The Saints Dignitie and Dutie

p. 1The GIFT of GIFTS: OR, The End why Christ gave Himself.

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquitie, and purifie unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

THe Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter, had given several exhortations, to severall sorts of Persons. To the Aged men, vers. 2. To the Aged women, vers. 3. To the younger women, and younger men, vers. 5, 6. And to Servants in vers. 9, 10. Having thus exhorted these severall sorts to severall duties, he subjoyneth an Argument that might serve to perswade them all to the practise of the duties he had exhorted them unto, and that is laid down from the beginning of the 11th verse to the end of the 14th. Wherein he describeth the end of the Doctrine of the Gospel, and of the grace of God revealed therein; which is, That it should bring men to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and to live soberly and righteously in this present world, Vers. 12. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Vers. 13. To bring people to this temper and disposition, is the end and scope of all the p. 2Gospel. Now having spoken of Christ, in the end of vers. 13. (Our Saviour Jesus Christ) he cometh also to describe Christ in ver. 14. by such things as may also serve as Arguments to perswade to the former duties exhorted to.

The Lord Christ is described in this 14th Verse by an Act of his, Who gave himself for us; and this same action of Christ it is illustrated; First, by the Object for whom it was done, He gave himself for us: Secondly, By the end, Why it was done, That he might redeem us from all iniquitie, and purifie to himselfe a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Thus you see the Coherence of these words, and the Scope of them, and also the Parts of the Text; They are, the Action of Christ described, by the Object and End of it.

We will first speak of the Action and Object, joyning of them both together, Who gave himself for us.

p. 2Give me leave to spend a little time in the opening of the Words. And first, what is meant here by us? Who they are that are the object of this action of Christ? Who they are for whom Christ gave himselfe?

In a word, the Persons for whom Christ gave himself, they are beleevers: In 1 Tim 4.10. he is there said to be the Saviour of all men, especially of those that beleeve. You see in the Verse before my Text, he is called our Saviour, how he gave himself for them to whom he is a Saviour, but (saith the Apostle) he is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that beleive. The meaning of the place is this, Christ he saveth all men with a common temporall salvation, he saveth them from many dangers, from many miseries, he is a generall Saviour to all men; but a speciall Saviour to save from Hell, from the wrath of God, from the guilt and power of sin; thus specially the Lord Christ is a Saviour only to them that beleeve: So that by the Object of this Act, (included in the word [Vs,] he gave himself for us) is meant beleevers, them that doe beleeve in him.

What this belief is, I think I shall not need now to p. 3declare unto you; I will but onely touch it in a few words.

To beleeve in Christ then, it is nothing else, but for a man to goe out of himself, and to receive the Lord Christ in all his Offices, to be to us in particular, a King to govern us, a Prophet to teach us, and a Priest to save us, and to make intercession for us: Thus Faith is described, John 1.12. To as many as received him, that is, (as the latter part of the Verse hath it) to as many as beleeved in him, He gave power to be the sons of God. So that to beleeve in Christ, is to receive Christ.

Now there is no receiving of Christ, but you must receive whole Christ, the coat of Christ was never divided, much lesse is the person of Christ: if Christs coat and person was not divided, much lesse the Offices of Christ: So that if to beleeve be to receive Christ, then to beleeve is to receive whole Christ in all his Offices. You see then what this faith is, it is to goe out of ones self, and to entertain Christ, to be in particular for us our onely King, and Priest and Prophet; and therefore to give up our selves to Christ, as subjects to be guided by him as by our Soveraign: and as Schollers in all things to be taught by him as by our Master; and for to give up our selves to him alone to expect attonement, and to expect favour from God through his Priesthood. This is to believe.

p. 3The Properties of this Faith, the signs of it, by which you may know that you are them for whom Christ gave himself, you shall find in Scripture to be these.

First of all, Faith it is said to purifie the heart, Acts 15.9. There saith the Apostle, he put no difference between us and them, purifying of their hearts by faith. There is one propertie of faith, It is a purifier of the heart, that is, where there is faith, there is a principle in that heart, whereby it commeth to be purified and cleansed from the power and dominion of all originall corruption. Where ever there is faith, there is a pure principle in that soul which endeavoureth nothing but the cleansing of the soul from all corruption that is inbred by nature.