And again, if we have a high esteem of that above all, as Paul had in the Philippians, iii. 8, ' I account all things dung and dross in comparison of Christ,' for all our righteousness is but as a 'polluted cloth,' Isa. xxx. 22.
A Christian hath put on Christ when he admires the righteousness of God-man ; it is a righteousness of his own appointing and sending ; what a high esteem therefore should we have of this !
And then we may know we are clothed when we love Christ, because our sins are forgiven. In the 7th of Luke, ver. 47, it is known that Mary* put on Christ, her love being such unto him because her sins were forgiven by him.
And then, when we have faith to believe this, that Christ is ours, and when we have boldness to go to God in our mediator's name, and can triumph over all our enemies, ' Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's people ?' Eom. viii. 33. Out of the knowledge of this, that Christ died for me, and is now in heaven making intercession for me, I can triumph over all enemies. Alas ! Satan will pick a thousand holes in our righteousness ; but when we can look upon death and the day of judgment, and not be dis- couraged, it is a sign we are clothed. Let us therefore keep our garments close.
And let us make this use of our daily sins. Every day let us renew our right in Christ by repentance, saying thus, This day I have forfeited all, but now I will regain my right ; there is a fountain open for sin and for uncleanness, Zech. xiii. 1.
The * second Adam ' takes away all sin ; and therefore when we can make daily use of our justification, it is then a sign we live by faith. This is to feed upon Christ, when we feed upon his obedience.
The life of a Christian should be to live by faith. This use we should make of our daily infirmities, afflictions, and sins, to keep our garments close.
How doth Satan draw the souls of many to hell ? When Christ is loose in their understanding, then the devil comes between them and their gar- ments ; and when conscience feels the weight of sin, and hath nothing to support it, then Satan robs them, because they want the spirit of faith.
They which walk in white here, shall walk in white in heaven ; they which go on constantly here, they shall at the length walk in heaven with more white eternally with Christ.
• There is no good reason to believe tliat the ' woman which was a sinner ' was Mary Magdalene. — Ed.
I
THE COMING OF CHRIST. 815
Now let us see our danger. If, on the contrary, we keep not our gar- ments close, ' we shall be found naked.' Now, nakedness is a woeful condition ; it is a curse. Therefore, when we are to appear before God, let us labour for the Spirit of Christ, that when Christ shall come to judge us, he may see his own stamp upon us.
And let us consider what a shame it will be unto us at that time if ho shall find us naked.
What a shame is it to be a worldhng ! that when Christ is not upon our afiectionsto turn Demases, asDemas followed Paul but afterwards embraced the world, 2 Tim. iv. 10 ; or, at the hour of death, what a shame is it that whereas many men went for religious men, but for want of keeping their garments close they then want comfort ; and at the day of judgment shall be ashamed before God, angels, and men.
Let us therefore labour to make Christ ours, that then we may live clothed and die clothed ; and then we shall be blessed : ' For blessed is ho that hath Christ upon him here ; he shall be blessed for ever hereafter.'
NOTE.
(a) P. 312 — 'Let us be cast into the mould.' Sibbes's rendering of tho rwjrov of Paul is adopted by Webster and Wilkinson i7i loco, from whom 1 add this note : ' rvjov did, the scheme or mould of instruction to which ye were committed, ii. 20, 2 Tim. i. 13. The construction is by attraction for VTrjXova. rOj Twnrw hihayjig iig ov 'uagibo&riTi. Cf. Acts xxi. 16. Their professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, their reception of the doctrine according to godliness was an acknowledgment of obedience to a new Master. They were put under a die or mould, from which they were to receive a new impression.' G.
THE GENERAL RESURRECTION.'
Jesus saith to her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that my brother shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. —John XL 23, 24.
Having formerly spoken of the communion of saints, t now we come to epeak of the other two blessings and benefits which the Lord doth give and grant to the church in the life to come. The one whereof is, ' tho raising of our bodies at the last day,' the other, ' life everlasting ;' which be the blessings he hath reserved till the day of judgment, wherewith he closes up and makes an end of all, and yet not a final end with them, because they shall have no end, for the Lord will bestow eternal happiness on them ; which day, though to some it shall prove a doleful day, yet it shall be joyful to the church of God, even a day that they have many a time looked for and desired.