our miserable natural estate there is as close an union betwixt us and sin as betwixt our Souls and Bodies it lives in us and we in it and the longer we live in that condition the more the union growes and the harder it is to dissolve it and it is as old as the union of Soul and Body begun with it so that nothing but that death here spoke of can part them And this death in this relative sense is mutual in the work of conversion sin dyes and the soul dyes to sin and these two are really one and the same the spirit of God kills both at one blow Sin in the Soul and the soul to sin as the Apostle sayes of the World both are kill'd the one to the other And there are in it chiefly these two things that make the difference 1. The Solidness And 2. The universallity of this change under this notion of Death Many things may ly in a Man's way betwixt him and the acting of divers sins which possibly he affects most some restraints outward or inward may be upon him the authority of others or the fear of shame or punishment or the check of an enlightned conscience and though by reason of these he commit not the sin he would yet he lives in it because he loves it because he would commit it as we say the soul lives not so much where it animats as where it Loves And generally that kind of Metaphorical life by which a Man is said to live in any thing hath its principal Seat in the affection that 's the immediate link of the union in such a life and the untying and death consists chiefly in the disengagement of the heart breaking off the affection from it Ye that love the Lord hate evil An unrenewed mind may have some temporary dislikes even of its beloved sins in cold blood but it returnes to like them within a while A Man may not only have times of cessation from his wonted way of sinning but by reason of the Society wherein he is and withdrawing of occasions to sin and divers other causes his very desire after it may seem to him to be abated and yet he not dead to sin but only asleep to it and therefore when a temptation back'd with opportunity and other inducing circumstances comes and joggs him he awakes and arises and followes it A Man may for a while distaste some meat that he loves possibly upon a surfet but he regains quickly his likeing of it Every quarrel with sin and fit of dislike of it is not this hatred Upon the lively representing the deformity of his sin to his mind Certainly a Natural Man may fall out with it but these are but as the litle jarres of Husband and Wife that are far from dissolving the Marriage 't is not a fixed hatred such as amongst the Jews inferr'd a divorce if thou hate her put her away and that is to die to it as by a Legal Divorce the Husband and Wife are civilly dead one to another in regard of the ty and use of Marriage Again some Mens Education and Custome and morall principles may free them from the grossest kind of Sins yea a Man's temper may be averse from them but they are alive to their own kind of sins such as possibly are not so deform'd in the common account Coveteousness or Pride or hardness of heart and either a hatred or disdain of the wayes of Holiness that are too strict for them and exceed their size Beside for the good of humane Society and for the Interest of his own Church and People God restrains many Natural Men from the height of wickedness and gives them moral Vertues There be very many and very common sins that more refined Natures it may be are scarce tempted to but as in their Diet and Apparel and other things in their Natural Life they have the same kind of being with other Persons though more neat and pleasant so in this living to sin They live the same life with other ungodly Men though in a litle more deicate way They consider not that the Devils are not in themselves subject to nor capable of many of those sins that are accounted grossest amonst Men and yet are greater Rebels and Enemies to God than Men are But to be dead to sin goes deeper and extends further than all these Namely a most inward alienation of heart from sin and most universal from all sin an antipathy to the most beloved sin Not only he must forbear sin but hate it I hate vain thoughts and not only hate some but all I hate every false way A stroke at the heart does it which is the certainest and quickest Death of any wound For in this dying to sin all the whole Man of necessity dyes to it the mind dyes to the Device and study of Sin that vein and invention becomes dead the hand dies to the acting of it the ear to the delightful hearing of things profane and sinful the Tongue to the Worlds dialect of Oaths and rotten-speaking and calumny and evil speaking this is the commonest piece of the Tongues life in sin the very natural heat of sin that acts and vents most that way the Eye dead to that intemperate look that Solomon speaks of eyeing the Wine when it is red and well colour'd in the cup. Prov. 23. That is is taken with looking on the glittering skin of that Serpent till it bite and sting as there he addes Dead to that unchaste look that sets fire in the heart to which Iob blind folded and deaded his eyes by an express compact and agreement with them I have made a Covenant with mine eyes The Eye of a Godly Man is not on the false sparkling of the Worlds Pomp and Honour and Wealth 't is dead to them quite dazled with a greater beauty the grass look's fine in the morning when 't is set with those liquid Pearles the drops of dew that shine upon it but if you can look but a little while on the body of the Sun and then look down again the Eye is as it were dead sees not that faint shining on the earth that it thought so gay before and as the Eye is blinded and dies to it so within a few hours it quite evanishes and dyes it self Men think it strange that the Godly are not of their Dyet that their Appetite is not stirr'd with the delights of dainties they know not that such as be Christians indeed are dead to those things and the best dishes that are set before a dead Man give him not a stomach The Godly Mans throat is cut to those meats as Solomon advises in another subject But why may not you be a litle more sociable to follow the fashion of the World and and take a share with your Neighbours may some say without so precise and narrow examining every thing 'T is true sayes the Christian that the time was I advis'd as litle with
Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Who can conceive whence this should be that any man should believe unless it be given him of God and if given him then it was his purpose to give it him and if so then is it evident that he had a purpose to save him and for that end he gives faith not therefore purposes to Save because Man shall believe 4. This seems cross to these Scriptures where they speak of the subordination or rather Coordination of those two as here Foreknown and Elect not because of Obedience or sprinkling or any such thing but to Obedience and sprinkling which is by faith So he predestinated not because he foresaw Men would be conform to Christ but that they might be so as Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and the same order Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved and 13.48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed This Foreknowledge then is his Eternal and Unchangable Love and that thus he Chuseth some and rejecteth others is for that great End to manifest and magnifie his Mercy and Justice but why he appointed this Man for the one and the other for the other made Peter a vessel of this mercy and Iudas of wrath this is even so because it seemed good to him This if it be harsh yet is Apostolick Doctrine Hath not the Potter saith St. Paul power over the same Lump to make one Vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour This deep we must admire and alwayes in considering it close with this O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Now the Connexion of these we are for our profit to take notice of that effectual Calling is inseparably tyed to this Eternal Foreknowledge or Election on the one side and Salvation on the other These two links of the chain are up in Heaven in Gods own hand but this middle one is let down to earth into the hearts of his Children and they laying hold on it hath sure hold on the other two for no power can sever them and therefore the reading the characters of Gods Image in their own souls those are the counterpain of the golden characters of his Love in which their names are written in the Book of Life Their believing writes their names under the promises of the revealed Book of Life the Scriptures and so ascertains them that the same names are in the secret Book of Life that God hath by himself from Eternity So finding the stream of grace in their hearts tho they see not the Fountain whence it flowes nor the Ocean into which it returns yet they know that it hath its source and shall return to that Ocean which ariseth from their Eternal Election and Salvation and shall empty it selfe into Eternity of happiness Hence much joy ariseth to the Believer this tye indissolvable as the Agents are the Father the Son and the Spirit So Election and Vocation and Sanctification and Iustification and Glory and therefore in all conditions they may from the sence of the working of the Spirit in them look back to that Election and forward to that Salvation but they that remain unholy and dissobedient have as yet no evidence of this Love and therefore cannot without vain presumptions and self delusion Judge thus of themselves that they are within the peculiaâ— Love of God but in this Let the Righteous be glad and let them shout for joy all that are upright in heart 'T is one main point of happiness that he that is happy doth know and judge himselfe to be so this being the peculiar good of a reasonable creature 't is to be enjoyed in a Reasonable way 't is not as the dull resting of a Stone or any other natural body in its natural place but the knowledge and consideration of it is the fruition of it the very relishing and tasting its sweetness The perfect blessedness of the Saints is abiding them above but even their present condition is truly happy tho incompleatly and but a small beginning of that which they expect and this their present happiness is so much the more the more clear knowledge and firm perswasion they have of it 't is one of the pleasant fruits of the Godly to know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Therefore the Apostle to comfort his dispersed Brethren sets before them a description of that excellent Spiritual Condition to which they are called If they be inseparably linkt together then by any one of them a man may lay hold upon all the rest and may know that his hold is sure and this is that way wherein we may attain and ought to seek that comfortable assurance of the Love of God Therefore Make your Calling sure and by that your Election for that being done this follows of it self We are not to pry immediately into the Decree but to read it in the performance though the Mariner sees not the Pole-star yet the Needle of the Compass that points to it tells him which way he sails thus the heart that is touched with the Loadstone of Divine Love trembling with godly fear and yet still looking towards God by fixed believing it points at the Love of Election and tells the soul that its courss is heavenward towards the Haven of Eternal rest He that Loves may be sure he was loved first and he that chuses God for his delight and Portion may conclude confidently that God hath chosen him to be one of those that shall enjoy him and be happy in him for ever for that our Love and Electing of him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of his Love shining upon us Find thou but within thee Sanctification by the Spirit and this argues necessarily both Justification by the Son and the Election of God the Father 1 Ioh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit 'T is a most strange demonstration ab Effectu reciproco He Called those he hath Elected he Elected those he Called where this sanctifying Spirit is not there can be no perswasion of this Eternal Love of God they that are Children of disobedience can conclude no otherwise of themselves but that they are the Children of wrath Although from present unsanctification a Man cannot inferre that he is not Elected for the Decree may for part of a Mans life run as it were under-ground Yet this is sure that that estate leads to death and unless it be broken will prove the black line of reprobation A man hath no Portion amongst the Children of God nor can read one word of Comfort in all the Promises that belongs to them while he remains unholy Men may please themselves in prophane Scoffing at the Holy Spirit of Grace but let them withal know this that that Holy Spirit
still cleave to sin and love sin better than him that suffered for it But you whose hearts the Lord hath deeply humbled in the sense of sin come to this depth of consolation and try it that you may have experience of the sweetness and â—iches of it study this point throughly and you will find it answer all and quiet your consciences Apply this bearing of sin by the Lord Jesus for you for it is publish'd and made known to you for this purpose this is the genuine and true use of it as of the Brazen Serpent not â—emptily to gaze on the Fabrick of it but to cure those that look'd on it when all that can be said is said against you ' its true may you say but it is satisfied for he on whom I rest made it his and did bear it for me The person of Christ of more worth than all Men yea than all the creatures and therefore his life a full ransome for the greatest offender And for outward troubles and sufferings which were the occasion of this Doctrine in this place they are all made exceeding light by the removal of this great pressure Let the Lord lay on me what he will seeing he hath taken off my sin and laid that on his own Son in my stead I may suffer many things but he hath bâ—rn that for me which alone was able to make me miserable And you that have this perswasion how will your hearts be taken up with his love Who thus lov'd you as to give himself for you and by interposing himself to bear off from you the stroke of everlasting death and that encountered all the wrath due to us and went through with that great work by reason of his unspeakable love Let him never go forth from my heart who for my sake refus'd to go down from the cross That we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousnesse The Lord doth nothing in vain hath not made the least of his work to no purpose in wisdom hath he made them all sayes the Psalmist and that is not only in regard of their excellent frame and Order but of their end which is a chief Point of Wisdom so then to the right knowledge of this great work put into the hands of Jesus Christ it is of special concern to understand what is this end This is the thing thâ—t his wisdom and love aim'd at in that great undertaking and therefore will be our truest wisdom and the truest evidence of our reflex Love to intend the same thing that in this the same mind may be in us that was in Christ Iesus in his suffering for us and for this very end is it express'd In this there are 3. Things 1st What this death and life is 2. The intendment of it in the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ. 3. The effecting of it by them Whatsoever this is sure 't is no small change that bears the Name of the great and last natural change that we are subject to a death and then another kind of life succeeding to it and in this the greatest part are mistaken that they take any light alteration in themselves for true conversion There be a World deluded with superficial Moral changes in their Life some rectifying of their outward actions and course of Life and somewhat too in the temper and habitude of their mind far from reaching the bottom of Natures wickedness and laying the axe to the root of the Tree 't is such a work as Men can make a shift withal by themselves but the Renovation that the Spirit of God worketh is like himself so deep and through a work that it is justly called by the Name of the most substantial works and productions a new birth and more than that a new Creation and here a Death and a kind of life following it This death to sin supposes a former living in it and to it and while a Man is so he is said indeed to be dead in sin and yet withal this is true that he lives in sin as the Apostle joynes the expressions speaking of Widowes she that lives in pleasures is dead while she liveth So Eph. 2. dead in trespasses and sins and he addes wherein ye walked which imports a life such an one as it is and more expresly Verse 3. We had our conversation in the lusts of our flesh Now thus to live in sin is call'd to be dead in it because in that condition Man is indeed dead in respect of that Divine Life of the Soul that happy being which it should have in Union with God for which it was made and without which it had better not be at all For that Life as it is different from its natural being and a kind of Life above it so it is contrary to that corrupt being and life it hath in sin and therefore to live in sin is to be dead in it being a deprivement of that Divine being that Life of the Soul in God in comparison whereof not only the base life it hath in sin but the very natural life it hath in the Body and the Body by it is not worthy the Name of Life You see the Body when the threed of its union with the Soul is cut becomes not only straightway a motionless lump but within a little time a putrified noysome Carcase and thus the Soul by sin is cut off from God who is its life as is the Soul of the Body it hath not only no moving faculty in good but fills full of rotteness and vileness as the word is Psal. 14. they are gone aside and become filthy The Soul by turning away from God turns filthy yet as a Man thus Spiritually dead lives naturally so because he acts and spends that Natural life in the wayes of sin he is said to live in sin yea there is somewhat more in that expression than the mere passing of his life in that way for in stead of that happy life his Soul should have in God he pleases himself in the miserable life of sin that which is his death as if it were the proper life of his Soul that natural propension he hath to sin and the continual delight he takes in it as in his Element and living to it as if that were the very end of his being In that estate his Body nor his mind stirreth not without sin setting aside his manifest breaches of the Law those actions that are evidently and totally sinful his natural actions his eating and drinking his religious actions his Praying and hearing and Preaching are sin at the bottom and generally his heart is no other but a forge of sin every imagination every fiction of things framed there is only evil continually or every day and all the day long 't is his very trade and Life Now in opposition to this life of Sin living in it and to it a Christian is said to dy to sin to be cut off or separated from it In
Conscience as others but sought my selfe and pleasd my self as they do and look't no further but that was when I was alive to those wayes but now truly I am dead to them and can you look for activity and conversation from a dead Man the pleasures of sin wherein I liv'd is still the same but I am not the same Are you such a Snake and a Fool sayes the Natural Man as to bear affronts and swallow them and say nothing Can you suffer to be abus'd so by such and such a wrong Indeed sayes the Christian again I could once have resented an injury as you or another and had somewhat of that you call high-heartedness when I was alive after your fashion but now that humour is not only something cool'd but 't is kill'd in me 't is cold dead as ye say and a greater Spirit I think than my own hath taught me another Lesson hath made me both deaf and dumb that way and hath given me a new vent and another language and another Party to speak to in such occasions see for this Psal. 38.12 13 14 15. They that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day long What doth he in this cafe But I as a deaf man heard not and I was as a dumb Man that openeth not his mouth And why for in thee O Lord do I hope And for this deadness that you despise I have seen him that dyed for me who when he was reviled reviled not again This is the true Character of a Christian dead to sin but alas Where is this Christian to be found and yet thus is every one that truly partakes of Christ he is dead to sin really Hypocrites have a Historical kind of Death like this as Players in Tragedies Those Players have loose bags of Blood that receive the wound so the Hypocrite in some externals and it may be in that which is as near him as any outward thing his Purse he may suffer some Bloodshed of that for Christ but this death to sin is not a sounding fit that one may recover out of again the Apostle Rom. 6. addes that he is buried But this is an unpleasant Subject to talk thus of Death and Burial the very Name of Death in the softest sense it can have makes a sowr melancholly discourse It is so indeed if you take it alone if there were not for the life that 's lost a far better immediately following but so 't is here Living unto righteousness succeeds dying to sin That which makes natural death so affrightful the King of terrours as Iob calls it is mainly this faint belief and assurance of the Resurrection and glory to come And without this all mens moral resolves and discourses are too weak Cordialls against this fear they may set a good face on 't and speak big and so cover the fear they cannot cure but certainly they are a litle ridiculous that would perswade Men to be content to dy by reasoning from the necessity and unavoydableness of it which taken alone rather may beget a desperate discontent than a quiet compliance the very weakness of that Argument is that it is too strong Durum telum That of Company is phantastick it may please the imagination but satisfies not the judgement Nor are the miseries of life though somewhat Properer a full perswasive for Death the oldest decrepitest most diseased persons yet naturally fall not out with life but could have a mind to it still and the very truth is this the worst cottage any dwells in they are loath to go out till they know of a better And the reason why that which is so hideous to others was so sweet to Martyrs Heb. 11.35 And other godly Men that have heartily embrac'd death and welcom'd it though in very Terrible shapes was because they had firm assurance of Immortality beyond it the ugly Deaths head when the light of glory shines through the holes of it is comely and lovely To look upon death as Eternitie's birth day is that which makes it not only tolerable but aimiable Hic dies postremus aeterni natolis est Is the word I admire most of any Heathen Thus here the strongest inducement to this Death is the true notice and contemplation of this Life unto which it sets us over 't is most necessary to represent this for a natural Man hath as great an aversion every whit from this figurative Death this dying to sin as from natural Death and there is the more necessity of perswading him to this because his consent is necessary to 't no Man dies this Death to sin unwillingly although no Man is naturally wiling to it much of this death consists in a Man's consenting thus to dye And this is not only a lawful but a laudible yea a necessary self murder Mortify therefore your members which are upon the Earth Sayes the Apostle Col. 3.5 Now no sinner will be content to dy to sin if that were all but if it be passing to a more excellent Life then he gaineth and it were a folly not to seek this Death It was a strange power of Plato's discourse of the Souls Immortality that moved a young Man upon reading it to throw himself into the Sea that he might leap through it to that Immortality But truely were this Life of God this Life to righteousness and the excellency and delight of it known it would gain many minds to this death that steps into 't 1 There is a necessity of a new being to be the principle of new acting and motion as the Apostle sayes while ye served sin ye were free from righteousness so 't is while ye were alive to sin ye were dead to righteousness But there is a new breath of life from Heaven breathed on the Soul Then lives the Soul indeed when it is one with God and sees Light in his Light hath a Spiritual knowledge of him and therefore Soveraignely loves him and delights in his will and that is indeed to live unto righeousness which in a comprehensive sense takes in all the frame of a Christian life and all the duties of it towards God and towards Men. By this new Nature the very Natural motion of the soul so taken is obedience to God and walking in the paths of righteousness it can no more live in the habitude and wayes of sin than a Man can live under water Sin is not the Christians Element 't is too gross for his renew'd Soul as the water is for his body He may fall into 't but he cannot breath in it cannot take delight and continue to live in it but his delight is in the Law of the Lord that 's the walk that his Soul refreshes it self in he loves it entirely and loves it most where it most crosses the remainders of corruption that are in him he bends the strength of his Soul to please God aimes all at that it takes up his thoughts early and late
us from it Filthiness needs sprinkling Guiltiness such as deserves death needs sprinkling of Blood and the death it deserves being Everlasting death The Blood must be the Blood of Christ. The Eternal Lord of life dying to free us from the sentence of death The Soul as the body hath its life its health its purity and the contrary of these its Death Diseases Deformities and Impurity which belong to it as to their first Subiect and to the body by participation The Soul and Body of all mankind is stained by the Pollution of sin The impure Leprosie of the Soul is not a spot outwardly but wholly inward hence as the corporal Leprosie was purified by the sprinkling of blood so is this Then by reflecting we see how all this that the Apostle St. Peter expresseth is necessary to Justification 1. Christ the Mediator betwixt God and man is God and man 2. A Mediator not only interceeding but also satisfying Eph. 2.16 3. This satisfaction doth not reconcile us unless it be applyed Therefore there is not only mention of blood but the sprinkling of it the spirit by faith sprinkleth the soul as with hysop wherewith the sprinkling was made this is it of which the Prophet speaks Isai. 52.15 So shall he sprinkle many Nations And which the Apostle to the Hebrewes prefers above all Legal sprinklings Chap. 9.12 13 14. both as to its duration and as to the excellency of its effects Men are not easily convinced and perswaded of the deep stain of sin and that no other Laâ—er can fetch it out but the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ. Some that have moral Resolutions of amendment dislike at least gross sins and purpose to avoid them and 't is to them cleanness enough to reform in those things but they consider not what becomes of the guiltiness they have contracted already and how that shall be purged how their natural pollution shall be taken away be not deceived in this 't is not an evaâ—ishing sigh or a light word or a wish of God forgive me no nor the highest current of Repentance nor that which is the truest evidence of Repentance Amendment 'T is none of these that purifies in the sight of God and expiats wrath they are all imperfect and stained themselves cannot stand and answer for themselves much less be of value to counterpoise their former guilt of sin the very tears of the purest Repentance unless they be sprinkled with this Blood are impure all our washings without this are but washings of the Blackmore it is labour in vain Ier. 2.22 Iob. 9.30 31. There is none truly purged by the Blood of Christ that do not endeavour purity of heart and Conversation but yet it is the Blood of Christ by which they are all fair and there is no spot in them here 't is said Elect to obedience but because that obedience is not perfect there must be sprinkling of the Blood too There is nothing in Religion further out of natures reach and out of its likeing and believing then the doctrine of Redemption by a Saviour and a Crucified Saviour by Christ and by his blood first shed on the Cross in his suffering and then sprinkled on the soul by his Spirit 'T is easier to make men sensible of the necessity of Repentance and amendment of life though that is very difficult then of this purging by the sprinkling of this precious Blood Did we see how needful Christ is to us we would esteem and love him more 'T is not by the hearing of Christ and of his blood in the Doctrine of the Gospel 't is not by the sprinkling of water even that water that is the sign of this blood without the blood it self and the sprinkling of it Many are present where it is sprinkled and yet have no portion in it Look to this that this blood be sprinkled on your souls that the destroying Angel may pass by you There is a Generation not some few but a generation deceived in this they are their own Deceivers pure in their own eyes Prov. 30.12 How earnestly doth David pray wash me Purge me with hysop Though bathed in tears Psa. 6.6 that satisfied not wash thou me This is the honourable condition of the Saints That they are purified and consecrated unto God by this sprinkling yea have on loâ—g while Robes washt in the Blood of the Lamb There is mention indeed of great Tribulation but there is a double comfort Joyned with it 1. They come out of it that tribulation hath an end And 2 They pass from that to glory for they have on the Robe of Candidates long white Robes washt in the blood of the Lamb washt white in blood as for this blood 't is nothing but purity and spotlesness being stained with no sin and besides hath that vertue to take away the stain of sin where 't is sprinkled My Wellbeloved is white and ruddy saith the Spouse thus in his death ruddy by bloodshed white by Innocence and purity of that blood Shall they then that are purged by this blood return to live among the Swine and tumble with them in the pudle what gross injury is this to themselves and to that Blood by which they were cleansed They that are chosen to this sprinkling are likewise chosen to Obedience this blood purifieth the heart yea This blood purgeth our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 Vnto Obedience 'T is easily understood to whom when obedience to God is expressed by the simple absolute name of Obedience it teacheth us that to him alone belongs Absolute and Unlimited Obedience all obedience by all creatures And 't is the shame and misery of man that he hath departed from this Obedience that we are become Sons of disobedience But Grace renewing the hearts of believers changeth their natures and so their names and makes them Children of obedience As afterwards in this Chapter This Obedience consists as in the receiving Christ as our Redeemer so also at the same time as our Lord or King an intire rendring up of the whole man to his obedience This Obedience then of the only begotten Jesus Christ may well be understood not as his Actively as Beza but Objectivly as 2 Cor. 10.5 I think here 't is contain'd yea chiefly understood To signifie that Obedience which the Aposte to the Romans calls the Obedience of faith by which the Doctrine of Christ is received and so Christ himself which uniteth the believing soul to Christ he sprinkles it with his blood to the remission of sin and is the root and spring of all future obedience in the Christian life By Obedience Sanctification is here intimated it signifies then both habitual and active obedience Renovation of heart and conformity to the Divine will the mind is illuminated by the Holy Ghost to know and believe the divine will yea this Faith is the great and chief part of Obedience Rom. 1.8 the truth of the Doctrine
spero 'T is a fearful thing when a Man and all his hopes dye together Thus saith Solomon of the Wicked when He dyeth many of them before but at the utmost then all of them then dye his Hopes Prov. 11.7 but the Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death that cutts the sinews of all other Hopes and turns men out of all other Inheritances it alone fulfils this Hope and ends it in Fruition As a Messenger sent to bring the Children of God home to the possession of their Inheritance By the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead This referrs to both Begotten again by his Resurrection and having this living Hope by his Resurrection and well suits both it being the proper cause of both in this order First then of the Birth then of the Hope The Image of God is renewed in us by our Union with him who is the express Image of his Fathers person Gal. 4 19. Therefore this new birth in the Conception is exprest by the forming of Christ in the Soul and Resurrection particularly is assign'd as the cause of our New Life this New Birth is called our Resurrection and that in conformity to Christ yea by vertue and Influence of His. His Resurrection is called a Birth he the first begotten from the dead Rev. 1.5 and that Prophesie Psal. 2.7 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee is applyed to his Resurrection as fulfilled in it Act. 13.33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Not only is it the Exemplary but the Efficient cause of our new birth Thus Rom. 6. at large and often elsewhere and thus likewise it is the cause of our Living hope that which indeed inspires and maintains life in it because he hath Conquered Death and is risen again and that implyed which followeth is set down at the right hand of God hath entered Possession of that Inheritance This gives us a Living Hope that according to his own Request where he is there we shall be also Thus this Hope is strongly underset on the one side by the Resurrection of Christ on the other by the abundant mercy of God the Father Our hope depends not on our own Strength or Wisdom nor on any thing in us for then if it did it would be short-liv'd would die and dye quickly but on his Resurrection that can dye no more for in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Rom. 6.10 This makes this Hope not to imply in the notion of it Uncertainty as worldly hopes but 't is a firm stable inviolable hope an Anchor pitch'd within the vail According to his abundant mercy Mercy is the Spring of all this yea great Mercy and manifold Mercy for as St. Bernard saith Great sins and Great Miseries need Great Mercy and many sins and Miseries need many Mercies and is not this great Mercy to make of Satans slaves Sons of the most high Well may the Apostle say Behold what manner of Love and how great Love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sons of God The World knows us not because it knew not him they that have not seen the Father of a Child cannot know its Resembling him for the World knowes not God and therefore discerns not his Image in his Children to esteem them for it But whatever be their Opinion this we must say our selves Behold what Love to take fire-brands of Hell and to appoint them to be one day brighter then the Sun in the firmament To raise the poor out of the dunghil and set them with Princes Psal. 11.38 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Lastly we see it stirs up the Apostle to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ This is the stile of the Gospel as formerly under the Law the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the God that brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt c. This now is the Order of the Government of Grace that it holds first with Christ our Head and in Him with us so he sayes I go to my Father and your Father and my God and your God Which as St. Cyril of Hierosol in his Catechism observes shows us not only our Communion with him that might have been exprest thus I go to my God and Father but the Order of the Covenant First my Father and my God and then yours Thus ought we in Consideration of the mercies of God still take in Christ for in him they are conveyed to us Thus Eph. 1.3 With all spiritual Blessings in Christ Iesus Blessed He blesseth us really benefaciendo benedicit We bless Him by acknowledging His goodness And this we ought to do at all times Psal. 34.1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth All this is far below Him and His mercies What are our lame praises in comparison of his Love Nothing and less then nothing but Love will stammer rather then be dumb They that are amongst his Children begotten again they have in the Resurrection of Christ a lively hope of glory as 't is Col. 1.27 which is Christ in you the hope of Glory This leads them to observe and admire that rich mercy whence it flowes and this consideration awakes them and strains them to break forth into praises To an Inheritance incorruptible As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather and as Vinegar upon nitre so is he that singeth Songs to a heavy heart Prov. 25.20 Worldly Mirth is so far from curing Spiritual Grief that even worldly Grief where 't is great and takes deep root is not allayed but increased by it a man that is full of inward heaviness the more he is compassed about with mirth it exasperates and enrages his Grief the more like ineffectual weak Physick that removes not the humour but stirs it and makes it more unquiet but spiritual Joy is seasonable for all Estates In prosperity 't is pertinent to crown and sanctifie all other Enjoyments with this that so far suspasses them and in distress 't is the only Nepenthe the cordial of fainting Spirits So Psal. 4. He hath put joy into my heart this mirth makes way for it selfe which other mirth cannot do these Songs are sweetest in the Night of distress Therefore the Apostle writing to his scattered afflicted Brethren begins his Epistle with this Song of Praise Blessed be the God and Father c. The matter of it is the Joyful Remembrance of the Happiness laid up for them under the name of Inheritance Now this Inheritance is described by the singular Qualities of it They Contain 1. The Excellency of its Nature 2. The certainty of its attainment the former in these three Incorruptible Vndefiled and that fadeth
not away The latter in the last words of this verse and in the following Reserved in heaven for you c. God is bountiful to all gives to all men all that they have Health Riches Honour Strength Beauty and Wit but those things he scatters as it were with an Indifferent hand Upon others he lookes as well as on his beloved Children but the Inheritance is peculiarly theirs Inheritance is convertible with Sonship for Gen. 25.5 Abraham gave gifts to Keturah's Sons and dismiss'd them but the Inheritance was for the Son of the Promise When we see Men rising in Preferment Estate or admir'd for Excellent Gifts and Endowments of mind we think there 's a happy man but we consider not that none of all those things are matter of Inheritance within a while he is to be turn'd out of all and if he have not somewhat beyond all those to look to he is but a Miserable man and so much the more Miserable that once he seem'd and was reputed happy There is a certain time wherein heirs come to possess thus it is with this inheritance too there is by the Apostle mention made of a perfect man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4.13 And though the Inheritance is Rich and honourable yet the heir being young is held under discipline and is more strictly dealt with possibly then the Servants sharply corrected for that which is let pass in them yet still even then in regard of that which he is born to his Condition is much better then theirs and all the Correction he suffers prejudices him not but fits him for inheriting The Love of our heavenly Father is beyond the Love of Mothers in tenderness and yet beyond the Love of Fathers which are usually said to Love more wisely in point of wisdom He will not undo his Children his Heirs with too much Indulgence 't is one of his heavy Judgments upon the foolish children of disobedience that ease shall slay them and their Prosperity shall prove their destruction While the Children of God are childish and weak in faith they are like some great Heirs before they come to years of understanding they consider not their Inheritance and what they are to come to have not their Spirits Elevated to thoughts worthy of their Estate and their behaviour Conformed to 't but as they grow up in years they come by litle and litle to be sensible of those things and the nearer they come to possession the more apprehensive they are of their Quality and what doth answerably become them to do and this is the duty of such as are indeed Heirs of Glory to grow in the understanding and consideration of that which is prepared for them and to suite themselves as they are able to those great Hopes This is that the Apostle St. Paul prayes for for his Ephesians Chap. 1. v. 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints this would make them holy and heavenly to have their Conversation in Heaven from whence they look for a Saviour that we may then the better know somewhat of the Dignity and Riches of this Inheritance Let us Consider the description that is here given us of it And first Incorruptible Although this seems to be much one with the 3d. that fadeth not away which is a borrowed Expression for the illustrating of its Uncorruptibleness yet I conceive there is some difference and that in these three qualities there is a Gradation Thus it s called Incorruptible that is it perisheth not cannot come to nothing is an Estate that cannot be spent but though it were abiding yet it might be such as the Continuance of it were not very desirable this Life at the best were but a misery to continue alwayes in it Plotinus thanked God that his Soul was not tyed to an Immortal body Then Vndefiled 't is not stained with the least spot this signifies the purity and perfection of it that the perpetuity of it it doth not only abide and iâ— pure but those together it abideth alwayes in its Integrity And lastly it Fadeth not away it doth not fade nor wither at all is not sometimes more sometimes less pleasant but ever the same still like it selfe and that 's the Immutability of it As it is Incorruptible It carries it away from all Earthly Possessions and Inheritances for so all those Epithits are intended to signifie in opposition to the things of this World and shewing how far it excels them all and thus comparatively we are to Consider it for as Divines say of the knowledge of God that we have here the Negative Notion makes up a great part of it we know rather what he is not than what He is Infinite Incomprehensible Immutable c. so 't is of this Happiness this Inheritance and indeed 't is no other but God We cannot tell you what it is but we can say so far what it is not as declares 't is unspeakably above all the most excellent things of the inferiour World and this present life 't is by privatives by removing Imperfections from it that we describe it and can go no further viz. Incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away All things that we see being Compounded may be dissolved again the very visible Heavens that are the purest piece of the material World notwithstanding the pains the Philosopher takes to exempt them the Scriptures teach us that they are Corruptible Psal. 102.26 They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed And from thence the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 1. v. 10. And our Apostle in his other Epistle cap. 3.11 use the same expression But 't is needless to fetch too great a Compass to evince the Corruptibleness of all Inheritances Besides what they are in themselves 't is a shorter way to prove them Corruptible in Relation to us and our Possessing them by our own Corruptibleness and Corruption or perishing out of this life in which we enjoy them we are here inter peritura perituri the things are passing we enjoy and we are passing who enjoy them Earthly Inheritance is so called in regard of Succession but to every one 't is but at the most for term of life as one of the Kings of Spain answered to one of his Courtiers who thinking to please his Master wished that Kings were Immortal If that had been said he I should never have been King When Death comes that removes a Man out of all his Possessions to give place to another therefore are these Inheritances Decaying and and dying in Relation to us because we decay and dye and when a Man dyes his Inheritances and Honours and all things here are at an end in respect of him Yea we
for the word of God speaks to Men and therefore it speaks the Language of the Children of Men thus Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not with held thy Son thine onely Son from me God delights to call forth his Champions to meet with great Temptations to make them bear Crosses of more then ordinary weight as Commanders in War put Men of most valour and skill upon the hardest services God sets some strong furious triall upon a strong Christian made strong by his own grace and by his victory makes it appear to the world that though there is a great deal of counterfeit coyne of profession in Religion yet some there are that have the power the reality of it and that 't is not an Invention but there is Truth in it that the invincible Grace the very spirit of God dwells in the hearts of true believers that he hath a number that doe not onely speak big but doe indeed and in good earnest despise the world and overcome it by his strength Some men take delight to see some kind of beasts fight together but to see a Christian mind encountering some great Affliction and conquering it to see his valour in not sinking at the hardest distresses of this life nor the affrightfullest End of it the cruelest kindes of death for his sake this is as he said dignum Deo spectaculum this is a combat that God delights to look upon and he is not a meer beholder in it for t is the power of his own grace that Enables and Supports the Christian in all those Conflicts and Temptations Multitude of Temptations and of divers kindes many and manifold It were no hard condition to have a Triall now and then and long ease and prosperity betwixt but to be plied with one Affliction at the heels of another to have them come thronging in by multitudes and of different kindes uncouth unaccustomed evils such as a Man hath not been acquainted with before this is that which is often the portion of those that are the beloved of God Psa. 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water spouts all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me Ye are in Heaviness This the Apostle blames not but aimes at the moderating of it seek not altogether to dry up this stream but to bound it and keep it within its banks Grace doth not destroy the life of Nature but add's to it a life more excellent yea Grace doth not onely permitt but requires some feeling of Afflictions There is an affected Pride of spirit in some men instead of Patience Sutable to the Doctrine of the Stoicks as 't is usually taken they strive not to feel at all the afflictions that are on them but this is to despise the Correction of the Lord which is alike forbidden as fainting under it Heb. 12. We should not stop our ears but Mic. 6.9 Hear the Rod and him that hath appointed it as the Prophet speaks Where there is no feeling at all there can be no Patience Consider it as the hand of God and thence argue the soul into submission Psa. 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it But this Heaviness is mitigated and set as it were within its banks betwixt these two Considerations 1. The Utility of it 2. The Brevity profitableness and shortness of it To a worldly Man great Gain sweetens the hardest Labour and to a Christian Spiritual profit and Advantage may do much to move Him to take well with those Afflictions that are otherwise very unpleasant though they are not joyous for the present Heb. 12.11 Yet this allayes the sorrow of them the fruit that grows out of them that peaceable fruit of Righteousness Abundle of folly is in the heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction shall beat it out saith Solomon Tho the Children of God are truly as our Saviour calls them the Children of wisdom Yet being renewed only in part they are not altogether free from those follies that call for this Rod to beat them out and sometimes have such a bundle of follies as require a bundle of Rods to be spent upon it many and manifold afflictions 'T is not an easy matter to be drawn from nor to be beaten from the Love of this World and this is that which God mainly requires of his Children that they be not in Love with the World nor the things of it for that is contrary to the Love of God and so far as that is entertain'd this is wanting And if in the midst of afflictions they are sometimes subject to this disease how would it grow upon them with Ease and Prosperity when they are beaten from one worldly Folly or Delight they are ready through Natures corruption to lay hold upon some other being thrust out from it at one door to enter at some other and as Children unwilling to be weaned if one breast be imbitter'd they seek to the other and therefore there must be somewhat to drive them from that too Thus 't is clear there is need yea great need of Afflictions yea of many Afflictions that the Saints be chastened by the Lord that they may not be Condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 Many Resemblances there are for Illustration of this Truth in things both of Nature and of Art Some common and others choycer But this is not needful The experience of Christians tells them how easily they grow Proud and Secure and Carnal with a little Ease and with outward things going smoothly with them and therefore what unhappiness were it for them to be much happy that way Let us learn then that in regard of our present frailty there is need of afflictions and so not promise our selves Exemption how calm soever our Seas are for the present and then for the Number and Measure and Weight of them to Resign that wholly into the hands of our wise Father and Phisitian who perfectly knows our mould and our maladies and what kind and quantity of chastisment is needful for our cure Though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness The other Consideration that moderates this Heaviness is its shortness because we willingly forget Eternity therefore this moment seems much in our eyes but if we could look upon it aright of how litle concernment is it what be our condition here if it were as prosperous as we could Wish or Imagine it is but for a little season the Rich man in the Gospell talk'd of Many Years but Thou fool this night shall thy Soul be required of thee was the longest period The many years quickly drawn to a very great abatement and if full of pains and griefs those do help to put an end to themselvs and hasten to it Then well might St. Austin say Hic ure caede modo ibi parcas use me here as pleaseth thee so as that hereafter it may be well with me Wherein This
flesh and dwelt amongst Men in a Tabernacle like theirs and suffered death in the flesh that he who was Lord of Life hath freed us from the sentence of Eternal Death that he broke the bars and chains of Death and rose again that he went up into Heaven and there at the Fathers right hand sits in our flesh and that glorified above the Angels This is the great Mistery of Godliness And a part of this Mistery is that he is Believed on in the World 1 Tim. 3.16 This Natural Men may discourse of and that very knowingly and give a kind of natural Credit to 't as to a History that may be true but firmly to believe that there is divine Truth in all these things and to have a perswasion of it stronger then of the very things we see with our eyes such an assent as this is the peculiar work of the spirit of God and is certainly saving Faith The Soul that so believes cannot chuse but Love 't is commonly true the Eye is the ordinary door by which Love enters into the Soul and it is true in this Love though t is denied of the Eye of sense yet you see 't is ascrib'd to the Eye of Faith though you have not seen him you Love him because you believe Which is to see him spiritually Faith indeed is distinguish'd from that Vision that is in Glory but it is the Vision of the Kingdom of Grace 't is the Eye of the New Creature that quicksighted Eye that pierces all the Visible Heavens and sees above them that looks to things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4.18 And is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 that sees him that is invisible v. 27. 'T is possible that one may be much Lov'd upon the report of their worth and Vertues and upon a Picture of them lively drawn before sight of the party so commended and represented but certainly when they are seen and found answerable to the former it raises the Affection that it first begun to a far greater height We have the report of the perfections of Jesus Christ in the Gospel yea so clear a description of him that it gives a picture of him and that together with the Sacraments are the only lawful and the only lively pictures of our Saviour Gal. 3.1 Now this Report Faith believes and beholds this picture and so lets in the Love of Christ to the Soul but further it gives a particular experimental knowledge of Christ and acquaintance with him It causes the Soul find all that is spoken of him in the Word and his beauty there represented to be abundantly true makes it really taste of his sweetness and by that possesses the heart more strongly with his Love perswading it of the truth of those things not by reasons and arguments but by an Inexpressible kind of Evidence that they only know that have it Faith perswades a Christian of these two things that the Philosopher gives as the causes of all Love Beauty and Propriety the Loveliness of Christ in himself and our interest in him The former it effâ—ctuaâ—s not only by the first apprehending and believing of those hâ—s Excellencies and Beauty but by frequent beholding of him and Eyeing him in whom all Perfection dwells and looks so ofâ— on him till it sets the very Impression of his Image as it were upon the Soul that it can never be blotted out and forgot The latter it doth by that particular Uniting Act which makes him our God and our Saviour Ye Love The distinctions that some make of Love need not be taken as of differing kinds but different actings of the same Love by which we may try our so much pretended Love of Christ which in truth is so rarely found There will then be in this Love if it be right these three qualities Goodwill Delight and Desire 1. Goodwill earnest wishing and as we can promoting Gods Glory and stirring up others so to do They that seek more their own things then the things of Jesus Christ more their own Praise and Esteem then His are strangers to this divine Love-For it seeks not her own things This bitter Root of self-love is most hard to pluck up this strongest and sweetest Love of Christ alone doth it actually though gradually This Love makes the Soul as the lower Heaven slow in its own motion most swift in the motion of that first that wheels it about so the higher degree of Love the more swift It Loves the hardest tasks And greatest difficulties where it may perform God service either in doing or in suffering for him It is strong as death and many waters cannot quench it The greater the task is the more real is the testimony and expression of Love and therefore the more acceptable to God 2. There is in true Love a complacency and delight in God A Conformity to his will Loving what he Loves and studious of his will ever seeking to know more clearly what it is that is most pleasing to him contracting a likeness to God in all his actions by conversing with him frequent contemplating of God and looking on his beauty as the Eye lets in this Affection so it serves it constantly and readily looks that way that Love directs it thus the soul that is possess'd with this Love of Jesus Christ hath its eye much upon him thinks often on his former sufferings and present Glory the more it lookes upon Christ the more it loves and still the more it loves the more it delights to look upon him 3. There is in true Love a Desire for 't is but small beginnings and tastes of his Goodness that the soul hath here therefore 't is still looking out and longing for the day of Marriage the time is sad and wearisome and seems much longer then it is while 't is deteind here I desireâ— to be dissolved saith St. Paul and to be with Christ. God is the Sum of all things lovely thus excellenâ—ly Greg. Nazian expresseth himself Ovat 1. If I have any Possessions Health Credit Learning this is all the contentment I have of them that I have somewhat I may despise for Christ who is totus dâ—sâ—derâ—bilis totuâ— desiderabile And this Love is the sum of all he requires of us 't is that which makes all our meanest Services acceptable and without which all we offer to him is distasteful God doth not only deserve our Love by his matchless Excellency and Beauty but by his Matchless Love to us and that is the strongest Loadstone of Love He hath loved me saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 How appears that in no less then this he hath given himself for me Certainly then there is no other Character of our Love then this to give our selves to him that hath so loved us and given himself for us This affection must be bestowed somewhere there is no Man but hath some prime choyce somewhat that is the predominant delight of his soul will it
not then be our wisdom to make the worthiest choyce seeing it is offered us and is extream folly to reject it Grace doth not pluck up by the roots and wholly destroy the natural passions of the mind because they are distempered by sin that were an extreme remedy to Cure by killing and heal by cutting off no but it corrects the distemper in them it dries not up this main stream of Love but purifies it from the Mud it is full of in its wrong Course or calls it to its Right Channel by which it may run into Happiness and empty it selfe into the Ocean of goodness The Holy Spirit turns the love of the soul towards God in Christ for in that way only can it apprehend his Love so then Jesus Christ is the first Object of this divine Love he is Medium unionis through whom God conveys the sense of his Love to the soul and receives back its Love to him And if we will consider his incomparable Beauty we may look on it in the holy Scriptures particularly in that divine song of Loves Wherein Solomon borrowes all the beauties of the Creatures dips his pencill in all their severall Excellencies to set him forth unto us who is the chief of ten Thousands There is an inseparable intermixture of Love with Belief and a pious Affection receiving divine Truth so that in effect as we distinguish them they are mutually strengthened the one by the other and so though it seem a Circle 't is a divine one and falls not under censure of the School's Pedantry If you ask how shall I do to Love I Answer Believe If you ask how shall I believe I Answer Love Although the Expressions to a carnall mind are altogether unsavoury by gross mistaking them yet to a Soul taught to Read and Hear them by any measure of that same Spirit of love wherewith they were penn'd they are full of heavenly and unutterable sweetness Many Directions and means of begetting and increasing this Love of Christ may be here offered but they that delight in number may multiply them but sure this One will Comprehend the greatest and best part if not all of them Believe and you shall Love Believe much and you shall Love much labour for strong and deep persuasions of the glorious things that are spoken of Christ and this will command Love Certainly did Men indeed believe his worth they would accordingly Love him for the Reasonable Creature cannot but affect that most which it firmly believes to be worthy of affection O this mischief of Unbelief is that which makes the heart cold and dead towards God Seek then to believe Christs Excellency in himselfe and his Love to us and our interest in him and this will kindle such a fire in the heart as will make it ascend in a Sacrifice of Love to him Many Signes likewise of this Love may be multiplied according to the many fruits and workings of it but in them all it self is its own most infallible Evidence When the soul finds that all its Obedience and endeavour to keep the Commands of Jesus Christ which himself makes its Character do flow from Love then it is true and sincere For do or suffer what you will withour Love all passes for nothing All are Cyphers without it they signifie nothing 1. Cor. 13. This is the Message of the Gospell and that which the Ministry aimes at and therefore the Ministers ought to be Suitors not for themselves but for Christ to Espouse souls to him and to bring in many hearts to Love him And certainly this is the most compendious way to perswade to all other Christian duties this is to converse with Jesus Christ and therefore where his Love is no other incentive will be needfull For Love delights in the presence and converse of the party Loved If we are to perswade to duties of the second Table the summe of those is Love to our Brethren resulting from the Love of Christ which diffuseth such a sweetness into the soul that its all Love and meekness and Gentleness and long suffering If times be for suffering Love will make the soul not onely bear but welcome the bitterest afflections of life and the hardest kinds of death for his sake In a word there is in Love a sweet constraint or tying of the heart to all Obedience and Duty The Love of God is requisite in Ministers for their preaching of the word so our Saviour to St. Peter Iohn 21.15 Peter lovest thou me then feed my lambs It is requisite for the people that they receive the Truth in the Love of it and that Christ preach'd be Entertain'd in the soul and Embrac'd by Faith and Love You that have made choyce of Christ for your Love let not your hearts slip out to renew your wonted base familiarity with Sin For that will bring new bitterness to your souls and at least for some time will deprive you of the sensible favour of your beloved Jesus delight alwayes in God and give him your whole heart for he deserves it all and is a satisfying good to it the largest heart is all of it too strait for the riches of consolation that he brings with him seek to Increase in this Love for tho its at first weak yet Labour to find it daily rise higher and burn hotter and clearer and consume the dross of Earthly desires Receiving the end of your Faith Although the soul that Believes and Loves is put in present possession of God as far as it is Capable in its sojourning here yet it desires a full Enjoyment which it cannot attain to without Removing hence While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord saith the Apostle And because they are assur'd of that happy Exchange that being united and freed of this body they shall be present with the Lord and that having his own word for 't that Where he is they shall be also this begets such an assured Hope as bears the name of possession Therefore its said here Receiveing the end of your faith This Receiveing likewise flows from Faith Faith apprehends the present Truth of the divine Promises and so makes the things to come present and Hope looks out to their after Accomplishment which if the promises be true as Faith averrs then Hope hath good reason firmly to expect it This desire and Hope are the very wheels of the Soul that carry it on and Faith the common Axis on which they rest In the words there are two things 1. The good hoped for in Christ so Believed on and Loved 2. The assuredness of the Hope it selfe yea as sure as if it were already accomplished As for the good hoped for it consists 1. In the nature of it Viz. The Salvation of their Soul 2. in a Relative Property of it the End of their Faith The nature of it is Salvation and Salvation of the soul it imports full deliverance from all kind of misery and
Cherubims wonder how guilty man escapes their flaming swords and Reenters paradise The Angels see that their Companions that fell are not restor'd but their room fill'd up with the spirits of just men and they envy it not which Mistery the Angels desire to look into and this is added in the close of these words for the extolling of it The Angels look upon what they have seen already fulfill'd with delight and admiration and what remains namely the full accomplishment of this great work in the end of time they look upon with desire to see it finish'd 't is not a slight glance they take of it but they fix their eye and look stedfastly on it viz. That mistery of godliness God manifested in the flesh and 't is added seen of Angels The word made flesh drawes the eyes of those glorious Spirits and possesses them with wonder to see the Almighty God-head joyn'd with the weakness of a Man yea of an Infant He that stretcheth forth the heavens bound up in swadling cloaths And to pass all the wonders of his life this is beyond all admiration that the Lord of Life was subject to death and that his Love and Rebellious mankind moved him both to take on and lay down that life 'T is no wonder the Angels admire those things and delight to look upon them but 't is strange that we do not so They veiw them stedfastly and we neglect them either we consider them not at all or give them but a transient look half an eye That which was the great business of the Prophets and Apostles both for their own times and to convey them to us we regard not and turne our eyes to foolish wandering thoughts which Angels are ashamed at They are not so concern'd in this great mystery as we are They are but mere beholders in comparison of us yea they seem rather to be losers someway that our nature in it self inferiour to theirs is in Jesus Christ exalted above theirs Heb. 2.16 We bow down to the earth and study and grovell in it take into the very bowels of it and content our selves with the outside of the unsearchable riches of Christ and look not within it but they having no will nor desir◠but for the glory of God being pure flames of fire burning onely in love to him are no less delighted then amazed with the bottomless wonders of his wisdom and goodness shining in the work of our Redemption 'T is our shame and our folly that we lose our selves and our thoughts in poor childish things and trifle away our days we know not how and let these rich mysteries lye unregarded they look up upon the deity in it self with continuall admiration but that they look down to this mystery is another wonder We give them an ear in publick and in a cold formal way stop Conscience's mouth with some religious performances in private and no more But to have deep and frequent thoughts and to be ravish'd in the meditation of our Lord Jesus once on the cross and now in glory how few of us are acquainted with this We see here excellent Company and Examples not onely of the best of Men that have been but we have them fellow-servants and fellow-Students if that can perswade us we may all study the same Lesson with the very Angels and have the same thoughts with them this the soul doth that often entertains it self with the delightfull admiration of Jesus Christ and the Redemption he hath wrought for us Verse 13. Wherefore Gird up the loyns of your mind be sober and hope to the End for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. THe great error of Mans mind and the cause of all his Errors of Life is the diverting of the soul from God and turning down-ward to in feriour confidences and comforts and this mischoyce is the very root of all our miseries therefore the maine end of the holy word of God is to untye the hearts of Men from the world and reduce them To God as their onely rest and solid comfort and this is here the Apostles mark at which all the preceeding discourse aimes it all meets and terminates in this exhortation Wherefore gird up the loyns of your mind c. In the words are those 3 things 1. the great stay and comfort of the soul which the Apostle repeats and represents to his afflicted brethren 2. his Exciting them to the right apprehension and confident Expectation of it 3. the Inference of that Exhortation The matter of their comfort is the grace which is brought to them at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. some for grace read joy having as it seem's for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words are not more near one to an other than the things they signify Grace and joy but ' its most commonly thus read The estate of Grace and that of glory are not onely so inseparably connexed but so like one to the other yea so essentialy the same that the same expressions in scripture do often fit both of them and so fit them that it is doubtfull for which of the two to understand them but the hazard is not great seeing they are so near and so one grace being glory begun and glory grace compleated both often called the Kingdom◠of God So grace here brought to them is either the doctrine of grace in the Gospel wherein Jesus Christ is reveal'd and that Grace in him for all the whole tenour of the Covenant of Grace and every Clause of it holds in him His precious name runs throw it all 't is the Grace of salvation to be fully perfected at the last and clearest Revelation of Jesus Christ and for this rather I take it here for that the Apostles nearest foregoing words were concerning that and it is set up here as the object of hope which though often put for faith yet in its proper notion looks out to that which is to come This is the last act of Grace and yet still it is called by it self and not turn'd into the name of merit notwithstanding all the obedience and all the sufferings of the Saints that have gone before it yea even the salvation to be revealed to them is called Grace but 't is needless to insist on this for certainly none that partake of Grace will be of another mind or ever admit the mixture of the least notion of self deserving Though much dispute hath been bestow'd on this and Questions multiplying in the disputants hands as is usuall in Controversies one growing out of another yet truely I think the debate in this to be but waste 't is not onely against the voyce of the scriptures and of Grace it self in the soul but even against sound Reason to imagine any meriting properly taken in any mere Creature at his Creators hands who hath given him his being of which gift all his services and
affections may be drawn off from it to this spirituall life that is not subject unto death Verse 25. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you THE word of God is so like himself and carries so the Image and impression of his power and wisdom that where they are spoke of together it is sometimes doubtfull whether the words are to be referr'd to himself or to his word so Heb. 14.12 And so here But there is no hazard seeing there is truth in both and pertinency too for they that referr them to God affirm that they are intended for the extolling of his word being the subject in hand and that we may know it to be like him But I rather think here that these words are meant of the word it is called living as here Heb. 4. And abiding for ever is expressely repeated of it here in the Prophet's words And with respect to those Learned Men that apply them to God I remember not that this abiding for ever is us'd to express Gods Eternity in himself Howsoever this incorruptible seed is the living and everlasting word of the living and Everlasting God and is therefore such because he whose it is is such Now this is not to be taken in a abstract sense of the word onely in its own nature but as the principle of Regeneration the seed of this new life because the word is enlivening and living therefore they with whom it is effectuall and into whose hearts it is receiv'd are begotten again and made alive by it and because the word is incorruptible and endureth for ever therefore that Life begot by it is such too cannot perish nor be cut down as the naturall Life No this Spirituall Life of grace is the certain beginning of that eternall Life of glory and shall end in it and therefore hath no end As the word of God in it selfe cannot be abolish'd but surpasses the endurance of the Heaven and Earth as our Saviour teaches and all the attempts of men against the Divine truth of that word to undo it are as vain as if they should consult to pluck the Sun out of the Firmament so likewise in the heart of a Christian it is Immortall and incorruptible Where it is once received by faith it cannot be obliterated again all the powers of darkness cannot destroy it although they be never so diligent in their attempts that way and this is the comfort of the Saints that the life which God by his word hath breath'd into their Souls though it have many and strong enemies such as they themselves could never hold out against yet for his own glory and his promise sake he will maintain that life and bring it to its perfection God will perfect that which concerneth me saith the Psalmest 'T is grossely contrary to the truth of the Scriptures to imagine that they that are thus renewed can be unborn again This new birth is but once of one kind though they are subject to frailties and weaknesses here in this spirituall life yet not to death any more not to such way of finning as would extinguish this life This is that which the Apostle Iohn sayes he that is born of God sinneth not and the reason he addes is the same that is here given the permanence and incorrupâ—ibleness of this word the seed of God abideth in him This is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you 'T is not sufficient to have these thoughts of the word of God in a generall way and not to know what that word is but we must be perswaded that that word which is preached to us is this very word of so excellent vertue and of which these high things are spoken that it is incorruptible and abideth for ever and therefore surpasses all the world and all the excellencies and glory of it Although delivered by weak Men the Apostles and by far weaker than they in the constant ministry of it yet it loseth none of its own vertue for that depends upon the first owner and author of it the â—verliving God who by it begets his chosen unto life eternall This therefore is that which we should learn thus to hear and thus to receive and esteem and love this holy this living word to despise all the glistring vanities of this perishing life all outward pomp yea all inward worth all wisdom and naturall endowments of mind in comparison of the heavenly light of the Gospell preach'd unto us Rather to hazard all than lose that and banish all other things from that Place that is due to it to lodge it alone in our hearts as our onely treasure here and the certain pledge of that treasure of glory laid up for us in heaven To which blessed state God of his Infinit mercy bring us Amen Chap. Second 1 Pet. Chap. 2. Verse 1.2 Wherefore laying aside all Malice and all guile and Hypocrisies and Envies and all evil speakings Verse 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby THe same power and goodness of God that manifests it self in giving being to his creatures appears likewise in their sustaining and preservation to give being is the first and to support it is the continued effect of that power and goodness Thus it is both in the first Creation and in the second In the first the creatures to which he gave Life he provided with convenient nourishment to uphold that life Gen· 1. So here in the close of the former Chapter we find the Doctrine of the New birth and life of a Christian and in the beginning of this the proper food of that life and it is the same word by which we there find it to be begotten that is here the nourishment of it and therefore Christians are here exhorted by the Apostle so to esteem and so to use it and that is the main scope of the words Obs. in general The word the principle and the support of our spiritual being is both the incorruptible seed and the incorruptible food of that new life of grace which must therefore be an incorruptible life And this may convince us that the ordinary thoughts even of us that hear this word are far below the true excellency and worth of it the stream of custom and our profession brings us hither and we sitt out our hour under the sound of this Word but how few consider and prize it as the great Ordinance of God for the salvation of Souls The beginner and the sustainer of the Divine life of Grace within us and certainly untill we have these thoughts of it and seek to feel it thus our selves although we hear it most frequently and slip no occasion yea hear it with attention and some present delight yet still we misse the right use of it and turn it from its true end while we take it not as that ingrafted word
which is able to save our souls Thus ought they that Preach to speak it to endeavour their utmost to accommodate it to this end that sinners may be converted begotten again and believers nourish'd and strengthned in their spiritual life to regard no lower end but aim steddily at that mark Their hearts and tongues ought to be set on fire with holy zeal for God and love to souls kindled by the Holy Ghost that came down on the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues And they that hear should remember this as the end of their hearing that they may receive spiritual life and strength by the word for though it seems a poor despicable busines that a frail sinful Man like your selves speak a few words in your hearing yet look upon it as the way wherein God communicates happiness to them that believe and works that believing unto happiness alters the whole frame of the soul and makes a new creation as it begets it again to the Inheritance of glory Consider it thus which is its true notion and then what can be so precious Let the world disesteem it as they will know ye that it is the power of God unto salvation The Preaching of the cross is to them that perish foollishness but unto them that are saved it is the power of God sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.18 And if you would have the experience of this if you would have life and growth by it you must look above the poor worthless Messenger and call in his almighty help who is the Lord of life As the Philosophers affirm that if the Heavens should stand still there would be no generation nor flourishing of any thing here below 't is the moving and influence of the spirit that makes the Church fruitful Would you do this before you come here present the blindness of your minds and the deadness of your hearts to God and say Lord here 's an opportunity for thee to shew the power of thy word I would find life and strength in it but neither can I that hear nor he that speaks make it thus unto me that 's thy prerogative say thou the word and it shall be done God said let there be light and it was light In this Exhortation to the due use of the word the Apostle continues the resemblance of that new birth he mention'd Chap. 1. As new born babes Be not satisfied with your selves till you find some evidence of this new this supernatural life There be delights and comforts in this life in its lowest condition that would perswade us to look after it if we knew them The most cannot be made sensible of those consider therefore the end of it Better never to have been than not to have been partaker of this new being Except a man be born again sayes our Saviour he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Surely they that are not born again shall one day wish they had never been born What a poor wretched thing is the life that we have here a very heap of follies and miseries now if we would share in a happier being after it that life that ends not it must begin here grace and glory is one and the same Life only with this difference that the one is the beginning and the other the perfection of it or if we do call them two several lives yet the one is the undoubted pledge of the other 'T was a strange word for a Heathen to say that that day of death we fear so aeterninatalis est is the birth day of Eternity Thus it is indeed to those that are here born again this new birth of grace is the sure earnest and counter-pawn of that birth day of glory Why do we not then labour to make this certain by the former Is it not a fearful thing to spend our dayes in vanity and then ly down in darkness and sorrow for ever to disregard the life of our soul while we may and should be provident for it and then when its going out cry quo nunc abibis whither art thou going O my soul But this new life puts us out of the danger and fear of that Eternal death we are passed from death to life sayes St. Iohn speaking of those that are born again and being passed there is no repassing no going back from this life to death again This new birth is the same that St. Iohn calls the first Resurrection and pronounces them blessed that partake of it Blessed are they that have part in the first Resurrection the second death shall have no power over them The weak beginnings of grace in comparison of further strength attainable even in this life are sometimes express'd as the infancy of it and so believers ought not to continue Infants and if they do 't is reprovable in them as we see Eph. 4.14 1 Cor. 2.2 1 Cor. 14.20 Heb. 5.12 though the Apostle writes to new Converts and so may possibly imply the tenderness of their beginnings of grace yet I conceive that Infancy is here taken in such a sense as agrees to a Christian in the whole course and best estate of his Spiritual life here below and so likewise the milk here recommended is answerable to this sense of Infancy and not to the former as 't is in some of those cited places where it means the easiest and first Principles of Religion and so is oppos'd to the higher mysteries of it as to strong meat but here it signfies the whole word of God and all its wholesome and saving truths as the proper nourishment of the Children of God And so the Apostles words are a standing Exhortation for all Christians of all degrees And the whole estate and course of their Spiritual life here is called there Infancy not only as oppos'd to Corruption and wickedness of the old man but likewise as signifying the weakness and imperfection of it at its best in this life compar'd with the perfection of the life to come for the weakest beginnings of grace are nothing so far below the highest degree of it possible in this life as that highest degree falls short of the state of glory so that if one measure of grace is called Infancy in respect of another much more is all grace Infancy in respect of Glory And sure as for Time the time of our present life is far less to eternity than the time of our natural Infancy is to the rest of our life so that we may be still call'd but new or lately born Our best pace and strongest walking in obedience here is but as the stepping of Children when they begin to go by hold in comparison of the perfect obedience in glory when we shall follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes all our knowledge here is but the Ignorance of Infants and all our expressions of God and of his Praises but as the first stammerings of Children in comparison of the knowledge we shall have of him hereafter
life is and wherein the nature of it consists we may easily know what is the growth of it when holiness increases the sanctifying graces of the Spirit grow stronger in the soul and consequently act more strongly in the life of a Christian then he growes Spiritually And as the word is the means of begetting this Spiritual life so likewise of its increase 1. If we consider the nature of the Word in general that it is Spiritual and Divine treats of the highest things and therefore hath in it a fitness to elevate Mens minds from the Earth being often conversant with it to assimilate them to it self as all kind of Doctrine readily doth to these that are much in it and apply their minds to study it Doubtless such kind of things as are frequent with Men have an influence into the disposition of their souls The Gospel is called Light and the Children of God are likewise called Light as being transform'd into its nature and thus they are still the more by more hearing of it and so they grow If we look more particularly unto the strain and tenour of the Word it is most fit for increasing the graces of the Spirit in a Christian for there be in it particular truths relative to them that are apt to excite them and set them on work and so to make them grow as all habits do by acting it doth as the Apostles word may be translated stir up the sparks and blow them into a greater flame makes them burn clearer and hotter That it doth both by particular Exhortation to the study and Exercise of those graces sometimes pressing one and sometimes another and by right representing to them their objects The Word feeds faith by setting before it the free grace of God his Rich Promises and his Power and truth to perform them all shews it the strength of the New Covenants not depending upon it but holding in Christ in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen and drawing faith still to rest more intirely upon his Righteousness It feeds Repentance by making the vileness and deformity of sin daily more clear and visible still as more of the Word hath admission into the Soul the more it hates sin being the more discovered and the better known in its own native colour As the more light is in a House the more any thing in it that is uncleanly or deformed is seen and dislik'd Likewise it increaseth love to God by opening up still more and more of his infinite Excellency and lovelyness and as it borrowes the resemblance of the vilest things in nature to express the foulness and hatefulness of sin so all the beauties and dignities that are in all the creatures are call'd together in the Word to give us some small scantling of that uncreated beauty that alone deserves to be loved Thus might it be instanc'd in all other graces But above all other Considerations this is in the Word observable as the increaser of grace in that it holds forth Jesus Christ to our vieu to look upon not only as the perfect pattern but as the full fountain of all grace from whose fulness we all receive the contemplating of him as the perfect Image of God and then drawing from him as having in himself a treasure for us these give the soul more of that Image which is truly Spiritual growth This the Apostle expresseth excellently 2 Cor. 3. ult speaking of the Ministry of the Gospel revealing Christ that beholding in him as 't is Chap. 4. Vers. 6. In his face the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. Not only that we may take the Copy of his Graces but have a share of them There be many things might be said of this spirituall growth but I will add only a few 1. In the judging of this growth some conluding too rigidly against themselves that they grow not by the word because it is not sensible to them as they desire But 1. this is known in all things that grow that 't is not discerned in motu sed in termino not in the growing but when they are grown 2. Besides other things are to be considered in this although other graces seem not to advance yet if thou growest more self-denying and humble in the sense of thy slowness all is not lost although the branches shut not up so fast as thou wishest yet if the root grow deeper and fasten more it s an usefull growth he that is still learning to be more in Jesus Christ and less in himself to have all his dependance and comfort in him is doubtless a growing believer On the other side a far greater number conclude wrong in their own favour imagining that they do grow if they gain in some of those things we mention'd above namely if more knowledge and more faculty of discoursing if they find often some present stirrings of joy or sorrow in hearing of the word if they reform their life grow more civil and blameless c. Yet all these and many such things may be in a naturall Man who notwithstanding grows not for that 's impossible he is not in that estate a subject capable of this growth for he is dead he hath none of this new life to which this growth relates Herod heard gladly and obey'd many things Consider then what true delight we might have in this You find a pleasure when you see your Children grow when they begin to stand and walk c. You love well to perceive your estate or your honour grow but the soul to be growing liker God and nearer heaven if we know it is a pleasure far beyond them all to find pride and Earthliness and vanity abating and faith and love and spirituall mindedness increasing especially if we think whither this growth be not as our naturall life that is often cutt off before it attain full age as we call it and if it attain that falls again to move downwards and decays as the Sun being at its Meridian begins to decline again But this life shall grow on-in whomsoever it is and come certainly to its fullness after which there is no more need of this word either for growth or nourishment no death no decay no old age but perpetuall youth and a perpetuall spring ver aeternum fulness of joy in the presence of God and everlasting pleasures at his right hand Verse 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is Gracious OUR Naturall desire of food arises principally from its necessity for that end which nature seeks the growth or at least the nourishment of our bodies but besides there is a present sweetness and pleasingness in the use of it that serves to sharpen our desire and is plac'd in nature for that purpose thus the Children of God in their spiritual life are naturally carried to desire the means of their nourishment and of their growth
before Search the Scriptures sayes he himself for they testify of of me Namely the Scriptures of the Old Testament which were only then written and to evidence this both himself and his Apostles make so frequent use of their testimony and we find so much of them inserted into the New as being both one in substance their lines meeting in the same Jesus Christ as their center The Apostle here having express'd the happy Estate and Dignity of Christians under a double notion 1. Of a Spiritual House or Temple 2. Of a Spiritual Priesthood he amplifies and confirmes both from the Writings of the Prophets The former Verse 6 7 8. The latter Verse 9. These places that he cites touching this building are most pertinent for they have clearly in them all that he spoke of it both concerning the foundation and the Edifice as the first in these words of Esay 28.16 Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner stone c. Let this commend the Scriptures much to our diligence and affection that their great Theme is our Redeemer and Redemption wrought by him that they contain the Doctrine of his excellencies are the lively picture of his matchless beauty were we more in them we would daily see more of him in them and so of necessity love him more but we must look within them the Letter is but the case the Spiritual sense is that we should desire to see We usualy huddle them over and see no further than their outside and therefore find so little sweetness in them we read them but we search them not as he requires Would we digg into those Golden Mines we would find treasures of comfort that cannot be spent but would furnish us in the hardest times The prophecy here cited if we look upon it in its own place we shall find it cast in in the middle of a very sad denounciation of judgement against the Jewes And this is usual with the Prophets particularly with this Evangelicall Prophet Esay to uphold the spirits of the godly in the worst times with this one great consolation the promise of the Messiah as weighing down all both temporal distresses and deliverances Hence are those sudden ascents so frequent in the Prophets from their present subject to this great hope of Israel And if this expectation of a Saviour was so pertinent a comfort in all estates so many ages before the accomplishment of it how wrongfully do we undervalue it being accomplish'd that cannot live upon it and answer all with it sweeten all our griefs in this advantage that there is a foundation stone laid in Sion on which they that are builded shall be sure not to be ashamed In the words there are 4 things 1. This foundation stone 2. The laying of it 3. The building on it 4. The greatness and Excellency of the work 1. For the foundation called here a Cheif corner stone Though the Prophet's words are not precisely render'd yet the substance and sense is one There both the foundation and corner stone is express'd the corner stone in the foundation being the main support of the building and throughout the corner stones uniting and knitting the building together and therefore this same word of a corner is frequently taken in Scripture for Princes or Heads of people Iud. 20.2 1 Sam. 14.38 because good governours and government are that which upholds and unites the societies of people in states or kingdomes as one building And Jesus Christ is indeed the alone head and King of his Church that gives it lawes and rules it in wisdom and righteousness the alone rock on which his Church is built not Peter if we will belâ—eve S. Peter himself as here he teaches us much less his pretended Successors he is the foundation and corner stone that knitts together the walls of Jews and Gentiles having made of both one as S. Paul speaks and unites the whole number of believers into one everlasting temple and bears the weight of the whole fabrick Elected or chosen out for the purpose and altogether fit for it Isaiah hath it a stone of triall or a tryed stone As things amongst Men are best chosen after trial so Jesus Christ certainly known by the father as most fit for that work to which he chose him before he try'd him as after upon tryal in his Life and death and resurrection he prov'd fully answerable to his fathers purpose in all that was appointed him All the streâ—gth of Angels combin'd had not suffic'd for that business but the wise architect of this building knew both what it would cost and what a foundation was needful to bear so great and so lasting a structure as he intended Sin having defac'd and demolish'd the first building of Man in th' integrity of his creation it was Gods design out of the very ruines of fallen Man to raise a more lasting edifice than the former one that should not be subject to decay and therefore fitted a foundation that might be everlasting The sure founding is the main therefore that it might stand for the true honour of his Majesty which Nebuchadnezzar vainly boasted of his Babel he chose his own son made flesh he was God that he might be a strong foundation he was Man that he might be sutable to the nature of the stones whereof the building was to consist that they might joyn and cement together Precious Inestimably precious by all the conditions that can give worth to any by rareness and by inward excellency and useful vertues Rare he is out of doubt there is not such a person in the world again Therefore called by the same Prophet wonderful full of wonders the power of God and the frailty of Man dwelling together in his person the ancient of dayes becoming an Infant He that stretch'd forth the Heavens bound up in swadling cloaths in that his Infancy and in his full age stretch'd forth on the crosse altogether spotless and Innocent and yet suffering not only the unjust cruelties of Men but the just wrath of God his Father the Lord of life and yet dying His excellency appears in the same things In that he is the Lord of life God blessed for ever equal with the father the sparkling brightness of this precious stone is no less than this that he is the brightness of the fathers glory so bright that Men could not have beheld him appearing in himself therefore he vailed it with our flesh and yet through that it shined and sparkled so that the Apostle S. Iohn saves of himself and those others that had eyes opened and look'd right upon him he dwelt amongst us and he had a â—ent like ours and yet through that wee saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth The Deity filling his humane nature with all manner of grace in its highest perfection And not only thus Excellent in himself but of precious vertue which he lets forth and imparts to
others of such vertue that a touch of him is the only cure of Spiritual diseases Men tell of strange vertues of some stones but it is certain that this precious stone hath not only vertue to heal the Sick but even to raise the dead Dead bodies he raised in the dayes of his abode on earth and dead Souls he still doth raise by the power of his word The Prophet Malachy calls him the sun of righteousness which hath in it the rareness and excellency we speak of he is singular as there is but one Sun in the world so but one Saviour and his lustre such a stone as outshines the Sun in its fullest brightness and then for his usefull vertue he addes that he hath healing under his wings this his worth is unspeakable and remains infinitely beyond all these resemblances 2 There is here the laying of this foundation and it s said to be laid in Sion that is it is laid in the Church of God and first laid in Sion literaly being then the seat of the Church and true Religion he was laid there in his manifestation in the flesh and suffering and dying and rising again and afterwards being preached through the world became the foundation of his Church in all places where his name was receiv'd and so was a stone growing great till it fill'd the whole earth as Daniel hath it He saith I lay by which the Lord expresseth this his own proper work as the Psalmist speaks of the same subject Psa. 118. This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes So Isa. 9.7 Speaking of this promis'd Messiah the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this And this is not only said I lay because he had the first thought of this great work the model of it was in his mind from eternity and that the accomplishment of it was by his Almighty power in the morning of his Sons birth and his Life and death and Resurrection but to signify withal the freeness of his grace in giving his Son to be a foundation of happiness to Man without the least motion from Man or motive in Man to draw him to 't and this seem's to be signified by the unexpected inserting of these prophetical promises of the Messiah in the midst of complaints of people's wickedness and theatning them with punishment intimating that there is no connexion betwixt this work and any thing on Mans part fit to procure it although you doe thus provoke me to destroy you yet of my self I have other thoughts there 's another purpose in my head And Isi. 7. 't is observable to this purpose that that clearest promise of the virgin's son is given not only unrequir'd but being refus'd by that profane King This again that the Lord himself is the layer of this corner stone teaches us the firmness of it which is likewise expres'd in the Prophets words very emphatically by redoubling the same word Musad Musad fundamentum fundamentum So Psal. 2.6 I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion who then shall dethrone him I have given him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the ends of the earth for his possession and who will hinder him to take possession on his right if any offer to do so what shall they be but a number of earthen vessels fighting against an Iron Scepter and so certainly breaking themselves in pieces Thus here I lay this foundation stone and if I lay it who shall remove it and what I build upon it who shall be able to cast down For it is the glory of this great Master-builder that the whole Fabrick that is of his building be unruinable and for that end hath he laid an unmovable foundation and for that end are we taught and remembred of its firmness that we may have this confidence concerning the Church of God that is built upon it To the Eye of Nature the Church seems to have no foundation as Iob speaks of the earth that it is hung upon nothing and yet as the Earth remaineth firm being establish'd in its place by the word and power of God the Church is most firmly founded upon the word made flesh Jesus Christ as its chief Corner stone and as all the winds that blow cannot remove the earth out of its place neither can all the attempts of Men no nor of the gates of hell prevail against the Church it may be beat with very boysterous stormes but it cannot fall because founded upon this Rock Thus it is with the whole house and thus with every stone in it as here it followes he that believeth shall not be confounded 3. There is next the building on this foundation This is plainly to be built on Christ to believe in him But in this the most deceive themselves they hear of such priviledges and happiness in Christ and presently imagine 't is all theirs without any more ado as that Mad man of Athens that wrote up all the ships came into the haven for his own We consider not what this is to believe in him and what is the necessity of his believing that we may be partakers of the salvation that he hath wrought 'T is not they that have heard of him or that have some common knowledge of him or are able to discourse of him and speak of His Person and nature aright But they that believe in him Much of our knowledge is as the poor Philosopher or as a Geometer that can measure Land exactly in all its dimensions but possesseth not a foot who defineth riches exactly and discourseth of their nature but possesseth none and truely 't is but a lifeless unsavoury knowledge men have of Christ by all books and study till he Reveal himself and perswade the heart to believe in him Then indeed it sayes of all the reports it heard when it sees him and is made one with him I heard much yet the halfe was not told me There is in lively faith when it is infus'd into the soul a clearer knowledge of Christ and his excellency than before and withall a recumbence of the soul upon him as the foundation of its life and comfort a resolving to rest on him and not to depart from him upon any termes Though I be beset on all hands be accus'd by the law and mine own conscience and by Satan and have nothing to answer for my self yet here I will stay for I am sure in him there is salvation and no where else All other refuges are but lies as it s in the words before these in the Prophet poor base shifts that will do no good and God hath laid this Precious stone in Sion for this very purpose that weary souls may rest upon it and why should not I make use of it according to his intention he hath not forbid any how wretched soever to believe but commands it and himself works it where he will even in the vilest sinners Think it not enough that you
the words of Eternal life yea though he being so often offended should threaten to leave me to the shame of my own follies yet I will stay by him and wait for a better answer and I know I shall obtain it this is assur'd me for my comfort that whosoever believes in him shall not be ashamed Verse 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them who be disobedient the stone which the Builders disallowed the same is made the head of the Corner BEsides all the opposition that meets Faith within in our hearts it hath this without that it rowes against the great stream of the Worlds opinion And therefore hath need especially where it is very tender and weak to be strengthened against that The multitude of unbelievers and the considerable quality of many of them in the world is one continuing cause of that very multitude And the fewness of them that truely believe doth much to the keeping of them still few and as this prejudice prevails with them that believe not so it may sometimes assault the mind of a believer when he thinks how many and many of them wise men in the world reject Christ Whence can this be Particularly the believing Jews to whom this Epistle is address'd might think it strange that not only the Gentiles that were strangers to true Religion but their own Nation that was the select people of God and had the light of his Oracles kept in amongst them only that yet so many of them yea and the chief of them should be despisers and haters of Jesus Christ. And that these that were best vers'd in the Law and so seem'd best able to judge of the Messiah foretold should have persecuted Christ all his life and at last put him to a shameful death That they may know this makes nothing against him nor ought to invalide their faith at all but rather indeed testifies with Christ and so serves to confirm them in believing the Apostle make use of those Prophetical Scriptures that foretell the unbelief and contempt the most would entertain Christ withal as old Simeon speaks of him when he was come conform to these former predictions That he should be a sign of contradiction as he was the promis'd sign of salvation to believers so he should be a very mark of enmities and contradictions to the unbelieving world the places the Apostle here useth suite with his present discourse and the words cited from Esay in the former Verse continuing the resemblance of a corner stone they are partly from Psa. 118. partly out of 8th of Esay Vnto you c. Wonder not that others refuse him but believe the more for that because you see the word to be true even in their not believing of it it is fulfill'd and verified by their very rejecting it as false And whatsoever are the worlds thoughts concerning Christ that imports not For they know him not but you that do indeed believe I dare appeal to your selves your own faith that you have of him whether he is not precious to you if you do not really find him fully answerable to all that is spoken of him in the word and that accordingly you have believ'd concerning him We are here 1. To Consider the opposition of the persons And then 2. Of the things spoken of them 1. They are oppos'd under the name of believers and disobedient or unbelievers for the word is so neer that it may be taken for unbelief as is by some so rendered And the things are large as near as the words that signify them disobedience and unbelief 1. Unbelief is it self the grand disobedience for this is the work of God that which the Gospel mainely commands Ioh. 6.29 that ye believe Therefore the Apostle calls it the obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 And there is nothing indeed more worthy the name of obedience than the subjection of the mind to receive and believe those supernatural truths that the Gospel teaches concerning Jesus Christ. To obey so as to have as the Apostle speaks the impression of that divine pattern stamp'd upon the heart to have the heart delivered up as the word there is and laid under it to receive it Rom. 6.17 The word here us'd for disobedience signifies properly unpersuasion and there is nothing can more properly express the nature of unbelief than that and it is the very nature of our corrupt hearts We are Children of disobedience or unpersuasibleness altogether incredulous towards God who is truth it self and as pliable wax in Satan's hand he works in them what he will as there the Apostle expresses most easie of belief to him that is the very father of lies as our Saviour calls him a Liar and a murderer from the beginning murdering by lies as he did in the beginning 2. Unbelief is radically all other disobedience For all flowes from unbelief This we least of all suspect but 't is the bitter Root of all that ungodliness that abounds amongst us A right and lively persuasion of the heart concerning Jesus Christ alters the whole frame of it brings low its high lofty Imaginations and brings not only the outward actions but the very thoughts unto the obedience of Christ. Concerning these disobedient unbelievers these two testimonies taken together have in them 1. Their rejection of Christ. 2. Their folly 3. Their misery in so doing 1. They did not receive him as the father appointed and design'd him as the foundation and chief corner stone but slighted him and threw him by as unfit for the building and this did not only the ignorant multitude But the builders they that proâ—ess to have the skill and the office or power of building The Doctors of the Law the Scribes and Pharisees and chief Priests and think to carry the matter by the weight of their authority as overbalancing the belief of those that followed Christ. Have any of the Rulers believed in him But this People who know not the Law are cursed Iohn 7.48.49 2. We need not wonder then that not only the powers of the world are usualy enemies to Christ and that the contrivers of policies those builders leave out Christ in their building but that the pretended builders of the Church of God though they use the name of Christ and serve their turn with that yet reject himself and oppose the power of his spiritual kingdom There may be Wit and Learning and much knowledge of the Scriptures amongst those that are haters of the Lord Christ and the power of godliness and corrupters of the worship of God 'T is the Spirit of humility and obedience and â—aving faith that teaches Men to esteem of Christ and build upon him But the vanity of those builders opinion appears in this that they are over power'd by the great Architect of the Church his purpose stands notwithstanding their rejecton of Christ he is still made the head corner stone They cast him away by their miscensures and reproaches
put upon him and by giving him up to be crucified and then cast into the grave and a stone to be roll'd upon this Stone which they had so rejected that it might appear no more and so thought themselves sure But even from thence did he arise and became the head of the corner The disciples themselves spake you know very doubtfully of their former hopes We believ'd this had been he that would have delivered Israel but he corrected their mistake first by his word shewing them the true method of that great work Ought not Christ to suffer first these things And so enter into glory and then really by making himself known to them risen from the dead When he was from these rejected and lay lowest then was he nearest his exaltation as Ioseph in the prison was nearest his preferment And thus is it with the Church of Christ when 't is brought to the lowest desperatest condition then is deliverance at hand it prospers and gains in the event by all the practices of Men against it And as this corner stone was fitted to be so by the very rejection even so is it with the whole bulidâ—ng it rises the higher the more Men seek to demolish it 3. Their unhappiness that believe not is express'd in the other word He is to them a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence because they will not be saved by him they shall stumble and fall and be broken to pieces on him as it is in Esay and in the Evangelists But how is this is he that came to save become a destroyer of Men he whose name is salvation proves he destruction to any Not he in himself his primary and proper use is the former to be a foundation for souls to build and rest upon but they that in stead of building upon him will stumble and fall on him what wonder being so firm a stone though they be broken by their fall thus we see the mischief of unbelief that as other sins disable the Law it disables the very Gospel to save us and turns life it self into death to us And this is the misery not of a few but of many in Israel many that hear of Christ by the preaching of the Gospel shall lament that ever they heard that sound and shall wish to have liv'd and dyed without it finding so great an accession to their misery by the neglect of so great salvation They are said to stumble at the word because the things that are therein testified concerning Christ they labour not to understand and prize aright but either altogether slight them and account them foolishness or misconceive them and prevert them The Jews stumbled at the meaness of Christ's birth and life and the ignominy of his death not judging of him according to the Scriptures and we in another way think we have some kind of belief that he is the Savior of the world yet not making the Scripture the rule of our thoughts concerning him many of us undo our selves and stumble and break our necks upon this Rock mistaking Christ and the way of believing looking on him as a Saviour at large and judging that enough not endeavouring to make him ours and to embrace him upon the termes of that New-Covenant whereof he is Mediator Whereunto also they were appointed This the Apostle addes for the further satisfaction of Believers in this point how 't is that so many reject Christ and stumble at him Telling them plainly that the secret purpose of God is accomplish'd in this having determin'd to glorify his justice on impenitent sinners as he shews his rich mercy in them that believe Here it were easier to lead you into a deep than to lead you forth again I will rather stand on the shoar and silently admire it than enter into it This is certain that the thoughts of God are all no less just in themselves than deep and unsoundable by us His justice appears clear in that Mans destruction is alwayes the fruit of his own sin But to give causes of Gods decrees without himself is neither agreeable with the primitive being of the nature of God nor with the doctrine of the Scriptures this is sure that God is not bound to give us further account of these things and we are bound not to ask it Let these two words as S. Austin sayes answer all What art thou O man And O the depth Our only sure way to know that our names are not in that black line and to be perswaded that he hath chosen us to be saved by his Son is this to find that we have chosen him and are built on him by faith which is the fruit of his love that first chuseth us And that we may read in our esteem of him He is precious or your honour The difference is small you account him your glory and your gain he is not only precious to you but preciousness it self He is the thing that you make acount of your Jewel that if you keep though you be robb'd of all besides you know your selves rich enough To you that Believe Faith is absolutely necessary to make this due Estimat of Christ. 1. The most excellent things while their worth is undiscern'd and unkown affect us not Now faith is the proper seeing faculty of the soul in relation to Christ that inward light must be infus'd from above to make Christ visible to us without it though he is beautiful yet we are blind and therefore cannot love him for that beauty but by faith we are inabled to see him that is fairer than the Children of Men yea to see in him the glory of the only begotten Son of God and then it is not possible but to account him precious to bestow the entire affection of our hearts upon him And if any say to the Soul what is thy beloved more than another it willingly layes hold on the question and is glad of an opportunity to extoll him 2. Faith as it is that which discernes Christ so it alone appropriates him makes him our own And these are the two reasons of esteeming and affecting any thing it s own worth and our interest in it and faith begets this esteem of Christ by both 1. It discovers to us his excellencies that we could not see before 2. It makes him ours gives us possession of whole Christ all that he hath and is As it is faith that commends Christ so much and describes his comeliness in that song and withal that word is the voyce of faith that expresses propriety My Wellbeloved is mine and I am his and these together make him most precious to the soul having once possession of him then it looks upon all his sufferings as endur'd particularly for it and the benefit of them all as belonging to it self sure it will say can it chuse but account him precious that suffer'd shame that he might not be ashamed and suffered death that he might not die that
but more honour to God 'T is a poor booty to hunt after that Namely an airy vain breath of Men. The best things in them their solidest good is altogether vanity How much more that which is lightest and vainest in them This is the mind that is in every Christian in all his wayes to deny himself and be willing to abase himself to exalt his Master to be of St. Paul's temper that regarded not himself at all honour or dishonour prison or liberty life or death content of any thing so Christ might be magnified Phil. 1. And as every godly mind must be thus affected especially the Ministers of the Gospel they that are not only called with others to partake of this marvellous Light but are in a special manner to hold it forth to others How pure affections and ardent desires becomes them to his glory who hath so called them A rush for your praise or dispraise only receive Jesus Christ and esteem highly of him and 't is enough That 's the thing we give to some of you We preach not our selves sayes the Apostle but Christ Iesus the Lord. That 's our errand not to to catch either at base gain or vain applause for our selves But to exalt our Lord Jesus in the hearts of Men and to those that are so minded there is a reward abiding them of such riches and honour as they would be very loath to exchange for any thing to be had amongst Men. But in his station this is the mind of every one that loves the Lord Jesus most heartily to make a Sacrifice of himself and all he is and hath means and esteem and life and all to His glory that humbled himself so low to exalt us to these dignities to make us Kings and Priests unto God T is most just seeing we have our Crowns from Him and that he hath set them on our heads that we take them in our hands and throw them down before his throne All our graces if we have any are his free gift and are given as the rich garments of this Spiritual Priesthood only to attire us sutably for this Spiritual Sacrifice of his praises As the costly vesture of the high Priest under the Law was not appointed to make himself gay for himself but to decore him for his holy service and to commend as a figure of it the perfect holiness wherewith our great high Priest Iesus Christ was cloathed What good thing have we that is not from the hand of our good God and receiving all from him and after a Special manner Spiritual blessings is it not reasonable that all we have but those Spiritual gifts especialy declare His praise and His only Pas. 30.1 David doth not grow big with vain thoughts and lift up himself because God had lift him up but I will extol thee because thou hast lifted me up The visible heavens and all the beauty and the lights in them speak nothing but His glory that framed them as the Psalmist teacheth us and shall not these Spiritual Lights his called ones whom he hath made Lights so peculiarly for that purpose These stars in his right hand do it much more Oh! Let it be thus with us the more he gives be still the more humble and let him have the return of more glory and let it go entire to Him 't is all His due and in doing thus we shall still grow richer for where He sees the faithfullest Servant that purloins nothing but improves all to his Masters advantage sure him He will trust with most And as it is thus both most due to God and most profitable for our selves in all to seek his praises with our own Interest so 't is the most excellent and generous intent to have the same thought with God the same purpose that is his and aim no lower than at his glory Whereas 't is a base poor thing for a Man to seek himself far below that Royall dignity that is here put upon Christians and that Priesthood joyned with it Under the Law they that were squint ey'd were uncapable of the Priesthood truely this squinting out to our own interest looking aside to that in Gods affairs especially so deformes the face of the soul that it makes it altogether unworthy the honour of this Spiritual Priesthood Oh! this is a large task an infinite task the several creatures bear their part in this the Sun sayes somewhat and Moon and Stars yea the lowest have some share in it the very plants and herbs of the field speak of God and yet the very highest and best Yea altogether the whole Consort of Heaven and earth cannot shew forth all his praise to the full No 't is but a part the smellast part of that glory which they can reach We all pretend to these dignities in that we profess our selves Christians but if we have a mind to be resolv'd of the truth in this for many many are deceiv'd in 't we may by asking our selves seriously and answering truely to this 1. Whether are my actions and the course of my life such as give evidence of the grace of God and so speak his praise if not sure I am not of this number that God thus call'd and dignified and this I fear would degrade many 2 ly If my life be somewhat regular and Christian like yet whether do I in it all singly and constantly without any self or sinister end desire and seek the glory of God alone Otherwayes I may be like this chosen generation but I am not of them And this out of doubt would make the number yet far less Well think on it ' its a miserable condition for Men either to be grossely staining and dishonouring the holy Religion they profess or in seeming to serve and honour God to be serving and seeking themselves it is the way to lose themselves for ever Oh! ' it s a comfortable thing to have an upright mind and to love God for himself and love seeks not its own things they are truely happy that make this their work sincerely though weakly to advance the praises of their God in all things and finding the great imperfection of their best diligence in this work here are still longing to be where they shall do it better Verse 10. Which in time past were not a People but are now the People of God c. THe love of God to his Children is the great subject both of his Word and of their thoughts and therefore is it that his word the rule of their thoughts and whole lives speaks so much of that love to that very end that they may think much and esteem highly of it and walk answerably to it This is the Scope of St. Pauls Doctrine to his Ephesians and the top of his desires for them Eph. 3.17 And this is here our Apostles aim As he begun with it opposing their Election in Heaven to their Dispersion on Earth the same consideration runs through the
that all the Torments of the cross and revilings of the multitude that as it were rack't him for some answer yet could draw no other from him but this father forgive them for they know not what they do But for those to whom this mercy belong'd not the Apostle tells us what he did in stead of Revilings and Threatnings he committed all to him that judgeth righteously And this is the true method of Christian patience that which quiets the mind and keeps it from the boyling Tumultuous thoughts of revenge to turne the whole matter into Gods hand to resign it over to him to prosecute when and as he thinks good Not as the most that had rather if they had power do for themselves and be their own avengers and because they have not power do offer up such bitter curses and prayers for revenge unto God as are most hateful to him and are far from this calm and holy way of committing matters to his judgment The common way of referring things to God is indeed impious and dishonourable to him being really no other but a calling of him to be a Servant and executioner to our passion We ordinarily mistake his justice and judge of it according to our own precipitant distemper'd minds If wicked Men be not cross'd in their designes and their wickedness evidently crush'd just when we would have it we are ready to give up the matter as desperate or at least abate of those confident and reverent thoughts of divine justice that we owe him Howsoever things go this ought to be fixed in our hearts that he that sits in Heaven judgeth righteously and executes that his righteous judgement in the fittest season We poor wormes whose whole life is but an hand-breadth in it self and is as nothing unto God we think a few months or years a great matter but to him that inhabites Eternity a thousand years are but as one day as our Apostle teaches us Our Saviour in that time of his Humiliation and Suffering committed himself and his cause for that is best express'd in that nothing is express'd but he committed and the issue shall be that all his enemies shall become his footstool and he himself shall judge them But that which is given us here to learn from his carriage toward them in his Suffering is that quietness and moderation of mind even under unjust Sufferings make us like him Not to reply reproach with reproach as our custom is to give an ill word for another or two for one to be sure not to be behind Men take a pride in this and think it ridiculous simplicity to suffer and this make strifes and contention so abound but 't is a great mistake you think it greatness of spirit to bear nothing to put up no wrong Whereas it is indeed great weakness and baseness 't is true greatness of Spirit to despise the most of those things that set you usually on fire one against another especially being done after a Christian manner 't were a part of the Spirit of Christ in you and is there any Spirit greater than that think you Oh! that there were less of the Spirit of the Dragon and more of that Spirit of the Dove amongst us Our obligement to the example of Christ besides its own excellency is in these two things in the words 1. The intendment of his behaviour for this use to be as an example to us 2. Our Interest in him and those his Sufferings wherein he so carried himself Leaving us an Example c. He left his footsteps as a Copy as the word is to follow every step of his a letter of this Copy and particularly in this point of Suffering he writ us a pure and perfect Copy of obedience in clear and great letters in his own blood His whole life is our Rule not his Miraculous works his footsteps walking on the Sea and such like are not for our following But his obedience and Holiness and Meekenss and Humility are our Copy which we should continualy study The shorter and more effectual way they say of teaching is by example but above all this matchless example is the happiest way of teaching He that followes me sayes he shall not walk in darkness He that aimes high shoot's the higher for 't though he shoot not so high as he aimes This is that which ennobles the Spirit of a Christian the propounding of this our high Patterne the example of Jesus Christ. The Imitation of Men in worthless things is low and servile the Imitation of their vertues is commendable but if we seek no higher 't is both imperfect and unsafe The Apostle St. Paul will have no Imitation but with regard to this Supreme Patterne be ye follewers of me as I am of Christ One Christian may take the example of Christ in many things in another but still examining all by the Original primitive Copy the footsteps of Christ himself following nothing but as it conformes with that and looking most on him as both the perfectest and most effectual example Heb. 12.2 there is a cloud of wittnesses and examples but look above them all to him that is as high above them as the Sun is above the clouds As the way is better a lively one indeed so there is this advantage in the Covenant of grace that we are not left to our own skill for following of it but taught by the Spirit In the delivery of the Law God shewed his glory and greatness by the manner of it but the Law was written only in dead Tables but Christ the living Law teaches by obeying it how to obey it and this is the advantage of the Gospel that the Law is Twice written over unto believers first in the example of Christ and then inwardly in their hearts by his Spirit There is together with that Copy of all grace in him a Spirit deriv'd from him enabling believers to follow him in their measure they may not only see him as the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth as it is Io. 6. But as there it followes they receive of his fulness grace for grace The love of Christ makes the Soul delight to converse with him and converse and Love together makes it learn his behaviour as Men that live much together especially if they do much affect one another will insensibly contract anothers habitudes and customes The other thing obliging us is our interest in him and his Sufferings he suffer'd for us and this the Apostle returnes to Ver. 24. Observe only from the Tye of these two that if we neglect his example set before us we cannot enjoy any right assurance of his suffâ—ring for us but if we do seriously endeavour to follow him then we may be perswaded of life through his death and those steps of his wherein we walk will bring us ere long to be where he is Verse 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own Body on the Tree
that we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed THat which is deepest in the heart is readily most in the mouth That which abounds within runs over most by the Tongue or Pen when Men light upon the speaking of that Subject that possesses the affection they can hardly be taken off or drawn from it again Thus the Apostles in their writings when they make mention any way of Christ suffering for us they love to dwell on it as that which they take most delight to speak of Such delicacy and sweetness is in it to a Spiritual taste that they like to keep it in their mouth and are never out of their theam when they insist on Jesus Christ though they have but nam'd him by occasion of some other Doctrine for he is the great subject of all they have to say Thus here the Apostle had spoke of Christ in the foregoing words very fitly to this present Subject setting him before Christian Servants and all suffering Christians as their compleat example both in point of much suffering and of perfect Innocency and Patience in suffering And express'd their engagement to study and follow that example yet he cannot leave it so but having said that all those his sufferings wherein he was so exemplary were for us as a chief consideration for which we should study to be like him he returns to that again and enlarges himself in it in words partly the same partly very near those of that Evangelist among the Prophets Esay Chap. 53. And it suits very well with his main scope to press this point as giving both very much strength and sweetness to the Exhortation as being most reasonable that we willingly conform to him in suffering that had never been an Example of suffering nor subject at all to sufferings nor capable of them but for us and most comfortable in the light sufferings of this Moment to consider that he hath freed us from the sufferings of Eternity by suffering himself in our stead in the fulness of time That Jesus Christ is in doing and suffering our Supream and Matchless Example and that he came to be so is a truth but that he is nothing further and came for no other end is you see a high point of falshood for how should Man be enabled to learn and follow that example of obedience unless there were more in Christ and what would become of that great reckoning of disobedience that Man stands guilty of No these are too narrow he came to bear our sins on his own Body on the tree and for this purpose had a Body fitted for him and given him to bear this burden to do this as the will of his Father to stand for us in stead of all Offerings and Sacrifices and by that will sayes the Apostle we are Sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all This was his business not only to rectifie sinful Mankind by his example but to redeem him by his Blood he was a teacher come from God As a Prophet he teaches us the way of Life and as the best and greatest of Prophets is perfectly like his Doctrine and his actions that in all Teachers is the livelyest part of Doctrine his carriage in Life and death is our great Pattern and instruction But what is said of his forerunner is more eminently true of Christ he is a Prophet and more then a Prophet a Priest satisfying justice for us and a King conquering sin and death for us an Example in deed but more than an Example our Sacrifice and our Life and all in all 't is our Duty to walk as he walked to make him the pattern of our steps 1 Ioh. 2.6 But our comfort and salvation lyeth in this that he is the propitiation for our sins Verse 2. So in the first Chapter of that Epistle Verse 7. We are to walk in the Light as he is in the Light For all our walking we have need of that which followes that bears the great weight the Blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin and so still that glory which he possesseth in his own Person is the pledge of ours he is there for Vs. he lives to make intercession for us sayes the Apostle and I go to prepare a place for you sayes he himself We have in the words these two great points and in the same order as the words ly 1. The nature and quality of the sufferings of Jesus Christ And 2. The end of them In the expression of his suffering we are to consider 1. The commutation of the Persons he himself for us 2. The work undertaken and performed he bare our sins in his own body on the tree 1. The Act or sentence of the Law against the breach of it standing in force and Divine justice expecting satisfaction death was the necessary and inseperable consequent of sin If you say the Supream Majesty of God being accountable to none might have forgiven all without satisfaction We are not to contest that nor foolishly to offer to sound the bottomless deep of his absolute prerogative Christ implies in his Prayer that it was impossible that he could escape that cup But the impossibility is resolv'd into his Fathers will as the cause of it But this we may clearly see following the tract of the holy Scriptures our only safe way that this way wherein our salvation is contriv'd is most excellent and suitable to the greatness and goodness of God so full of wonders of wisdom and love that the Angels as our Apostle tells us before cannot forbear looking on it and admiring it for all their exact knowledge yet they still find it infinitly beyond their knowledge still in astonishment and admiration of what they see and still in search looking in to see more Those Cherubims still haveing their eyes fixed on this Mercy Seat Justice might indeed have siez'd on rebellious Man and laid the pronounc'd punishment on him mercy might have freely acquit him and pardon'd all But can we name any place where mercy and justice as relating to condemned Man could have met and shined joyntly in full aspect save only in Jesus Christ in whom indeed Mercy and truth met and righteousness and peace kissed each other Yea in whose Person the Parties concern'd that were at so great a distance met so near as nearer can not be imagin'd And not only was this the only way for the consistence of these two Justice and Mercy but take each of them severally and they could not have been in so full lustre as in this Gods just hatred of sin did out of doubt appear more in punishing his own only begotten Son for it than if the whole race of Mankind had suffer'd for it Eternally Again it raises the notion of Mercy to the highest that sin is not only forgiven us but for this end God's own coeâ—ernal Son is given to us and for us Consider
what he is and what we are he the Son of his love and we Enemies Therefore it is emphatically express'd in the words he himself bare our sins God so loved the World but love amounts to this much that it was so great as to give his Son But how great that is cannot be utter'd In this sayes the Apostle God commendeth his love to us sets it up to the highest gives us the richest and strongest evidence of it The foundation of this frame this appearing of Christ for us and undergoing and Answering all in our stead lyes in the Decree of God where it was plotted and contriv'd in the whole way of it from Eternity and the Father and the Son being one and their thoughts and will one they were perfectly agreed on 't and those likewise for whom it should hold were agreed upon and their Names written up according to which they are said to be given unto Christ to redeem And just according to that Model did all the work proceed and was accomplished in all points perfectly answering to the pattern of it in the Mind of God As it was preconcluded there that the Son should undertake the business this matchless piece of Service for his Father and that by his interposing Men should be reconciled and saved so that he might be altogether a fit Person for the Work it was resolv'd that as he was already fit for it by the Almightiness of his Deity and Godhead and the acceptableness of his Person to the Father as the Son of God so he should be further fitted by uniting wonderfully weakness to Almightiness the frailty of Man to the Power of God because that suffering for Man was a main point of the work so as his being the Son of God made him acceptable to God his being the son of Man made him suitable to Man in whose business he had engaged himself and to the business it self to be perform'd and not only was there in him by his humane nature a conformity with Man for that might have been by a new created Body but a consanguinity with Man by a Body framed of the same piece a Redeemer a Kinsman as the Hebrew word is only purified for his use as was needful and fram'd after a peculiar manner in the womb of a Virgin as 't is Heb 10. Thou hast fitted a body for me having no sin it self because ordained to have so much of our sins as 't is here he bare them on his own body And this looks back to the Primitive transaction and purpose Lo I come to do thy will sayes the Son and behold my servant whom I have chosen sayes the Father this Master-piece of my works none in Heaven or Earth fit to serve me in it but mine own Son and as he came into the World according to that decree and will so he goes out of it again in that way the Son of Man goeth as is determined it was wickedly and malitiously done by Men against him but determined which is that he there speaks of wisely and graciously by his Father with his own consent As in those two faced pictures Look upon the Crucifying of Christ one way as complotted by a treacherous Disciple and Malicious Priests and Rulers and nothing more deform'd and hateful than the Authors of it but view it again as determin'd in Gods Counsel for the restoring of lost Mankind and so 't is full of unspeakable beauty and sweetness infinite wisdom and Love in every tract of it Thus to the persons for whom as their coming unto him reflects upon that first donation as flowing from that all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me Ioh. 6. Now this being Gods great design that he would have Men eye and consider more than all the rest of his works and yet is least of all considered by the most the other Covenant made with the first Adam was but to make way and so to speak to make work for this for he knew that it would not hold therefore as this New Covenâ—nt became needful by the breach of the other so the failing of that other sets off and commends the firmness of this the former was with a Man in his best condition and yet he kept it not even then he prov'd vanity as 't is Psal. â—9 So that the second to be stronger is made with a Man indeed to supply the former but he is God-man to be surer than the former and therefore it holds and this is the difference as the Apostle expresses it that the first Adam in that first Covenant was laid as a foundation and though we say not that the Church in its true notion was built on him yet the estate of the whole race of Mankind the Materials that the Church is built of lay on him for that time and it failed But upon this Rock the second Adam is the Church so firmly built that the gates of Hell cannâ—t preâ—ail against 〈◊〉 The first Adam was made a quickening or life giving Spirit The first had light but he transfer'd it not yea he kept it not for himself drew in and transfer'd Death but the second by Death convey life to all that are reckon'd his seed he bare their 〈◊〉 He bare them on the tree in that outside of his suffering the visible kind of death inflicted on him that it was hanging on the tree of the Cross there was an Analogy with the end and main work and was order'd by the Lord with regard unto that being a Death declar'd accursed by the Law as the Apostle St. Paul observes and so declaring him that was God blessed for ever to have been made a curse that is accounted as accursed for us that we might be blessed in him in whom according to the Promise all the Nations of the Earth are blessed But that wherein lay the strength and main stress of his sufferings was this invisible weight that none could see that gaz'd on him but he felt more then all In this there are three things 1. The weight of sin 2. The transferring of it upon Christ. 3. His bearing of it 1. He bare as a heavy burden so the word of bearing in general and those two words particularly us'd by the Prophet whither these allude are the bearing of some great mass or load and thus sin is for it hath the wrath of an offended God hanging at it indissollubly tyed to it which who can bear the least of it and therefore the least sin being the procuring cause of it will press a man down for ever that he shall not be able to rise Who can stand before thee when once thou art angry sayes the Psalmist and the Prophet Ier. 3. Return backsliding Israel and I will not cause my wrath to fall upon thee fall as a great weight or as a Milstone crushes the soul. But sensless we go light under the burden of sin and feel it not complain not of it therefore truly
good to them in that but the great evil of deeper condemnation if they hear of him and believe not but he was made Man to be like yea to be one with the Elect and he is not ashamed to call them Brethren as the Apostle there sayes 2. Then in the actual intention of the Son so made Man he presenting himself to the Father in all he did and suffer'd as for them having them and thâ—m only in his eye and thoughts in all For their sakes do I sanctify my selfe Io. 17.1.9.3 The union is applyed and perform'd in them when they are converted and ingrafted into Jesus Christ by faith and this doth actually discharge them of their own sins and Entitle them to his Righteousness and so justifies them in the sight of God 4. The consummation of this union is in glory which is the result and fruit of all the former as it began in Heaven 't is compleated there but betwixt these Two in Heaven the intervention of those other two degrees of it on earth were necessary being intended in the first as tending to the attainment of the last these steps we have distinctly in his own prayer Ioh. 17. First Ver. 2. Gods purpose that the Son should give eternal life to those he hath given him 2. Ver. 4. I have finish'd the work 3. Ver. 6 8. And often after their faith their believing and keeping the word and then the last Ver. 24. I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am There meets the first donation and the last Now to obtain this life for them he dyed in their stead appeared as the high Priest being perfectly and truely what the name was on their plate of gold holiness to the Lord. Exod. 28 36. And so bearing their iniquity as it is added there of the Priest Ver. 38. But because he was not the Redeemer but a perfect figure of him he did not himself suffer for the peoples sin but turn'd it over upon the beasts that â—he sacrificâ—d signifying that translation of sin by laying his hand upon the head of the Beast But Jesus Christ is both the great High Priest and the great Sacrifice in one and this seem's to be here imply'd in these words himself c. On his own body he bare c. Which the Legal Priests did not so Heb. 9.12 He made his soul an offering for sin Isa. 53. and Heb. 9. He offered up himself his whole self and in the History of the Gospel his soul was heavy and chiefly suffered but the bearing on his body and offering it that is oftenest mention'd as the visible part of the Sacrifice and in his way of offering it not excluding the other Thus Rom. 12.1 We are exhorted to give our bodies in opposition to the bodies of beasts and called a living Sacrifice which they are not without the Soul so his bearing on his body imports the bearing it on his Soul too 3. His bearing that hintes that he was active and willing in his suffering for us not a constrain'd Offering He layed down his Life as he tells us and this here He bare is he took willingly off lifted from us that burden to bear it himself It was counted an ill sign amongst the Heathens when the Beasts went unwillingly to be Sacrific'd and drew back and gooâ— when they went willingly But never Sacrifice so willing as our great Sacrifice was and we may be assured he hath appeased his Fathers wrath and wrought Atonement for Us. Isaac in this his Type we heare of no Reluctance but quietly bound when he was to be Offered up There be two words in Esay the one bearing the other tâ—kiâ—g away this is also that takeing away the Sins of the World in St. Iohn 1.29 Which Answers to both and so he to both the Goats Levit. 16 He did bear our Sins on his Crosse and from thenâ—â— to his Grave and there they are Buried and they whose Sins he did so bear and take away and Bury they shall hear no more of them as theirs to bear Is he not then worthy to behold in that notion that Iohn took him and design'd him by Behold the Lamb of God that beareth and takes away the sins of the World You then that are Gazing on vanity be perswaded to turne your Eyes this way and behold this lasting wonder this Lord of Life dying but the most alas Want a due Eye for this Object 't is the eye of Faith alone that looks aright on him and is daily discovering new worlds of excellency and delight in this crucified Saviour that can view him daily as hanging on the Crosse without the Childish gaudy help of a Crucifix and grow in the knowledge of that Love that passeth knowledge and rejoyce it self in frequent thinking and speaking of him in stead of these idle and vain thoughts at the best and empty discourses wherein the most delight and wear out the day What is all knowledge but painted folly in comparison of this though thou hadst Solomon's faculty to discourse of all plants and have not the right knowledge of this root of Iâ—sse If thou wert singular in the knowledge of the Stars and course of the Heavens and could'st walk through the Spheres with a Iacob's Staff but ignorant of this Star of Iacob If thou knewest the Historyeâ— of all Time and the Life and Death of all the famousest Princes and could rehearse them all but dost not Spiritually know and apply to thy self the death of Iesus as thy Life thou art still a wretched Fool for them and all thy knowledge with thee shall quickly perish On the other side if thy capacity or breeding hath denyed thee the knowledge of all these things wherein Men glory so much Yet do but learn Christ Crucified and what wouldest thou have more That shall make thee happy for ever for this is life eternal to know thee c. Here St. Paul sets up his rest I determined to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him Crucified Whatsoever I knew besides I resolv'd to be as if I knew nothing besides this the only knowledge wherein I will rejoyce my self and which I will labour to impart to others I have try'd and compar'd the rest and find them all unworthy of their Room beside this and my whole Soul too little for this and have past this judgement and sentence on all I have adjudg'd my self to deny all other knowledge and confin'd my self within this Circle and I am not straitn'd so there 's room enough in 't 't is larger than Heaven and Earth and him crucified the most despis'd and ignominious part yet the sweetest and most comfortable part of all the Root whence all our hopes of life and Spiritual joyes do spring But the most part hear this Subject as a Story some a little mov'd with the present found of it but draw it not home into their hearts to make it theirs and find salvation in it but
hath no other purpose in his being and living but only to honour his Lord that 's to live to righteousness he doth not make a by-work of it a study for his spare houres no 't is his main busines his all In this law doth he meditate day and night This life as the other is in the heart and from thence diffuses to the whole Man he loves righteousness and receiveth the truth as the Apostle speaks in the love of it A natural Man may do many things that for their shell and outside are righteous But he lives not to righteousness because his heart is not possess'd and rul'd with the love of it but this life makes the godly Man delight to walk uprightly and to speak of righteousness his Language and wayes carry the resemblance of his heart Psa. 37. Ver. 30.31 I know 't is easiest to act that part of Religion that is in the Tongue but the Christian ought not for that to be Spiritually dumb Because some Birds are taught to speak Men do not for that give it over and leave off to speak the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his Tongue talketh of judgement and his feet strive to keep pace with his Tongue which gives evidence of its unfainedness None of his steps shall slide or he shall not stagger in his steps but that which is betwixt these is the common Spring the Law of God is in his heart of both and from thence as Salomon sayes are the issues of his life that Law in his heart is the principle of this living to righteousness 2 The Second thing here is the design or Intendment of this death and life in the sufferings and death of Christ he bare sin and died for it that we might dye to it Out of some conviction of the consequence of Sin many have a confus'd desire to be justified to have sin pardon'd and look no further think not on the importance and necessity of sanctification the nature whereof is express'd by this dying to sin and living to righteousness But here we see that sanctification is necessary as inseparably connexed with justification not only as its companion but as its end which in some kind raises it above the other that it was the thing which God ey'd and intended in taking away the guiltiness of sin that we might be renew'd and sanctified If we compare them in point of time either backward holiness was alwayes necessary unto happiness But satisfying for sin and the pardon of it was made necessary by sin or if we look forward the estate we are appointed to and for which we are delivered from wrath is an estate of perfect holiness When we reflect upon that great work of Redemption we see it aim'd at there Redeem'd to be holy Eph. 5.25 26. Tit. 2.14 And go yet higher to the very Spring the decree of Election And then it s said Chosen before that we should be Holy and in end it shall Suit the designe Nothing shall enter into the new Ierusalem that is defiled or unholy Nothing but all purity there not a spot of sinfull pollution not a wrinkle of the Old Man for this end was that great work undertaken by the Son of God that he might frame out of polluted Mankind a new holy generation to his Father that might compasse his throne in the Life of glory and give him pure praises and behold his face in that eternity Now for this end it was needfull according to the all-wise purpose of the Father that the guiltiness of sin and sentence of Death should be once removed and thus the burden of that lay upon Christs shoulders on the Crosse and that done it is further necessary that Souls so deliver'd be likewise purg'd and renew'd for they are design'd to perfection of holiness in end and it must begin here Yet is it not possible to perswade Men of this that Christ had this in his eye and purpose when he was lift up upon the crosse and look'd upon the whole company of those his Father had given him to save that he would redeem them to be a number of holy Persons We would be redeem'd who is there would not but he would have his redeemed ones holy and they that are not true to this his end but crosse and oppose him in it may hear of redemption long and often But litle to their comfort Are you resolv'd still to abuse and delude your selves Well whither you will believe it or no this is once more told you there is unspeakable comfort in the death of Chirst but it belongs only to those that are dead to sin and alive to righteousness This Circle shuâ—s out the impenitent world there it closes and cannot be broke through but all that are penitent are by their effectual caling lifted in to it translated from that accurs'd condition wherein they were So then if you will live in your sins you may but then resolve withal to bear them your selves for Christ in his bearing of sin meant of none but such as in due time are thus dead and thus alive with him 3. But then in the Third place Christs Sufferings and death effects all this 1. As the exemplary cause the lively contemplation of Christ crucified is the most powerful of all thoughts to separate the heart and sin But 2. besides this working as a Moral cause as that example Christ is the effective natural cause of this death and life For he is one with the Believer and there is a real influence of his death and life into their Souls This Mysterious Union of Christ and the believer is that whereon both their Justification and Sanctification and the whole frame of their Salvation and Happiness depends and in this particular the Apostle still insists on it speaking of Christ and Believers as one in his Death and Resurrection crucified with him dead with him buried with him and risen with him Rom. 6. Being arisen he applies his death to those he dyed for and by it kills the life of sin in them and so is aveng'd on it for its being the cause of his death according to that of the Psalm raise me up that I may requite them He infuses and then actuates and stirres up that faith and love in them by which they are united to him and these work powerfuly in this 3. Faith look's so stedfastly on its suffering Saviour that as they say intellectus fit illud quod intelligit it makes the Soul like him assimilates and conformes it to his Death as the Apostle speaks That which some fable of some of their Saints of receiving the impression of the wounds of Christ in their body is true in a Spiritual sense of the Soul of every one that is indeed a Saint and a believer it takes the very print of his Death by beholding him and dyes to sin and then takes that of his rising again and lives to righteousness as it applies it to justify so
thus cure it must be applyed 't is the only receit but it must be received if for healing The most Soveraign Medicines cure not in another manner and therefore still their first letler is R recipe take such a thing This is amongst those wonders of that great work that the Soveraign Lord of all that binds and looses at his pleasure the influences of Heaven and the Power and workings of all the Creatures would himself in our flesh be thus bound the only Son bound as a Slave and scourged as a Malefactor and his willing obedience made this an acceptable and expiateing Sacrifice amongst the rest of his sufferings he gave his back to the smiters Now it cannot be that any that is thus healed reflecting upon this cure can again take any constant delight in sin 't is impossible so far to forget both the grief it bred themselves and their Lord as to make a new agreement with it to live in the pleasure of it His stripes Turn your thoughts all to consider this you that are not healed that you may be healed and you that are apply it still to perfect the cure in that part wherein it is gradual and not complete and for the ease you have found to bless and love him who endur'd so much unease to that end There is a sweet mixture of sorrow and joy in contemplating these stripes sorrow sure by sympathy that they were his stripes and joy that they were our healing Christians are too litle mindful and sensible of this and it may be somewhat guilty of that Hos. 11.3 They knew not that I healed them Verse 25. For ye were as Sheep going astray but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your Souls IN these few words we have a brief and yet clear representation of the wretchedness of our Natural condition and our happiness in Christ. The resemblance is borrow'd from the same place in the Prophet Isai. 53.6 Not to press the comparison and as it is usual in a postilling way to strain it beyond the purpose in our lost estate This is all or the main wherein the resemblance with Sheep holds our wandring as forlorn and exposed to destruction as a Sheep that is strayed and wandred from the fold So it imports indeed the loss of a better condition the safety and happiness of the Soul that good which is proper to it as the sutable good of the bruite creature here nam'd is safe and good Pasture That we may know there is none exempt in Nature from the guiltiness and misery of this wandring the Prophet is express in the universallity of it All we have gone astray And the Apostle here is particular to his Brethren so as it falls not amiss to any other Ye were as Sheep going astray Ye the Prophet there to the collective universal addes a distributive every Man to his own way Or a Man to his way They agree in this that they all wander though they differ in their several wayes There is an imbred Propension to stray in them all more than Sheep that are Creatures naturally wandring but each one hath his own way of it And this is our folly that we flatter our selves by comparison and every one is pleased with himself because he is free from some wandrings of others not considering that he is a wanderer too though in another way he hath his way as those he look's on have theirs And as Men agree in wandring though different in their way so those wayes agree in this that they lead unto misery and shall end in that Think you there is no way to Hell but the way of open Profaness Yes sure many a way that seems smooth and clean in a Man 's own eyes and yet will end in Condemnation Truth is but one Errour endless and interminable as of Natural Life and Death so of Spiritual the way to Life is one But many out of it Lethi mille aditus Each one hath not opportunity nor ability for every sin or every degree but each after his own Mode and Power Isa. 40.20 Thy Tongue it may be wanders not in the common Path road of Oathes and Curses yet it wanders in secret Calumnies in Detraction and Defaming of others though so conveyed as it scarce appears Or if thou speak them not yet thou art pleas'd to hear them It wanders in trifling away the precious hours of irrecoverable time with vain unprofitable bablings in thy Converse or if thou art much alone or in Company much silent yet is not thy foolish mind still hunting Vanity Following this selfe-pleasing design or t'other and seldom and very slightly if at all conversant with God and the things of Heaven Which although they alone have the truest and the highest Pleasure in them yet to thy Carnal Mind are tasteless and unsavory There is scarce any thing so light and Childish that thou wilt not more willingly and liberally bestow thy retired thoughts on than upon those excellent incomparable delights Oh! the foolish heart of Man when it may seem deep and serious how often is it at Domitian's Exercise in his Study catching Flies Men account litle of the wandring of their hearts and yet truly that is most of all to be consider'd For from thence are the Issues of life 'T is the heart that hath forgotten God and is roving after Vanity this causes all the Errours of Mens Words and Actions a wandring Heart makes wandring Eyes and Feet and Tongue 'T is the leading Wanderer that misleads all the rest and as we are here call'd straying Sheep so within the heart in it self of each of us there is as it were a whole wandring Flock such a Multitude of Fictions Gen. 8. Ungodly devices the Word that signifies a thought in Hebrew is from that which is feeding of a Flock and it likewise signifies wandring and so these meet in our thoughts they are a great Flock and a wandring Flock This is the Natural freedem of our thoughts they are free to wander from God and Heaven and carry us to perdition And we are guilty of many Pollutions this way that we never acted Men are less sensible of heart wickedness if it break not forth But it is far more active in sin than any of the senses or the whole body The motion of Spirits is far swifter than of bodies it can go more way in any of these wandrings in one hour than the body is able to follow in many dayes When the Body is tyed to attendance in the exercises where we are yet know you not 't is so much the more if you do not know and feel it and bewail it know you that the heart can take its liberty and leave you nothing but a Carcase This the unrenewed heart doth continually They come and sit before me c. But their heart is after their Covetousness it hath another way to go another God to wait on But are now returned c. Whatsoever
equally from every Minister alike yet it must be acknowledged that there is something we know not what to call it more acceptable reception of those who at first were the means of bringing men to God then others like the opinion some have of Physitians whom they love The Apostle comforts these strangers of this dispersion by the spiritual union which they obtained by Effectual calling and so calls off their eyes from their outward dispersed and dispised condition to look above that as high as the spring of their happiness the free love and Election of God Scattered in the Countries and yet gathered in Gods Election chosen or pickt out Stangers to men amongst whom they dwelt but known and foreknown to God removed from their own Country to which men have naturally an unalterable affection but made heirs of a better as followes verse 3.4 And having within them the evidence both of Eternal Election and that expected salvaâ—ion the Spirit of holiness verse 2. At the best a Christian is bâ—t a Stranger here set him where you will as our Apostle teacheth after and 't is his priviledge that he is so and when he thinks not so he forgets and disparages himself and descends far below his quallity when he is much taken with any thing in this place of his Exile But this is the wisdom of a Christian when he can solace himself against the meaness and any kind of discomfort of his outward condition with the comfortable assurance of the love of God that he hath called him to holiness given him some measure of it and an endeavour after more and by this may he conclude that he hath ordained him unto salvation if either he is a Stranger where he lives or as a stranger deserted of his friends and very near stript of all outward comforts yet may he rejoyce in this that the Eternal unchangable Love of God that is from Everlasting to Everlasting is sealed to his soul O what will it avail a man to be compassed about with the favour of the world to sit unmolested in his own home and possessions and to have them very great and pleasant well moneyed and landed and befriended and yet estranged and sever'd from God not having any token of his special Love To the Elect The Apostle here denominates all the Christians to whom he writes by the condition of true Believers calling them Elect and sanctified c. And the Apostle St. Paul writes in the same stile in his Epistles to the Churches not that all in these Churches were such indeed but because they professed to be such and by that their profession and Calling as Christians they were obliged to be such and as many of them as were in any measure true to that their Calling and profession were really such Besides it would seem not unworthy of Consideration that in all probability there would be fewer false Christians and the number of true believers usually greater in the Churches in those Primitive times then now in the best reformed Churches because there could not then be many of them that were from their Infancy bred in the Christian Faith but for the greatest part were such as being of years of discretion were by the hearing of the Gospel converted from Paganisme and Iuduisme to the Christian Religion first and made a deliberate choise of it to which there were at that time no great outward Encouragements and therefore the lesse danger of multitudes of hypocrites which as Vermine in Summer breed most in the time of the Churches Prosperity Tho no Nation or Kingdom had then universally received the faith but rather hated and persecuted it yet were there even then amongst them as the writings of the Apostles testifie false Brethren and inordinate walkers and men of corrupt minds earthly minded and led with a spirit of envy and contention and vainglory Howsoever the question that is moved concerning the necessary qualifications of all the members of a true visible Church can no way as I conceive be decided from the Inscriptions of the Epistle but eertainly they are useful to teach Christians and Christian Churches what they ought to be and what their holy profession requires of them and sharply to reprove the gross unlikeness and inconformity that is in the most part of man to the description of Christians As there be some that are too strait in their Judgement concerning the being and nature of the visible Church so certainly the greatest part of Churches are too loose in their practice From the dissimilitude betwixt our Churches and those we may make this use of reproof That if aâ— Apostolical Epistle were to be directed to us it behoved to be Inscribed to the Ignorant prophane maliâ—ious c. As he who at the hearing of the Gospel read said Either this is not the Gospel or we are not Christians So either these Charâ—cters given in the Inscription of these Epistles are not true Characters or we are not true Christians Verse 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinckling of the blood of Iesus Christ. IN this verse we have their Condition and Causes of it Their Condition Sanctified and Iustified the former expressed by Obedience the latter by sprinkling of the blood of Christ. The Causes 1 Eternal Election 2. The Execution of that Decree Their Effectual Calling which I conceive is meant by Election here the selecting them out of the World and joyning them to the fellowship of the Children of God so Ioh. 15.19 The former Election particularly ascribed to God the Father the latter to the Holy Spirit And the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God is here the cause of their Justification and so the whole Trinity concurring dignifie them with this their Spiritual and happy estate First I shall discourse of these seperately and then of their Connection 1. Of the state it selfe and first of Iustification tho named last This sprinkling has respect to the Rite of the Legal Purification by the sprinkling of Blood and that appositely for these Rites of sprinkling and Blood did all point out this Blood and this Sprinkling and exhibited this true ransome of souls which was only shadowed by them As the use and end of Sprinkling was Purification and Expiation because sin merited death and that the pollutions and staines of human nature was by sin Such is the pollution that it can be no manner of way washt off but by Blood Heb. 9. â—2 Neither is there any Blood able to purge from sin except the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 That the stain of sin can only be washt off by Blood inâ—imates that it merits Death And that no Blood but that of the Son of God can do it intimates that this stain merits Eternal Death and it had been our portion except the death of the Eternal Lord of life had freed
apparrel'd than it but partaker of its frail and fading nature hath no priviledge nor immunity that way yea of the two the less durable and usually shorter liv'd at the best it decayes with it the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away How easily and quickly hath the highest splendor of a Mans prosperity been blasted either by Mens power or the immediate hand of God The spirit of the Lord blowes upon it as Esay there sayes and by that not only withers the grass but the flower fades though never so fair When thou correctest Man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume like a moth Psal. 39.11 How many have the casualties of fire or war or shipwrack in one day or night or a small part of either turn'd out of great riches into extream poverty And the Instances are not few of those that have on a sudden fallen from the top of honour into the fowlest disgraces not by degrees comeing down the stair they went up but tumbled down headlong And the most vigorous beauty and strength of body how doth a few dayes sickness or if it scape that a few years time blast that flower yea those higher advantages that have somewhat both of truer and more lasting beauty in them the Endowments of witt and Learning and Eloquence yea and of morall Goodness and vertue yet they cannot rise above this word they are still in all their glory but the flower of grass their Root is in the â—earth Natural ornaments are of some use in this present life but they reach no further When Men have wasted their strength and endur'd the toyl of study night and day ' it s but a small parcell of knowledge they can attain to and are forc'd to ly down in the dust in the midst of their pursuit of it that head that lodges most sciences shall within a while be diffurnish'd of them all and the tongue that speaks most languages silenc'd The great projects of Kings and Princes and they also themselves come under this same notion all the vast designes that are framing in their heads fall to the ground in a moment they returne to their dust and in that day all their thoughts perish Archimedes was killed in the midst of his demonstration If they themselves did consider this in the heat of their affairs it would much allay the swelling and loftiness of their minds and if these that live upon their favour would consider it they would not value it at so high a rate and buy it so dear as often they doe Men of low degree are vanity sayes the Psalmist but he adds Men of high degree are a lie from base mean persons we expect nothing but the estate of great persons promises fair and often keeps not therefore a lie although they can least endure that word They are in respect of mean persons as the flower to the grass somewhat a fairer lustre they have but no more endurance nor exemption from decaying thus then it is an universall and undenyable truth It begins here with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is as sure a Conclusion as the surest of these in their best Demonstrations which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as particular Men so whole States and Kingdomes are thus they have their budding and flourishing and withering and it is in both as with flowers when they are fullest spread then they are near their declining and withering and thus it is with all whole Generations of Men upon Earth as Solomon sayes One goeth and another cometh but not a word of abiding at all We in our thoughts shut up death into a very narrow compass namely â—n the moment of our expiring but the truth is as the Moralist observes it goes through all our life for we are still losing and spending it as we enjoy it yea our very enjoying it is the spending it yesterdayes life is dead to day and so shall this day's life be to morrow We spend our years sayes Moses as a tale or as a thought so swift and evanishing is it Each word helps a tale towards its end and then in that the vanity when ' its done it evanishes as a sound in the air What 's become of all the pompous solemnities of Kings and Princes at their births and Marriages and Coronations and Triumphs they are now as a dream Act. 25.23 Hence learn the folly and pride of Man that can glory and please himself in the frail and wretched being he hath here that dotes on this poor natural life and cannot be persuaded to think on one higher and more abiding Although the course of times and his daily Experience tells him this truth that all flesh is grass yea the Prophet prefixes to these words a command of Crying they must be shouted aloud in our ears ere we will hear them and by that time the sound of the cry is done we have forgot it again Would we consider this in the midst of those vanities that tosse our light minds too and fro it would give us wiser thoughts and balast our hearts make them more solid and stedfast in those spirituall endeavours which concerne a durable condition a being that abides for ever in comparison of which the longest term of naturall life is less than a moment and the happiest estate of it but a heap of miseries Were all of us more constantly prosperous than any of us is yet that one thing were enough to cry down the price we put upon this life that it continues not As he answered to one that had a mind to flatter him in the midst of a pompuous triumph by saying what is wanting here continuance said he 'T was wisely said at any time but most of all to have so sober a thought in such a solemnity in which weak heads cannot escape either to be wholly drunk or somewhat giddy at least Sure we forget this when we grow vain upon any humane glory or advantage the colour of it pleases us and we forget that it is but a flower and foolishly overesteem it this is that madness upon flowers that is somewhere in request where they will give as much for one flower as would buy a good dwelling house Is it not a most foolish bargain to bestow continuall pains and diligence upon purchasing of great possessions or honours if we believe this that the best of them is no other but a short liv'd flower and neglect the purchase of those glorious mansioâ—s of Eternity a garland of such flowers as wither not an unfading crown that everlasting life and those Everlasting pleasures that are at the right hand of God Now that life which shall never end must begin here it is the new spirituall life whereof the word of God is the immortall seed and in opposition to corruptible seed and the corruptible life of flesh it is here said to endure for ever And for this end is the frailty of naturall life mention'd that our