Quest. Whence comes a zeal to good works, but when we look to the grace that hath brought salvation and redemption from our sins, and to the glorious coming of Christ ?
Aus. When faith looks both these ways, it is set a-fire, it makes us zealous, as Heb. ix. 14. When the heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ in the forgiveness of sins, then we serve the living God, and are a voluntary and a cheerful people when our hearts are enlarged with assurance.
Quest. Further, what makes a man ashamed of his evil life ? What breeds those affections of repentance, grief, and shame mentioned Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 32, ' Then shall ye be ashamed,' &c.?
Ans. When God had once pardoned their sins, and given them many favours, then shall ye be ashamed that ye have served me thus and thus, and grieve that ye have departed from me. So that then do Christians come to have those two penal affections of shame and grief, the two ingre- dients to true repentance. Why ? ' Christ hath loved' me, and given himself for me.' As if one should say. Hath he done so ? Was my sins the cause of his death, and did his love move him ? I am ashamed that I have offended so gracious and so sweet a Saviour. It makes a man weep over Christ. It was my sins which caused his death and torments. This particular faith fills the soul with all divine graces, and it follows Christ, and sees that he did all for us. Then a man sees that Christ was born for him: 'To us a child is born, and to us a son is given,' Isa. ix, 6. It follows Christ in his whole life, and so all that he did was for me. His
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death, ' He died for me ;' his sweating in the garden was for me, my sins caused it. So I see his love, and the foulness of my sins. He was thrust through the side for me, and cried upon the cross, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' My sins had an active power there. He rose again for me, he is now in heaven for me, as carrying me in his breast. The sight and consideration of this draws the soul again unto Christ in repentance for sins, and in all holy duties whatsoever. This is the reason why those Christians that have been pulled out of the fire, and converted oftentimes by a violent conversion, are the most fruitful and loving Christians, as St Paul and others ; because they know Christ hath forgiven them a mighty debt, a thousand talents ; the more which debt appears to be, the more they know they are bound to God, and to sacrifice and give up themselves to Jesus Christ, that hath discharged so great a debt for them.
When they consider his wonderful love to such as they are, they are inflamed with love again ; as in the gospel, the woman who had many sins forgiven her, therefore she loved much. The prodigal young unthrift in the gospel, for whom the fat calf was provided, no question he could not satisfy himself in expressions. God sometimes pro\'ides fat calves, great measures of comfort, even for prodigals, and they of all shew most love, they cannot tell how to satisfy him bj^ any painstaking. ' The love of Christ,' saith Paul, ' constrains me, a holy violence moves me, who was a persecutor and a blasphemer,' 2 Cor. v. 14. So the sense of the love of Christ in pardoning of sins will constrain one to a holy violence in the per- forming of all duties. Why, if any base ends come into a man's mind, in that, is a Christian to regard himself, to seek his own ease, honour, pleasure? No ; this consideration, if he have any assm-ance of the pardon of his sins, will move him to the contrary. Christ died for me ; shall I not live to Christ, live to him that gave himself for me ? Seek his honour that abased himself for me ? So that it quells all base ends, the consideration of Christ's particular love.
So it stirs us up to be at cost for Christ and for his church, at any cost, to sacrifice our Isaacs. He loved me, and gave himself for me; is anything then I can give satisfactory ? He gave himself for me, therefore I will give myself for him. This will make a man prodigal, even of his blood, for Christ's sake. When a man is moved to be discontented with his estate, and to doubt of God's providence in particular things, this will help, Christ hath loved me, and given himself for me. Will he not give me all necessaries who hath given himself? So that this stirs up to all duties, cuts the sinews of all spiritual sins, of distrust in God's providence, and all base ends. It stirs me up in particular practice of holy life to go to him for all graces. I have himself, therefore he will give me his Spirit and grace. I have the field, therefore I shall have the pearl.* He hath given me himself, he will give me therefore all that he hath ; his Spirit, graces, and privileges, all shall be mine.