equal with his Father ; being God, there was an equality of essence.
And then, what was there in us that should move him to abase himself 60 low ? Was there any worth in us ? No. We were dead. Was there any strength in us ? No. We were dead in sins. Was any goodness in us? No. We were Christ's enemies. Was there any desire in us ? No. We were opposite to all goodness in ourselves ; there was no desire in us to be better than we were. If God should have let us alone to our own desires, we were posting to hell. It is the greatest misery in the world, next to hell itself, to be given up to our own desires. A man were better to be given up to the devil than to his own desires. He maj' torment him, and perhaps bring him to repentance ; but to be given up to his own desires, leads to hell. It is merely of grace, grace. It was the grace of God the Father that gave his Son ; and it was grace that the Son gave himself.
What is grace ? It is a principle from whence all good comes from God to us. As God loves us men, and not angels, it is flulanthropia ;* as God's affection is beneficial to our nature, so it is love ; as it is to persons in misery, so it is mercy ; as it is free, without any worth in us procuring it, so it is grace. It is the same affection ; only it difiers outwardly in regard of the object. Hence we see that Christ must be considered as a joint cause of our salvation with the Father. ' It is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.' You see here he became poor to make us rich. Indeed, he was sent and anointed and sealed, and had authority of his Father ; yet not- withstanding his joint grace and consent went with it. Therefore he was a principal, as Chrysostom speaks, with a principal {d). He difiers nothing at all from his Father, but in order of persons ; first the Father and then the Son, both being jointly God, and both joint causes of the salvation of mankind. The Father chose us to salvation ; the Son paid the price for us ; and the Holy Ghost applies it and sanctifies our natures. God the Father loved the world, and gave his Son. Christ loved the world, and gave himself : ' He loved me, and gave himself for me,' saith St Paul, Gal. ii. 20. Therefore we should think of the sweet consent of the Trinity, in their love to mankind. So the Father loved us, that he gave his Son ; so the Son loved us, that he gave himself; so the Holy Ghost loves us, that he conveys all grace to us, and dwells in us, and assures us of God's love.