4. Fourthly, He is of that precious virtue, as he turns all to gold ; all things are sanctified to us, death, grave, crosses, all which, though we be not freed from, yet he turns them all to work our good.
5. Fifthly, By him toe are made heirs, and have title to all things. He is our Lord ; and he that hath given Christ to us, how shall he not with him give us all things, Rom. viii. 32, so as in all our wants we may boldly come to the throne of grace.
6. Sixthl}^ We hij Christ gain such offices as he himself had. We are kings ; we are priests ; we are over the greatest of our enemies. No more thralls to lust, or to the world. We may freely ofi'cr sacrifice for ourselves and others, in the name of this our high priest.
7. Seventhly, We have communion with all that are good — the angels, the saints, the ministers. They are all ours to defend and pray for us. Had the young rich man this spirit of St Paul, he would have thought it the best bargain that ever he made, though he had parted^with all, if he had gotten Christ.
Ohj. But it may be said. True, Christ is gain ; but what hope is there for us to attain hereunto ? It may be as paradise in itself, yet kept from us bj' a flaming sworJ.
Ans. 1. I answer. No. This gain mag be gotten; which is the thing I propound to speak of. Christ is a treasure in a field. If any one will seek, he may find. We had a Saviour before we were born. He was elected thereunto, and we to gain heaven through him ; and he was mani- fested in the flesh in the fulness of time to encourage us. And Christ our gain calls us to buy ' without money,' and invites us that are laden with sin to come to him, Isa. Iv. 1 ; 2 Cor. v. 20. To this end he appoints men to lay open his riches to allure us.
2. Secondly', We have the Spirit, by which tve lay hold on this gain. If we depend on God by prayer for his Spirit, and when we have gotten but a little portion of this gain, it makes our gains increase. To this end he gives us the word and sacraments ; and this condemns those that live in the field where this pearl is, and have the ministry to shew them it ; and yet they do neglect this so great a jevrel. And this ought to stir us up to magnify God's goodness to us, who hath recovered us, that were the lost Bons of a lost father, and keeps us from returning back into our former natural estate.
3. Thirdly, This gain is not to be gotten but at a price. It must be gotten by parting with all outward things, so far as to make them gain to us.
Quest. Ah, but is God thus hard to us, that he will not allow us the enjoyment of the comforts of this life, but we must for them lose Christ ?
Ans. I answer, God denies us not our worldly comforts ; for Paul had them. But when they come in competition with Christ, for excellency and superiority in esteem, as also when thou art called forth for the con- fession of the truth, then be at a point to count all, yea, thy life, dross and dung. We must therefoi'e resolve and forecast the worst ; and leave not till thou workest this mind within thee, to endure the worst rather than lose peace of conscience.
And therefore we may well conclude from hence, that confidence in Christ and in outward things cannot stand together. We cannot love God and
PHILIPriANS CHAP. Ill, VER. 8. 91
mammon ; and therefore, if we part not with the world, look to part with Christ, which wo may note against the politicians of our times, that think themselves the only wise men. In their esteem Paul was hut a weak man, and knew not how to esteem things. They can trust in God, they hope, and yet provide against the worst. The time will come when they will find they have been made fools indeed ; when God will say he knows them not, and their riches shall take their wings and leave them without hope of comfort.
And therefore let us acquaint ourselves ivith Christ's value, with the vanity of outioard things, and meditate hereon ; and at length thou shalt find the same mind in thee that was in St Paul.
In the last place, we may hence observe who they he that have not gained Christ ; for are there not many that will not part with a sin, no, though it be a sin that brings no profit or pleasure at all with it, as swearing and blaspheming God's name ? Nay, are there not those that, Judas-like, sell Christ for thirty pieces of money, nay, it may be for less ? A goodly price to set heaven, happiness, and their own souls at! Let any man tell them hereof, they will swear you do them open wrong, and be ready to cut your throat for saying so. How far are these from true grace !