lay them down for his sake and the Gospel's sake He that shall attempt to save his life by crossing his light by shifting off the truth or by forsaking of Christ shall lose it 'T is a gainful loss to suffer for the truth 't is a lossful gain by time-serving and base complying with the times the lusts the wills the humours of the men of this Age in whom the spirit of Cain and Fsau works so furiously to provide for our present safety security plenty peace and ease c. either by denying the truth or by betraying the truth or by exchanging the truth or by forsaking the truth Mat. 10. 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it This is a strange expression a riddle to the world a seeming contradiction such as natural reason can never reconcile He that 1 Tim. 1. 19 20 findeth his life that is redeemeth it with the forfeiture of his Faith with the shipwrack of his Conscience makes a loser's bargain he makeâ— more haste than good speed whilst in running from death as far as he can he runs to it as fast as he can See it in some great instances when Henry the fourth of France French History had conquered his enemies he turned Papist and gave this reason of it That he might settle himself in peace and safety Ravillak who slew him as he was riding abroad in his Coach to refresh himself confessed that the reason why he stabbed him was because he was of two Religions as thus by his sinful endeavours to save his life he lost it There was one Philbert Hamliâ— in Non pâ—test qui pati timet ejus esse qui pâ—ssusest Tertul. France having converted a Priest to the profession of the truth was together with the Priest apprehended and cast into prison at Burdeaux but after a while the Priest being terrified with the prison and fear of death renounced Christ and was set at liberty Whereupon Philbert said unto him O unhappy and more than miserable man is it possible that to save your life for a few days you should so deny the truth Know therefore though A Prediction you have avoided the Corporal fire yet your life shall not be prolonged for you shall die before me and you shall not have the honour to die for the cause of Christ but you shall be an example to Apostates And accordingly as he went out of the prison two Gentlemen that had a former quarrel with him met him and slew him And thus also he loâ—t his life by endeavouring sinfully to save it The Angrognian that yielded to the Papists Acts and Monuments Fol. 885. and complyed with them that they might sleep quietly in a whole skin were more sadly and cruelly lâ—ndled by the Papists than those that continued sâ—out couragious and resolute for the truth Under the fourth Persecution there were some Christians who for fear of torments and death denied their faith and sacrificed to Idols yet did not their bloody Persecutors spare them and iâ— was observed that being full of guilt they went to their deaths with dejected and ill-favoured countenances so that the very Gentiles took notice of it and reproached them as base Apostates and as such who were worthy to suffer as evil-doers 〈◊〉 that was Chaplain to Bishop Pâ—dlâ—y refusing to die in Christ's cause with his Master said Mass against his Conscience and soon after pined away with sorrow and grief A Smith in King â—dward's the Sixth's days called Richard Denton was a forward Acts and Monuments third Volume pag. 960. Professor of Religion and by his Christian instruction the happy instrument of the conversion of a young man to the Faith afterwards in the Reign of Queen Mary this young man was cast in prison for his Religion who remembring his old friend and spiritual father the Smith to whom he always carried a reverend respect for the good he had received by him sent to know whether he was imprisoned also and finding that he was not desired to speak with him and when he came he asked his advice whether he thought it best for him to remain in prison and whether he would encourage him to burn at a stake for his Religion To whom the Smith answered that his cause was good and that he might with comfort suffer for it but for my part said the Smith I cannot burn But shortly after he that could not burn for Religion by God's just Judgment was burned for his Apostacy for his shop and house being set on fire and he overbusie to save his Goods was burnt in the flames They that will not burn for Christ when he calls them to it shall burn whether they will or no. He that will not suffer for Christ shall be sure to suffer worse things from Christ than ever he could have suffered for Christ And therefore Doctor Taylor the Martyr hit the nail Ibid. 1382. when he said If I shrink from God's truth said he I am sure of another manner of death than Judge Hales had who being drawn for fear of death to do things against his light and Conscience did afterwards drown himself Cyprian in his Sermon De Lapsis makes mention of divers who forsaking the Profession of their Faith were given over by God to be possessed by evil spirits and so died fearfully and miserably making good that word that is more worth than a world Joh. 12. 25. He that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used of excessive and preposterous love He that so loveth his life that out of a desire to save it he denieth me and my Gospel so this Greek word is used Mat. 10. 37. loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal A man that is sparing of his life when Christ calls for it doth take the ready way to lose it and he that doth hazard it for him at his call is sure to live eternally Christ approves of no followers who are not resolved on the loss of what is dearest to them yea even of life for his sake therefore doth he mention our life to be hated which is not to be understood absolutely as if it were a sin to love life as it is the gift of God or that they should be weary of it but comparatively that they should not love it more than Christ his Word his Worship his Ways He that resolves to save his temporal life upon any terms he takes the shortest cut to lose both temporal and eternal life also He that loveth his life shall lose it He that prefers the honour and service of Christ above his own life he takes the surest way to preserve both body and soul unto eternal life for he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Though life be sweet and every creature makes much of it from the highest Angel to the lowest Worm yet wo wo to him that
said he Bishop Ridley as the breath is in my body I will never deny my Lord Christ and his known Truth Another used such a speech to one that advised Father Latimer him to spare himself as Christ did to Peter on the like occasion Get thee behind me Satan There are a world of other Instances of the like nature but enough is as good as a Feast By all these Instances you may see that Blessed Word verified They loved not their lives unto the death They were willing to Rev. 12. 11. lay down their lives for the Glory of Christ and for the Truth of Christ So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They loved not is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they neglected or contemned their life as Brightman hath well observed They slighted yea despised their lives and rather exposed them to hazard and loss than to deny Christ or their holy Profession It is a Paraphrase of the constancy of their Faith even unto Martyrdom for the name of Christ But Tenthly Consider That God puts a great deal of honour Phil. 1. 29. upon suffering Saints To suffer for Christ is honourable God will not put this honour upon every one he puts this honour only upon those that are Vessels of Honour by Grace God makes men 2 Tim. 2. 20 21. Vessels of Silver and Vessels of Gold and then casts them into the fire to melt and suffer for his name and a higher Glory he cannot put upon them on this side Glory The Crown of Martyrdom is a Crown that the Blessed Angels those Princes of Glory are not capable of winning or wearing And O who art thou and what art thou O man that God should set this Crown upon thy head Mark at what a rate Peter speaks If ye â—e reproached 1 Pet. 4. 1 〈…〉 for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of â—lory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he iâ— glorified The very suffering condition of the people of God is at the present a glorious condition For the spirit of Glory rests upon them and therefore they must needs be glorious yea very glorious upon whom the spirit of Glory falls Rom. 8. 9 11. Dan. 3. and in whom the Spirit of Glory dwells What a Glorious Mold and Mettal were the three Children made up of that were cast into the fiery Furnace and what a deal of honour and glory did God put upon them in the eyes of all the world The Apostles all along accounted their own sufferings and the sufferings of the Saints for Christ to be the highest honour and glory that God could put upon them in this world as will be evident by our comparing Heb. 11. 36 37 38 2 Cor. 11. 23 to 28 Heb. 10. 32 to 26. the Scriptures in the Margin together To suffer for Christ is the greatest honour and promotion that God gives in this world said old Father Latimer and therefore when sentence was pronounced against him he cryed out I thank God most heartily for this great honour So Saunders I am the unmeetest man for Act. and Mâ—n 1361. Ibid. 1744. this high Office that ever was appointed to it So Careless the Martyr this is such an honour said he as the greatest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have God forgive me mine unthankfulness c. John Nâ—yâ—s took up a Faggot at the fire and kissed John Nâ—yâ—s it Saying Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this preferment So when they had fastned Alice Driver with a Alice Driver chain to the stake to be burnt Never said she did Neck-kerchief become me so well as this Chain So Balilus the Martyr when Balilus he was to die requested this favour of his Persecutors 〈◊〉 That he might have his chains b 〈…〉 ed with him as the Ensigns of his honour What are we poor worms full of vanities and lies Calvin said Calvin that we should be called to be maintainers of the Truth for Suâ—â—erings for Christ are the Ensigns of Heavenly Nobility To die for Christ is the greatest promotion that God Philpot. can bring any in this Vale of Misery unto said Mr. Philpot the Martyr A French Soldier for his zealous Profession of the reformed Thuan. Hist l. 11. Anno 1553. Religion was condemned to the fire with others only he should have the favour of going to the Stâ—ke without a Wyth but he desired that he might wear such a Chain as his fellows did esteeming this rebuke of Christ more glorious than the Ensigns of St Michael's Order 'T was an excellent saying of Prudentius Prudentius Their names saith he that are written in red letters of Blood in the Churches Calendar are written in Golden Letters in Christ's Register the Book of Life The Passion-days of the Martyrs were anciently called the Natalitia salutis the Birth-days of Salvation the Day-break of Eternal Brightness We count it a great honour Isa 9 6 7. Dan. 3. 24 25. Isa 43. 2. cap. 63. 9. to have Princes to be our Companions Christ the Prince of Peace and the Angels those Princes of Glory are our Companions in all our Sufferings Such is the honour that God puts upon his Suffering Saints that nothing shall hinder him from being their Companion in all their Sufferings in all their afflictions in all their Temptations and this believe it is no small honour I have read how that in the Primitive times when some Euseb Eccles Hist l. 5. good people came to comfort some of the Martyrs that were in Prison and ready to suffer they called them blessed Martyrs O no said they we are not worthy of the name of Martyrs These holy humble hearts thought Martyrdom too high an honour for them And Luther writing to those which were condemned to death saith the Lord will not do me that honour after all that bustle I have made in the world In the Primitive times they were wont to call Martyrdom by the name of Corona Martyrii the Crown of Martyrdom We read of a Woman-martyr who having her Child in her hand gave it to another and offered her self to Martyrdom Crowns said she are to be dealt out this day and I mean to have one You see what high and honourable thoughts the Saints had of their Sufferings in those days and O that all suffering Saints would labour to write after that noble Copy that they have left upon Record But Eleventhly Consider that suffering Saints do put a great deal of Honour and Glory upon God Christ Religion and upon God's Truth Worship and Ways What a spreading Fame and Glory of God did the Sufferings of the three Worthies scatter all the world over God is acknowledged and adored by Nebuchadnezzar a Decree is made That Every People Nation and Language Dan. 3. 28 29. which speak amiss against the God of
long as they continued in obedience to God The seal of the first Covenant was the Tree of life which if Adam had received by taking and eating of it whilst he stood in the state of Innocency before his fall he had certainly been established in that estate for ever and the Covenant being sealed and confirmed between God and him on both parts he could not have been seduced and supplanted by Satan as some learned men do think and as God's own words seem to imply Gen. 3. 22. And now lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever The tree of knowledg of good and evil was spoken from the sad event and experience they had of it as Sampson had of God's departing from him when he lost his Nazaritish hair by Dalilah The tree of life was a Sacrament of life The tree of knowledg a Sacrament of death The tree of life was for confirmation of man's obedience and The tree of knowledg was for caution against disobedience Now if these two Trees were two Sacraments the one assuring of lite in case of obedience the other assuring of death in case of disobedience then hence we may collect That God not only entred into a Covenant of works with the first Adam but also gave him this Covenant under Sacramental signs and scals But Fourthly Seriously consider that a Covenant of works lay clear in that Commandment Gen. 2. 16 17. which may thus be made evident 1. Because that was the condition of man's standing and life as it was expresly declared 2. Because in the breach of that Commandment given him he lost all and we in him God made the Covenant of works primarily with Adam and with us in him as our head inclusively so that when he did fall we did fall when he lost all we lost all There are five things we lost in our fall 1. Our holy Image and so became vile 2. Our sonship and so became slaves 3. Our friendship and so became enemies 4. Our communion with God and so became strangers 5. Our glory and so became miserable Sin and death came into the world by Adam's fall In Adam's sinning we all sinned 1 Câ—r 15. 22. Rom. 5. 12. to the end c. and in Adam's dying we all died as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together In Adam's first sin we all became sinners by imputation Adam being an universal person and all mankind one in him by God's Covenant of works with him Omnes ille unus homo fuerunt August All were that one man viz. by federal consociation God covenanted with Adam and in him with all his posterity and therefore Adam's breach of Covenant fell not only upon him but upon all his posterity But Fifthly and lastly we read of a Second Covenant Heb. 10. 9. Rom. 9. 4. Gal. 4. 24. Eph. 2. 12. And we read of a New Covenant Jer. 31. 31. Behold the days come saith Heb. 8. 6 7. the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah So Heb. 8. 8. I will make a new covenant c. vers 13. In that he saith a new covenant he hath made the first old c. Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant c. Now if there be a Second Covenant then we may safely conclude there was a First and if there be a New Covenant then we may boldly conclude that there was an Old Covenant A Covenant of Grace always supposeth a Covenant of Works I know there is a repetition of the Covenant of Works with Adam in the Law of Moses as in that of Heb. 8. 7 8 9. the Apostle to the Galatians The Law is not of faith but the man that doth these things shall live in them The Law requires works and promiseth no life to those that will be justified by faith In the first Covenant three Gal. 3. 10 11 12. things are observable 1. The precept That continueth not in all things the precept requires perfect personal and perpetual obedience 2. The promise Live the man that doth them shall live live happily blessedly chearfully everlastingly 3. The curse in case of transgression Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them One sin and that but in thought broke the Angel's Covenant Jude 6. and hath brought them into everlasting chains So the same Apostle to the Romans further tells us that Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law that the man that doth those things shall live by them Thus it was Rom. 10. 5. with Adam principally and properly therefore he was under a Covenant of works when God gave him that command Gen. 2. 16 17. This first Covenant is called a Covenant of works because this Covenant required working on our part as the condition of it for justification and happiness The man that doth these things shall live Under this Covenant God left man to stand upon his own bottom and to live upon his own stock and by his own industry God made him perfect and upright and gave him power and ability to stand and laid no necessity at all upon him to fall In this first Covenant of works man had no need of a Mediator God did then stipulate with Adam immediately for seeing he had not made God his enemy by sin he needed no days-man to Job 9. 33. Make friendly intercession for him Adam was invested and endowed with righteousness and holiness in his first glorious estate with righteousness that he might carry it fairly justly evenly and righteously towards man and with holiness that he Eph. 4. 22 23 24. In this Scripture the Apostle speaks plainly of the Renovation of that Knowledg Holiness and Righteousness that Adam sometimes had but lost it by his fall might carry it wisely lovingly reverentially and holily towards God and that he might take up in God as his chiefest good as in his great ALL. I shall not now stand upon the discovery of Adam's Beauty Authority Dominion Dignity Honour and Glory with which he was adorned invested and crowned in innocency Let this satisfie that Adam's first estate was a state of perfect Psal 8. 4 5 6. Gen. 2. 20. knowledg wisdom and understanding it was a perfect state of holiness righteousness and happiness there was nothing within him but what was desirable and delectable there was nothing without him but what was amiable and commendable nor nothing about him but what was serviceable and comfortable Adam in his innocent estate was the wonder of all understanding the mirrour of wisdom and knowledg the image of God the delight of heaven the glory of the Creation the world 's great Lord and the Lord 's great darling Upon all these accounts he had no need of a Mediator And let thus much
applicable to the person of Christ He that by his office is to be Emmanuel God with us he must in regard of his person be Emanuel also that is God-man in one person He that by office is to make peace between God and man he must be God-man he that by office is to stand and minister between God and men he must be God and Heb. 2. 17 18. cap. 4. 15 16. man that so he might not be only zealously faithful towards God's justice but also tenderly merciful towards men's errours Look as he must be more than man that he may be able so to suffer that his sufferings may be meritorious that he may go through-stitch with the work of Redemption and triumph over death Devils difficulties discouragements curse hell wrath c. All which Christ could never have done had he been but a mere man So it was requisite that he should be man that he might be in a capacity to suffer die and obey for these are not works for one who is only God A God only cannot suffer a man only cannot merit God cannot obey man is bound to obey wherefore Christ that he might obey and suffer he was man and that he might merit by his obedience and suffering he was God-man now such a person and only such a person did the work of Redemption call for That is a mighty Scripture Phil. 2. 6 7. Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God here 's Christ's pre-existing in the nature of the Godhead and then after comes his manhood But made hiâ—self of no reputation Greek he emptied Isa 53. 6. 9. himself as it were of his divine dignity and majesty he did disrobe himself of his glory and became a sinner both by imputation and reputation for our sakes for our salvation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men All this Christ did upon his father's prescription and in pursuit of the great work of Redemption The blessed spirit fitted the man Christ Jesus to be a meet Mediatour and Redeemer for poor sinners The spirit formed the nature of man Luk. 1. 35. Gal. 4. 4. of the substance of the Virgin after an extraordinary manner for the service of the Lord Christ he sanctined the humane nature which Christ assumed after such a perfect manner that it was free from all sin in the very Luk. 1. 35. moment of conception he united this pure humane nature with the divine in the same person the person of the Heb. 10. 5. son of God that he might be a fit head Mediatour and Redeemer for us But The Eighth Proposition is this viz. That there were commandments from the father to the son which he must obey and submit to God the father did put forth his paternal authority and lay his commands upon his son to engage in this great work of redeeming and saving poor sinners souls he had a command from the father what to teach his people as the Prophet of the Church For I have not spoken of my self saith Christ but the father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and Joh. 12. 49. what I should speak Christ declares that he had received a Commission from the father who sent him concerning his Doctrine and what to say and speak and that he was perswaded that this Doctrine delivered to him by the father points out the true way to eternal life and that he had exactly followed this Commission in preaching both for matter and mannor The two words of saying Between saying and speaking there is this difference saith à Lapide that to say is to teach and publish a thing gravely to speak is familiararly to utter a thing and speaking may be taken comprehensively pointing out all the ways of delivering his commission by set and solemn preaching or occasional conferences and the whole subject matter of his preaching in precepts promises and threatnings and so it will 〈…〉 port that his commission from the father was full both for matter and manner and his discharge thereof answerable Christ is a true Prophet who speaks neither more or less in the Doctrine of the Gospel than what was the father's will should be delivered to us For whatsoever I speak even as the father said unto me so I speak Christ keeps close to his Commission without adding or diminishing and herein Christ's practice should be every faithful minister's patternâ— Again Christ had a command to lay down his life for those that were giu 〈…〉 No man taketh it from Joâ— 1â— 18. me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this commundment have I received of my father The father is so well pleased with the reconciliation of lost sinners that he loveth Christ for the undertaking thereof and is fully satisfied with his suffering for attaining that end in both these respects it holds good Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life vers 17. The father is pleased with him that he undertook this service and is content with his death as a sufficient ransom Christ having laid down his life for the Redemption of lost man did take it again as a testimony that the father was satisfied with his sufferings Now the way of the accomplishment of our Redemption was agreed on betwixt the father and the son before the accomplishment thereof Therefore saith he this commandment have I received of my father which Psal 40. 6 7. with Heb. 10. 6 7 8. makes it clear that he came into the world fully instructed about carrying on the work of Redemption It pleased Christ to suffer death not only voluntarily but in a way of subjection to his father's command that so the merit thereof might every way be full and acceptable to the father for this commandment have I received he was content to be a servant by paction that so his sufferings might be accepted for his people And so when Christ was going to die he saith That the world may know that I love the Joh. 14. 31. father and as the father gave me commandment even so I do arise let us go hence As if he had said power is permitted to Satan and his accomplices to persecute me to death that dying for man's Redemption the world may see the obedience and love I bear to the father who hath thus determined All that Christ suffered for the Redemption of sinners was by the order and at the command of the father who did covenant with him concerning this work For as the father gave me a commandment even so do I In this Scripture as in a crystal-glass you may see that Christ did enter the lists in his sufferings with much willingness and alacrity with much courage and resolution that so he might commend his love to us and encourage
things are become new The new Creature includes a new light a new sight a new understanding Now the soul sees Psal 38. 4. Cant. 5. 10. sin to be the greatest evil and Christ and holyness to be the chiefest good When a man is a new Creature he has Col. 3. 11. a new judgment and opinion he looks upon God as his only happyness and Christ as his all in all and upon Prov. 3. 17. the wayes of God as wayes of pleasantness The new man has new cares new requests new desires O that my Acts 2. 37. Cap. 16. 30. soul may be saved O that my interest in Christ may be cleared O that my heart may be adorned with grace O that my whole man may be secured from wrath to 1 Thes 2. ult come The new man is a man of new principles if you make a serious inspection into his soul you shall find a principle of faith of repentance of holyness of love Phil. 1. 20. Acts 11. 18. 1 Thes 4 9. Phil. 4. â—1 1 Cor. 4. 12. of contentment of patience c. There is not any one spiritual and heavenly principle respecting salvation but may be found in the new Creature The new man experiences a new combate and conflict in his soul The Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 7. 2â— flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit luâ—teth against the flesh I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind The new man experiences a combate in every faculty Here is the judgment against the judgment and the will against the will and the affections against the affections And the reason is this because there is flesh and spirit sin and grace coexistent and cohabiting in every faculty of the soul renewing grace is in every faculty and remaining corruption is also in every faculty like Jacob and Esau stâ—ugling in the same womb or like heat and cold in the same water and in every part of it The new man also combates with all sorts of known sins whether they be great or small inward or outward whether they be the sins of the heart or the sins of the life and besides the conflict in the new man is a daily conflict a constant conflict The new Creature can never the new Creature will never be at peace with sin sin and the new Creature will fight it out to the death the new Creature will never be brought into a lâ—ague of friendship with sin The new man is a man of a new life and conversation alwayes a new life attends a new heart you see it in Paul Mary Magdalen Zacheus the Jaylor and all the others that See 1 John 3. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Psalm 120. 5. Psalm 139. â—1 Psalm 42. 4. are upon Scripture record The new man has new society new company Psalm 119. 63. I am a Companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts Psalm 16. 3. My goodness extends not to thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom is all my delight Holy society is the only society for persons of holy hearts and in that society can no 〈…〉 had rather haâ—e no Companiâ—n than a had one man delight until God renew his heart by grace Many men be as the Planet Mercury good in conjuction with those that are good and bad with those that are bad these are they that do Virtutis stragulam pudefacere Put honesty to an open shame Cloaths and Company do oftentimes tell tales in a mute but significant language Tell me with whom thou goest and I will tell thee what thou art saith the Spanish proverb Algerius an Italian Martyr had rather be in prison with Cato than with Caesar in the Senate-house But to conclude this word of Counsel the new man walks by a new rule As soon as ever God has made a man a new creature he presently sets up a new rule of life to walk by and that is no other but that which God himself sets up for his People to walk by and that is his written Word Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimony Psalm 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Verse 133. Order my steps in thy word Galat. 6. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God This rule he sets up for all matters of Faith and for all matters of fact The word is like the stone Garamantides that hath drops of Gold within it self enriching of every soul that makes it his Rule to walk by Alexander kept Homers Iliads in a Cabinet embroidered with Gold and Pearls and shall not we keep the Word in the Cabinâ—t of our hearts that it may be alwayes ready at hand as a Rule for us to walk by Well Friends what ever you do forget be sure that for ever you remember this viz. that none can oâ— shall be glorious Creatures but such as by grace are made new Creatures But The fourth word of advice counsel is this Labour to be more inwardly sincere than outwardly glorious The Psalm â—5 13. Reâ— 3. 1. 15 16 17. Kings daughter is all glorious within O labour rather to be good than to be thought to be good to live than to have a name to live what ever you let go be sure you hold fast your integrity A man were better to let Friends go Relations go Estate go Liberty go â—ife go and all go than let his integrity go God forbid that I should Job 27. 5 6. justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I will hold fast and I will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job is highly and fully resolved to keep his integrity close against all assaults of Enemies or suspicions of Friends Jobs integrity was the best Jewel he had in all the world this Jewel he was resolv'd to keep to his dying day It was nâ—ither good men nor bad men nor devils that should baffle Job out of his integrity and though they all pulled and pulled hard at his integrity yet he would not lâ—t it go he would hold fast this pearl of price what ever it cost him The sincere Christian like John Baptist will hold his integrity Marâ— 6. though he lose his head for it The very Heathens loved a candid and sincere spirit as he that wished that there was a glass in his breast that all the world might see what was in his heart Integrity will be a sword to defend you a staff to support you a star to guide you and a cordial to chear you and therefore above all gettings get sincerity and above all keepings keep sincerity as your crown your comfort your life But The fifth word of comfort and counsel is this Be true to
that the many weaknesses that hang upon you and the decays of Nature that dayly do attend you seem to point out an approaching dissolution I shall at this time give you this one word of Counsel viz. That every day you would look upon Death in a Scripture-glass in a Scripture-dress or under a Scripture-notion That is First Look upon death as that which is best for a believer Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—c Christus nec caelum patitur hyperbolen saith one here it is hâ—rd to hyperbolice a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better The Greek is very significant far far the better or far much better or much more better 't is a most transcendent expression Eccles 7. 1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth A Saint's dying day is the day-break of Eternal Righteousness In respect of pleasure peace safety company glory a Believer's dying day is his best day I have read of one Trophonius that when he had built and dedicated that stately Temple at Delphos he asked of Apollo for his recompence that thing which was best for man The Oracle wished him to go home and within three days he should have it and within that time he died It was an excellent saying of one of the Ancients That is not a death but life which joyns the dying man to Christ and that is not a life but death which separates a living man from Christ But Secondly Look upon Death as a remedy as a cure Death will perfectly cure you of all corporal and spiritual Vltimus morborum medicus mors diseases at once the crazy body and the defiled soul the aking head and the unbelieving heart Death will cure you of all your ails aches diseases and distempers At Stratford-bow in Queen Mary's days there was burnt Act. and Mon. Fol. 1733. a lame man and a blind man at one stake the lame man after he was chained casting away his crutch bad the blind man be of good comfort for death saith he will cure us both thee of thy blindness and me of my lameness And as Death will cure all your bodily diseases so it will cure all your soul distempers also Death is not Mors hominis but Mors peccati not the death of the man but the death of his sin Death will work such a cure as all your Duties Graces Experiences Ordinances Assurances could never do for it will at once free you fully perfectly and perpetually from all sin yea from all possibility of ever sinning more Sin was the Midwife that Peccâ—tum erat obstetrix mortis c. mors sepuâ—chrum pec aâ—i Ambrose de bono mortis c. 4 brought death into the World and death shall be the grave to bury sin and why then should a Christian be afraid to die or unwilling to die seeing Death gives him a Writ of ease from infirmities and weaknesses from all aches and pains griefs and gripings distempers and diseases both of body and soul When Sampson died the Philistines also died together with him so when a Saint dies his sins die with him Death came in by sin and sin goeth out by death as the worm kills the worm that bred it so death kills sin that bred it But Thirdly Look upon death as a rest a full rest a believer's dying day is his resting day It is a resting day Rev. 14. 13. Job 3. 13 to 17. 2 Thes 1. 7. Micah 2. 10. Jer. 50. 6. from sin sorrow afflictions temptations desertions dissentions vexations oppositions and persecutions This world was never made to be the Saints rest Arise for this is not your resting place they are like Noah's Dove they can rest no where but in the Ark and in the Grave In the grave saith Job the weary are at rest Upon this very ground some of the most refined Heathens have accounted Mortality to be a mercy for they brought their friends into the World with mournful Obsequies but carried them out of the world with all joyful sports and pastimes because then they conceived they were at rest and out of Gun-shot Death brings the Saints to a full-rest to a pleasant rest to a matchless rest to an eternal rest But Fourthly Look upon your dying day as a reaping day Now you shall reap the fruit of all the prayers 2 Cor. 9. 2. Gal. 6. 7 8 9. Isa 38. 3. Mat. 25. 31 to 41. that ever you have made and of all the tears that ever you have shed and of all the sighs and groans that ever you have fetched and of all the good words that ever you have spoke and of all the good works that ever you have done and of all the great things that ever you have suffered When Mortality shall put on Immortality Eccles 11. 1. 6. you shall then reap a plentiful Crop a glorious Crop as the fruit of that good seed that for a time hath seemed to be buried and lost As Christ hath a tender heart and a soft hand so he hath an Iron memory he punctually Mat. 10. 24 25. remembers all the sorrows and all the services and all the sufferings of his people to reward them and crown them Rev. 22. 12. But Fifthly Look upon your dying day as a gainful day there is no gain to that which comes in by death Phil 1. Eccles 7. 1. Phil. 1. 23. 21. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain A Christian gets more by death than he doth by life to be in Christ is very good but to be with Christ is best of all 'T was a mighty blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth but 't was the top of Blessings for Paul to be with Christ in heaven Seriously consider of a few things First That by death you shall gain incomparable Crowns 1. A Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. Jam. 1. 12. 2. A Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. 3. An Incorruptible Crown 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. 4. A Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. Now there are no Crowns to these Crowns as I have fully discovered in my discourse on The Divine Presence to which I refer you But Secondly You shall gain a Glorious Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. It is your father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom But death is the young Prophet that anointeth them to it and giveth them actual possession of it They must put off their rags of Mortality that they may put on their robes of Glory Israel must first die in Egypt before he can be carried into Canaan There is no entring into Paradise but under the flaming sword of this Angel Death that standeth at the Gate Death is the dirty Lane through which the Saint passeth to a Kingdom to a great Kingdom to a glorious Kingdom Heb. 12. 28. Dan. 2 44. cap. â— 3. Rev. 19 7. to a quiet Kingdom to an
us our sins our burdens and such constant ailments as takes away all the pleasure and comfort of life Here both our outward and inward conditions are very various sometimes heaven is open and Lamen 3 8 44 54 55 56 57. Psal 30. 7. 1 Thes 4 17 18. Isa 35. 10. sometimes heaven is shut sometimes we see the face of God and rejoyce and at other times he hides his face and we are troubled O but now death will bring us to an invariable Eternity It is always day in heaven and joy in heaven Sixthly and lastly You shall gain a clear distinct and full knowledge of all great and deep Mysteries the Mystery 1 Cor. 13. 10 12. of the Trinity the Mystery of Christ's Incarnation the Mystery of Man's Redemption the Mysteries of Providences the Mysteries of Prophecies and all those Mysteries that relate to the Nature Substances Offices Orders and Excellencies of the Angels If you please to consult my String of Pearls or the best thing reserved till last with my Sermon on Eccles 7. 1. Better is the day of death than the day of ones birth which is at the end of my Treatise on Assurance both which Treatises you have by you There you will find many more great and glorious things laid open that we gain by death And to them I refer you But Sixthly Look upon death as a sleep the Holy Ghost hath phrased it so above twenty times in Scripture to 1 Cor. 11. 30. cap. 15. 51. Joh. 11. â—â— Mark 5. 39. The Greeks call their Church-yards Dormitories sleeping places and the Hebrews 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—im the house of the living shew that this is the true proper and genuine notion of death When the Saints die they do but sleep Mat. 9. 24. The maid is not dead but sleepeth The same phrase he also used to his Disciples concerning Lazarus our friend Lazarus sleepeth Joh. 11. 11. The death of the Godly is as a sleep Stephen fell asleep Act. 7. 60. And David fell asleep Act. 13. 36. And Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. 20. Them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thes 4. 14. The Saints of God do but sleep when they lay down in the Grave that which we call death in such is not death indeed it is but the image of death the Shadow and Metaphor of death death 's younger Brother a mere sleep and no more I may not follow the Analogy that is between death and sleep in the latitude of it the Printer calling upon me to conclude Sleep is the Nurse of Nature the sweet Parenthesis of all a man's griefs and cares But Seventhly Look upon death as a departure 2 Tim. 4. 6. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand He makes nothing of death It was Deut. 32. 49 50. no more betwixt God and Moses but go up and die and so betwixt Christ and Paul but launch out and land immediately at the fair Haven of heaven Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Paul longed for that hour wherein he should loose Anchor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solvâ—râ— Anch ram Or it may be rendered to return home or to change rooâ—s â—t is a similitude â—aken from those that depart out of an Iâ—n to take their journey towards their own Countrey and sail to Christ as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports It is a Metaphor from a Ship at Anchor importing a sailing from this present life to another Port. Paul had a desire to loose from the shore of Life and to launch out into the Main of Immortality The Apostle in this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a reference both to his bonds and to his death and his meaning is I desire to be discharged and released as out of a common Goal so also out of the prison of my body that I may presently be with Christ my Saviour in heaven in rest and bliss After Paul had been in the third heaven his constant song was I desire to be with Christ Nature teacheth that death is the end of misery but grace will teach us that death is the beginning of our felicity But Eighthly and lastly Look upon death as a going to Bed The Grave is a Bed wherein the body is laid to rest with its curtains close drawn about it that it may not be disturbed in its repose So the Holy Ghost is pleased to phrase it He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds every one walking in their uprightness Isa 57. 2. As the souls of the Saints pass to a place of rest and bliss so their bodies are laid down to rest in the Grave as in a Bed or Bed-chamber there to sleep quietly until the morning of the Resurrection Death is nothing else but a Writ of ease to the weary Saints 't is a total cessation from all their labour of nature sin and affliction Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord that they may rest Rev. 14. 13. from their labours c. Whilst the souls of the Saints do rest in Abraham's bosom their bodies do sweetly sleep in their beds of dust as in a safe and consecrated Dormitory Every sincere Christian may like the weary child call and cry to be laid to bed knowing that death will send him to his everlasting rest Now you should always look upon death under Scripture Notions and this will take off the terrour of death yea it will make the King of Terrours to be the King of desires it will make you not only willing to die but even long to die and to cry out O that I had the wings of a dove to fly away and be at rest At death you shall have an eternal Jubilee and be freed from all incumbrances Now sin shall be no more nor trouble shall be no more nor pain nor ailments shall be no more Now you shall have your Quietus est now the wicked shall cease from Job 3. 17. troubling and now the weary shall be at rest now all Rev. 7. 17. tears shall be wiped from your eyes now death shall be the way to bliss the Gate of Life and the Portal to Paradise It was well said of one so far as we tremble at death so far we want love it 's sad when the contract is made between Christ and a Christian to see a Christian afraid of the making up the Marriage Lord saith Austin one I will die that I may enjoy thee I will not live but I will die I desire to die that I may see Christ and refuse to live that I may live with Christ The broken Rings Contracts and Espousals contents not the true Lover but he longs for the Marriage day It is no credit to your Heavenly Father for you to be loth to
be deceived That Covenant that is built upon this rock of God's eternal purpose must needs be sure and therefore all that are in covenant with God need never fear falling away there is no man no power no devil no violent temptation that shall ever be able to overturn those that God has brought under the bond of the Covenant Joh. 10. 28 29 30 31. 1 Pet. 1. 5. But Secondly Consider that the Covenant of Grace is confirmed and made sure by the blood of Jesus Christ Heb. 13. 20. Heb. 9. 16 17. The main point which the Apostle intended by setting down the inviolableness of men's last Wills after their death is to prove that Christs death was very requisite for ratifying of the New Testament consult these scriptures Mat. 16. 21. Luk. 24. 26. Heb. 2. 10. cap. 2. 17. which is called the blood of the everlasting Covenant Christ by his irrevocable death hath made sure the Covenant to us The Covenant of Grace is to be considered under the notion of a Testament and Christ as the Testator of this will and testament Now look as a man's will and testament is irrevocably confirmed by the Testator's death For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilest the Testator liveth These two verses are added as a proof of the necessity of Christ's manner of confirming the new Testament as he did namely by his death The Argument is taken from the common use and equity of confirming Testaments which is by the death of the Testator A Testament is only and wholly at his pleasure that maketh it so that he may alter it or disanul it while he liveth as he seeth good but when he is dead he not remaining to alter it none else can do it In the seventeenth verse the Apostle declareth the inviolableness of a man's last will being ratified as before by the testator's death This he sheweth two ways 1. Affirmatively in these words A Testament is of force after men are dead 2. Negatively in these words otherwise it is of no strength Now from the affirmative and the negative it plainly appears that a Testament is made inviolable by the Testator's death so Jesus Christ hath unalterably confirmed this Will and Testament viz. The New Covenant by his blood and Heb. 9. 15. death That by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Christ died to purchase an eternal inheritance and on this ground eternal life is called an eternal inheritance for we come to it as heirs through the good will grace and favour of the purchaser thereof manifested by the last Will and Testament Hence you read This is my blood Maâ— 26. 28. of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Again This cup is the new testament in my â—uk 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 25. blood which is shed for you The Covenant is called both a Covenant and a Testament because his Covenant and Testament is founded established ratified and immutably sealed up in and by his blood Christ is the faithful and true witness yea truth it self his word shall not Rev. 3. 14. Joh. 14. 6. Mark 13. 31. pass away If the word of Christ be sure if his promise be sure if his Covenant be sure then surely his last Will and Testament which is ratified and confirmed by his death must needs be very sure Christ's blood is too precious a thing to be spilt in vain but in vain is it spilt if his Testament his Covenant ratified thereby be altered If the Covenant of Grace be not a sure Covenant then 1 Cor. 1â— 14. Christ died in vain and our preaching is in vain and your hearing and receiving and believing is all in vain Christ's death is a declaration and evidence of the eternal counsel of his father which is most stable and immutable in it self but how much more is it so when it is ratified by the death of his dearest son In whom all the promises are yea 2 Cor. 1. 20. and Amen that is in Christ they are made performed and ratified By all this we may safely conclude that the Covenant of Grace is a most sure Covenant there can be no addition to it detraction from it or alteration of it unless the death of Jesus Christ whereby it 's confirmed be frustrated and overthrown Certainly the Covenant is as sure as Christ's death is sure The sureness and certainty of the Covenant is the ground and bottom of bottoms for our faith hope joy patience peace c. take this corner this foundation stone away and all will tumble were the Covenant uncertain a Christian could never have a good day all his days his whole life would be filled up with fears doubts disputes distractions c. and he would be still a crying out Oh! I can never be sure that God will be mine or that Christ will be mine or that mercy will be mine or that pardon of sin will be mine or that heaven will be mine Oh! I can never be sure that I shall escape the great damnation the worm 2 Thes 1. 9. that never dies the fire that never goes out or an eternal separation from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power The great glory of the Covenant is the certainty of the Covenant and this is the top of God's glory and of a Christian's comfort that all the mercies that are in the Covenant of Grace are the sure mercies of David and that all the Grace that is in the Covenant is sure Grace and that all the glory that is in the Covenant is sure glory and that all the external internal and eternal blessings of the Covenant are sure blessings I might further argue the sureness of the Covenant of Grace from all the attributes of God which are deeply engaged to make it good as his wisdom love power justice holiness faithfulness righteousness c. And I might further argue the certainty of the Covenant of Grace from the seals which God hath annexed to it You know what was sealed by the Kings Ring could not be altered God hath set his seals to this Covenant his Est 8. 8. broad seal in the Sacraments and his privy seal in the witness of his spirit and therefore the Covenant of Grace is sure and can never be reversed But upon several accounts I may not now insist on these things And therefore Eighthly and lastly the Covenant of Grace is stiled a well ordered Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure Oh the admirable counsel wisdom love care and tenderness Rom. 11. 33 34 35 3â— 1 Câ—â— 2. 7. Eph. 1. 8.
compleat satisfaction that Jesus Christ has given to God's enraged Justice I have in part discovered already and shall say more to it before I close up the Covenant of Redemption But The third Proposition is this The business transacted The Third Propoâ—tion between those two great and glorious persons God the father whose greatness is unsearchable and Jesus Christ â—sal 145. 3. Rev. 1. 5. who is the prince of the kings of the earth was the redemption and salvation of the Elect our everlasting blessedness was now fresh in their eyes and warm upon their Luk. 15. 30. hearts how lost man might be found and how fallen man might be restored and how miserable man might be made happy how slaves might be made sons and how Eph. 2. 12. 17. enemies might be made friends and how those that were afar off might be made nigh without the least prejudice to the honour holiness justice wisdom and truth of God was the grand business the thing of things that lay before them Upon the account of the Covenant compact and agreement that was between the father and the son it is that Christ is called the second Adam for 1 Cor. 1â— â—5 as with the first Adam God plighted a Covenant concerning him and his posterity so also he did indent with Jesus Christ concerning that eternal Redemption that he was Heb. 9. 12. to obtain and secure for his seed For the clearing of this let us a little consider of the excellent properties of that Redemption that we have by Jesus Christ First 'T is a great Redemption the work of Redemption was a great work the greatness of the person employed in this work speaks out the work to be a great work This was a work too high too hard too great for all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth to undertake none but that Jesus who is mighty to save was ever able to bring about the Redemption of man Hence Christ is called the deliverer And their redeemer is mighty Prov 23. 11. Isa 24. 6. And his redeemer the Lord of hosts Isa 47. 4. As for our redeemer the Lord of hosts is his name Isa 49. 26. And thy redeemer the mighty one of Jacob Jer. 50. 34. Their redeemer is strong the Lord of hosts is his name Again the great and invaluable price that was paid down for our Redemption speaks it out to be a great Redemption the price that we are bought with 〈◊〉 6. 19 20. cap. 7. 23. is a price beyond all compute 2 Pet. 1. 18 19. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot Christ was a Lamb 1. for harmlesness 2. for patience and silence in afflictions 3. for meekness Isa 32. 7. 〈◊〉 11. 19. and humility 4. for sacrifice this Lamb was without blemish that is free from actual sin and without spot 〈◊〉 that is free from original sin That the most absolute and perfect purity of Christ prefigured in the Lambs of the Old Testament that were to be sacrificed might be better expressed the Apostle calls him a lamb without Eph. 5. 27. Neither God nor Christ could lay down a â—reatâ—â— price All things in heaven anâ— earth are 〈◊〉 be compared 1 this blood to this priâ—e blemish and without spot The price that this Lamb without a spot has laid down is sufficient to pay all our debts 't is a price beyond all compute All the Silver Gold Pearl Jewels in the world are of no value in respect of this price a price in it self infinite and of infinite value Among the Romans the goods and estates which men had gotten in the Wars with hazard of their lives were called peculium castrense or a Field-purchase O! how well then may the Elect be called Christ's peculium castrense his purchase gotten not only by the jeopardy of his life but with the loss of his life and blood Again Jâ—â— 10 11 15. 17 18. 〈…〉 20. 28. if you compare the work of Redemption with other great works you must necessarily conclude that the work of Redemption is a great work The making of the world Geâ— 1. 3 6 9 11 14 20 24. was a great work of God but yet that did but cost him a word of his mouth a let it be he spake the word and it was done he said let there be light and there was light c. but the work of Redemption cost Christ's dearest blood Much matter of admiration doth the work of Redemption afford us The work of Creation is many ways admirable yet not to be compared with the work of Redemption wherein the power wisdom justice mercy and other divine attributes of God do much more shine forth and wherein the redeemed reap much more good than Adam did by his creation which will evidently appear by observing these particular differences First In the Creation God brought something out of nothig but in the work of Redemption out of one contrary he brought another out of death he brought life This was a work of far greater power wisdom mercy death must first be destroyed and then life brought forth Secondly In Creation there was but a word and thereupon the work followed in Redemption there was doing and dying The work of Redemption could be brought about by none but God God must come down from heaven God must be made man God must be made sin God must be made a cuâ—se 2 Cor. 5. 21. Gal. 3. 13. Thirdly In the Creation God arrayed himself with Majesty power and other like properties fit for a great work in the work of Redemption he put on weakness he assumed a nature subject to infirmities and the infirmities of that nature he did as David did when he fought against Goliah he put off all armour and took his staff in his hand and drew near to the Philistine 1 Sam. 17. 39 40. Fourthly In the work of Creation there was nothing to withstand God to make opposition against God but in the work of Redemption there was justice against mercy wrath against pity death and he that had the power of death was vanquished Heb. 2 14 15. Colos 2. 14. 15. Fifthly By Creation man was made after God's image like him Gen. 1. 26 27. by Redemption man was made a member of the same mystical body whereof Christ is the head Eph. 1. 22 23. Sixthly By Creation man received a natural being by Redemption a spiritual Seventhly By Creation man received a possibility to stand by Redemption a certainty of standing and impossibility of falling Joh. 10. 28 29 30 31. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Jer. 33. 40 41. Eightly By Creation man was placed in an earthly Paradise but by Redemption he is advanced to an heavenly Paradise Thus you see how the work of Redemption transcends the
the light of your consciences and maintain and keep up a constant tenderness in your consciences a tender conscience is a mercy more worth than a world Conscience is Gods spye in our bosoms keep this clear and Acts 21. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 12. tender and than all is well Act nothing against the dictates of conscience rebel not against the light of conscience You were better that all the world should upbraid you and reproach you than that your consciences should upbraid you and reproach you Beware of stifling Job 27. 5 6. conscience and of suppressing the warnings of conscience lest a warning conscience prove a gnawing conscience a tormenting conscience The blind Man Mark 8. in the Gospel newly recovering his sight imagined Trees to be Men And the Burgundians as Comines reports expecting a Battel supposed long Thistles to be Lances thus men under guilt are apt to conceit every Thistle a Tree and every Tree a Man and every Man a Devil Take heed of tongue-tyed consciences for when God shall unty these strings and unmuzle your consciences conscience will then be heard and ten consorts of Musick shall not drown her clamourous cryes Hearken to the voice of conscience obey the voice of conscience and when conscience shall whisper you in the ear and tell you there is this and that amiss in the house in the habit in the heart in the life in the closet don't say to conscience conscience be quiet be Acts â—â— 24 25. still make no noise now I will hear thee in a more convenient season The Heathen Oratour could say A recia conscientia ne latum quidem unguem discedendum 〈…〉 in Offiâ— A man may not depart a hairs breadth all his life long from the dictates of a good conscience Will not this Heathen one day rise in judgment against those who daily crucifie the light of their own consciences But The sixth word of advice and counsel is this Makâ— it the great business of your lives to make sure such See my Treatise on Assurance there you will find how you may secure something that will go with you beyond the grave things as will go with you beyond the grave Richeâ— and honours and offices and all worldly grandure won't go with us beyond the grave Saladin a Turkish Emperour he was the first of that Nation that conquered Jerusalem lying at the point of death after many glorious victories commanded that a white sheet should be born before him to his grave upon the point of a Spear with this proclamation These are the rich spoils which Saladin carrieth away with him of all his triumphs and victories of all his Riches and Realms that he had now nothing at all is left for him to carry with him but this sheet It is with us in this world as it was in the Jewish fields and vineyards pluck and eaâ— they might what they would while they were there but they might not pocket nor put up ought to carry with them Death as a Porter stands at the gate and Deut. 23. 24. 25. strips men of all their worldly wealth and glory Athenaeus speaks of one that at the hour of death devoured many pieces of gold and sewed the rest in his coat commanding that they should be buried with him Hermocrates being loath that any man should enjoy his goods after him made himself by Will Heir of his own goods These muck-worms would fain live still on this side Jordan having made their gold their God they cannot think of parting with it they would if possible carry the world out of the world But what saith the Apostle We brought nothing with us into this world 1 Timoth. 6. 7. and it is certain see how he assevereth and assureth it as if some rich wretches made question of it we can carry nothing out nothing but a winding sheet O how should this alarm us to make sure our calling and election 2 Pet. 1. 1â— 2 Cor. 5. 17. 2 Saâ— 23. 5. 1 Thess 5 â—3 2 Cor. 1. 12. to make sure our interest in Christ to make sure our Covenant-relation to make sure a work of grace in power upon our souls to make sure the testimony of a good conscience to make sure our Son-ship Gal. 4. 5 6 7. Rom. 8. 15 16. our Saint-ship our Heir-ship c. for these are the only things that will go with us into another world In the Marian persecution there was a Woman who being convened before Bonner then Bishop of London upon 〈◊〉 Acts and Monuments the trial of Religion he threatned her that he would take away her Husband from her Saith she Christ is my Husband I will take away thy Child Christ saith she is better to me than ten sons I will strip thee saith he of all thy outward comfort Yea but Christ is mine saith she and you cannot strip me of him Assurance that Christ was hers and that he would go with her beyond the grave bore her heart up above the threats Heb. 10. 34. of being spoiled of all When a great Lord had shewed a sober serious knowing Christian his Riches his stately Habitation his pleasant Gardens his delightful Walks his rich Grounds and his various sorts of pleasure the serious Christian turning himself to this great Lord said My Lord you had need to make sure Christ and Heaven you had need make sure something that will go with you beyond the grave for else when you die you will be a very great loser O my Friends I must tell you it highly concerns you to make sure something that will go with you beyond the grave or else you will be very great losers when you come to die God having given you an abundance of the good things and of the great things of this world beyond what he has given to many thousands of others But The seventh word of advice and counsel is this Look upon all the things of this world and value all the things of this world now as you will certainly look upon 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. them and value them when you come to lye upon a sick bed a dying bed when a man is sick in good earnest and when death knocks at the door in good carnest O with what a disdainful eye with what a weaned eye with what a scornful eye does a man then look upon the honours riches dignities and glories of this world If men could but thus look upon them now it would keep them from being fond of them from trusting in them from doting upon them from being proud of them and from venturing a damning either in getting or in keeping of them But The eight word of advice and counsel is this In all places and companies carry your soul-preservatives still about you viz. A holy care a holy fear a holy jealousie Prov. 4. 23. Cap. 28. 14. Genes 6. 9. Cap. 39. 9 10. Psalm 17. 4. Psalm 18. 23.
is set upon saving of it when Christ calls upon him to lay it down for his sake or the Gospels sake No fool to him that thinks to avoid a less danger by running himself into a greater danger who thinks to save his body by losing his soul and to save his temporal life by losing eternal life There is no loser to him who by sinful attempts to save his life shall lose a better life than ever he can save But Fifthly Consider That of old there hath been a very great willingness readiness forwardness and resoluteness in the people of God chearfully to suffer for Christ his Truth his Gospel his Worship his Ways his Ordinances his interest his honour Consult the Scriptures in the margin and many others of the like import which all knowing Christians can turn to at Dan. 2. 16 17. Rom. 8. 36. Psal 44. Phil. 2. 17. Act. 20. â—2 23 24 cap. 21. 13 c. Dan. 6. 1 Pet. â— 16. Act. 5 41. Act. 7. 55 56. 2 Cor 1. 3 4. 5. Acts and Mâ—n Fol. 857. Medestus Lieâ—tenant to Julian the Emperour told him that when the Christians suffered they did but deride them and the torments said he with which Christians are tormented are more terrible to the tormentors than they are to the tormented pleasure To these I shall add a few examples amongst a multitude of those blessed souls who willingly readily chearfully resolutely hazarded all for Christ while they were on earth and are now a receiving their reward with him in heaven Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said Mr. Philpâ—t the Martyr that I am so near the apprehension of eternal life I with my fellows were carried to the Cole-house where we do rouse together in the straw as chearfully we thank God as others do in their beds of Downe Mr. Glover the Martyr wept for joy of his imprisonment And Mr. Bradford put off his cap and thanked the Lord when his Keeper's Wife brought him word that he was to be burnt the next day and Mr. Taylor fetched a pleasant delightful frisk when he was come near to the place where he was to suffer Mr. Rogers the first that was burnt in Queen Mary's days did sing in the flames Vincentius laughing at â—his tormentors said that death and tortures were to Christians socularia ludiera matters of sport and pastime and he joyed and gloried when he went upon hot burning Coals as if he had trod upon Roses Fire Sword Death Prison Famine are all pleasures they are all delightful to me saith Bazil and in his Oration for Barlaam that famous Martyr saith that he delighted in the close prison as in a pleasant green Meadow and he took pleasure in the several inventions of tortures as in several sweet flowers William Tim. Martyr in a letter to a friend of his a little before his death writeth thus Now I take my leave of you till we meet in heaven and hic you after I have tarried a great while for you and seeing you are so long in making ready I will tarry no longer for you you shall find me merrily singing Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath at my journey's end c. And when they kindled the fire at the feet of James Bainham me thinks said he you strew Roses before me when the Preâ—â—ct urged Basil to comply with the Emperour Socrat. Eccles Hist l. 4. c. 26. Gr. and threatned him with death if he denied he gave him thâ—s resolute and sâ—out answer Thou threatnest me with death saith he and I would that it would fall out so well on my side that I might lay down this carcase of mine in the Quarrel of Christ and in deâ—ence of the truth who is my Head and Captain And when the Preâ—â—ct presâ—ed him to remember himself and obey the Emperour he rejecting all told him what I am to day the same thou shalt find me to morrow When Chrysostom was greatly threatned by the cruel Empress and others he made this answer If they keep me poor I know Christ had not a house to put his head in If they silence me and put me out of the Synagogue so was that poor man that confessed Joh. 9. 22 24. Act. 5. 40. cap. 12. Eph. 6. 20. Rev. 1. Christ and the Apostles enjoyned not to speak in the name of Jesus If they cast me into prison so was Jeremy St. Peter and St Paul and many more If I am forced to flee my Countrey I have that beloved Jâ—hn and that Atlas-like Athanasius for Precedents of the like nature Or whatsoever else should be done unto me I have the holy Martyrs for my fellow-sufferers and I will never count my life dear unto me so I may finish my course with joy but I will by God's help be ever ready with all my heart to suffer any thing for the name of Jesus Christ and for the least jot of his truth Neither were they only a few choice persons who willingly readily cheerfully and resolutely endured Martyrdom in Christ's Cause but such multitudes year after year month after month Hier. id Helic â— week after week and day after day as that one of the Ancients testifieth That there was never a day in the year except the first of January whereunto the number of five hundred Martyrs at least might not be ascribed So many one after another in one Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 8. c. 9. day suffered as the Executioner blunted his sword and with the pains he took fainted That which many of them endured though to flesh and blood it seemed intolerable yet with much patience excellent chearfulness and divine courage they endured it They were not like bears halled to the stake but while Persecutors were sitting on their Judgment-seats and condemning some Christians others leaped in and professed themselves Christians and suffered the uttermost that could be inflicted with Euseb l. c. citat joyfulness and a kind of pleasantness singing Psalms as long as their breath lasted Bucer in an Epistle to Calvin tells him that there were some that would willingly redeem to the Commonwealth the ancient liberty of worshipping Christ with their very lives True Grace makes a Christian of a very heroick nature Holy Zeal will make a Christian very ready to endure any thing or to suffer any thing for Christ his Worship his Ways his Truth It is a high vanity for any man to think of getting to heaven without suffering in all the Ages of the world the Saints have found the way to happiness paved with troubles and we must not think of finding it strewed with Rose-buds When Paul and Silas were in prison their hearts were so full Act. 16. 25. Paul 〈◊〉 his chain whâ—â—h he did bear for the Gospel sake and was as proud of it as a woman of her Ornaments saith Chrysostom of joy that they could not hold but at midnight when others were sleeping they must fall a singing out the Praises of
up Mat. 10. 21. Luk. 21. 16. the brother to death and the father the child and the children sha rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death Alphonsus Diarius delivered up his own Brother John at Neoberg Sleiden lib. 1. 17. Act. and Men. Fâ—l 1112. Ibid. 1801. in Germany into his enemies hands So Doctor London made Filmer the Martyr's own Brother witness against him by supplying of him with meat and money and by telling of him he should never want So one Woodman was delivered by his own Brother into his enemies hands And in the Civil Wars of France not to mention Hist of Câ—une of Trent Fâ—l 647. that of England The Sons fought against their Fathers and Brothers against Brothers and even Women took up Arms on both sides for defence of their Religion And Philip King of Spain could frequently say that he had rather have no Subjects than Hereticks as he called the Protestants And out of a blind bloody zeal he suffered his eldest Son Charles to be murthered Hieron by the cruel Inquisition because he seemed to favour the Protestant side Truth is a Glorious shining Light that discovers the ignorance and darkness the wickedness and baseness the unsoundness and hypocrisie the superstition and vain conversation of Persecutors and therefore they cannot endure this light they hate this light and will do all they can to suppress this light and Joh. 3. 19. those that hold out this light to the world The 〈◊〉 and Martyrs of old were as willing to die as to dine Pliny writing to Trajan 〈◊〉 10. Ep. 97. p. 316. the Emperour declares to him that such was their Zeal and courage in behalf of their God that nothing could stir them from it neither the Imperious checks of the potent Emperors nor the soft language of the eloquent Orators could draw them from the Faith but they stedfastly owned it and constantly persevered in the defense of it and were ready and willing to lay down their lives for it When Ignatius was to suffer 't is better for me saith Ignatius he to be a Martyr than to be a Monarch 'T was a notable saying of a French Martyr when the rope was about his fellow Give me said he that Golden Chain and dub me Knight of that Noble Order Let saith Ignatius Fire and Cross Invasiâ—n Eusâ—b Hâ—st Eâ—cl l. 3 c. 36. of Beasts breaking of bones pulling asunder of members grinding of my whole body and what else the Devil can inflict come Ibid. l. b. 4. c. 15. so I may hold Jesus Christ Lueius thanked him that brought him forth to suâ—â—er and said that he should be free from those evil Masters and go to God a good Father and King Germanicus when he was brought forth to be torn in pieces and devoâ—â—ed by wild Beasts The Governour perswading him to be mindful of his Youth that he might be spared of his own accord incited the Beasts against himself Sanctus being under Tortures for professing Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 2. himself to be a Christian unto every question propounded to him he answered I am a Christian whereby he occasioned his Torments to be continued to death Can we think that Saint Laurence would have accepted of deliverance who lying on a red hot Grid-iron over burning Coals with an invincible spirit thus said to the Tyrants Turn the side broiled enough and see what thy burning fire hath done And being turned and throughly broiled on the other side saith thus again Eat that which is broiled and try whether raw or broiled be the sweeter Hyppolytus when he was tied to wild Horses to be pulled asunder thus prayed Let them rend my limbs do thou O Christ wrap up my soul To omit other particulars of the Ancient Martyrs in the Primitive Times with whose couragious speeches manifesting a contempt of death of which Volumes might be filled it is indefinitely recorded of many who were famous for their Eusâ—b Hist Eccl. â— 8. cap. 9. Wealth Nobility Glory Eloquence and Learning that nevertheless they preferred true Piety and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ before all these And though they were entreated by many of their Kindred and Friends otherwise yea and by others in great place and by the Judge himself that they would take pity of themselves their Wives and Children Yet would they not be induced and entreated by so many and great ones so to be aâ—â—ected with the love of this life as to forbear the Confession of our Saviour and to set light by the denyal of him Thus you see what little reckoning or account the Christians of old have made of their Lives Liberties and Estates or whatever else was near or dear unto them when these things stood in competition with Christ his Truth his Worship his Ways his Interest or with their Profession of the Christian Faith Take a few Instances of a later date John Huss being at the John Huss stake a Pardon was offered him if he would recant to which he answered I am here ready to suffer death So Hiâ—rom of Prague Hierom of Prague if I had feared the fire said he I had not come hither Francis Camba a Martyr in the Diocess of Millain being much assailed Francis Camba by his Friends and terrified by his Foes by no means could be overcome but gave thanks to God that he was accounted worthy to suffer a cruel death for the Testimony of his Son And such were his expressions of joy in his sufferings that his Persecutors caused his tongue to be boared through that he might speak no more to the people Another being offered the King's Pardon Mrs. Anne Askew if she would recant gave this resolute answer I came not here to deny my Lord and Master By that which she with admirable courage and constancy endured she verified that which of old Julitta spake concerning their Sex viz. We women ought to be as constant as men in Christ's Cause Another who suffered Martyrdom Walier Mille. in Scotland being solicited to recant made this reply Ye shall know that I will not recant the Truth for I am Corn I am no Chaff I will not be blown away with the wind nor burst with the flail but I will abide both Another being the first Mr. John Rogers Martyr in Queen Mary's days being solicited to recant that so he might save his life boldly replyed that which I have preached I will seal with my blood Another when a Pardon was set Heâ—per Bishop of Glocester before him in Box cryed out If you love my soul away with it if you love my soul away with it Another on the like occasion Mr. Tho. Hawks a Gentleman in Essix gave this resolute answer If I had a hundred bodies I would suffer them all to be torn in pieces rather than abjure or recant So another spake to the like purpose So long
houses c. shall receive a hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life But ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel A Christian will never repent of all the hard things that he has suffered for Christ or his Truth when as every one of his sufferings shall be a sparkling Jewel to give a lustre to his Crown of Glory Suffering for Christ and Religion is the most gainful kind of Merchandize Christ is so well pleased with the sufferings of his Saints that he has engaged himself to make up whatever they lose upon his account yea to repay all with Interest upon Interest to a hundred times over Oh who would not then turn Spiritual Purchaser Christ is a noble a liberal Pay-master and no small things can fall from so great a hand as his is Mat. 5. 10 11 12. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Luk. 6. 22 23. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man's sake Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your Reward is in heaven for in the like manner did their fathers unto the Prophets They that are now Excommunicated and Anathematized as notorious shameful and abominable offenders they that are now opposed and persecuted by men shall at last be owned and crowned by God yea and the more Afflictions and Persecutions are multiplied upon them in this world the greater shall be their recompence in another world The Original words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matthew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Luke signifie exceeding great joy such as men usually express by skipping and dancing Let your hearts leap and let your bodies leap for joy for great is your reward in heaven Act. and Mon. Fol. 613. A Dutch Martyr feeling the flame to come to his beard said he what a small pain is this to be compared to the Glory to come Hellin Stirk a Scotch woman when her Husband was Ibid. 1154. at the place of Execution she said to him Husband rejoyce for we have lived together many joyful days but this day in which we must die ought to be most joyful to us both because we must bave joy for ever therefore I will not bid you good night for we shall suddenly meet within the Kingdom of Heaven The subscription of Mrs. Anne Askew to her Confession was this Ibid. 1130. written by me Anne Askew that neither wisheth for death nor feareth his Might and as merry as one that is bound toward â—â—â—ven Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said Mr. Philpot that I Ibid. 1670. am so near the apprehension of eternal life God forgive me mine unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great Glory I have so much joy of the reward prepared for me most wretched sinner that though I be in a place of darkness and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyful as though under no Cross at all yea in all the days of my life I was never so merry the name of the Lord be praised therefore for ever and ever The same Author in a Letter to the Congregation saith Ibid. 1663. Though I tell you that I am in Hell in the judgment of this world yet assuredly I feel in the same the Consolation of Heaven and this loathsome and horrible Prison is as pleasant to me as the Walks in the Garden in the King 's Bench. Thus you see that 1 Pet. 1. 8. suffering Saints have had a Heaven before hand they have had an exuberancy of joy such as no good could match nor no evil over-match Bernard speaking of Persecutors saith that they are Bernard but his Father's Gold-smiths who are working to add Pearls to the Saints Crown It is to my loss saith Gordius the Martyr if Gordius you abate me any thing of my present Sufferings Sufferings for Christ are the Saints greatest Glory crudelitas vestra gloria nostra your cruelty is our glory say they in Tertullian and the harder we are put to it the greater shall be our reward in heaven Chrysostom hit the nail when he said if one man should suffer all Chrysostom the sorrows of all the Saints in the world yet are they not worth one hours glory in heaven By the consent of the School-men The School-men all the Martyrs shall appear in the Church-triumphant bearing the signs of their Christian wounds about them as so many speaking testimonies of their holy courage that what here they endured in the behalf of their Saviour may be there an addition to their glory O Christians all your Sufferings will certainly encrease your future Glory every affliction every Persecution will be a grain put into the scale of your heavenly Glory to make it more weighty in that day wherein he will richly reward you for 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18 every tear for every sigh for every groan for every hazard and for every hardship that you have met in the way of your duty For light Afflictions you shall have a weight of Glory and for a few Afflictions you shall have as many joys pleasures de lights and contents as there be Stars in Heaven or Sands on the Sea shore and for Momentary Afflictions you shall have an eternal Crown of Glory If you have suffering for suffering with Christ on earth you shall have Glory for Glory with Christ in heaven Ah Christians your present sufferings are but the seeds of your future Glory and the more plentiful you sow in tears Psal 126. 5 6. the more abundant will be your Harvest of Glory Christ our General the Captain of our Salvation promises a Crown Rev 2. 10 and a Throne cap. 3. 21. to all his afflicted and persecuted ones which are the greatest rewards that a God can give or that man can crave It troubled one of the Martyrs when he was at the sâ—ake that he was going to a place where he should be for ever a receiving of Wages for a little work But Thirteenthly and Lastly Afflictions Sufferings Persecutions will discover what mettal men are made of All is not Gold that Mat. 13. 2 Tim. 1. 15 16. 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 2 Tim. 4. 10 14 15 16. Mat. 13. 20 21. glisters Many there be that glister and look like Golden Christians but when they come to the fire they prove but dross he is a Christian more worth than the Gold of Ophyr who remains Gold when under fiery Tryals The stony ground did glister and shine very gloriously for
unshaken Kingdom to a durable Kingdom to a lasting Kingdom yea to an everlasting Kingdom Death is a dark short way through which the Saints pass to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb. But Thirdly You shall gain a safe and honourable Convoy into that other world Luk. 16. 22. Oh in what pomp and triumph did Lazarus ride to heaven on the wings of Angels The Angels conduct the Saints at death through the Air the Devil's Region every gracious soul is carried into Christ's Presence by these heavenly Courtiers Oh what a sudden change does death make behold he that even now was scorned by men is all on a sudden carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom But Fourthly You shall gain a glorious welcome a joyful Rev. 4. 8 to 11. Luk. 15. 7 10. Heb. 12. 23. welcome a wonderful welcome into heaven By general consent of all Antiquity the holy Angels and blessed Trinity rejoyce at the sinner's Conversion but oh what inexpressible what transcendent joy is there when a Saint is landed upon the Shore of Eternity God and Christ Angels and Arch-angels all stand ready to welcome the Believer as soon as his feet are upon the threshold of Glory God the Father welcomes the Saints as his elect and chosen ones Jesus Christ welcomes them as his redeemed and purchased ones and the Holy Spirit welcomes them as his sanctified and renewed ones and the Blessed Angels welcome them as those they have Heb. 1. ult guarded and attended on When the Saints enter upon the Suburbs of Glory the glorious Angels welcome them with harps in their hands and ditties in their mouths But Fifthly You shall gain full freedom and liberty from all your enemies within and without viz. Sin Satan Luk. 1. 70 71 74 75. and the World 1. Death will free you from the indwelling power of sin In heaven there is no complaints Rom. 7. 23. as in hell there is nothing but wickedness so in heaven there is nothing but holiness 2. Death will free Gal. 5. 17. you from the power and prevalency of sin Here sin plays the Tyrant but in heaven there is no Tyranny but perfect felicity 3. Death will free you from all provocations temptations and suggestions to sin Now you shall be above all Satan's batteries Now God will make Rom. 16. 20. good the promise of treading Satan under your feet Some say Serpents will not live in Ireland The old Serpent Rev. 12. 8 9. cap. 21. ult is cast out and shall be for ever kept out of the new Jerusalem above 4. Death will free you from all the effects and consequents of sin viz. losses crosses sicknesses diseases disgraces sufferings c. when the cause is taken away the effect ceases when the fountain of sin is dried up the streams of afflictions of sufferings must be dryed up the fuel being taken away the fire will go out of it self Sin and sorrow were born together do live together and shall die together To open this fourth Particular a little more fully to you consider these four things First That death will free you from all reproach and ignominy on your names Now Elijah is accounted the 1 King 18. 17. Nâ—hem 6. 6. Psal 69. 12. Jer. 15. 10. Troubler of Israel Nehemiah a Rebel against his King and David the song of the Drunkards and Jeremiah a man of contention and Paul a pestilent fellow Heaven Act. 24. 10. wipes away all blots as well as all tears as no sins so no blots are to be found in that upper world The names of all the Saints in a state of Glory are written as I may say in Characters of Gold But Secondly Death will free you from all bodily infirmities and diseases we carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may die a thousand several Above all things let us every day think 〈◊〉 our last day 〈◊〉 〈…〉 naus ways each several hour As many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many windows there are for death to enter in at death needs not spend all its arrows upon us a worm a gnat a fly a hair the stone of a raisin the kirnel of a grape the fall of a horse the stumbling of a foot the prick of a pin the pairing of a nail the cutting of a corn all these have been to others and any one of them may be to us the means of our death within the space of a few days nay of a few hours Here Job had his Botches and Job 2. 6 7. Isâ— 37 21. 〈◊〉 â—8 5. 〈◊〉 20. Maâ— 9. 20. Hezekiah had his Boil and David his Wounds and Lazarus his Sores and the poor Widow her Issue of Blood Now the Feaver burns up some and the Dropsie drowns others and the Vapours stifle others one dies of an Appoplexy in the head another of a Struma in the neck a third of a Squinancy in the throat and a fourth of a Cough and Consumption of the lungs others of Obstructions Inflamations Plurisies Gouts c. We are commonly full of complaints one complains of this distemper and another of that one of this disease and another of that but death will cure us of all diseases and distempers at once But Thirdly Death will free you from all your sorrows whether inward or outward whether for your own sins Psal 38. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Psal 119 136. Nehem. 1. 3 4. or the sins of others whether for your own sufferings or the sufferings of others Now it may be one shall seldom find you but with tears in your eyes or sorrow in your heart O but now death will be the funeral of all your sorrows death will wipe all tears from your eyes and sorrow and mourning shall flee away Isa 51. 11. But Fourthly Death will free you from all those troubles calamities miseries mischiefs and desolations that are Isa 57 1. Mâ—â—h 7. 1 to 7. a coming upon the earth or upon this place or that A year after Methuselah's death the Flood came and carried away the old world Augustine died a little before the sacking of Hippo Luther observes that all the Apostles died before the destruction of Jerusalem And Luther himself died a little before the Wars brake forth in Germany Dear Lady death shall do that for you which all your Physicians could never do for you which all your Relations could never do for you which all Ordinances could never do for you nor which all your faithful Ministers could never do for you it shall both instantly and perfectly cure you of all sorts of Maladies and weaknesses both inward and outward or that respects either your body or your soul or both Oh my dear friend is it not better to die and be rid of all sin to die and be rid of all temptations and desertions to die and be rid of all sorts of miseries than to live and still carry about with
go home The Turks tell us that surely Christians do not believe heaven to be such a glorious place as they talk of for if they did they would not be so unwilling to go thither The world may well think that the Child hath but cold welcom at his Father's house that he lingers so much by the way and that he does not look and long to be at home Such Children bring an ill report upon their Father's House upon the Holy Land but I know you have not so learned Christ I know you long with Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ and Phil. 1. 23. with old Simeon to cry out Lord let thy servant depart Luk. 2. 29. in peace That God whom you have long sought and served will make your passage into that other world safe sweet and easie Now to the everlasting arms of Divine Protection and to the constant guidance and leadings of the Spirit and to the rich influences of Christ's Sovereign Grace and to the lively hopes of the Inheritance of the Saints in light he commends you who is Dear Sister yours in the strongest Bonds Tho. Brooks Beloved in our Lord IN the first part of my golden Key I have shewed you seven several pleas that all sincere Christians may form up as to those several Scriptures in the Old and New Testament that refer either to the great day of account or to their particular days of account In this second part I shall go on where I left and shew you several other choice Pleas that all believers may make in the present case The eighth Plea that a believer may form up as to the Eâ—cles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk 16 2. Râ—m 14 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Hâ—b 9 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. ten Scriptures in the margent that refer to the great day of account or to a man's particular account may be drawn up from the consideration of the covenant of grace or the new covenant that all believers are under It is of high concernment to understand the tenure of the covenant of grace or the new Covenant which is the Law you must judge of your estates by for if you mistake in that you will err in the conclusion That person is very unfit to make a Judge who is ignorant of the Law by which himself and others must be tryed For the clearing of my way let me premise these six things First premise this with me that God hath commonly dealt with man in the way of a Covenant that being a way that is most suitable to man and most honourable for man and the most amicable and friendly way of dealing with man No sooner was man made but God entered into Covenant with him In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the Geâ— 2. 17. Gen. 9 11. 12 13 14 15. â—en 6. 18. Câ—r 17. 1 2. death after this he made a Covenant with the world by Noah after this he made a Covenant with Abraham after this he made a Covenant with the Jews at Mount Exod. 19. Sinai Thus you see that God has commonly dealth with man in the way of a Covenant But Secondly premise this with me All men are under some Covenant or other they are either under a Covenant of works or they are under a Covenant of grace all persons that live and die without an interest in Christ they live and die under a Covenant of works such as live and die with an interest in Christ they live and die under a Covenant of grace There is but a two-fold standing taken notice of in the blessed Scriptures the one Rom. 6. 14. I am not of Camero's mind that there were three Covenants but of the Apostles mind who expresly tells us that there are two Testaments and no more in that Gal. 4. 24. is under the Law the other is under Grace Now he that is not under grace is under the Law It is true in the Scripture you do not read in totidem syllabis of the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace but that of the Apostle comes near it Rom. 3. 27. where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of faith Here you have the Law of works opposed to the Law of faith which holds out as much as the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace The Apostle sets forth this two-fold condition of men by a very pertinent resemblance namely by that of marriage Rom. 7. 1 2 3. All Adam's seed are married to one of these two husbands either to the Law or to Christ He that is not spiritually married to Christ and so brought under his Covenant is still under the Law as a Covenant of works even as a wife is under the Law of her husband while he is yet alive Certainly there were never any but two Covenants made with man the one Legal the other Evangelical the one of works the other of grace the first in innocency the other after the fall ponder upon Rom. 4. 13. But Thirdly Let me premise this That the Covenant of grace was so legally dispensed to the Jews that it seems to be nothing else but the repetition of the Covenant of works in respect of which legal dispensations of it the same Covenant under the Law is called a Covenant of works under the Gospel in regard of the clearer manifestation of it it is called a Covenant of grace But these were not two distinct Covenants but one and the same Covenant diversly dispensed The Covenant of grace is the same for substance now to us since Christ was exhibited as it was to the Jews before he was exhibited but the manner of administration of it is different because it is 1. Now clearer things were declared then in types and shadows Heaven was then typed out by the Land of Canaan but now we have things more plainly 2 Cor. 3. 12. Heb. 7. 12. manifested In this respect it is called a better Testament or Covenant not in substance but in the manner of reveiling it and the promises are said to be better promises Heb. 8. 6. Act. 10. 35. upon the same account 2. The Covenant of grace is now more largely extended then it extended only to the Jews but now to all that know the Lord and that Colâ—s 3. 11. Neâ—â—m 7. 2. Jâ—b 1. 1 8. Acts 13. 22. Rom. 4 18 19 20. chuse him fear him love him and serve him in all nations 3. There is more abundance of the spirit of grace of light of knowledg of holiness poured out generally upon the people of God now than there was in those The word Covenant in our English tongue signifie as we all know a mutual promise bargain and obligation between two persons and so likewise doth the Hebrew Berith and the Greek Diatheke A Covenant is a solemn compact or agreement between
Though he should meet with opposition from all hands yet nothing should daunt him nothing should dismay him no afflictions no temptations no sufferings should in the least abate his courage and valour 3. The Divine Assistance he should have from him that called him This is set down in two expressions vers 6. I will hold thy hand I will keep thee Divine Assistance doth usually concur with a divine call when God sets his servants on work he uses to defend and uphold them in the work 4. The work it self to which Christ was called This is expressed under divers phrases vers 6 7. To be a light to the gentiles to open the blind eys to bring out the prisoners from the prison and to be a covenant to the people In these last words you have two things observâ—able The first is one special part of Christ's office He was given for a covenant 2. The persons in reference to whom this office was designed A Covenant of the people One end why God the father gave Christ out of his bosom was that he might be a Covenant to his people Christ is given for a Covenant both to the believing Jews and Gentiles As he is the glory of the people of Israel so he is a light to lighten the Gentiles In this Scripture last cited you have the father's designation and sealing of Christ to the Mediatorial imployment promising him much upon his undertaking it and his acceptation of this office and voluntary Heb. 5. 4 5. 〈◊〉 40. 7 8. Joh. 10. 17 18. submission to the will of the father in it Loe I come to do thy will And these together amount to the making up of a Covenant between God the father and his son for what more can be necessary to the making up of a Covenant than is here expressed But The Third proof This Propheâ—y is applied to Christ 〈◊〉 2. 2â— Aâ— 13. 47. Gal. 3. 16. Heb. 3 4 5. And many of the Jews do consesâ—â— that this plaâ—â— iâ— to be unâ—erstood of Christ only 〈◊〉 1. â—1 22. 〈◊〉 2. 10 11. Heb. 1. â— The third Scripture is that Isa 49. 1. Listen Oh Isles unto me and hearken ye people from far the Lord God hath called me from the womb from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name These words are spoken in the person of Christ he tells us how he is called by his father to be a Mediator and Saviour of his people Jesus Christ would not take one step in the work of our Redemption till he was called and commissionated by his father to that work God the father who from Eternity had fore-assigned Christ to this office of a Mediator a Redeemer did both while he was in the womb and as soon as he was come out of it manifest and make known this his purpose concerning Christ both to men and Angels Christ did not thrust himself he did not intrude himself at random into the office of a Redeemer No man takes Heb. 5. 4 5. this honour to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron So Christ took not upon himself the office of a Mediator a Saviour but upon a call and a commission from God The summ is that Christ took up the office of a Râ—deemerâ— by the ordinance of his father that he might fulfil the work of our Redemption unto which he was destmated vers 2. And he made my mouth like a sharp sword in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and made me a polished shaft in his quiver hath he hid me Christ having avouched his fathers calling of him to the work of man's Redemption he gives you a relation in this verse of God's fitting and furnishing of him with abilities sufficient for so important a work together with his sustaining and supporting of him in the performance of the same Here are two similitudes or comparisons 1. That of a sharp sword That of a bright and sharp arrow to See Eph. 6. 17. Heb. 4. 12. Rev. 1. 16. cap 6. 2. shew the efficacy of Christ's Doctrine The word of Christ is a sword of great power and efficacy for the subduing of the souls of men to the obedience of it and for the cutting off of whomsoever or whatsoever shall oppose or withstand it Christ was not sent of the father to conquer by force of arms as earthly Princes do but he conquers all sorts of sinners even the proudest and Aâ— 2. 37 41. Act. 4. 1 2 3 4. Act 16. 29 35. 2 Cor. 10. 4 6. stoutest of them by the sword of the spirit which is the word of God as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margin together Having spoken of the efficacy of Christ's Doctrine he tells us that he will take Joh. 7. 30 44. Luk. 22. 53. 〈◊〉 27. 62 to 6â— and cap. 27. 2 6. Aâ—t 2 23 24. or as some render the words thou art my servant to Israel or for Israel that is for Israel's good for my peoples behoof Few saith Sasbâ—nt to this day doe consider Christ's labour in preaching prayer fasting and suffering a cruel death for us for if they did they would he more affected with love towards him that loved them so dearly Isa 6. 13. cap. 8 18 c. care of the security of his person In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and in his quiver hath he hid me God the father undertakes to protect the Lord Jesus Christ against all sorts of adversaries that should band themselves against him and to maintain his doctrine against all enemies that should conspire to suppress it God so protected his dear son against all the might and malice of his most capital enemies that they neither could lay hold on him or do ought before the time by God fore-designed was come Christ was sheltered under the wing of God's protection till that voluntarily he went to his passion neither could they keep him under when that time was once over though they endeavoured with all their might to do it Now in the the third verse God the father tells Jesus Christ what a glorious reward he should have for undertaking the great work of Redemption And said unto me thou art my servant O Israel in whom I will be glorified God having called Christ set him apart sanctified him and sent him into the world for the execution of the office of a Redeemer He doth in this third verse encourage him to set upon it and to go on chearfully resolutely and constantly in it with assurance of good and comfortable success notwithstanding all the plots designs and oppositions that Satan and his Imps might make against him vers 4. Then I said I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain yet surely my judgment is with the Lord and my works with my God In these words Jesus Christ complains to his father of the incredulity wickedness and
exalted above all creatures in heaven and earth as is most evident throughout the Scriptures Thirdly He tells you of the price which Jesus Christ should pay for the Redemption of his people agreed upon by paction viz. the humbling of himself to the death of the Cross as you may see in vers 14. As many were astonied at thee his visaâ—â— was so marred more than any mans and his form more than the sons of men This is the speech of the father to Jesus Christ his visage was so marred that the Jews were ashamed to own him for their King and Messiah The astonishment here spoken of is such an astonishment as ariseth from the contemplation of some strange uncouth and ruful spectacle of desolation deformity and misery And no wonder if many were astonished at the sight of our Saviour's condition in regard of those base disgraceful and despightful usages that were offered and done to him in the time of his humiliation here on earth when his own followers were so amazed at the relation of them Mar. 10. 32 33 34 when they were foretold of them Oh sirs the words last cited are not so to be understood as if our blessed Saviour had in regard of his bodily person or presence been some strange deformed or mishapen creature but Isa 51. 3. in regard of his outward estate coming of mean and obscure parents living in a low despicable condition exposed to scorn and contempt and to much affliction through the whole course of his life and more especially yet in regard of what he was also in his personal appearance through the base and scornful usages that he sustained at the hands of his malicious and mischievous adversaries when they had gotten him into their power besides his watchings draggings to and fro from place to place buffettings scourgings carrying his cross and other base usages could not but much alter the state of his body and impair yea deface all the sightliness of it And yet all this he suffered to make good the compact and agreement that he had made with his father about the Redemption of his Elect. But The fifth Scripture is that 53. of Isaiah This Scripture The fifth proof among many others gives us very clear intimations of a Federal transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ in order to the recovery and everlasting happiness of poor sinners The glorious Gospel seems to be epitomised in this chapter the subject matter of it is the grievous sufferings and dolorous death of Christ and the happy and glorious issue thereof Of all the Prophets this Prophet Isaiah was the most Evangelical Prophet and Hierom calls him Isaiah the Evangelist of all the Prophecies of this Prophet that which you have in this chapter is the most Evangelical Prophecy In this chapter you have a most plain lively and full description In this chapter you have the compact and agreement between God the father and Jesus Christ plainly asserted and proved and representation of the humiliation death and passion of Jesus Christ which indeed is so exact and so consonant to what hath fallen our since that Isaiah seems here rather to pen an history than a Prophecy The matter contained in this chapter is so convictive from that clear light that goes along with it â— that several of the Jews in reading of this chapter have been converted as not being able to stand any longer out against the shining light and evidence of it Out of this chapter which is more worth than all the Gold of Ophir yea than ten thousand worlds Observe with me these eight things First Observe that God and Christ are sweetly agreed and infinitely pleased in the conversion of the Elect vers 10. He shall see his seed that is he shall see them called converted changed and sanctified he shall see his seed that is an innumerable company shall be converted to him by his word and spirit in all countreys Psal 110. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 23. and nations through the mighty workings of the spirit and the incorruptible seed of the word infinite numbers of poor souls should be brought in to Jesus Christ which Rev. 7. 9. Heb. 2. 10 13. he should see to his full content and infinite satisfaction He shall see his seed that is he shall see them encrease and multiply he shall see believers brought in to him from all corners and quarters and he shall see them greatly encrease and grow by the preaching of the everlasting Gospel especially after his ascention into heaven and a more glorious pouring forth of the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles and others Act. 2. 37 41. Act. 4. 1 2 3 4. Act. 8. No accountants on earth can count or reckon up Christ's spiritual seed and issue But Secondly observe with me that in the persons redeemed by Jesus Christ there was neither weight nor Exâ—k 16. 1 10. worth neither portion nor proportion neither inward or outward excellencies or beauties for which the punishment due to them should be transferred upon dear Jesus for if you look upon them in their sins in their guilt you shall find them despisers and rejecters of Christ vâ—rs 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Christ took upon him not our nature alone but the infirmities also of it and became liable to such sorrows and afflictions and pains and griefs as man's sinful nature is exposed and subject unto They Râ—m 8. 3. Heb. 4. 15. are called ours because they were procured to him by our sins and sustained by him for the discharge of our sins unto the guilt whereof out of love to us undertaken by him they were deservedly due Christ for our sakes hath taken all our spiritual maladies that is all our sins upon him to make satisfaction for them and as our surety to pay the debt that we had run into Christ in the quality of a pledg for his Elect hath given full satisfaction for all their sins bearing all the punishments due for them in torments and extreme griefs both of body and soul The reason why they so much disesteemed of Christ was because they made no other account but You know they traduced hiâ— as a notorious deceiver a drunkard a friend of publicans and sinners and one that wrought by the Deâ—il that all those afflictions that befel him were by God inflicted upon him for his own evil deserts They accounted him to be one out of grace and favour with God yea to be one pursued by him with all those evils for his sins when the Jews saw what grievous things Christ suffered they wickedly and impiously judged that he was thus handled by God in way of vengeance for his sins By all which you may see that in the persons redeemed by Christ there was nothing of worth or honour to be found for which the punishment due to them should
Christ was manifested to be a true man he had a body like ours a body subject to manifold infirmities yea to death it self That body which Christ had is said to be prepared by God the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated prepared is a Metaphor from Mechanicks who do artificially fit one part of their work to another and so finish the whole God fitted his son's body to be joyned with the Deity and to be an expiatory sacrifice for sin The word prepared implies that God the father ordained formed and made fit and able Christ's humane nature to undergo suffer and fulfil that for which he was sent into the world God the father is here said to have prepared Christ a body because Christ having received of his father the humane nature out of the flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Mat. 1. 20. Luk 1. 31. 35. Holy Ghost here gives up the same unto the service of his father to do to suffer to die that he might be a sacrifice of expiation for our sins As for the words of the Psalmist Psal 40. 6. Mine ear hast thou opened Heb. digged open It is a proverbial manner of speech whereby there is implyed the qualifying or fitting a man unto obedience in service the ear or the opening of the ear Isa 50 5. Job 3. 16. being an emblem or symbol or a Metaphorical sign of obedience Now St. Paul following the translation of the Septuagint and being directed by the spirit of God expounds this of God's sanctifying and fitting a body unto Christ wherein hs was obedient even unto the shameful death of the Cross These words thou hast bored through mine ears do import that Christ now becoming man gives up himself to be a willing servant of his father to obey him unto the death of the cross And it is a similitude taken from the servants of the Hebrews who after that they had served their masters six years would not depart out of their master's service the seventh year but abide in it continually until death for a testimony whereof their ear was bored thorow on the posts of the door as may be seen Exod. 21. 6. It is therefore as much as if he should say thou hast given me a body that is willing and ready in thy service even unto death But to conclude this head the Apostle speaking of disanulling the sacrifice of the Law he uses this word body to set out a sacrifice which should come in stead of the legal sacrifices to effect that which the legal sacrifices could not effect But Fourthly Observe that Christ our Mediator freely and readily offers himself to be our pledg and surety Then said I lo I come to wit as surety to pay the ransome and to do thy will O God Every word carrieth a special emphasis as 1. The time Then even so soon as he perceived that his father had prepared his body for such an end then without delay this speed implyeth forwardness and readiness he would lose no opportunity 2. His profession in this word said I he did not closely secretly timorously as being ashamed thereof but he maketh profession before-hand 3. This note of observation Lo this is a kind of calling Angels and men to witness and a desire that all might know his inward intention and the disposition of his heart wherein was as great a willingness as any could have to any thing 4. An offering of himself without any enforcement or compulsion this he manifesteth in this word I come 5. That very instant set out in the present tense I come he puts it not off to a future and uncertain time but even in that moment he saith I come 6. The first person twice expressed thus I said I come he sendeth not another person nor substituteth any in his room but he even he himself in his own person cometh All which do abundantly evidence Christ's singular readiness and willingness as our surety to do his father's will though it were by suffering and by being made a sacrifice for our sins God's will was the rule of Christ's active and passive obedience Jesus Christ our only Mediatour and surety by free and ready obedience and death did make a proper real and full satisfaction to God's justice for the sins of all the Elect. Christ hath by his death and blood as an invaluable price of our redemption made sure the favour of God the pardon of our sins and the salvation of our souls Christ hath freed his chosen from all temporal spiritual and eternal punishments properly so called so that now the mercy of God may embrace the sinner without the least of wrong to his truth or justice But Fifthly Observe that Jesus Christ our surety does not only agree with his father about the price that he was to lay down for our redemption but also agrees with his father about the persons that were to be redeemed and their sanctification Heb. 10. 10. By the which will that is by the execution of which will by the obedience of Christ to his heavenly father we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Jesus Christ agrees with the father that all those shall be sanctified for whom he has suffered and satisfied The vertue efficacy and benefit of that which ariseth from the aforesaid will of the father and of the son is expressed under this word sanctified To pass by the notation and divers acceptations of this word sanctified let it suffice to tell you It is not here to be taken as distinguished from justification or glorification as it is else where taken but 1 Cor. 1. 30. cap. 6. 11. so as comprising under it all the benefits of Christ's sacrifice In this general and large extent it is sometimes Heb. 10. 14. cap. 2. 11. A◠26. 18. taken only this word sanctified here gives us to understand that perfection consisteth especially in holiness for he expresseth the perfection of Christ's sacrifice under the word sanctified which implyeth a making holy this Eccles 7. 31. was that special part of perfection wherein man was made at first and whereunto the Apostle alludeth where Eph. 4. 2◠he exhorteth To put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness for this end Christ gave himself even unto death for his Church that he might sanctifie it The principal thing under this Eph. 5. 25. word sanctified in this place is that Christ's sacrifice maketh perfect in this respect Christ's sacrifice is here opposed to the legal sacrifices which could not make perfect So that Christ's sacrifice was offered up to do that which they could not do for this end was Christ's sacrifice surrogated in the room of the legal sacrifices now this surrogation had been in vain if Christ's sacrifice had not made us perfect if the dignity of his person that was offered up and his
he was the true Messiah and of the father's installing him into that office of a Redeemer So Joh. 6. 38. I came down from heaven not to do mine See Joh. 10. 17. câ—p 16. 27. own will but the will of him that sent me In this verse Christ declares in the general that his errand into the world is to do his father's will who sent him and not his own which is not to be understood that as God he hath a different and contrary will to the fathers though as man he hath a distinct and subordinate will to his but the meaning is he came not to do his own will only as the Jews alledged against him but the father 's also and that in this work he was the father's Commissioner sent to do what he had entrusted him with and not as the Jews gave out that he was one who did that for which he had no warrant Christ in entertaining them that come to him as in vers 37. is not only led thereunto by his own mercy and bounty and love towards them as the reward of all his sufferings but doth also stand obliged thereunto by vertue of a Commission and trust laid upon him by the father and accepted and undertaken by him therefore he doth mention the will of him that sent him as a reason of his fidelity in this matter By what has been said it is most evident that God the father had thâ— first and chief hand in the great work of our Redemption It is good to look upon God the father as the first projector of our happiness and blessedness that we may honour the father as we honour the son and love the father as we love the son and value the father as we value the son admire the father as we admire the son and exalt the father as we exalt the son and cleave to the father as we cleave to the son c. I have a little the longer insisted on this propositon because commonly we are more apprehensive of the love of the son than we are of the love of the father that I may the more heighten your apprehensions of the father's love in the great work of Redemption Ah! what amazing love is this that the thoughts of the father that the eye of the father that the heart of the father should be first fixed upon us that he should begin the treaty with his son that he should make the first motion of love that he should first propose the Covenant of Redemption and thereby lay such a sure foundation for man's recovery out of his slavery and misery To speak after the manner of men the business from Eternity lay thus here is man saith God the father to his son fallen from his primitive purity glory and excellency into a most woful gulf of sin and misery he that was once a son is now become a slave he that was once a friend is Eâ—h 2. 12 13. now become an enemy he that was once near us is now afar off he that was once in favour is now cast off he Gen. 1. 26 27. that was once made in our image has now the image of Satan stamp'd upon him he who had once sweet communion with us has now fellowship with the Devil and his Angels Now out of this forlorn estate he can never deliver himself neither can all the Angels in heaven deliver him now this being his present case and state I make this offer to thee O my son If in the fulness of Phil. 2. 7 8. Isa 63. 3. Gal. 3. 13. time thou wilt assume the nature of man tread the wine-press of my wrath alone bear the curse shed thy blood die suffer satisfie my justice fulfil my Royal Law then I can upon the most honourable terms imaginable save fallen man and put him into a safer and happier condition than ever that was from whence Adam fell and give thee a noble reward for all thy sufferings Upon this Jesus Christ replies O my father I am very ready and willing to do to suffer to die to satisfie thy justice to comply with thee in all thy noble motions and in all thy gracious and favourable inclinations that poor sinners may be sanctified and saved made gracious and glorious 1 Thes 1. ult Heb. 10. 10. 14. Psal 40. 6 7. holy and happy that poor sinners may never perish that poor sinners may be secured from wrath to come and be brought into a state of light life and love I am willing to make my self an offering and Loe I am come to do thy will O God Thus you see how firstly and greatly and graciously the thoughts of God have been set at work that poor sinners may be for ever secured and saved But The Seventh Proposition is this It was agreed between Gen. 3. 15. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Aâ—t 2. 30. cap. 3. 22. Isa 7. 14. cap. 9. 6. Dâ—ut 18. 15 18. Gal. 4. 4. â—em 8. 3. the father the son that Jesus Christ should be incarnate that he should take on him the nature of those whom he was to save and for whom he was to satisfie and to bring to glory Christs incarnation was very necessary in respect of that work of Redemption that he by agreement with the father had undertaken he had engaged himself to his father that the would redeem lost sinners and as their surety make full satisfaction By the fall of Adam God and man was fallen out they were at variance at enmity at open Râ—m 8. 7. hostility so that by this means all intercourse between heaven and earth was stopped and all trading between God and us ceased Now to redress all this and to make an atonement a Mediatour was necessary now this office belonged unto Jesus Christ both by his father's Heb. 10 5 6 7. ordination and his own voluntary susception and for discharge of it a humane nature was very requisite there was an absolute necessity that Christ should suffer partly because he was pleased to substitute himself in the sinner's stead and partly because his sufferings only could be satisfactory But now unless Christ be incarnate how can he suffer the whole lies thus without satisfaction no Redemption without suffering no satisfaction without flesh no suffering Ergo Christ must be incarnate The Joh. 1. 14. word must be made flesh And so Heb. 2. 14 16. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham 1 Tim. 3. 16. Without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory This is only
everlasting life for it is explained that not to lose them vers 39. is that they may have everlasting life for the further assurance of believers of their eternal happiness it is also covenanted that they shall have this life in present possession in the earnest and first fruits thereof for they have everlasting life even here and before their raising up They have everlasting life 1. in prâ—misso 2. in pretio 3. in primltiis he stands already on the battlements of heaven he hath one foot in the porch of Paradise Again Christ having given an earnest-penny of salvation will not suffer it to be lost by any difficulty or impediment in the way but will carry believers through all difficulties till he destroy death and the grave and raise up their very dust that in body and soul they may partake of that bliss and that he may make it manifest that death and rotting in the grave doth not make void his interest nor cause his affection to cease Therefore it is added And I will raise him up at the last day Thus you see that God the father did lay his commands upon his son to engage in this great work of redeeming and saving poor sinners souls c. In the third place I shall shew you that the manner or quality of the transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ was by mutual engagements and stipulations each person undertaking to perform his part in order to our recovery and eternal felicity we find each person undertaking for himself by solemn promise The father promiseth that he will hold Christ's hand and keep him Isa 42. 6. God the father engages himself to direct and assist Christ and to keep him from miscarrying and that he will give him all necessary strength and ability for the execution of his mediatory office and work wonders by him and with him according to that word My father hitherto worketh and I work and the son engages Joh. 5. 17. himself that he will obey the fathers call and not be rebellious Isa 50. 5. I was not rebellious neither turned away Exod. 3. 11 13. cap. 4. 1 10 13. back that is I did not hang back as Moses once and again did nor refuse to go when God sent me as once Jon. 1. 3. Jon. â—s did but I offered my self freely and readily to my father's call there was no affliction no opposition no persecution no evil usage that I met with in carrying on the work of Redemption that did ever startle me or discourage me or make me flinch or shrink back from that great and blessed work that I had undertaken I was dutiful and obedient to the calls commands of my father in all things that he required of me or set me about Now the father the son being thus mutually engaged by promise one to another in honour and faithfulness it highly concerned them to keep one another close to the terms of the Covenant that was made between them and accordingly they did for God the father peremptorily stands upon that compleat and full satisfaction that Christ had promised to give to his justice and therefore when the day of payment came he would not abate Jesus Christ one penny one farthing of the many ten thousand Talents that he Mat. 18. 24. was to pay down upon the nail for us Rom. 8. 32. God spared not his own son that is he abated nothing of that full price that by agreement with his father he was to lay down for us other fathers give their all to spare and redeem their children but the heart of God the father is so fully and strongly set upon satisfaction that he will not spare his son his own son his only son but give him up to death yea to an accursed death that we might be Mauritius who died most miserably spared and saved for ever I have read of a Roman Emperour who chose rather to spare his money than to redeem his souldiers being taken prisoners But to redeem us God would not spare no not his own son because no money nor treasure would serve the turn but only the blood yea the heart-blood of his dear son 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And as God the father keeps Christ close to the terms of the Covenant so Jesus Christ keeps his father close to the terms of the Covenant also Joh. 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth saith Christ to his father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was O my father I have finished the work of Redemption but where 's the wages where 's the glory where 's the reward that thou hast promised me There was nothing committed to Christ by the father to be done on earth for the purchasing of our Redemption but he did finish it so that the debt is paid justice satisfied and sin Satan and death spoiled so that nothing remains but that Christ be glorified according to the promise of the father to him The summ of Christ's petition is this that since he had finished the work of Redemption that therefore the father according to his engagement would advance him to the possession of that glory that he enjoyed from all eternity Now for the clearing of this we must consider that as Christ was from Eternity the glorious God so we are not to conceive of any real change in this glory of his Godhead as if by his estate of humiliation he had suffered any diminution or by his state of exaltation any real accession were made to his glory as God But the true meaning is this That Christ having according to the paction past betwixt the father and him obscured the glory of his Godhead for a time under the veil of the Phil. 2. 5 6 7 8. form of a servant and our sinless infirmities doth now expect according to the tenour of the same paction after he had done his work to be exalted and glorified and openly declared to be the son of God the veil of his estate Rom. 1. 4. of humiliation though not of our nature being taken away It is further to be considered that however this eternal glory be proper to him as God yet he prays to be glorified in his whole person Glorifie me because not only his humane nature was to be exalted to what glory finite nature was capable of but the glory of his Godhead was to shine in the person of Christ God-man and in the man Christ though without confusion of his natures and properties Christ did so faithfully discharge his trust and perfect the work of Redemption as that the father was engaged by paction to glorifie him and accordingly Christ God incarnate is exalted with the father in glory and majesty so that believers may be as sure that all things necessary for their Redemption are done as
to the last But Fourthly God the father promiseth to Jesus Christ that he shall not labour in vain and that the work of Redemption shall prosper in his hand and that he will give a blessed success to all his undertakings and crown all his endeavours He shall see his seed and he shall see the travail of his soul Another promise of the father 〈◊〉 â—â— 1. 53. 10. 〈◊〉 49. 6 7 â— 9 10 11 12. 〈◊〉 4. 3. to the son you have in that Isa 55. 5. Nations that know thee not shall run unto thee The Gentiles that never heard of Christ nor ever were acquainted with Christ nor ever had any notice of Christ when Christ calls they shall readily and speedily repair unto him and submit unto him Christ shall one day see and reap the sweet and happy fruit of his blood sufferings and undertakings the pleasure of the Lord shall certainly prosper in his hand Christ's sufferings were as a woman's travail sharp though short Now though a woman suffers many grievous pains and pangs yet when she sees a man child brought into the world she joys and is satisfied So when nations shall run to Christ he shall see his seed and be satisfied God the father promiseth that Jesus Christ shall have a numerous spiritual postâ—rity begetting and bringing many thousands to the obedience of his father Nations shall run unto thee And this shall fill the heart of Jesus Christ with abundance of joy and comfort contentment and satisfaction when he shall see the fruit of his bitter sufferings when he shall see abundance of poor filthy guilty condemned sinners pardoned justified and accepted with his Psal 63. 5. father His soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness The numerous body of believers past present and to come that God the father had promised to Jesus Christ was the life of his life That 's a sweet promise Psal 110. 2. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies they that will not bend must break those that will not stoop to his government shall feel his power Thy people the people Joh. 17. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Luk. 1. 57. 1 Cor. 3. ult of God are Christ's five ways 1. By donation 2. By purchase 3. By conquest 4. By covenant 5. By communication shall be willing in the day of thy power Heb. willingnesses in the abstract and in the plural number as if the Holy Ghost could not sufficiently set forth their exceeding great willingness to submit to all the Royal commands of the Lord. All Christ's Subjects are Volunteers free hearted like those Isles that wait for God's Law Isa 42. 4. cap. 56. 6. Zach. 8. 21. And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another saying let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts I will go also From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Here 's the success of Christ's office promised both in the victorious subduing of his enemies and in the chearful willingness of his subjects and in the wonderful numerousness of his people brought over to him even like the innumerable drops of the morning dew Another promise of that great and compleat success that God the father hath made for Jesus Christ in his Mediatory office you have in that Isa 49. from the 6. verse to the 14. verse Christ shall have a people gathered to him and a seed to serve him Because he hath made his soul an offering for their sins The multitude of sinners brought over to Jesus Christ is the product of the satisfaction which he hath made for them and the trophies of the victory that he hath got by dying the death of thâ— Cross Thus you see that God the father hath not only engaged himself by compact to preserve Jesus Christ in his work but he hath also made to him several precious promises of preservation protection and success so that the work of Redemption shall be sure to prosper in his hand And to make these glorious promises the more valid and binding God confirms them solemnly by an oath Heb. 7. 21. This Priest Christ was made with an oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a priest for ever God the father foresaw from everlasting that Jesus Christ would so infinitely satisfie him and please him by his incarnation obedience and death that thereupon he swears But Fifthly God the father promiseth to Jesus Christ Rule Dominion and Sovereignty This Sovereignty and Rule Psal 2. 8 9. is promised to Jesus Christ in Isa 40. 10. His arm shall rule for him He shall sit in judgment in the earth and the Isles shall wait for his law Isa 42. 4. not the Jews only but the Gentiles also the people of divers countries and nations shall willingly and readily receive and embrace his doctrine and submit to his Laws and give up themselves to his rule Mic. 4. 3. He shall judge among many nations that is rule order command and direct as a Judge and and Ruler among many nations The Conquests that Christ shall gain over the Nations shall not be by swords and arms but he shall bring them to a voluntary obedience and spiritual subjection by his Spirit and Gospel Joh. 3. 35. The father loveth the son and hath given all things into his hand that is God the father hath given the rule and power over all things in heaven and earth to Jesus Christ In carrying on the Redemption of sinners as the matter is accorded betwixt the father and the son so the redeemed are not left to themselves but are put under Christ's charge and custody who has purchased them with his blood God the father having given him dominion over all that may contribute to help or hinder his peoples happiness that he may order them so as may be for their good And this power he hath as God with the father and as man and Mediatour by donation Mat. â—8 18. câ—p 2. 3. and gift from the father and thus every believer's happiness is most firm and sure all things being wisely and faithfully transacted between the father and the son Colâ—s 1. 19. cap. 2. 1. As long as Jesus Christ has all power to defend his people and all wisdom and knowledg to guide and govern his people and all dominion to curb the enemies of his people and a commission and charge to be answerable for them we may roundly conclude of their eternal safety security and felicity But Sixthly God the father promiseth to accept of Jesus Isa 49. 5. Christ in his Mediatory office according to that of Isaiah Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord that is as if he had said notwithstanding the infidelity obstinacy and impenitency of the greatest part of the Jews yet my faithful labour and diligence in the execution of my Mediatory office is and shall
come into the world assume our nature be made under the Law tread the Wine-press of the Father's wrath bear the Curse and give satisfaction to his Justice Now upon the credit of this promise upon this undertaking of Christ God the Father takes up the Patriarchs and all the Old Testament-believers to Glory God the Father resting upon the promise and engagement of his Son admits many thousands into those 〈…〉 on s above before Joh. 14. 2 3. Christ took Flesh upon him Now as tâ—â— Father of old hath rested and relyed on the promise and engagement of Christ so Jesus Christ doth to this very day â—â—st and stay himself upon the promise of his Father that he shall in Isa â—3 10. due time see all his seed and reap the full benefit of that full Ransom that he has paid down upon the nail for all that have believed on him that do believe on him and that shall believe on him Christ knew God's infinite Love his tender Compassions and his matchless Bowels to all those for whom he died And he knew very well the Covenant the Compact the Agreement that past between the Father and himself and so trusted the Father fully in the great business of their everlasting happiness and blessedness relying upon the love and faithfulness of God his love to the Elect and his faithfulness to keep Covenant with him As the Elect are committed to Christ's charge to give an account of them so also is the Father engaged for their conversion and for their preservation being converted As being not only his own Joh. 6. 37. Isa 53. 11. given to Christ out of his love to them but as being engaged to Christ that he shall not be frustrate of the reward of his Sufferings but have a Seed to glorifie him for ever Therefore doth Christ not only constantly preserve them by his Spirit but doth leave also that burden on the Father Father keep those whom thou hast given me Joh. 17. 11. But Fourthly Jesus Christ promises and engages himself to his Father that he would bear all and suffer all that should be laid upon him and that he would ransom poor sinners and fully satisfie Divine Justice by his blood and death as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Isa 5â— 5 6. Joh. 10. 17. 18. cap. 15. 10. Luk. 24. 46. Heb. 10. 5 6 7 10. I have opened these Scriptures already Margin together The work of Redemption could never have been effected by silver or gold or by prayers or tears or by the blood of Bulls or Goats but by the second Adam's obedience even to the death of the Cross Remission of sin the favour of God the heavenly Inheritance could never have been obtained but by the procious blood of the Son of God The innocent Lamb of God was slain in typical prefigurations from the beginning of the world and slain in real performance in the fulness of time or else fallen man had layen under guilt and wrath for ever The heart of Jesus Christ was strongly set upon all those that his Father had given him and he was fully resolved to secure them from Hell and the Curse whatever it cost him and seeing no price would satisfie his Father's Justice below his Blood he lays down his life at his Father's feet according to the Covenant and Agreement of old that had past between his Father and himself But Fifthly The Lord Jesus Christ was very free ready willing and careful to make good all the Articles of the Covenant on his side and to discharge all the works agreed Joh. 12. 49 50. cap. 17. 6. on for the Redemption and Salvation of the Elect Joh. 17. 4. I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do There was nothing committed to Christ by the Father to be done on earth for the purchasing of our Redemption but he did finish it so that the Debt is paid Colos 2. 14 15. Heb. 2. 14. Justice satisfied and sin Satan and death spoiled of all their hurting and destroying power By the Covenant of Redemption Christ was under an obligation to die to Dan. 9. 24. satisfie to Divine Justice to pay our debts to bring in an everlasting Righteousness to purchase our Pardon and Heb. 9. 12. to obtain eternal Redemption for us all which he compleated and finished before he ascended up to glory And Act. 1. 9 10 11. without a peradventure had not Jesus Christ kept touch with his Father had not he made good the Covenant the Compact the Agreement on his part his Father would never have given him such a welcome to heaven as he did nor he would never have admitted him to have sat down Heb. 1. 3. Rom. 8 34. Colâ—s â— 1. Hâ—b 8. 1. cap. 10. 12. 1 â—et 3. 22. on the right hand of the Majesty on high as he did The right hand is a place of the greatest honour dignity and safety that any can be advanced to But had not Jesus Christ first purged away our sins he had never sat down on the right hand of his Father Christ's advancement is properly Mat. 26. 64. Act. 7. 56. of his Humane Nature That Nature wherein Christ was crucified was exalted for God being the Most High needs not be exalted yet the Humane Nature in this exaltation is not singly and simply considered in it self but as united to the Deity so that it is the Person consisting of two Natures even God-man which is thus dignified For as the Humane Nature of Christ is inferiour to God and is capable of advancement so also is the person consisting of a Divine and Humane Nature Christ as the Son of God the second Person of the sacred Trinity is in regard of his Deity no whit inferiour to his Father but every way equal yet he assumed our nature and became a Mediator betwixt God man he humbled himself and made himself inferiour to his Father his Father therefore hath highly exalted him Phil. 2. 8 9. and set him down on his right hand If Christ had not Eph. 1. 20. expiated our sins and compleated the work of our Redemption he could never have sat down on the right hand of God Heb. 10. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God This verse is added in opposition to the former as is evident by the first Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in the former verse it was proved that the Sacrifices which were offered under the Law could not take away sins This verse proveth that there is a Sacrifice which hath done that that they could not do The Argument is taken from that Priest's ceasing to offer any more Sacrifices after he had offered one whereby is implyed that there needed no other because that one had done it to the full sin was taken away by Christ's Sacrifice for thereby a Ransom was paid