Sermon 3

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

We now come to speak of the third way of having Christ, and that is by way of covenant (Isaiah 49:8): I will give you for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages (Psalm 50:5): Gather my saints together to me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice; so that would you know to whom God is a God, and to whom it may be said, He is my God? Any of us that have made a covenant with God by sacrifice; no man has him unless by way of covenant, for all these ways, though diverse in explication, yet all coincident to this having of Christ. And such as have made a covenant with God by sacrifice, they are his people; of them it is said, I am your God, verse 7, according to the tenor of the covenant (Genesis 17:7): Behold, I make a covenant with you this day, to be a God to you, and to your seed. God becomes a God to me, and to my seed by way of covenant; so (Deuteronomy 29:10-13), both your children of understanding, and your little ones of no understanding, you are all here before God this day, to enter into a covenant with him, to keep his commandments forever; you and yours enter into a covenant with God, and this is the way of having him for our God (Deuteronomy 26:17-18): This day you have avouched the Lord to be your God, and he has avouched you to be his people. Junius translates the word: You have required by way of covenant, and he has promised that he will be your God — in the original it is, he has made you to speak, you have made God to speak this, as men that make promises one to another, so that when people give up themselves to be the Lord's, and offer themselves up to him, and when God requires it of us, we yield ourselves to him, and desire God to be a God to us, then he is our God, and we are his people by way of covenant (2 Corinthians 8:5). They gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God, when we have bestowed ourselves upon God, he is not wanting to receive us, to be his people.

Now for further opening of this, it was said this covenant was made with God by way of sacrifice (Psalm 50:5,7), that was according to the sacrifice which the people of God did solemnly offer before God, of which you read (Exodus 24:3-8): Moses told the people the words of the Lord, and the people answered with one voice and said, All the words which the Lord has said, we will hear it, and do it. They promise themselves to be an obedient people to God, whatever he commands them, that will they hear, and that will they do.

And on the other side, Moses took the blood of the sacrifice, and sprinkled it upon the people, and by this means they did pass into covenant with God. It implies thus much, when we come to make a covenant with God, we profess ourselves as guilty of death, and therefore look up to Christ, desiring that his death might be imputed to us, and we thereupon offer ourselves, souls and bodies to be obedient to God to the death; only we require this back again of God, that as we give up ourselves a sacrifice to him, so that the Lord Jesus Christ might be imputed to us; and the blood of Christ, and the life of Christ might be communicated to us; his life of righteousness, and holiness, and of eternal glory, all that life that is in Christ might become ours. This does God require of them, and this is to make a covenant with God by way of sacrifice; for the burnt offering, verse 5, was a type of Christ, the meat offering was a type of the people's giving up themselves to God, and this is to make a covenant by sacrifice: we confess we deserve death, but for time to come, we desire to give up ourselves, to do and suffer his will, only we desire that the blood of Christ might be sprinkled upon our souls, and that we might live in his sight.

Now those that have thus made a covenant with God, he calls them his people, and saints. Thus you see what it is, and wherein this covenant stands, sometimes some branch of this is expressed in other covenants: God promises to Abraham, that he will be a God to him; that is, he will not only be a good father to him, nor only a good master, or tutor, nor only a good king, nor a good physician; but whatever is good, that is in God, and it is but a drop, but a spark of the well-spring of life in him, all the goodness that is dispersed in the creature, flows from him; there is goodness in a good father, or magistrate, or minister, or friend, but when God undertakes to be a God to us, he promises to be to us whatever is good in the creature; a good father, a good friend, a good physician, whatever is good for soul and body, he will be all in all to us, and that partly in his own person, and partly, in so ordering matters, that all those things wherein his goodness is communicated, he will so dispose them, that we shall see a goodness of God in them all. We shall see the presence and goodness of God in all the blessings we partake in this world, he will be whatever is needful for us in every kind, and though any means should fail, yet God will not fail us: this do we desire of God, when we desire him to be our God, God is a heap and fountain of goodness, and [reconstructed: he undertakes so to be to us].

Now as we expect this from God, that he would be a God to us, so we desire also and offer ourselves back again to God, to be obedient to his will, and to wait upon him for all that which he has promised us, to expect it, and to wait for it; and when we undertake to be obedient to him; not that we promise it in our own names, and for our own parts, but in the behalf of every soul that belongs to us, as we desire a blessing upon all that belongs to us, so we offer up ourselves to God, and our wives, and children, and servants, and kindred, and acquaintance, and all that are under our reach, either by way of subordination, or coordination, so far as in our power we may reach, either by commandment or counsel, we do as much as in us lies promise to God, that we and our households will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). He and his household, that is, his children and servants, and all that are bought with money, they will all serve the Lord, this they offer to God as a father in a family; he and his, so much as he is able, will prevail with them, to keep God's commandments, and God will be a God to them all; a father, and master, a magistrate and minister, husband, friend, and physician and all, and whatever is good, thus you see how God comes to be ours by way of covenant.

For further clearing of this point there is a threefold covenant, wherein God does bind himself to his people, and we back again to him, according as there is among the reasonable creatures.

1. The first is, between prince and people, so the high priest made a covenant, between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the Lord's people, and such a covenant there is usually in all well governed commonwealths, unless the king comes in by way of conquest and tyranny, but in well settled commonwealths, there is a covenant and oath between prince and people.

2. There is a covenant between man and wife, of which it is said (Proverbs 2:17), "Which forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God." These are all called the covenant of God, he is a party in the covenant ever.

3. Another, is an oath or a covenant of God to pass between friend, and friend; such was the covenant between Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 20:16).

Now there is a certain covenant between God and his people in all these; that look what a king requires of his people, or the people of a king, the very same does God require of his people, and the people of God, that offers himself to be a God to his people; that is, a governor, a provider for, and a protector of his people, to fight their battles for them, and to guide and rule them in peace and justice; and the people undertake to be obedient to his laws, to whatever he declares to be the counsel of his will.

Again, there is a covenant of marriage between God and his people (Jeremiah 3:14), so as the wife promises to be to her husband alone (Hosea 3:3-4), so the Church of God promises, that she will be for God alone, and God will be for us alone; and we embrace the seed of his word and grace in our hearts, and bring forth fruit to God alone.

And there is also a covenant of friendship between God and us, a covenant of salt (2 Chronicles 13:5). A covenant of salt is to be fed with the same salt, as it were, to eat many a bushel of salt together — that is a covenant of friendship. "Did you not give the land to the seed of Abraham your friend for ever?" (2 Chronicles 20:7). There he fittingly expresses the nature of a covenant of salt, by friendship for ever; salt eaten together expresses familiarity and durableness. Now God expresses himself thus, to enter into a covenant with his people; he takes Abraham as a friend for ever, and Abraham takes God as his friend for ever. And this league of friendship implies not only preservation of affection, but it requires a kind of secret communication one to another, and a doing one for another. God grants our petitions for us as a friend, and we do his commandments as a friend out of the integrity of our hearts (John 15:14). "You are my friends if you do whatever I command you." "I know that Abraham will command his household to fear me" (Genesis 18:19), and therefore in verses 17 and 18 he says, "How shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I am about to do?" And it was concerning a secret counsel of God. Now when God undertakes to be our friend, he undertakes to communicate sundry of his counsels to us; his secrets are to them that fear him (Psalm 25:14). Many secret passages shall their hearts be made privy to, that others shall never be acquainted with. He will acquaint us with his secret purpose about a people, sometimes in prayer, sometimes in humiliation, sometimes one way, and sometimes another, so as you may see he walks towards us in a covenant of friendship. And so he will play a friend's part — he will counsel us for the best, he will tell us this and that is the best course for us to take (Psalm 25:12). He will come and tell us what he would have us to do (Psalm 32:8). Sometimes by his word, and sometimes by his providence; and when we look up to him as to a friend, he will do a friend's part. And on the other side, for our part we shall never take any business in hand, but we shall sadly and seriously communicate all our affairs with God, and think ourselves bound to do it, not dare to rush upon anything but upon consultation first with the Lord, and acquainting him with such and such things. "We know not what to do, but our eyes are to you" (2 Chronicles 20:12). So we offer up ourselves to be ready at his commandment, to do whatever he shall counsel us to do. Let him but make our way plain before us, and we will hear him in whatever he requires of us. Be it what it will be, if God lay it before us, we will do it (Psalm 119:1, fifth section). "Teach me your statutes, and I will keep it even to the end." Observe then, whether we have Christ for our Christ by way of covenant — did there ever pass such a conveyance between Christ and you, to God the Father, about him and your souls, that if God should look upon you, and consider your case, your just and due desert is everlasting destruction? And therefore you account yourselves unworthy of any mercy from God, but yet notwithstanding if he will be but pleased to accept the death of Christ for you, and to besprinkle you with the blessings of his grace, you will give up yourselves to an acceptable service of him all your days, and will be ready to do his will, and that he shall be to you as a king and governor. Have you ever passed over to him your preservation, and protection, and provision? And look what affection is between husband and wife, has there been the like affection in your souls towards the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you a strong and hearty desire to meet him in the bed of loves, whenever you come to the congregation, and do you desire to have the seeds of his grace shed abroad in your hearts, and bring forth the fruits of grace to him, and desire that you may be for him, and for none other, and you desire to acquaint him with all your counsels and secrets, and desire to do nothing but as he shall counsel and direct you? And have you therefore been willing to give up yourselves, you and yours to be ruled by Christ? And is it the grief of your souls if any of your children and servants shall not stoop to God, and if you use the best means to draw them on to goodness? Truly then you have Christ for your Christ, because you have him by way of covenant. When God gives us hearts thus to agree with him, he always prevents us, he is ever before us — then Christ you have, and in him you have life. But if on the contrary, we never come before God in acknowledgement that death was our portion, and desired the blood of Christ to be applied to us, not in an overture of speech, but when it comes to the point, what will you do? Will you accept him as your friend, and as your husband, and will you expect all good things from him, and you will not dare to venture upon any course or way further than the light and sincerity of the word gives liberty? And if you never came to this, nor was it ever your care whether your household served God or no, though they sin against God, and swear and lie, yet all this is nothing to you, but it is all one with you — then there wants a covenant between God and you, and then if you have him not by covenant, you have him not at all. He that has him any way, has him every way, though it be not so clearly seen every way. If you have him, then you have friends and enemies in common. If it be not so with you, that you observe not the counsels of God, but you will be at a loose end, and do what you think good in your own eyes, then there is no covenant between God and you, and then you have not Christ, and then no life, much less in abundance.

Objection: But you say, who is there that so looks to himself, his wife, and children, and servants, so to his own heart and others, as that they are so wholly conformable to God's will in all that he counsels and commands, and who so expects such blessings, but that they take from God many things in ill part, and often sit down murmuring and discontent.

Even they that make a covenant with God, they often break covenant with him; and so often as you entertain any thought in your mind, wherein you have not consulted with God, and do anything further than you have warrant from God, so often have you broken covenant; so often as there is any passage in our lives, for which we had not warrant from the mouth of God, and wrought it by the strength of his grace, and eye of his providence, so far have we broke covenant with him; but yet notwithstanding this breach of covenant, here stands their help, and this is their comfort, that God has given Christ for a covenant (Isaiah 49:8), so that he will make good our breach of covenant on his own part, and (Hebrews 7:22) he becomes a surety for our parts. God needs no surety for his part, but we need one; so that if we have Christ for our surety, then this is required of us, that knowing we have broken covenant with God, we ought to blush, and to be ashamed of it (Ezra 9:6-12) and (Daniel 9:5-20), they confess they have broken covenant with God, and thereupon they sit down blushing, and weeping, and rending their garments, that they should enter into such a solemn covenant with God, and hope to receive so many mercies from him, and yet so unfaithfully to break covenant with him. When we see that we have transgressed and forgotten the covenant of God, and break the counsels of God, we or ours: it is for us in such a case to do as those people did in Ezra and Nehemiah, who broke covenant with God; to go and blush before him, that we should deal so unworthily with that God, that has made such a perpetual covenant of faith with us, that will be all that is good to us, and has not been wanting to do all for us: and we notwithstanding, who undertook, solemnly that we and our children, and servants should walk after God, and we would teach them to do what is good in God's sight, and yet we do not take care that they do so; and for other of our friends, whom we might be helpful to, we wholly neglect them. We ought to shame ourselves for this breach of covenant, else we cannot say, that we make a true covenant with God, and charge ourselves for being so false to God, and then some good may come of it. When the people had broken covenant with God, and God was very angry, and would have no more to do with them (Exodus 32), but in chapter 33 the people put off their best clothes and came before him, and humbled themselves in his presence, and put off their best clothes, and entreated God to be reconciled to them, and then he again renews his covenant with them. To show you how God is wont to express himself to his people, when we have broken covenant with him, God will say, he will not look at us any more, he will never protect us more, he will neither meddle nor make with us, but will expose us to all evil; now if thereupon we return and bewail our breach of covenant with God, how little good we have done, and how little serviceable we are, he is then wont to let us see, that his covenant was never so far broken, but he can tell how to be good to us, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and this is a third way of having of Christ.

A fourth way, is a way of free acceptance, we have Christ by receiving him, that is the last way, whereby Christ is said to be conveyed to us (John 1:12), to as many as received him, to them he gave power to be called the sons of God, that is the life of a Christian to become a son of God, and God is the Father not of the dead but of the living, so that here is a receiving of Christ by faith, whereby we become the sons of God, so that if you would know, whether you have Christ or no, whether or no do you receive him? Receive him by faith, and that goes through all the former, but something different. Among interpreters this receiving of Christ is many ways taken: some say it is to receive him as a King and a Savior, and it is not in vain, but under correction: it does not fitly interpret the notion of the word; but the substance of the thing delivered by the Holy Spirit, if I do not mistake it, the phrase expresses thus much; as many as receive him into their hearts as into a house or temple, and it will hold according to the comparison used by the Holy Spirit. He came to his own, into the temple, or house of God, and there he came as into his own proper place, he came to his own; you are to conceive, he speaks not only of Christ's coming among them in the tabernacle of flesh and blood, for of that in verse 1; but the whole chapter is a history, and declaration of Christ, partly before the world was; and in their giving light to all in the creation, and after the fall, when the world was grown dark, then he was the true light, that enlightened every one that was in the world. Now he was in the world, and the world was made by him, but the world knew him not. And he came to his own people in his ordinances, and they apprehended him not; but as many as received him of old, to them he gave power to be called the sons of God.

But for further opening of this phrase, read John 19:27: he took her home to his own house; it is in the original the same word with that in John 1:11, into his own home; he came to his own home or house, to his own temple and people, and they received him not, but neglected his ordinances, neglected to seek Christ in the temple; but as many as did there seek him, and look toward him, he gave them power to be called the sons of God; so that to receive Christ according to the meaning of this place, is, to receive him into our hearts as into his proper house; and he comes there as a Master, and these receive him as into a temple, then we have him by receiving him into a house or home. Now you are the temples of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16): I will dwell in you, and you shall receive me.

Now, how do we receive Christ into our hearts as into a temple? There be three things by which we receive Christ as into a temple:

First, when we do prepare a way for Christ to come in to us, as it is said of John, he prepared the way for Christ, that so he might suddenly come into his Temple (Malachi 3:1). And Isaiah speaking of the same Messenger, he says, Every mountain shall be brought low, and every valley filled up; crooked ways be made straight, and rough ways made smooth (Isaiah 40:3-4). And this is the preparation we must make for Christ to come into us; you have sometime heard this fully spoken to; that is, when the high mountains of our great spirits, and lofty looks, are brought so low, that we are content to be nothing in our own eyes, that we have all we have in Christ, and are able to bring nothing to him, and are willing that he should take all from us, whatever he would have us to part with. And when we are willing to be whatever he would have us to be, and that he should do with us what is good in his own eyes; then these high mountains being brought low, we are made fit for Christ to come into us. We must have no crooked ways of our own; if we have any imagination of our own left in us, that we will part with such and such lusts, but yet are loath to be disposed of in all things as God will have us, then there is no room for God, he will not climb for it; but if we smooth the way for him, then he will come into our hearts.

But besides this, there is to be filled up every low valley, and that holds forth two things. Every valley shall be filled, that is, first, every base heart shall lift up itself to the high things of God, for he speaks of valleys first, as if there were such a low dejectedness in the creature, as made it unfit for Christ. God requires that every base heart should be exalted, to the minding of high and heavenly things, lifted up far above these low things that cannot reach the ways of God. These gates must stand open, and be lifted up, that the King of Glory may come in (Psalm 24:7-10). And he means the gates of our hearts, and he calls them, the gates of eternity, they are our hearts and souls. Stand not poring upon earthly things here below, but lift up your heads higher, look for a God, and for a Kingdom; stand not peddling about these earthly things, as if you had nothing else to look after. Your hearts lie too low for Christ to come into, but if you would lie level with him, then lift up your mind to heavenly things. Let the bent of your heart be for pardon of sin, and for everlasting life, be of a level frame of spirit to the Kingdom of Heaven, and then Christ will come into you.

And as it implies, that the heart must not be too low for Christ through baseness of spirit, and an earthly mind, so it may be too low through despair, and through excessive sorrow for sin. He may be cast so low down in dejection of spirit, that his heart lies too low for Christ, not able to lay hold on God's favor to him in Christ. He thinks the promises belong not to him, it is well and happy for them that can lay hold upon them, but for his part there is none of these promises that reach him. Did you ever know any in my case find mercy? Now the heart lies something too low, this man's heart is not base, he looks at Christ as the most honorable thing in the world, he sets his heart upon the blood of Christ, and would be glad with all his heart that he had his part in it, but he is dejected, and lies too low, fit to despair. And therefore in this case a Christian must be thus far exalted, as to be made level with Christ, to believe there is hope in Israel touching his estate. Christ has had mercy upon many in such a case, and he will do so to us, if we seek him in the way of his ordinances, and if therefore we resolve to seek him, and put our mouths in the dust, expecting salvation to be revealed by him, and follow him in his ordinances, and never have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, and will still continue to seek him, then we begin to be something level with Christ. But you say, There is such a crookedness in my heart, and unevenness, that Christ cannot come in; truly that must be made straight. Princes are not wont to go down back lanes, but down plain ways; so Christ, as he would have his way neither too high, nor too low, so he would not go round about, but would have the way to lie plain before him. The judgment, and heart, and affection, lie in such sort of evenness as simply to aim at the glory of God in his way, and therein to be ruled by the Word of God, and then is the heart of a man in a good frame. If there be nothing in a man's heart, but he is willing to be guided in it, by the straight rule of God's Word, and he aims directly at the glory of God, and the coming of his Kingdom, and the doing of his will, then are all a man's crooked ways laid aside, and the heart lies so level, that Christ will suddenly come into his Temple. These crooked windings of a spirit of hypocrisy are made straight, when he is brought low, yet he may have much hypocrisy in him, pretend to be more than he is, he may be doing good duties more to be seen of men, than that God should observe him. Therefore when God has brought us to this, that we are desirous of grace, rather in truth than in outward show, or if in show, but that we might do others good thereby, and singly aim at God's glory in it, and desire and endeavor to walk by the straight rule of the Word of God, then are our hearts cleansed in some measure, from the crooked windings of hypocrisy, which might hinder the free passage of Christ into the soul.

And yet there is another winding in a man's heart, though in some truth the duties be done, yet there is many times an aptness in us to cover and to wind about our own sins, and to make them less than they be, and this is a wicked course (Psalm 125:4-5). And therefore God would have us deal most plainly with him, that in the singleness of our hearts, when it may stand with the glory of God, and the confusion of our own faces, we will not be wanting to lay open our hearts before him. These be such windings as will not profit us, when we deal plainly and confess what we have done, and come to be thus open-hearted to God, then is Christ ready to come suddenly into his temple, when we have brought down our high spirits, and raised up our too low, base and dejected spirit; and laid all level before him, then there remains no more, but for Christ to come suddenly into his temple.

But yet besides all this, when all this is done, yet there may be still a great measure of a rough, and harsh, and sharp, and fiery spirit in him, which Christ will have removed before he comes to dwell there. Before that, he will have this harshness, and bitterness laid down — that they shall be smooth and level before him, the frame of the heart shall be as meek as a lamb. The Lamb of God will not lie in a den of lions, and if we break out into harsh and unsavory distempers afterward, we shall damp the life of God in us, the life of Christ will be dead in us. And therefore if you desire to entertain Christ into your hearts; then lay aside all harshness, and bitterness, and roughness, and all guile of crookedness (1 Peter 2:12), then you shall have life in the Word, and find Christ to be yours. This is the first thing whereby we receive Christ.

Secondly, suppose he be come, there is thus much more required to have him, and to keep him there, we must look there be no unholy thing remaining there, all vain and common things must be removed, no profane matter must stay there (2 Corinthians 6:16), touch no unclean thing. And if Christ be come to you, you must not only remove all sinful and unclean matter, but also all common matter, and now every thing must be dedicated to God, and you must go about your callings as becomes Christians, and you and all yours must be dedicated to God. Your silver and your gold must be dedicated, and only spent upon such uses, as God calls for, and therefore look at every thing so, as God may have glory by it, and let him not be dishonored in any thing by you, all that you are, and have, must be dedicated to God. Mind, and judgment, and conscience, and heart, and affection, love and hatred; your whole man, and all your labors, and all you can reach, lies as a consecrated thing, else God will not dwell livingly in you, unless you have a care to keep every thing clean. You shall find this to be true, Christ loves to lie clean, and religion loves to lie clean, and if he see hasty sluttishness in us, he will be gone and will not tarry there. He would not have natural uncleanness to appear among you, but let all such be covered, and let no such defilement be seen among you, he would have all kept in a holy reverent frame, such as might become the presence of God.

Thirdly, the receiving of Christ into our hearts as into a temple implies to keep the charge of his ordinances and holy things, to offer to him all our sacrifices, and to look that all be performed in such a manner as himself requires. God charges it as a sin upon his people (Ezekiel 44:8), you have not kept the charge of my holy things, but you have set keepers of my ordinances in my sanctuary for yourselves. God will not dwell among them, when they set up the uncircumcised to offer up their sacrifices. God will have every man to take charge over his own temple; have a care of yourselves, put not off your care to others, you may not put off the charge of God's holy things. Every man has a charge to look to the things of God; not only to see that all unclean things be removed, and all common things dedicated, but to see that every morning and evening, sacrifice be duly performed, and all things done in a right manner, else you will find little life in Christ. And if he see this care in you, then Christ will come into his temple and dwell there, and you shall have life in Christ, and that in abundance, you cannot have God for your God, but you must have a place, readily prepared for him, and keep it in fitness, and comeliness for him, trim it up for a habitation for him, this God requires of every soul that will have God for his God. In a word therefore, do but consider, whether your hearts have thus embraced Christ or no; is your base heart exalted to look after heavenly things, and are your proud hearts brought low to the obedience of Christ, do you find your ways of hypocrisy made plain before God, and is your rough passion made smooth before God, then you have Christ, whether you see him, or feel him or no. And do you find that when you have Christ, you dedicate yourselves to him, and suffer no unclean thing in yourselves or yours, and do you keep the ordinances pure, and offer up your morning and evening sacrifice yourselves? Then you have received Christ, and it is your faith by which you do thus receive him; but if it be not thus with you, then say you have not received Christ, or if you have, you are to be humbled for your great neglect, and want of keeping of him.