worke as servants to the same Master are unto us sanctified and to the Father made acceptable by the intercession of his Sonne who hath made us Priests to offer all our sacrifices with acceptance upon this Altar Revel 1.6 1 Pet. 2.5 Esayâ—56 â—56 7 Seventhly the Inward interpellation of the soule it selfe for it selfe which is as it were the eccho of Christs intercession in our hearts The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanes which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 The same Spirit groaneth in us and more fully and distinctly by Christ prayeth for us These things I speake in the world saith our Saviour that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves Ioh. 17.13 that is as I conceive I have made this prayer in the world and left a record and patterne of it in the Church that they feeling the same heavenly desires kindled in their owne hearts may bee comforted in the workings of that Spirit of prayer in them which testifieth to their soules the qualitie of that intercession which I shall make for them in heaven Eighthly Patience and unweariednesse in Gods service Let us runne with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Authour and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is sate downe at the right hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12.1 2 3. Lastly Confidence in our approches to the throne of Grace Seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Iesus the Sonne of God let us hold fast our profession and come boldly unto the throne of Grace Heb. 4.14 16. And againe This man after hee had offered one Sacrifice for sinnes for ever sate downe on the right hand of God from hence-forth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stoole from whence the Apostle inferreth Having therefore boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Iesus and having an high Priest over the house of God Let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. Heb. 10.12 23. And all these things are certaine to us in the vertue of this Intercession of Christ First because the Father heareth him and answereth him Ioh. 11.42.12.28 and appointed him to this office Heb. 5.4 5. Secondly because the Father loveth us I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you because you have loved me c. Ioh. 16.26 27. Thirdly because as Christ hath a Prayer to intercede for us so hath hee also a Power to conferre that upon us for which he intercedeth I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Ioh. 14.16 If I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Ioh. 16.7 That which Christ by his prayer obtained for us by his power hee conferreth upon us and therefore in the Psalme he is said to Receive gifts for men noting the fruit of his intercession Psal. 68.18 and in the Apostle to give gifts unto men noting the power and fulnesse of his person Ephes. 4.8 Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and heare Act. 2.33 Thus great and thus certaine are the benefits which come unto the Church from the Intercession of Christ. The fourth thing inquired into about the Priesthood of Christ was what is the Vertue and fruits thereof and they may be all comprized in two general words there is Solutio deâ—its the paiment of our debt and Redundantia meriti an overplus and redundancie of merit Satisfaction whereby we are redeemed from under the Law and an Acquisition or purchase of an inheritance and priviledges for us The obedience of Christ hath a double relation in it there is first Ratio legalis justitiae the relation of a legall righteousnesse as it beares exact and compleat conformitie to the Law will and decree of his Father Secondly there is ratio superlegalis meriti the relation of a merit over and beyond the Law for though it were nostrum debitum that which we did necessarily owe yet it was suâ—m indebitum that which of himselfe he was not bound unto but by voluntary susception and covenant with his Father for it was the bloud and obedience of God himselfe Here then first is to be considered his payment of that debt which we did owe unto God in which respect he is said to Beare our sinnes To beare sinne is to have the burden of the guilt of sin and malediction of the Law to lye upon a man so it is said he that troubleth you shall beare his judgement Gal. 5.10 The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father neither shal the father beare the iniquity of the sonne the wickednesse of the wicked shal be upon him Ezek. 18.20 So wrath is said to Abide on a man Ioh. 3.36 and sin is said to be retained or held in its place Ioh. 20.23 So Christ is said to beare our sinnes in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Esay 53.4.6 and by so bearing them hee tooke them off from us cancel'd the obligations of the Law against us and did all whatsoever was requisite to satisfie an offended Justice for hee fulfilled the Law which was our debt of service It becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 and he endured the Crosse and curse the bloudy agonie and ignominie of that death which was the debt of suffering Heb. 12.2 and the covenant betweene him and his Father was that all that should be done by him as our Head and surety and so he was to taste death for every man Heb. 2.9 Rom. 5.8 So there is a Commutation allowed that he should be in our stead as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soule a sacrifice and his life a price and his death a conquest of ours and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.6 A price or ransome for all those in whose place he was made sin and a curse 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 Though he had not any Demerit or proper guilt of sinne upon him which is a Deserving of punishment for that ever growes out of sin either personally inherent or at least naturally imputed by reason that he to whom it is accounted was seminally and naturally contained in the loines of him from whom it is on him derived yet he had the guilt of sin so far as it notes an obligation and subjection unto punishment as hee was our surety and so in sensu forensi in the sight of Gods court of justice one with us who had deserved punishment imputed unto him The fruit which redounds to us hereby is the expiation or remission of our sinnes by the imputing of his righteousnesse unto us This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of
due to the Ministers of the Gospell by a Law of Iustice. It is a wrong and foolish Apologie to pretend the punishment for the continuance of the fault The poverty of many men is doubtlesse a just recompence for their neglect of the honor of the Gospell For God hath ever severely punished the contempt and dishonor done to his messengers 2 Chron. 16.10.12 2 Chron. 24 21-25 2 Chron. 26.19 20. 2 Chron. 36.16 17. Wheras on the other side doe thou deale faithfully with God fulfill to thy power his appointment and decree that they which preach the Gospell may live by the Gospell and then hearken unto God Honor the Lord with thy substance and the first fruits of all thine increase so shall thy barnes bee filled with plenty and thy presses burst out with new wine Prov. 3.9 10. Consider now from this day and upward from the day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laid consider it Is the seed yet in the barne From this day I will blesse you Hag. 2.18 19. Yee are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole nation Bring yee all the Tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove mee herewith saith the Lord of Hoasts if you will not doe it out of duty yet doe it out of experiment If I will not open you the windowes of heaven and powre you out a blessing that there shall not be roome enough to receive it Mal. 3 9-12 There was never any man lost by paying God his Dues there was never any man thrived by grudging or pittancing the Almighty I will conclude this point with the Apostle It is his Doctrine faithfull Ministers are worthy of double honor And it is his Exhortation Render to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute Custome to whom Custome feare to whom feare Honor to whom Honor Rom. 13.3 Note lastly The Priesthood of Christ is an everlasting Priesthood Hee also was without Father and without Mother without beginning of dayes or end of life As man without a Father as God without a Mother The same yesterday and to day and for ever His name was Everlasting Father His Gospell an Everlasting Gospell He was a lamb slaine from the beginning of the world The vertue of his bloud goes backward as high as Adam He was foreordain'd before the foundation of the world 2 Tim. 1.9 The redemption of those that transgressed under the first Testament the remission of sinnes that were past were procured by this Sacrifice Heb. 9.15 Rom. 3.25 It goeth downward to the end of the world he must raigne till all be put under his feete and he must raise up all by the power and vertue of his victory over death Ioh. 5 26-29 And lastly it goeth onward to all immortality for though the Acts and administration of his Priest-hood shall cease when hee shall have delivered the Kingdome to his Father and have brought the whole Church into Gods presence yet the vertue and fruits of those Acts shall bee absolutely eternall for so long as the Saints shall bee in heaven so long they shall enjoy the benefit of that Sacrifice which did purchase not a lease or expiring terme but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an endlesse life an everlasting glory an inheritance incorruptible that fadeth not away reserved in the heaven for them VERSE 5. The Lord at thy Right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath VERSE 6. Hee shall judge amongst the Heathen he shall fill the places with dead Bodies Hee shall wound the heads over many Countries IN the former part of the Psalme we have had the description of Christs offices of King and Priest together with the effect thereof in gathering a willing people unto himselfe Now here the Prophet sheweth another effect of the powerfull administration of these offices containing his victories over all his enemies allegorically expressed in a Hypotiposis or lively allusion unto the manner of humane victories wherein first I shall in a few words labour to cleere the sense and then the observations which are naturall will the more evidently arise The Lord at thy right hand To lay aside their exposition who understand these words of God the Father the words are an Apostrophe of the Prophet to those at whose right hand the Lord Iesus is Some make it an Apostrophe to God the Father a triumphall and thankfull prediction of that power and Iudgement which he hath given to this his Benjamin the Sonne at his right hand Because that thereby the phrase retaineth the same signification and sense which it had in the first verse As if David had said O God the Father of all power and majesty worthy art thou of all praise thanksgiving and honor who hast given such power to thy Sonne in the behalfe of thy Church as to smite through Kings and judge heathen and pull downe the chiefe of his enemies and to subdue all things to himselfe and these read it thus O Lord hee that is at thy right hand shall strike through Kings c. Others make it to be an Apostrophe to the Church and so to bee a phrase not expressing Christs exaltation as verse 1. But his care and protection over his Church his readinesse to assist and defend his owne people against all the injuries and assaults of adverse power Salomon saith A wise mans heart is at his right hand but a fooles heart is at his left Eccl. 10.2 That is his heart is ready and prepared to execute any wife counsels or godly resolutions as the Prophet David saith My heart is prepared ô God my heart is prepared I will sing and give thankes But a fooles heart when hee should doe any thing is like his left hand to seeke of skill unactive and unprepared when hee walketh by the way his heart faileth him vers 3. And this readinesse and present helpe of God to defend and guide his Church is expressed frequently by his being at the right hand thereof Because the Lord is at my right hand I shall not bee moved Psal. 16.8 Hee shall stand at the right hand of the poore to save him Psal. 109.31 I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee feare not I will helpe thee Esai 31.13 As if David had said Bee not dismayed nor cast downe ô yee subjects of this King as if being exalted to Gods right hand hee had given over the care and protection of his people for as hee is at the right hand of his Father in glory and majesty so is he at your right hand too standing to execute judgement on your enemies and to reveale the power of his arme towards you in your protection Now the reasons of this phrase and expression as I conceive are these two First to note that Christs power providence and protection doe not exclude but onely strengthen assist and prosper the ordinary and just endeavors of the Church
whence can they come there is no Creature strong enough to lay upon them a sufficient recompence of paine for their sinne against the Majestie of God And for the disputes of Schoole-men touching corporall fire in hell and the manner of elevating and applying corporall agents to worke upon spirituall substances they are but the intemperate nicities of men ignorant of the Scriptures and of the terrour of the Lord who is himselfe a consuming fire The divels acknowledge Christ their Tormentor and that when hee did nothing but rebuke them there was no fire nor any other creature by him applied but onely the Majesty of his owne word power and person which wrung from them that hideous cry Art thou come to torment us before the time Matth. 8.29 Lastly consider the heavinesse of Christs owne soule his agonie and sense of the curse due unto our sinne when he was in the garden the trouble astonishment and extreme anguish of his soule which wrought out of his sacred body that woefull and wonderfull sweat Whence came it all wee reade never of any divels let loose to torment him they were ever tormented at his presence We reade of no other Angels that had commission to afflict him we reade of an Angell which was sent to strengthen him Luk. 22.43 There is no reason to thinke that the feare of a bodily death which was the onely thing that men could inflict upon him was that which squeezed out those drops of bloud and extorted those bitter and strong cries from him There were not in his innocent soule in his most pure and sacred body any seeds or principles of such tormenting distempers his compassion towards the misery of sinners his knowledge of the guilt and cursednesse of sinne was as great at other times as now What then could it else be but the weight of his Fathers justice the conflict with his Fathers wrath against the sinnes of men which wrought such extremity of heavinesse in his soule And hee was our suretie he stood in our stead that which was done to the greene tree should much more have beene done to the dry If God layd upon him the strokes which were due unto our sinne how much more heavie shall his hand be upon those whom he throughly hateth But shall not the Angels then be executioners of the sentence of Gods wrath upon wicked men I answere The Angels shal have their service in the comming of the Lord. First as Attendants to shew forth the majestie and glory of Christ to the world 2 Thes. 1.7 Matth. 24.31 Secondly as executioners of his will which is to gather together the Elect and the reprobate to binde up the wicked as sheaves or faggots for the fire Matth. 13.30.24.31 But yet still the Lord interposeth his owne power As a Schoolemaster setteth one scholar to bring forth another unto punishment but then hee layeth on the stripes himselfe But why is it said that the Father shal put Christs enemies under his feet doth not Christ himselfe do it as well as the Father yes doubtlesse God hath given the Sonne authority to execute Iudgement also and put into his hands a rod of iron to dash his enemies to peeces like a potters vessell for whatsoever things the father doth these also doth the sonne likewise Ioh. 5.19.27 Psal. 2.9 But we are to note that the subjecting of Christs enemies under his feete is a worke of divine power And therefore though it be attributed to Christ as an Officer yet it belongeth to the Father as the Fountaine of all divine operations So God is said to have set forth his Sonne as a propitiation Rom. 3.25 and yet the Sonne came downe and manifested himselfe Phil. 2.7 8. Heb. 9.26 The Father is said to have raised him from the dead Act. 2.32 Rom. 6.4 and yet the Sonne raised himselfe by his owne power Iohn 10.18 the Father is said to have set Christ at his owne right hand in heavenly places Ephes. 1.20 and Christ is said to have sate downe himselfe on the right hand of the Majestie on high Heb. 1.3.10.12 The Father is said to give the holy Ghost Ioh. 14.16 and yet the Sonne promiseth to send him himselfe Ioh. 16.7 so here though the Sonne have received power sufficient to subdue all his enemies under his feete for he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe Phil. 3.21 yet the Father to shew his hatred against the enemies of Christ and his consent to the victories of his Son will likewise subdue all things unto him 1 Cor. 15.27 28. O then that men would be by the terrour of the Lord perswaded to fly from the wrath to come to consider the weight of Gods heavie hand and when they see such a storme comming to hide themselves in the holes of that Rocke of mercy It is nothing but Atheisme and infidelity which bewitcheth men with desperate senselesnesse against the vengeance of God And therefore as the Lord hath seconded his Word of Promise with an oath that they might have strong consolation who flye for refuge to lay hold on the hope which is set before them Heb. 6.17 18. So hath hee confirmed the Word of his threatnings with an oath too If I lift up my hand to heaven and say I live for ever I will render vengeance to mine enemies I will reward them that hate me Deut. 32.40 41. and againe The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iacob surely I will never forget any of their workes Amos 8.7 and againe I have sworne by my selfe that unto me every knee shall bow Esai 45.23 and this he doth that secure and obdurate sinners might have the stronger reasons to flye from the wrath which is set before them O nos miseros qui nec juranti Deo credimus How wonderfull is the stupidity of men that will neither beleeve the words nor tremble at the oath of God Hee warneth us to fly from the wrath to come and we make haste to meete it the rather wee fill up our measure and commit sinne with both hands greedily with uncleane and intemperate courses we bring immature deaths upon our selves that so we may hasten to hell the sooner and make triall whether God be a liar or no. For this indeed is the very direct issue of every profane exorbitancy which men rush into Every man hath much Atheisme in his heart by nature but such desperate stupidity doth wonderfully improve it and bring men by degrees to the hellish presumption of those in the Prophets The Lord will not doe good neither will he doe evill It is not the Lord neither shall evill come upon us the Prophets shall become winde and the word is not in them The dayes are prolonged and the vision shall faile this man prophesieth of things afarre off of doomes day of things which shall be long after our time Vnto these men I say in the words of the Apostle though they sleep and see nothing and mocke at
condition and therefore not within the comprehension of an earthly understanding It is a wisedome which is from above The holy Ghost likewise is a Revealer of the Gospell unto the faithfull He was sent that hee might Convince the world not onely of sinne but of righteousnesse and judgement too which are Evangelicall things The spirit searcheth all things even the deepe things of God that is his unsearchable love wisedome and counsell in the Gospell Therefore the Gospell is called The Law of the spirit of life and the ministration of the spirit and the Revelation of the spirit and No man can call Iesus Lord but by the holy spirit that is though men may out of externall conformity to the discipline and profession under which they live with their mouthes acknowledge him to be the Lord yet their hearts will never tremble nor willingly submit themselves to his obedience their conscience will never set to its seale to the spirituall power of Christ over the thoughts desires and secrets of the soule but by the over-ruling direction of the holy Ghost Nature taught the Pharises to call him Beelzebub and Samaritan but it is the Spirit onely which teacheth men to acknowledge him a Lord. Christ is not the power nor the wisedome of God to any but to those who are called that is to those unto whose consciences the Spirit witnesseth the righteousnes which is to bee found in him So then the Publication of the Gospell belongeth unto men but the effectuall teaching and revelation thereof unto the soule is the joynt worke of the holy Trinity opening the heart to attend and perswading the heart to beleeve the Gospell as a thing worthy of all acceptation Thus the Gospell is a Glorious thing in regard of the Originall and Authour of it From whence wee may inferre that what-ever men thinke of the ministerie and dispensation of the Word yet undoubtedly the neglect and scorne which is shewed unto it is done unto Christ himselfe and that in his glory he that receiveth not his Word rejecteth his person and the sinne of a man against the words which we speake in the name and authority of Christ and in the dispensation of that office wherewith he hath entrusted us is the same with the sinnes of those men who despised him in his owne person You will say Christ is in heaven how can any injuries of ours reach unto him Surely though he be in heaven which is now the Court of his royall residence yet hee hath to doe upon earth as one of the chiefe territories of his dominion and in the ministerie of his Word hee speaketh from heaven still He it was who by his Ambassadour Saint Paul came and preached Peace to the Ephesians who were afarre off His spirit it was which in the Prophets did testifie of his sufferings and glory Hee it was who gave manifest proofe of his owne power speaking in his Apostles He then who refuseth to obey the words of a Minister in the execution of his office when hee forewarneth him of the wrath to come and doth not discerne the Lords voice therein but in despight of this ministeriall citation unto the tribunall of Christ will still persist in the way of his owne heart and as he hath beene so resolveth to continue a swearing blasphemous luxurious proud revengefull and riotous person thinking it basenesse to mourne for sinne and unnecessary strictnesse to humble himselfe to walke with God and yet because all men else doe so will professe his faith in the Lord Iesus that man is a notorious liar yea as the Apostle speaketh he maketh God a liar too in not beleeving the record which he giveth of his Sonne which is that hee should wash away the filth and purge out the bloud of his people with a spirit of judgement and a spirit of burning that he should sit as a refiner and purifier of silver purging his priests that they might offer unto the Lord an offring in righteousnesse Hee walketh contrary to that Covenant of mercy which he professeth to lay hold on for this is one of the great promises of the Covenant I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and you shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes Hee walketh contrary to the quality of that feare of God which yet he professeth to feele as well as others For the feare of the Lord is a cleane thing He walketh contrary to the vertue of that bloud with which notwithstanding hee professeth to bee sprinkled for the bloud of Christ cleanseth not onely the lives but the very consciences of men from dead workes that is makes them so inwardly labour for purity of heart as that they may not be conscious to themselves of any though the most secret allowed sinne He walketh contrary to the fruitfulnesse of that grace which alone he professeth to boast in for the Spirit of grace which is powred from on high maketh the very wildernesse a fruitfull field He walketh contrarie to the properties of that faith by which alone he hopeth to be saved For true faith purifieth the heart and therefore a pure heart and a good conscience are the inseparable companions of an unfained faith And therefore what-ever verball and ceremonious homage hee may tender unto Christ yet in good earnest he is ashamed of him and dares not preferre the yoke of Christ before the lusts of the world or the reproaches of Christ before the treasures of the world Why should it be treason to kill a Judge in his ministerie on the bench or esteemed an injurie to the state to doe any indignitie to the Ambassadour of a great prince but because in such relations they are persons publike and representative ut eorum bona malaque ad Rempublicam pertineant why should the supreme Officer of the kingdome write Teste meipso in the name and power of his Prince but because he hath a more immediate representation of his sacred person and commission thereunto Surely the case is the same between Christ and his Ministers in their holy function And therefore we finde the expressions promiscuous sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospell of Christ and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Gospell sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The preaching of Iesus Christ and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My preaching In the vertue of which synergie and co-partnership with Christ and with God as he saveth so we save as he forgiveth sinnes so we forgive them as he judgeth wicked men so wee judge them as he beseecheth so we also beseech saith the Apostle that you bee reconciled and receive not the grace of God in vaine Wee by his Grace and he by our ministerie He therefore that despiseth any conviction out
generall motion from the supreme so in the motions of grace in the soule the proportion of all the rest a riseth frō the measure of our spirituall and saving light The more distinctly and throughly the spirit of a mans mind is convinc'd of the necessity beauty and gloriousnesse of heavenly things the more strong impressions therof wil be made upon all subordinate faculties for we move towards nothing without preceding apprehensions of its goodnes which apprehensions as they more seriously penetrate into the true and intimate worth of that thing so are the motions of the soule thereunto proportionably strengthen'd As the hinder wheeles in a Coach ever move as fast as the former which leade them so the subordinate powers of the soule are overrul'd in their maner measure of working towards grace by those spirituall representations of the truth and excellency thereof which are made in the understanding by the light of the Gospel Thus the Apostle telleth us that the excellency of the knowledge of Christ was that which made him so earnest to winne him the knowledge of the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings was that which made him reach forth and presse forward unto the marke and price of that high calling which was before him Thirdly the Glory of the Gospell of Christ with his Spirit may be considered in regard of the matters which are therin contain'd namely the Glory the Excellencies the Treasures of God himselfe We all saith the Apostle with open face behold as in a Glasse that is in the spirituall ministration of the Gospell having the veile of carnall stupidity taken away by the Spirit The glory of the Lord. What glory doe we here behold but that which a glasse is able to represent Now in speculo nisi imago non cernitur nothing can be seene in a glasse but the image of that thing which sheddeth forth its species thereupon and therefore he immediately addeth we are changed into the same image from glory to glory and he elsewhere putteth these two together Man is the image and the glory of God for nothing can have any thing of God in it any resemblance or forme of him but so farre it must needs be glorious But how doe we in the Gospell see the Image of God who is invisible The Apostle expresseth that else-where God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Christ is the Image and expresse Character of his Fathers glory as the impression in the wax is of the forme and fashion of the seale there is no excellencie in God which is not compleatly adequately and distinctly in Christ so that in that glasse wherin we may see him we may likewise see the glory of the Father Now the Gospell is the face of Iesus Christ that which as lively setteth forth his grace and Spirit to the soule as if he were present in the flesh amongst us Suppose we that a glasse could retaine a permanent and unvanishing species of a mans face within it though hee himselfe were absent might we not truly say this glasse is the face of that man whose image it so constantly retaineth So in asmuch as Christ is most exactly represented in his Gospell so that when we come into his personall and reall presence to know even as we are knowne we shall be able truely to say this is indeed the very person who was so long since in his Gospell exhibited to my faith sic ille manus sic ora gerebat it is therefore justly by the Apostle called the face of Iesus Christ and therefore the Glasse wherein we see the Image and glory of God as it is the same light which shineth from the Sunne upon a glasse and from a glasse upon a wall so it is the same glory which shineth from the Father upon the Sonne and from the Sonne upon the Gospell so that in the Gospell we see the unsearchable treasures of God because his treasures are in his Sonne Therefore that which is usually called Preaching the Gospell is in other places called Preaching the Kingdome and the riches of Christ to note the glory of those things which are in the Gospell revealed unto the Church It containeth the glory of Gods wisdome and that wisdome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold and various wisdome as the Apostle speaketh who therefore calleth Christ and his Gospell by the name of Wisdome wee preach Christ crucified to those that are called the power of God and the wisdome of God and we speake wisdome amongst them that are perfect wisdome to reconcile his owne attributes of mercy and truth righteousnesse and peace which by the fall of man seemed to be at variance among themselves wisdome in reconciling the world of obstinate and rebellious enemies unto himselfe wisdome in sanctifying the whole creation by the bloud of the crosse and repairing those ruines which the sinne of man had caused wisdome in concorporating Christ and his Church things in their owne distinct natures as unapt for mixture as fire and water in their remotest degrees wisdome in uniting the Iewes and Gentiles and reducing their former jealousies and disaffections unto an intimate fellowship in the same common mysteries In one word wisdome above the admiration of the blessed Angels in finding out a way to give greater satisfaction to his offended justice by shewing mercie and saving sinners than he could ever have received by either the confusion or annihilation of them It containeth the Glory of Gods goodnesse and mercy of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good-will towards men which brought glory to God and to the earth peace for the Gospell is as it were a Love-token or commendatory Epistle of the Lord unto his Church God left not himselfe without witnesses of his care and evidences of some love even to those whom he suffered to walke in their owne wayes without any knowledge of his Gospell he did them good he gave them raine from heaven and fruitfull seasons so even they had experience of some of his goodnesse the goodnesse of his providence for hee is the Saviour of all men but the Gospell containeth all Gods goodnesse as a heape and miscellany of universall mercy I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will proclaime the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercie Gods speciall and gracious mercy the mercy of his promises in Christ doth convey unto the soule an interest in all his goodnesse nay it maketh all things good unto us so that we may call them ours as gifts and legacies from Christ. He hath given to us all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse the world and life and death and things
interpretatively in the constitution and preparation of heart the violation of all because they are all grounded upon the same divine authority and directed unto the same saving ends and therefore wee ought not to picke and choose either in the preaching or practising thereof Thirdly we are to answere for the bloud of the people if wee prevaricate if wee let their sinnes alone they will have a double edge to kill them and us both like the mutuall embracements of two in a river which is the meanes to drowne them both Speake unto them all that I command thee be not dismaied at their faces saith the Lord to his Prophet lest I confound thee before them If thou warne not the wicked from his wicked way that hee may live he shall dye in his wickednesse thy bashfulnesse shall doe him no good but his bloud will I require at thy hands Is it at all congruous that men should have boldnesse enough to declare their sinnes to speake them to proclaime them to weare them to glorie in them and that those officers who are sent for no other businesse but in the name and authority of Almighty God to fight against the corruptions of the world should in the meane time hang downe the head and be tongue-tied that men should have more boldnesse to destroy themselves and to doe Satans works than we to save them or to serve God Fourthly we are to speake in the person of Christ and in the vertue of his Spirit We must speake as the Oracles of God and with his words as if he himselfe did by us speake unto the people We must give manifestation of Christ speaking by us that men may be convinc'd that God is in us of a truth and that we are full of power by his spirit that his spirit setteth to his seale to authorize our commission and to countenance our ministery and therefore we must use judgement and might that is spirituall discretion and inflexible constancy against the sinnes of men for these two are contrary to the two grand props of Satans kingdome which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his craftinesse and his weapons of power for where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty his spirit will not be straightned neither will the Lord keepe silence hee that speaketh by the spirit of Christ must speake though not in equality which is impossible yet in some similitude and proportion as he spake that is as those that have Authority and power committed to them for the edification of the Church Lastly a partiall unsearching and unreproving Minister is one of Gods curses and scourges against a place the forerunner of a finall and fearefull visitation The dayes of visitation and recompence come saith the Lord. The Prophet is a foole the spirituall man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great hatred If a man walking in the spirit and falshood that is professing the worke of a spirituall man and yet betraying his office or in a false and lying spirit prophesying of wine and strong drinke that is cherishing and encouraging sensuall livers in their pernitious courses he shall even be the prophet of this people And therefore when the Lord will punish with an extreme revenge the rebellion of a people against his Gospell who judge themselves unworthy of so great a salvation hee either removeth their Candlesticke and taketh it away from them or else sealeth up the mouth of his Prophets that they may bee dumbe and reprove them no longer and that they may not bee purged any more from their filthinesse or else infatuates their Prophets and suffereth Satan to seduce them and to be a lying Spirit in their mouthes that he may destroy them as wee see in the ruine of Ahab and in the captivity of Iudah Againe as the Ministers of the Gospell must use liberty so must they likewise use sinceritie in the dispensation thereof because it is a glorious Gospell This likewise is the Apostles inference for having spent a whole chapter in this one argument of the glory of the Gospell he presently concludeth Therefore seeing we have this ministery that is the dispensation of such a Gospell committed unto us wee faint not but have renounced the hidden things of dishonestie that is as I conceive the arts of dawbing and palliating and covering over uncleane courses with plausible reasonings and fleshly apologies which is the use of false prophets not walking in craftinesse that is not using humane sleights or cogging to carry men about with every wind of false doctrine as sinners are very willing to be deceived and love to have it as false prophets say it is nor handling the Word of God deceitfully that is falsifying and adulterating it with corrupt glosses and so tempering it to the palat of sinners that the working searching vertue thereof whereby of it selfe it is apt to purge out and wrestle with the lusts of men may be deaded and so it may well consist with the power of lusts still as Physitians use so to qualifie and allay poison by other correctives and crosse ingredients that it shall serve as an instrument to strengthen us not extinguish life or as immodest Poets may so tamper with the chast expressions of Virgil or Homer as by them both to notifie and in corrupt minds to kindle uncleane lustings but by manifestation of the truth that is by such spirituall and perspicuous demonstrations as under which there cannot subesse falsum there can no falsitie nor deceit lurke commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God that is working not the fancies or humours or fleshly conceits of men which alwayes take the part of sinne but their very consciences which alwayes is on Gods side to beare witnesse unto the truth which wee speake to receive it not as the wit or learning of a man but as the Word and wisdome of God to acknowledge the conviction the judicature the penetration thereof and so to fal down upon their faces and to glorifie God and report that he is in us of a truth and all this in the sight of God that is so handling the Word as that wee may please and approve our selves to his eye whose servants we are and whose worke wee doe This is that which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vncorruptnesse gravitie sinceritie soundnesse of doctrine such as the very adversaries themselves shall not be able to picke quarrels withall or to speake against we must not then make account to adorne the Gospell with our owne inventions or with superstructions of humane wit and fancie though these things may to fleshly reason seeme full of beautie yet indeed they are but like the mingling of glasse-beads with a chaine of diamonds or of lime with pure and generous wine they are indeed but
forgiven thee There is no worldly affliction goeth closer to the life of a man than sickenesse and yet as in the midst of laughter the heart of a wicked man is sorrowfull because it is still under the guilt of sinne so in the midst of paine and sorrow the heart of a godly man may be cheerefull because his sinnes are forgiven To conclude this point we may for our better encouragement in so necessary a dutie lay together these considerations First in point of honour we should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell for the Gospell is a Christians Glorie and therefore ought to bee preserved in his heart as his chiefest priviledge The Spirit of God will not endure to have holy things profaned as if they were common or uncleane Belshazzer converted the consecrated vessels of the Temple into instruments of luxurie and intemperance but the Lord temper'd his wine with dregges and made them prove unto him as cups of trembling and astonishment Herod polluted the sepulchers of the Saints with a sacrilegious search of treasures presum'd to have beene there hidden and God made fire rise out of the earth to devoure the over-busie searchers Antiochus ransack'd the Temple of the Lord Heliodorus emptied the treasures of their consecrated monies Pompey defiled the Sabbath and the Sanctuarie Crassus robb'd the house of God of ten thousand talents But inquire into the event of these insolencies and we shall finde that true then of which latter ages have given many examples and are still likely to give more that stollen bread hath gravell in it to choake those that devoure it that ruine is ever the childe of sacrilege that mischiefe setteth a period to the lives and designes of prophane men Now then if the Lord were thus jealous for the types of his Gospell how thinke wee can he endure to see the Gospell it selfe dishonoured by an unsuteable profession or the bloud of the Covenant trampled under foot as if it were a common or uncleane thing In the contempt of the Gospell there is more dishonour done unto every person of the blessed Trinity than can be by any other sinne An undervaluing of the Fathers wisdome that great mysterie and counsell of redemption which was hidden from former ages and what an indignity is it unto him for a man to shut out the light of the sunne that so hee may enjoy that pittifull benefit of darkenesse to gaze upon the false glistering of rotten wood or of earthly slime the deceit wherof would bee by the true light discovered And undervaluing of his wonderfull love as if he had put himselfe unto a needlesse compassion and might have kept it still in his owne bosome A scorne unto the Sonne of God when wee suffer him to stand at our doores with his locks wet with the dew of heaven to put his finger into the hole of the locke as if he desired to steale an entrance upon the soule to emptie to humble to denie himselfe to suffer the wrongs of men and the wrath of God and after all this to have that pretious bloud which was squeezed out with such woefull agonies counted no other than the bloud of a common malefactor nor that sacred body which was thus broken discerned from the bodies of the theeves which were crucified with him An indignitie beyond all apprehension to the spirit of Grace when wee suffer him to waite daily at our Bethesda our houses of mercy and all in vaine to spend his sacred breath in the ministerie of reconciliation in doubling and redoubling his requests unto our soules that we would be contented to bee saved and we shall harden our hearts and stop our eares and set up the pride and stoutnesse of our owne reasonings till wee doe even wearie him and chide him away from us Now this is a certaine rule God will not lose any honour by mens sinnes if they refuse to give him the glory of his mercy he will shew the glory of his Power and justice in treading downe the proud enemies of Christ under his feet As they that honour him shall be honoured so they who cast any disgrace upon his truth and covenant shall be sure to meet with shame and dishonour at the last Secondly to avoid Scandall The Gospell is the light of a nation And sinnes in the light as they are committed with more impudence so likewise with more offence An offence or scandall tending unto sinne in misguiding the weake in heartening and confirming the obdurate in opening the mouthes of adversaries to revile our holy profession and a scandall tending unto sorrow in wounding the hearts of the godly and vexing their righteous spirits with a filthy conversation Thirdly wee should learne to walke as becommeth the Gospell even in respect to the state for the Gospell is the foundation of true peace and tranquility in a common-weale and those who shew forth the power thereof are as it were Lions about the Throne of their King By righteousnesse the Throne is established but sinne is a reproch unto any people One Ioseph in Egypt is a store-house to all the kingdome one Elisha an armie of chariots and of horsemen unto Israel one Moses a fence to keepe out an â—oundation of wrath which was breaking in upon the people one Paul an haven an anchor a deliverance to all that were in the ship with him And now Si stellae cadunt venti sequentur If the starres fall we must needes looke for tempests to ensue if the salt be infatuated we cannot looke that any thing should be long preserved If Christians live as if they had no Gospell or as if they had another Gospell what can wee expect but that God should either plague us or forsake us either send his judgements or curse his blessings Lastly the Gospell makes sinne more filthy if it doe not purge it as a taper in the hand of a Ghost makes him seeme more gastly than he was before Sweet ointment causeth ranke and strong bodies to smell worse than they did before So the sweet savour of the Gospell maketh the sinnes of men more noisome and odious in the nostrils of the Almightie And therefore wee see what a fearefull doome the Apostle pronounceth against those who having tasted of the good Spirit of God and been illightened and in some sort affected with his grace doe yet afterwardâ— fall away even an impossibilitie of repentance or renovation From which place perversly wrested though the Novatians of old did gather a desperate and uncomfortable conclusion that sinne committed after regeneration was absolutely unpardonable to avoide the danger of which damnable and damning doctrine some have boldly questioned both the Author and authenticalnesse of that Epistle yet all these inferences being denied wee learne from thence this plaine observation That precedent Illumination from the Gospell of Christ doth tend much to the aggravation of those sinnes which are committed against it And therefore in all
Sonnes of men the incorruptible and precious bloud of Christ the exceeding great and pretious promises of the Gospell the word of the Grace of God and of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Now it is required of stewards that a man bee found faithfull that hee defraud not Christ of his purchase which is the soules of men nor men of their price and priviledge which is the bloud of Christ that hee neither favour the sinnes of men nor dissemble the truth of God that hee watch because hee is a seer that hee speake because he is an oracle that hee feed because hee is a shepheard that hee labour because hee is a husband-man that hee bee tender because hee is a mother that hee bee carefull because is a father that hee bee faithfull because he is a servant to God and his Church in one word that he bee instant in season and out of season to exhort rebuke instruct to doe the worke of an Evangelist to accomplish and make full proofe of his ministery because he hath an account to make because hee hath the presence of Christ to assist him the promises of Christ to reward him the example of Christ his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Bishops and Martyrs of the purest time who have now their palmes in their hands to encourage him It was Christs custome to enter into their Synagogues on the Sabbath-dayes and to read and expound the Scriptures to the people It was S. Pauls manner to reason in the Synagogues and to open the Scriptures on the Sabbath dayes Vpon Sunday saith Iustin Martyr All the Christians that are in the cities or countries about meete together and after some Commentaries of the Apostles and writings of the Prophets have been read the Senior or President doth by a Sermon exhort the people and admonish them to the imitation and practice of those divine truths which they had heard read unto them And S. Austen telleth us of Ambrose that hee heard him rightly handling the word of God unto the people every Lords day Yea it should seeme by the Homilies of S. Chrysostome that hee did oftentimes preach daily unto the people and therefore wee frequently meete with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yesterday this and this I taught you And Origen intimateth this frequency of expounding the Scriptures in his time if saith hee you come frequently unto the Church of God and there attend unto the sacred Scriptures and to the explication of those heavenly commandements thy soule will be strengthened as thy body with food And our Church in her Ecclesiasticall Constitutions hath provided for the continuance of so faithfull and pious a custome injoining every allowed Preacher to have a Sermon every Sunday in the yeare and in the afternoone besides to spend halfe an houre in Catechizing the yonger and ruder sort in the Principles of Christian Religion The neglect of which most necessary dutie no man can more bewaile nor more urge the necessity thereof than those who looking abroad into the world have experience of more thick and palpable darknesse in the mindes of men concerning those absolutely necessary Doctrines of the passion merits and redemption of Christ and of faith in them than men who have not with their owne eyes observed it can almost beleeve And that too in such places where Sermons have been very frequently preached I will close this point with the asâ—ertion and profession of Holy Austen Nothing saith he is in this life more pleasant and â—asie than the life of a Bishop or Minister if it be perfunctorily and flatteringly executed but then in Gods sight nihil turpius miserius damnabilius and it was his profession that hee was never absent from his Episcopall service and attendance upon any licentious and assumed liberty but onely upon some other necessary service of the Church Touching the abilitie required in the discharge of this great office there are as I conceive two speciall branches thereunto belonging First Learning for the right information of the consciences of men that men may not pervert the Scripture Secondly Wisedome or spirituall prudence for seasonable application of the truth to particular circumstances which is that which maketh a wise builder For this latter it being so various according to those infinite varieties of particular cases and conditions which are hardly reducible unto generall rules I cannot here speake but referre the Reader to the grave pious counsels of those holy men who have given some directions herein For the other two great workes there are which belong to this high calling Instruction of the Scholer Conviction of the Adversarie Vnto the perfection of which two services when wee duly consider how many different parts of learning are requisite as knowledge of the tongues for the better understanding of the holy Scriptures by their originall idiome and emphasis of the arts to observe the connexion and argumentation and method of them of ancient customes Histories and antiquities of the Babylonians Persians Greeks and Romanes without insight whereinto the full meaning of many passages of holy Scripture cannot bee cleerly apprehended of Schoole learning for discovering repelling the subtilty of the adversaries a thing required in a Rhetorician by Aristotle and Quintilian insomuch that Iulian the Apostate complained of the Christians that they used the weapons of the Gentiles against them and threfore interdicted them the use of Schooles of learning Lastly of Histories and Antiquities of the Church that wee may observe the succession of the Professors and Doctrines hereof the originals and sproutings of heresie therein the better to answere the reproaches of our insolent adversaries who lay innovation to our charge I say when wee duly consider these particulars wee cannot sufficiently admire nor detest the saucinesse of those bold intruders who when they have themselves need to bee taught what are the first Principles of the Oracles of God become teachers of the ignorant before themselves have been Disciples of the learned and before either maturity of years or any severe progresse of studies have prepared them boldly leape some from their manuall trades many from their grammar and logick rudiments into this sacred and dreadfull office unto which heretofore the most learned and pious men have trembled to approach To these men I can give no better advice than that which Tully once gave unto Aristoxenus a musitian who would needs venture upon Philosophicall difficulties and out of the principles of his art determine the nature of a humane soule Haec magistro relinquat Aristoteli canere ipse doceat Let them spend their time in the worke which best befits them and leave great matters unto abler men Thirdly and lastly unto this call is requisite the imposition of hands and the authoritative act of the Church ordaining and setting apart and deriving actuall power upon such men of whose fidelity and ability they have sufficient evidence
to the wayes of grace as there is in any The consideration whereof may justly humble us in our reflexion upon our selves whom neither the promises of heaven can allure nor the bloud and passions of Christ perswade nor the flames of hell affright from our sinnes till the Lord by the sweet and gracious power of his holy â—â—irit subdue and conquer the soule unto himselfe If a man should rise from the dead and truly relate unto the conscience the woefull and everlasting horrors of hell if a mans naturall capacity were made as wide to apprehend the wrath fury and vengeance of a provoked God the foulenesse guilt and venome of a soule fuller of sins than the heavens of stars as the most intelligent divels of hell doe conceive them If an Archangell or Seraphim should be sent from heaven to reveale unto the soule of a naturall man the infinite glory of Gods presence the full pleasures of his right hand the admirable beauty of his wayes the intimate conformity and resemblance between his divine nature in himselfe the Image of his holinesse in the creature the unsearchable and bottomlesse love of Christ in his Incarnation and sufferings the endlesse incomprehensible vertue pretiousnesse of his bloud and prayers yet so desperately evill is the heart of man that if after all this God should not afford the blessed operation and concurrence of his owne gratious Spirit the revelation of his own arme and power upon the soule to set on those instrumentall causes it would be invincible by any evidence which all the cries and flames of hell which all the armies and hosts of heaven were able to beget There is no might or power able to snatch a man out of the hands of his sin but onely Gods Spirit Notable are the expressions which the holy Ghost every where useth to set forth this wretched condition of the heart by nature wilfulnesse and selfe-willednesse We will not hearken we will not have this man to raigne over us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many wils in one Rebellion and stubbornenesse stoutnesse of heart contestation with God and gain-saying his Word Impudence stiffenesse and hard-heartednesse mischievous profoundnes and deepe reasonings against the Law of God pertinacie resolvednesse and abiding in mischiefe they hold fast deceit obstinacie and selfe-obduration They have hardned their neckes that they might not heare Impotencie immoveablenesse and undocilenesse their heart is uncircumcised they cannot heare there is none that understandeth or seeketh after God scorne and slighting of the messages of the Lord where is his Word Where is the promise of his comming Incredulity and belying the Lord in his Word saying it is not he Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Wrestling resisting and fighting with the Word rejecting the counsell of God vexing and striving with his holy Spirit ye have alwayes resisted the holy Ghost Rage and fiercenesse of disordred affections despising of goodnesse trayterous heady and high-minded thoughts Brutishnes of immoderate lust the untamed madnesse of an enraged beast without any restraint of reason or moderation In one word a hell and gulfe of unsearchable mischiefe which is never satisfied It is impossible that any reasonable man duly considering all these difficulties should conceive such an heart as this to be overcome with meere morall perswasions or by any thing lesse than the mightie power of Gods owne grace To him therefore we should willingly acknowledge all our conversion and salvation So extremely impotent are we O Lord unto any good so utterly unprofitable and unmeet for our Masters use and yet so strongly hurried by the impulsion of our owne lust towards hell that no precipice nor danger no hope nor reward no man or Angell is able to stop us without thine owne immediate power and therefore Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name onely be attributed the glory of our conversion Againe by this consideration we should be provoked to stirre up and call together all our strength in the Lords service to recover our mispent time to use the more contention and violence for the kingdome of heaven when wee consider how abundant wee have beene in the workes of sinne in the pursuing of vast desires which had neither end nor hope in them O how happie a thing would it be if men could serve God with the same proportion of vigour and willingnesse of mind as they served Satan and themselves before I was never tired in that way I went on indefatigably towards hell like a swift Dromedary or an untamed heifer I pursued those evill desires which had vanity for their object and misery for their end no fruit but shame and no wages but death But in the service of Christ I have a price before mee an abiding Citie an enduring substance an immarcescible crowne to fix the highest of my thoughts upon I have the promises of Christ to strengthen me his Angels to guard his Spirit to lead his Word to illighten me In one word I have a soule to save and a God to honour And why should not I apply my power to serve him who did reach forth his owne power to convert me A long way I have to goe and I must doe it in a spanne of time so many temptations to overcome so many corruptions to shake off so many promises to beleeve so many precepts to obey so many mysteries to study so many workes to finish and so little time for all my weaknesses on one side my businesses on another mine enemies and my sinnes round about me take away so much that I have scarce any left to give to God And yet alas if I could serve God on earth as he is served in heaven if I had the strength of Angels and glorified Saints to doe his will it would come infinitely short of that good will of God in my redemption or of his power in my conversion If God should have said to all the Angels in heaven there is such a poore wretch posting with full strength towards hell goe stand in his way and drive him back againe all those glorious armies would have beene too few to blocke up the passageâ— betweene sin and heâ— without the concurrence of Gods owne Spirit and power they could have returned none other answer but this we have done all we can to perswade and turne him but he will not be turned If then the Lord did put to his owne power to save me great reason there is that I should set my weake and impotent faculties to honour him especially since hee hath beene pleased both to mingle with his service great joy liberty and tranquillity here and also to set before it a full a sure and a great reward for my further animation and encouragement thereunto The fourth thing observed in this Verse was the attire wherein Christs people should attend
sins Mat. 26.28 In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his glory Ephes. 1.7 Heb. 8.12 And this must needs be a wonderfull mercy to have so many thousand talents forgiven us such an infinite weight taken off from our consciences the penaltie and curse of so many sinnes removed from us our naturall condition is to be an heire of everlasting vengeance the object of Gods hatred and firy indignation exiles from the presence of his glory vessels fit and full of misery written within and without with curses to be miserable to be all over miserable to be without strength in our selves to be without pity from other to be without hope from God to be without end of cursednesse this is the condition of a sinner and from all this doth the mercy of God deliver us The manner whereby the satisfaction of Christ becomes profitable unto us unto the remission of sinne and righteousnesse is by Imputation Rom. 4.3.5.8.5.19 No man is able to stand before Gods justice for hee is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 No flesh can be righteous if he enter into judgement He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 for his eyes are not eyes of flesh Iob 10.4 Now all the world is guilty before God and commeth short of his glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it lieth in mischiefe 1 Ioh. 5.19 and therefore must be justified by a forren righteousnesse and that equall to the justice offended which is the righteousnesse of God unto us gratiously imputed Wee are justified freely by his grace through the â—edemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3.19 24. To open this point of Iustification by imputed righteousnesse We must note that two things are pre-required to denominate a man a righteous man First there must be extant a righteousnesse which is apt and able to justifie Secondly there must be a right and propriety to it wherby it commeth to passe that it doth actually justifie We must then first inquire what the righteousnesse is whereby a man may be justified Righteousnesse consisteth in a relation of rectitude and conformitie God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions and turned into many crooked diverticles of their owne Eccles 7.29 Deut. 32.5 A wicked man loveth crooked wayes to wander up and downe in his owne course Ier. 31.22 Hos. 4.16 whereas a righteous man loveth strait wayes Heb. 12.13 Psal. 5.8 because righteousnesse consisteth in rectitude and this presupposeth some Rule unto which this conformitie must referre The primitive and originall prototype or Rule of holinesse is the righteousnesse of God himselfe so farre-forth as his Image is communicable to the creature or at least so farre forth as it was at the first implanted in man Be yee perfect as your father which is in heaven is perfect Matth. 5.48 It is not meant of his infinite perfection for it was the sin of Adam to aime at being as God in absolutenesse and independent excellencie but of that perfection of his which is in the Word set forth unto us for an Image and patterne whereunto to conforme our selves Therefore the secondary rule of righteousnesse or rather the same rule unto us revealed is the Law of God written in his Word in the which Gods holinesse so farre as it is our example exhibiteth it selfe to the soule as the Sun doth communicate its light thorow the beame which conveyes it Now in the Law there are two things one principall Obedience the other secondary Malediction upon supposition of disobedience Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 So then upon supposition of the sinne of man two things are required unto Iustification the expiation of sin by suffering the curse and the fulfilling of righteousnesse de novo againe Man created might have beene justified by obedience onely but man lapsed cannot otherwise appeare righteous in Gods sight but by a double obedience the one passive for the satisfaction of his vindicative justice as wee are his prisoners the other active in proportion to his remunerative justice as we are his creatures But besides this that there must be a râ—ghteousnesse extant there is required in the person to be justified or denominated thereby a propriety thereunto that it may be His righteousnesse Ier. 33.16 Now there may be a two-fold proprietie to righteousnesse according to a two-fold manner of unitie Vnitas enim praestantis est fundamentum proprietatis ad officium praestitum First there is a personall and individuall unity whereby a man is unus in se one in and by himselfe and so hath proprietie to a dutie performed because it is performed in his owne person and by himselfe alone Secondly there is a common unity whereby a man is unus cum alio one with another or whereby many are unum in aliquo primo one in and with some other thing which is the fountaine and originall of them all And this is the ground of Righteousnesse imputed for in the Law a man is justified by performing intire obedience in his owne person for the Law requireth righteousnesse to be performed by a created and implanted strength and doth not put suppose or indulge any common principle thereof out of a mans selfe Therefore legall righteousnesse is most properly called Our owne righteousnesse and is set in opposition to the righteousnesse of God or that which is by grace imputed Rom. 10.3 Phil. 3.8 9. Wee see then that in this matter of imputation either of sinne or righteousnesse for the cleering of God from any injustice or partiality in his proceedings there must ever bee some unity or other betweene the parties he whose fact is imputed and the other to whom it is imputed It would be prodigious and against reason to conceive that the fall of Angels should be imputed unto men becauâ—e men had no unity in condition either of nature or covenant with the Angels as we have in both with Adam This common unity is two-fold either naturall as betweene us and Adam in whom we were seminally contained and originally represented for otherwise than in and with Adam there could at the beginning be no covenant made with mankinde which should ex aequo reach unto all particular persons in all ages and places of the world Or Voluntary as betweene a man and his suretie who in conspectu fori are but as one person And this must be mutuall the one party undertaking to doe for the other and the other yeelding and consenting thereunto as betweene us and Christ for Christ voluntarily undertooke for us and we by the Spirit of Christ are perswaded and made willing to consent and by faith to cast our sins upon Christ and to lay hold on him And besides the will of the parties who are the one by default the other by compassion and suretiship engaged in the debt there is required
separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 Hee came not into the world but for us and therefore hee neither suffered nor did any thing but for us As the colour of the glasse is by the favor of the Sunne-beame shining through it made the color of the wall not inherent in it but relucent upon it by an extrinsecall affection so the righteousnesse of Christ by the favor of God is so imputed unto us as that wee are quoad gratiosum Dei conspectum righteous too In which sense I understand those words Hee hath not beheld iniquitie in Iacob neither hath he seen perversenesse in Israel Num. 23.21 Though it is indeed in him yet the Lord looketh on him as cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ and so is said not to see it as the eye seeth the color of the glasse in the wall and therefore cannot behold that other inherent color of its owne which yet it knoweth to bee in it Now of this Doctrine of Iustification by Christs righteousnesse imputed wee may make a double use First it may teach us that great dutie of selfe-deniall wee see no righteousnesse will justifie us but Christs and his will not consist but with the deniall of our owne And surely what-ever the professions of men in word may bee there is not any one dutie in all Christian Religion of more difficultie than this to trust Christ onely with our salvation To doe holy duties of hearing reading praying meditating almesgiving or any other actions of charity or devotion and yet still to abhorre our selves and our workes to esteeme our selves after wee have done all unprofitable servants and worthy of many stâ—ipes to doe good things and not to rest in them to owne the shame and dung of our solemne services when we have done all the good workes wee can to say with Nehemiah Remember mee ô my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercie Nehem. 13.22 and with David To thee ô Lord belongeth mercie for thou renderest to every man according to his worke Psal. 62.12 It is thy mercy to reward us according to the uprightnesse of our workes who mightest in judgement confound us for the imperfection of our workes To give God the praise of our working and to take to ourselves the shame of polluting his workes in us There is no Doctrine so diametrally contrary to the merits of Christ and the redemption of the world thereby as justification by workes No Papist in the world is or can bee more contentious for good workes than wee both in our Doctrine and in our prayers and in our exhortations to the people We say no faith justifieth us before God but a working faith no man is righteous in the sight of men nor to bee so esteemed but by workes of holinesse without holinesse no man shall see God hee that is Christs is zealous of good workes purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure and walketh as hee did in this world Here onely is the difference we doe them because they are our Dutie and testifications of our love and thankfulnesse to Christ and of the workings of his Spirit in our hearts but wee dare not trust in them as that by which wee hope to stand or fall before the tribunall of Gods Iustice because they are at best mingled with our corruptions and therefore doe themselves stand in need of a high Priest to take off their iniquity Wee know enough in Christ to depend on we never can finde enough in our selves And this confidence wee have if God would ever have had us justified by workes hee would have given us grace enough to fulfill the whole Law and not have left a Prayer upon publike record for us every day to repeat and to regulate all our owne Prayers by forgive us our trespasses For how dares that man say I shall be justified by my workes who must every day say Lord forgive mee my sinnes and bee mercifull unto mee a sinner Nay though wee could fulfill the whole Law perfectly yet from the guilt of sinnes formerly contracted wee could no other way bee justified than by laying hold by faith on the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ. Secondly it may teach us confidence against all sinnes corruptions and temptations Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died c. Satan is the blackest enemie and sinne is the worst thing hee can alleage against mee or my soule is or can bee subject unto for Hell is not so evill as sinne In as much as Hell is of Gods making but sinne onely of mine Hell is made against mee but sinne is committed against God Now I know Christ came to destroy the workes and to answer the arguments and reasonings of the Devill Thou canst not stand before God saith Satan for thou art a grievous sinner and he is a devouring fire But faith can answere Christ is able both to cover and to cure my sinne to make it vanish as a miste and to put it as farre out of mine owne sight as the East is from the West But thou hast nothing to doe with Christ thy sinnes are so many and so foule surely the bloud of Christ is more acceptable to my soule and much more honourable and pretious in it selfe when it covereth a multitude of sinnes Paul was a persecutor a Blasphemer and injurious the greatest of all sinners and yet hee obtained mercy that hee might be for a patterne of all long-suffering to those that should after beleeve in Christ. If I had as much sinne upon my soule as thou hast yet faith could unlade them all upon Christ Christ could swallow them all up in his mercy But thou hast still nothing to doe with him because thou continuest in thy sinne But doth hee not call mee invite me beseech mee command me to come unto him If then I have a heart to answer his call hee hath a hand to draw me to himselfe though all the gates of Hell and powers of darknesse or sinnes of the world stood betweene But thou obeyest not this call True indeed and pittifull it is that I am dull of hearing and slow of following the voice of Christ I want much faith but yet Lord thou dost not use to quench the smoaking flax or to breake the bruized reed I beleeve and thou art able to helpe mine unbeleefe I am resolved to venture my soule upon thy mercy to throw away all mine owne loading and to cleave onely to this planck of salvation But faith purifieth the heart whereas thou art uncleane still True indeed and miserable man I am therefore that the motions of sinne doe worke in my members But yet Lord I hate every false heart I delight in thy Law with mine innerman I doe that which I would not but I consent to thy Law that it is good I desire to know thy will to feare thy name to
〈◊〉 and more reveale himselfe and the righteousnesse of Christ unto the soule so man maketh further progresses from faith to faith And therefore wee should learne everlasting thankfulnesse unto this our King that is pleased to bee unto us a Melchisedek a Priest to satisfie his Fathers justice and a Prince to bestow his owne Note thirdly Melchisedek was King of Salem that is of Peace Here are two things to be noted the Place a Citie of the Canaanites and the signification thereof which is Peace First then we must observe that Christ is a King of Canaanites of Gentiles of those that lived in abominable lusts Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Be a man never so sinfull or uncleane he hath not enough to pose or non-plus the mercy and righteousnesse of Christ hee can bring reconciliation and peace amongst Jebusites themselves though our father were an Amorite our mother an Hittite though wee were Gentiles estranged from God in our thoughts lives hopes ends though we had justified Sodome and Samaria by our abominations yet he can make us nigh by his bloud he can make our crimsin sins as white as snow he can for all that establish an everlasting covenant unto us Ephes. 2.11 14. Esay 1.18 Ezek 16.60 63. I was a blasphemer a persecutour very injurious to the Spirit of Grace in his Saints I wasted I worried I haled into prison I breathed out threatnings I was mad made havocke of the Church I was within one step of the unpardonable sinne nothing but ignorance betweene that and my soule Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them who should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting saith Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 16. Let us make Saint Pauls use of it First To love and to beleeve in Christ to accept as a most faithfull and worthy saying that Christ came to save sinners indefinitely without restriction without limitation and me though the chiefest of all others Though I had more sinnes than earth or hell can lay upon me yet if I feele them as heavie weights and if I am willing to forsake them all let me not dishonour the power and unsearchable riches of Christs bloud even for such a sinner there is mercy Secondly To breake forth into Saint Pauls acknowledgement Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible and onely wise God to him that is a King of righteousnesse and therefore hath abundance for me that is eternall and yet was borne in time for me immortall yet died for me invisible yet was manifested in the flesh for me the onely wise God and who made use of that wisdome to reconcile himselfe to mee and by the foolishnesse of preaching doth save the world bee honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Secondly from the signification of the word we may note Where Christ is a King of righteousnesse hee is a King of Peace too So the Prophet calleth him the Prince of Peace Esay 6.9 a Creator and dispencer of peace It is his owne by proprietie and purchace and he leaves it unto us Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Ioh. 14.27 The world is either fallax or inops either it deceives or it is deficient but Peace is mine and I can give it Therefore as the Prophet Ieremie calleth him by the name of Righteousnesse Ier. 33.16 So the Prophet Micah calleth him by the name of Peace This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land Mic. 5.5 To which Saint Paul alleaging calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our peace Ephes. 2.14 By him we have peace with God being reconciled and recti in curia againe being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 so that the heart can chalenge all the world to lay any thing to its charge By him wee have peace with our owne consciences for being sprinkled with his bloud they are cleansed from dead workes and so we have the witnesse in our selves as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 8.16 By him wee have peace with men No more malice envie or hatred of one another after once the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3.3 4. All partition wals are taken downe and they which were two before are both made one in him Ephes. 2.14 and then there is towards the brethren a love of communion towards the weake a love of pitie towards the poore a love of bounty either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.7 either brotherly love or generall love towards those without mercy charity compassion forgivenes towards al good works By him we have peace with the creatures we use them with comfort with liberty with delight with piety with charity with mercy as glasses in the which we see and as steps by the which we draw neerer to God No rust in our gold or silver no moth nor pride in our garment no lewdnes in our liberty no hand against the wall no flying roll against the stone or beame of the house no gravell in our bread no gall in our drinke no snare on our table no feares in our bed no destruction in our prosperitie in all estates we can rejoyce we can doe and suffer all through Christ that strengtheneth us We are under the custodie of peace it keepes our hearts and mindes from feares of enemies and maketh us serve the Lord with confidence boldnesse and securitie Phil. 4.7 The workes of righteousnesse are in peace and the effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Note fourthly from both these that is from a peace grounded in righteousnesse needs must Blessednesse result for it is the blessednesse of a creature to be reunited and one with his Maker to have all controversies ended all distances swallowed up all partitions taken downe and therefore the Apostle useth Righteousnesse and Blessednes as terms promiscuous All men seek for blessednes it is the summe and collection of all desires a man loveth nothing but in order subordination unto that And by nature wee are all children of wrath and held under by the curse so many sinnes as we have committed so many deaths curses have we heaped upon our soules so many wals of separation have we set up between us God who is the fountaine of blessednesse Till all they be covered removed forgiven and forgotten the creature cannot be blessed Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Rom. 4.7 All the benedictions which wee have from the most high God come unto us from the intercession and mediation of Christ. His sacrifice and prayers give us interest in the all-sufficiencie
they burnt the cursed things at the brooke Kidron and cast them thereinto 2 Chron. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 29.16.30.14 2 King 23.6 To note unto us that that brooke was the sinke as it were of the Temple that into which al the purgamenta and uncleannesses of Gods house all the cursed things were to bee cast with relation whereunto it is not improbable that the Prophet David by a propheticall spirit might notifie the sufferings of Christ by drinking of that cursed brooke over which hee was to passe to signifie that on him all the faithfull might lay and powre ut their sins who is therefore said to be made sinne and a curse for us 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 As the people when they laid their hands on the head of the sacrifice did thereby as it were unload all their sinnes upon it Now as waters signifie Afflictions so there are two words with relation thereunto which signifie suffering of afflictions and they are both applied unto Christ Matth. 20.22 Are yee able to drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of or be baptized with that Baptisme that I am baptized with He that drinketh hath the water in him he that is dipped or plunged hath the water about him So it notes the universalitie of the wrath which Christ suffered it was within him My soule is heavie unto death and it was all about him betrayed by Iudas accused by Iewes forsaken by Disciples mocked by Herod condemned by Pilate buffeted by the servants nailed by the souldiers reviled by the theeves and standers by and which was all in all forsaken by his Father So then by drinking of the brooke is meant suffering of the curses and it is frequently so used Ier. 25.27.49.12 Ezek. 23.32.34 Hab. 2.16 Revel 14.9.10 By The way we must understand either the life of Christ on earth his passage betweene his assumed voluntary humility and his exaltation againe or The way between mankind and heaven which by that should of wrath and torrent of curses which were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.14 was made utterly unpassable till Christ by his sufferings made a path thorow it for the ransomed of the Lord to passe over Therefore shall be lift up the head It noteth in the Scripture phrase victory electation and breaking thorow those evils which did urge and presse a man before Psal. 27.6 and also boldnesse confidence and securitie to the whole body Luke 21.28 And further it is not He shall be lifted up but He shall doe it himselfe He hath the power of life and the fountaine of life in himselfe Ioh. 5.26 10.18 So that following this sense of the words the meaning is He shall suffer and remove all those curses which were in the way between mankinde and heaven and then he shall lift up his head in the Resurrection and breake thorow all those sufferings into glory againe which sense is most punctually and expresly unfolded in those parallel places Luk. 24.26.46 Phil. 2.8 9. 1 Pet. 1.11 He shall drinke of the brooke in the way From hence we may note First that betweene mankinde and heaven there is a torrent of wrath and curses which doth everlastingly separate betweene us and glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great and fixed gulfe which all the world can neither wade thorow nor remove The Law at first was an easie and smooth way to righteousnesse and from thence to salvation but now every step thereof sinkes as low as hell It is written within and without with curses which way soever a man stirres he findes nothing but death before him one mans way by the civility of his education the ingenuitie of his disposition the engagement of other ends or relations may seeme more smooth and plausible than anothers but by nature they all runne into hell as all rivers though never so different in other circumstances runne into the sea It is as impossible for a naturall man of himselfe to escape damnation as it is to make himselfe no childe of the old Adam or not to have beene begotten by fleshly parents The Gulfe of sin in our nature cannot be cleansed and therefore the Guilt thereof cannot be removed The Image we have lost is by us unrepairable the Law we have violated inoxorable the Iustice we have injured unsatisfiable the concupiscence of our nature insatiable sinne an aversion from an infinite good and a conversion to the creature infinitely and therefore the Guilt thereof infinite and unremoveable too We should learne often to meditate on this point to finde our selves reduced unto these straits and impossibilities that we cannot see which way to turne or to helpe our selves for that is the onely way to draw us unto Christ. Every man naturally loves to be in the first place beholding to himselfe in any extremity if his owne wits purse projects or endevours will helpe him out hee lookes no further but when all his owne succours have forsaken him then hee seekes abroad It is much more true in the matter of salvation no man ever did begin at Christ but went unto him upon meere necessitie when he had experience of the emptinesse of all his other succours and dependencies we all by nature are offended at him and will not have him to reigne over us till thereunto we be forced by the evidence of that infinite and unpreventable misery under which without him we must sinke for ever This is of all other the most urging argument unto men at first to consider that there is a torrent of curses a sea of death a raigne of condemnation a hell of sinne within and a hell of torments without betweene them and their salvation and there is no drop of that sea no scruple of that curse no title of that Law which must not all be either fulfilled or endured Suppose that God should summon thy guilty soule to a sudden apparance before his tribunall of Justice and should there begin to deale with thee even at thy mothers wombe Alas thou wouldest be utterly gone there even there a seed of evill doers the spawne of viperous and serpentine parents a cursed childe a childe of wrath an exact image of the old Adam and of the bloud of Satan But then here is after this produced a catalogue and history of sinnes of forty fiftie or three score yeeres long And in them every inordinate motion of the will every sudden stirring and secret working of inward lust every idle word every uncleane aspect every impertinencie and irregularity of life scored up against thy poore soule and each of them to be produced at the last and either answered or revenged O where shall the ungodly and sinners appeare if they have not right in Christ And how should men labour to be secured in that right Who would suffer so many millions of obligations and indictments to lye betweene him and God uncancelled and not labour to have them taken out of the way Now the onely way to be brought hereunto