of all qualities are admittable into the Kingdome of Christ This likewise was sweetly represented unto Peter by a sheet knit at the foure corners wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts Acts 10. 12. of the Earth and wild Beasts and creeping things and foules of the aire and the Apostle was bid to arise and to slay and eate Now by this he was taught that not onely the Gentiles as well as the Jewes were to be received into the Kingdome of Christ but also that in every Nation as himselfe afterwards expounds it He that feareth God and worketh Righteousnesse is accepted with him Acts 10 35. Let him be of what trade and occuptation of what ranke and quality of what state and condition soever he will be Christ will not refuse him coming unto him and submitting unto the Scepter of his Kingdome Thirdly the Kingdome of Christ is universall in respect of the ages and times of the world it runnes through all ages and it lasts from generation to generation And hence it is that Christ is called a King immortall 1 Tim. 1. 17. having spoken of the long suffering of Jesus Christ toward him in the precedent verse he addes immediately now unto the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever amen Jesus Christ then is that God and King and he is called immortall to distinguish him from all other Kings The Kings of the world are mortall they die and leave their Kingdomes to others but Christ is an immortall King hee never dieth his Kingdome knowes no period it passes through all Epoches and tracts of time Precious is Christ that hath such a Kingdome and happie are his Saints that have such a King When friends die when Estates are gone when the Sword rages when sicknesse and death comes when any trouble or affliction is upon them yet to their unspeakable comfort they know that their mighty King liveth and reigneth and so long as he is up they cannot be so downe but they shall rise againe Christ is a King in all ages of the world from the beginning God is my King of old saith the Church Psal 74. 12. and Christ is God there spoken of as appeares by the words that follow God is my King of old working salvation in the midst of the Earth it is Christ the Mediatour that workes salvation in the midst of the Earth for the Father hath committed all Judgement unto him he then is King of old from the very first founding of the world and so shall continue to be while the Sunne and Moone indure as 't is prophecied of him Fourthly Christs Kingdome is universall in respect of all Creatures all power is given into him both in heaven and in earth In respect of his providence the creatures are subject to him as God but as they serve to further the salvation of his elect and to beautifie his Kingdome so they are subject unto him as Mediatour In Ephes 1. 22. It is said of Christ that the Father hath put all things under his feet and hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church that is so farre forth as they conduce to the good of the Church so they are under the Kingdome of Christ as Mediatour Thirdly Christ rules as King alone he alone is caput Ecclesiae the head of the Church When the Romane Empire was growne vast and unweldy there were colleagues in government two men of equall Authority one to rule the East and another to sway the West And in some places during the minority of the King they chose a Regent who hath Kingly Authority and is pro tempore as a King But it is not so in the Kingdome of Christ he rules alone without a partner Vnum non capit Regnum duos is a most true saying here this one Kingdome will not beare two Kings at once Ridiculous is the Popes challenge to be the Ministeriall head of the Church Christ rules alone without any such Image of his government he rules alone as head without either colleague in the largenesse of his dominion or Regent in his minority sole or Vice-Roy in his absence hee hath indeed Officers that rule under him but the headship and royalty he reserves as peculiar to himselfe he carries the government upon his owne shoulders as wee reade Isaiah 9. 6. he alone hath soveraigne power and Authority in governing of his Church he alone hath supremacy of Regiment he alone is Claviger the Key-carrier to his Church Isa 22. 22. It is written thus of Eliakim the Key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open Now herein was this Saint a lively figure and type of Christ the words of the Prophecie are applyed to Christ in his advertisement to Philadelphia Revel 3. and the sense is this that looke as Eliakim was made Steward or Treasurer under Hezekiah that is the next unto the King in government all over the Land to command to forbid to permit to reward to punish to doe Justice and to represse all disorder of which Authority the bearing of a Key on the shoulder was a badge so Christ as Mediatour under his Father hath regall power and Authority over his Church where hee commands in chiefe as I may say and no man may lift up his hand or foote without him he hath the Key of the house of David upon his shoulder to prescribe to inhibit to call to harden to save and to destroy at his pleasure such a Monarch and King is Christ over his Church neither hath any such rule and soveraignty beside him Fourthly Christ is an eternall and everlasting King he receives a Kingdome that cannot be shaken there shall be no end of it his Throne endureth for ever God rent away the Kingdome from Soul and others and Mene Mene was upon Belshazzars Kingdome a full â—umbring and finishing the dayes of it but Christs Kingdome is everlasting and shall never expire let the enemies thereof use what art and craft they will they shall never destroy it or pluck it up The God of Heaven saith the Prophet shall set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed neither shall it be left to other people but it shall stand for ever Dan. 2. 44. If that of the Apostle be objected where â—e saith that Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. I answer that this doth nothing at all impeach the everlastingnesse of Christs Kingdome for the meaning of it is this that at the generall Resurrection and the end of the world Christ shall lay downe his Mediatorship and shall deliver up all his Elect and faithfull Members of whom now his Kingdome consists unto his Father to be eternally crowned and glorifyed and this shall be then when hee shall have reconciled some of his Enemies spoyled desperate ones of
bring forth weighty sheaves of joy at the last Now then to come to the point that we drive at in this manner doth the Scripture hold forth Christ as precious he is very precious because he is very usefull he is usefull for many things yea for all things but especially for these two viz. Justification Sanctification First Christ is usefull for Justification he is the onely mine pit of this treasure the golden and precious veines of it runne along in him onely That he might be just which beleeveth in Jesus saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of the Faith of Jâ—sus that is which seeke not Justification by their owne righteousnesse viz. by the works of the Law but by Christ alone and hence we are said to be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. marke I pray The Apostle doth disertly and emphatically adde the clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him that he may take away all conceit of inherence in us and establish the Doctrine of imputation as Christ is made sinne in us by imputation so wee are made righteousnesse in him by the same way St. Augustines place which Beza cites is a most full commentary God the Father saith he made him to be sinne who knew no sinne that we might be the righteousnesse of God not our owne and in him that is in Christ not in our selves And being thus justified we are so righteous as if we were righteousnesse it selfe It is Christ alone that can administer life and righteousnesse it is he alone that bindes up the broken-hearted opens the prison dores proclaimes Liberty to Captives and the acceptacle yeare of the Lord or the Lords yeare of good will the Quire of the heavenly host sang good will towards men when this accepted and welcome yeare was come Luke 2. 14. This was Christs worke the Law was too weake for it that could kill but not make aalive Christ alone bare the whole weight of his Fathers wrath made reconciliation for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousnesse none but he was of use for this and therefore he must needs be precious Secondly he is likewise usefull for Sanctification that Spirit alone which Christ sends forth is of power and ability to instill and breath grace into us and so make us meet vessels for the heavenly masters use It is Christ that stamps afresh the impression of Gods Image defaced and decayed in our soules it is he that restores the life of God in man lost by sinne by the blessed influxe and droppings of his grace we come to put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him as the Apostle speakes Coloss 3. 10. he uses a Metaphor of putting on taken from garments to shew that those new qualities of the soule are aâ—iâ—â—ed as Venuâ—t and beautifull ornaments to our nature the substance of the soule is not changed as some have foolishly dream't but onely it puts on new properties and affections new powers and abilities and this benefit wee derive from Christ The parts of Sanctification are mortification a dying unto sinne and vivification a living unto righteousnesse now both these come by vertue of our implantation inserting or ingraffing into Christ the first when wee are implanted into his death and the second is a fruit of his resurrection Christ reviving his members could not lie dead a living head and dead members were a Monster never seen in nature Neverthelesse observe this that though wee are sanctified by the death and resurrection of Christ yet his death is the Primum mobile as I may say that strikes the first stroke that is the meritorious and exemptory cause of our sanctification and hence is that saying of the Apostle Rom. 6. 5. If we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death wee shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection this is an elegant metaphor representing unto us that as plants engraffed doe receive moysture juyce and nourishment from the stock whereby they sprout out budde and beare fruit so wee being as it were inserted into Christ doe receive vigour and life from him whereby we walke in the Spirit and become spirituall holy gracious and active in all good workes Christ is the Olive tree that standeth before the Ruler of the whole Earth and emptieth it selfe by the pipes and conduits of his word into the golden Candlesticks of his Church Zach. 4. â—ight and grace in the Ministration of holy Ordinances flow from him he is the head and seate of spirituall influence from which the whole mysticall body receives breath life and motion this is the Apostles simile Coloss 2. 19. He makes there Christ to be the Head and the Church the body knit together by certaine joynts and ligaments as wee see it is in nature and by this meanes it hath convenient nourishment ministred to all parts whereby it increaseth with the increase of God that is with mighty and most blessed increasings Christ hath goodnesse enough for himselfe and for all his Members he is a Fountaine never drie and the Philosophers property of good agrees to him most of all Bonum est sui communicativum that which is good spares noâ— but communicates it selfe this is most true of Christ his grace is diffusive like water of which the Naturalist saith that it is difficultly contained within its owne bounds but easily within the bounds of some other thing Christ is that sunne of righteousnesse that compasseth the whole world enlightning warming and cherishing every one of his elect with his beames of his fulnesse we all receive and grace for grace saith the Apostle John 1. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is abundant grace or graces sutable to his owne The first day of union a Beleever enjoyes this participation of grace Union is the ground of Communion Wee must remember also that Christ did sanctifie himselfe to the end that we might be sanctified for their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the Truth saith Christ Joh. 17. 19. Christ is the principall cause of our Sanctification wee are sanctified vertually by his sanctifying of himselfe he being set apart and separated from sinners such as are by his Spirit and by faith knit to him must needs be also separated from the world to walke with God in holinesse of life and conversation Thus much of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstrating and declaring how Christ is precious I come now to the third thing which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing why it is so There be many reasons and causes why Beleevers doe esteeme so highly of Christ as they doe First beleivers are in some measure Reason I convinced of their most miserable and wretched condition without him and also of the impotency of the creature in respect of any help and deliverance in that condition First when the soule findes it selfe in darknesse
upon it we shall see that our Saviour doth not deny himselfe to be perfectly good but onely he checks the pharisaicall opinion of perfection in those that are no more then men Christ was more then a meere man if the young man had knowne so much he should not have been reproved for calling him good in a sense of absolutenesse and perfection such an Epithite was rightly applyable unto Christ had the young Pharisee been ware of his Deity or had he knowne the strange manner of his conception viz. by the Holy Ghost he might have said of him as the Psalmist doth thou art fairer then the children of men and so the title of good Master would never have been excepted against Secondly Christ as man also was abased and yet in his abasement hee was very excellent it is a very comely sight to see a great Personage of a meek humble and lowly carriage willing to stoope and to come downe from his height so it be not in a sordid and unfitting way Now so it was with Christ he washed the very feet of his Disciples he became poore to make us rich hee fasted that we might feast he went on foote that wee might ride as I may say he died that wee might live The Apostle saith that though he was in the forme of God and thought it no robbery or Sacriledge to be equall with God yet he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Philip 2. 6 7 8. Now marke I pray the antithesis or opposition which these words hold forth Christ was from all eternity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the * essentiall forme of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth the outward shape face or figure of a thing which because God hath not therefore here it is put for the Divine Essence or in the glorious nature and condition of God yet he tooke upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the state being and condition of a servant He was equall with God called therefore the mighty God and the everlasting Father Esa 9. 6. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very or the true God 1 John 5 20. yet he was content to be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the similitude and shape of men that is in the very rank nature and quality of men subject to mans passions and every way a right man sinne onely excepted whereof you heard before Againe be thought it no rapine or robbery to be equall with God yet he suffered himselfe to be denuded and rob'd of his glory by sinfull men God cal's him the man that is his fellow Zach. 13. 7. and yet he was made a fellow to theeves and malefactours yea he was made inferiour and underling to base men a very murderer being preferred before him Though he was full of glory and excellency yet he did empty himselfe of all for so are the words of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he evacuated or emptied himselfe that is he reduced himselfe as it were to nothing or as a Father hath it he exhausted himselfe he drew himselfe dry Lastly though he was the Prince and Lord of life yet he humbled himselfe unto Death and the basest death of all the death of the Crosse it was a Roman kinde of execution and asserted even by a Romane Oratour to be of all other most ignominious and shamefull Civem Romanum scelus est verberare propè paricidium nâ—care quid dicam in crucem tollere said that Oratour It is a hainous wickednesse to beate a Romane it is almost paracide to kill him what is it then to crucifie him how beyond measure hainous is that yet thus low was the Sonne of God brought And it addes likewise to the measure of his humility and lowlinesse that he was voluntary in all this debasement he was not forced or compelled to it no man taketh my life from me saith he but I lay it downe of my selfe Joh. 10. 18. and what he saith of his life is true also of all his Divine glory it was not violently snatch't from him whither he would or no but he did willingly cheerefully spontaneously and of his owne accord devest and strip himselfe of it Now certainly thus to descend from Heaven to Earth from Divinity to humanity from a Kingdome to slavery from life to death and all this of his owne free and willing disposition without any compulsion or enforcement this addes no little grace and luster to him 't is a very seemly sight to see a venerable person condescending stooping low and denying himselfe to see a King casting aside his Robes of Majesty and descending to a lower pitch for the doing of some good which otherwise cannot be atcheived we had been eternally lost if the Sunne of God had not done thus unlesse he had humbled himselfe wee could never have been exalted Thirdly Christ as man was obedient unto the will of his Father he was universally and constantly obedient he was obedient without any the least reluctation grudging or unwillingnesse To this purpose makes that of the most excellent song where it is said of Christ that he cometh leaping upon the Mountaines and skipping upon the hills Cantic 2. 8. there were great Mountaines of difficulties and hardship in the way of our Redemption yet he past lightly and cheerefully over them all to doe the will of him that sent him Yea he was so farre from grumbling and murmuring that it was even meat and drinke to him to doe that will and he was straitned and pained in his mind till the bloudy baptisme of his suffering was accomplished Luke 12 50. It is written of him in the rowle of Gods booke Loe I come to doe thy will ô God those words Loe I come shew his alacrity and cheerefulnesse his readinesse and forwardnesse to doe his Fathers will his loynes were alwayes girded and his feet shodde unto it The Spirit of Christ dwelling in the Saints makes them to be prompt and ready unto all duties and workes commanded of God how much more then was Christ himselfe so in whom the Spirit of God was as water in the Fountaine when he conquered death and the grave and all the powers of darknesse for us Repentance was hid from his eyes he shrunke not nor drew away the shoulder from it Three times he was under such an infinite pressure of Divine wrath as had been enough to have crushed ten thousand worlds yet he flinched not but dranke the bitter cup off to the very bottome hee patiently endured the Crosse and despised the shame Indeed it cannot be denyed that when he was in his agony he prayed to his Father to save him from that houre and thrice he prayed that the bitter cup might passe from him yet he did not this through disobedience or
cut off the race and succession of them There is a remarkable passage to this purpose In Josephus * Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 4. At that time saith he meaning when Pilate was Governour was Jesus a wise man if it be lawfull to call him a man for he was the performer of diverse admirable workes and the instructure of those who willingly entertaine the truth And he drew unto him divers Jewes and Greekes to be his followers this was Christ who being accused by the Princes of our Nation before Pilate and afterward condemned to the crosse by him yet did not those who followed him from the beginning forbeare to love him for the ignominy of his death for he appeared unto them alive the third day after according as the Divine Prophet had before testified the same and divers other wonderfull things of him And from that time forward the race of Christians who have derived their name from him hath never ceased Here you see what an honourable testimony this Jew that was no Christian gives of Christ and his Disciples so precious and desirable was hee notwithstanding his suffering notwithstanding all the shame and trouble that came upon his followers for him that they never would forsake him neither could the generations of them be rooted out of the Earth unto this day This is my beloved and this is my friend ô daughters of Jerusalem Secondly from complacency or wel-pleasednes flowes another thing in love viz. a desire of union or enjoymeÌ„t When the soule eyes a tempting or tickling object as I may say it presently covets the possession and fruition of it there is by and by a kinde of clasping or closing with it or a strong appetion of peculiarity or private Intrest Whence it is that the French Divine writeth Molinus thus of love Love saith he is that point of our spirits whereby it joyneth it selfe unto objects That which is weight in heavie things love is the very same in our soules for as weight moveth earthly bodies toward the place of their rest so love moveth our soules toward that object which promiseth rest and contentment Now Beleevers highly esteeming Christ desire nothing more then the possession and enjoyment of Christ Now Christ is enjoyed In his Ordinances In his secret and sweet appearances to the soule and in his personall presence First Christ is enjoyed in his Ordinances The Ordinance is as I said before a walke wherein Christ is wont to meet with his people a Beleever therefore doth with great delight and study put himselfe upon that way that he may enjoy Christ in it But Secondly Christ is enjoyed in his secret and sweet appearances to the soule What are all holy Ordinances but dead and heartlesse things without such revelations Job tells us of Ordinances of Heaven and Jeremiah in like manner of the Ordinances of the Sun of the Moone and of the Starres these are naturall Ordinances but to what purpose were they if this inferiour world did not partake of their light and heat and sweet influence Wee read also of politick and Judiciall Ordinances which God constituted and set in the common-wealth of Israel but to what purpose were these likewise or what benefit could an Israelite reape by them if he lived in such corrupt and lawlesse times that he could not have them administred so what are all heavenly and sacred Ordinances to a Beleever if he finde not the vertue the life and the power of them enjoying Christ in the Ordinance and finding an influence of his spirit and grace flowing in upon his soule As there is a desire in a Beleever to communicate his heart unto Christ so Christ communicates his grace unto a Beleevers heart Christ as a Fountaine sends forth his streames of comfort and joy and as a Sunne sends forth his glorious beames of grace and love into a Beleevers soule Now a Beleever doth account prayer preaching Sacraments and all other meanes of his soules welfare to be nothing unlesse the Spirit of Christ comply with them flowing in upon the soule with such heart-ravishing discoveries of his grace as no tongue can possible expresse Hence it is that a Beleever sets open the windowes of his soule desiring that Christ may shine into it with the bright and glorious beames of his grace and favour but if Christ eclipse and hid himselfe from the soule there is nothing but darknesse and complaining sorrow and mourning and no rest at all untill the mist be dispelled and the cloud blowen over and the day-starre arise in the heart againe untill Christ come and refresh the soule with new supplies of revelations The Church never left off seeking Christ untill she had found him till the King had brought her into his bed-chamber and into the banqueting-house and imparted some of his love unto her Oh how precious is that sweet and secret communion which a Beleever enjoyes with Christ ô what a delight is it to sit under Christs shadow and to enjoy him in such a way at this is Thirdly Christ is enjoyed in his personall presence at his second coming The Saints are described to be such as long and looke for Christs appearing 1 Cor. 1. 7. you come behind in no gift saiâ—h the Apostle waiting for the comming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 revelation of Jesus Christ It is called the revelation of Christ because the glory and Majesâ—y of Christ it now hid but then his brightnesse shall appeare and be manifested for he shall come in the clouds and great glory And the Apostle saith in 1 Thess 2. 10. that Christ shall be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that beleeve that is the Saints seeing themselves to shine as the Starres for evermore and to be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ they shall infinitely admire his grace and Mercy unto them Hence it is Beleevers wait for the consolation of the second coming of Christ as they did for the consolation of his first coming because here they receive good in promise but then they shall receive it in the fruit of the promise here they receive the first fruites of his Spirit then a full harvest of joy and blessednesse here they see Christs glory at a distance and through the lattesse but then in the luster and brightnesse of it Christ is the object of a Beleevers affections and nothing but fruition will give him satisfaction his heart is never at rest untill it come to his proper place of rest and repose agreeable to that of the Father fecisti nos Domine ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescit in te thou hast made us ô Lord for thy selfe and our heart is never at rest till it rest in thee Now whence is it that a Beleever desires to enjoy Christ in his Ordinance in that sweet and secret communion in his personall presence but from this love of union when he sees such a glorious object as Christ is
he desires to claspe and close with it Thirdly from complacency or wel-pleasednesse and from union and enjoyment flowes a third thing in love viz. benevolence or good-will Benevolence being referred to Christ is an affection whereby wee doe yeild our selves wholly unto him desiring his name may be glorified by us The Saints cannot properly conferre any essentiall goodnesse or glory upon Christ but onely make an agnition and acknowledgement thereof Can a man saith Job be profitable unto God is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Job 22. 2. that is if a man were just and holy yet hee could not profit God or adde any joy and delight unto him Againe in Psalme 16. 3. Thou art my Lord saith David my goodnesse extendeth not to thee that is I cannot enlarge and enrich God but saith he to the Saints on Earth in whom is my delight that is as for those that beare thy stampe and superscription upon them I will entertaine with my goods thus we may wish well to Christ in his members Againe this love of benevolence doth carrie and containe in it a willingnesse to yeild all obedience unto Christ He that loves Christ freely cannot but study to please him in all things and be like unto him 1 Joh. 4. 17. And he that keepeth his word in him is the love of God perfect 1 Joh. 2. 5. Love is the condescending to the lowest service it is impulsive and constraining it hath a sweet kind of violence to draw the heart of a Beleever unto the obedience of Christ so saith the Apostle the love of Christ constraines us 2 Cor. 5. 15. And so in Cant. 8. 6. Love is strong as death and Jealousie is cruell as the grave That is love is that strong affection which cannot be subdued by trouble or tentation it is as strong as death the heart as some say is primum vivens ultimum moriens the first living and last dying and therefore all the vitalls of the body drawes to the heart and unites there whence it is a man gives such strong plunges at his death because his strength is united so love doth unite all the affections of a Beleever drawing them forth to act for Christ and for zeale or jealousie that is love enflamed and fervent and it is fierce and inexorable as Hell and the grave that as Death and Hell devoureth and swallows up all so love to Christ overcometh all opposition and suffring and makes Beleevers rejoyce to fill up that is declaratively the suffring and affliction Col. 1. 24. of Christ Fourthly the unmatcheable excellency Vse 3 and preciousnesse of Christ must not lye as a contemned thing but it calls for the utmost strength of our soules and the height of our affections to be fixed upon it There is no object in the world but there is a will relating to it and inclinable to close with it Now what better object can the will of man have then Christ if wee be not here what doe wee differ from beasts and a beast in the shape of a man is worst of all 'T is good for us that God hath placed affections of love of joy of desire and the like in our soules but if these be not placed upon Christ also it were better that we were quite without them and were as uncapable of Christ as the most insensible and unreasonable creatures that are Let us consider then what may yet farther elevate our affections and cause them to mount up with wings as Eagles unto that delight of all delights and abstract of all prayses This will be if we look upon those rich and costly gifts which Christ hath bestowed upon Beleevers and they are such as these viz. Precious Bloud Precious Graces Precious Promises Precious Love Precious Spirit Precious Priviledges The bloud of Christ is precious in Mot 1 these respects First from the purity of his humane nature which was holy harmelesse undefiled and separate from sinners to God to man and to it selfe it was wholly without spot and blemish and had not the least touch of sinfulnesse in it In nature the best constitutions have the best bloud never was there a better tempered a more purely constituted nature farther from the corruptions freer from the pollutions and grosse humours of sinne then Christs was It behoved him as man to fulfill all righteousnesse and throughly to come up to the patterne of Legall types which did all shadow him absolutely holy and speake him perfectly pure without the least tainture of spirituall defilement Now if the bloud of the Saints who are but in part sanctified dregs of sinne remaining in the best be precious in Gods account as wee read Psal 116. 15. how much more then is the bloud of the Sonne of God precious who never went awry never failed in the least jot or title of due obedience to the Law of God The Apostle saith for a good man peradventure some would even dare to dye Rom. 5. 7. and why so but because 't is great pitie such precious bloud should be lost now if their bloud be so precious that are but imperfectly good what then was his who was good without any mixture of evill Secondly Christs bloud was noble bloud and therefore precious He came of the race of Kings as touching his manhood but being with all the Sonne of God this renders his nobility matchlesse and peerelesse 'T was Pharaoh's bragge that he was the Sonne of ancient Kings Isaiah 19. 11. Who can lay claime to this more then Christ who can chalenge this honour before him he is the Sonne of the ancientest King in the world he was begot a King from all eternity and the bloud of Kings is precious thou art worth ten thousand of us said David's Subjects to him and therefore they would not suffer him to hazard himselfe in the battell 2 Sam. 18. 3. his Life-bloud was of more value then if halfe of his people had perished because he was King and had the Soveraignty the noblenesse of his person did set a high rate upon his bloud and whom doth this Argument more commend unto us then Christ Thirdly the bloud which Christ shed for his people was his life-bloud Life is the most precious thing that a man hath As the life of God is the summe of all his attributes so the life of man doth eminently containe in it all other blessings all that hee hath serves to maintaine it it is the end and drift of all his enjoyments What could Christ doe more then to spend his heart-bloud and to lay downe his life for us Sanguis est vehiculum vitae saith the Physician the bloud is the Chariot of life yet Experience teacheth that there may be great effusion of bloud and yet no death following Had Christ almost emptied all his veynes and not dyed this would not have reached to our misery it had not been sufficient to save us from death even those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
drops of bloud which hee did sweat in his agony had nothing availed without death Death is the summe of the curse due to us in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Christ then dying for us here was the accomplishment of all his sufferings and the height of his love towards us Surely that bloud must needs be very precious which could not be let out but the vitall spirits must follow after it Those that professe skill in words doe derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bloud from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to burne or to kindle whether this be a true etymologie or not I will not dispute the heate that is in the bloud of a living creature if at leastwise in good temper speakes for it sure I am that the bloud of Jesus Christ shed for our sinnes both testifies his ardent and burning love toward us and requires a like affection in us the kindling and fiering of our love toward him Fourthly the preciousnesse of Christs bloud appeares likewise from the personall union of his manhood with his God-head The Divine and humane natures of Christ subsisting together in one and the same person is called an hypostaticall union properly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a placing or standing under when the Godhead stands under the manhood and the manhood is taken into the same person with the God-head this is hypostaticall Now from this marvellous and wonderfull union floweth though not a reall communication of properties yet a promiscuous predication of them as if they were all alike common and naturall to both natures Hence the manhood is said to be in heaven even while it was circumscribed compassed with a place on earth John 3. 13. and on the other side the bloud of the humane nature is called the bloud of God Acts 20. 28. and else where by reason of this union God himselfe is said to be crucified Oh how precious was the bloud of Christ then doubtlesse it had more worth in it then all the creatures in Heaven and earth Angels and men and all the world beside The uniting and consequently the cooperation and compliance of the impassible Deity in the same person with that soule and body which suffered must needs put infinite dignity and preciousnesse beyond all account upon the bloud of Christ yet this was not thought too deare for his Saints Fiftly and lastly the blessed effects of Christs bloud is another strong Argument of the inestimable value and price of it It justifies our persons in the sight of God It frees us from the guilt from the punishment and from the power of all sinne It saves us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that wrath that is to come 1 Thessalonians 1. 10. Wicked people are Light and merry-hearted and never dreame of an after recoming but there is a thunder shower of Gods wrath to come which will light heavily upon the heads of unbeleeving ones Wee are all of us by nature obnoxious to and involved in this danger therefore the Apostle useth the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snatching or pulling us out from the wrath to come even wee of the children of God wee of the Corporation and society of the Saints we Beleevers as well as others were liable to this wrath but Christ hath dâ—livered us this is his tender loving kindnesse and good will to his Elect. Againe the bloud of Christ obtaines eternall redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. whence it is that the Apostle opposes it to Gold and Silver though these be among the most precious things that the Earth affords yet being corruptible and transitory they cannot purchase incorruption and eternity for us The bloud of Christ is the price of our Redemption yee are bought with a price saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 23. and a like phrase he uses in the end of the precedent chapter yet there is neither a pleonasme in the words that is to say a fulnesse of speech though that sometimes be rhetoricall enough nor impropriety or unfitnesse of Language as if a thing could be bought without a price though I confesse the Scripture in some respects doth sometimes speake so neither is there an hebraisme whereby words of the same signification are itterated and repeated ob vehementiam to set the matter on with the greater vehemency and force but the word price is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew the superlative excellency and dignity of the price wherewith the Saints are bought so that ye are bought with a price is as much as to say yee are dearely bought 't was a price with a witnesse that was given for you a price of inestimable value a price past the number of a man it cannot be calculated or summed up it is so infinite such a rich and exceeding price is the bloud of Jesus Christ costly and chargeable were our soules that required such a ransome This is the price wherewith wee are bought from the earth bought out of Hell and bought into Heaven and everlasting glory This is the price that redeemeth us from condemnation and this is it that cleanseth us from the filth and staine of sinne This is it that purgeth our Consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Heb 9. 14. The Apostle in that place draweth an Argument â— minori ad majus as the Logician speakes If typicall rites and sacrifices as the bloud of Bulls and goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinckled upon the uncleane availed for externall Sanctification namely for the purifying of the flesh legally and ceremonially how much more shall the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon our Consciences purge away the guilt of sinne and avayle to the internall spirituall and everlasting sanctifying of our persons Againe by this bloud it was that Christ as the high Priest of our profession that is of Christians entred into Heaven so saith the Apostle Heb. 9. 12. Christ entred â—y his owne bloud into the holy place hee did not enter into the presence of God as the high-priest of old did with the bloud of Goates and Calves what should those slender things doe in the Tabernacle made without hands there are no such meane and poore offerings there Neither did Christ enter to offer for himselfe as well as for his Family as Aaron did Levit. 16. 6. he had no need of expiation himselfe but he went into the holiest to offer for his people only whom he hath for ever washed justified and sanctified not with bloud of others as the Apostle speakes but with his owne bloud Lastly from the precious bloud of Christ we also that are so cleansed and purged have boldnesse to enter into the holiest Heb. 10. 19. 20. The bloud of Christ breeds us and begets us this confidence The Apostle in that place doth covertly oppose the liberty of Christians unto the restraint of them that lived under the Law The Jewes of old might not presse into the Holy of Holies it