Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the LifeBrown, John
Religion
Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Brown, John
Bible. John XIV, 6 -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Jesus Christ; Justification (Christian theology); Sanctification
5. This way of laying the weight of the matter on Christ, should and
will keep them humble, and teach them not to ascribe the glory of any
good that is done unto themselves, but to give him all the glory, who is
jealous of his glory, and will not give it to another, that the crown
may alone flourish on his head, who is the captain of their salvation,
and who by his Spirit worketh all their works in them.
6. Nor would this way of carrying the matter to Christ, and putting it
over on him, cause the believer become negligent in commanded duties,
reading, hearing prayer, &c; for it is there he must expect to meet with
Christ; there must he seek him, and there must he wait for him, and his
Spirit to do the work desired. For though he hath not limited himself to
these means, so, as he cannot, or will not any other way help, yet he
hath bound us to them; and it is our duty to wait there, where he hath
commanded us to wait, though he should sometime think good to come
another way, for the manifestation of the sovereignty of his grace.
7. Yet while we are about the means, we would guard against a leaning to
them, lest, instead of getting victory over corruption, we be brought
more in bondage thereunto another way. We must not think that our
prayers, or our hearing, or reading, &c. will bring down the body of
death, or subdue any one corruption; for that were but an yielding to
corruption, and opening a back door to the carnal mind, and to another
deadly lust, and a beating corruption with a sword of straw. This is not
to mortify the deeds of the body through the Spirit, but through the
flesh; and a fleshly weapon will never draw blood of this spiritual
wickedness or old man, or of any corrupt lust or affection thereof; and
yet how many times doth our deceitful heart bias us this way? Our work
would be, as is said, to use the ordinances as means, whereby we may get
the business laid on Christ, and help from Christ to do the business. We
must go to the means with our prisoner to find Christ there at his court
and assizes, that he may take course with the traitor.
8. In all this there would be a looking to, and dependence on Christ for
help and grace; because of ourselves, as of ourselves, we cannot do this
much; we cannot complain aright of corruptions, nor take them away to
Christ, nor ask for justice against them. As constables and other
officers must carry malefactors to the courts of justice, upon public
charges; so Christ will not have us doing or attempting this much on our
own charges, for he giveth noble allowance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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