Ans. 3. Again, /'or 7ca)it of resohition. A Christian goes not out always with his spiritual armour, as he should. He goes not out with a purpose to please God in all things, and to avoid all sins ; but his armour is loose about him. If a Christian would resolve, in the power of God, to break through all difficulties, and to do all duties, God would second him. ' Arise, and be doing, and the Lord will be with thee,' 1 Chron. xxii. 16. Let a Christian go on constantly in a good way, and he shall find expe- rience of God's helping of him. Without manly resolutions, a Christian fails.
Qnest. '\\Tiat is the reason that a Christian many times stands in strong and great duties, and is foiled in little duties ?
Ans. Because he is watchful in the one, and careless in the other. Indeed, it is want of will. If we would have strength, and would carry ourselves manfully, we might have grace to carry ourselves even to the glory of our profession and to the credit of it. But we willingly favour corruption, and are not willing to put it out of ourselves to the utmost ; whereupon we ■want much comfort that Christians should enjoj^ ; and hereupon come many breaches in our life. In a word, if a Christian were careful, there is no duty, but he might perform it in some measure. He may go wondrous high upwards, always with this exception, that he never look to be justified by it. For God hath not established the covenant so. That is done by Christ. Again, if he be careless, he may sink wondrous low. There is no sin but the sin against the Holy Ghost, but he may fell into it in some manner.
I hasten to the last point. ' I can do all things,' but how ? with what strength ? ' Through Christ that strengtheneth me.'
This is to salve up an objection which might be made against the blessed apostle, ' I can do all things.' Here is a proud word. Oh no ; ' it is in Christ that strengthens me.' St Paul was wondrous cautious and careful to avoid spiritual pride, or the least touch of it, as it is 1 Cor. xv. 10. ' Not I,' saith he. He checks himself presently : ' I laboured more than they all ; not I, but grace within me.' Of all other sins, take heed of spiritual pride, check it presently. ' I can do all.' Oh but, lest proud thoughts should arise, ' it is in Christ that strengtheneth me.' My strength is out of myself. As the heads of those rivers, that ran through paradise,
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and that -watered the city of God, they were out of paradise, so the head and spring of those streams that water the church of God, and particular Christians, they are out of themselves, they are in Christ. It is otherwise with us than it was in the ' first Adam.' He had strength, and had no pro- mise to stand. He had power to stand, if he would. But a Christian's strength is out of himself, in the ' second Adam,' Christ. And it is well that it is in the keeping of so strong a Saviour, for we should forfeit it as Adam did, if it were in our own hands. It is derived to us, as much as he thinks good ; but the spring is in him. And we have not only a will, but the promise and ability to do good ; we do all through Christ.
• 6. So the point of doctrine is this, that the original of a Christian's strenfith is in Christ. God is the original of all strength. But God him- self hath no intercourse of the new covenant with man out of the second person. All our comfort, and all our grace, it comes through Christ, who having taken our nature upon him, and having satisfied God, is fit to derive all grace and comfort to us. For he is near us, he is of our nature, and God in him is well pleased so as we may now go boldly to Christ ; we are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. God himself out of Christ is ' a consuming fu'e.' Now, in Christ God favours man ; he is gracious and lovely to us, and we to him ; because Christ his beloved Son hath took our nature upon him, and now in our nature he is in heaven. So Christ the mediator is the fountain of all strength ; he is the spiritual Joseph that had laid up store for all Egypt, and all that came. He is the high steward of his church, the second in the kingdom of heaven ; he is the Joseph, he dispenseth all riches and treasures ; all are in him for the church's sake. In him we do all things. As we can do all things for him as a mediator that died for us and procui'ed favour for us, so we can do all things in him as an head to whom we are united. For there must be union before there can be communion. As in marriage there must be a uniting before there be a communion of estates and conditions, so before we can do anj'thing for Christ we must be in Christ. We have all as through Christ, as in Christ. Thence comes communion with Christ's Spirit. So then it is Christ by his Spirit, for he doth all by his Spirit :