Sermon 2

1 John 5:12. He that has the Son, has life, and he that has not the Son, has not life.

Because in Scripture phrase, there are more ways of having Christ requisite for the knowledge of every soul, I thought it therefore not amiss to open those other ways by which in Scripture we are said to have Christ.

Secondly, as therefore we have him first by worshiping of him, so secondly we have him by purchase; this way of having Christ is expressed to us partly in the parable of the merchant man (Matthew 13:46). Who when he had found a pearl of precious price, he sold all that he had and bought it, that is one way of having Christ, to purchase him, to buy him: you have the like also held out in (Isaiah 55:1-2), every one that is a thirst, come and buy without money or without price, wherein the Holy Ghost calls upon us to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in his ordinances, and he makes a solemn proclamation to all, to come to these waters and buy without money. Without money, why without money? Or how without money? It is true, should a man offer his house full of treasure for Christ, it would be despised (Song of Solomon 8:7), and when Simon Magus offered to buy the gifts of the Holy Ghost for money, it was rejected with a curse (Acts 9:8-10), and if the gift of the Holy Ghost cannot be bought for money, how can the Lord Jesus Christ be bought for money?

And yet thus much I say, that many times without laying out of money, he cannot be had, without parting with money we cannot get him, the case so stands that sometimes, the holding fast a man's money lets go the Lord Jesus Christ, you have a famous example in the young man (Matthew 19:21-24), where our Saviour shows how hard a thing it is for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, because it is hard for a rich man to part with all that he has, when God calls for it at his hands, so that without money sometimes Christ cannot be had. And yet for money he cannot be had, it was upon the point of money, that the Lord Jesus parted with the Pharisees (Luke 16:11-12). If you be unfaithful with the mammon of iniquity, who will trust you with true treasure; if you use not outward things well, who will give you saving grace in Jesus Christ? So that sometimes for want of spending of money in a right way, many a man loses the Lord Jesus; so that though Christ cannot be had for money, yet sometimes without expense of money he cannot be had.

For opening of this point there are three cases in which money must be laid out, or else Christ cannot be had, and in refusing to lay out money, we refuse life in him.

First, when the Lord by some special command requires it, as was the case of the young man in the Gospel, there was a special commandment given to him, not given to every man, nor to every rich man, nor scarce any man in ordinary course nowadays, yet then given to him; and now to stick for money, and rather lose eternal life than his goods, in such a case as this, he loses his life in Christ. And upon the same point, or the like, broke Ananias and Saphira, it was the common resolution of the church of God in that age to sell all that they had, and to give to the poor, and to live after the same rate that other men did, a like proportion to every man; and to distribute faithfully to every man as every man had need, and as the apostle saw cause. And when they come and keep back part of the price for which their possessions was sold, you see how bitter a curse from the presence of the Lord fell upon them, they were cut off from the congregation of God's people, and it is much to be feared, cut off from the Lord Jesus Christ, and from all hope of eternal life, and to stand as a terrible example to the whole church of God, to show what a dangerous thing it is to stand upon terms with Christ, and not to part with money for him. They could not have fellowship with the people of God, unless they parted with all they had, and live upon the common distribution; but this case is not always.

But secondly, there is another time, namely, when in case of persecution the market of Christ goes at so high a rate, that a man cannot have Christ with any comfort in his soul, or peace to his conscience, or purity of heart or life, unless he hazard all his estate, or a good part of it. In buying and selling of a precious commodity, a good chapman will have it whatever it costs him. So Christ is sometimes at a higher, and sometimes at a lower rate, but whatever he costs him, he will have him. It is spoken in commendation of the Hebrews, that they suffered joyfully the spoiling of their goods (Hebrews 10:34), to show you, that sometimes it comes to that pass, that unless a man be content to part with all his goods, he cannot have the recompense of reward, the Lord Jesus Christ to his soul. And therefore the servants of God have been content to lose all that they had, and willing to resign up all for the maintaining the integrity of their spirits, and the purity of their hearts and lives in the presence of God, and then let all go, they can suffer the spoil of all joyfully.

3 It is in case that by God's providence you be cast to live in such congregations, where you cannot have the ordinances of God but at a great charge, as it is the case of many places, that unless they be at charge for the ministry of the gospel it cannot be had; then we must communicate freely that way, then be not deceived, God is not mocked, for what a man sows that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:6-8). Where the apostle does encourage men at such a time as this, when the gospel cannot be had but at great charge, then lay out liberally for the gospel of Christ, and he calls it, a sowing to the Spirit; as a man that lays out his money for an earthly commodity, for a good bargain, he reaps corruption; so he that sows of the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. When a man lays out his money to spiritual ends, to obtain the free passage of the ordinances of Christ, to enjoy the liberty of the gospel, he thereby sows to the Spirit, and shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting; for this is the blessing promised to it, such as so sow, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting; so that when a man out of a good and honest heart, and a hungering desire after God's ordinances, shall be willing to be at charge for them, he has this promise made to him, and it shall be fulfilled, he shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. But yet, when a man has laid out his money for this end, if he then think his money is worthy of Christ, he gets him not; but this is the first way of having Christ by way of purchase, a seasonable laying out our money for him as God requires it.

Secondly, Christ is to be purchased, not so much by money, as chiefly this purchase must be made by parting with all those many and strong lusts, and corruptions, and sinful rebellions of heart, by which we keep off Christ from coming into our hearts; this is that which the Prophet Isaiah directs us to (Isaiah 55:7): "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts," etc., where he tells us what we must give for Christ, for sin is neither money nor money's worth; but he makes a good bargain that parts with his sins, though he should get no Christ for his parting with them. He speaks of the first and principal part of the life of a Christian man, the life of his justification that springs from pardon of sin; let a man forsake those sins and lusts that he has been most carried captive with; let a wicked man forgo his thoughts and ways, both his secret and open sins, and let him then turn to God, and he will abundantly pardon; then God will receive him graciously, to the justification of life. This is the thing that we must do, this was the point upon which sundry of them that have been hopeful for religion, have broken off from Christ, and Christ from them; they have forsook him, and he left them; Jehu stuck upon this very point, he would go a great way, but when it comes (as he thinks) to hazard his title to the crown, then he will set up the golden calves; when he saw that all must be parted with, rather than he would forgo that, without which he could not maintain his kingdom, he would rather lose Christ, than venture the loss of that (2 Kings 10:29-31). He regarded not to walk in all the commandments of the Lord, and then as he cut short with God in reformation, and did not fulfill to walk after the Lord, therefore God cut Jehu short of all the hopes of grace that ever he might have attained, to verse 32. So that if we cut at a scanting with God, and will part with some lusts and corruptions, but not with others, then will God cut you short of all your hopes of eternal life: and it was upon the same terms that Herod fell short of Christ (Mark 6:10; Luke 3:18), he had done many things according to John's ministry, but when God would cut him short of Herodias his darling lust, that nothing might lie between God and him, but might now become fit for Christ, because he would not cut himself short of Herodias, and cut short his reformation there, then this was added to all his other sins, he shut up John in prison, and afterward cut off his head also; so that when there is any sin, whether honor or pleasure, or any comfort in this life, that men will not be content to cut themselves short of, it is the way to utter ruin; God will not be abundantly ready to pardon such. And so was it with Demas, when the love of money did so prevail with his heart, after he had been much esteemed of the Apostles, and mentioned honorably in their writings, yet in the end it is said of him, "He has forsaken me, and loved this present world" (2 Timothy 4:10). Love of the world had so prevailed with him, that he fell off from Paul, and from the Lord, whose servant Paul was, and from fellowship in the Gospel, and so did not find Christ; this rule is universally to be followed, and the care of it not to be neglected in any case, that our sins are to be put out of our hearts and hands, as ever we look to find Christ, and life in him. Notable is that expression recorded in (Judges 10:10-16): the people come and cry to the Lord, to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies; but they had got to themselves other gods, and now he would deliver them no more; when the people heard that, that God would not deliver them, and could find no acceptance from him, so long as they continued in such a sin; they thereupon go and put away all their idols, and leave not one to be seen among them; and when God sees that they had put them away, the text says, that his soul was grieved for their misery, and his bowels rolled within him for them, and he delivered them. So that when men are willing to forego their honorable sins, their sweet and delightful sins, their profitable sins, and those with which they have been most captivated; and he knows one may as well pull their hearts out of their bellies, as some sins out of them; but when he sees men are willing to forego their most darling delightful sins, willing to break off all impediments that stand between God and them, the soul of God is grieved in such a case, and it pities him now that such a soul should be without him; and then it will not be long before God stirs them up means of deliverance, and he himself will reveal himself to them. Notable is that speech (Hosea 14:3-8): when they take words to themselves, and promise to leave all their evil ways, by which they sin against God, they make this request to God, that he would take away their iniquities from them; and lest God should answer them, but be you doing something in the meantime; they profess, that for their own parts they will set about the doing of their iniquities away, and they say, "Assyria shall not save us, and we will have no more to do with them;" in which he shows you, that God looks not that only his people shall pray him to take away their iniquities, for we may pray so long enough, and not find it done; but when we desire God to do it, and set our hearts and hands to it, and now with heart and hand say, "Assyria shall not save us, nor will we say any more to the works of our hands, you are our gods;" then says God in verse 4, "I will heal their backslidings, and will love them freely," etc. God is then abundantly ready to pardon, when men forsake their own ways and thoughts, and throw away the sins that hang about them, God will say of such a people, "I will heal them, and love them freely, my anger is turned away from them." And you may presume, when God's anger is turned away, it is by and through Christ, or else there is no healing; and therefore in verse 8, Ephraim says, "What have I to do any more with idols;" the heart of a Christian, or of a nation, shall openly acknowledge, that they will have no more fellowship with these abominations; and then says God, "I have heard him, and observed him." God hears us, and understands what we say, and observes us well, and offers to be a shelter to us from the storm, when we begin solemnly to abandon such evils, then he hears us, and answers us according to the desire of our hearts; you have many a soul that cries to God, "Take away our iniquity," and many petitions we put up to God to that purpose; and that sometimes with many bitter moans, but God hears it not; we pour out our complaints in vain, and he regards it not; but when we come to God, and desire him not only to take them from us, but begin to consider our own ways and iniquities, and to put them from us, out of our hearts and hands, and we will no more take such bad ways, as previously we have done; we will no more ride upon horses, nor run to foreign princes for help; then God hears, and grants graciously whatever his poor people beg at his hands, and answers it according to all the desire of their hearts, then the Lord [reconstructed: presents] us the Lord Jesus Christ, and life and healing in him; and this is the second way of having Christ by purchase.

Thirdly, God sometimes requires that we should part with all his holy ordinances in some cases; part with all confidence in them, and from staying our hearts upon them; we may soon lose Christ, and lose his protection, and his fatherly compassion towards us, if in the use of the blessed ordinances of God, we be not willing so far to sit loose from them, as not to look for life in the Word, or sacraments, or communion with God's servants, but to look for it all in Christ, not that God would have us cast his ordinances behind our backs, but therein to seek him, indeed, to seek his face evermore, and not to be barred from them, he would have a child of God to count it his greatest misery (Psalm 27:4; Psalm 42:3-4). Though God would have us to make account, that one day in God's courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:10), yet God still has regard to this, that he would not have us to trust in the temple of the Lord, because so to do, is to trust in lying words (Jeremiah 7:3-4). Hold close to the ordinances, and by no means part with them if you can have them in any purity, and peace to your consciences, but rather part with princes' palaces than with them, but while you enjoy them, trust not in them, nor think not to stand upon this, that you are blessed in regard of them; but look at them all as loss, and dross, and dung, that you may win Christ. Look not so wistfully at the privileges of the ordinances, trust not in the outward letter of them (Philippians 3:6-8). This is that which keeps off many a poor soul from coming on to grace; he lives in no open gross sin, and in the midst of the ordinances of God, Christ is preached among them; and therefore they conclude, that at the last day Christ will receive them, and yet this will then deceive them (Matthew 7:22-23). Some iniquity rested still in their hands, for which he will bid them depart from him, as workers of iniquity; they, it may be, had some of them been themselves ministers, and had done much good in the name of Christ, and called upon him, Lord, Lord, and yet but hypocrites; which shows you, that it is not the liberty of God's ordinances, and the dispensation of them that can secure us; and therefore trust not in them, trust not in this, that you are diligent hearers, or that you can pray powerfully; trust not in this, though you were preachers of the Word of God, but trust on him only for life, and salvation, and he will never deceive you.

And as at all times we are to sit loose from the ordinances in respect of our trust and confidence, so sometimes we must be content to forgo the ordinances of God for Christ's sake; if we cannot enjoy the liberty of the ordinances but with sin against our souls, in this case the ordinances of God are to be neglected and omitted. If he cannot have them with innocency and purity to his soul, he must let them go. All the good priests that were accustomed to minister before the Lord in the synagogue throughout the ten tribes, when they could not enjoy their places but must worship the calves — (though the calves were very like the cherubim) — when they could not do their service to God but they must serve such images as God had not set up there, thereupon all the honest and true-hearted priests left their places, and would no more minister there, rather than be compelled to minister at Dan and Bethel (2 Chronicles 11:14). Jeroboam cast them out because they would not do so, and they were content to be cast out, and sold their livings, and went up to Jerusalem. To show you that sometimes when Christ cannot be had but we must forgo the very ordinances of God, because we cannot have the ordinances without impure mixtures of human invention — then let them go, rather than defile our own hearts and hands with sin against God. And so, (Song of Songs 1:7-8): Tell me where you dwell and feed your flocks at noon; after the separation was made between Israel and Judah, when the mother church of Israel was angry with the church of Judah and cast her off — tell me where you lie and feed your flocks, etc. How should I go to the golden calves at Dan and Bethel, and worship there where God had never put his name to be worshipped? Why, Christ answers them: If you do not know, O you the fairest among women — as all such Christians are the fairest among women — if you do not know where I rest, go forth by the footsteps of the flocks and by the shepherds' tents, and feed there. Have they not removed their tents to Jerusalem? Why, go after them and feed with them; and this was fulfilled (2 Chronicles 11:16). The people left all and went up to feed themselves there, by the tents of the shepherds. This is another part of our purchase of Christ — which God forbid it should be our case — but if it should come to that pass, rather forgo the ordinances of God, which were of his own setting and planting, as were the ministry in the synagogues; and they were to be divided all the kingdom over; and the priests' lips should preserve knowledge, and we should seek the law at his mouth (Malachi 2:7-8). And therefore, that being a holy ordinance of God, they would by no means part with the free passage of any one of God's ordinances, which sometimes they did enjoy; but when they could not enjoy them in the purity thereof, but must be cast off from being priests unless they would do all, then they were content to be cast out from all fellowship with the church, and leave their estates and forgo all, rather than enjoy the liberty of some other with sinful defilement. And though it might be thought their own over-much, over-readiness to cast off themselves, yet notwithstanding the Holy Spirit excuses it — they did not cast off themselves, but the text says, Jeroboam cast them out; if they will not minister upon such terms, then it is he that casts them out, and that was the sin chiefly whereby he made Israel to sin. And therefore when you come to the ordinances, and though you find Christ there, yet trust not upon them unless you trust upon Christ, and seek him to give you a meeting there; you have trusted but upon lying words, you went out full and come empty home; you hear much and profit little; and all that you learn you put into a broken bag, into cracked memories, and all because you did so trust upon the means. And truly in this case this shall you often find to be true: you come full of hopeful expectation to the congregation, but return very empty home, or full of bitterness in your souls, and all was because you trusted in lying words — in words that could not profit. You trusted in the parts of Christians, in the sacraments, word, and prayer; but what is Paul, and what is Apollos — one of them may plant, another may water, but neither of both can give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:5-6). He that plants and he that waters is nothing; therefore chiefly have respect to Christ, look not at Paul, nor at Apollos, nor at any, though you had men equal with them for gifts — had you such, yet if you put trust and confidence in them, you will lose all the blessings that you desire and hope to find in them. And therefore so come to the ordinances, as that you trust not in the means; pray to Christ to bless the ordinances to you, and entreat him to cleanse your hearts and hands from those evils that are in his sight, and come trusting on him — not on any strength in the means, but on his blessing upon the means — and then he will be found of you, if you thus seek him in truth. But if they cannot be had but with danger to you, to lose the peace of your consciences, then be content to sit loose to the word and sacraments, and from Christian communication. Then in this case give this price also for Christ, for we come not to the ordinances for the ordinances' sake, but for Christ's sake to find him there; but rather than willingly put forth our hands to any sin, rather lose the ordinances than lose Christ.

Fourthly, there is yet something more than all this, a further price to pay, if we mean to purchase Christ; and that is, that we part with all our good parts, and all the good common gifts of grace, which are found sometimes in good nature, and sometimes in the children of the Church, we must part with them all that we may win Christ (1 Corinthians 3:18). If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise: whoever would be a wise man (as a wise man he cannot be, if he has not his part in Christ) he must lay aside his serious and grave deliberation, and communication with flesh and blood, and all things in the way of God, that he thinks will be prejudicial, if any man be so wise, as to see this and that danger in a Christian course, let him become a fool; else he shall never become a Christian: if a man will be content to forsake all for Christ, he must first be a fool, and be content to be counted a fool, and hear every carnal man count him a fool. And I speak not only of carnal and civil wisdom, that, that only is to be denied in this case, but common graces, which many times chokes all the hypocrites in the bosom of the Church; they are commonly choked upon this point, upon these things they trust, and do therefore verily believe, that this and that interest, God has in them, and they in God; because they have received such and such gifts from him, and this is the case formerly mentioned (Matthew 7:22-23), they pleaded their spiritual gifts, though common gifts, and such as may be found in workers of iniquity, they prayed to God, a common gift; and they prophesied in his name, they had prophetical gifts; some measure of the spirit of ministry, and they were able to cast out devils in Christ's name; now when men do trust upon these, and settle themselves upon such a change, truly, hereby they lose that power in Christ which else they might have had. It is a wonder to see what a change prophetical gifts will work in a man (1 Samuel 10:10, 12): there Saul had a spirit of prophecy come upon him, and the people wondered at it, it works a strange change in a man, and so in the next chapter, the nineteenth and twenty-third verse, he prophesied till he came at such a place, so that you shall see a man that is trained up in any good order, though sometimes given to loose company; when once God begins to pour into him any spiritual gift, to enlighten his mind, and to enlarge his affection, so that he begins to have some love to, and some joy in the Word, and some sorrow in hearing of the Word, and some comfort in meditation: it is a wonder to see what a change this will work in the spirit; he at once begins to abandon his loose courses, and sets himself to a more strict course, then he begins to see his acquired learning is but a small matter to edification; he prizes his spiritual gifts, and he is able now to do much; and when a man's heart is thus changed by prophetical gifts, it works in a man such confidence in his soul, that he thinks all the congregation shall perish before he can perish, and if ministers may be thus deceived by common gifts and graces, how much more may their poor hearers be deceived, when they by hearing the Word find such comfort, and illumination, and enlargements, that they thereby find a great change wrought in them; and yet if ministers may be so much deceived, in presuming vainly of their good estate, which was not so, then much more common Christians. Should any man presume at Felix his trembling (Acts 24:25), at Jehu's zeal (2 Kings 10:16), at Ahab's humiliation (1 Kings 21:28-29), at Herod's joy in hearing, you know what became of all these, those are graces of God, though but common graces, and if the prophets were deceived, may not these be deceived also, that have neither Christ nor any part in him; and therefore a man that would be sure not to go without Christ, nor without life in him; he must not trust in any spiritual gift he has received, though his mind be enlightened, sometimes to fear, sometimes to joy, to humiliation, to enlargement, to zealous reformation, yet rest in none of these, for these you may have and yet want Christ, and life in him; common graces may and will deceive you, a man may have all these, and yet not prize Christ, as his greatest good; he may have all these, and yet not worship him. Notwithstanding all these, there may be some iniquity in their hands for which cause God will not show mercy to them: see and observe, if in the midst of all these you do not work some iniquity; they were workers of iniquity always at the best (Matthew 7:23), you may be workers of iniquity, notwithstanding all these; and therefore consider if there be not some vein of pride, and hypocrisy, and covetousness, that cleaves fast to your hearts, which you allow yourselves in, which if you do, these very gifts will be your shipwreck, your anchor will break, and your ship will be carried away, and you fall down in destruction; but see that your hearts be clean, and see that there be not an ill thought or way that you allow yourselves in, and if so, then your heart will lay hold upon God, and you will prize Christ, and then it is a sign those gifts you have are not in hypocrisy; for in a hypocrite, they are always found with some sin, which if a man does not willfully shut his eyes against he may see, for our Savior speaks of such a sin in them, as the rest of the people of God may know them to be counterfeits (Matthew 7:15-23). You shall know them by this, do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Have not they their ill haunts, but put away these from you, if you mean to have Christ.

Fifthly, if we would have Christ, and life in him, we may have him in justification, but not in growth of sanctification, if you part not with confidence in the saving graces of God's Spirit, you must not look to be justified by them, for if you do you will discover them not to be sanctified graces, nor the fruits of them, the fruits of saving grace. Christ shall profit you nothing, if you look to be saved by the righteousness of the law (Galatians 5:3-4). If therefore we think that for these graces' sake God accepts us, truly we lose the things that we have wrought, and for all that we have received, we have no part nor portion in the Lord Jesus Christ, neither Abraham nor David has anything on which to [reconstructed: boast] (Romans 4:4, 18). But blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Therein stands our blessedness, when the Lord imputes not sin to us, but if we look to be justified either by the gifts of grace we have received, or by the works and acts of grace that we have performed, we shall certainly fall short. Paul knew nothing wherein he had dealt unfaithfully, and yet was he not thereby justified (1 Corinthians 4:4), but he that justifies me is the Lord. And therefore if you trust upon a gift, and thereby to be justified and accepted, you declare your graces to be but common, and such as are but found among hypocrites, and in this, the Papists have cause to groan under the burden that lies upon their religion, they by looking for salvation, and acceptance by common graces, do plainly show, that Christ profits them nothing.

And further, as you are not to trust upon them for justification, so neither are you to trust upon them for the life of your sanctification, for though they be truly parts of sanctification, faith, hope, love, patience, humility, and every other grace of God which flows from our fellowship with the death of Christ, because these are parts of our sanctification, you may look at them as precious talents received from God, yet if you trust in these, in preaching, or praying, or edifying yourselves, or families, or neighbors, and that in the strength of these you shall do valiantly, and bring mighty things to pass, and be a fruitful Christian, you have truth of grace, sound hearted saving grace, and you doubt not but God will carry you on in a comfortable Christian course; if so, you will find this to be true, that you will want Christ in the quickening and enlarging, and thriving power of the life of your sanctification. It cannot be but that where saving grace is, there is Christ; but you may have Christ and yet have but a dead Christ of him, he may be so dead in your spirit, that you shall cry out, O what a dead heart, and a dead spirit have I, and yet I doubt not but Christ is in my heart. True, it may be you have received him, but Christ can tell how to lie dead, and to work but little there where saving grace is laid up; and therefore the life of Christ is not a life of grace, but a life of faith. I live not by all my zeal and humility, and gifts of grace, for I might have all these, and make but dead work of them all. How then? By the faith of the Son of God (Galatians 2:20). It is one of the most important points that concerns our Christian practice, and therefore I pray you consider it; the life of Christianity is not a life of wisdom and graces, but of faith: if you would have Christ live in you, and live so that he may show his life in you, you must then live by faith. That is, not only look for your justification by faith in Christ, but look for your sanctification and consolation from Christ by faith, that if you go about any duty, go not about it in the strength of grace received, preach not, or pray not in the strength of your knowledge, and love, and zeal, and humility, but go about them all in faith in Jesus Christ. That is, by coming to him, and being inwardly sensible, that unless he put new life into us, and make new work in our souls, we may have but a dead business of it, all the graces of God's Spirit in us but dead. And herein it is a wonder to see sometimes, how God's servants are strained, all for want of the life of faith in their souls; if God cut short with us, it is because we do not live in Christ, but in the spirit of grace, and think to walk by the strength of grace received, we lose by it, and spend of the stock of grace. And therefore remember that speech (Isaiah 40:30-31): they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, to show you your duty; it is a borrowed speech from young men going out to war, they go out in the name of the Lord of Hosts, as David went out against Goliath (1 Samuel 17). If we wait upon the Lord, and be sensible of our own insufficiency, and unworthiness of doing any Christian duty, and not depend upon our own sufficiency, then we shall find God lifting us up far beyond all our own apprehensions; and gifts: God will put a new life into us, and in this case even the weakest gifts of God's servants are sometimes much enlarged, and the same Christian's gifts far more enlarged at some time, above what they are at another, only by waiting upon the Lord, and that puts life into our duties. Therefore if you would find Christ to be the life of your sanctification, then you must put away all confidence in saving graces, they are not able to make you bring forth any one lively fruit of sanctification, I mean in your own estimation; and you will have little comfort in it. There is in this case much difference between one Christian and another, and between the same Christian and himself, at one time and another, according to his waiting on the Lord for the renewal of his strength, therefore trust not in any grace, if you do, you will want it when you stand in most need of it.