and longs to be more nearly united to him He desires not to be delivered from the curse and so to be righteous and holy that he may have an interest in Christ That is not his method But contra he desires to have real interest in Christ that he may be freed from the Curse and so be clothed with his righteousness and conformed to him in holiness Bona tua non nisi tecum Domine If thy heart can say yea to this thou hast an evidence of sincere love to Christ but if thou lovest him onely for lumps for the benefits which thou gettest by him deliverance from hell and the glory of heaven thy love is mercenary 2. Superlative It transcends and overtops all the Love of the creature The redeemed soul loveth wife children friends his own life and the good things of this world according to their several degrees of goodness and he loves them not fainedly and in shew but truly and indeed within due limits and in such proportion as they are capable of but yet he loves Jesus Christ farre and farre above them all This love leaves all other loves many thousand miles behinde it so that none of them can come near it He is precious singularly precious to them that believe 1 Pet. 2.7 he is an honour to them they have a very high esteem of him His interest prevailes in their soules infinitely above all other interests in the world Christ disownes yea rejects all love tendred to him which is inferiour to the love of our dearest relations Matth. 10.37 yea we must hate these in comparison of him Luke 14.26 Ask thy soul what it can answer to this Doth thy soul set an high price on thy Redeemer Doth thy heart embrace him as incomparably excellent dost thou finde the enjoyment of him more sweet and contenting than all other enjoyments and his absence hiding of his face and restraint of his gracious influences from thy spirit more bitter and grievous then all other wants or burthens which thou mayest meet with But if thy heart set up any thing above him so that Christ and his partie when they stand in competition with some other partie which hath gotten the chair in thy soul are slighted and must sit at its footstool or be thrust out of doors Oh this is a base beggarly love which will not stand thee in stead 3. Invincible To clear this the love of Christ in an elect person actually redeemed may possibly be overcome by the prevailing of the contrary corruption It is not simply impossible being a created quality and therefore no more able to stand of it self without divine support than Adam's love to his Creatour which was so easily mastered by the suggestions of the serpent to the ruine of himself and his posterity yet notwithstanding this possibility it shall never be totally vanquished and lost in the soul It may be greatly decayed and driven into a corner so that the godly Christian may want the sence of it and may verily think that the love of Christ dwelleth not in him at all yet it is there and shall abide in him for ever This fire as that on the Altar shall never be wholly extinguished Because the Spirit of God which first kindled it is still present blowing it up less or more that it cannot die It 's a part of the seed of God which abides in the saints and preserves them from sinning unto death which they must needs do if the love of the Redeemer be totally routed 1 Joh. 3.9 It 's a stream flowing from the well of water which springs up in the believer unto everlasting life John 4.14 The world thrusts sore at this love that it may fall Prosperity on one side presents the beautiful and pleasing objects of riches honours eternal delights Gen. 49.24 to draw the love of the soul to themselves Adversity on the other hand will endeavour to affright the soul from the love of Christ by the sterne and unwelcome shapes of troubles afflictions persecutions and death it self yet it 's bow abides in strength by the hand of â—he mighty God as Joseph's did The Saints love not their lives to the death Rom. 12.11 because they love the Lord Jesus as Jonathan loved David not onely as their own soules 1 Sam. 20.17 but also with a wonderfull Love 2 Sam. 1.26 Jonathan's Love to David was admirable in this that it could not be taken off either by the frowns threats and violence of his Father Saul against David and against himself for adhering to David or by the consideration of his own interest which was deeply concerned in this business he being heir apparent to the Crown and David standing in his light so the love of the right Christian to Christ cannot be wholly overcomed by temptations on the right hand or the left it can envie and despise both the sweet inchanting of pleasure and the bitter affronts of danger and keeps its ground in some good measure against them all Love is strong as death the coales of this fire make a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench it nor the floods drown it Can. 8.6 7. Trie thy self if this be thy temper thy love is right bred but canst thou give way to any thing in the world to take off the edge of thy love to Christ This fire which is so soon put out came not down from heaven Yea minde it thou lovest Christ but thou feelest not a return of love from him to thy soul yet if thy love be incorrupt thou wilt still hold on in prison as well as Liberty in death as well as life it will not be quite tyred out by long delay of comfort but the hope of an answer of peace will keep it acting in thee and the dayes of thy waiting and serving him will seem to thee but a few for the love thou hast to him as Gen. 29.20 4. Accompanied with self-jealousie Although the love of the godly soul to his Redeemer be thus divinely qualified yet he hath keeps up within himself an holy suspicion concerning himself that he may work out his own salvation now actually begun with fear and trembling Phil. 2.13 Look as it is with a poor maid who is deeply in love with some young man of Eminent parts She considers the great worth and excellencie of the person and her own means and unworthiness She sees a vast distance betwixt her self and him so that she shall never be able to answer him according to his condition hence she apprehends some danger of miscarrying least he should reject her and her love should be lost yet still her affection goes out freely towards him and he hath her whole heart only she sees cause to fear least some undue or uncomely carriage of hers should displease him and provoke him to distaste her and this fear makes her the more cautelous and helps her to endeavour to give him all possible contentment that she may
hath in himself that which God hateth namely sinne not his own but ours And therefore I conclude That Christ was made a Curse for us not onely by the ignominious manner of his death but by suffering in our stead the Curse due to our sinnes The Lord give us grace so to study Christ's being made a curse for us that by faith in him and love to him we may be freed from it and the blessings of Abraham may be our portion Thy servant in Christ Jesus Edm. Calamy TO THE READER ALthough this Treatise in regard of its worth and weight might without any Testimonial have adventured it self even upon this censorious and froward generation yet seeing something by way of recommendation is desired I look upon it not onely as a duty but an honour that I may be serviceable in leading forth so usefull a book into the world as I apprehend this to be and certainly I can make no better use of my Name than to prefix it to this discourse if it may be an inducement unto any one to read it The Authour concerning whom my affectionate esteem will not suffer me to be wholly silent is a person of long standing in the faith and much experience in the things of Christ now passing the seventieth year of his age and about the forty fifth year of his Ministery And having well-nigh fulfilled the dayes of our yeares which are said to be Threescore and ten Psal 90.10 being within sight of Eternitie he hath set before his eye the infinite obligations of eternal Redemption and not thought it sufficient to serve his own generation by preaching the Gospel but hath been perswaded to leave this labour of Love as a Legacy to the generation to come that the people yet to be borne may know and praise their Redeemer The work thou hast in thine hand is the fruit of a well-grown tree that brings forth fruit in its old age and though the leaves and branches thereof may not be so seemingly fair and luxuriant as some younger plants do afford yet taste of the fruit and thou shalt finde it of good relish sound and nourishing It grew indeed in a cold Northern Climate which men think brings little to perfection but it had the advantage of a warme heart which is the best soil and the beames of the sonne of righteousness for the ripening of it If any say It is a common Subject let him remember Titus 1.4 that it is Common Faith and Common Salvation Iude 3. and must be known by more then a common knowledge It 's plain indeed as being reached not to Curiosity but to Conscience but plain work clean wrought is very commendable and many times where is most of Art there is least of Use Yet it is not so plain but the lines and engravings of the Holy Ghost may be discerned in it by an eye well enlightened and although the Treatise was entended mainly for Practise yet our reverend Authour like a wise and vigilant builder hath as the exigents of these times require carried on his work with a weapon on the one hand Neh. 4.17 and a working Instrument in the other defending the Truth against its adversaries as well as recommending its followers Let it not therefore be grievous to thee for it is safe for thee Christian Reader to retire a little from the Curiosities and Contentions of this pretending Age to a serious Consideration of this most necessary and weighty subject For though thou understood all Mysteries and all knowledge and hadst Faith to remove mountains it will profit thee nothing unless thou canst finde this Mount EBAL levell'd zechar 4.7 this great Mountain of CURSES made to thee a plain before the Lord JESUS who buildeth up his Church as an Holy Temple unto God But I will not detain thee from the work it self whith set's before thee DEATH and LIFE a CURSE and a CHRIST The Lord by his special grace incline thine heart unto and establish it in a sincere choise of the Lord Jesus that thy soul may live So prayes Thy servant in the Gospel Edw. Bowles YORK April 19. 1658. To the Inhabitants of PUDSEY LEEDS and BRADFORD Beloved Brethren I Need not say much to you concerning the Reverend Authour of the ensuing Treatise You fully know his doctrine manner of life purpose 2 Tim. 3.10 Faith Long-suffering Charitie Patience That he hath laboured long in his masters Vineyard as with great diligence so not without some success It is the high commendation of blessed Paul that from Jerusalem and round about even to Illyricum Rom. 15.19 he fully preached the Gospel of Christ So our Reverend brother not onely in the populous places near unto us but in lesser Villages hath frequently sounded the Gospel of Salvation not confining his labours to that obscure Congregation wherein he hath officiated as a painful overseer for many yeares but communicating the sweet savour of Christ to many others and let us adde this He hath been so farre from heeding the preferments of this world though tendered him at several times as he hath contented himself with a mean allowance not worthy to be named considering his worth and industry but I shall say no more of him though I might say exceeding much as knowing his modestie to be such as he would rather blame than thank me for it Give me leave to say a little unto you who have so often been partakers of his Ministerial labours and 1. To you of Pudsey whose Pastor he hath been and still is much precious seed he hath sown among you and therefore from you is expected much precious fruit If you after so much Preaching Catechising and expounding be found either ignorant or secure prophane or dissolute as you are left without excuse so the many yeares pains of so faithfull a Teacher will rise up in Judgement against you Luke 12.45 To whom much is given of him much is required God hath given in to you much instruction He exspects from you much knowledge of the best things endeared affections thereunto and abundance of those fruits Matth. 3.8 which John the Baptist calls Fruits meet for Repentance worthy of amendment of life Which I desire may be considered that so you may not be found barren and unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming 2 Pet. 1.18 The goodness of the soil should be seen in the plentifulness of the Crop and the pains of the Pastor in the peoples knowledge of God and Christ in their Faith hope love meekness humilitie patience holiness and obedience 2. For you of Leeds and Bradford as you have all and often participated of his godly labours so I heartily wish and desire it may appear you have not done so in vain and therefore exhort you to remember how you have heard Revel 3.3 and received and hold fast and repent Yea to hold fast these good and ancient truths you have
cursed Adam when he had sinned Gen. 3.17 and he is said to bring curses on a people and to give a people to the curse and to make them to be an Execration Pro. 3.33 Isa 24.6 43.28 Jer. 42.18 and the curse is said to be powred upon men Dan. 9.11 Sect. 2. A more particular Enquire what the Curse is and wherein it stands BUt it may be worth the labour to enquire more particularly what this Curse is and wherein it stands we may expresse it thus It is the abandoning of the sinner from God and so from all happiness and the throwing of him downe into the folds of his wrath and so into all miserie we read Jos 6. of the accursed thing * God laid a curse on the spoile of Jericho that is devoted it to utter destructions ⸫ Ver. 17 18 * giving a strict charge that no man should meddle with it upon paine of being accursed and devoted to destruction himself which was accordingly executed upon Achan chap. 7. Truly sinne is that Accursed thing there is nothing in all the world so accursed as sinne and whosoever meddles with it God from heaven pronounceth that man accursed and devotes him to the uttermost of his wrath even to eternall destruction Deut. 27.26 God is blessed yea blessednesse it self therefore the blessednesse of the creature must needs stand in the enjoying of God and so of all good in him contrariwise then the cursednesse of the creature stands in its being cast off from God and consequently implunged into his displeasure and the greatest misery It is set forth somtimes by darknesse for God is light and to be separated from him is to be compassed with black darknesse sometimes by death as in the threatning Gen. 2.17 for he is life and to be removed from him is to dwell in the very shadow of death Thus did the Lord curse Adam after his sin q. d. Seeing thou hast a mind to depart from me be it so I do abandon thee out of my presence be gone from me Thou art accursed and accursed thou shalt be and to seal up this sentence he thrusts him out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 Now this Curse even as the sin hath spred and derived it self to all his posterity so that all are accursed in and with him And that we may view it more fully let us consider it in the parts as it lies 1. On the body 2. On the soul 3. On both together I. The curse on the body shews it self miserable 1. Birth 2. Life 3. Death 1. A miserable birth attended with pain and sorrow both to mother and child the mother cries the child weeps there is a curse in the begetting conceiving bearing in the wombe and bringing forth Gen. 3.16 the curse is derived to us and descends upon us all from the loins of our fathers and the wombs of our Mothers Deut. 28.18 it takes hold upon us and is in force against us as soon as ever we have a being 2. A miserable life the Curse attends us and goes along with us during our continuance here in our persons names estates callings and in all that ever we either do or suffer The poyson and power of it breaks forth either 1. In infflicting on us positive evils as on our persons sicknesses diseases deformity weaknesse toilsome labours Gen. 3.19 Deut. 28.21 22 27 60. c. on our estates crosses losses plunderings poverty ver 16.17 31 32. 51 52. on our names disgrace reproach ver 37. on our callings and all our wayes ver 20.29 Or 2. in withholding from us good blessings ver 23. 33. Jer. 5.25 Or 3. in blasting the blessings which we enjoy or putting a sting into them so that they become either hurtfull or unprofitable Mal. 2.2 Yea the earth which is given to the children of men is cursed to the sinner Gen. 3.17 c. denying its strength for his sustenance bringing forth bryars c. 3. A miserable death the body is continually murling away and old age it self tasts deeply of this bitter cup. For although the hoary head be a crown of glory yet that is no thanks to it self its onely when it s found in the way of righteousness Prov. 16.31 still the sinner of an hundred years old shall be accursed Isa 65.20 We are all of the dust and shall at length return to it Gen. 3.19 Psal 89.48 The body by its union to the soul enjoyed life but by separation it becomes a livelesse carkasse This separation is a curse not onely in it self but also 1. in the manner of it for its a parting of two old friends and usually is done with violence and painfulnes as if you would rend an arme from the bodie or pluck the heart out of the bellie 2. In the consequent of it the bodie must lie in the grave and rott there Psal 49.14 so that now the sinner hath no more place in the land of the living a full period is put to all his earthly contentments and sometimes he leaves his name for a curse to posteritie Isa 65.15 and it rotts Psal 10.7 II. But oh all this is nothing in comparison of that curse which falls upon the soule I shall reduce the things which appertaine to this head to 3 particulars 1. An utter forfeiture of the special sweet favour of God even in this life together with a wofull subjection unto his hot displeasure We may suppose the Lord speakes thus to our first Father and in him to us all you had my favour my countenance was towards you I embraced you once with loving kindnes and you were happie in it and if you had continued in your obedience you might have continued in my love and I would still have compassed you about with my goodnes but seeing you have set it so light you shall have no more of it you shall know how you come by it hereafter yea the fire of mine indignation shall smoke against you to the uttermost ye were once my Hephzibah a chosen generation the dearly beloved of my soule now ye are become a smoke in my nostrils the generation of my wrath and a people against whome the Lord will have indignation for ever Thus we are all struck dead with the losse of Gods favour and plunged over head and eares in the sea of his dreadfull displeasure We are deprived of that which is better than life and filled brim-full of that which is worse than death see Isa 27.11 Rom. 1.18 Eph. 2.3 2. An utter losse of the faire pure image of God which was put upon us in the day of our Creation and in stead of that a putting on us the foule black image of the Divel and sinne We may suppose againe the Lord speakes thus I created thee after mine own image I did put upon thee the stampe of the divine nature in wisdome righteousnes and holinese of truth but seeing thou wast so farre from taking care to preserve it that thou didst wantonly
may not I will not suffer this high affront of Adam and his posterity against my holy Law whereby the honour both of my justice and truth are in danger to be trampled under foot And yet if I should let out all my wrath upon them the spirit would fail before me and the souls which I have made Isa 57.16 I will therefore let it out upon their Surety and he shall bear it for them that they may be delivered and thus the Lord in wrath remembers mercie Hab. 3.2 I have done with the doctrinal part of this Conclusion I proceed to the Application CHAP. V. Use 1. Confutation of Papists and Socinians 1. THis main Gospel-truth may afford us some help towards the Confutation of the damnable Doctrine of two grand Enemies of the cross of Christ and of this great and glorious work of Redemption by his becoming a curse for us 1. Papists who not being content with this way of Christ have devised other means and put into the hands of sinners something else to make up the price of their Redemption They present us with several parcels to this purpose as Bellar. De poenitentia lib. 4. cap. 2 3 6 7. 1. That a man may redeem himself from the temporal punishment of his sins by some notable and extraordinary good works while he lives as by fasting pilgrimages almes-deeds building and endowing of Churches hospitalls and the like They grant that Christ by his sufferings hath made satisfaction immediately for the guilt of eternal death but then when the sin is remitted there remains still on the sinners an obligation to temporal punishment for which we must make satisfaction our selves one way or other and so in part redeem our selves But oh where shall we find that man except Jesus Christ that can shew us such a good work Verily the best choicest the eminentest works of any meer man that ever the Sun saw or shall see are poor weak blemished things like a menstruous cloth infinitely short of the puritie of God's Law and therefore no way equivalent to the injurie done to him by sin 2. That there is a Purgatory-fire wherein all those must be purged Bellar. de purgatorio which die in the guilt of Venial sin who yet may redeem themselves at length by their own sufferings there or they may be ransomed before by the prayers and offerings of the living But the Scripture holds forth nothing to us concerning this nay it affords us many strong arguments against it if it were worth the while to produce them They say this fire is every whit as hot as hell-fire but I am confident it never burnt any body nor do I know to what use it serves but onely to warme the kitchin of that Man of sin 3. That there is a certain Treasury in the Church Idem De Indulgentâ—â—s Vide Ames wherein are laid up the remainder of the superabundant satisfaction of Christ and those sufferings of the virgin Mary and other Saints which were more and greater than they needed for themselves and the keyes of this chest are committed to the Pope of Rome that he may upon just and reasonable cause dispence Indulgencies either by himself or by his Delegates unto them that need and desire them to make satisfaction for the temporal punishment oftheir sins But this is no better than the former For besides that Christ's satisfaction although in it self infinite hath nothing more in it than needs as to the application of it to those for whom God did intend it where shall we finde the man that hath done or suffered more then he ought to have done or deserved to suffer In truth these are but as Babies for children to play with or as when a mother promises her child an apple to till it on to some good action Bell. Eâ—â— de Indulg cap 6. which yet she doth not give it as some Papists do confess O rely because they come off at good round rates they serve to fill the coffers of the great merchant of Rome In a word all these are meer fancies yea lying vanities which cannot stand with this Truth For if Christ was made a curse for us and thereby hath wrought our Redemption then either there is no other way to effect it in whole or in part or else it will follow that Christ's work is imperfect which who dares once imagine As for us we may ascribe to the Psalmists Resolve Psa 49.7 8 9. No man can redeem his brother If not from temporal death how much less from eternal we shall leave these offals to the dogs of Rome for we have enough in Christ 2. Socinus and his followers who teach that Christs becoming a Curse for us and the whole course of his humiliation in doing and suffering was not at all for satisfaction but onely to set forth himself to us an example for our imitation and in his own person both by doing and suffering to shew us the way to heaven This Heresie was first hatched by Pelagius about the time of S. Augustine and about 700 years after revived by Abailardus in the time of holy Bernard as it seems by his writing against him Vide Grâ—tii dâ—fâ—ns cap. 1. Vâ—scii respons cap. 3. ex Socino aliis and now of late started again by Socinus with an advantage of more liveliness as it is usual with heresies when they come to a second and third resurrection For thus they deliver themselves more particularly Jesus Christ came into the world on this errand both to declare unto sinners the way to eternal life and to bestow it on them in case they will follow his counsel And for this purpose he was content to suffer death that thereby he might 1. Seal confirm and put out of question the truth and certaintie of his doctrine 2. Purchase to himself the right of bestowing eternal life upon them 3. Perswade them to that which is necessary for the obtaining of it to wit faith to believe his word and promise and sure hope to wait for the accomplishment of it 4. Hold forth himself before them a remarkeable matchless example of patience and obedience And whereas the Scripture doth frequently ascribe remission and salvation to the death of Christ that say they is a figurative speech They are the proper effects of his resurrection and the glorie which followed and are attributed to his death onely because he must necessarily die before he could rise again But now that Christ was so made a curse for us as to suffer the punishment due to our sins in way of a satisfaction to divine justice and thereby to redeem us from the curse this they will flatly denie and condemn it Seâ—tentia vaâ—d pâ—â—n 〈◊〉 Dâ—â—naâ—◠〈◊〉 â—laâ—phemis as an opinion that is deceitfull erroneous and very pernicious yea false absurd and horribly blasphemous and it is observable that when they make use of any Scripture either for the strengthening
of their own Tenents or the answering of Objections brought against them they do generally turn aside from the usuall and received signification of the words and offer violence to the Text to make it speak what they please For to touch a little on the 4 ends before-mentioned To the first Where doth the Scripture make the confirmationâ— of his Doctrine the professed adequate end of his sufferings He saith indeed that he came into the world that he might bear witness to the truth but this most properly belongs to his prophetical office Jo. 18. â—7 whereas his death belongs to his priesthood and besides his miracles served more peculiarly for the confirmation of his doctrine To the second Christ had power to forgive sinnes even while he lived on earth Mat. 9.6 and exercised that power frequently There was therefore no absolute necessity of his death for the purchasing of a priviledge which he had in possession already although it was necessary for the satisfying of Justice Jâ—h 10.28 17.2 He died to purchase for sinners a right to recâ—iv â—ot for himself a power to give them eternal life that mercie might have a free course to give out pardons which otherwise could not be To the Third It is credible that the death of Christ and such a death as it was in all the circumstances of it should be able to perswade sinners to that faith and hope nay rather it should be the ready way to diswade and knock them off Luke 21.21 To the Fourth it is granted as a secondary subordinate end 1 Pet. 2.21 Nec humilâ—tatis exempla nec charitatis insignia praeter Redemptionis sacramentum sâ—nt aliquid Bern. but doth not take away the other which is the chiefe and principal These two accord well hee dyed to satisfie for our sins and he dyed to to leave us an example of patience and obedience Great is the example of his humility and of his charity but they have no foundation to rest upon if there be no redemption But to go no further than the Text. There be three expressions which they wrest for the supporting and maintenance of their Errour 1 He was made a curse True say they as he was made sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 that is hee was judged by men to be a sinner and he was used accordingly so he was accounted a cursed man and therefore was sentenced to suffer a bodily death on the Cross which was a death proper to an accursed person But this falls short for God saith the Apostle made him to be sin and consequently a curse for us Man was no more but an instrument sinfully acting what God had holily purposed and Christs voluntarily undertaken Besides the Text which is here cited from Moses Deut. 21.23 runs thus He that is hanged is the curse of God or a curse unto God which being applied to Christ can import no less than this that God laid upon him our sin and the punishment due unto it by the doom of his righteous Law that the pleasure of the Lord might be executed upon him for answering whatsoever the Law could exact Nostra causa nostro bono Ut a peccatis retrahamur Nostra vâ—ce nostro loco 2 He was made a curse for us yea say they for us that is for our cause on our behalf for our good and so he gave himself he dyed for our sins that is our sins were the occasion of his death and he died that we might be drawn back from sin We yeeld all this but is there no more Yes assuredly We say for us that is in our room and stead who should else have born the curse in our own persons and for our sins to wit as the foregoing meriting cause thereof and that satisfaction being made to justice the curse might not fall on our heads The Greek word which is most frequently used in this argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is rendred for although sometimes it be put to note no more So Rom. 5.7 but the good or profit of another yet it signifies also in anothers stead and in some places cannot be fitly taken otherwise as 2 Cor. 5.14 If one dyed for all then were all dead which implies plainly that the death of that One was in stead of the death of All. And when the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. Was Paul crucified for you Thereby denying it he must mean that he was not crucified in their stead for he professeth elsewhere that he suffered for the Church and for the Elects sake that is for their spiritual benefit as Col. 1.24 2 Tim. 2.10 But to put all out of doubt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture sometimes makes use of another word which signifies commutation or exchange or being in the place or room of another and must necessarily be so taken when it s applied to this business as Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 He bare the curse and gave himself a ransome in our stead 3 Hereby he hath redeemed us from the curse Being made a curse for us he brought us out of the hands of the curse so that God was moved hereby to set us free from the guilt and punishment of our sin Here they bring two things to darken the clear truth 1 That the terme of Redemption Apud Grot. in defens c. 8. must be taken improperly for a deliverance without price or satisfaction such as that of the Children of Israel from Egypt whom God redeemed by the hand of Moses yet he paid no price nor gave in consideration either by death or otherwise for the compassing of it To this we say when the Scripture makes Redemption the effect of Christs bearing the curse of his suffering death of the shedding of his blood c. it can signifie no less than redemption in propriety of speech that is the freeing of poor sinners from the stroak of justice by giving due satisfaction This high extraordinary cause should in all reason produce a nobler effect than such a loose and frozen gloss gives to it Yea how doth this derogate from the worth of that glorious benefit to say it comes at so cheap a rate As for the redeeming of Israel by Moses although it was a type of our redemption by Christ yet wee know that the type and thing typified do not answer one another in all things Christ and Moses are compared as Redeemers but with a vast difference both as to the nature of the thing and the special means by which it was effected That of Moses was onely corporal from the servitude of the body This of Christ is chiefly spiritual from the bondage of eternal death Therefore there was no need that Moses should dye for them and if he had as it could have been no way effectual to their spiritual deliverance so it might probably have been rather destructive to their temporal freedome But Christ our Redeemer must necessarily dye for us else no possibility of
so often heard from his mouth And forasmuch as to the weak endeavours of your own Teacher the Lord as it were by the way of largess hath superadded the pains of this Reverend brother I am sure yee ought to be gracious yea to grow in grace and to abound in every good word and work But alack it is to be feared that according to the old Proverb We are better Fed then Taught much preaching little reforming of mens hearts and wayes It should be otherwise else it will one day be known and little to the comfort of many that there have been painful and faithful Teachers among them Call to minde the dayes of old when the harvest was great the labourers few many converts though scarcity of able and faithfull Teachers Now the Labourers are many shall the Harvest be small Shall few or none be found who look Zion-ward and with their faces to that Jerusalem which is above My brethren I speak a little to awake the drowsie Who can tell what a little may do It will do much if he who doth all afford his blessing Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and you that are awake take heed of slumbering in these declining times There is much in the following Treatise to awaken the secure because they may finde therein a plain and full discoverie what their condition is by nature as they spring out from the loynes of fallen Adam and there is much also both to direct and instruct and comfort such as flie for help to the Refuge set before them But I shall spare to mention what every one may read Pray that the life of the aged Authour may yet be prolonged and his Labours blessed and pray for him also who desires you may profit by this work of his and other the holy Labours of his servants which are according to godliness I rest Yours to serve you in the Gospel of Salvation Rob. Todd From my Studie in Leeds April 26. 1658. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THe Introduction shewing the Coherence scope and summe of the Text. Page 1 Chap. II. The first Conclusion All men are under the Curse of the Law Page 6 Opened in four Propositions I. All men are under the Law Page 6 II. All men have broken the Law Page 7 for 1. Our first Parents broke it Page 8 2. We all broke it in them Page 9 3. We do all break it in our own persons Page 16 III. All men are found guilty of sinne by the light and verdict of the Law Page 12 IIII. Being thus found guilty they stand accursed by the doom of the same Law Page 13 The Curse of the Law wherein it stands Page 15 The Curse on the body Page 16 The Curse on the soul Page 18 The Curse on the whole man Page 21 Use 1. Mankinde is not in that Condition wherein it was set at first Page 26 2. Our Condition by the fall is wofull Page 27 Evidenced by six sad effects of the Curse Page 28 1. Subjection of the Creature to vanitie ib. 2. Spiritual bondage to Sathan ib. 3. Vnfruitfulness towards God Page 29 4. Liableness to all plagues Page 30 5. Punishing sinne with sinne Page 31 6. Hellish terrors fear of death and judgement Page 31 32 And by 5 strong Properties of it Page 32 It 's 1. Grievous and bitter Page 33 2. Grounded and authoritative ib. 3. Impartiall and thorough-dealing Page 34 4. Subtill and spiritual Page 35 5. Standing and abiding Page 36 3. Admire the Lord's goodness in mitigating the Curse Page 38 4. No possibility of Justification by the works of the Law Page 40 Four sorts which vainly seek Blessednes by the Law Page 42 Professed Papists ib. Ignorant Protestants Page 44 Civil Livers Page 45 Some religious Professors Page 46 5. No marvel if Law-preaching be so unwelcome and displeasing Page 48 6. Yet the Law must be preached Page 50 7. Exhortation to two streams Page 53 1. All should be convinced of this and make haste out of this estate Page 55 2. Parents and others should use all fit means for the recovery of children c. Page 55 8. A disswasive from the wicked practise of cursing our selves or others Page 56 CHAP. III. The second Conclusion Christ was made a Curse for us which are under the curse of the Law Page 60 Cleared by enquiring Page 61 1. Wherein his becoming a Curse for us stands ib. And that is in Three things 1. Taking our Nature upon him Page 62 2 Imputation of our sinne unto him Page 63 3. Vndergoing the wrath of God and the sad effects thereof Page 64 Considered in 1. The preparation to it by lighter skirmishes Page 66 2. The main brunt it self Death of body Page 66 and of soul Page 67 1. In the withdrawing of the sence of his Fathers love Page 68 2. In the full seizing of the Lords wrath on him both in the garden and on the Cross Page 69 Some additional Observations especially of the mitigation of his soul-sufferings Page 72 1. In the place Page 73 2. In the time of continuance Page 74 3. In the companion Desperation ib. 2. By whom or by what power he was thus made Answered Page 78 1. Negatively not by any Authority which the Law had over him nor by any contrivement of the Creature c. ib. 2. Positively by a divine power exerted in 3 Acts Page 80 1. The Fathers fore-appointment ib. 2. The Sonn's condescention Page 81 3. A compact betwixt them arising from both these Page 82 Use 1. Information in 4 particulars Page 86 1. The mischievousness of sinne Page 87 2. The greatness of misery by sinne Page 88 3. The Impartialness of Gods Justice against sinners Page 89 4. Christs unspeakable love to sinners Page 91 2. Exhortation in 2 branches Page 93 Learn 1. a point of wisdome for our selves give free way to Christ to bear the curse for us ib. 2. Our duty to him answerably be willing to be made a curss for him Page 96 3. Lamentation the sinners put him to bear the curss still Page 99 Obj. Are there any that do so Page 100 Ans Yes many especially 5 sorts ib. 1. Hereticks which acknowledge not Christ in his Natures Offices c. ib. 2. Those which contemne or slight the Doctrine or Ministery of the Gospel Page 101 3. Those which make an Apostacy from the truth and profession of Christ Page 102 4. Those which accustome their tongues to outragious swearing tossing his name by blaspemous oaths Page 103 5. Those who exspect salvation by him and yet continue in sin taking encouragement to be more licentious or remiss in their course Page 105 The Conclusion of this Use Page 107 CHAP IV. THe Third Conclusion Christ by being made a Curse for us hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law Page 108 Redemption flowes from Christ's becoming a curse ib. 1. In Gods intention and purpose ib. 2. In the effect and event
and speed well Page 280 The conclusion of this passage with further satisfaction to the broken soul Page 281 282 CHAP. XI 5. TO the Lords Redeemed ones walk as it becometh such in five Duties Page 283 1. Admire this mercy rejoyce in it and let this joy break forth in praises Page 284 2. Hold fast your liberty and return not into a second bondage either more palpable by Apostacy or more covert of conscience or conversation ibid. 3. Give your selves up wholly to the pleasure and obedience of the Redeemer both in doing and suffering Page 290 The equity of this shewed in three Motives ibid. 1. He onely hath propriety in you Page 293 2. Your safety and comfort here depends very much upon this Page 294 3. This shall be most insisted upon in the great day of Inquisition Page 295 The general neglect of this duty bewayled with further pressing it Page 297 4. Labour to bring others to partake of this benefit which concerns Page 299 1. Ministers of the Gospel Page 300 2. Governours of Families Page 302 3. Neighbours and friends especially allyed in blood or affinity Page 305 5. Love the appearing of your Redeemer manifest it by the actings of Page 308 1. Vehement desires ibid. 2. Lively hope Page 309 3. Hearty rejoycing in the foresight of it Page 310 Helps to this duty Page 312 1. Keep thy self unspotted of the world ibid. 2. Preserve in thy self a willingness to dye Page 313 3. In thy whole course after conversion commit thy soul and hopes of happiness unto Jesus Christ Page 314 4. When death arrests thee commend thy spirit into the hands of the Lord thy Redeemer Page 316 CHAP. XII 6. ADmonition to beware of cursing our selves or others inferred upon this new ground further pressed by motives as being both irrational and irreligious Page 317 Mount EBAL levell'd OR Redemption from the Curse Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us CHAP. I. The introduction shewing the coherence scope and summ of the Text in three conclusions THe Apostle Paul writ this Epistle to the Churches of Galatia with his own hand so we find chap. 1 2. 6.11 This countrey was scituate in Asia the lesse See Calvin Pâ—scator Bullinger Paraeus c. and the inhabitants thereof as some Historians report were anciently descended from the Galli or French who growing a very numerous people were inforced to seek abroad into forraign coasts for convenient habitation some of them coming into these parts and lighting upon a countrey which bordered upon Cappadocia and Bithynia sate down there and called it in reference to their first Original Galatia see 1 Pet. 1.1 Who was the first that preached the Gospel among them and was the instrument to reduce them from their Gentilisme to the faith and profession of Christ whether it was S. Paul or some other of the Apostles as it is not easie to determine so neither is it necessary for us to know This is certain 1. That there were Churches planted in that region chap. 1 2. 1 Cor. 16.1 2. That Paul and his companions travelling through those parts were forbidden to preach the word in Asia Act. 16.6 Yet 3. That he preached the Gospel unto them in his ovvn person see chap. 1.8.11 and 4.13 probably at that time vvhen he passed through that region before the inhibition came to him and 4. That after all this he vvent over that countrey again and strengthened all the disciples in the truth of the Gospel vvhich they had received Act. 18.23 But as it often fell out that the Churches began too soon to degenerate and decline from their primitive purity * Vergere in pejus so these Galatians vvere quickly removed from the simplicity of the Gospel by the instigation of the false Apostles pressing a necessity of circumcision and the observation of the Lavv of Moses to be joyned vvith Christ unto justification and salvation And to the end they might the more easily prevail those deceitful vvorkers vvent about to slight and debase the authority of the Apostle by all means possible Upon this occasion he sends them this Epistle vvherein after the inscription he chides them sharply for their Apostasie then he asserts the truth of his doctrine and authority of his Apostleship for the clearing vvhereof he sets dovvn the story of his life past both in his Judaisme and Christianisme After vvhich he sets upon the main business to maintain the doctrine of justification by faith alone vvhich he prosecutes in this chapter and the next adding thereunto an earnest exhortation to stand fast in their spiritual liberty and to the practise of other Christian duties of speciall concernment and so concludes We shall fetch the coherence no higher then from the 6 verse of this chapter The hinge of his disputation runs upon this conclusion We are justified by faith alone without the works of the Law To make the proof more clear and full he brings Arguments both for the Affirmative and for the Negative The Affirmative part is We are justified by faith alone To prove this he layes down tvvo Arguments 1. Dravvn from the example of Abraham look by vvhat vvay or means Abraham our Father vvas justified by the same are all his children justified but he was justified by faith alone Ergo ver 6 7. 2. Drawn from Gods mind touching this made known beforehand Look how the Scripture chalks out Gods way of justifying the Gentiles in aftertimes that way they are justified but faith in Christ is the way which it hath chalked out Ergo ver 8 9. The Negative part is We are not justified at all by the works of the Law and for this also he brings two Arguments 1. Drawn from the sentence of the Law it self If the Law it self do solemnly pronounce a curse upon all that depend upon it then justification is not by the works of the Law for if it justifie it blesseth if it curse how doth it justifie but the Law doth so pronounce Ergo ver 10. 2. Drawn from the inconsistence of these two the Law and faith It s onely by faith that the sinner is justified and so lives but the Law is not of faith These two in the businesse of justification flie asunder and cannot stand together even as grace and works do in the decree of election Rom. 11.6 Ergo ver 11 12. Now whether these words be intended for a new argument * Summum et potentissimum argumentum Jun. Paral. or onely for an amplification of something before delivered is doubtful if the former then the ground of the argument must be the near connexion of Redemption and Justification thus If Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law then we are not justified by the works of it for if Justification may be had by the Law then there is no need of Redemption by Christ so the Apostle reasoneth chap. 2. But Christ
cast filth upon it therefore I doe remand it from thee it shall no longer abide in that base unworthie soule of thine henceforth let that ugly image of sinne and hell which it seemes pleaseth thee better seize upon thee take it to thee and fils thy self with it Thus we are all alienated from the life of God Eph. 4.18 This part of the curse lyes heavie on the whole soule 1. On the Mind and understanding part which is impotent and unable to conceive the things of God and to discerne of things that differ our understandings are darkened Eph. 4.18 see 1. Cor. 2.14 2. On the Conscience which is defiled Tit. 1.15 being either sensles and so excusing when it should accuse Eph. 4.19 or when awaked wanting just matter of excusing and so unpeaceable Isa 57.21 3. On the will which is rebellious against the truth and wayes of God revealed to the mind depraved in its power of chusing can will onely that which is evil cannot will that which is good see Pro. 17.11 Jer. 5.23 Math. 23.37 4. On the affections which being the Wills Waiting-Maids are of the same temper disordered affecting evil disaffecting good running into extremitie of excesse or defect and so spoyling the conversation Thus man once made upright yet by seeking out many inventions Eccl. 7.29 is become without God in the world Eph. 2.12 ergo accursed 3. When the soule and body are parted then the wretched soule is sent down to hell to take possession of those everlasting flames As soone as ever the first death hath done its office forthwith the doome of the second death passeth upon the immortall soule and then the great Jaylour of hell layeth hold upon it and drags it into the presence of the Almighty on whom it shall look with horror and amazment Thy now sleeping conscience shall then be awakened and all thy sinnes shall be set in order before thee thou wilt not see them now but they shall then stare in thy face yea thy secret sinnes shall be set in the light of Gods countenance and thy most pleasing iniquities shall appeare before thee in their proper black hiew to gaster thy soule into finall desperation No place left for repentance the doore of mercie and the gate of heaven shall be thenceforth shut up against thee for ever thy wretched soul must take up its lodging in the lothsome prison of hell with the Divell and his Angels Luk. 16.22 23. 1 Pet. 3.19 where it shall lie filled with the wrath of God for the present astonished and swallowed up with the apprehension of the eternitie of that to come and tremblingly waiting for the great day of reckoning and the dreadfull houre when it shall be poured downe in full vials upon the whole man III. The curse which comes upon body and soule together or the whole man may be summed up in these 3 particulars also 1. The losse of his right unto and soveraignty over the creatures The Lord invested Adam in the day of his creation into a title and power * Jus 〈◊〉 potâ—staâ—e vâ— over the work of his hands especially the creatures here below he had free libertie to use them and they were given to be serviceable to him even the Sun Moone and starres to give him light the garden and all the trees of it except that one for his necessarie and comfortable sustenance and refreshing God hath given the earth to the children of men Psal 115.16 yea the Patent extended to dominion over the creatures Gen. 1.28 in which respect the Psalmist greatly admires the Lords high honouring of mankind Psal 8.4 6. c. But now by the fall Adam hath forfeited all this interest so that the creatures might justly deny us their service the Sun Moon and starres might withhold their light heat and influences from us the fire aire water c. might refuse to act or work for our good yea contrarily the creature setts it self against us in the quarrell of its Creatour as if it owed us a mischeif the Lion Bear Woolf would devoure us the beasts of the feild make head against us yea every worme will turne againe All the hosts of heaven and earth are readie even like to rebell against us This is a curse which all the sonnes and daughters of Adam feele in some measure and sometimes reacheth to the taking away of life limbe and all comforts And although the sinner enjoy the benefit of the creatures both for necessitie and delight yet that is onely by the indulgence of the most High who makes his Sun to shine and his raine to fall upon all and the choicest enjoyments are but as the Accommodations afforded to a Traitour in the Tower there 's a deadly curse lying hid in the bowels of them which will make sad work in the latter end 2. The general Judgement after death which is called the Judgement of the great day Jude 6. The Lord Jesus shall come in the clouds and shall be revealed from heaven with his mightie Angells in flameing fire 2. Thes 1.7 8. He shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God 1. Thes 4.16 When the trumpet sounded at the giving of the law Exod. 20 18 Heb. 12.19.20 21. it was doubtles to set forth the terribleness of the curse which attends the Law but at this great day it shall sound farr lowder to fill the eares and hearts of sinners which have broken it with the dreadfull report of it to their conviction and confusion Jude 14.15 Their bodies shall be raised out of the dust and united to their soules and their persons shall be presented before this glorious Judge and arraigned at the barr of his great Tribunall The books shall be opened and all their foule businesses although now cast behind their backs and laid to sleep in the darkest vaults of forgetfulness shall be unmasked before the whole world Eccl. 12.14 The processe and result of the transactions of that day will be no small part of this curse when the Goats which shall stand at Christs left hand shall heare him solemnly sounding out that most dolefull sentence Depart ye cursed c. Math. 25.41 3. The full and finall Execution after Judgement As soone as ever this great work of judging the world is over and the last doome awarded then shall follow the execution thereof accordingly then shall the great black curse be poured downe upon sinners all the curses of the Law and Gospell too shall meet together as in one Sea and fall upon the soules and bodies of all impenitent ones in their perfect strength and furie and abide on them for ever this is called everlasting punishment Math. 25.46 and it stands in 2 things 1. Some that 's privative called the punishment of losse * Paenae damni an utter expulsion or banished from the blessed face and presence of God and the glorie of heaven Depart from me Math. 7.23
doe this and they doe it He blinds their minds hardens their hearts and works in them powerfully Eph. 2.2 Indeed they spitt at him and say they defie him yet neverthelesse they are his drudges and carry his pack and doe his worke And while they professe that they scorne to serve him yet even then they serve him willingly and with both their hands Oh miserie beyond all expression 3. Unfruitfulness towards God He may complaine of Mankind as once of Israel Jer. 2.21 I had planted the a noble Vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto me All our fruit is fruit unto death we can bring forth no fruit unto God The curse of the Law hath blasted us we are as it were Thunder-struck and made unserviceable We can doe nothing that is truly good or wel pleasing to God Rom. 8.8 When Christ came neere to the figtree and saw nothing on it but leavs he cursed it and then it withered Mat. 21.19 So the Lord seeing Adam and his posteritie now by their Apostasie become degenerate plants pronounced a curse upon them saying Never fruit grow on you any more and so we are become no better than withered stumps Thou thinkest that thou dost good duties this and that good work thou hadst thy hand in such and such good fruits thou canst shew but alas it s nothing so thou art a drie and a barren tree 4. Liablenes to all the plagues and judgments of God The curse setts us in such a posture as we are continually exposed to some mischiefe or other The ground which brings forth bryars and thornes being neere unto cursing its end is to be burned Heb. 6.8 The foolishman thinks his tongue is his owne to use as he will Psal 12.4 But Solomon tells him his mouth is neere to destruction Pro. 10.14 See Ezech. 7.5 6 7. 2. Pet. 2.3 Speaking of false Teachers he saith their judgment lingers not but is hastening on its way their damnation slumbreth not it keeps waking to seize on them in due time And indeed what is it that hindreth vengeance from falling on sinners but onely the Lords patience Thaâ— consuming fire is at hand readie to lick thee up and to destroy thee there is but one stepp betwixt thee and death The Lord might forthwith stop thy breath anâ— then thou art gone for ever the ladder iâ— every moment like to be turned thoâ— hangest but by one weake threed and wheâ— that is broken then thou droppest into thâ— flames of hell 5. Punishing sinne with sinne a very sad effect of the curse when the Lord hath determined to set home the curse upon a sinner with a witnesse then he leaves him to himself for his former provocations either to run himself deeper into the same sinnes or else to fall into more vile and vicious courses and so to heap up wrath against himself As sometimes a father saith of an hopeless child Seeing he will not be reclaymed let him take his course let him run himself out of breath and hasten to his owne ruine Thus he scourged the Gentiles for their wilde courses against the light of Nature Rom. 1.26.28 And the Jewes for their contempt of the word Psal 81.11 12. And their opposing the Gospell 1. Thes 2.15 16. Thus the Lord deales with many of the secure sleepie sinners they give no regard to the offer of mercie therefore the Lord shutts them up in ignorance and saith let him that is ignorant filthy carnall be so still they are not bettered by mercies or judgments therefore they shall be made worse The close deceiver becomes a grosse robber and God gives him over to lying swearing forswearing c. The immoderate use of the creatures becomes grosly riotous God gives him up to beastly drunkenness mispending of his time wasting his estate yea sometimes to wantonness and bodily filthyness to hatred yea scorning of good counsel and the like abhominable practices 6. Hellish terrours startlings of conscience feare of death and of the Judgment to come These are the sparkles which flie up out of these everlasting burnings while the furnace is in heating to devoure the ungodly of the earth Isa 33.14 Fearfulness surprizeth the hypocrites Heb. 2.15 It s one maine branch of mans naturall miserie that through feare of death he is all his life subject unto bondage Act. 24.25 When the Aostle Paul preached of the Judgment to come Felix trembled The sinner feeles many a privie nippe while he is walking on in the wayes of his owne heart he hath gripings in his spirit that torment him and he feeles the flashing of hell fire sometimes in his conscience so that he is appaled with the foresight of the wrath to come His heart smites him and tels him that Vengeance lyes in wait for him because of ignorance drunkenness contempt of the Gospell c. The thoughts of death and judgment damp him and strike him to the heart and he saith oh I must once goe downe into the dust what shall then become of this poore soule * Animula vagula blandula Quae nunc abâ—bis in loca I must be brought to judgment how shall such a sinful wretch as I look the great Judge of heaven and earth in the face Alas poore sinner thou settest a good face on the matter before men but thy heart knowes that it is thus 2. The strange properties or qualities of the curse Strange properties of the Curse are especially these 5. I call them strange because 1. Most of them lie out of the road of the naturall mans apprehension and beliefe they are hid from his eyes he will not easily be perswaded of them 2. Yea the godly themselves doe not so clearly discerne nor so carefully observe or make use of them as they might 1. It is a grievous and a bitter curse Can there be any thing more grievous and bitter than the abandoning of the creature from God It was a very girevous curse which Shimei the Benjamite shott against King David as David himself termes it 1. Kin. 2.8 A strong sore forcible curse so the originall word signifies How much more rightly may all this be spoken of the curse of Gods Royall Law When the Angel of the Lord would measure out a curse against the Merozites according to the bredth of their sinne he bids curse them bitterly Jud. 5.23 Gods curse against sinners is bitter Jer. 4.18 It s made up of gall and worme-wood * Ier. 8.14.9.15 When Solomon would give warning of the danger which may come by the ensnaring of an whorish woman he tells us that in his owne experience he finds her more bitter than death Eccl. 7.26 If he had knowne any thing more bitter he would have mentioned it Now the curse of the Law is the death 〈◊〉 â—he sinner Gen. 2.17 The curse of the people upon Merciles self-seeking persons is grievous it bites sore Pro. 11.26 28.27 Oh
lighter skirmishes for having emptied himself of his glory so that he did not appear to be that which indeed he was and subjected himself to the state of a servant and so a meet object of suffering he became a man of sorrows all his life long Isa 53.3 compassed about with infirmity Heb. 5.2 as soon as he was born he was laid in a manger because there was no room for him in the Inne while he was very young he was persecuted and forced to flie into Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was tempted of Sathan Quod illud dictum civium satis arguit Usser Annal. per poster p. 552. he wrought for his living at the trade of his reputed father as it is more than probable by that speech of the Mazarenes Mar. 6.3 Is not this the carpenter c He was the object of mans reproach he was called a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners an enemy to Caesar one that hath a devil he was subject to the infirmities which are incident to mankind as hunger thirst poverty he was betrayed by Judas forsaken by his disciples abused by the Jews mocked buffetted spit upon crowned with thorns accused arraigned condemned as the vilest malefactor In one word he was a worm and no man Psal 22.6 2. The main brunt it self was that he was struck with death The Sacrifice in the Law was to be slain the goat which was to be offered for a sin-offering for the people must be killed and the blood of it must be brought within the veil Lev. 16.15 The same courses as to killing was to be taken with the burnt-offering peace-offering and trespass-offering as we may see in the 1 3 5 6 7. chapters of Leviticus So it was prophesied Isa 53.12 he poured out his soul unto the death and elsewhere often Now this death which Christ did undergo was both of the body and soul 1. He suffered the death of the body called the first death this Gabriel the Angel revealed to the Prophet Daniel some 1006 years before Dan. 9.26 the Messiah shall be cut off the accomplishment whereof the stories of the Evangelists relate very largely Isa 53.8 Acts 8.33 his life is taken from the earth We by sin had deserved the first death the taking down of this earthly frame by the separation of the soul and body therefore Christ our surety must die that death for us the particular end of death which he should and did suffer was the death of the cross which was so designed and ordered by the all-wise counsel and providence of God both because it was very painfull and grievous and also because it was a most shamefull and ignominious death but especially because it was even by divine appointment stigmatized with this brand of infamy that whosoever was hanged on a tree was to be accounted ceremonially accursed as it is avouched in the close of the verse It was not necessary that he should suffer all the several sorts of death as stoning burning sawing beheading c. it was sufficient that he suffered that one kind of death which the wisdom of God saw to be most fit and suitable neither yet was it necessary that his death should be attended with such cruelties as some men have been enforced to suffer as pulling the flesh from the bone pinching it with hot pincers and the like These are rather personal than natural and meerly accidental not essential to the first death Therefore the legs of Christ were not broken and although his body was laid in the grave yet he saw no corruption because these infirmities did not consist with the dignity of his person and the latter would have made void the fruit and effect of his sufferings Therefore the Scripture declares both these to be contrary to Gods will See Jo. 19 33-36 Acts 2.31 2. He suffered the death of the soul or that which is called the second death Sin brought death into the world not onely that death which pulls down this earthly frame but also that which makes a wofull separation of the whole man from God Therefore the Lord Jesus must undergo this death too Isa 53.10 he made his soul an offering for sin And this death stood in these two things 1. There was a stoppage or withdrawing of the sense of his fathers love and favour from his soul This he complains of as a forsaking Psal 22.1 and it answers to that poena damni punishment of loss which we should suffer But we must understand this to be done in such manner and measure as becomes the person suffering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was not a pulling the Godhead from the manhood this union continued entire all the time of his sufferings and shall do to all eternity Neither was it a deprival of the spirit wherewith his humane nature was filled even from the womb that did still abide in him and shall never be taken away from him according to that precious promise Isa 59.21 which I conceive must be fulfilled first in him and then in his seed with him Neither was it a total or perpetual withdrawing but onely in part and for a time the Lord turned away his face from him for a little season he hid himself out of his sight and would not be found he took off the sweet influence of the joy and comfort of the spirit suspending them for a time and keeping off from him at a great distance Psal 22.1 yet all this while God was present with him by his supporting grace so that he had some intermissions and an Angel came to comfort him Luke 22.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he was heard in that he feared Hâ—b 5.7 or he was heard from his feare that is he was heard and delivered 2. There was a letting out and seizing of the Lords wrath and indignation upon his soul God did put into his hand a cup of the red wine of his wrath full of the mixture of the bitterest ingredients and he drank it off This answers to that pâ—na sensus punishment of pain which we should suffer All the waves of Gods displeasure went over his head See Psalm 18.4 5. 88.6 7 16 17. This supernatural death he suffered in both the kinds before mentioned first in the garden and after that on the cross In the garden Mat. 26.36 John 18.1 there the wrath of God did encounter him and he was put to grapple with it hand to hand he bare three several storms one after another and so took a deep draught of this bitter cup. The manner of it is described by sundry expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14.33 he began to be sore amazed which notes a dreadfull astonishment arising from a sudden commotion of all the powers of his soul together and to be very heavie that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be surprized and possessed with a very great and pressing anguish of spirit through the unspeakable horrour of divine
wrath And verse 34. he complains thus my soul is exceeding sorrowfull or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crux anto crucem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beset round with sorrow unto death So Luke comprehends all this in one word calling it an agony Luke 22.44 where he also describes it by the effects both that it put him upon more than ordinary vehemency and as it were more outstretchedness in prayer which the Apostle expresseth by strong crying and tears Hebr. 5.7 and also that it caused him to sweat as it were great drops of blood trickling downe to the ground 2. On the cross here was the main blow he bare our sins on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 here the wrath of Almighty God lay on his soul in the whole weight of it Now the justice of God musters all his forces and gathers together all his regiments to fall upon Christ with his whole army as if he would rout him at once He descended into hell I mean not locally into the place of the damned for after death his body went down to the grave and was locally there for the space of three days and his soul went into paradice that is into heaven the place of bliss and glory as Luke 23.43 but onely virtually and effectively in that being Mediator and standing in our stead he did even while he was on the cross before he gave up the ghost undergo those hellish pains and sorrows in his soul which were due to us for sin The Lord took him and plunged him into the sea of his wrath all the waves and billows of it came rouling over his head and he sunk down into the very depths of death The Prophet Jonah being in the belly of the whale was a type of Christ both in his corporal and spiritual death therefore those things may truly be applied to his soul-sufferings which he complains of John 2.3 4 c. the extremity whereof forced him to cry out with a loud voice Why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 even as Jonah had said long before I am cast out of thy sight Jon. 2.4 To conclude this Christ on the cross hath the fury of the battel poured down upon him so that he bare the very heat and burden of it here he drank up the very dregs and bitterness of the cup even to the bottom Sect. 2. Some usefull observations tending to clear it further FRom all these particulars we may observe onely as by the way these three things 1. That the sufferings of Christ were not seeming and in shew onely but real and indeed 2. That the bodily sufferings and death of Christ were not sufficient to satisfie for the sins of the world but he must also undergo the sufferings and death of the soul For the proper seat and subject of sin is the soul not the body which is but as the souls shop using it as the Smith doth his hammer and anvile therefore if he had not suffered in soul the plaister had been narrower than the sore 3. That the sufferings of the soul were not barely mediate or by consent from the body as sympathizing onely with it but proper and immediate The soul is the first and principal in sin the body but the instrument It is most agreeable to justice that the principal should be rather deeper in the punishment than the instrument which holds not here if the body suffer immediately and the soul onely by sympathy Doubtless that same wrath of God those terrors and torments of hell for the substance of them fell down-right upon the soul of Christ which sinners should and reprobates must endure in their souls for sin Yet still this must be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in such a way as suits with the dignity of the person suffering there was a mitigation or abatement in his soul-sufferings from the rigour which the damned shall be put to in three particulars 1. In the place of suffering this is but a circumstance in the business hell the place of the damned is no part of the debt therefore neither is suffering there locally any part of the payment of it no more than a prison is any part of an earthly debt or of the payment of it The surety may satisfie the creditor in the place appointed for payment or in the open court which being done the debtor and surety both are acquitted that they need not go to prison if either of them goe to prison it is because they do not or cannot pay the debt for all that justice requires is to satisfie the debt to the which the prison is meerly extrinsecal even so the justice of God cannot be satisfied for the transgression of his Law but by the death of the sinner but it doth not require that this should be done in the place of the damned The wicked goe to prison because they do not they cannot make satisfaction otherwise Christ having fully discharged the debt needed not to go to prison 2. In the time of continuance the damned must bear the wrath of God to all eternity because they can never satisfie the justice of God for sin therefore they must lie by it world without end but Christ hath made an infinite satisfaction in a finite time by undergoing that fierce battel with the wrath of God and getting the victory in a few hours which is equivalent to the creatures bearing it and grapling with it everlastingly The lenth or shortness of durance is but a circumstance not of any necessary consideration in this case Suppose a man indebted 100 l. and likely to lie in prison till he shall pay it yet utterly unable if another man comes and lays down the money on two hours warning is not this as well or better done That which may be done to as good or better purpose in a short time what need is there to draw it out at length The justice of the Law did not require that either the sinner or his surety should suffer the eternity of hells torments Non aeternitatem sed duntaxat extremitatem but onely their extremity It doth abundantly counterpoise the eternity of the punishment that the person which suffered was the eternal God Besides it was impossible that he should be detained under the sorrows of death Act. 2.24 and if he had been so detained then he had not spoiled Principalities and Powers nor triumphed over them but had been overcome and so had not attained his end 3. In a companion of the pains of the second death unavoidably attending it in reprobates to wit desperation an utter hopelesnesse of any good a certain expectation and waiting on the worst that can befall I shall not enter into a dispute whether the despair of the damned in hell be properly a sin ot not there be good Divines both ancient and modern that hold the negative which to me seemes most probable not so much from that ground on which they go that there is no sin
in hell it being the place of suffering not of doing nor from this that despair being the privation of hope as hope is not of the things which are seene Rom. 8.24 so despair is not of the things which are already felt Whence some would infer that as hope in the glorified Saints ceaseth because they have now the enjoyment of the blessedness which they expected so despair shall cease in the damned because they are possessed already of everlasting destruction But I suppose it cannot rationally be denied that the damned in hell do despair onely I say it is very probable that this despair is not properly a sin for as hope doth ever suppose and eye a promise of some good thing to come apprehending it as certain and waiting for the accomplishment so desperation hopes contrary must needs be exercised about the same object but puts forth a contrary act apprehends the promise as impossible and casts off all expectation of the accomplishment of it Now promises are confined to this life onely although the things promised for the best part of them are to be enjoyed in the life to come there are no promises made to them that are actually damned in hell of any future good and therefore as it would be no vertue in them to hope so it is no sin in them to despaire But to returne the wretched sinner in hell seeing the sentence passed against him Gods purpose fulfilled never to be reversed the gates of hell made fast upon him Luk. 16.26 and a great gulfe fixed betwixt hell and heaven which renders his escape impossible he now gives up all and reckons on nothing but the uttermost misery Now this despair is not an essential part of the second death but onely a consequent or at the most an effect occasioned by the sinners view of his irremedilesse wofull condition But this neither did nor could possibly befall the Lord Jesus he was able by the power of his God-head both to suffer and to satisfie and to overcome therefore he expected a good issue and knew that the end should be happy and that he should not be ashamed Ps 16.9.10 Acts 2.26 27 28 31. Isaiah 50. ver 6 7 c. Even as a very shallow streame would easily drowne a little childe there could be no hope of escape unlesse some man should come in due time to relieve it because it wants strength to save it selfe whereas a growne man might hope well enough to escape out of a far deeper place because by reason of his stature strength and skill he could wade or swimme out Truly the wrath of the Almighty manifested in hell is like the vast ocean or some broad deep river and therefore when the sinfull sons and daughters of Adam which are without strength are hurled into the midst of it they must needs lie downe in their confusion as altogether hopelesse of deliverance or escaping but this despaire could not seize upon Jesus Christ because although his Father took him and cast him into the sea of his wrath Isa 9.6 57.16 63.1 3 5. so that all the billowes of it went over him yet being the mighty God with whom nothing is impossible he was very able to pass thorow that sea which would have drowned all the world and to come safe to shore Thus of the first Branch Sect. 3. Shewing by whom or by what power he was made a Curse BUt then secondly we may make a further inquiry by whom or by what power he was thus made a Curse for us we finde that he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 made of a woman and under the Law Gal. 4.4 made Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 and so here made a Curse But who made him or how comes he who is the Son of God blessed for ever to be a Curse For the clearing of this I shall speak something to it 1. Negatively 2. Positively 1. Negatively It was not done 1. By any power or authority which the Law had over him in respect of himself for he did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 1 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 19. Yea he was as a Lamb without blemish and without spot therefore the Law could not take hold on him it had nothing at all to lay to his charge nor could possibly fasten the least guilt upon him save onely as he stood ingaged for us it lay not against him 2. Much less was it not by any power or contrivement of the creature for then it must be either Sathan or man but 1 Sathan could not do it for although he be the Prince of the world and had an heart brim full of malice against him yet he had nothing at all in him no power or authority over him no not in the least measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 14.30 How could he when the unclean spirits were at his command he cast them out with a word 2. Neither was man able to put him into this condition to make him a Curse no nor all the men in the world It was not the iniquity of the times into which he was fallen although it was a very evill time their very hour and the power of darkness Luke 22.53 yet that was not the proper working cause of it Neither was it the perfidiousness of Judas his houshold servant that was but a remote interveening means for the bringing of it on or raising it up to the height Nor was it the mischievous disposition and plottings of the high Priests and Jews against him he could easily have befooled and prevented them all he could for a word of his mouth have had a guard of more than twelve legions of Angels for his assistance or rescue Matth. 26.53 54. And when they came to apprehend him he did but speak a word and they went backward and fell to the ground Joh. 18.6 Neither was it lastly the timorousness of Pilate whereby he yeelded to the importunity of the Jews even against his own conscience See Mat. 27.18 24. Luke 23.4 14.22 c. And when Pilate did proudly boast of his power over him he checked him and told him roundly that all his power was no more but an inferiour delegated power meerly at the pleasure of an higher Joh. 19.10 11. So then it was not any one of these nor all these put together that could possibly bring the Son of God under the Curse they were onely subordinate instruments acting in some parts of it but he was infinitely above them all We must seek out some higher cause Therefore 2 Positively The Scripture holds forth three things very remarkable to this purpose which being taken joyntly are that soveraign power whereby Christ was made a Curse 1 The decree and appointment of God As he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1.20 so he was delivered to death by the
determinate counsel and fore-knowledge of God The hands whereby he was taken crucified and slain were wicked hands yet those hands therein did that very thing which the hand and counsel of God determined before to be done Act. 2.23 4.28 Therefore he is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 that is 1. In respect of Gods eternal purpose manifested by the promise made in Paradise That the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 And 2. Of the efficacie of his death upon all the Elect from the beginning of the world although the world was four thousand years old before he was actually slain It is observable that the Scripture ascribes the dispensation of this whole work to God the Father as the first moover and sovereign Manager of it He laid on him our iniquity Isa 53.6 He made him to be sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 He set him forth Rom. 3.25 He sent him Rom. 8.3 Gal. 4.4 It pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa 53.10 The Lord calls on the sword Zach. 13.7 to awake and smite his Shepherd the man that is his fellow he means Jesus Christ God-man who is equal to the Father as God but inferiour to him as man appointed to be the great Shepherd of the sheep the Lords little flock But saith the Lord I will smite the Shepherd Symbol Athanasâ—â— The application of this Prophesie we have Matth. 26.31 2 Christs voluntary condescention thereunto Joh. 14.31 having disavowed Satans power over him he professeth his own willingness and that from a principle of love to do that which his Father had commanded him Compare this with Joh. 10.18 where he saith I lay down my life of my self c. And it will appear that this was his own act to be made a Curse for us in that he did freely and of his own accord submit to his Fathers Commandment touching the laying down of his life God the Father made him perfect by sufferings Heb. 2.10 and he sanctified himself Joh. 17.19 by preparatory sufferings first and then by offering up himself even as the Priests in the Law were first sanctified by the sprinkling of blood upon them and then they offered for the sins of the people Exod. 29.20 21. He gave himself for our sins Gal. 1.4 He made himself of no reputation He took on himself the form of a servant he humbled himself and became obedient c. Phil. 2.7 8. yea although he knew before what was his Fathers will and his own duty yet by the sufferings themselves he learned obedience that is he came experimentally to know as a man what it is to obey and how hard a thing it is for the creature to grapple with the wrath of the Almighty and to submit to the pleasure of his justice in conflicts with the second death Vide Bezam Pareum Gerhardum in Locum Heb. 5.8 His willingness appears further by his setting his face stedfastly to go to Jerusalem when the time of his suffering drew near Luke 9.51 by his taking up Peter very sharply for discouraging and dis-swading him from it Matth. 16.22 23. and by his speech to him at his apprehension when he had cut off the ear of Malchus The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Joh. 18.11 3 A compact or agreement solemnly made betwixt God and Christ the Mediator which is the result of the two former Gods Commandement and Christs obedience We may present it to our understanding in this form God the Father saith to Christ the Mediator I look upon Adam and his posterity as a degenerate seed a generation of Apostates and back-sliders yea Traitors and Rebels liable to my severest wrath and utterly undone yet I cannot finde in my heart to see them all perish I have determined to shew mercy upon a considerable number of them to save them and bring them to glory If therefore thou wilt undertake for them becoming a Curse in their stead and so making satisfaction to my justice for their sins I will give them unto thee to take care of them and to bring them up to my Kingdome for the manifestation of the glory of my grace Well saith Christ I am content I will do it with all my heart and so the agreement is made This may be gathered from Psal 2.7 8 9. and Psal 40.6 7 8. Christ the Son speaks in both places In the former he publisheth the Decree or Ordinance of heaven touching himself and bringeth in the Father installing him into the Priesthood or office of Mediator for so the Apostle applieth that Text Heb. 5.5 Thou art my Son c. and also avouching this Covenant and agreement in the two main parts of it 1 The Condition which he will have performed on Christs part or what Christ must do He must ask of God that is not onely verbally by prayers and supplications beg mercy pardon righteousness and salvation for poor lost sinners but also really by fulfilling the righteousness of the Law both in doing and suffering and so by his satisfaction and merit purchasing acceptation for them at his hands 2 The Promise which he ingageth to perform on his part or what he will do himself thereupon The Son must ask and the Father will give he will give him the heathen c. that is he shall both be the Lords salvation to the ends of the earth Isa 49. â—6 Mâ—t. 28.18 Phil. 2.10 11. and have all power given him in heaven and earth so that all knees shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord. In the other Text before mentioned Psal 40. Christ declares his compliance to the agreement and his subscribing the Covenant on his part when he came into the world as the Apostle explains it Heb. 10.5 c. Mine ears saith he hast thou digged or pierced Lo I come to do thy will as if he should say Oh Father thou dost ingage me to be thy servant in this great work of saving sinners Lo I come to do the work I here covenant and agree to yeeld up my self to thy disposing and to serve thee for ever It seems to be an allusion to the Masters boaring through the servants ear Exod. 21.6 we have an abridgement of this Agreement Isa 53.10 in both parts Si posuerit sacrificium pro reatu animam suam or Si posuerit sacrificium anima eâ—us 1 On Christs part his soul shall be made an offering for sin 2. On the Fathers part he promiseth that thereupon Christ shall see his seed he shall have a numerous spiritual posterity begetting and bringing many thousands to the obedience of his Father Yea further vers 11. So ample shall be the fruit of his sufferings that he shall be satisfied in seeing the travel of his soul he shall have abundant joy and contentment even in that which hath cost him dearest he shall justifie many poor guilty
effectual calling Jesus Christ was made a curse and so became a sacrifice for sinners not that they might immediately without any more ado be made partakers of the redemption purchased thereby or be actually redeemed upon the very offering made but that having first made this benefit feasible so that now there is such a thing to be had which without him neither is nor could be he might afterwards communicate it to the Elect and give them the personal possession of it that they might enjoy it for themselves And this he doth by a powerful drawing them to himself and so by union to him they have a real interest in this benefit Therefore the Apostle sometimes speaks of it as appropriated to beleevers Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 and Jehovah stiles himself the Churches Redeemer Isa 49.26 as often elsewhere and Job calls him his Redeemer Job 19.25 Both these considerations are here implied as depending necessarily the one upon the other in respect of those that shall be saved and that they are not to be confounded but distinguished appears by Heb. 9.15 where we may observe a clear difference betwixt the death of the Mediator for the redemption of transgressions and receiving the promise of the inheritance This latter being laid down as a consequent or fruit of the former and limited to them that are called To conclude Take the whole in this short summe Redemption is the buying out and delivering of sinners from the curse of the Law and so from the guilt of sin and the wrath of God and the condemation of hell due thereunto by the death and satifaction of Christ the Mediator Sect. 2. Proof from Scripture-reason FOr the latter this main truth concerning the redemption of sinners by Christ now made a curse for them may receive further confirmation from grounds of Scripture-reason whether we consider the fitness of the person to undertake such an enterprise or the efficaciousness of his sufferings 1 The person was every way fit to redeem us being both God and man 1 He is true God 1 Joh. 5.20 blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 the only begotten of the Father Joh. 1.14 the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father vers 18. and therefore very gracious with him which the Father himself did solemnly testifie by a voice from heaven Matth. 3.17 He is the mighty God Isa 9.6 therefore the Father hath laid help on him Ps 89.20 the Horn of David Psal 132.17 and the Horn of salvation Luke 1.69 mighty to save Isa 63.1 he was infinite lyable to break through all difficulties and with an holy scorn to sleight an whole host of the most terrible enemies to march through them without danger and in despite of them all to fetch waters of life for us out of the Well of Bethlehem He is the Lord 1 Chro. 11.18 Is there any thing too hard for him Jer. 32.27 2 He is true man also in one and the same person flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone next a kin to us therefore he is not ashamed to call us brethren Heb. 2.11 It was a Levitical Ordinance that if an Israelite were fallen into decay and had sold himself to a stranger any of his brethren or nigh of kin unto him might redeem him Lev. 25.47 48 49 and the same might be done if he had sold any part of his possession vers 25. therefore these two phrases are used indifferently to note the same thing a near kinsman and one that hath right to redeem Ruth 2.20 3.9 Of this we have an instance in Hanameel Cosen-german to the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 32.7 8. c. This doubtless had some reference to Christ We had sold our selves to a stranger even to Satan to serve him Christ is a near kinsman one of the same stock and blood with us therefore the right of redemption is his It was also a statute and a custome in Israel That if a man dyed having no childe to inherit after him then his brother or next kinsman should take his wife and raise up seed to his deceased brother Deut. 25.5 c. and withall if the inheritance were alienated or set to sale he was to buy it out or redeem it for the use of the first-born that so it might continue settled upon the Family of the dead man Wee have a clear instantial Gospel-truth lys hid as I conceive Old Adam dyed and left no seed behinde him that might inherit heaven and moreover the inheritance was quite extinct and lost as to him and all his and therefore the Lord thrust him out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 Onely Jesus Christ is found the next kinsman who begetting sons and daughters by the word of Truth doth therby raise up a seed of God redeem the forfeited inheritance and so settle it upon the first-born of Adams family for ever yet with this difference that this seed shall not be called after the name nor inherit in the right of the first Adam but they shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Isa 62.2 And they shall inherit in the right of the second Adam onely Act. 26.18 Eph. 1.11 2 The sufferings of Christ were fully efficacious to redeem us for thereby 1 He hath given abundant satisfaction to the justice of God and so hath weakned yea nullified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and taken away sin in the guilt and condemning power of it God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sin that is upon the sad and woful occasion of sins being in the world or that he might abolish and destroy it And what is the fruit of this glorious designe Why he hath condemned sin in the flesh that is by laying the curse which the Law threatned against sinners upon that very flesh or nature which had sinned he hath cast sin in its own plea. A mans work may be said to plead for his pay the crime of a Malefactor cryes for the execution of the Law upon him so sin pleads against the sinner and calls for death its wages to be inflicted upon him Sin although as an act it be transient yet in the guilt of it lyes in the Lords high Court of Justice filed upon record against the sinner and calling aloud for deserved punishment saying Man hath sinned and man must suffer for his sin But now Christ having suffered for sin that plea is taken off Lo here saith the Lord the same nature that sinned suffereth mine own Son being made flesh hath suffered death for sin in the flesh the thing is done the Law is satisfied and so he non-suits the action and casts it out of the Court as unjust Thus whereas sin would have condemned us he hath condemned sin and there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 3. The blood of the Mediator out-cryes the clamor of sin We read Lev. 16.7 c. of two Goats which were
by his absolute power or why he would do it thus rather then otherwise His Word tells us what he would do and we see by the event what he hath done This way was the will of God and none other and therefore this way Christ took and none other and thereby attained his end Heb. 10.9 10. We may safely rest here and make no further search for who hath known the mind of the Lord Rom. 11.34 His meer will and pleasure Volunt as Dei est pro lege pro causa causarum pro ratione rationum is a reason abundantly sufficient and beyond exception 2. The Lord hath revealed his minde so farr in this particular that we may be bold to go a little further and to resolve thus God who is great in counsell and excellent in working had store of means at hand whereby to set free and recover lost mankinde yet he was pleased to pitch upon this as being most agreeable to his holy nature and most suteable to his high and soveraign ends man's salvation and his own glory I explain it thus God is infinite in all his attributes in his justice as well as his mercy These two cannot interfeere as justice may not intrench upon mercie so neither may mercie encroach upon justice the glory of both must be maintained Now by the breach of the Law the Justice of God is wronged Nec misericordia Dei praescribit justitiam nec justâ—tia aufert misericordiam Aug. so that although mercie be apt to pardon yet Justice requires satisfaction and call's for vengeance on sinners Every transgression must receive just recompence Heb. 2.2 and God will not in any case absolve the guiltie Exod. 34.7 till this be done the hands of Law-mercy are tied that she cannot act And seing satisfaction could not be made to an infinite Majestie but by an equal person and price therefore the Son of God must become a Curse for us by taking our nature and pouring out his soul to the death and by this means Justice and Mercie are reconciled and mercy hath her free course to save sinners So that now presupposing God's Decree we may safely say It must be thus and it could be no otherwise God will have his Justice satisfied to the full and therefore Christ must bear all the punishment due to our sin or else God cannot set us free For he cannot go against his own just will Quod vuli necesse est esse Observe the force of that phrase Luke 24.26 46. Christ ought to suffer and Matth. 26.24 Thus it must be A just earthly Prince holds himself bound to inflict punishment impartially upon the malefactour or his surety it stands upon his honour he saith it must be so I cannot do otherwise This is true much more of God who is Justice it self And as this great design of Christs redeeming sinners by being made a curse for them doth sound out aloud the glory of divine Justice so it also bears visible characters of some other Attributes as 1. His Truth He had passed a peremptory doom and made a solemn declaration of it in his word that he that sinneth shall die the death Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.21 23. and he will not break his word So he had foreordained Jesus Christ and set him forth to take upon himself this burthen to become a propitiation for sin through his blood Rom. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1.20 and made known his minde eoncerning it in his written word plainly Isa 53.7 If we read the words It is exacted or strictly required meaning Exigitur as Junius and some others the iniquity or punishment of us all vers 6. is required at his hands he must answer for it in our stead and so he is afflicted and this affliction reacheth even to the cutting him off ver 8. yea the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets did signifie unto them not onely his sufferings but also the very particular time of them 1 Pet. 1.11 Therefore when Christ puts this work upon an ought and must be hee laies the weight of all on the Scriptures thus it is written as we may see in the texts before-cited as if he should say God hath spoken it and his truth ingageth him to see it done 2. His wisdome For hereby 1. he maintains the authority of his righteous Law when a law is solemnly enacted with a penalty in case of transgression all those whom it concerns may conclude for certain that the Lawgiver will proceed accordingly And it is a rule in policie That Laws once established and published should be vigorously preserved If the Lord should have wholly waved the execution of the Law upon sinners or their surety it might have tended greatly both to the weakening of its authority and the diminishing of the reverence of his Soveraignty in the hearts of the sonnes of men 2. He provided a curse against Licentiousness Impurity is apt to lay the reins loose upon the necks of sinners If sin had been pardoned without exacting the penaltie of the Law it might have emboldened men in their sinfull wayes their hearts would have been wholly set upon mischief Eccles 8.11 they will say Where is the God of Judgement Mal. 2.17 But now he lets sinners see that he will not pardon sin no not to repenting persons but upon condition of Christ's bearing the curse for them whence they may conclude that he will not spare them if they be bold to continue in their rebellion 3. And probably that he might hereby also cut of all occasions which the devil his enemy might take to calumniate and traduce him He might accuse him 1. of inconstancy and changeableness that having threatned death to transgressours he did quite forget himself in waving the threatning and dispensing wholly with his Law by granting them free remission Yea 2. of partiality and respect of persons that he should be so easie and forbearing as to let them pass without any punishment at all Quasi tam facilis fuisset antea sâ—verus erga seipsum having been formerly so severe and rigid against himself in casting him and his angels into everlasting flames without hope of recovery Sathan might say Lord thou mightest have spared me as well as man But the Lord may answer man hath made satisfaction he hath borne the curse and thereby fully discharged all the demands of the Law if he had not I would not have spared him any more than thee 3. His goodness and loving kindeness God the great Lord and Governour of the world might have rigorously exacted the penalty of the Law on the persons of sinners themselves but he hath so farr dispensed with the Law as to admit of a Suretie by whom the end of the Law that is the manifestation of his justice and hatred of sin might be fulfilled and yet a considerable part of mankinde might be preserved from the jaws of the second death which otherwise must have perished eternally Saith the Lord I
our redemption at all Lastly We finde that Christ is called our Ransome which is never spoken of Moses and that is enough to shew that there is an huge distance betwixt them even in this business of Redemption Apud eundem ubi supra 2 That this Redemption is ascribed to Christs suffering an accursed death not in respect of God but of us that is not that God was moved hereby as by a valuable consideration to set sinners at liberty but onely that they might thereby be brought effectually to the enjoyment of it by faith and obedience To this we answer that the bringing of sinners to enjoyment of this benefit is not the next and immediate effect of Christs death that belongs to the application which supposeth Redemption in being for the thing must be before it can be applied Now the Scripture doth every where make Christs accursed death the next and immediate cause of the benefit of Redemption but to the application and personal possession of this benefit its onely a remote cause There be sundry others nearer even in respect of the Redeemer himself as his Resurrection Ascension Intercession the publication of it by the Ministry of the Gospel the sending of the Spirit to make it effectual So that our redemption is ascribed to Christs accursed death primarily in reference to God the Lord and Law-giver that his justice might be satisfied and but secondarily and at a further distance in reference to us that we might reach to the enjoyment of it Much more might be added but I shall refer you to those godly learned men which have purposely confuted them I have no delight to rake in this dunghill nor would I have insisted thus much upon it but for these two reasons because 1 I conceive it to be a fundamental falsehood undermining the very being of the Gospel and pulling down the chiefest pillar of our salvation by Christ 2 Yet this soul-killing plague having broken out is dangerously spread abroad in this wanton licentious age and too many of all ranks are infected with it Yea there is a strange generation of hereticks called Quakers lately sprung up which have borrowed their abominable opinions and wilde practises from other sects and patched them up unhandsomely like a beggars coat Among other errors they broach us this down right Socinianisme See the perfect Pharisee Pos 5. That Christ in the flesh with all that he did and suffered therein was but a figure and nothing but an example whereby both Masters and Scholars do with one blow destroy the satisfaction and merit of Christ and consequently the whole work of our Redemption Let us abhor this damnable doctrine and cleave to the truth of Scripture which is delivered in such plain and familiar expressions as cannot without too much impudence and palpable wresting be eluded Truly besides many pregnant Texts in the New Testament almost the whole fifty third Chapter of Isaiah may serve for a sufficient confutation of it They might with a little dishonour to Jesus Christ speak out and say flatly that he died not at all as say that he dyed to a small purpose But it is no marvel if they that have robbed him of the truth of his God-head do dispoile him also of the principal office of Priesthood and the efficacy of his satisfaction with the choisest benefits purchased thereby for the salvation of lost sinners CHAP. VI. Use 2. Sect. 1. 1 Information in six particulars 2 HEnce we may infer matter of Information in sundry particulars 1 See and seeing admire the unspeakable love of God and of Christ to wretched mankinde not onely that Christ is made a curse in our stead but much more that this strange dispensation should work so noble and glorious an effect as Redemption is Assuredly both God the Father in giving Christ to be a curse and Christ the Mediator in submitting thereunto had this great end all along in their eye and upon their hearts next to the greatest end of all the glory of free grace even the rescuing of poor lost sinners from that hellish slavery wherein the curse of the Law had intangled them Oh the rich love of the Lord our God It was the fruitful womb which did first conceive and then warm and at length in the fulness of time bring forth this heavenly birth Joh. 3.16 1 Joh. 3.16 4.9 10. Should an earthly Prince disburse a great summe of money of his own accord undesired for the ransoming of a company of slaves which were not only strangers but also enemies to him and his Fathers house being convicted Traitors and so continuing this would be accounted an act of such singular clemency as could hardly bee paralleld by any report of story What wonderful loving kindness then is this that the Prince of the Kings of the earth Rev. 1.5 hath laid out the price of his dearest blood for the redemption of the backsliding traiterous brood of Adam and is found of them that sought him not that never looked after him Isa 65.1 Rom. 10.20 2 The work of Redemption is a very costly peece a business of infinite charge The Redeemer must be no meaner person than the Christ of God the price to be paid no lower a price than the accursed death of the Cross Might not the incomparable dignity of the person have dispensed with the means of the price or the extraordinary costliness of the price have over-weighed the means of the person so that either a lower price from a person of such eminent worth or a meaner person paying such an extraordinary dear price might have served the turn Oh no neither of these If the whole world yea ten thousand worlds with all the riches and treasures of their several Indies had been laid down upon the naile for this ransome by the greatest Potentate that ever the earth knew they would have been contemned as falling infinitly short It was a most costly Redemption and so we should account of it We reckon of our earthly priviledges Can. 8.7 libertie immunities freedomes according to the rate which they cost if wee know they cost a great price we value them the more He that said he had bought his Roman freedome with a great summe Act. 22.28 did prize it accordingly even so and much more should we set an high rate upon this choice spiritual benefit which cost so vast a summe 3 The grace of the Gospel is a very precious thing Out of the eater came meat c. Iudg. 14.14 for it is the purchase of Christs satisfaction and the summe and kernel of the work of Redemption The curse of the Law did even break his bones and this hath opened a spring of spiritual marrow and fatness wherewith the soules of dry empty sinners might be both filled and satisfied Were it not for this there could be no grace nor mercy we should never have heard of any such thing as the Gospel to bring the glad tidings
Christ testifies of the woman that was a sinner that her sinnes which were many are forgiven her Luke 7.47 Be thy sinnes never so many if they fill a roll that reacheth from the East to the West or from earth to heaven they can but wrap thee in the curse and Christ hath taken upon him the whole curse that he might redeem thee from it If thou hast multiplied to sin God will multiply to pardon Isa 55.7 he will cast all our iniquities into the depths of the Sea Mic. 7.19 If thou shouldest fill a thousand baskets with sand and cast them all into the midst of the Sea the waves would so sweep them all away that no remnant of them would appear so the streames of Christ's blood are able to wash away thy manifold sinnes that not one of them shall remain When the dew is fallen upon the ground thou mayest see infinite millions of drops but when the Sun breaks out and shines in its strength it licks up and scatters them all in a very short time and thou seest not one left So the Sonne of righteousness can dispel thy numberless transgressions as a cloud or a mist that they cannot be found Isa 44.22 Jer. 50.20 3. Long continuance in the state and trade and under the guilt and power of sin Oh I am a sinner of a long standing I am old and aged in sin Ierem. 2.33 Ier. 22.21 Eze. 23.43 I am soaked in iniquity I have served many apprentiships in it and am grown gray-headed I have drawn out a long train of vanitie and sin as it were with cartropes Isa 5.18 Methinks I feel the guilt of it so sodered into my spirit by dayly custome that it cannot be plucked out But stay a while poor soul if the Lord hath begun to draw thy heart to seek an interest in the grace of Redemption let not this dismay thee Although thou hast spent all thy dayes in a course of sin spun out a long thread of iniquity lived under guilt even to the age of Methuselah yet the Redemption that is in Christ is richly able to set the free He to whom a thousand years are but as one day can take of thy guilt of 1000 years standing There were means for cleansing an old Leprosie of long continuance and sacrifices to be offered to that end Lev. 13.11 and 14.2 The Israelites after the death of every Judge returned to their old trade of sin and ceased not from their stubborne way Judg. 2.19 Yet the Lord stirred them up Saviours still and though thou hast continued long in sin yet Christ continues still a Saviour The sinner that is 100 year old is accursed Isa 65.20 but the curse which thy Redeemer did undergoe is strong enough to shatter in peices the most inveterable curse and to turn it into a blessing The removal of guilt so deeply rivetted into thy soul by length of time seems to thee impossible but to him all things are possible To shut up this I would have the humbled soul to resolve thus Christ Jesus hath offered up himself to God through the eternal spirit and wherefore thus surely that he might by his blood purge my conscience from dead works and so deliver my soul from that eternal guilt and curse wherein it is intrapped Heb. 9.4 4. The advantage which Justice might have against the sinner for rejecting or neglecting the offer and season of grace Oh how often hath the Lord made a render of salvation to me by the Gospel how affectionately hath he invited me to come in and to take hold on the strength of this great Redeemer yet I have resisted the spirit and trampled this great grace under my feet or at least slighted it shamefully therefore I have cause to fear that the time is past and that mercy shall never reach to my soul Had I thoroughly closed at the first call or seen some reasonable time to lay down armes and submit I could hope that the Lord would have passed by all my former offences But that he should now accept me after the abuse of so much mercy such unprofitableness under his ordinances strong opposition against grace so unweariedly offered and settling my self on the lees of mine old sinful condition contrary to the light which I had received this is quite beyond mine expectation These and the like aggravating circumstances cannot but exasperate divine Justice and even compel it to vindicate its own honour and to avenge it self on such a notorious wretch as I am Surely the Lord hath determined to glorifie himself in my finall condemnation Thus the poor afflicted soul is apt to plead against its interest in this redemption But oh my dear heart be not so peremptory open thine eyes thou shalt see mercy glorying against Judgement James 2.13 None of these aggravations shall obstruct the sweet fruit of this glorious benefit but it shall break through them all True it is one of the Lords ends in suffering sin to abound and shewing forth so much patience to sinners is the manifesting of his Justice upon the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 as in the case of Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 But what is this to thee who hast laid down thine armes and art gasping for mercie He hath another and a more desirable end in respect of thee namely that grace may much more abound and may raign thorough righteousness unto life Rom. 5.20 21. And what wilt thou say if the glory which he gets by delivering thee from the curse be double to that which he might have by leaving thee under it By this he onely glorifies his justice but by the former he glorifies both his justice and mercy this in rescuing thee from guilt and wrath that in laying the curse upon his onely Son that mercy might have free way to serve thee Why then dost thou not rather conclude thus surely the Lord which doth all things for his own glory will more regard a greater then a lesser glory my unbelieving heart saith it will be his choicest glory to destroy me being guiltie of such foul rebellions But the mercy of the redeemer saith No not so I have borne the whole curse for thee that justice might have no advantage by thy rebellion therefore I will rather raise up my glory by thy deliverance The Jews did alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 and trample the grace of God under their feet even to the shedding of the blood of the Son of God yet a great number of them are and shall be ransomed by the merit of that same blood which they shed Zach. 12 1â— 13 1â— Ioh. 6.9 Peter having plainly confessed that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16.16 yet shortly after he rebukes Christ for speaking of his suffering and death vers 22. whereby although ignorantly he opposed the work of redemption and when the time of suffering came he disowned him with swearing and cursing Matth.
in Religion and in common conversation which they kept on foot from father to son as things of necessity and helps to holiness as standing by themselves in the Synagogue to pray by themselves Luke 18.11 that they might not be defiled by being near to sinners washing their hands to their very elbows lest some uncleanness had crept beyond the wrests before they eat washing of cups and tables and many other things in a superstitious imitation of their predecessors From this vain conversation they were redeemed by the blood of Christ and the grace of the Gospel taught them not onely to abandon the lusts of their former ignorance and the apparent breaches of the Law but also those foolish and unsavoury traditions Wilt thou now bring thy state and wayes to this Touchstone Thou hopest that thou art redeemed but canst thou shew us these tokens this resolution and endeavour Hast thou learned to cast away thy old iniquities Dost thou feel really a separation betwixt thy soul and thy formerly beloved sin If not thou deceivest thy self But observe further there be sundry by courses too usual not onely with the men of the world but those also that profess Religion some clearly sinful others at least groundless and unprofitable as communicating onely or necessarily at Easter coming to the Sacrament fasting as more holy dropping down to prayer in the Assembly in time of publick worship idle and unnecessary meeting in the Ale-house to drink shots for good-fellowship mixt dancing garish attire curious dressings flaring long haire Doing one ill turn for another Mat. 5 38 â—9 So did they and so do we these and the like practices are at the best but so many parcels of a vain conversation and if thy soul have truly tasted the sweetness of this precious benefit thou canst freely let them fall both out of thine heart and hands and say unto them Get you hence If thou hast no minde to part with them but holdest them fast and stretchest thy wit to plead for them I feare thou hast yet no portion in this benefit Sect. 3. Other three marks of interest in Redemption 4. SEparation from the world from the earth from men They are not of the world even as their Redeemer is not of the world Joh. 17.14 St. Paul doth solemnly profess that the world was crucified to him 1 Ioh. 5.4 and he to the world by the Cross of Jesus Christ Gal. 6.14 Those hundred forty four thousand which stood on Mount Sion with the Lamb are redeemed from the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from among men Rev. 14.3 4. They are partakers of the Divine nature and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4 They are more excellent than their neighbours Prov. 12.26 Their designes desires delights aimes are higher than the earth they aspire above it On the contrary those that abide in their sin have their portion in this life Psal 17.14 And its one bad property of the enemies of the Cross of Christ that they minde earthly things Phil. 3.19 What saith thy heart to this Art thou carried up above the world Doth the earth and the things of it seem mean and base and vile in thine eyes Art thou in the frame and carriage of thy soul above the common pitch and scantling of the sons of men So that thou thinkest not willest not affectest not as they do but goest in an higher orbe thy conversation is more in heaven than in earth Phil. 3.20 This is a sweet evidence of a redeemed soul But art thou a friend to the world Is it thy Darling Do the profits pleasures Iam. 4.4 contentments of it allure and prevaile with thee to fall down and worship them and to devote thy self to their service Is the earth thine element Do the things of this life take up thy thoughts thy cares thy imployments so that thou art even drowned in them and thou hast not an heart that can savour things of a better life Dost thou walk as a man Are thy words actions aimes like thy neighbours Are they no better nor higher than other mens Why then it seems thou art still in thine old bondage 5. Walking in and after the Spirit The walk of the natural man who is the Devills bond-slave is in and after the flesh The corrupt wisdome of the old man which is enmity to God Rom. 8.7 is his light and the will thereof is the very life of his soul He hath neither light nor life within him available to salvation the instinct and dictatings of his fallen nature carry him on in his whole course But when the grace of Redemption is brought home to the soul and the Son hath set him free then the Spirit of the Son who of a slave hath made him a Son doth animate act lead and guide him all along in the residue of his conversation according to that remarkable promise Ezek. 36.27 and the Apostles grave Aphorisme Rom. 8.14 The flesh abiding in him will be still lusting against the Spirit and drawing him out of his way but his frame bent desire and constant endeavour is to be at the direction and appointment of the Spirit in all his wayes He looks upon the flesh as a very bad guide and not to be trusted therefore if at any time he be misled by it when he perceives it he turns away from it with sorrow for his folly It is the Spirit of God which he chuseth for his guide unto it speaking in the word he repairs continually for counsel and resignes himself up to follow it in all things This is the signal evidence which the Apostle gives of those that are freed from condemation by Jesus Christ and he makes it out upon this ground Because the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed them from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.1 2 3. When the Angel of the Lord had rowsed up Peter in the prison and caused the chaines to fall off from his hands he gave him a command to follow him Peter being now set at liberty goes after him from one place to another Act. 12.7 8. c. Even so when the Spirit of God hath loosed a sinner from his bonds by setling upon him the benefit of Redemption he is then fit and ready to walk after the same Spirit from one stage of duty to another As in Ezekiels Vision the Spirit that was in living creatures acted the wheels to go when they went and to stand when they stood Ezek. 1.19 20 21. So the members of Christ are carried on by the breathings of his Spirit dwelling in them in all their wayes But take notice that it is not a private spirit but the Spirit of God speaking in the word not a spirit opposed to the Scriptures but the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures which is the Guide whom the Redeemed follow The word of God revealed in them is the breathing and voice of
interessing us in the grace of Redemption so we cannot doubt that the Lord hath put upon it this office also to be after the manner of a condition if we observe these Scripture-expressions Rom. 4.24 if we believe on him that raised up Jesus it shall be imputed to us for righteousness Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt believe in thy heart thou shalt be saved and the want of this condition is threatned with death Jo. 8.24 See also Jo. 20.31 Acts 8.37 But 2. This faith towards the Lord Jesus is ever accompanied with repentance towards God which is called repentance from dead works and coupled with faith in God as twins in the doctrine of the foundation of Christ Heb. 6.1 This is the souls irking with its former sinfull estate and wayes and a deep displeasure at himself for them together with a forsaking of them and turning away from them unto God in the sincere purpose of the heart and serious endeavour of the conversation And that repentance hath some hand in this business to be a mean and as a condition too in part of interest in Redemption may appear by promises of mercie pardon and healing made to it Pro. 28.14 Iob 33.27 28. Job 11.14 15 c. 2 Chron. 7.14 Acts 3.19 and the contrary threatning Luke 13.3 which plainly implies that without this there is no escaping of perdition and therefore no actual Redemption So that the sinner now as by one hand of faith he takes Christ's Righteousness unto himself so by Repentance as by the other hand he thrusts away sinne from himself out of his heart and hands that he may enjoy a part in the grace of Redemption Christ the Redeemer himself made these the chiefest subject of his preaching Mark 1.15 and so did his Apostles to whom the publication of this Doctrine was committed Acts 20.21 and directed humbled soules to both these as they had occasion S. Peter ascribes Repentance with Baptisme Acts 2.38 and S. Paul saith Act. 16.31 not that those two preachers differed in their judgements or that either of these two graces were sufficient alone by it self but rather to shew their near affinity that they cannot be separated that the right and thorough performance of the one is the performance of both This is the Kings High-way if you hope to compass Redemption and salvation in any other way you will certainly be deceived Oh that you the careless sinners in Zion for unto you I speak all this while would at length be rouzed by the sound of this trumpet to look out for deliverance by Christ before the prison doors be made so fast upon you that there will be no remedy and to provoke you the more to a thing so necessary consider these Motives 1. There is no possibility of deliverance from sinne and the Curse by any other means A redeemer you must have or you are undone and the redeemer must pay a vaste summe for your Redemption This is done to your hand by Jesus Christ if you will accept it upon his termes If you will not I would aske where will you finde a Redeemer Do you look for another to come He that must do this work must bear the Curse for you But where is the man that can or will undertake this God hath found none in heaven or earth mighty enough to lay this help upon Isa 63.5 but Jesus Christ therefore he hath laid it upon him Psal 89.19 and now there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne There is no wisedome nor power in all the world that can relieve or bestead the sinner which will not submit to this way of God 2. If thou wilt not give way to Christ to glorifie his mercie in rescuing thee from the Curse and Condemnation he will glorifie his Justice in letting thee lie an accursed prisoner for ever If thou wilt seek the Lord his hand will be upon thee for good But if thou forsake him his power and his wrath will bee against thee to thy ruine Ezra 8.22 If thou wilt not kiss the Sonne he will be angry and thou shalt perish in the way Psal 2.12 His taking the Curse upon him will not serve thy turne to secure thee from the danger of it unless thou wilt be perswaded to come up to his termes and heartily embrace him as thine onely Lord-Redeemer will give a large commission to it to destroy thee without mercie He that obeyes not the Sonne the wrath of God abides on him John 3.36 and he will come with vengeance in his hands against them that obey not the Gospel 2 Thes 1.18 3. Now the Lord offers you this incomparable mercie you have the render of it still continued in the Ministerie of the Word and the Spirit is Still inviting and beseeching you to accept of this redemption and reconciliation thereby Oh then hearken to the motion and yeild your selves forthwith unto the Lord. For although you do not give a peremptory denial yet if you sit still and triffle your hearts will be hardened Psal 95.7 8. I know thy thoughts thou takest it for granted that thou canst come and get a part in Christ when thou pleasest but it is not so It 's easie to say God be mercifull to me and it is in thy power to presume but to repent and to believe unfainedly and in truth thou shalt finde to be a work above thy strength I tell thee thou bold sinner God will one day come near and plead thus with thy conscience I gave thee Twenty thirty fortie yeares and all that while my Spirit hath been wrastling with thee to draw thee to Christ and thou sayest I can come at my pleasure If thou canst why hast thou not come all this while Seing therefore thou hast dallied with my grace and rendred all my importunity and waiting void and ineffectuall thou shalt never enter into this blessed rest of Redemption 4. If you have any true love to the Ministers of Christ or any desire of their welfare and comfort then come in and seek for a share in this benefit Wee are the servants of the Lord Jesus sent forth to proclaim Redemption to the world How would it glad our hearts to see you all flocking in as doves to the windowes for your interest therein that we may rejoyce in the day of Christ and say Behold here am I and the soules whom thou hast ransomed with thy blood which have yielded themselves to thee through our Ministery If you set light by this grace and love the world and the contentments of it better than Jesus Christ you break our hearts and you will bring down our heads with shame and sorrow to the grave But if you have no regard of us yet at least pittie your selves When the Lord of the whole world shall call us to give an account of our stewardship and we shall be forced to give in this true evidence against you Lord we have stretched out our hands all the day all the
no longer but over-leaping at difficulties forthwith betake thy self to Jesus Christ and thou art actually set free Ioh. 16.9.10 Let thy heart be convinced of righteousness as well as of sin that as thou hast seen thy sin powerfully working towards thy condemnation so thou mayest see and gladly imbrace the righteousnesse of Christs Salvation working as powerfully for thy acquittance and justification Say Lord although I finde no encouragement either in my self or from the creature to expect any good by the work of Redemption yet seeing thou hast graciously promised deliverance to all poor captives that will betake themselves to Jesus Christ and give up themselves to him by faith behold here I am I beleeve help thou mine unbeleef Mar. 9.24 hee shall have the cream of my heart I will make bold to go to him and cast my burthen upon him for ever But here the humbled soul is ready to plead against himself in this manner Sect. 2. Answer to two Objections Object 1. If I knew that this benefit did indeed belong to me then I might have some ground to beleeve on Christ for the obtaining of it But I have no assurance of that and thus to beleeve might be to beleeve an untruth and so instead of doing a duty I should commit a sin Answ 1. This Objection ariseth 1. From ignorance of the extent of the grace held forth in the Gospel as if it did except some particular persons whereas it makes an offer to all and every one indefinitely under the conditions before expressed 2 From a mistake about the proper nature of faith supposing it to be an assurance or perswasion of heart concerning the love of God in special to me and my actual interest in redemption whereas in truth it stands 1 In the understandings assent to the doctrine of the Gospel or a beleef of the certainty of those things which Christ hath done for us as Mediator Nemo jubetur credere se redemptum esse priâ—squam credat in ipsum And 2. The hearts willing consenting and accepting of him with all his benefits freely offered I must not first know that I have right unto actual Redemption and then beleeve on Christ but I must first beleeve on Christ that I may have an actual right in it No man can be groundedly perswaded of his personal interest in Christ and the grace of Redemption till he hath heartily consented to the match which the Gospel offereth and given up himself to him as his Lord Redeemer 2. Yet thou hast sufficient yea abundant warrant thus to beleeve that is to take Christ and to rest on him for Redemption both from Gods express command as 1 Joh. 3.23 and from his invitations by promises of rest righteousness and salvation Matth. 11.28 Act. 13.39 and 16.31 Christ himself tells us plainly Joh. 6.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. answering them that asked him what they should do that they might work the works of God That this saith he is the work or the work of God by way of eminency that work which he would have you to do and which is well-pleasing to him above all other works that ye beleeve c. This is thy work fall to it presently stand not disputing or questioning whether this Redemption be for thee but beleeve that by beleeving thou mayest be instuted in it and it may be actually thine Object 2. But I have heard that this benefit is not for all Christ never intended to buy out all and every one of Adams posterity from the Curse and it may be I am none of that number for whom it was meant Answ 1. To the former branch of the Objection Divines have various apprehensions concerning the extent of Redemption The most received doctrine amongst orthodox Writers as I take it is that it is as narrow as Election and effectual vocation that the Lord did not intend that the curse and sufferings of Christ should be paid as a price for the ransoming of all and every one but only of those who were singularly designed in Gods eternal purpose according to Election to the injoyment of it by effectual calling There be other two opinions which hold an universality of Redemption yet with a very great difference The Arminians teach that Christ dyed for all alike that by his death he obtained that all men should be restored into the state of grace and salvation that Almighty God did not will or intend the redemption of any one more See Wards Conc ad Clerum pag. 19.20 or less than another that both the price was paid for Judas as well as for Peter and the application of it on Gods part is equally for them both not more for Peter than Judas but the difference is made by themselves the one accepting the other refusing the grace tendered by the power of his own will But this doctrine is to be rejected as false and dangerous It doth clearly make void the grace of God and exalt mans free will lifting him up into the seat of God to be his own Redeemer for say they when God hath put forth all those workings of grace which he is wont to make use of in the way to conversion See Suffrag Collegâ—ate in Arâ— 1.2 3. yet still the will is left in an equal poise betwixt beleeving and not beleeving able indifferently to incline either way so that in case a man shall hearken and answer the Lords call by beleeving and so turn effectually this man now hath struck the main stroak in the business in as much as hee might have refused it if he would and he hath whereof to boast and may say I had no more grace given towards conversion than others yet they have rejected it and remain unconverted but I by the freedome of my will have imbraced it and so am converted and consequently in actual possession of the grace of Redemption The Scripture speaks otherwise 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing if not to think than much less to will or to work Phil. 2.13 It is God which works in you both to will and to work Oh wretched man by thine Apostacy thou hast lost thy self and made thy will a perfect slave to sin so that unless it be first set free by grace it cannot possibly be free to any good There be some other Divines Voluntas in tantum libera in quantum liberata Aug. both learned judicious and godly which allow an universality of Redemption and they deliver their judgement thus or to this effect That Jesus Christ by the appointment of his Father taking upon him the curse due to sin did give himself a sacrifice and paid a price for the ransome of all mankinde yet not with an equal intention and resolution for every one but thus Effectually to redeem and perfectly to save all those whom the Father had given him that is the Elect by applying unto them his
marriage motioned upon assurance that the man would not rest till he had finished the thing Ruth 3.18 So much more should we learn silently to wait for the happy issue of this great transaction betwixt Christ and us in our compleat Redemption and full marriage in heaven 3. Hearty rejoycing in the foresight of it Let those strong desires and lively hopes be carried on and sweetned with the mixture of spiritual joy which may comfortably refresh and chear your soules all along in every condition upon the view of this day before-hand The Apostle speaking in the Name of justified persons saith We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God yea even in tribulations Rom. 5.2 3. and of himself he saith a crown of righteousness is laid up for me having fought a good fight c. The manner of his expression breathes out joy and contentment in the forethought of it 2 Tim. 4.8 and long before this holy Job discovers the same spirit of gladness I know saith he that my Redeemer livâ—th and that he shall stand up at the last day and then I shall see God in my flesh Job 19.25 26. How doth the apprentice or hired servant rejoyce to think on the expiration of his Terme and the last day of his service Thou poor soul who art still forced to serve the Law of sinne in thy flesh look forward and see the time of thy freedome coming on and be comforted How do the Mariners and Sea-faring men that have been wether-beaten and tossed with tempests rejoyce Psal 107.30 when they see the haven afarre off where they may be quiet If thou be put upon hard adventures and art sailing through a rough sea of stormes and troubles in this world yet lift up thine eyes and behold the haven of perfect liberty and glory whereunto thy Redeemer will wafâ— thee shortly and let this chear up thy Spirit How greatly doth it glad the heart of a condemned prisoner that lies bound in affliction and iron to hear the report of a pardon sealed at Court for him which shall be put into his hands at the Assises and solemnly proclaimed for his benefit the welcome thought of these things makes his heart even leap for joy and he begins to insult upon the prison his bonds and fetters and all the instruments of his restraint and saith I shal get rid out of all your hands ere long Thou ransomed soul Thy pardon is sealed in heaven the report thereof is comed to thine eares and heart by the ministerie of the Gospel It shall be effectually pleaded for thee at the day of Christ's appearing and thou shalt be possessed of an absolute freedome never to know bondage under sinne and the Curse any more Oh then Plal. 126.1 1. let thy mouth be filled with laughter and thy tongue with singing Let thy meditations on this subject be sweet and feast thy soul thereon with great delight Say thus to the glory of thy Redeemer Lord Jesus thou camest once to be accursed for me that was my shame but thou wilt come again at that day to be admired in me that shall be thy honour 2 Thes 1.10 Beloved Christians let us learn these lessons and practise them But truly such carriage requires a spiritual frame of heart I shall therefore adde a few particulars commending them to your observation as necessary helps to further us in the main dutie 1. Carefully keep thy self unspotted of the world let not the pleasure of any carnal lust so tickle thy soul as to get within thee and seise upon the vitals of grace give not libertie to thy foot to walk in any forbidden path but take pains to purge out thy dross and baggage more and more that thou mayest be pure in heart and undefiled in the way Through this gross neglect too many Christians suffering iniquitie to cleave to their hands disable themselves from loving the appearing of Christ they do not desire it but are averse from it they do not hope for it but rather fear it they cannot sensibly rejoyce in it but the thoughts of it put them into dumps and sadness Onely this taking heed to thy self will dispose thee to lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be secure because there is hope Jâ—b 11.14 c. 2. Preserve in thy self a willingness to die Thâ—s was the failing of Elijah 1 Kin. 19.4 and Jonah Chap. 4.3 8. I mean a well-grounded reall willingness not slavish or constrained through impatience under sufferings or discontent in an unwelcome condition but sincere and cordial from a longing after Jesus Christ to enjoy him in the full fruit of his Redemption This was S. Paul's temper Phil. 1.21 There is indeed in every man naturally an aversness from death being the dissolution of his frame and an evil of punishment and the grace of Regeneration doth not wholly take it away but onely keeps it within due Bounders and raiseth up in the soul a supernatural desire of blessedness with Christ in heaven and a willingness to submit to death in order to the attaining thereof Get thy heart wrought to this frame and held up By death the Lord will set thee free from all thy chaines and not till then if thou canst not make it welcome it seems thou art not wearie of thy chaines yet alas how common is this distemper We look upon the grace of Redemption as very desireable and we would enjoy it at the very height yet we hang still in the bodie and are loth to die The prisoner that knowes his Supersedeas is granted or his pardon sealed will he be loth to see the prison doores set open or shrink at the knocking off his bolts from his leggs If the Lord Jesus came down from heaven took upon him the curse of the Law and bare the wrath of God due to us Rebels and all that he might bring us to God in glory shall we stand off and so cause him to lose his labour Is heaven and the pleasures of God's right hand of no more worth in thine eye Oh Christians death may well be terrible to such as are strangers to Christ but he hath taken away the sting of it for you Therefore labour to get up above your feares and be freely content to be unclothed that you may be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 8. 3. In thy whole course after conversion commit thy soul and all the hopes of thy happiness unto Jesus Christ Lay up thy crown with him commend thy darling thy choicest treasure unto him and let him keep it for thee He hath ransomed thy soul which thou hadst lost and recovered the inheritance of heaven which thou hadst forfeited by thy treason therefore put them over into his hands by faith and hope and let him have the custody of them Do this in every condition of life wherein the Lord shall set thee When the light shines about thy Tabernacle and thou enjoyest prosperitie in things below say
not my mountain stands strong I can manage all things my self my welfare is in mine own hands When thy soul is filled with comfort by the light of Gods countenance lifted up upon it do not now trust thy self with thy spiritual happiness say not I shall carve so for my self as it shall be ever thus with me but lean upon thy Redeemer as the soveraign disposer of all thy concernments Psal 138.8 Especially look to this in the dayes of adversitie or danger by afflictions of soul or body then thou shalt be put to it thrust thy self under the wings of thy Saviour and deliver up all thine interests into his hands who hath bought thee for himself and will not see thee miscarry Is there any person or creature in heaven or earth whom you can betrust with them in assurance of safetie None besides him The Apostle Peter gives this savourie counsel to suffering Christians 1 Pet. 4.19 and we have two choice examples pertinent to this purpose The former of the Psalmist Psal 49 5-15 who in the dayes of evil when the iniquity of his heels should compass him about that is when he shall be exercised with afflictions and chastisements for his sinfull strayings and uneven walking yet resolves that he will not be afraid because he hath committed his soule unto God being assured that he would redeem it from the power of the grave in the morning of the resurrection while the men of the world whose trust is onely in the broken staffe of the creature shall fall short of their hopes and be miserably devoured by death eternal The latter example is the Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 who beares up courageously in the midst of his sufferings for the Gospel upon this ground He hath deposited his soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Bezam and the glory prepared for him in the hands of Christ and he was perswaded that he was able and willing too that is implyed to keep that which he had committed to him against that day 4. When the summons of death come to arrest thee and call thee hence then commit and commend tby spirit into the hands of the Lord God thy Redeemer Thus did David when Saul and his men hemmed him in on every side so that there was no way of escape open but he said he was cut off a gone man Psal 31.5 22. Some interpreters do probably take this See Mollerus and Piscator to be the occasion of his penning that Psalm The story is 1 Sam. 23.26 Jesus Christ thy Redeemer being readie to give up the Ghost on the Cross uttereth the same words Luke 23.46 and in this commending his soul into the hands of his father He hath respect to his members and thereby undertakes the safe keeping of all their soules Omnes suorum animas custodâ—endas suscepâ—t Calvin So that thou needest not fear to commit thy spirit at death unto him as he committed his to his Father Some of the most precious servants of God are recorded in Scripture as Presidents herein That expression of holy Jacob breathed out in the midst of his solemne speech to his sonnes on his death bed doth clearly imply this gracious practise Gen. 49.18 and Stephen the first Gospel-martyr followed the example of his master Jesus herein Acts 7.59 Go thou and learn that lesson that thou mayest have it in readiness on the day that thou shalt go hence and be no more Say thus Oh Lord here I am an unworthy creature but thou hast in pure love to my soul bought me out from the Curse and so delivered me from the pit of corruption Isa 38.17 and now that I must lay down this earthly Tabernacle I do freely render thee thine own I am thine save me Psal 119.94 I humbly wait for that Crown of righteousness the full possession of glory in perfect union with thy blessed self which thou hast purchased with so dear a price and is laid up for me and many poor soules in heaven 2 Tim. 4.8 Thus much of the Fifth Use which was for exhortation CHAP. XII Use 6. Admonition 6. LAstly I would improve this Truth by way of Admonition and from this as a new ground briefly whet upon your hearts that inference which I drew from the first Conclusion concerning Cursing that it is both irrational and irreligious So shall the just condemnation of that wicked practise be established in the mouth of two approved witnesses Deut. 17.6 As it is madness to wish a curse to our selves or others seeing we are all under the stroak of it by nature So truly it is a double madness to do it now that we are redeemed from it by grace Your own reason may disswade you from it on the former ground unless you be so desperate as to continue still under the curse and to implunge your selves deeper into the gulf and Religion may take you off on the latter ground unless you will resolve thus Christ indeed hath delivered sinners from the Curse but we are content to tamper with it still and so make your selves a thousand times more the children of wrath than you were before Yet alas how common is this miscarriage even among them that profess themselves to be redeemed by Christ It is too usual with some men to wish a curse to their own souls thereby either to confirm the truth of something or to binde themselves to do that which they have purposed in their hearts to do It is true we have examples of the best men in Scripture which have so done as Job chap. 31.7 8. c. and David Psal 7.3 4 5. but these were for the most part rather necessitated than voluntary for the clearing of their innocency alwayes advised and weighty with solemn reverence in the presence of God from whom they did certainly expect the accomplishment of their wish against themselves in case they should bee found faulty And thus they may be lawfull being used very sparingly But this cannot justifie the too frequent use of them without necessity upon trivial occasions rashly headily brutishly when the fear of God in the heart doth not manage the business to render it accepted As for the cursing and banning of others Oh how rife is it How easily do the common people fall into that base language If they be but a little provoked if passion get the upper hand in a small measure their tongues are forthwith all on a flame in bitter imprecations It is true also that some holy men are reported in Scripture to have cursed others It is commanded Jud. 5.23 It was practised by David Psal 69.22 c. By Elisha 2 King 2.24 By Nehemiah chap. 13.25 and Jeremy chap. 18.20 21. But these are meerly extraordinary being predictions of evill against others uttered by the Spirit of Prophesie which cannot warrant us to do the like And I suppose we shall scarcely meet with one approved example in the Book of God which will bear us
26.70 c. yet the Lord Jesus passed by all these provocations and he became both a witness of his sufferings and a partaker of the glory to be revealed Acts 13.9 1 Pet. 5.1 Saul who was also called Paul did not onely reject Christ and the tender of Salvation by him but also was injurious a persecuter a blasphemer plaid the mad man against the Saints and compelled them to blaspeme Might not Paul have despaired of favour and said surely God will plead the cause of his Justice against me he will never put up such high affronts against mercie But we hear no such language No the grace of our Lord saith he was exceeding abundant c. 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Herein he was set for a pattern to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 16. Let the same minde be in us 2. For the latter The converted soule who is actually made partaker of the grace of Redemption and all his scores cleared as to his estate of unregeneracy yet even he may see matter of discomfort by reason of 〈◊〉 1. It s presence or in dwelling Oh saith the Godly soul I feel a lump of sinne still â—â—â—â—ing in me there is a troublesome Inmate that still hampers me a continual dropping 〈◊〉 â—oâ—ome-enemy which besets and clogs 〈◊〉 wofully it is as near me as my very bowels I cannot be quiet for it if I lie down or if I rise up if I go forth or if I come in it is still about me In the business and imployments of my ordinary calling it't ' puting in an oar and in performance of Religious duties but it act's with all its might raising up oftentimes such base passions and lusts as like a malignant East-winde are ready to blast my best fruits Oh sad complaint But pause a while and take one thing with another Thou thinkest thou art still under the Curse while the case is thus with thee but it is not so The great designe of thy Redeemer in destroying sinne and delivering thee from it doth not take place fully whilest thou art in this mortality His meaning was not to remove it wholly out of thy soul so as no footstep of it should remain but onely to take away the sting and deadly ruining power of it for the present The total abolishing of it must be a gradual work not to be perfected till thou shalt put on incorruption Thy happiness here stands not in the not having sin but in the Lords not imputing of sin through the satisfaction of Christ It is the wisedome of our heavenly Father thus to exercise those whom he prepares to be vessels of mercy He will have their remaining time here to be a warfare that they may know the fellowship of Christs sufferings He was burthened with thy sin and could not be rid of it till death thou must be conformed to thine head and make account it will be thy neighbour while thou art in the body But remember that while thou art yoked with this body of sin and groaning under it thy Redeemer hath compassion on thee If the Canaanite be in the Land he will be a thorn in Israels side yet he shall not prevail Holy Paul had a law in his members which led him captive to the law of sin and made him cry out Oh miserable man yet even then he can thank God in the view of full deliverance by Christ Rom. 7.21 23 c. Thine head is now conforming thee to himselfe and will not cease till hee hath wrought out thy victory with triumph 2 It is prevalency or domineering Oh! if I had it under I could have some ground of comfort but alas it is exceeding masterful it doth not onely lead but hold me captive Oh! how doth sin rage within me Strong lusts like the Anakims If there be any grace in me any thing of the new man it is but as a grashopper in comparison of a Gyant One cryes out of the lust of the flesh which soon kindles and gets up into a flame of inclination to bodily uncleanness Another of the lust of the eyes in too eager desires after the world A third of pride of life in ambitious aspirings after great things A fourth of rash anger which bears him down as with the stream and puts him upon unseemly language and carriage And although I pray and strive against my lust saith the Christian yet it still ever and anon gets the upper hand I have been overtaken with a gross sin I have fallen into it again and again yea I have sinned willingly against knowledge and with delight I fear I shall one day perish by the hand of sin But stay a while and hearken what the Lord will speak to thee It is a sad thing that Christs free-man should be so hankled in a snare and so trampled under the feet of a masterful lust and more sad if he should lay under the power and command of a gross sin in the actual committing of it yet there is hope in Israel concerning this Onely take notice that I have no designe to bolster up the sinner in his way of inquity my endeavour is to speak peace to the disconsolate Saint I say then thou art not alone poor soul others of the Lords people have been and may be in this very condition Noah foulely overcome with wine yet commended by God himself to be a righteous man Sampson intangled in the love of one Harlot after another yet numbred among those which by faith obtained a good report David deeply implunged into those two gross sinnes Adultery and murder and abiding under the guilt of them a long time yet who among all the Lords Worthies registred in Scripture was comparable to him There were sacrifices in the Law for sins against knowledge as well as sins of ignorance A man that was grievously infected with the Leprosie Levit. 6.1 2 6 7. Levit. 13. â— 14 4 c. had means of cleansing at hand as well as he that was defiled with ordinary uncleanness The blood of the Redeemer can purge all sorts of sins and therefore the mercy of God doth reach out to pardon all Exod. 34.7 Is thy sin in too great power Remember that Christ crucified is the power of God he will break the head of Leviathan he came to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 Hast thou sinned willingly and with delight Jesus Christ delighted to do his Fathers will Ps 40.8 he suffered willingly for thy sin The Lord sometimes gives lust and sin leave to rage and master his servants for a season but it shall not totally prevail Although thy corruptions be as the sons of Zeruiah to David too hard for thee yet if the bent of thy soul bee against them if thou fightest against them with the heart of an enemy thou shalt at last bee conquerour over them through the Cross of Christ See the promise Rom. 6.14 3 The advantage which Justice might get against him by