O Blessed Paul, what an happy improvement didst thou make of all thy glorious visions of Christ, and of thine heavenly rapture into such neere communion with thy Saviour. Thereby thou didst gain such transcendent opinions of him, that as a man top-full of him thou didst speak the greatest things of him. Witnesse the vast differeence between Saul & Paul. Act. 9. 1. 2. There Saul like a furious Apparritor to the Iewish high Commission, breaths out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord. And then Paul after Jesus Christ had met him so effectually, vers. 20 straight way Called Paul after his converting Sergiua Paulus. he preached Christ in the Synagogues, that he is the sonne of God.

O admirable power of grace! straightway after, being a persecuting Saul, is now become a gracious preaching Paul. Hee felt the happy influence of this grace in the Text.

Its observed that you have Christ mentioned in Pauls Epistles 223 times, and Iesus at least 233 times. To make up this number, Paul contributes very much in his Epistles; His spirit was so brimfull of Christ, that his Pen overflowes with his Name; whom severall times he mentions Christ in 10 verses in the beginning of the first Chapter of the first Epistle Note. to the Corinthians. Upon very good reason might Paul thank Christ that enabled him and counted him faithfull, putting him into the Ministry. Fidelity and ability two great mercies when bestowed on a Minister Upon this stock of grace in Christ Non significat imbecillas vires a ugere, vel quasi collapsas sustinere, sed vire • ei induere cui ne voluntas quidem in sit, into verô qui in contrariam partem totus feratur Beza in lo cum. did the Martyrs spend when so victorious. Heb. 11. 33, 34, 35. Who through faith subdued Kingdomes, wrought righteousnesse, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of Lyons, qnencheà the violence of fire, cscaped the edge of the sword, (a) out of weaknesse were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to slight the Armies of aliens, women received their dead raised to life againe; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtaine a better resurrection. What a full and rich expression is this, Out of weaknesse were made strong, nothing previously preparatory in them towards this strength, out of weaknesse made strong, they were first receptive of strength from Christ, before they could be active for Christ; This leads me to the second observation, the former having been handled in the foregoing Sermon, which was this,

1. There is a spring of strengthning Grace in Christ Jesus, for the advantage of Saints.

The second observation, which is this followeth, naturally arising out of the words.

It is the strength of Christians, their onely strength, to learne Doct. 2. how to make the Lord Iesus their strength;

You have an excellent place to confirm it in Eph. 6. 10. Finally my Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of hus might: Be strong, good reason for it: but where lies the strength? in the Lord, that is the former point, and in the power of his might; Go not out in any strength of your owne, any confidence of it, for all is but impotency; but in the power of his might: This is very significantly in the Text by the Apostle Paul: Possibly there may be such an Emphasis in the composition, some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . intention; he doth not say, there is a strength within thee: Three things for the explication. But where shall I have it? from Christ; it is the strength of Christ Jesus; in him is all thy strength: I shall branch this befor I come to the Application, to three heads: First, I will endeavor as God shall please to enable, to demonstrate the wisedome of this course the wisedome of it, for a Christian to learn this heavenly skill, how to make the Lord Jesus his strength;

2. To shew you the effectuall purposes of it, what good ends it serves to:

3. The possibility of it;

1. The wisedome of it; and that will appeare upon these 1. The wisedome of Saints making Christ their strength. four considerations.

1. If you do but thinke upon your owne impotency, reflect upon your selves when you have been at the best, when you have thought your mountaine hath been immoveable, and you have stood most sure, have not you sometimes soone after driven 1. Consider. very heavily in duties, as if your chariot wheeles had been knocked off, & when you have thought to have done best, you come off most dryly? yea I am confident that divers Ministers understand this, and it may be others in part Est spiritualis ariditas. too, they have been preparing a sermon, and thought, O certainly, this passage will take, and it may be win soules, and when they in preaching or in praying have had some proud reflections upon such expressions, enlargements or hints from heaven, a little weed of pride hath begun to spring up, and Note. (men love to much to looke upon their own seeming beauty, and their own flashes,) hath provoked God suddenly to withdraw his spirit, presently thy strength hath failed, and thou art at a losse; what doth this argue there is an impotency in thy 2. Consider. selfe.

As there is an impotency in thy selfe, and therefore it is thy wisedome to make Jesus Christ thy strength, so there is an insufficiency in all the best of Ordinances, they are but created meanes at the most, and further then the Creator continues to be a Preserver, and a Governor, and an Actor of his own workmanship, it can do nothing: many that lived under the most pure and pretious Ordinances, where Paul was a Preacher, yea where Jesus Christ preached so many powerfull sermons upon earth, yet you know there were Scribes and Pharisees still that did imprison those pretious Gospel truths, that not onely for the excellency, but for the novelty of them, should have been entertained, (Men use to bid welcome new things;) yet all would not do, (not as to the Ordinances themselves for then all would have been converted) only as Jesus Christ came in and seized upon such a soule, so many and no more werewon upon to embrace him; but self and Ordinances, as is spoken as I remember in that of Job: the latter end, Job. 28, 12, 14. &c. concerning wisedome: c. 28. v. 12, 14. &c. depth saith it is not in me and earth and sea, and all disclame wisedome, it is not in me, we have heard of the fame thereof, but it is not in us; and so indeed may all the Ordinances say strength is not in me; and Ordinances indeed will speake great things of the strength of grace in Christ Jesus; but they will tell you, though it be set forth, it is not to be had in us, it is to be had only in Jesus Christ himself.

3. You may please to consider this, that Jesus Christ hath strength confin'd to him hath an office to that purpose, a commission 3. Consider. under the broad seal of Heaven; all things are put into his hand the Spirit of strength and all; God the Father loved him and hath put all things into his hand, He being Immanuel God man, and the onely mediator to bring sinfull man into a capacity to Joh. 3 34. receive grace and glory from God 2 Pet. 1. 3. And thus all this strength is concenterd in Jesus Christ, and so confined to him that there is not the least drop or dram of spirituall strength, but what comes derivatively and redundantly from him: Trust in the Lord Jehovah, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength; he was Abrahams Rocke to anchor upon, and though many waves may have beate upon it since, Isa 26. 4. yet it is not wasted; the same Rocke in Davids time, the same Rocke in Pauls time, the same Rocke for his poore Saints in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 In Jehovah petra seculorum. this time; blessed be his name, he is the Rocke of Ages, and therefore everlasting strength alwayes to overflow to his people.

Fourthly and lastly, It is a high point of wisedome, because a Christian will have so much need of this strengthning grace from Christ there is an hint to this purpose in, the 6. Ephes. 10. 4. Consider. a place I named before; there is a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Finally my Brethren, as if Paul should have said, I have been leading you through the great and mysterious depths of the Gospel matters of speculation, in the Chap. 1, 2, and 3. I have beene leading you through the practicals of Christianity; in the fourth I have been putting you upon the exercise of relative graces, in the fifth and sixth telling you what husbands should do to their wives, and wives to their husbands; parents to their children, and children to their parents: But there is another peece behinde that must not be forgotten, you must make account to conflict with temptations, and therefore endeavor after conflicting graces; you must wrastle many a fall with the Devill, before you go to heaven; a you must wrestle with God, so Conflicting graces very necessary to inable us to out wrastle the Divels temptation. Luk. 18 21, 22. you must wrestle against the Devill; you will not be able to do this by any strength of your own, the Devill is a strong man, and there must be one that is stronger then he, that must be able to bind him, and take away his armor from him, and that is onely Jesus Christ; therefore a high point of wisedome it will be for all the Saints to learne this heavenly skill, how to make Jesus Christ their strength; the next thing I proposed was this.

To what effectuall purpose is this, for the Saints to be at cost and charges to learne this skill? 2. To what good purposes Saints should learn to make Christ their strength.

1. Hereby their spirituall and eternall estate will be much more confirmed and settled, being establish'd in the faith, being rooted and grounded in Christ, in t e 2 Coloss. 6, 7. and you shall find all this is by being in Christ, for he wishes them in the 8. vers. take heed of vaine Philosophy, or any thing which is not after Christ, any thing which should draw you from Christ; your rooting, your establishing lies in Christ, he is the roote of your strength, and he it the foundation of your ability.

2. It will conduce to this purpose to enable you to performe good duties, and that with life and power; it is not enough for Christians to have a formality of godlinesse, an outward forme, that is a prettie step, and very desirable; but you should have truth of godlinesse, that is a better step; and I wil adde this, there is a best step, not onely truth, but strength; you must not have a forme of godlinesse and deny the power thereof; in the 2. of Timoth. 3, 5. such persons are one of the Catalogue that shall helpe to make the last dayes perillous 2 Tim. 3. 1, 5., and indeed the more dangerous, because the lesse discernable.

3. It will conduce much to this happy purpose, to fit you for variety of conditions; you may be led forth to prosperity, you may have suddain removes and changes from advesiry to prosperity, and from prosperity to adversity, and therein many loose themselves; It is clean water indeed, that when the glasse is shaked, there is no filth appeares: O they are rooted Christians in Christ, and have a great deale of strength, that walke unchangeably with God in changes, that are the same in all varieties; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . (Solomon and Ezekiah lost themselves therein;) this you cannot doe but through Christ; Paul had learned particular lessons for particular estates, I have learned to want, I have learned to abound, and whence? I can do all things through Christ enabling me; Phil. 4. 12. And from the grace of Christ enabling him. You may be led forth to searching temptations; and then you'l be at great losses, and plunges, without this strengthening grace of Christ; A little temptation will prostrate a strong Saint, if he be left to himselfe; it must be the issuing So Moses 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , when a traine for his Court preferment had been laying 40. yeers Heb. 11. 25. 26 Mal. 2. 4. of continuall supplies, from the Lord Jesus Christ that must animate; As constancy of supply from the Sunne, doth quicken the plants here; when he withdrawes the sap retires into the roote, and trees look as if they were almust dead, when he returnes, he brings a spring with him; so indeed doth the Sunne of righteousnesse, into poore and (seemingly at least) wither'd or dying soules: Fiftly and lastly, and that may adde a very great Emphasis to all the rest.

It will conduce much to this purpose; To have anhappy return of their prayers. If his words abide in you, and you abide in him in the 15 John 8. Aske what you will and it shall be done unto you; Ask what you wil, there is none in the world but are desirous, in some degree & often mov'd very inordinatly, to have their wils the great controversie on foot upon earth from time to time Note and that that hath cost so much blood-shed in England, and in other placesis this, Who should have their will; now if you would have your will, I meane here a rectified will, a holy, a gratcious will, if you would have it fulfilled and gratifyed, let the words of Christ abide in you, and do you abide in him; get that strength from him, from his quickning word and quickening spirit that hereby you may be fruitful in the strength of his grace, and you shall have your wils, the third thing proposed, for explication followes. 3. possibility of obtaining this skill to make christ our strength.

The possibility of this; how is it possible that Jesus Christs strength should be conveyed to us, that we should make anothers strength, our strength? The Papists have a great quarrell against justification by imputed righteousnesse, and they call it putative, and take upon them (at least) that they do not, or will not understand, how it is possible for a man to be justifyed by anothers righteousnesse; Can a man be warmed by anothers cloaths, (say they) can a man be wise by anothers wisdome? Note I answer, it is very easily possible, if that another mans wisedom be made ours, or another mans cloaths be put upon us; so this is possible, if Jesus Christs strength be made ours; that is the thing, the Apostle presses it here, be strong in the Grace in Jesus Christ, let this be your care, how to make the strength of Christ yours; and therefore (I say) this possibility will be reduc'd to act in these three particulars;

First, by our Union with Christ, when once you are united unto Jesus Christ, what is Christ is yours, for union makes way Its possible upon a threesold account. to communion; If there be a Union with him, there is a Communion with him, and a Communication of what he hath to us; 1. By our union with Christ. As he communicates his righteousnesse for our justification, communicates his glory for our glorification so he communicates his spirit for our strength and holinesse, and also conveyes quickening grace to us first by our union with him.

2. By impressions from him; for when ever Jesus Christ draws us to union with him, he then draws us to communion with him in By impressions from his spirit. his Ordinances; If we indeed have cōmunion with him, we go away with an Ordinance tincture, a Gospel impression upon our spirits, in some degree molded into that word, that was made known 2 Cor. 2. 18. to us, and delivered to us, that you thinke, and speake, and act, in some conformity to that word that was delivered to you; and this is the blessed advantage of this mornings exercise, if people have hearts to make use of them, that before the Divel hath Rom. 6. 17. taken possession, of your soules, the spirit of God shall prevent him, and here you shall have the Gospell, come warme next your hearts, and that you may have something there, that may leave such a tincture that may fortify you against the incursions of temptations, & the ordinary invasions of the devil, O that Westminster Citizens would consider it, and know the day of their visitation. here is strengthening grace conveyed by these impressions: as when a man throwes a stone out of his hands, Philosophers have very great disputes how it is possible that a stone should move, they tell you there is an impression of something upon it vis impressa. I am sure, here is an impression, when Jesus Christ comes into the soule, and drawes nigh to it, and puts Fortit • r & suaviter movet. somewhat into it, and by a sweet and a loving violence, carryes on the soule in duty.

Thirdly, As by a union with him, as by an impression made 3. By influence from Christ. upon us, by him, so by a continued influence from him; It is not enough to have uniō with him, it is not enough to have an impression made upon our spirits from him, bulit is his continued influence that doth it; when there is an obstruction in the passages, either betwixt the Liver, and Heart, and the Vitals and other parts, or betwixt the head, and the parts whence sense and motion should be conveighed; in any of those passages when there is any obstruction, at what a losse are we presently because the continuall influence is hindred when there is no such thing that doth obstruct, and hinder the sweet intercourse betwixt the soule and Christ, and illapses from the spirit of Christ into our spirits; O it is that that doth indeed strengthen and animate them; and so you see the possibility: Here is some seasonable use in the first place.

I hope therefore, if it be so, you that are standers by (as Use I doubt there may be some here are still unacquainted with Jesus Christ, and at an unhappy distance from him, all this while (the Lord if it be his will discover so much of his goodnesse to you, that you may long after intimacy with him,) no such friend on this side heaven unto you) I say if there be such strength in him, and it be such a high point of wisedome for Christians to make him their strength, for all supplies, O think the better of him, I beseech you do not entertaine any hard thoughts of Jesus Christ; let not either the weaknesses or impotencies of Gods people, nor their failings, nor any prejudicate opinions that carnall men would scatter amongst you, any of your fellow drunkards, or Atheists, or Formalists, or what ever they are concerning Jesus Christ, let not them nourish in you a low opinion, it is the way to undo you; for all your strength lies in Him, you will never be able to overcome the least sin, or passion nor the least temptation without the powerfull grace of Jesus him; (and then indeed you are everlastingly undone, if you cannot overcome the least evill;)

Alas what will become of poor souls? it would grieve one to think of it, that it may be are under the greatest snares, as of bad company for 20 years together, so hedg'd in with carnal freinds and acquaintance, poore children with carnall fathers and mothers, and it may be a very carnall wife, sometimes a most carnall husband, and here shee is intangled, tyrannized over &c. Brethren, I beseeh you consider it well, and you that have got any acquaintance with Jesus Christ already, O pity poor souls that do not know where their strength lies, nor have learned how to make use of him, & use all the Art you can, how to breed such opinions in them, of Jesus Christ, and his grace, that they may fall in love with him; It may be when they come to die, then they will send for their Minister, and then they would hear something of Christ. O but there is a sad story of a mean person that made love to one that had some kind of height of Condition, who would not; when he was grown great, then she would have had him, then he would not, he returned her this Very dangerous to put off Christ. answer, you were wise, I am wise, you woul not before, now I will not; what if Jesus Christ should return you this answer, when you are upon your fick beds, and you send for your Ministers, and nothing will satisfie you, but the Communion then, though Contemnere Sacramenta, damat non illa non babere. you cared not for Communion with Christ in your health neither can you make out upon any cleer grounds of Scripture, why you should then so much desire it; and you would then it (may be) be absolved though you have no evidence at al in scripture for it, but what if Jesus Christ should return you this answer? I will lock up my Ministers Spirit, that it may be he shall not be able to pray for you, or at least lock up Heaven gates against Jer. 11. 14. & 14. 11. his prayers, that he will not hear; and so upon this ground you are for ever undone, if millions of Angels, if all the glorified Saints and Angels in Heaven, should joyn their prayers together, to beseige the Throne of grace for you, they could not prevail; and therefore let that be your care, I beseech you, to labor to gain good opinions of Jesus Christ, in them that they may heartily imbrace him.

If this be so, that it is the only strength of Christians, to make Jesus Christ their strength, give me leave to commend a friendly, Use 2. a brotherly caution to you at this time, Take heed of resting Caution. upon any thing below Jesus Christ, for so far as you fall short of Him, so far you fall short of strength; when you would attempt any thing, & you think to catch hold of such a rope, or lay hold of such a pole, if you be to go over a bridge, and you come short of it, down you may fall off the bridge, and break your neck; and truly so it is, with many thousand souls, they have wishings and wouldings, and some dull vellieties, some lazy purposes, and promises, sick-bed-vows they have, but alas, all this fals short of Christ, and so far they shall fall short of heaven, & roar eternally in hellish torments, in a remediless estate, bewailing themselves, that they have no better improved Jesus Christ in the day of their Visitation, when He did with so much loving importunity and with so much unwearied patience stand Rev. 3. 20. and knock at the door, Oh then it will be too late, it may be then you'l weep over your selves, as Jesus Christ did over Jerusalem, Oh that I had known the day of my Visitation, but now I see these things are hid from my eyes, and now eternal desolation in the depth of hellish torments will be my remediless portion; Oh! how sad will this be; therefore accept of this Caution, and these are four friendly Items under it.

First, I beseech you beware, that you do not rest upon your own preparations for Ordinances: It is a very commendable thing, I

1. Friendly Item.

1 Rest not upon your own Preparations for ordinances