Christs death was Justice and Mercy In respect of man it was murder and cruelty In respect of himself it was obedience and humility Hence our note is DOCT. That our Lord Iesus Christ was not only put to death but to the worst of deaths even the death of the Cross. To this the Apostle gives a plain testimony Phil. 2.8 He became obedient to death even the death of the Cross where his humiliation is both specified he was humbled to death and aggravated by a most emphatical reduplication even the death of the Cross. So Act. 5.30 Iesus whom ye slew and hanged upon a tree q. d. it did not suffice you to put him to a violent but you also put him to the most base vile and ignominious death you hanged him on a tree In this point we will discuss these three particulars viz. the nature or kind the manner and reasons of Christs death upon the tree First I shall open the kind or nature of this death by shewing you that it was a violent painful shameful cursed slow and succourless death First It was a violent death that Christ died Violent in it self though voluntary on his part He was cut off out of the land of the living Isai. 53.8 And yet he laid down his life of himself no man took it from him Joh. 10.17 I call his death violent because he died not a natural death i. e. he lived not till nature was consumed with age as it is in many who live till their balsamum radicale radical moisture like the oyl in the Lamp be quite consumed and then go out like an expiring Lamp It was not so with Christ. For he was but in the very flower and prime of his time when he died And indeed he must either die a violent death or not die at all partly because there was no sin in him to open a door to natural death as it doth in all others Partly because else his death had not been a sacrifice acceptable and satisfactory to God for us That which died of it self was never offered up to God but that which was slain when it was in its full strength and health The Temple was a Type of the body of Christ. Now when the Temple was destroyed it did not drop down as an antient structure decayed by time but was pulled down by violence when it was standing in its full strength Therefore he is said to suffer death and to be put to death for us in the flesh 1 Pet. 3.18 That 's the first thing It was a violent though a voluntary death For violent is not opposed to voluntary but to natural Secondly The death of the Cross was a most painful death Indeed in this death were many deaths contrived in one The Cross was a Rack as well as a Gibber The pains Christ suffered upon the Cross are by the Apostle emphatically stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.24 the pains of death but properly they signifie the pangs of travail yea the birth pangs the most acute sorrows of a travailing woman His soul was in travail Isai. 53. His body in bitter pangs and being as Aquinas speaks optime complectionatus of the most excellent Crisis exact and just temperament his sences were more acute and delicate than ordinary and all the time of his suffering so they continued not in the least blunted dulled or rebated by the pains he suffered The death of Christ doubtless contained the greatest and acutest pains imaginable Because these pains of Christ alone were intended to equalize all that misery which the sin of man deserved all that pain which the damned shall and the Elect deserved to feel Now to have pains meeting at once upon one person equivalent to all the pains of the damned Judge you what a plight Christ was in Thirdly The death of the Cross was a shameful death Not only because the crucified were stripped quite naked and so exposed as spectacles of shame but mainly because it was that kind of death which was appointed for the basest and vilest of men Their Free-men when they committed capital crimes were not condemned to the Cross. No that was looked upon as the death appointed for slaves Tacitus calls it servile supplicium the punishment of a slave and to the same sense Iuvenal speaks pone crucem servo put the Cross upon the back of a slave As they had a great esteem of a Free-man so they manifested it even when they had forfeited their lives in cutting them off by more honourable kinds of death This by hanging on the tree was alwaies accounted most ignominious To this day we say of him that 's hanged he dies the death of a dog And yet it 's said of our Lord Jesus Heb. 12.2 he not only endured the Cross but also despised the shame Obedience to his Fathers will and zeal for your Salvation made him digest the shame of it and despise the baseness that was in it Fourthly The death of the Cross was a cursed death Upon that account he is said to be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Gal. 3.13 This refers to Deut. 21.23 His body shall not remain all night upon the Tree but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day for he that is hanged is accursed of God The very Symbol of lifting them up betwixt heaven and earth carryed much shame in it For it implied this in it that the person so used was so execrable base and vile that he deserved not to tread upon the earth or touch the surface of the ground any more And the command for burying them that day doth not at all mitigate but rather aggravates this curse speaking the person to be so abominable that as he is lifted up into the air and hanging between heaven and earth as unworthy ever to set foot more upon the earth so when dead they were to hasten to bury him that such an abominable sight might be removed assoon as might be from before the eyes of men And that the earth might not be defiled by his lying on the surface of it when taken down However as the Learned Iunius hath Judiciously observed that this curse is only a Ceremonial curse For otherwise it 's neither in it self nor by the Law of nature or by civil Law more execrable than any other death And the main reason why the Ceremonial Law affixed the curse to this rather than any other death was principally with respect to the death Christ was to die And therefore Reader see and admire the providence of God that Christ should die by a Roman and not by a Iudaick Law For Crucifying or Hanging on the Tree was a Roman punishment and not in use among the Jews But the Scriptures cannot be broken Fifthly The death of the Cross was a very slow and lingering death They died leisurably
the High-Priests appearing in the Holy of Holies which was the figure of Heaven presenting to the Lord the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel which were on his breast and shoulders Exod. 28.9 12 28 29. to which the Church is supposed to allude in that request Cant. 8.6 set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm Now the very sight of Christ our High-Priest in Heaven prevails exceedingly with God and â—urns away his displeasure from us As when God looks upon the Rainbow which is the sign of the Covenant he remembers the earth in mercy So when he looks on Christ his heart must needs be towards us upon his account and therefore in Rev. 4.3 Christ is compared to a Rainbow encompassing the Throne Secondly Christ performs his intercession-work in Heaven not by a naked appearing in the presence of God only but also by presenting his blood and all his sufferings to God as a moving plea on our account Whether he make any proper oral intercession there as he did on earth is not so clear some incline to it and think it 's countenanced by Zech. 1.12 13. where Christ our intercessor presents a proper vocal request to the Father in the behalf of his people Saying O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not have mercy on Ierusalem and on the Cities of Iudah against whom thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years and the Lord answered him with good and comfortable words And so Act. 2.23 As soon as he came to Heaven he is said and that as the first fruits of his Intercession to obtain the promise of the Holy-Ghost But sure I am an Interceding voice is by an usual prosopopeia attributed to his blood which in Heb. 12.24 is said to speak better things than the blood of Abel Now Abels blood and so Christs do cry unto God as the hire of the Labourers unjustly detained or the whole creation which is in bondage through our sins are said to cry and groan in the ears of the Lord. Iam. 5.4 Rom. 8.22 not vocally but efficatiously A rare illustration of this Efficatious Intercession of Christ in Heaven we have in that famous story of Amintas who appeared as an Advocate for his brother Aechylus who was strongly accused and very likely to be condemned to die Now Amintas having performed great services and merited highly of the Common-Wealth in whose service one of his hands was cut off in the Field he comes into the Court on his brothers behalf and said nothing but only lifted up his arm and shewed them cubitum sine manu an arm without an hand which so moved them without a word speaking that they freed his brother immediately And thus if you look into Revel 5.6 you shall see in what posture Christ is represented visionally there as standing between God and us And I beheld and loe in the midst of the Throne and four beasts and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain i. â— bearing in his glorified body the marks of his death and sacrifice Those wounds he received for our sins on earth are as it were still fresh bleeding in Heaven A moving and prevailing argument it is with the Father to give out the mercies he pleads for Thirdly and Lastly He presents the prayers of his Saints to God with his merits and desires that they may for his sake be granted He causes a cloud of incense to ascend before God with them Revel 8.3 All these were excellently Typed out by the going in of the High-Priest before the Lord with the names of the Children of Israel on his breast with the blood of the Sacrifice and his hands full of incense as the Apostle explains them in Heb. 7. and Heb. 9. Thirdly And that this Intercession of Christ is most potent successful and prevalant with God will be evinced both from the qualifications of this our Advocate from his great interest in the Father from the nature of the pleas he useth with God and from the relation and interest believers have both in the Father to whom and the Son by whom this intercession is made First our Intercessor in the Heavens is every way able and fit for the work he is ingaged in there What ever is desirable in an Advocate is in him eminently It is necessary that he who undertakes to plead the cause of another especially if it be weighty and intricate should be wise faithful tender-hearted and one that concerns himself in the success of his business Our Advocate Christ wants no wisdom to manage his work He is the wisdom of God yea only wise Jude 25. There 's much folly in the best of our duties we know not how to press an argument home with God but Christ hath the art of it Our business is in a wise hand He is no less faithful than wise therefore he is called a faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17 He assures us we may safely trust our concerns with him Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you Q. D. do you think I will deceive you Men may cheat you but I will not your own hearts may and daily do deceive you but so will not I. And for tender heartedness and sensible resentments of our conditions there is none like him Heb. 4.15 For we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin We have not one that cannot sympathize so it is in the Greek and on purpose that he might be the better able to sympathize with us he came as near to our conditions as the holiness of his nature could permit He suffered himself to be in all points tempted like as we are sin only excepted And then for his concernment and interest in the success of his suit he not only reckons but hath really made it his own interest Yea more his own than it is ours For now by reason of the mystical union all our wants and troubles are his Eph. 1.23 Yea his own glory and compleatness as mediator is deeply interessed in it And therefore we need not doubt but he will use all care and diligence in that work If you say so he may and yet not speed for all that for it depends on the fathers grant True but then Secondly Consider the great interest he hath in the Father with whom he so intercedes Christ is his dear Son Col. 1.13 the beloved of his soul Eph. 1.6 betwixt him and the Father with whom he intercedes there is an unity not only of nature but will and so he always hears him Ioh. 11.42 Yea and he said to this his dear Son when he came first to Heaven Ask of me and I will give thee Psal. 2.8 moreover Thirdly He must needs speed in his suit if you
in Hell for ever Rom. 2.5 6 7 8 9 10. Thou treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Iudgement of God Who shall render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life but unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil c. So 2 Thes. 1.4 5 6 7. So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure Which is a manifest token of the righteous Iudgement of God That ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire c. To these plain testimonies multitudes more might be added if it were needful Heaven and Earth shall pass away but these words shall never pass away Arg. 3. Thirdly As the Scriptures reveal it so the Consciences of all men have some resentments of it Where is the man whose Conscience never felt any impressions of hope or fear from a future world If it be said these may be but the effects and force of discourse or education we have read such things in the Scriptures or have heard it by Preachers and so raise up to our selves hopes and fears about it I demand how the Consciences of the Heathens who have neither Scriptures nor Preachers came to be imprest with these things Doth not the Apostle tells us Rom. 2.15 That their Consciences in the mean while work upon these things Their thoughts with reference to a future state accuse or else excuse i. e. their hearts are cheared and encouraged by the good they do and terrified with fears about the evils they commit Whereas if there were no such things Conscience would neither accuse or excuse for good or evil done in this world Arg. 4. Fourthly The incarnation and death of Christ is but a vanity without it What did he propose to himself or what benefit have we by his coming if there be no such future state Did he take our nature and suffer such terrible things in it for nothing If you say Christians have much comfort from it in this Life I answer the comforts they have are raised by faith and expectation of the happiness to be enjoyed as the purchase of his blood in Heaven And if there be no such heaven to which they are appointed No Hell from which they are redeemed they do but comfort themselves with a Fable and bless themselves in a thing of nought Their comfort is no greater than the comfort of a Beggar that dreams he is a King and when he awakes finds himself a Beggar still Surely the ends of Christs death were to deliver us from the wrath to come 1 Thes. 1.10 Not from an imaginary but a real Hell to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 To be the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Arg. 5. Fifthly and lastly The immortality of humane souls puts it beyond all doubt The soul of a man vastly differs from that of a Beast which is but a material form and so wholly depending on must needs perish with the matter But it is not so with us Ours are reasonable spirits that can live and act in a separated state from the body Eccles. 3.21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of a Beast that goeth downward to the earth So that look as if a man dispute whether man be rational that his very disputing it proves him to be so so our disputes hopes fears and apprehensions of eternity prove our souls immortal and capable of that state Inference 1. Is there an Eternal State into which souls pass after this Life How pretious then is present time upon the improvement whereof that State depends O what a huge weight hath God hanged upon a small wyer God hath set us here in a State of Tryal according as we improve these few hours so will it fare with us to all Eternity Every day every hour nay every moment of your present time hath an influence into your Eternity Do ye believe this What and yet squander away pretious time so carelesly so vainly How do these things consist When Seneca heard one promise to spend a week with a friend that invited him to recreate himself with him He told him he admired he should make such a rash promise what said he cast away so considerable a part of your Life How can you do it Surely our prodigallity in the expence of time argues we have but little sence of great Eternity Inference 2. How rational are all the difficulties and severities of Religion which serve to promote and secure a future Eternal Happiness So vast is the disproportion betwixt Time and Eternity things seen and not seen as yet the present vanishing and future permanent state that he can never be justly reputed a wise man that will not let go the best enjoyment he hath on earth if it stand in the way of his eternal happiness Nor can that man ever escape the just censure of notorious folly who for the gratifying of his appetite and present accommodation of his flesh le ts go an eternal glory in heaven Darius repented heartily that he lost a Kingdom for a draught of water O said he for how short a pleasure have I sold a Kingdom It was Moses choice and his choice argued his wisdom he chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin which are but for a season Heb. 11.25 Men do not account him a fool that will adventure a Penny upon a probability to gain ten thousand pounds But sure the disproportion betwixt Time and Eternity is much greater Inference 3. If there certainly be such an Eternal State into which souls pass immediately after Death How great a change then doth Death make upon every man and woman O what a serious thing is it to die It 's your passage out of the swift river of Time into the boundless and bottomless Ocean of Eternity You that now converse with sensible objects with men and women like your selves enter then into the world of Spirits You that now see the continual revolutions of daies and nights passing away one after another will then be fixed in a perpetual NOW O what a serious thing is Death You throw a cast for Eternity when you die If you were to cast a Dye for your natural life oh how would your hand shake with fear how it would fall but what is that to this The souls of
been long preparing for it but the suddenness and greatness of the change is amazing to our thoughts For a soul to be now here in the body conversing with men living among sensible objects and within a few moments to be with the Lord. This hour on earth the next in the third heavens Now viewing this world and anon standing among an innumerable company of Angels and the Spirits of the Just made perfect O what a change is this What! but wink and see God! Commend thy soul to Christ and be transferred in the arms of Angels into the invisible world the world of Spirits To live as the Angels of God! To live without eating drinking sleeping To be lifted up from a bed of sickness to a Throne of Glory To leave a sinful troublesom world a sick and pained body and be in a moment perfectly cured and feel thy self perfectly well and free from all troubles and distempers You cannot think what this will be Who can tell what sights what apprehensions what thoughts what frames believing souls have before the bodies they left are removed from the eyes of their dear surviving friends Inference 2. Are believers immediatly with God after their dissolution Where then shall unbelievers be and in what state will they find themselves immediatly after death hath closed their eyes Ah what will the case of them be that go the other way To be pluckt out of house and body from among friends and comforts and thrust into endless miseries into the dark vault of Hell never to see the light of this world any more Never to see a comfortable sight Never to hear a joyful sound Never to know the meaning of rest peace or delight any more O what a change is here To exchange the smiles and honours of men for the frowns and fury of God To be cloathed with flames and drink the pure unmixed wrath of God who was but a few days since cloathed in silks and fill'd with the sweet of the creature how is the state of things altered with thee It was the lamentable cry of poor Adrian when he felt death approaching Oh my poor wandring soul alas whither art thou now going Where must thou lodge this night Thou shalt never jest more never be merry more Your term in your houses and bodies is out and there is another habitation provided for you but 't is a dismal one When a Saint dyes heaven above is as it were moved to receive and entertain him at his coming he is received into everlasting habitations Into the inheritance of the Saints in light When an unbeliever dies we may say of him alluding to Isa. 14.9 Hell from beneath is moved for him to meet him at his coming it stirreth up the dead for him No more sports nor plays no cups of wine nor beds of pleasure The more of these you enjoyed here the more intolerable will this change be to you If Saints are immediately with God others must be immediatly with Satan Inference 3. How little cause have they to fear death who shall be with God so soon after their death Some there are that tremble at the thoughts of death That cannot endure to hear its name mentioned That would rather stoop to any misery here yea to any sin than die because they are afraid of the exchange but you that are interessed in Christ need not do so You can lose nothing by the exchange The words Death Grave and Eternity should have another kind of sound in your ears And make contrary impressions upon your hearts If your earthly Tabernacles cast you out you shall not be found naked You have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens And it is but a step out of this into that O what fair sweet and lovely thoughts should you have of that great and last change But what speak I of your fearlesness of death Your Duty lies much higher than that far Inference 4. If Believers are immediatly with God after their dissolution then it 's their Duty to long for their dissolution And cast many a longing look towards their Graves So did Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better The advantages of this exchange are unspeakable You have Gold for Brass Wine for Water Substance for shadows solid Glory for very Vanity O if the dust of this earth were but once blown out of your eyes that you might see the divine glory how weary would you be to live How willing to die But then be sure your title to heaven be sound and good Leave not so great a concernment to the last For though it is confessed God may do that in an hour that never was done all your days yet it is not common Which brings us to our Third and Last observation DOCT. 3. That God may though he seldom doth prepare men for glory immediately before their dissolution by death There is one parable and no more that speaks of some that were called at the last hour Matth. 20.9 10. And there is this one instance in the text and no more that gives us an account of a person so called We acknowledge God may do it his grace is his own He may dispense it how and where he pleaseth We must always salve divine prerogative Who shall fix bonds or put limits to free grace but God himself whose it is If he do not ordinarily shew such mercies to dying sinners as indeed it doth not yet it is not because he cannot but because he will not Not because their hearts are so hardned by long custom in sin that his grace cannot break them but because he most justly withholds that grace from them When blessed Mr. Bilney the martyr heard a Minister preaching thus O thou old sinner that hast lain these fifty years rotting in thy sin dost thou think now to be saved That the blood of Christ shall save thee O said Mr. Bilney what preaching of Christ is this If I had heard no other preaching than this what had become of me No no old sinners or young sinners great or small sinners are not to be beaten off from Christ but encouraged to repentance and faith For who knows but the bowels of mercy may yearn at last upon one that hath all along rejected it This thief was as unlikely ever to have received mercy but a few hours before he died as any person in the world could be But surely this is no encouragement to neglect the present seasons of mercy because God may shew mercy hereafter To neglect the ordinary because God sometimes manifests his grace in ways extraordinary Many I know have hardened themselves in ways of sin by this example of mercy But what God did at this time for this man cannot be expected to be done ordinarily for us And the reasons thereof are Reason 1. First Because God hath vouchsafed us the ordinary and standing means of
triumphant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 song of deliverance 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Deâ—truction Our Graves would not be so sweet and comfortable to us when we come to lie down in them if Jesus had not layen there before us and for us Death is a Dragon the Grave its Den a place of dread and terror but Christs goes into its Den there grapples with it and for ever overcomes it Disarms it of all its terror and not only makes it cease to be enemical but to become exceeding beneficial to the Saints A bed of rest and a perfumed bed They do but go into Christs bed where he lay before them For these ends he must be buried Secondly Next let us inquire what manner of funeral Christ had And if we intently observe it we shall find many remarkable properties in it First We shall find it to be a very obscure and private funeral Here was no external pomp or gallantry Christ affected it not in his life and it was no way suitable to the ends and manner of his death Humiliation was designed in his death And state is inconsistent with such an end Besides he dyed upon the Tree and persons so dying don 't use to have much ceremony and state at their funerals Three things shew it to be a very humble and obscure funeral as to what concerned outward glory with which the great ones of the earth are usually interred For First The dead body of the Lord was not brought from his own house as other mens commonly are but from the Tree They beg'd it of his Judge As who should say go bring the Corps from Tyburn Had they not obtained this favour from Pilate it must have been buried in Golgotha It had been tumbled into a pit digged under the Cross. Secondly As it was first beg'd then buried so it was attended with a very poor train A few sorrowful women followed the Bier Other men are accompanied to their Graves by their Relations and Friends The Disciples were all scattered from him Affraid to owne him dying and dead Thirdly And these few that were resolved to give him a funeral are forced by reason of the straights of time to do it in shuffling haste Time was short they take the next sepulcher they can get and hurry him away that evening into it For the preparation for the Passover was at hand This was the obscure â—uneral which the body of the Lord had Thus was the Prince of the Kings of the earth who hath the Keys of Death and Hell laid into his Grave Secondly Yet though men could bestow little honour upon it the heavens bestowed several marks of honour upon it Adorn'd it with divers Miracles which wiped off the reproach of his deaâ—h from him These Miracles were antecedent to his interment or concomitants of it First There was that extraordinary and preternatural Eclipse of the Sun Such an Eclipse as was never seen since it first shone in heaven The Sun fainted at the sight of such a ruful spectacle and cloathed the whole heaven in black The sight of this caused a great Philosopher who was then far from the place where this unparallel'd Tragedy was acting to cry out upon the sight of it either the God of nature now suffers or the frame of the world is now dissolved The same Dionysius writing to Apollophanes a Philosopher who would not embrace the Christian Faith thus goes about to convince him What thinkest thou saith he of the Eclipse when Christ was Crucified Were we not both of us then at Heliopolis and standing in the same place did we not see the Moon in a new manner following the Sun and not in the time of conjunction but from the ninth hour until the evening by a reason unknown in nature directly opposite to the Sun Didst thou not then being greatly terrified say unto me O my Dionysius what strange commutations of the heavenly bodies are these Such a preternatural Eclipse is remembred in no other History For it was not in time of conjunction but opposition the Moon being then at full From the sixth to the ninth hour the Sun and Moon were together in the midst of heaven but in the evening she appeared in the East her own place opposite to the Sun And then miraculously returning from East to West did not pass by the Sun and set in the West before it but kept it company for the space of three hours and then returned to the East again And whereas in all other natural Eclipses the Eclipse alwaies begins on the western part of the body of the Sun and that part is also first cleared it was quite contrary in this for though the Moon were opposite to the Sun and distant from it the whole breadth of heaven yet with a miraculous swiftness it overtook the Sun and darkned first the Eastern part of it and soon prevailed over its whole body Which caused darkness over all the the Land that is say some over the whole Earth or as others over the whole Land of Iewry Or as others over the whole Horizon and all places of the same altitude and latitude Which is most probable Secondly And as Christs funeral was adorned with such a miraculous Eclipse which put the heavens and earth into a mourning so the rocks did rend the vail of the Temple rent in twain from top to bottom The graves opened and the dead bodies of many Saints arose and went into the holy City and were seen of many The rending of the Rocks was a sign of Gods fierce indignation Nahum 1.6 And a discovery of the greatness of his power shewing them what they deserved and what he could do to them that had committed this horrid fact though he rather chose at this time to shew the dreadful effects of it upon inanimate Rocks than Rocky hearted sinners But especially it served to convince the world that it was none other but the Son of God that dyed Which was farther manifested by these concomitant Miracles As for the rending in twain of the vail It was a notable Miracle plainly shewing that all ceremonies were now accomplished and abolished No more vails now As also that believers have now most free access into heaven At that very instant when the vail rent the High Priest was officiating in the most holy place and the vail which hid him from the people being rent they might freely see him about his work in the holy of holies A lively Emblem of our High Priest whom now we see by faith in the heavens there performing his intercession work for us The opening of the Graves plainly shew'd the design and end of Christs going into it That it might not have dominion over the bodies of the Saints but being vanquisht and destroyed by Christ le ts go all that are his whom he ransomed from the Grave as a prey out of its paws A Specimen whereof was given in
my heart O see with what a full consent the heart of Christ closeth with the Fathers Offers and Proposalls like some Eccho that answers your voice twice or thrice over So doth Christ here answer his Fathers call I come I delight to do thy will yea thy Law is in my heart And thus you see the Articles to which they both Subscribed or the Terms they agreed on I will briefly shew how these Articles and agreements were on both parts performed and that precisely and punctually to a tittle For 1. the Son having thus consented accordingly he applies himself to the discharge of his work He took a body in it fulfill'd all righteousness even to a tittle Math. 3.15 And at last his soul was made an offering for Sin So that he could say as it is Ioh. 17.4 Father I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work thou gavest me to do He went through all the parts of his active and passive obedience chearfully and faithfully 2. The Father made good his engagements to Christ all along with no less faithfulness than Christ did his He promised to assist and hold his band and so he did Luke 22.43 And there appeared to him an Angell from heaven strengthening him That was one of the sorest brunts that ever Christ met with it was seasonable aid and succour He promised to accept him in his work and that he should be glorious in his eyes so he did For he not only declared it by a voice from heaven Luk. 3.22 Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased But it was fully declared in his resurrection and ascention which were a full discharge and Justification of him He promised him that he should see his seed and so he did for his very birth dew was as the dew of the morning and ever since his blood hath been fruitfull in the world He promised gloriously to reward and exalt him and so he hath Phil. 2.9 10 11. And that highly and supereminently giving him a name above every name in heaven and earth Thus were the Articles performed Lastly when was this compact made betwixt the Father and Son I answer It bears date form eternity Before this world was made then were his delights in us While as yet we had no existance but only in the infinite mind and purpose of God who had decreed this for us in Christ Jesus as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 1.9 What grace was that which was given us in Christ before the world began but this grace of redemption which from everlasting was thus contrived and designed for us in that way which hath been here opened Then was the council or consultation of peace betwixt them both As some sence that Scripture Zach. 6.13 Next let us apply it to our selves Vse The first Use that offers it self to us from hence is the abundant security that God hath given the Elect for their salvation and that not only in respect of the covenant of Grace made with them but also of this Covenant of redemption made with Christ for them which indeed the foundation of the covenant of Grace Gods single promise is security enough to our faith his covenant of grace adds ex abundanti further security but both these viewed as the effects and fruits of this covenant of redemption makes all fast and sure In the covenant of grace we question not the performance on Gods part but are often stumbled at the grand defects on our parts but when we look to the covenant of Redemption there 's nothing to stagger our faith both the foederates being infinitly able and faithfull to perform their parts so that there is no possibility of a failure there Happy were it if puzled and perplext Christians would turn their eyes from the defects that are in their own obedience to the fullness and compleatness of Christs obedience and see themselves compleat in him when most lame and defective in themselves Hence also be informed that God the Father and God the Son do mutually rely and trust to one another in the business of our redemption The Father relies upon the Son for the performance of his part as it is Isa. 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold Montanus turns it on whom I lean or depend As if the Father had said behold what a faithful Servant I have chosen in whom my soul is at rest I know he will go through with his work I can depend upon him And to speak plain the Father so far trusted Christ that upon the credit of his promise to come into the world and in the fulness of time to become a Sacrifice for the Elect he saved all the old Testament Saints whose faith also respected a Christ to come with reference whereunto it is said Heb. 11.39 40. That they received not the promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect i. e. without Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh in our times though believed on as to come in the flesh in their times And as the Father trusted Christ so doth Christ in like manner depend upon and trust his Father For having performed his part and left the world again he now trusteth his Father for the accomplishment of that promise made him Isa. 53.10 That he shall see his seed c. He depends upon his Father for all the Elect that are behind yet unregenerated as well as those already called that they shall be all preserved unto the heavenly Kingdom according to that Ioh. 17 11. And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come unto thee holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me And can it be imagined that the Father will fail his trust who every way accquitted himself so punctually to the Father It cannot be Vse 3. Moreover hence we infer the validity and unquestionable success of Christs intercession in heaven for believers You read Heb. 7.25 That he ever lives to make intercession And Heb. 12.24 That his blood speaks for good things for them Now that his blood shall obtain what it pleads in heaven for is undoubted and that from the consideration of this covenant of redemption for here you see that the things he now asks of his Father are the very same which his Father promised him and Covenanted to give him before this world was so that besides the interest of the person the very equity of the matter speaks its success and requires performance whatever he asks for us is as due to him as the wages of the hyrling when the work is ended if the work be done and done faithfully as the father hath acknowledged it is then the reward is due and due immediatly and no doubt but he shall receive it from the hands of a righteous God Vse 4. Hence in like manner you may be informed of the consistency of
hands of Justice to be punished Even as condemned persons are by sentence of Law given or delivered into the hands of executioners So Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate counsell of God ye have taken and with wicked hands have slain And so he is said Rom. 8.32 To deliver him up to death for us all The Lord when the time was come that Christ must Suffer did as it were say O all ye roaring Waves of my incensed Justice now swell as high as heaven and go over his soul and body Sink him to the bottom let him go like Ionah his Type into the belly of Hell unto the roots of the Mountains Come all ye raging storms that I have reserved for this day of wrath beat upon him beat him down that he may not be able to look up Psal. 40.12 Go Justice put him upon the rack torment him in every part till all his bones be out of joynt and his heart within him be melted as wax in the midst of his bowels Psal. 22.14 And ye assembly of the wicked Jews and Gentiles that have so long gaped for his blood now he is delivered into your hands you are now permitted to execute your malice to the full I now loose your chain and into your hand and power is he delivered 4. Gods giving of Christ implys his application of him with all the purchases of his blood and setling all this upon us as an inheritance and portion Ioh. 6.32 33. My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world God hath given him as bread to poor starving creatures that by faith they might eat and live And so he told the Samaritaness Ioh. 4 10. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living waters Bread and water are the two necessarys for the support of natural life God hath given Christ you see to be all that and more to the spiritual Life How this gift of Christ was the highest and fullest manifestation of the love of God that ever the world saw And this will be evidenced by the following particulars 1. If you consider how near and dear Jesus Christ was to the Father He was his Son his only Son saith the Text. The Son of his Love The darling of his soul. His other self Yea one with himself The express Image of his person The brightness of his Fathers glory In parting with him he parted with his own heart with his very bowels as I may say Yet to us a Son is given Esa. 9.6 And such a Son as he calls his dear Son Col. 1.13 A late writer tells us that he hath been informed that in the Famine in Germany a poor family being ready to perish with Famine the Husband made a motion to the Wife to sell one of the Children for bread to relieve themselves and the rest The Wife at last consents it should be so but then they began to think which of the four should be sold. And when the eldest was named they both refused to part with that being their first born and the beginning of their strength Well then they came to the second but could not yield that he should be sold being the very picture and lively image of his Father The third was named but that also was a child that best resembled the mother And when the youngest was thought on that was the Benjamin The child of their old age And so were content rather to perish altogether in the Famine than part with a child for relief And you know how tenderly Iacob took it when his Ioseph and Benjamin were rent from him What is a child but a piece of the parent wrapt up in another skin And yet our dearest children are but as strangers to us in comparison of the unspeakable dearness that was betwixt the Father and Christ. Now that he should ever be content to part with a Son and such an only one is such a manifestation of Love as will be admired to all Eternity And then 2. let it be considered to what he gave him even to death and that of the Cross to be made a curse for us To be the scorn and contempt of men To the most unparalell'd sufferings that ever were inflicted or born by any It melts our bowels it breaks our hearts to behold our children striving in the pangs of death But the Lord beheld his Son struggling under agonies that never any felt before him He saw him falling to the ground groveling in the dust sweating blood and amidst those agonies turning himself to his Father and with an heart rending cry beseeching him Father if it be pâ—ssible let this cup pass Luk. 22.42 To wrath to the wrath of an infinite God without mixture to the very torments of hell was Christ delivered and that by the hand of his own Father Sure then that love must needs want a name which made the Father of mercies deliver his own only Son to such miserys for us 3. It is a special consideration to enhance the love of God in giving Christ that in giving him he gave the richest Jewel in his Cabinet A mercy of the greatest worth and most inestimable value Heaven it self is not so valuable and precious as Christ is He is the better half of heaven And so the Saints account him Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee Ten thousand thousand worlds saith one as many worlds as Angels can number and then as a new world of Angels can multiply would not all be the balk of a ballance to weigh Christs Excellency Love and sweetness O what a fair one What an only one What an excellent lovely ravishing one is Christ. Put the Beauty of ten thousand Paradices like the garden of Eden into one put all Trees all Flowers all Smells all Colours all Tasts all Ioys all Sweetness all Loveliness in one O what a fair and excellent thing would that be And yet it should be less to that fair and dearest well beloved Christ than one drop of rain to the whole Seas Rivers Lakes and Fountains of ten thousand Earths Christ is heavens wonder and earths wonder Now for God to bestow the mercy of mercys the most precious thing in heaven or earth upon poor sinners and as great as lovely as excellent as his Son was yet not to account him too good to bestow upon us what manner of love is this 4. Once more let it be considered on whom the Lord bestowed his Son Upon Angels No but upon men Upon man his friend No but upon his enemies This is Love And on this consideration the Apostle lays a mighty weight in Rom. 5.8 9 10. But God saith he commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for
that sent Jesus Christ and upon Christ that sent them So that it is a rebellion that how ever it seems to begin low in some small piques against their persons or some little quarrels at their parts and Utterance Tones Methods or gestures yet it â—â—ns high even to the Fountain head of the most supream Authority You that set your selves against a Minister of Christ set your selves against God the Father and God the Son Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth meâ— and he that despiseth you despised me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me God expects that yon behave your selves under the word spoken by us as if he himself spake it Yea he expects submission to his word in the mouths of his Ministers from the greatest on earth And therefore it was that God so severely punished Zedekiah because he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord 2 Câ—on 36.12 God was angry with a great King for not humbling himself before a poor Prophet Yet here you must distinguish both of Persons and of Acts. This reverence and submission is not due to them as men but as men in Office As Christs Embassadours and must involve that respect still in it Again we owe it not to them commanding or forbiding in their own names but in Christs Not in venting their own Spleen but the terrors of the Lord. And then to resist is an high rebellion and affront to the Soveraign Authority of Heaven And by the way this may instruct Ministers that the way to maintain that veneration and respect that is due to them in the consciences of their hearers is by keeping close to their Commission Inference 3. Hence also we infer How great an evil it is to intrude into the Office of the Ministry without a due call It 's more than Christ himself would do He glorified not himself The honours and advantages attending that Office have invited many to run before they were Sent. But surely this is an insufferable violation of Christs order Our Age hath abounded with as many Church-Levellers as state-Levellers I wish the Ministers of Christ might at last see and consider what they were once warned of by a faithful watch-man I believe saith he God hath permitted so many to intrude into the Ministers calling because Ministers have too much medled with and intruded into other mens callings Inference 4. Hence be convinced of the great efficacy that is in all Gospel-ordinances duly administred For Christ having received full Commission from his Father and by vertue thereof having instituted and appointed those ordinances in the Church all the power in heaven is engaged to make them good to back and second them to confirm and ratifie them Hence in the censures of the Church you have that great expression Matth. 18.18 Whatsoever ye bind or loose on earth shall be bound or loosed in heaven And so for the Word and Sacraments Matth. 28.18 19 20. All power in heaven and in earth is given to me God therefore c. They are not the appointments of men your Faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God That very power God the Father committed to Christ is the Fountain whence all Gospel institutions flow And he hath promised to be with his Offices not only the extraordinary Offices of that Age but with his Ministers in succeeding Ages to the end of the world O therefore when ye come to an odinance come not wiâ—h slight thoughts but with great reverence and great expectations remembring Christ is there to make all good Inference 5. Again here you have another call to admire the grace and love both of the Father and Son to your Souls It is not lawful to compare them but it 's duty to admire them Was it not wonderful grace in the Father to Seal a Commission for the death of his Son for the humbling of him as low as Hell and in that Method to save you when you might rather have expected he should have Sealed your Mittimus for Hell rather than a Commission for your Salvation He might rather have set his irreversible Seal to the sentence of your Damnation than to a Commission for his Sons humiliation for you And no less is the love of Christ to be wondred at that would accept such a Commission as this for us and receive this Seal understanding fully as he did what were the contents of that Commission that the Father delivered him thus Sealed And knowing that there could be no reversing of it afterwards Oh then love the Lord Jesus all ye his Saints for still you see more and more of his love breaking out upon you I commend to you a Sealed Saviour this day O that every one that reads these lines might in a pang of Love cry out with the enamored Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a Seal upon thy heart as a Seal upon thy arm for Love is strong as Death Iealousie is cruel as the Grave the coals thereof are coals of fire which have a vehement flame Inference 6. Once more hath God Sealed Christ for you then draw forth the comfort of his Sealing for you and be restless till ye also be Sealed by him First Draw out the comfort of Christs Sealing for you Remember that hereby God stands ingaged even by his own Seal to allow and confirm what ever Christ hath done in the business of your Salvation And on this ground you may thus plead with God Lord thou hast Sealed Christ to this Office and therefore I depend upon it that thou allowest all that he hath done and all that he hath suffered for me and wilt make good all that he hath promised me If men will not deny their own Seals much less wilt thou Secondly Get your interest in Christ Sealed to you by the Spirit else you cannot have the comfort of Christs being Sealed for you Now the Spirit Seals two ways Objectively and Effectually the first is by working those graces in us which are the conditions of the promises The latter is by shining upon his own Work and helping the Soul to discern it Which follows the other both in order of nature and of time And these Sealings of the Spirit are to be distinguisht both ex parti Subjecti by their Subject or the quality of the Person Sealed which always is a Believer Eph. 1.13 For there can be no reflex till there have been a Direct Act of Faith Ex parte materiae By the matter of which that comfort is made Which if it be of the Spirit is ever consonant to the written Word Isa. 8.20 And partly ab effectis by its effects for it commonly produces in the Sealed Soul great care and caution to avoid Sin Eph. 4.30 Great Love to God Ioh. 14.22 Readiness to suffer any thing for Christ Rom. 5.3 4 5. Confidence in addresses to God 1 Ioh. 5.13 14. And great
learn hence what an horrid evil it is to use Christ or his Blood as a common and unsanctified thing Yet so some do as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10.29 The Apostate is said to tread upon the Son of God as if he were no better than the dirt under his Feet and to count his Blood an unholy or common thing But woe to them that so do they shall be counted worthy of something worse then dying without mercy As the Apostle there speaks And as this is the Sin of the Apostate so is it also the Sin of all those that without Faith approach and so prophane the Table of the Lord unbeleivingly and unworthily handling those awfull things Such eat and drink judgement to themselves not discerning the Lords Body 1 Cor. 11.29 Whereas the body of Christ was a thing of the deepest sanctification that ever God created Sanctified as the Text tells us to a far more excellent and glorious purpose than ever any Creature in Heaven or Earth was sanctified It was therefore the great sin of those Corinthians not to discern it and not to behave themselves towards it when they saw and handled the signs of it as so holy a thing And as it was their great Sin so God declared his just indignation against it in those sore strokes inflicted for it As they discerned not the Lords body so neither did the Lord discern their bodies from others in the judgements that were inflicted And as one well observes God drew the Model and Plat-form of their punishment from the structure and proportion of their sin And truly if the moral and spiritual Seeds and originals of many of our outward afflictions and sicknesses were but duly sifted out possibly we might find a great part of them in the Bowels of this sin The just and righteous God will build up the breaches we make upon the honour of his Son with the ruines of that beauty strength and honour which he hath given our Bodies O then when you draw nigh to God in that ordinance take heed to sanctifie his name by a spiritual discerning of this most holy and most deeply sanctified Body of the Lord. Sanctified beyond all Creatures Angels or Men not only in respect of the Spirit which fill'd him without measure with inherent holiness but also in respect of its dedication to such a service as this It being set apart by him to such holy solemn ends and uses as you have heard And let it for ever be a warning to such as have lifted up their hands to Christ in an holy profession that they never lift up their Heel against him afterwards by Apostacy The Apostate treads on Gods dear Son and God will tread upon him for it Thou hast troden down all that err from thy Statutes Psal. 119.118 Inference 3. What a choice pattern of love to the Saints have we here before us calling all that are in Christ to an imitation of him Even to give our selves up to their service as Christ did Not in the same kind so none can give himself for them but as we are capable You see here how his Heart was affected to them that he would sanctifie himself as a Sacrifice for them See to what a height of duty the Apostle improves this example of Christ 1 Ioh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought also to lay down our lives for the Brethren Some Christians came up fairly to this pattern in the Primitive times Priscila and Aquila laid down their Necks for Paul Rom. 16.4 i. e. eminently hazarded their lives for him and even he himself could rejoyce if he were offered up upon the Sacrifice and service of their Faith Phil. 2.17 And in the next times what more known even to the Enemies of Christianity than their fervent love one to another Ecce quam mutuò se deligunt mori volunt pro alterutris See how they love one another and are willing to dye one for another But alas that Primitive Spirit is almost lost in this degenerate Age. Instead of laying down life how few will lay down twelve pence for them I remember it 's the observation of a late Worthy upon Matth. 95.40 that he is perswaded there is hardly that man to be found this day alive that fully understands and fully believes that Scripture O did men think what they do for them is done for Christ himself it would produce other effects than are yet visible Inference 4. Lastly if Christ sanctified himself that we might be sâ—nctied by or in the truth then it will follow by found consequence that true sanctification is a good evidence that Christ set apart himself to dye for us In vain did he â—anctifie himself as to you unless you be sanctified Holy Souls only can claim the benefit of the great Sacrifice O try then whether true holiness and that is only to be judged by its conformity to its pattern 1 Pet. 1.15 As he that called you is holy so be ye holy whether such an holyness as is and acts according to its measure like Gods holiness in the following perticulars be â—ound in you First God is universally holy in all his ways so Psal. 145.17 His works are all holy what ever he doth it 's still done as becomes an holy God He is not only holy in all things but at all times unchangeably holy Be ye therefore holy in all things and at all times too if ever ye expect the benefit of Christs sanctifying himself to dye for you O Brethren let not the Feet of your conversation be as the Feet of a lame man which are unequal Prov. 20.7 be not sometimes hot and sometimes cold at one time carefull at another time careless One day in a spiritual rapture and the next in a fleshly frolick but be ye holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.15 in all manner of conversation in every creek and turning of your lives And let your holiness hold out to the end Let him that is holy be holy still Rev. 22.11 not like the Hypocrites paint but as a true natural complexion Secondly God is examplarily holy Jesus Christ is the great pattern of holiness Be ye examples of holiness too unto all that are about you Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works Matth. 5.16 as wicked men infect one another by their examples and diffuse their poison and malignity whereever they come so do ye diffeminate godliness in all places and companies and let those that frequently converse with you especially those of your own Families receive a deeper Dye and Tincture of heavenlyness every time they come nigh you as the cloth doth by every new dipping into the Fat. Thirdly God delights in nothing but holiness and holy ones he hath set all his pleasure in the Saints Be ye holy herein as God is holy Indeed there is this difference betwixt
fits and capacitates him to stand in the midst betwixt God and us This I say is the proper sence of the word Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mediator be rendred variously Sometimes an Umpire or Arbitrator Sometimes a Messenger that goes betwixt two Persons Sometimes an Interpreter imparting the mind of one to another Sometimes a Reconciler or Peace-maker And in all these sences Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the middle Person in his mediation of reconciliation o◠intercession that is either in his mediating by suffering to make peace as he did on Earth or to continue and maintain peace as he doth in Heaven by meritorious intercession Both these ways he is the only Mediator and he manageth this his mediation First As an Vmpire or Arbitrator One that layeth his hands upon both Parties as Iob speaks Iob. 9.33 so doth Christ he layeth his hands speaking after the manner of men upon God and saith Father wilt thou be at peace with them and readmit them into thy favour If thou wilt thou shalt be fully satisfied for all that they have done against thee And then he layeth his hand upon man and saith poor sinner be not discouraged thou shalt be justified and saved Secondly As a Messenger or Ambassadour so he came to impart the mind of God to us and so he presents our desires to God And in this sence only Socinus would allow Christ to be Mediator But therein he endeavours to undermine the Foundation and to exclude him from being a Mediator by suretyship Which is the Third way of this mediation So the Apostles speaks Heb. 7. he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the surety or pledge Which as the learned David Pareus well expresseth it is one that engageth to satisfie another or gives caution or security by a Pledge in the hand for it And indeed both these ways Christ is our Mediator by suretyship viz. in a way of satisfaction coming under our obligation to answer the Law this he did on the Cross and in a way of caution A surety for the peace or good behaviour but to be more explicite and clear I shall In the next place enquire what it implys and carries in it for Christ to be a Mediator betwixt God and us And there are mainly these five things in it First At the first sight it carries in it a most dreadful breach and jar betwixt God and Men else no need of a Mediator of Reconciliation There was indeed a sweet League of amity once between them but it was quickly dissolved by sin the wrath of the Lord was kindled against man pursuing him to destruction Psal. 5.5 thou hatest all the works of iniquity And man was fill'd with unnatural enmity against his God Rom. 1.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God This put an end to all friendly commerce and intercourse between him and God Reader say not in thy heart that it 's much one sin and that seemingly so small should make such a breach as this And cause the God of mercy and goodness so to abhor the works of his hands and that assoon as he had made man for it was an hainous and aggravated evil It was upright perfect man created in the Image of of God that thus sinned He sinned when his mind was most bright clear and apprehensive His Conscience pure and active His Will free and able to withstand any temptation His Conscience pure and undefiled Yea he was a Publique as as well as perfect man and well knew that the happiness or misery of his numberless offspring was involved in him The condition he was placed in was exceeding happy No necessity or want could arm and edge a temptation He lived amidst all natural and spiritual pleasures and delights the Lord most delightfully conversing with him Yea he sinned while as yet his Creation-mercy was fresh upon him and in this sin was most horrible ingratitude yea a casting off the yoke of obedience almost assoon as God had put it on God now saw the work of his hands spoiled a race of Rebels now to be propagated who in their successive Generations would be fighting against God He saw it and his just indignation sparkled against man and resolves to pursue him to the bottom of Hell Secondly it implys a necessity of satisfaction and reparation to the Iustice of God For the very design and end of this mediation was to make Peace by giving full satisfaction to the party that was wronged The Photinians and some others have dreamed of a reconciliation with God founded not upon satisfaction but upon the absolute mercy goodness and free-will of God But conceiving that absolute goodness and mercy of God reconciling sinners to himself there is a deep silence throughout the Scriptures And whatever is spoken of it upon that account is as it works to us through Christ Eph 1.3 4 5. Acts 4.12 Ioh. 6.40 and we cannot imagine either how God could exercise mercy to the prejudice of his Justice which must be if we must be reconcil'd without full satisfaction or how such a full satisfaction should be made by any other than Christ. Mercy indeed moved in the Heart of God to poor man but from his heart it found no way to vent it self for us but through the Heart Blood of Jesus Christ. And in him the Justice of God was fully satisfied and the misery of the Creature fully cured And so as Augustine speaks God neither lost the severity of his Justice in the goodness of mercy nor the goodness of his mercy in the exactness of his severity But if it had been possible God could have found out a way to reconcile us without satisfaction yet it 's past doubt now that he hath picht and fixt on this way And for any now to imagine to reconcile themselves to God by any thing but Faith in the Blood of this Mediator is not only most vain in it self and destructive to the Soul but most insolently derogatory to the wisdom and grace of God And to such I would say as Tertullian to Marcion whom he calls the Murtherer of Truth spare the only hope of the whole world O thou who destroyest the most necessary glory of our Faith All that we hope for is but a Phantasm without this Peace of Conscience can be rationally settled on no other Foundation but this For God having made a Law to govern man and this Law violated by man either the penalty must be levyed on the delinquent or satisfaction made by his surety As good no Law as no penalty for disobedience and as good no penalty as no execution He therefore that will be a Mediator of Reconciliation betwixt God and Man must bring God a price in his hand and that adequate to the offence and wrong done him else he will not treat about Peace and so did our Mediator Thirdly Christs being a Mediator of reconciliation and intercession implys the infinite value
of his Blood and sufferings as that which in it self was sufficient to stop the course of Gods Iustice and render him not only placable but abundantly satisfied and well pleased even with those that before were Enemies And so much is said of it Coll. 1.21 And ye that were sometime alienated and Enemies in your minds by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his Flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Surely that which can cause the holy God justly incensed against Sinners to lay aside all his wrath and take an Enemy into his bosom and establish such an amity as can never more be broken but to rest in his love and to joy over him with singing as it is Zeph. 3.17 this must be a most excellent efficatious thing Fourthly Christ being a Mediator of reconciliation implys the ardent love and large pity that filled his Heart towards poor Sinners For he doth not not only mediate by way of intreaty going betwixt both and perswading and beging Peace but he mediates as you have heard in the capacity of a surety by putting himself under an obligation to satisfie our debts O how compassionately did his Heart work towards us that when he saw the arm of Justice lifted up to destroy us would interpose himself and receive the stroke though he knew it would smite him dead Our Mediator like Ionah his Type seeing the stormy Sea of Gods wrath working tempestuously and ready to swallow us up cast in himself to appease the storm I remember how much that noble Act of Marcus Curtius is celebrated in the Roman Story who being informed by the Oracle that the great breach made by the Earthquake could not be closed except something of worth were cast into it heated with love to the Commonwealth he went and cast in himself This was looked upon as a bold and brave adventure but what was this to Christ Fifthly Christ being a Mediator betwixt God and Men implys as the fitness of his Person so his authoritative call to undertake it And indeed the Father who was the wronged Person call'd him to be the Umpire and Arbitrator trusting his honour in his hands Now Christ was invested with this office and power virtually soon after the breach was made by Adams fall for we have the early promise of it Gen. 3.15 ever since till his incarnation he was a virtual and effectual Mediator and on that account he is call'd the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 And actually from the time of his incarnation But having discussed this more largely in a former discourse I shall dismiss it here and apply my self to the third thing proposed which is Thirdly How it appears that Jesus Christ is the true and only Mediator betwixt God and Men I reply it 's manifest he is so First because he and no other is revealed to us by God And if God reveal him and no other we must receive him and no other as such Take but two Scriptures at present that in 1 Cor. 8.5 the Heathen have many Gods and many Lords i. e. many great Gods supream powers and ultimate objects of of their worship and lest these great Gods should be defiled by their immediate and unhallowed approaches to them they therefore invented Heroes Demigods intermediate Powers that were to be as Agents or Lord Mediators betwixt the Gods and them to convey their Prayers to the Gods and the blessings of the Gods back again to them But unto us saith he there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we by him i. e. one supream Essence the first Spring and Fountain of blessings and one Lord i. e. one Mediator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom are all things and we by him By whom are all things which come from the Father to us and by whom are all our addresses to the Father so Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved No other name i. e. no other authority or rather no other person authorized under Heaven i. e. in the whole World for Heaven is not here opposed to Earth as though there were other Intercessors in Heaven besides Christ no no in Heaven and Earth God hath given him and none but him to be our Mediator One Sun is sufficient for the whole World And one Mediator for all men in the world So that the Scriptures affirm this is he and exclude all others Secondly because he and no other is fit for and capable of this Who but he that hath the divine and humane nature united in his single Person can be a fit Days-man to lay his hand upon both who but he that was God could support under such sufferings as were by divine Justice exacted for satisfaction take a person of the greatest Spirit and put him but an hour in the case Christ was in when he sweat Blood in the Garden or utter'd that heart rending cry upon the Cross and he had melted under it as a moth Thirdly because he is alone sufficient to reconcile the world to God by his Blood without accessions from any other The vertue of his Blood reacht back as far as Adam and reaches forward to the end of the world and will be as fresh vigorous and efficatious then as the first moment it was shed The Sun makes day before it actually rise and continues day to us sometimes after it is set So doth Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever so that he is the true and only Mediator betwixt God and Men. No other is revealed in Scripture No other sufficient for it No other needed beside him The last thing to be explained is in what a capacity he executed his mediatory work About which we affirm according to Scripture that he performs that work as God-man in both natures Papists in denying Christ to act as Mediator according to his divine nature do at once spoil the whole mediation of Christ of all its efficacy dignity and value which rises from that nature which they deny to co-operate and exert its vertue in his active and passive obedience They say the Apostle in my Text distinguishes the Mediator from God in saying there is one God and one Mediator Ours aptly reply that the same Apostle distinguishes Christ from Man Gal. 1.1 not by Man but by Iesus Christ. Doth it thence follow that Christ is not true man or that according to his divine nature only he call'd Paul But what need I stay my Reader here Had not Christ as Mediator power to lay down his life and power to take it up again Ioh. 10.15 18. had he not as Mediator all power in Heaven and Earth to institute Ordinances and appoint Officers Matth. 28.18 to baptize men with the Holy Ghost and Fire Matth. 3.11 to
satisfaction of Christ to render it needless when they say many wâ—re saved without it even as many as were saved before the death of Christ. For they say the effect cannot be before the cause which is true of physical but not of moral causes and such was Christs satisfaction As for Example a captive is freed out of prison from the time that his surety undertakes for him and promises his Ransom here the Captive is actually delivered though the ransom that delivered him be not yet actually paid So it was in this case Christ had engaged to the Father to satisfie for them and upon that security they were delivered And the vertue of this Oblation not only reaches those believers that lived and died before Christs day but it extends it self forward to the end of the world Hence Heb. 13.8 Christ is said to be the same yesterday to day and for ever that is he is not so a Saviour to us that now live as that he was not their Saviour also that believed in him before us from the beginning Nor yet so a Saviour both to them and us as that he shall not be the same to all that shall believe on him to the worlds end To the same sence are those words Heb. 11.40 rightly Paraphrased God having povided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect q. d. God hath appointed the accomplishment of the promise of sending the Messiah to be in the last times That they viz. that lived before Christ should not be perfected that is justified and saved by anything done in their time but by looking to our time and Christs satisfaction made therein whereby they and we are perfected together No tract of time can wear out the vertue of this eternal Sacrifice It is as fresh vigorous and potent now as the first hour it was offered And though he actually offers it no more yet he virtually continues it by his intercession now in Heaven For there he is still a Priest And therefore about sixty years after his Assention when he gave the Revelation to Iohn he appears to him in his Priestly garments Rev. 1.13 Cloathed in a garment down to the feet and girt about the paps with a golden girdle in illusion to the Priestly Ephod and curious girdle And as the vertue of this Oblation reaches backward and forward to all ages and to all believers so to all the sins of all Believers which are fully purged and expiated by it This no other Oblation could do The legal Sacrifices were no real expiations but rather remembrances of sins Heb. 9.9 12. Heb. 10.3 And all the vertue they had consisted in their Typical relation to this Sacrifice Gal. 3.23 Heb. 9.13 And separate from it were altogether weak unprofitable and insignificant things Heb. 7.18 but this blood cleanseth from all sins 1 Ioh. 1.7 all sin originating or originated or actual flowing from them both It expiates all fully without exception and finally without revocation So that by his being made sin for us we are made not only righteous but the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Thirdly and Lastly to name no more being so pretious in it self and so efficacious to expiate sin it must needs be a most grateful Oblation to the Lord highly pleasing and delightful in his eyes And so indeed it is said Eph. 5.2 He gave himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Not that God took any delight or content in the bitter sufferings of Christ simply and in themselves considered but with relation to the end for which he was offered even our redemption and salvation Hence arose the delight and pleasure God had in it this made him take pleasure in bruising him Isa. 53.10 God smelt a savour of rest in this Sacrifice The meaning is that as men are offended with a stench and their stomachs rise at it and are on the contrary delighted with sweet odors and fragrancies so the blessed God speaking after the manner of men is offended and filled with loathing and abhorrence by our sins but infinitely pleased and delighted in the offering of Christ for them which came up as an odor of a sweet smelling savour to him whereof the costly perfumes under the Law were Types and shadows This was the Oblation Thirdly This Oblation he brings before God and to him he offers it up So speaks the Apostle Heb. 9.14 through the eternal spirit he offered himself without spot to God As Christ sustained the capacity of a surety so God of a Creditor who exacted satisfaction from him That is he required from him as our surety the penalty due to us for our sin And so Christ had to do immediately with God yea with a God infinitely wronged and incensed by sin against us To this incensed Majesty Christ our Priest approacheth as to a devouring fire with his Sacrifice Fourthly The persons for whom and in whose stead he offered himself to God was the whole number of Gods Elect which were given him of the Father neither more nor less So speak the Scriptures He laid down his life for the sheep Joh. 10.15 For the Church Act. 20.28 For the Children of God Joh. 11.50 51 52. It is confessed there is sufficiency of vertue in this Sacrifice to redeem the whole world and on that account some Divines affirm he is called the Saviour of the world Joh. 40.42 alibi We acknowledge also that he purchased the services of others beside the Elect to be useful to them as they many ways are In which sense others take those Scriptures that speak so universally of the extent of his death We also acknowledge that the Elect being scattered in all parts and among all ranks of men in the world and unknown to those that are to tender Jesus Christ to men by the Preaching of the Gospel The stile of the Gospel as it was necessary is by such indefinite expressions suited to the general tenders they are to make of him But that the efficacy and saving vertue of this alsufficient Sacrifice is coextended with Gods Election so that they all and no others can or shall reap the special benefits of it is too clear in the Scriptures to be denyed Eph. 5.23 Ioh. 17.2 9 19 20. Ioh. 10.26 27 28. 1 Tim. 4.10 Fifthly The design and end of this Oblation was to attone pacify and reconcile God by giving him a full and adequate compensation or satisfaction for the sins of these his Elect. So speaks the Apostle Col. 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven So 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Reconciliation is the making up of that breach caused by sin between us and God and restoring us again to his favour and
the High-Priests entring with the blood of the Sacrifice and sweet incense into the holy place Levit. 16.12 13 14. And he shall take the censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the vail and he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the Testimony that he die not And he shall take the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat Eastward c. Christs offering himself on earth answered to the killing of the Sacrifice without and his entring into Heaven there to intercede was that which answered to the Priest going with blood and his hands full of incense within the vail So that this is a part yea a special part of Christs Priesthood and so necessary to it that if he had not done this all his work on earth had signified nothing nor had he been a Priest that is a compleat and perfect Priest if he had remained on earth Heb. 8.4 Because the very design and end of sheding his blood on earth had been frustrated which was to carry it before the Lord into Heaven So that this is the principal perfective part of the Priesthood He acted the first part on earth in a state of deep abasement in the form of a servant but he Acts this in glory whereinto he is taken up that he may follow on his design in dying and give the work of our Salvation its last compleating Act. So much is imported in this Scripture which tells us by reason hereof he is able to save to the uttermost c. The words contain an incouragement to believers to come to God in the way of faith drawn from the intercession of Christ in Heaven for them In which you may take notice of these three principal parts First The quality of the persons here incouraged who are described by a direct act of faith as poor recumbents that are going out of themselves to God by faith but conscious of great unworthiness in themselves and thence apt to be discouraged Secondly The incouragement propounded to such believers drawn from the ability of Jesus Christ in whose name they go to the Father to save them to the uttermost i. e. fully perfectly compleatly For so this Emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies The saving us wholly throughly compleatly and altogether giving our Salvation its last act and complement Thirdly The ground or reason of this his saving ability Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession i. e. he hath not only offered up his blood to God upon the tree as a full price to purchase pardon and grace for believers but lives in Heaven and that for ever to apply unto us in the way of intercession all the fruits blessings and benefits that that pretious blood of his deserves and hath procured as a price for them The words thus opened that point I shall single out from among many that lie in them as most suitable to my design and purpose is this DOCT. That Iesus our High-Priest lives for ever in the capacity of a potent intercessor in Heaven for believers Here we will enquire First what it is for Christ to be an intercessor Secondly By what acts he performs that work in Heaven Thirdly Whence the potency and prevalency of his intercession is Fourthly and Lastly How he lives for ever to make intercession for us First What it is for Christ to be an intercessor for us To intercede in general is to go betwixt two parties to intreat argue and plead with one for the other And of this there are two sorts First ex charitate ut fratres That whereby one Christian prays and pleads with God for another 1 Tim. 2.1 Secondly Ex officio mediatorio that whereby Christ as an act of office presents himself before God to request for us Betwixt these two is this difference that the former is performed not in our own but anothers name we can tender no request to God immediately or for our own sake either for our selves or for others Joh. 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you But the latter which is proper to Christ is an Intercession with God for us in his own name and upon the account of his proper merit The one is a private act of Charity the other a publick act of Office And so he is our Advocate or Court-friend as Satan our accuser or Court-adversary Satan is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that charges us before God 1 Pet. 5.8 And continually endeavours to make breaches between us and God Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Attorney Advocate or Lidger that pleads for us and continues peace and friendship between us and God 1 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And thus to make intercercession is the peculiar and incommunicable prerogative of Jesus Christ. None but he can go in his own name to God And in that sense we are to understand that place Ezech. 44.2 3. Then said the Lord unto me this gate shall be shut it shall not be opened and no man shall enter in by it because the Lord the God of Israel hath entred in by it therefore it shall be shut It is for the Prince the Prince he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord c. The great broad gate called here the Princes gate signifies that abundant and direct entrance that Christ had into Heaven by his own merits and in his own name this faith the Lord shall be shut no man shall enter in by it all other men must come thither as it were by collateral or side doors which looked all towards the Altar viz. by vertue of the Mediator and through the benefit of his death imputed to them And yet though God hath for ever shut up and bar'd this way to all the children of men telling us that no man shall ever have access to him in his own name as Christ the Prince had How do some notwithstanding strive to force open the Princes gate So do they that found the intercession of Saints upon their own works and merits thereby robbing Christ of his peculiar glory but all that so approach God approach a devouring fire Christ only in the vertue of his blood thus comes before him to make intercession for us Secondly We will inquire wherein the Intercession of Christ in Heaven consists or by what acts he performs this Glorious Office there And the Scriptures place it in three things First In his presenting himself before the Lord in our names and upon our accounts So we read in Heb. 9.24 Christ is entred into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us The Apostle manifestly alludes to
that any creature was ever yet set upon and inlarged to take in view the most spatious prospect both of sin and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poor humble soul did cast within it self yea joyn to these all the hindrances and objections that the heart of man can invent against it self and salvation lift up thine eyes and look to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his intercession is able to save thee beyond the Horizon and utmost compass of thy thoughts even to the utmost Secondly Hence draw abundant encouragement against all heartstraightnings and deadness of spirit in prayer Thou complainest thy heart is dead wandring and contracted in duty O but remember Christs blood speaks when thou canst not it can plead for thee and that powerfully when thou art not able to speak a word for thy self to this sense that Scripture speaks Can. 3.6 Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness in pillars of smoke perfumed with myrh and frankincense all the powders of the Merchant The duties of Christians go up many times as pillars or clouds of smoke from them more smoke than fire Prayers smoked and sullied with their offensive corruptions but remember Christ perfumes them with myrh c. he by his intercession gives them a sweet perfume Thirdly Christs intercession is a singular relief to all that come unto God by him against all sinful damps and slavish fears from the justice of God Nothing more promotes the fear of reverence Nothing more suppresseth unbelieving despondencies and destroys the spirit of bondage So you find it Heb. 10.19 20 21. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh And having an High-Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in full assurance of faith Or let us come unto God as a Ship comes with full sayl into the Harbour O what a direct and full gale of encouragement doth this intercession of Christ give to the poor soul that lay a ground or was wind-bound before Fourthly The intercession of Christ gives admirable satisfaction and encouragement to all that come to God against the fears of deserting him again by Apostacy This my friends this is your principal security against these matters of fear With this he relieves Peter Luk. 22.31.32 Simon saith Christ Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy fath fail not q. d. Satan will fan thee not to get out thy chaff but boult out thy flower His temptations are levell'd against thy faith but fear not my prayer shall break his designs and secure thy faith from all his attempt upon it Upon this powerful intercession of Christ the Apostle builds his triumph against all that threatens to bring him or any of the Saints again into a state of condemnation And see how he drives on that triumph from the resurrection and session of Christ at the Fathers right hand and especially from the work of intercession which he lives there to perform Rom. 8.34 35. Who is he that condemneth it 's Christ that died yea rather that 's risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Fifthly It gives sweet relief against the defects and wants that yet are in our sanctification We want a great deal of faith love heavenly mindedness mortification knowledge We are short and wanting in all There are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the remains or things wanting as the Apostle calls them 1 Thes. 3.10 Well if grace be but yet in it's weak beginnings and infancy in thy soul this may incourage that by reason of Christs intercession it shall live grow and expatiate it self in thy heart He is not only the author but the finisher of it Heb. 12.2 He is ever begging new and fresh mercies for you in Heaven and will never be quiet till all your wants be supplied He saves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the uttermost i. e. as I told you before to the last perfective compleating act of salvation So that this is a fountain of relief against all your fears Vse 3. Doth Christ live for ever to make intercession then let those who reap on earth the fruits of that his work in Heaven draw instruction thence about the following duties to which it leads them as by the hand First Do not forget Christ in an exalted state You see though he be in all the glory above at Gods right hand an enthron'd King he doth not forget you He like Ioseph remembers his brethren in all his glory But alas how oft doth advancement make us forget him as the Lord complains in Hosea 13.5 6. I did know thee in the Wilderness in the Land of great drought but when they came into Canaan According to their pastures so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten me As if he had said O my people you and I were better acquainted in the Wilderness When you were in a low condition left to my immediate care living by daily faith Oh then you gave me many a sweet visit but now you are filled I hear no more of you Good had it been for some Saints if they had never known prosperity Secondly Let the intercession of Christ in Heaven for you encourage you to constancy in the good ways of God To this duty it sweetly encourages also Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that we have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Here is incouragement to perseverance on a double account One is that Jesus our head is already in Heaven and if the head be above water the body cannot drown The other is from the business he is there imployed about which is his Priesthood he is passed into the Heavens as our great High-Priest to intercede and therefore we cannot miscarry Thirdly Let it incourage you to constancy in prayer O do not neglect that excellent duty seing Christ is there to present all your petitions to God Yea to perfume as well as present them So the Apostle Heb. 4.16 infers from Christs intercession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need Fourthly Hence be encouraged to plead for Christ on earth who continually pleads for you in Heaven If any accuse you he is there to plead for you And if any dishonour him on earth see that you plead his interest and defend his honour Thus you have heard what his intercession is and what benefits we receive by it Blessed be God for Iesus Christ. The FOURTEENTH
in its worth and dignity Since then there is not a whole world no not half but the far less part of the world redeemed by the blood of Christ which was sufficient for so many how great must be the surplusage and redundancy of merit Here our Divines rightly distinguish betwixt the substance and accidents of Christs death and obedience Consider that Christs suffering as to the substance of it it was no more than what the Law required For neither the justice nor love of the Father would permit that Christ should suffer more than what was necessary for him to bear as our surety but as to the circumstances the person of the sufferer the cause and efficacy of his sufferings c. it was much more than sufficient A super legale meritum a merit above and beyond what the Law required For though the Law required the death of the sinner who is but a poor contemptible creature it did not require that one perfectly innocent should die It did not require that God should shed his blood It did not require blood of such value and worth as this was I say none of this the Law required though God was pleased for the advancement and manifestation of his Justice and Mercy in the highest to admit and order this by way of commutation admitting him to be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ransomer by dying for us And indeed it was a most gratious relaxation of the Law that admitted of such a commutation as this for hereby it comes to pass that Justice is fully satisfied and yet we live and are saved which before was a thing that could not be imagined Yea now we are not only redeemed from wrath by the adequate compensation made for our sins by Christs blood and sufferings substantially considered but to a most glorious inheritance purchased by his blood considered as the blood of an Innocent as the blood of God and therefore as most excellent and efficatious blood above what the Law demanded And this is the meaning of Athanasius when he saith that Christ recompensed or made amends for small things with great He means not that sin considered absolutely and in it self is small O no but compared with Christs blood and the infinite excellency and worth of it it is so And Chrysostom to the same purpose Christ paid much more saith he than we owed and so much more as the immense Ocean is more than a small drop So that it was rightly determined by holy Anselme no man saith he can pay to God what he owes him Christ only paid more than he owed him And by this you see how rich a treasure there lies by Christ to bestow in a purchase for us beyond and above what he paid to redeem us even as much as his soul and body was more worth than ours for whom it was sacrificed and that is so great a sum that all the Angels in Heaven and men on earth can never compute and sum up so as to shew us the total of it And this was that inexhaustible treasure that Christ expended to procure and purchase the fairest inheritance for Believers Having seen the treasure that purchased let us next enquire into the inheritance purchased by it Secondly This inheritance is so large that it cannot be surveyed by creatures nor can the boundaries and limits thereof be described for it comprehends all things 1 Cor. 3.22 All is yours ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Revel 21.7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things And yet I do not think or say that Dominium fundatur in gratia that Temporal Dominion in founded in grace No that 's at the cast and dispose of providence but Christ by his death hath restored a right to all things to his people But to be more particular I shall distribute the Saints inheritance purchased by Christ into three heads All Temporal good things all Spiritual good things and all Eternal good things are theirs First All Temporal good things 1 Tim. 6.7 He hath given us all things richly to enjoy Not that they have the possession but the comfort and benefit of all things Others have the sting gall wormwood bayts and snares of the creature Saints only have the blessing and comfort of it So that this little which a Righteous man hath is in this among other respects better than the treasures of many wicked Which is the true key to open that dark saying of the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.10 as having nothing and yet possessing all things They only possess others are possessed by the world The Saints do uti mundo frui Deo use the world and enjoy God in the use of it Others are deceived defiled and destroyed by the world but these are refresht and furthered by it Secondly All Spiritual good things are purchased by the blood of Christ for them As justification which comprizes remission of sins and acceptation of our persons by God Rom. 3.24 Being Iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ. Sanctification is also purchased for them Yea both initial and progressive sanctification For of God he is made unto us not only wisdom and righteousness but sanctification also 1 Cor. 1.30 These two viz. our Justification and Sanctification are two of the most rich and shining robes in the wardrobe of free-grace How glorious and lovely do they render the soul that wears them These are like the Bracelets and Jewels Isaack sent to Rebecca Adoption into the family of God is purchased for us by this blood For ye are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ Gal 3.26 Christ as he is the Son is haeres natus the heir by nature as he is Mediator he is haeres constitutus the heir by appointment appointed heir of all things as it is Heb. 1.2 By this Sonship of Christ we being united to him by faith become Sons and if Sons then heirs O what a manner of love is this that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 That a poor beggar should be made an heir yea an heir of God and a joynt heir with Christ. Yea that very faith which is the bond of union and consequently the ground of all our communion with Christ is the purchase of his blood also 2 Pet. 1.1 To them that have obtained like pretious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. This most pretious grace is the dear purchase of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yea all that peace joy and spiritual comfort which are sweet fruits of faith are with it purchased for us by this blood So speaks the Apostle in Rom. 5.1 2 3. Being Iustified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ c. moreover the Spirit himself who is the Author Fountain and Spring of all these graces and comforts is procured for us by his death and resurrection Gal. 3.13 14. Christ
the Empyrean Heaven the City of God wihther Christ ascended Where the great assembly are met Paradise and Canaan were but the Types of it More excelling and trascending the Royal Palaces of earthly Princes than they do a â—idgeon hold The company also with whom he is enjoyed adds to the glory A blissful society indeed Store of good neighbours in that City There we shall have familiar converse with Angels whose appearances now are insupportable by poor mortals There will be sweet and full closings also betwixt the Saints Luther and Zuinglius are there agreed here they could not fully close with one another And no wonder for they could not fully close with themselves But there is perfect harmony and unity All meeting and closing in God as lines in the Center This is a blessed glimpse of your inheritance Thirdly All this is purchased for Believers hence it 's call'd the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1.12 All is yours for ye are Christs that is the tenure 1 Cor. 3.23 So Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Only those that are Sons are Heirs Rom. 8.17 The unrighteous shall not inherit 1 Cor. 6.9 It 's the Fathers good pleasure to give the Kingdom to the little flock Luk. 12.32 Inference 1. Hath Christ not only redeemed you from wrath but purchased such an eternal inheritance also by the overplus of his merit for you Oh how well content should Believers then be with their lot of providence in this life be it what it will Content did I say I speak too low overcome ravisht filled with praises and thanksgivings how low how poor how afflicted soever for present they are O let not such a thing as grumbling repining freting at providence be found or once named among the expectants of this Inheritance Suppose you had taken a beggar from your door and adopted him to be your Son and made him Heir of a large inheritance and after this he should contest and quarrel with you for a trifle could you bear it how to work the Spirit of a Saint into contentment with a Low condition here I have laid down several rules in another discourse to which for present I refer the Reader Inference 2. With what weaned affections should the people of God walk up and down this world content to live and willing to die For things present are theirs if they live and things to come are theirs if they die Paul expresses himself in a frame of holy indifferencie Phil. 1.23 Which to choose I know not Many of them that are now in fruition of their inheritance above had vitam in patientia mortem in desiderio life in patience and death in desire while they tabernacled with us Oh cried one what would I give to have a bed made to my wearied soul in Christs bosom I cannot tell you what sweet pain and delightful torments are in his love I often challenge time for holding us assunder I profess to you I have no rest till I be over head and ears in Loves Ocean If Christs Love that fountain of delights were laid open to me as I would wish O how drunken would this my soul be I half call his absence cruel and the mask and vail on his face a cruel covering that hideth such a fair fair face from a â—ick soul. I dare not challenge himself but his absence is a mountain of Iron upon my heavy heart O when shall we meet How long is it to the dawning of the marriage day O sweet Lord Jesus take wide steps O my Lord come over mountains at one stride O my beloved flee like a Roe or young Hart upon the mountains of seperation O if he would fold the Heavens together like an old cloak and shovel time and days out of the way and make ready in hast the Lambs wife for her husband Since he looked upon me my heart is not mine own Who can be blamed for desiring to see that fair inheritance which is purchased for him But truly should God hold up the soul by the power of faith from day to day to such sights as these who would be content to live a day more on earth How should we be ready to pull down the Prison walls and not having patience to wait till God open the door As the Heathen said Victurosque dii celant ut vivere durant And truly the wisdom of God is in this specially remarkable in giving the new creature such an admirable crasis and even temper as that Scripture 2 Thes. 3.5 expresses The Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God and patient waiting for of Christ. Love inflames with desire patience allays that fervor So that fervent desires as one happily expresses it are allaied with meek submission Mighty love with strong patience And had not God twisted together these two principles in the Christians constitution he had framed a creature to be a torment to it self to live upon a very rack Inference 3. Hence we infer the impossibility of their Salvation that know not Christ nor have interest in his blood Neither Heathens nor meerly nominal Christians can inherit I know some are very indulgent to the Heathen and many formal Christians are but too much so to themselves but union by faith with Jesus Christ is the only way revealed in Scripture by which we hope to come to the heavenly inheritance I know it seems hard that such brave men as some of the Heathens were should be damned but the Scripture knows no other way to glory but Christ put on and applied by faith And it is the common suffrage of modern sound Divines that no man by the sole conduct of nature without the knowledge of Christ can be saved There is but one way to glory for all the world Ioh. 14.6 No man cometh to the Father but by me Gal. 3.14 The blessing of Abraham comes upon the Gentiles through faith Scripture asserts the impossibility of being or doing any thing that is truly evangelically good out of Christ. Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing and Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Scripture every where connects and chains Salvation with vocation Rom. 8.30 and vocation with Gospel Rom. 10.14 To those that plead for the Salvation of Heathens and profane Christians we may apply that tart rebuke of Bernard that while some labour to make Plato a Christian he feared they therein did prove themselves to be Heathens Inference 4. How greatly are we all concerned to clear up our Title to the heavenly inheritance It 's horrible to see how industrious many are for an inheritance on earth and how careless for Heaven By which we may plainly see how vilely the noble soul is depressed by sin and sunk down into flesh minding only the concernments of the flesh Hear me ye that labour for
is called Gods servant they fulfil his will whilst they are prosecuting their own lusts The earth shall help the woman Rev. 12.16 But good men delight to serve providence they and the Angels are fellow-servants in one house and to one master Rev. 19.10 Yea there is not a creature in Heaven or Earth or Hell but Jesus Christ can Providentially use it and serve his ends and promote his designs by it But whatever the Instrument be Christ uses of this we may be certain that his Providential working is Holy Judicious Soveraign Profound Irresistible Harmonious and to the Saints peculiar First It 's holy Though he permits limits orders and overrules many unholy persons and actions yet he still works like himself most holily and purely throughout The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Psal. 145.17 It 's easier to separate light from a Sun-beam than holiness from the works of God The best of men cannot escape sin in their most holy actions They cannot touch but are defiled But no sin cleaves to God whatever he hath to do about it Secondly Christs providential working is not only most pure and holy but also most wise and Judicious Ezek. 1.20 The wheels are full of eyes they are not moved by a blind impetus but in deep counsel and wisdom And indeed the wisdom of providence manifests it self principally in the choice of such states for the people of God as shall most effectually promote their eternal happiness And herein it goes quite beyond our understandings and comprehensions It makes that medicinal and salutiferous which we judge as destructive to our comfort and good as poyson I remember it is a note of Suarez speaking of the felicity of the other world then saith he the blessed shall see in God all things and circumstances pertaining to them excellently accommodated and attempered Then they shall see that the crossing of their desires was the saving of their souls And that they had if they had not perished The most wise Providence looks beyond us It eyes the end and suits all things thereto and not to our fond desires Thirdly The Providence of Christ is most supream and soveraign Whatsoever he pleaseth that he doth in Heaven and Earth and in all places Psal. 135.6 He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rev. 19.16 The greatest Monarchs on Earth are but as little bits of clay As the worms of the earth to him They all depend on him Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings raign and Princes decree Iustice by me Princes rule Nobles even all the Iudges of the Earth Fourthly Providence is profound and inscrutable The Judgements of Christ are as the great deeps and his footsteps are not known Psal. 36 6. There are hard texts in the works as well as in the words of Christ The wisest heads have been at a loss in interpreting some providences Ier. 12.1 2. Iob. 21.7 The Angels had the hands of a man under their wings Ezek. 1.8 i. e. They wrought secretly and mysteriously Fifthly Providence is irresistible in its designs and motions for all providences are but the fulfillings and accomplishments of Gods immutable decrees Eph. 1.11 He works all things according to the counsel of his own will Hence Zech. 6.1 The Instruments by which God executed his wrath are called Chariots coming from betwixt two mountains of brass i. e. the firm and immutable decrees of God When the Iews put Christ to death they did but do that the hand and counsel of God had before determined to be done Acts 4.28 So that none can oppose or resist Providence I will work and who shall lett Isa. 43.13 Sixthly The Providences of Christ are Harmonious There are secret chains and invisible connexions betwixt the works of Christ. We know not how to reconcile promises and providences together nor yet providences one with another but certainly they all work together Rom. 8.28 as adjuvant causes or con-causes standing under and working by the influence of the first cause He doth not do and undo Destroy by one providence what he built by another But look as all seasons of the year the nipping frosts as well as halcion days of summer do all conspire and conduce to the harvest so it is in providence Seventhly Lastly The providences of Christ work in a special and peculiar way for the good of the Saints His providential is subordinated to his Spiritual Kingdom He is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe 1 Tim. 4.10 These only have the blessing of providence Things are so laid and ordered as that their eternal good shall be promoted and secured by all that Christ doth Inference 1. If so See then in the first place to whom you are beholding for your lives liberties comforts and all that you enjoy in this world Is it not Christ that takes order for you He is indeed in Heaven out of your sight but though you see him not he sees you and takes care for all your concerns When one told Silentiarius of a plot laid to take away his life he answered Si Deus mei curam non habet quid vivo if God take not care of me how do I live how have I escaped hitherto In all thy waies acknowledge him Prov. 3.6 It 's he that hath espied out that state thou art in as most proper for thee It 's Christ that doth all for you that is done He looks down from Heaven upon all that fear him he sees when you are in danger by Temptation and casts in a providence you know not how to hinder it He sees when you are sad and orders reviving providences to refresh you He sees when corruptions prevail and orders humbling providences to purge them Whatever mercies you have received all along the way you have gone hitherto are the orderings of Christ for you And you shall carefully observe how the promises and providences have kept equal pace with one another and both gone step by step with you until now Inference 2. Hath God left the government of the whole world in the hands of Christ and trusted him over all then do ye also leave all your particular concerns in the hands of Christ too and know that the infinite wisdom and love which rules the world manages every thing that relates to you It is in a good hand and infinitely better than if it were in your own I remember when Melanchthon was under some despondencies of spirit about the estate of Gods people in Germany Luther chides him thus for it desinat Philippus esse rector mundi let Philip cease to rule the world It 's none of our work to steer the course of providence or direct its motions but to submit quietly to him that doth There is an Itch in men yea in the best of men to be disputing with God Let me talk with thee of thy Iudgements saith Jeremy Jer. 32.1 2. Yea
how apt are we to regret at providences as if it had no conducency at all to the glory of God or to our good Exod. 5.22 Yea to limit providence to our way and time thus the Israelites tempted God and limited the Holy One Psal. 78.20 41. How often also do we unbelievingly distrust providence as though it could never accomplish what we profess to expect and believe Ezek. 37.11 Our bones are dry our hope is lost we are cut off for our part So Gen. 18.13 14. Isai. 40.27 There are but few Abrahams among believers who against hope believed in hope giving glory to God Rom. 4.20 And it is but too common for good men to repine and fret at providence when their wills lusts or humours are crossed by it This was the great sin of Ionah Brethren these things ought not to be so Did you but seriously consider either the design of providence which is to bring about the gratious designs and purposes of God upon you which were laid before this world was Eph. 1.11 or that it is a lifting up of thy wisdom against his as if thou couldst better order thine affairs if thou hadst the conduct and management of them Or that you have to do herein with a great and dreadful God in whose hands you are as the clay in the Potters hand that may do what he will with you and all that is yours without giving you an account of any of his matters Iob 33.13 Or whether providence hath cast others as good by nature as your selves tumbled them down from the top of health wealth honours and pleasures to the bottom of Hell Or Lastly Did you but consider how often it hath formerly baffled and befool'd your selves Made you retract with shame your rash headlong censures of it and enforced you by the sight of its births and issues to confess your folly and ignorance as Asaph did Psal. 73.22 I say if such considerations as these could but have place with you in your troubles and temptations they would quickly mould your hearts into a better and more quiet frame O that I could but perswade you to resign all to Christ. He is a cunning workman as he he is called Prov. 8.30 and can effect what he pleaseth It 's a good rule de operibus Dei non est judicandum ante quintum actum Let God work out all that he intends have but patience till he hath put the last hand to his work and then find fault with it if you can You have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord. Iam. 5.11 Inference 3. If Christ be Lord and King over the providential Kingdom and that for the good of his people let none that are Christs henceforth stand in a slavish fear of creatures It 's a good note that Grotius hath upon my text It 's a marvailous consolation saith he that Christ hath so great an Empire and that he governs it for the good of his people as an head consulting the good of the body Our Head and Husband is Lord General of all the Hosts of Heaven and Earth No creature can move hand or tongue without his leave or order The power they have is given them from above Ioh. 19.11 12. The serious consideration of this truth will make the feeblest spirit cease trembling and fall a singing Psal. 47.7 The Lord is King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding that is as some well paraphase it every one that hath understanding of this comfortable truth Hath he not given you abundant security in many express promises that all shall issue well for you that fear him Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to them that love God And Eccles. 8.12 Verily it shall be well with them that fear God even with them that fear before him And suppose he had not yet the very understanding of our relation to such a King should in it self be sufficient security For he is the universal supream absolute meek and merciful victorious and immortal King He sits in glory at the Fathers right hand and to make his seat the easier his enemies are a footstool for him His love to his people is unspeakably tender and fervent He that touches them touches the apple of his eye Zech. And it 's hardly imaginable that Jesus Christ will sit still and suffer his enemies to thrust out his eyes Till this be forgotten the wrath of man is not feared Isai. 51.12 13. He that fears a man that shall die forgets the Lord his Maker he loves you too well to sign any order to your prejudice and without his order none can touch you Inference 4. If the Government of the world be in the hands of Christ then our engaging and entitling of Christ to all our affairs and business is the true and ready way to their success and prosperity if all depend upon his pleasure then sure it 's your wisdom to take him along with you to every action and business It 's no lost time that 's spent in prayer wherein we ask his leave and beg his presence with us And take it for a clear truth that which is not prefaced with prayer will be followed with trouble How easily can Jesus Christ dash all your designs when they are at the very birth and article of execution and break off in a moment all the purposes of your hearts It 's a Proverb among the Papists that Mass and Meat hinder no nan The Turks will pray five times a day how urgent soever their business be Blush you that enterprise your affairs without God I reckon that business as good as done to which we have gotten Christs leave and engaged his presence to accompany us to it Inference 5. Lastly Eye Christ in all the events of providence see his hand in all that befals you whether it be evil or good The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Psal. 111.2 How much good might we get by observation of the good or evil that befals us throughout our course First In all the evils of trouble and affliction that befal you eye Jesus Christ in it all And set your hearts to the study of these four things in affliction First Study his Soveraignty and Dominion For he creates and forms them They rise not out of the dust nor do they befal you casually But he raises them up and gives them their commission Jer. 18.11 Behold I create evil and devise a device against you He elects the instrument of your trouble He makes the rod as afflictive as he pleaseth He orders the continuance and end of your troubles And they will not cease to be afflictive to you till Christ say leave off it is enough The Centurion wisely considered this when He told him Luk. 7.8 I have souldiers under me and I say to one go and
a debased state but was really and indeed humbled and that not only before men but God As man he was humbled really as God in respect of his manifestive glory And as it was real so also voluntary It is not said he was humbled but he humbled himself He was willing to stoop to this low and abject state for us And indeed the voluntariness of his humiliation made it most acceptable to God and singularly commends the love of Christ to us That he would choose to stoop to all this ignominy sufferings and abasement for us Secondly The degrees of his humiliation it was not only so low as to become a man a man under law but he humbled himself to become obedient to death even the death of the Cross. Here you see the depth of Christs humiliation both specified it was unto death and aggravated even the death of the Cross. Not only to become a man but a dead corpse and that too hanging on the tree Dying the death of a malefactor Thirdly The duration or continuance of this his humiliation It continued from the first moment of his incarnation to the very moment of his vivification and quickning in the grave So the terms of it are fixed here by the Apostle From the time he was found in fashion as a man that is from his incarnation unto his death on the Cross which also comprehends the time of his abode in the grave So long his humiliation lasted Hence the observation is DOCT. That the state of Christ from his Conception to his Resurrection was a state of deep abasement and humiliation We are now entring upon Christs humbled state which I shall cast under three general heads viz. his Humiliation in his incarnation in his life and in his death My present work is to open Christs Humiliation in his incarnation imported in these words he was found in fashion as a man By which you are not to conceive that he only assumed a body as an assisting form to appear transiently to us in it and so lay it down again It is not such an apparition of Christ in the shape of a man that is here intended but his true and real assumption of our nature which was a special part of his Humiliation as will appear by the following particulars First The Incarnation of Christ was a most wonderful humiliation of him in as much as thereby he is brought into the ranck and order of creatures who is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 This is the astonishing mysterie 1 Tim. 3.16 that God should be manifest in the flesh That the eternal God should truly and properly be called the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 It was a wonder to Solomon that God would dwell in that stately and magnificent Temple at Ierusalem 2 Chron. 6.18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth behold the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee how much less this house which I have built But it 's a far greater wonder that God should dwell in a body of flesh and pitch his Tabernacle with us Ioh. 1.14 It would have seemed a rude blasphemy had not the Scriptures plainly revealed it to have thought or spoken of the eternal God as born in time The worlds Creator as a Creature The Ancient of daies as an Infant of daies The Heathen Chaldeans told the King of Babel that the dwelling of the Gods is not with flesh Dan. 2.11 But now God not only dwells with flesh but dwells in flesh Yea was made flesh and dwelt among us For the Sun to fall from its Sphear and be degraded into a wandring Attom For an Angel to be turned out of Heaven and be converted into a silly fly or worm had been no such great abasement for they were but Creatures before and so they should abide still though in an inferiour order or species of creatures The distance betwixt the highest and lowest species of creatures is but a finite distance The Angel and the worm dwell not so far assunder But for the infinite glorious Creator of all things to become a creature is a mystery exceeding all humane understanding The distance betwixt God and the highest order of creatures is an infinite distance He is said to humble himself to behold the things that are done in Heaven What a humiliation then is it to behold the things in the lower world But to be born into it and become a man Great indeed is the mysterie of Godliness Behold saith the Prophet Isai. 40.15 18. The nations are as the drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing All nations before him are as nothing and they are accounted to him less than nothing and vanity If indeed this great and incomprehensible Majesty will himself stoop to the state and condition of a creature we may easily believe that being once a creature he would expose himself to hunger thirst shame spetting death or any thing but sin For that once being man he should endure any of these things is not so wonderful as that he should become a man This was the low stoop a deep abasement indeed Secondly It was a marvelous humiliation to the Son of God not only to become a creature but an inferiour creature a man and not an Angel Had he took the Angelical nature though it had been a wonderful abasement to him yet he had staid if I may so speak nearer his own home and been somewhat liker to a God than now he appeared when he dwelt with us For Angels are the highest and most excellent of all created Beings For their nature they are pure spirits for their wisdom Intelligencies For their dignity they are called principalities and powers For their habitations they are stiled the Heavenly Host and for their imployment it is to behold the face of God in Heaven The highest pitch both of our holiness and happiness in the coming world is expressed by this we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equal to the Angels Luk. 20.36 As man is nothing to God so he is much inferiour to the Angels So much below them that he is not able to bear the sight of an Angel though in an humane shape rendring himself as familiarly as may be to him Iudg. 13.22 When the Psalmist had contemplated the Heavens and viewed the Coelestial bodies the glorious Luminaries the Moon and Stars which God had made he cries out Psal. 8.5 what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Take man at his best when he came a perfect and pure piece out of his Makers hand in the state of innocency yet he was inferiour to Angels They alwaies bare the image of God in a more eminent degree than man as being wholly spiritual substances and so more lively representing God than man could do whose noble soul is immerst
few particulars of Christs humiliation in his incarnation Next we shall infer somethings from it that are practical Inference 1. Hence we gather the fulness and compleatness of Christs satisfaction as the sweet first fruits of incarnation Did man offend and violate the Law of God Behold God himself is become a man to repair that breach and satisfie for the wrong done The highest honour that ever the law of God received was to have such a person as the man Christ Jesus is to stand before its Bar and make reparation to it This is more than if it had poured out all our blood and built up its honour upon the ruines of the whole creation It is not so much to see all the Stars in Heaven overcast as to see one Sun eclipsed The greater Christ was the greater was his humiliation and the greater his humiliation was the more full and compleat was his satisfaction and the more compleatness there is in Christs satisfaction the more perfect and steady is the Believers consolation If he had not stoopt so low our joy and comfort could not be exalted so high The depth of the foundation is the strength of the superstructure Inference 2. Did Christ for our sakes stoop from the Majesty glory and dignity he was possessed of in Heaven to the mean and contemptible state of a man what a pattern of self-denial is here presented to Christians What objection against or excuses to shift off this duty can remain after such an example as is here propounded Brethren let me tell you the Pagan world was never acquainted with such an Argument as this to press them to self-denial Did Christ stoop and cannot you stoop Did Christ stoop so much and cannot you stoop in the least Was he content to become any thing a worm a reproach a curse and cannot you digest any abasements Do the least slights and neglects rancle your hearts and poyson them with discontent malice and revenge O how unlike Christ are you Hear and blush in hearing what your Lord saith in Joh. 13.14 If I then your Lord and Master wash your feet ye also ought to wash one anothers feet This example obliges not as a learned man well observes to the same individual act but it obliges us to follow the reason of the example That is after Christs example we must be ready to perform the lowest and meanest Offices of love and service to one another And indeed to this it obliges most forcibly for it is as if a Master seeing a proud sturdy Servant that grudges at the work he is imployed about as if it were too mean and base should come and take it out of his hand and when he hath done it should say doth not your Lord and Master think it beneath him to do it and is it beneath you I remember it is an excellent saying that Bernard hath upon the nativity of Christ. Saith he what more detestable what more unworthy or what deserves severer punishment than for a poor man to magnifie himself after he hath seen the great and high God so humbled as to become a little Child it is intollerable impudence for a worm to swell with pride after it hath seen majesty emptying it self To see one so infinitely above us to stoop so far beneath us Oh how convincing and shaming should it be Ah how opposite should pride and stoutness be to the spirit of a Christian I am sure nothing is more so to the Spirit of Christ. Your Saviour was lowly meek self-denying and of a most condescending Spirit He looked not at his own things but yours Phil. 2.4 And doth it become you to be proud selfish and stout I remember Ierom in his Epistle to Pamachius a godly young noble-man adviseth him to be eyes to the blind feet to the lame yea saith he if need be I would not have you refuse to cut wood and draw water for the Saints and what saith he is this to buffeting and spetting to crowning with thorns scourging and dying Christ did undergo all this and that for the ungodly Inference 3. Did Christ stoop so low as to become a man to save us Then those that perish under the Gospel must needs perish without apology What would you have Christ do more to save you Loe he hath laid aside the robes of Majesty and glory put on your own garments of flesh come down from his Throne and brought Salvation home to your own doors Surely the lower Christ stooped to save us the lower shall we sink under wrath that neglect so great Salvation The Lord Jesus is brought low but the unbeliever will lay him yet lower even under his feet he will tread the Son of God under foot Heb. 10.28 for such as the Apostle there speaks is reserved something worse than dying without mercy What pleas and excuses others will make at the Judgement Seat I know not but once it 's evident you will be speechless And as one well observes the vilest sinners among the Gentiles nay the Devils themselves will have more to say for themselves than you I must be plain with you I beseech you consider how Iews Pagans and Devils will rise up in Judgement against you The Iew may say I had a legal yoak upon me which neither I nor my fathers were able to bear Christ invited me only into the garden of nuts where I might sooner break my teeth with the hard shells of Ceremonies than get the kernel of Gospel-promises In the best of our Sacrifices the smoak filled our Temple smoak only to provoke us to weep for a clearer manifestation We had but the old edition of the Covenant of grace in a character very darkly intelligible you have the last edition with a Commentary of our rejection and the worlds reception and the spirits effusion You had all that heart could wish I perish eternally may the poor Pagan say without all possibility of reconciliation and have only sinned against the Covenant of works having never heard of a Gospel Covenant nor of reconciliation by a Mediator O had I heard but one Sermon had Christ but once broke in upon my soul to convince me of my undone condition and to have shewn a righteousness to me but wo is me I never had so much as one offer of Christ. But so have I must you say that refuse the Gospel I have or might have heard thousands of Sermons I could scarce escape hearing one or other shewing me the danger of my sin and my necessity of Christ but notwithstanding all I heard I wilfully resolved I would have nothing to do with him I could not endure to hear strictness prest upon me It was all the hell I had upon earth that I could not sin in quiet Nay may the Devil himself say it 's true I was ever since my fall malitiously set against God but alas as soon as I had sinned God kickt me out of Heaven and told me
Father As if Christ did not present our pleas and arguments as well as simple desires to God As if the choisest part of our prayers must be kept back because Christ presents our prayers to God No no Christs pleading is one thing ours another His and ours are not opposed but subordinated His pleading doth not destroy but makes ours successful God calls us to plead with him Isai. 1.18 come now let us reason together God as one observes reasoneth with us by his word and providences outwardly and by the motions of his Spirit inwardly but we reason with him by framing through the help of his Spirit certain holy arguments grounded upon allowed principles drawn from his nature name word or works And it is condemned as a very sinful defect in Professors that they did not plead the Churches cause with God Jer. 30.13 There is none to plead thy cause that thou maist be bound up What was Iacobs wrestling with the Angel but his holy pleading and importunity with God And how well it pleased God let the event speak As a Prince he prevailed and had power with God On which instance a Worthy thus glosseth Let God frown smite or wound Iacob is at a point a blessing he came for and a blessing he will have I will not let thee go saith he unless thou bless me His limbs his life might go but there is no going for Christ without a pawn without a blessing This is the man now what is his speed the Lord admires him and honours him to all generations What is thy name saith he q. d. I never met with such a man titles of honour are not worthy of thee Thou shalt be called not Iacob a shepherd with men but Iacob a Prince with God Nazianzen said of his sister Gorgonia that she was modestly impudent with God There was no putting her off with a denial The Lord on this account hath honoured his Saints with the title of his Recorders men fit to plead with him as that word mazkir signifies Isai. 62.6 Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence give him no rest it notes the office of him that recorded all the memorable matters of the King and used to suggest seasonable Items and Memorandums of things to be done By these holy pleadings the King is held in his Galleries as it is Cant. 7.5 I know we are not heard either for our much speaking or our excellent speaking 't is Christs pleading in Heaven that makes our pleading on earth available but yet surely when the spirit of the Lord shall suggest proper arguments in prayer and help the humble suppliant to press them home believingly and affectionately when he helps us to weep and plead to groan and plead God is greatly delighted in such prayers Thou saidst I will surely do the good Said Iacob Gen. 32.12 It 's thine own free promise I did not go on mine own head but thou bidst me go and encouragest me with this promise O this is taking with God When by the spirit of Adoption we can come to God crying Abba Father Father hear forgive pity and help me am I not thy Child thy Son or Daughter to whom may a Child be bold to go with whom may a Child have hope to speed if not with his Father Father hear me The Fathers of our flesh are full of bowels and pity their children and know how to give good things to them when they ask them when they ask bread or cloaths will they deny them And is not the Father of Spirits more full of bowels more full of pity Father hear me This is that kind of prayer which is melody in the ears of God Corollary 3. What an excellent pattern is here for all that have the charge and government of others committed to them whether Magistrates Ministers or Parents to teach them how to acquit themselves towards their relations when they come to die Look upon dying Jesus see how his care and love to his people flamed out when the time of his departure was at hand Surely as we are bound to remember our Relations every day and to lay up a stock of prayers for them in the time of our health so it becomes us to imitate Christ in our earnestness with God for them when we die Though we die our prayers die not with us They out-live us and those we leave behind us in the world may reap the benefit of them when we are turned to dust For my own part I must profess before the world that I have a high value for this mercy And do from the bottom of my heart bless the Lord who gave me a Religious and tender Father who often poured out his soul to God for me He was one that was inwardly acquainted with God and being full of bowels to his children often carried them before the Lord prayed and pleaded with God for them wept and made supplication for them This stock of prayers and blessings left by him before the Lord I cannot but esteem above the fairest inheritance on earth O it is no small mercy to have thousands of fervent prayers lying before the Lord filed up in Heaven for us And oh that we would all be faithful to this duty Surely our love especially to the souls of our Relations should not grow cold when our breath doth O that we would remember this duty in our lives and if God give opportunity and ability fully discharge it when we die considering as Christ did we shall be no more but they are in this world In the midst of a defiled tempting troublesom world It 's the last office of Love that ever we shall do for them After a little while we shall be no longer sensible how it is with them for as the Church speaks Isai. 63.16 Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not what Temptations and troubles may befal them we do not know O imitate Christ your pattern Corollary 4. To Conclude Hence ye may see what an high esteem and pretious value Christ hath of Believers this was the treasure which he could not be quiet he could not die till he had secured it in a safe hand I come unto thee holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me Surely Believers are dear to Jesus Christ. And good reason for he hath paid dear for them Let his dying language this last farewel speak for him how he prized them The Lords portion is his people Jacob is the Lott of his inheritance Deut. 32.9 They are a peculiar treasure to him above all the people of the earth Exod. 19.5 What is much upon our hearts when we die is dear to us indeed O how pretious how dear should Jesus Christ be to us were we first and last upon his heart did he mind us did he pray for us did he so wrestle with God about us when the sorrows
Tree O let the place where you assemble to so see this sight of your crucified Jesus be a Bokim a place of lamentation Inference 3. Moreover hence it 's evident that the believing and affectionate remembrance of Christ is of singular advantage at all times to the people of God For it 's the immediate end of one of the greatest Ordinances that ever Christ appointed to the Church To have frequent recognitions of Christ will appear to be singularly efficatious and useful to Believers if you consider First If at any time thy heart be dead and hard this is the likeliest means in the world to dissolve melt and quicken it Look hither hard heart hard indeed if this hammer will not break it Behold the blood of Jesus Secondly Art thou easily overcome by Temptions to sin This is the most powerful pull back in the world from sin Rom. 6.2 How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein We are crucified with Christ what have we to do with sin Such a thought as this when thy heart is yielding to Temptations How can I do this and crucifie the Son of God afresh Haâ—h he not suffered enough already on earth shall I yet make him groan as it were for me in Heaven look as David poured the water brought from the Well of Bethlehem on the ground though he was athirst for said he it is the blood of the men i. e. they eminently hazarded their lives to fetch it much more should a Christian pour out upon the ground yea despise and trample under foot the greatest profit or pleasure of sin saying nay I will have nothing to do with it I will on no terms touch it for it is the blood of Christ. It cost blood infinitely pretious blood to expiate it If there were a knife in your house that had been thrust to the heart of your Father you would not take pleasure to see that knife much less to use it Thirdly Are you afraid your sins are not pardoned but still stand upon account before the Lord what more relieving what more satisfying than to see the Cup of the New-Testament in the blood of Christ which is shed for many for the remission of sins Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it 's Christ that died Fourthly Are you staggered at the sufferings and hard things you must endure for Christ in this world doth the flesh shrink back from these things and cry spare thy self What is there in the world more likely to steel and fortifie thy spirit with resolution and courage than such a sight as this Did Christ face the wrath of men and the wrath of God too Did he stand as a pillar of brass with unbroken patience and stedfast resolution under such troubles as never met in the like height upon any mear creature till death beat the last breath out of his nostrils And shall I shrink for a trifle Ah he did not serve me so I will arm my self with the like mind 1 Pet. 2.2 Fifthly Is thy faith staggered at the promises canst thou not rest upon a promise Here 's that will help thee against hope to believe in hope giving glory to God For this is Gods seal added to his Covenant which ratifies and binds fast all that God hath spoken Sixthly Dost thou idle away pretious time vainly and live unusefully to Christ in thy generation what more apt both to convince and cure thee than such a remembrance of Christ as this O when thou considerest thou art not thine own thy time thy tallents are not thine own but Christs When thou shalt see thou art bought with a price a great price indeed and so art strictly obliged to glorifie God with thy soul and body which are his 2 Cor. 5.14 This will powerfully awake a dull sluggish and lazy spirit In a word what grace is there this remembrance of Christ cannot quicken What sin cannot it mortifie What duty cannot it animate O it is of singular use in all cases to the people of God Inference 4. Lastly Hence we infer Though all other things do yet Christ neither doth nor can grow stale Here 's an Ordinance to preserve his remembrance fresh to the end of the world The blood of Christ doth never dry up The beauty of this Rose of Sharon is never lost or withred He is the same yesterday to day and for ever As his body in the grave saw no corruption so neither can his Love or any of his excellencies When the Saints shall have fed their eyes upon him in Heaven thousands and millions of years he shall be as fresh beautiful and orient as at the beginning Other beauties have their prime and their fading time but Christs abides eternally Our delight in creatures is often most at first acquaintance when we come nearer to them and see more of them the edge of our delight is rebated But the longer you know Christ and the nearer you come to him still the more do you see of his glory Every farther prospect of Christ entertains the mind with a fresh delight He is as it were a new Christ every day and yet the same Christ still Blessed be God for Iesus Christ. The TWENTY SECOND SERMON LUK. XXII XLI XLII XLIII XLIV And he was withdrawn from them about a stones cast and kneeled down and prayed saying Father if thou be willing remove this Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done And there appeared an Angel unto him from Heaven strengthning him And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground THE hour is now almost come even that hour of sorrow which Christ had so often spoken of Yet a little a very little while and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners He hath affectionately recommended his Children to his Father He hath set his house in order and ordained a memorial of his death to be left with his people as you have heard There is but one thing more to do and then the Tragoedy begins He recommended us he must also recommend himself by prayer to the Father and when that is done he is ready let Iudas with the black guard come when they will This last Act of Christs preparation for his own death is contained in this Scripture wherein we have an account First Of his Prayer Secondly Of the Agony attending it Thirdly His relief in that Agony by an Angel that came and comforted him First The Prayer of Christ in a praying posture he will be found when the enemy comes He will be taken upon his knees He was pleading hard with God in prayer for strength to carry him through this heavy trial when they came to take him And this prayer was a very remarkable prayer both for the solitariness of it he withdrew about a stones cast vers 41. from his dearest intimates
therefore will get the fairest hand he can to manage it with the less suspicion Corollary 11. Did Iudas one of the twelve do this Then certainly Christians may approve and join with such men on earth whose faces they shall never see in Heaven The Apostles held communion a long time with this man and did not suspect him O please not your selves therefore that you have communion with the Saints here and that they think and speak charitably of you All the Churches shall know saith the Lord that I am he that searcheth the heart and reins and will give to every man as his work shall be Rev. 2.23 In Heaven we shall meet many that we never thought to meet there and miss many we were confident we should see there Corollary 12. Lastly Did Iudas one of the twelve a man so obliged raised and honoured by Christ do this Cease then from man be not too confident but beware of men Trust ye not in a friend put no confidence in a guide keep the door of thy lips from her that lieth in thy bosom Mica 7.5 Not that there is no sincerity in any man but because there is so much hypocrisie in many men and so much corruption in the best of men that we may not be too confident nor lay too great a stress upon any man Peters modest expression of Sylvanus is a pattern for us Sylvanus a faithful brother unto you as I suppose 1 Pet. 5.12 The time shall come saith Christ that brother shall betray brother to death Matth. 10.11 Your Charity for others may be your duty but your too great confidence may be your snare Fear what others may do but fear thy self more The TWENTY FOURTH SERMON LUK. XXIII XXIII XXIV And they were instant with loud voices requiring that he might be crucificed and the voices of them and of the Chief-Priests prevailed And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required JVdas hath made good his promise to the High-Priest and delivered Jesus a prisoner into their hands These Wolves of the evening no soonner seize the Lamb of God but they thirst and long to be sucking his pretious inuocent blood Their revenge and malice admits no delay as fearing a rescue by the people When Herod had taken Peter he committed him to prison intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people Acts 12.4 but these men cannot sleep till they have his blood and therefore the preparation of the Passover being come they resolve in all haste to destroy him yet lest it should look like a downright murder it shall be formalized with a trial This his trial and condemnation are the two last acts by which they prepared for his death and are both contained in this context in which we may observe First The Enditement Secondly The Sentence to which the judge proceeded First The Enditement drawn up against Christ wherein they accuse him of many things but can prove nothing They charge him with sedition and blasphemy but faulter shamefully in the proof However what is wanting in evidence shall be supplied with clamour and importunity For saith the Text they were instant with loud voices requiring that he might be crucified and their voices prevailed when they can neither prove the sedition or blasphemy they charged him with then crucifie him crucifie him must serve the turn instead of all witnesses and proofs Secondly The Sentence pronounced upon him Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required i. e. he sentenced Christ to be nailed to the Cross and there to hang till he was dead From both these we observe these two doctrinal conclusions Doct. 1. First That the trial of Christ for his life was managed most malitiously and illegally against him by his unrighteous Iudges Doct. 2. Secondly Though nothing could be proved against our Lord Iesus Christ worthy of death or of bonds yet was he condemned to be nailed to the Cross and there to hang till he died I shall handle these two points distinctly in their order beginning with the first namely DOCT. 1. That the trial of Christ for his life was managed most malitiously and illegally against him by his unrighteous Iudges Reader here thou maist see the Judge of all the world standing himself to be judged He that shall judge the world in righteousness judged most unrighteously He that shall one day come to the throne of judgement attended with thousands and ten thousands of Angels and Saints standing as a prisoner at mans bar and there denied the common right which a thief or murderer might claim and is commonly given them To manifest the illegallity of Christs trial let the following particulars be heedfully weighed First That he was inhumanely abused both in words and actions before the Court met or any examination had been taken of the fact For as soon as they had taken him they forthwith bound him and led him away to the High-priests house Luk. 22.54 and there they that held him mocked him and smote him blindfolded him stroke him on the face and bid him prophesie who smote him and many other things blasphemously spake they against him vers 63 64 65. how illegal and barbarous a thing was this When they were but binding Paul with thongs he thought himself abused contrary to law and asked the Centurion that stood by is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned q. d. is this legal What punish a man first and judge him afterwards But Christ was not only bound but horribly abused by them all that night dealing with him as the Lords of the Philistines did with Sampson to whom it was a sport to abuse him No rest had Jesus that night no more sleep for him now in this world O it was a sad night to him And this under Caiphas's own roof Secondly As he was inhumanely abused before he was tried so he was examined and judged by a Court that had no Authority to try him Luk. 22.66 as soon as it was day the elders of the people and the Chief-Priests and the Scribes came together and led him into their Concil This was the Ecclesiastical Court The great Sanhedrim which according to its first constitution should consist of seventy grave honourable and learned men to whom were to be referred all doubtful matters too hard for inferiour Courts to decide And these were to Judge impartially and uprightly for God as men in whom was the Spirit of God According to Gods counsel to Moses Numb 11.16 c. In this Court the Righteous and innocent might expect relief and protection And that is conceived to be the meaning of Christs words Luk. 13.33 It cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem that is their Righteousness and Innocency may expect protection But now contrary to the first constitution it consisted of a pack fo malitious Scribes and Pharisees men full of revenge malice and all
God and plenteous redemption for the greatest of Sinners that by Faith apply the blood of the Cross to their poor guilty Souls So speaks the Apostle Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins And 1 Ioh. 1.7 The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin Two things will make this demonstrable First That there is sufficient efficacy in this blood of the Cross to expiate the greatest Sins Secondly That the efficacy of it is designed and intended by God for believing sinners How clearly do both these propositions lie in the Word First That there is sufficient efficacy in the blood of the Cross to expiate and wash away the greatest sins This is manifest for it is pretious blood as it 's call'd 1. Pet. 1.18 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the pretious blood of the Son of God This pretiousness of the blood of Christ rises from the union it hath with that person who is over all God blessed for ever And on that account is stiled the blood of God Acts 20.28 And so it becomes Royal Princely blood Yea such for the dignity and efficacy of it as never was created or shall ever run in any other veins but his The blood of all the creatures in the world even a Sea of humane blood bears no more proportion to the pretious and excellent blood of Christ than a dish of common water to a Rivâ—r of liquid Gold On the account of its invaluable pretiousness it becomes satisfying and reconciling blood to God So the Apostle speaks Col. 1.20 And having made peace through the Blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things to himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven The same blood which is Redemption to them that dwell on earth is Confirmation to them that dwell in Heaven Before the efficacy of this blood guilt vanishes and shrinks away as the the shadows before the glorious Sun Every drop of it hath a voice and speaks to the soul that sits trembling under its guilt better things than the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 It sprinkles us from an evil i. e. an unquiet and accusing conscience Heb. 10.22 For having enough in it to satisfie God it must needs have enough in it to satisfie conscience Conscience can demand no more for its satisfaction nor will it take less than God demands for his satisfaction And in this blood is enough to give both satisfaction Secondly As there is sufficient Efficacy in this blood to expiate the greatest guilt so it 's as manifest that the vertue and efficacy of it is intended and designed by God for the Use of believing sinners Such blood as this was shed without doubt for some weighty end That some might be the better for it Who they are for whom it is intended is plain enough from Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses That the remission of the sins of believers was the great thing designed in the pouring out of this pretious blood of Christ appears from all the Sacrifices that figured it to the ancient Church The sheding of that Typical blood spake a design of pardon And the putting of their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice spake the way and Method of believing by which that blood was then applyed to them in that way and is still applyed to us in a more excellent way Had no pardon been intended no Sacrifices had been appointed Moreover let it be considered this blood of the Cross is the blood of a surety that came under the same obligations with us and in our name or stead shed it and so of course frees and discharges the principal offender or debtor Heb. 7.22 Can God exact satisfaction from the blood and death of his own Son the surety of Believers and yet still demand it from Believers It cannot be Who saith the Apostle shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that Iustifieth Who shall condemn It is Christ that died Rom. 8.33 34. And why are faith and repentance prescribed as the means of pardon Why doth God every where in his word call upon sinners to repent and believe in this blood Encouraging them so to do by so many pretious promises of remission and declaring the inevitable and eternal ruine of all impenitent and unbelieving ones who despise and reject this blood What I say doth all this speak but the possibility of a pardon for the greatest of sinners and the certainty of a free full and final pardon for all believing sinners O what a Joyful sound is this What ravishing voices of peace pardon grace and acceptance come to our ears from the blood of the Cross The greatest guilt that ever was contracted upon a trembling shaking Conscience can stand before the efficacy of the blood of Christ no more than the sinner himself can stand before the Justice of the Lord with all the guilt upon him Reader The word assures thee what ever thou hast been or art that sins of as deep a die as thine have been washt away in this blood I was a blasphemer a persecutor in urious but I obtained mercy saith Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 but it may be thou wilt object this was a rare and singular instance and it 's a great question whether any other sinner shall find the like grace that he did No question of it at all if you believe in Christ as he did for he tells us vers 16. For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter belief on him to life everlasting So that upon the same grounds he obtained mercy you may obtain it also Those very men who had an hand in the sheding of Christs blood had the benefit of that blood afterwards pardoning them Act. 2.36 There is nothing but unbelief and impenitency of heart bars thy soul from the blessings of this blood Inference 2. Did Christ die the cursed death of the Cross for believers then though there may be much of pain there is nothing of curse in the death of the Saints It still wears its dart by which it strikes but hath lost its sting by which it hurts and destroys A Serpent that hath no sting may hiss and affright but we may take him in our hand without danger Death poured out all its poison and lost its sting in Christs side when he became a curse for us But what speak I of the innocency and harmlesness of death to believers It is certainly their friend and great benefactor As there is no curse so there are many blessings in it Death is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 Yours as a special priviledge and favour Christ hath not only conquered it but is more than a conqueror
think they had never been better provided to cope with them Lot fell after yea presently after the Lord had thrust him out of Sodom and his eyes had seen the direful punishment of sin Hell as it were rained upon them out of Heaven Noah in like manner immediately after Gods wonderful and astonishing preservation of him in the Ark when he saw a world of men and women perishing in the floods for their sins David after the Lord had setled the Kingdom on him which for sin he rent from Saul and given him rest in his house Hezekiah was but just up from a great sickness wherein the Lord wrought a wonderful salvation for him Did such men and at such times when one would think no temptations should have prevailed fall and that so fouly Then let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall O be not high-minded but fear Inference 2. Did Christ stand his ground and go through with his suffering-work when all that had followed him forsook him Then a resolved adherence to God and duty though left alone without company or encouragement is Christ-like and truly excellent You shall not want better company than that which hath forsaken you in the way of God Elijah complains 1 Kings 19.10 They have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away And yet all this did not damp or discourage him in following the Lord for still he was very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts Paul complains 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first answer no man stood by me all men forsook me nevertheless the Lord stood with me And as the Lord stood by him so he stood by his God alone without any aids or support from men How great an Argument of integrity is this He that professes Christ for company will also leave him for company But to be faithful to God when forsaken of men to be a Lot in Sodom a Noah in a corrupted generation oh how excellent is it 'T is sweet to travel over this Earth to Heaven in the company of the Saints that are bound thither with us if we can but if we can meet no company we must not be discouraged to go on It 's not unlike but before you have gone many steps farther you may have cause to say as one did once never less alone than when alone Inference 3. Did the Disciples thus forsake Christ and yet were all recovered at last Then though believers are not priviledged from back-slidings yet they are secured from final apostacy and ruine The new creature may be sick it cannot die Saints may fall but they shall rise again Mica 7.8 The highest flood of natural zeal and resolution may ebb and be wholly dried up but saving grace is a well of water still springing up into everlasting life Ioh. 4.14 Gods unchangeable Election the frame and constitution of the New Covenant the meritorious and prevalent intercession of Jesus Christ does give the believer abundant security against the danger of a total final apostacy My Father which gave them me saith Christ is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Joh. 10.29 And again the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Every person committed to Christ by the Father shall be brought by him to the Father and not one wanting God hath also so framed and ordered the New Covenant that none of those souls who are within the blessed clasp and bond of it can possibly be lost It 's setled upon immutable things and we know all things are as their foundations be Heb. 6.18 19. Among the many glorious promises contained in that bundle of promises this is one I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me And as the fear of God in our hearts pleads in us against sin so our potent Intercessor in the heavens pleads for us with the Father and by reason thereof we cannot finally miscarry Rom. 8.34 35. Upon these grounds we may as the Apostle in the place last cited doth triumph in that full security which God hath given us and say what shall separate us from the love of God Understand it either of Gods to us as Calvin Beza and Martyr do or of our Love to God Ambrose and Augustine do it 's true in both senses and a most comfortable truth Inference 4. Did the Sheep flie when the Shepherd was smitten such men and so many forsake Christ in the trial Then learn how sad a thing it is for the best of men to be left to their own carnal fears in a day of temptation This was it that made those good men shrink away so shamefully from Christ in that Trial the fear of man brings a snare Prov. 29.25 in that snare these good souls were taken and for a time held fast Oh what work will this unruly passion make if the fear of God do not overrule it Is it not a shame to a Christian a man of faith to see himself out done by an Heathen Shall natural Conscience and courage make them stand and keep their places in times of danger when we shamefully turn our backs upon duty because we see duty and danger together When the Emperour Vespasian had commanded Fluidius Priscus not to come to the Senate or if he did to speak nothing but what he would have him The Senator returned this brave and noble answer that as he was a Senator it was fit he should be at the Senate and if being there he were required to give his advice he would speak freely that which his Conscience commanded him The Emperour threatning that then he should die he returned thus did I ever tell you that I was immortal Do you what you will and I will do what I ought It is in your power to put me to death unjustly and in me to die constantly O think what mischiefs your fear may do your selves and the discovery of them to others O learn to trust God with your lives liberties and comforts in the way of your duty and at what time you are afraid trust in him and do not magnifie poor dust and ashes as to be scared by their threats from your God and duty The politick design of Satan herein is to affright you out of your Coverts where you are safe into the net I will enlarge this no farther I have else where laid down fourteen Rules for the cure of this in what of mine is publick Inference 5. Learn hence how much a man may differ from himself according as the Lord is with him or withdrawn from him Christians do not only alwaies differ from other men but sometimes
cause Eccles. 7.9 Anger resteth in the bosom of fools Seneca would allow no place for passion in a wise mans breast Wise men use to ponder consider and weigh things deliberately in their Judgements before they suffer their affections and passions to be stirred and engaged Hence comes the constancy and serenity of their Spirits As wise Solomon hath observed Prov. 17.27 A man of understanding is of an excellent or as the Hebrew is a cool Spirit Now wisdom filled the soul of Christ. He is wisdom in the abstract Pov. 8. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom Col. 2.3 Hence it was that he was no otherwise moved with the revilings and abuses of his enemies than a wise Physitian is with the impertinencies of his distempered and crazy patient Thirdly And as his patience flowed from that his perfect wisdom and knowledge so also from his foreknowledge He had a perfect prospect of all those things from eternity which befell him afterwards They came not upon him by way of surprizal And therefore he wondered not at them when they came as if some strange thing had happened He foresaw all these things long before Mark 8.31 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be killed Yea he had compacted and agreed with his Father to endure all this for our sakes before he assum'd our flesh Hence Isay 50.6 I gave my back to the siniters and my cheeks to them that pulled off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Now look as Christ in Iob. 16.4 obviates all future offences his Disciples might take at sufferings for his sake by telling them before hand what they must expect These things saith he I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them So he foreknowing what himself must suffer and had agreed so to do he bare those sufferings with singular Patience Iesus therefore knowing all things that should come upon him went forth and said unto them whom seek ye Joh. 18.4 Fourthly As his patience sprang from his foreknowledge of his sufferings so from his Faith which he exercised under all that he suffered in this world His Faith looked through all those black and dismal clouds to the joy proposed Heb. 12.2 He knew that though Pilate condemned God would Justifie him Isa. 50.4 5 6 7 8. And he set one over against the other He ballanced the glory into which he was to enter with the sufferings through which he was to enter into it He acted Faith upon God for divine support and assistance under sufferings as well as for glory the fruit and reward of them Psal. 16.7 8 9 10 11. I have set or as the Apostle varies it I foresaw the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth There 's Faith acted by Christ for strength to carry him through And then it follows My flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Thou wilt shew me the path of Life In thy presence is fullness of Ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more There 's his Faith acting upon the glory into which he was to enter after he had suffered these things This fill'd him with peace Fifthly As his Faith eyeing the glory into which he was passing made him endure all things so the Heavenliness of his Spirit also fill'd him with a Heavenly tranquility and calmness of Spirit under all his abuses and injuries It 's a certain truth that the more heavenly any mans spirit is the more sedate composed and peaceful As the higher Heavens saith Seneca are more ordinate and tranquil There are neither clouds nor winds storms nor tempests they are the inferior Heavens that lighten and thunder The nearer the earth the more tempestuous and unquiet Even so the sublime and heavenly mind is placed in a calm and quiet station Certainly that heart which is sweetned frequently with heavenly delightful communion with God is not very apt to be imbittered with wrath or soured with revenge against men The peace of God doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appease and end all strifes and differences as an Umpire So much that word Col. 3.15 Imports The heavenly spirit marvelously affects a sedate and quiet breast Now never was there such a heavenly soul on earth since man inhabited it as Christ was He had most sweet and wonderful communion with God He had meat to eat which others yea and those his greatest intimates knew not of The Son of Man was in heaven upon earth Ioh. 3.13 Even in respect of that blessed heavenly communion he had with God as well as in respect of his immense Deity And that his heart was in heaven when he so patiently endured and digested the pain and shame of the Cross is evident from Heb. 12.2 For the Ioy set before him he endured the Cross despised the shame See where his eye and heart was when he went as a Lamb to the slaughter Sixthly And lastly as his meekness and patience sprang from the heavenliness and sublimity of his spirit so from the compleat and absolute obedience of it to his Fathers will and pleasure He could most quietly submit to all the will of God and never regret at any part of the work assign'd him by his Father For you must know that Christs death in him was an act of obedience he all along eyeing his Fathers command and counsel in what he suffered Phil. 2.7 8. Ioh. 18.11 Psal. 40.6 7 8. Now look as the eyeing and considering of the hand of God in an affliction presently becalms and quiets a gracious soul as you see in David 2 Sam. 16.11 Let him alone it may be God hath bid him curse David so much more it quieted Jesus Christ who was privy to the design and end of his Father with whose will he all along complyed looking on Jews and Gentiles but as the Instruments ignorantly fulfilling Gods pleasure and serving that great design of his Father This was his patience and these the grounds of it Vse I might variously improve this point but the direct and main Use of it is to press us to a Christ-like patience in all our sufferings and troubles And seeing in nothing we are more generally defective and that defects of Christians herein are so prejudicial to Religion and uncomfortable to themselves I resolve to wave all other Uses and spend the remaining time wholly upon this branch Even a perswasive to Christians unto all patience in tribulations To imitate their Lamb-like Saviour Unto this Christians you are expresly call'd 1 Pet. 2.21.22 Because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who did no sin
neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when be suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that Iudgeth righteously Here 's your pattern A perfect pattern A lovely and excellent pattern Will you be perswaded to the imitation of Christ herein Methinks I should perswade you to it Yea every thing about you perswades to patience in your sufferings as well as I. Look which way you will upward or downward inward or outward backward or forward to the right hand or to the left You shall find all things perswading and urging the Doctrine of Patience upon you First Look upward when tribulations come upon you Look to that Soveraign Lord that commissionates and sends them upon you You know troubles do not rise out of the dust nor spring out of the ground but are framed in heaven Ier. 18.11 Behold I frame evil and devise a device against you Troubles and afflictions are of the Lords framing and devising to reduce his wandering people to himself Much like that device of Absalom in setting Ioabs field of Corn on fire to bring Ioab to him 2 Sam. 14.30 in the frame of your afflictions you may observe much of divine wisdom in the choice measure and season of your troubles Soveraignty in electing the instruments of your affliction In making them as afflictive as he pleaseth And in making them obedient both to his call in coming and going when he pleaseth Now could you in times of trouble look up to this Soveraign hand in which your souls bodies and all their comforts and mercies are how quiet would your hearts be Psal. 39.9 I was dumb and opened not my mouth because it is thy doing 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good O when we have to do with men and look no higher how do our Spirits swell and rise with revenge and impatiency But if you once come to fee that man as a Rod in your Fathers hand you will be quiet Psal. 46.10 Be still and know that I am God q. d. consider with whom you have to do Not with your fellow but with your God who can puff you to destruction with one blast of his mouth In whose hand you are as the clay in the potters hand It is for want of looking up to God in our troubles that we fret murmur and despond at the rate we do Secondly Look downward and see what is below you as well as up to that which is above you You are afflicted and you cannot bear it Oh! no trouble like your trouble Never man in such a case as you are Well well cast the eye of your mind downward and see who lie much lower than you Can you see none on earth in a more miserable state than your selves Are you at the very bottom and not a man below you Sure there be thousands in a sadder case than you on earth What is your affliction Have you lost a relation Others have lost all Have you lost an Estate and are become poor Well but there be some you read of Iob 30.4 5 6 7. Who cut up Mallows by the bushes and Iuniper roots for their meat They are driven forth from among men they cryed after them as after a Thief They dwell in the cliffs of the Vallies in caves of the earth and in the Rocks Among the bushes they brayed under the Nettles they were gather'd together What difference as to manner of Life do you find between the persons here described and the wild beasts that herd together in desolate places Are you persecuted and afflicted for Christs sake What think you of their sufferings Heb. 11.36 37. Who had trial of cruel mockings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandered about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented And are you better than they I know not what you are but I am sure these were such of whom the World was not worthy vers 38. Or are your afflictions more spiritual and inward Say not the Lord never dealt more bitterly with the soul of any than he hath with yours What think you of the case of David Heman Iob Asaph whose doleful crys by reason of the terrors of the Almighty are able to melt the stoniest heart that reads their stories The Almighty was a terror to them The Arrows of God were within them They roared by reason of the disquietness of their hearts Or are your afflictions outward and inward together An afflicted soul in an afflicted body Are you fallen like the Ship in which Paul sailed into a place where two Seas meet Well so it was with Paul Iob and many other of those worthies gone before you Sure you may see many on earth who have been or are in far lower and sadder states than your selves Or if not on earth doubtless you will yield there are many in Hell who would be glad to exchange conditions with you as bad as you think yours to be And were not all these moulded out of the same Lump with you Surely if you can see any creature below you especially any reasonable being you have no reason to return so ungratefully upon your God and accuse your maker of severity or charge God foolishly Look down and you shall see grounds enough to be quiet Thirdly Look inward you discontented Spirits and see if you can find nothing there that may quiet you Cast your eye into your own hearts Consider either the corruptions or the graces that are there Cannot you find weeds enough there that need such winter weather as this to rot them Hath not that proud heart need enough of all this to humble it That carnal heart need of such things as these to mortifie it That backsliding wandering heart need of all this to reduce and recover it to its God If need be ye are in heaviness 1 Pet. 1.6 Oh Christian didst thou not see need of this before thou camest into trouble Or hath not God shewn thee the need of it since thou wast under the Rod It 's much thou shouldst not see it but be assured if thou dost not thy God doth He knows thou wouldst be ruined for ever if he should not take this course with thee Thy corruptions require all this to kill them Thy Lusts will take all this it may be more than this and all little enough And as your corruptions call for it so do your Graces too Wherefore think ye the Lord planted the principles of Faith Humility Patience c. in your Souls What were they put there for nothing Did the Lord intend they should lie sleeping in their drowsy habits Or were they not planted there in order to exercise And how shall they be exercised without tribulations can you tell Doth not tribulation work patience and patience experience and experience hope Rom. 5.3 4. Is not the trial of your Faith
themselves towards their Parents according to the Laws of Nature and Grace Christ was not only subject and obedient to his Parents whilst he lived but manifested his tender care even whilst he hanged in the torments of Death upon the Cross. Then saith he to the Disciple Behold thy Mother The words contain an affectionate recommendation of his distressed Mother to the care of a dear Disciple a bosom friend wherein let us consider the design manner and season of this recommendation First The design and end of it which doubtless was to manifest his tender respects and care for his Mother who was now in a most distressed comfortless state For now was Simeons Prophesie Luk. 2.35 fulfilled in the trouble and anguish that fill'd her soul. Yea a sword also shall pierce through thine own soul that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed Her soul was pierced for him both as she was his Mother and as she was a Mystical member of him her head her Lord. And therefore he commends her to the beloved Disciple that lay in his bosom saying Behold thy Mother i. e. let her be to thee as thine own Mother Let thy love to me be now manifested in thy tender care for her Secondly The manner of his recommending her is both affectionate and mutual It 's very affectionate and moving Behold thy Mother q. d. Iohn I am now dying leaving all humane society and relations And entring into a new State where neither the dutys of natural relations are exercised nor the pleasures and comforts of them enjoyed It 's a state of dominion over Angels and men not of subjection and obedience this I now leave to thee Upon thee do I devolve both the honour aud duty of being in my stead and room to her as to all dear and tender care over her Iohn Behold thy Mother and as it 's affectionate so it 's mutual verse 26. And to his Mother he said Woman behold thy Son not Mother but Woman intimating not only the change of state and condition with him but also the bequest he was making of her to the Disciple with whom she was to live as a Mother with a Son And all this he designs as a pattern to others Thirdly The season or time when his care for his Mother so eminently manifested it self was when his departure was at hand and he could no longer be a comfort to her by his bodily presence yea his love and care then manifested themselves when he was full of anguish to the very brim both in his soul and body yet all this makes him not in the least unmindful of so dear a relation Hence the Doctrinal Note is DOCT. That Christs tender care of his Mother even in the time of his greatest distress is an excellent pattern for all gratious Children to the end of the world There are three great foundations or bonds of relation on which all family government depends Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants The Lord hath planted in the souls of men affections sutable to these relations and to his people he hath given grace to regulate those affections appointed dutys to exercise those graces and seasons to discharge those dutys So that as in the motion of a wheel every spoke takes its turn and bears a stress in every manner in the whole round of a Christians conversation like affection grace and duty at one season or other comes to be exercised But yet grace hath not so far prevailed in the sanctification of any mans affections but that there will be excesses or defects in the exercise of them towards our relations yea and in this the most eminent Saints have been eminently defective But the pattern I set before you this day is a perfect pattern As the Church finds him the best of Husbands so to his Parents he was the best of Sons and being the best and most perfect is therefore the rule and measure of all others Christ knew how those corruptions we draw from our Parents are returned in their bitter fruits upon them again to the wounding of their very hearts and therefore it pleased him to commend obedience and love to Parents in his own example to us It was anciently a Proverb among the Heathen in sola Sparta expedit senescere It 's good to be an old man or woman only in Sparta The ground of it was the strict Laws that were among the Spartans to punish the rebellions and disobedience of Children to their aged Parents And shall it not be good to be an old Father or Mother in England where the Gospel of Christ is Preached and such an argument as this now set before you urged an argument which the Heathen world was never acquainted with Shall Parents here be forced to complain with the Eagle in the Fable that they are smitten to the heart by an arrow winged with their own Feathers Or as a Tree rived in pieces by the wedges that were made of its own body God forbid To prevent such sad occasions of Complaints as these I desire all that sustain the relation of Children into whose hands providence shall cast this discourse seriously to ponder this example of Christ proposed for their imitation in this point Wherein we shall first consider what dutys belong to the relation of Children secondly how Christs example enforces those dutys and then sutably apply it First Let us examine what dutys pertain to the relation of Children And they are as truly as commonly branched out into the following particulars First Fear and Reverence are due from Children to their Parents by the express command of God Lev. 19.3 Ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father The Holy Ghost purposely inverts the order and puts the Mother first because she by reason of her blandishments and fond indulgence is most subject to the irreverence and contempt of Children God hath cloathed Parents with his authority They are instrusted by God with and are accountable to him for the souls and bodys of their Children And he expects that you reverence them although in respect of outward estate or honour you be never so much above them Ioseph though Lord of Egypt bowed down before his aged Father with his face to the earth Gen. 48.12 Solomon the most magnificent and glorious King that ever sway'd a Scepter when his Mother came to speak with him for Adonijah he rose up to meet her and bowed himself to her and caused a seat to be set for the Kings Mother and set her upon his right hand 1 King 2.19 Secondly Dear and tender Love is due from Children to their Parents And to shew how strong and dear that love ought to be it 's joined with the Love you have for your own lives As appears in that injunction to deny both for Christs sake Matth. 10.37 The bonds of nature are strong and strict betwixt Parents and Children What is a Child but a piece of
illumination Ier. 31.34 Gratious softness and tenderness of heart Ezek. 11.19 The awful dread and fear of God Ier. 32.40 The Copy or transcript of his Laws on your hearts in gratious correspondent principles Ier. 31.33 These things speak you the Children of the Covenant the persons on whom all these great things are settled Inference 2. To conclude it is the indispensible duty of all on whom Christ hath settled such mercies to admire his Love and walk answerably to it First Admire the Love of Christ. O how intense and ardent was the Love of Jesus who designed for you such an inheritance with such a settlement of it upon you These are the mercies with which his Love had travailed big from eternity and now he sees the travail of his soul and you also have seen somewhat of it this day Before this Love let all the Saints fall down astonished-humbly professing that they owe themselves and all they are or shall be worth to eternity to this Love Secondly And be sure you walk becoming persons for whom Christ hath done such great things Comfort your selves under present abasures with your spiritual priviledges Iam. 2.5 And let all your rejoycing be in Christ and what you have in him whilst others are blessing themselves in vanity Thus we have finished the state of Christs humiliation and thence proceed to the second state of his Exaltation HAving finished what I designed to speak to about the work of Redemption so far as it was carried on by Christ in his humbled state we shall now view that blessed work as it is further advanced and perfected in his State of Exaltation The whole of that work was not to be finished on earth in a state of suffering and abasure therefore the Apostle makes his Exaltation in order to the finishing of the remainder of his work so necessary a part of his Priesthood that without it he could not have been a Priest Heb. 8.4 If he were on earth he should not be a Priest i. e. if he should have continued alwaies here and had not been raised again from the dead and taken up into glory he could not have been a compleat and perfect Priest For look as it was not enough for the sacrifice to be slain without and his blood left there but after it was shed without it must be carried within the vail into the most holy place before the Lord Heb. 9.7 So it was not sufficient that Christ shed his own blood on earth except he carry it before the Lord into heaven and there perform his intercession work for us Moreover God the Father stood engaged in a solemn Covenant to reward him for his deep humiliation with a most glorious and illustrious advancement Isa. 49.5 6 7. And how God as it became him made this good to Christ the Apostle very clearly expresses it Phil. 2.9 Yea Justice required it should be so For how could our surety be detained in the prison of the Grave when the debt for which he was imprisoned was by him fully discharged so that the Law of God must acknowledge it self to be fully satisfied in all its claims and demands His Resurrection from the dead was therefore but his discharge or acquittance upon full payment Which could not in Justice be denyed him And indeed God the Father lost nothing by it for there never was a more glorious manifestation made of the name of God to the World than was made in that work Therefore it 's said Phil. 2.11 Speaking of one of the designs of Christs Exaltation it was saith the Apostle That every Tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father O how is the Love of God to poor sinners illustriously yea astonishingly displayed in Christs Exaltation When to shew the Complacency and delight which he took in our recovery he hath openly declared to the world that his exalting Christ to all that glory such as no meer creature ever was or can be exalted to was bestowed upon him as a reward for that work that most grateful work of our Redemption Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him there is an Emphatical Pleonasmus in that word our English is too flat to deliver out the elegancy of the Original it is Super-Exaltation The Seriack renders it he hath multiplyed his Sublimity The Arabick he hath heightened him with an height Iustin he hath famously exalted him Higher he cannot raise him a greater Argument of his high satisfaction and content in the recovery of poor sinners cannot be given For this therefore God the Father shall have glory and honour ascribed to him in Heaven to all Eternity Now this singular Exaltation of Jesus Christ as it properly respects his humane nature which alone is capable of advancement for in respect of his divine nature he never ceased to be the most high So it was done to him as a common person and as the head of all believers their representative in this as well as in his other works God therein shewing what in due time he intends to do with the persons of his Elect after they in Conformity to Christ have suffered a while What ever God the Father intendeth to do in us or for us he hath first done it to the person of our representative Iesus Christ. And this if you observe the Scriptures carry in very clear and plain expressions through all the degrees and steps of Christs Exaltation viz. his Resurrection Ascension Session at the right hand of God And returning to Iudge the World Of which I purpose to speak distinctly in the following Sermons He rose from the Dead as a common person Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ saith the Apostle so that the Saints have Communion and fellowship with him in his Resurrection He Ascended into Heaven as a common person for so it 's said in Eph. 2.6 He hath raised us up or exalted us together with Christ. He sits at Gods right hand as a common person for so it follows in the next clause and hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus We sit there in our representative And when he shall come again to Judge the World the Saints shall come with him So it is Prophesied Zech. 14.6 The Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee And as they shall come with Christ from Heaven so they shall sit on Thrones with him judging by way of suffrage They shall be assessors with the Judge 1 Cor. 6.2 This deserves a special remark that all this honour is given to Christ as our head and representative for thence results abundance of comfort to the people oâ— God Carry it therefore along with you in your thoughts throughout the whole of Christs advancement Think when you shall hear that Christ is risen from the dead and is in all that glory and authority in Heaven How sure the salvation of his Redeemed is For if
when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life Surely it cannot be supposed but he is able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by him Seeing he ever lives to make intercession Heb. 7.25 Think how safe the people of God in this world are whose head is in Heaven It was a comfortable expression of one of the Fathers incouraging himself and others with this truth in a dark day Come said he why do we tremble thus do we not see our head above water If he live believers cannot die Ioh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also And let no mans heart suggest a suspicious thought to him that this wonderful advancement of Christ may cause him to forget his poor people groaning here below under sin and misery For the temper and disposition of his faithful and tender heart is not changed with his condition He bears the same respect to us as when he dwelt among us For indeed he there lives and acts upon our account Heb. 7.25 1 Ioh. 2.1 2. And how seasonable and comfortable will the meditations of Christs Exaltation be to the believer when sickness hath wasted thy Body wither'd its beauty and God is bringâ—ng theâ— to the dust of Death Ah think then that that vile Body shall be conformed to the glorious Body of Christ Pâ—al 3.21 As God hath glorified and highly exalted 〈◊〉 Son whose form was mar'd more than any mans so will he exalt thee also I do not say to a parity or equality in glory with Christ for in heaven he will be discerned and distinguished by his peculiar glory from all the Angels and Saints as the Sun is known by its excelling glory from the lesser Star But we shall be conform'd to this glorious head according to the proportion of members O whither will Love mount the believer in that day Having spoken this much of Christs exalted state to cast some general light upon it and engage your attentions to it I shall now according to the degrees of this his wonderful exaltation briefly open it under the forementioned heads viz. His Resurrection Ascension Session at the Fathers right hand and his return to Judge the World The THIRTY NINHTH SERMON MATTH XXVIII VI He is not here for he is risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay WE have finished the Doctrine of Christs humiliation wherein the Sun of righteousness appeared to you as a setting Sun gone out of sight but as the Sun when it 's gone down to us begins a new day in another part of the world so Christ having finisht his course and work in this world rises again and that in order to the acting another glorious part of his work in the world above In his death he was upon the matter totally Eclipsed but in his Resurrection he begins to recover his light and glory again God never intended that the darling of his soul should be lost in an obscure Sepulchre An Angel descends from heaven to roll away the stone and with it the reproach of his death And to be the heavenly Herald to proclaim his Resurrection to the two Mary's whose love to Christ had at this time drawn them to visit the Sepulchre where they lately left him At this time the Lord being newly risen the keepers were trembling and become as dead men So great was the terrible Majesty and awful solemnity attending Christs Resurrection but to encourage these good souls the Angel prevents them with these good tidings He is not here for he is risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay q. d. Be not troubled though you have not the end you came for one sight more of your dear though dead Iesus yet you have not lost your labour for to your eternal comfort I tell you he is risen as he said And to put it out of doubt come hither and satisfie your selves see the place where the Lord lay In which word we have both a Declaration and Confirmation of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead First A Declaration of it by the Angel both Negatively and Affirmatively Negatively he is not here Here indeed you laid him here you left him and here you thought to find him as you left him but you are happily mistaken he is not here However this giving them no satisfaction for he might continue dead still though removed to another place as indeed they suspected he was Ioh. 20.13 Therefore his resurrection is declared Positively and Affirmatively he is risen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word imports the active power or self quickening principle by which Christ raised himself from the state of the dead Which Luke takes notice of also Acts 1.3 Where he saith he shewed or presented himself alive after his Passion It was the divine nature or God-head of Christ which reviv'd and rais'd the man-hood Secondly Here is also a plain confirmation of Christs Resurrection and that first from Christs own Prediction he is risen as he said He â—oretold that which I declare to be now fulfill'd Let it not therefore seem incredible to you Secondly by their own sight come see the place where the Lord lay The Grave hath lost its guest it 's now empty death hath lost its prey It receiv'd but could not retain him Come see the place where the Lord lay Thus the Resurrection of Christ is declar'd and confirm'd Hence our Observation is DOCT. That our Lord Iesus Christ by the Almighty power of his own God-head revived and rose from the Dead to the terror and consternation of his enemies and the unspeakable consolation of Believers That our Lord Jesus Christ though laid was not lost in the Grave but the third day revived and rose again is a truth confirmed to us by many infallible proofs as Luke witnesseth Act. 1.3 We have Testimonies of it both from heaven and earth and both infallible From Heaven we have the Testimony of Angels and to the Testimony of an Angel all credit is due for Angels are holy Creatures and cannot deceive us The Angel tells the two Mary's in the Text he is risen We have Testimonies of it from men holy men who were eye witnesses of this truth to whom he shew'd himself alive by the space of forty days after his Resurrection by no less than nine solemn Apparitions to them Sometime five hundred Brethren saw him at once 1 Cor. 15.6 These were holy persons who durst not deceive and who confirmed their Testimony with their blood So that no point of Religion is of more confessed truth and infallible certainty than this before us And blessed be God it is so For if it were not then were the Gospel in vain 1 Cor. 15.14 Seeing it hangs the whole weight of our Faith hope and salvation upon Christ as risen from the dead If this were
not so then would the holy and divinely inspired Apostles be found false witnesses 1 Cor. 15.15 For they all with one mouth constantly and to the death affirmed it If Christ be not risen then are believers yet in their sins 1 Cor. 15.17 For our Justification is truly ascribed to the Resurrection of Christ Rom. 4.25 While Christ was dying and continued in the state of the dead the price of our Redemption was all that while but in paying the payment was compleated when he revived and rose again Therefore for Christ to have continued alwaies in the state of the dead had been never to have compleatly satisfiâ—d hence the whole force and weight of our Justification depends upon his Resurrection Nay had not Christ risen the dead had perished 1 Cor. 15.17 Even the dead who dyed in the Faith of Christ and of whose salvation there now remains no ground to doubt Moreover Had he not revived and risen from the dead how could all the Types that prefigured it have been satisfied Surely they must have stood as insignificant things in the Scriptures and so must all the predictions of his Resurrection by which it was so plainly foretold See Matth. 12.40 Luk. 24.46 Psal. 16.10 1 Cor. 15.4 To conclude had he not risen from the dead how could he have been install'd in that glory whereof he is now possessed in heaven and which was promised him before the world was upon the account of his death and sufferings For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14.9 And that in this state of dominion and glorious advancement he might powerfully apply the vertues and benefits of his blood to us which else had been as a pretious Cordial spilt upon the ground So then there remains no doubt at all of the certainty of Christs Resurrection it was so and upon all accounts it must needs be so for you see how great a weight the Scriptures hang upon this nail And blessed be God it 's a nail fastned in a sure place I need spend no more words to confirm it but rather choose to explain and open the nature and manner of his Resurrection which I shall do by shewing you four or five properties of it And the first is this First Christ rose from the dead with awful Majesty So you find it in Matth. 28.2 3 4. And behold there was a great Earthquake for the Angel ef the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sate upon it his countenance was like lightning and his rayment white as Snow and for fear of him the Keepers did shake and became as dead men Humane infirmity was not able to bear such heavenly Majesty as attended the business of that morning Nature â—ank under it This Earthquake was as one calls it Triumphale Signum A sign of Triumph or token of Victory given by Christ not only to the Keepers and the neighbouring City but to the whole world that he had overcome Death in its own dominions and like a conqueror lifted up his head above all his enemies So when the Lord fought from heaven for his people and gave them a glorious though but Temporal deliverance see how the Propheâ—ess drives on the triumph in that Rhetorical Song Iudg. 5.4 5. Alluding to the most awful appearance of God at the giving of the Law Lord when thou wentest out of Seir when thou marchedst out of the field of Edome the Earth trembled and the heavens droped the clouds also droped water The mountains melted before the Lord even that Sinai from before the lord God of Israel Our Lord Jesus went out of the Grave in like manner and marched out of that bloody field with a pomp and Majesty becoming so great a conqueror Secondly And to increase the splendor of that day and drive on the Triumph his Resurrection was attended with the Resurrection of many of the Saints who had slept in their Graves till then and then were awakned and raised to attend the Lord at his rising So you read Matth. 27 52 53. And the Graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the Graves after his Resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared unto many This wonder was designed both to adorn the Resurrection of Christ and to give a specimen or handsel of our Resurrection which also is to be in the vertue of his This indeed was the Resurrection of Saints and none but Saints the Resurrection of many Saints yet it was but a special Resurrection intended only to shew what God will one day do for all his Saints And for present to give Testimony of Christs Resurrection from the dead They were seen and known of many in the City who doubtless never thought to have seen them any more in this world To enquire curiously as some do who they were what discourse they had with those to whom they appeared and what became of them afterwards is a vain thing God hath cast a vail of silence and secresie upon these things that we might content our selves with the written Word and he that will not believe Moses and the Prophets neither will he believe though one arise from the dead as these Saints did Thirdly As Christ rose from the dead with those Saâ—ellites or attendants who accompanied him at his Resurrection so it was by the power of his own God-head that he quickned and raised himself and by the vertue of his Resurrection were they raised also who accompanied him It was not the Angel who rolled back the stone that revived him in the Sepulchre but he râ—sumed his own life so he tells us Ioh. 10.18 I lay down my life that I might take it again Hence in 1 Pet. 3.18 He is said to be put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit i. e. by the power of his God-head oâ— divine nature which is opposed there to flesh or his humane nature By the eternal Spirit he offered himself up to God when he dyed Heb. 9.14 i. e. by his own God-head not the third person in the Trinity for then it could not have been ascribed to him as his own act that he offer'd up himself And by the same spirit he was quickned again And therefore the Apostle well observes Rom. 1.4 That he was declared to be the Son of God with power by his Resurrection from the dead Now if he had been raised by the power of the Father or Spirit only and not by his own how could he be declared by his Resurrection to be the Son of God What more had appeared in him than in others For others are raised by the power of God if that were all So that in this respect also it was a marvellous Resurrection Never any did or shall rise as Christ rose by a self-quickning principle For though many dead Saints
rose at that time also Yet it was by the vertue of Christs Resurrection that their Graves were opened and their bodies quickned In which respect he saith Ioh. 11.25 when he raised dead Lazarus I am the Resurrection and the life i. e. the principle of life and quickning by which the dead Saints are raised Fourthly And therefore it may be truly affirmed that though some dead Saints were raised to life before the Resurrection of Christ yet that Christ is the first-born from the dead as he is call'd Col. 1.18 For though Lazarus and others were raised yet not by themselves but by Christ. It was by his vertue and power not their own And though they were raised to life yet they died again Death recovered them again but Christ dieth no more Death hath no dominion over him He was the first that opened the womb of the Earth the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Fifthly But lastly Christ rose as a publick or common person As the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 I desire this may be well understood â—or upon this account it is that our Resurrection is secured to us by the Resurrection of Christ and not a Resurrection only but a blessed and happy one for the first fruits both assured and sanctified the whole crop or harvest Now that Christ did rise as a publick person representing and comprehending all the Elect who are called the children of the Resurrection is plain from Eph. 2.6 Where we are said to be risen with or in him So that as we are said to die in Adam who also was a common person as the branches die in the death of the root so we are said to be raised from death in Christ who is the head root and representative of all his Elect seed And why is he called the first-born and first begotten from the dead but with respect to the whole number of the Elect that are to be born from the dead in their time and order also and as sure as the whole harvest follows the first fruits so shall the general Resurrection of the Saints to life eternal follow this birth of the first-born from the dead It shall surely follow it I say and that not only as a consequent follows an antecedent but as an effect follows its proper cause Now there is a three fold causality or influence that Christs Resurrection hath upon the Saints Resurrection of which it is both the meritorious efficient and exemplary cause First The Resurrection of Christ is the meritorious cause of the Saints Resurrection as it compleated his satisfaction and finished his payment and so our Justification is properly assigned to it as before was noted from Rom. 4.25 This his Resurrection was the receiving of the acquittance the cancelling of the bond And had not this been done we had still been in our sins as he speaks 1 Cor. 15.17 And so our guilt had been still a bar to our happy Resurrection But now the price being paid in his Death which payment was finished when he revived and the discharge then received for us now there is nothing lies in bar against our Resurrection to eternal life Secondly As it is the meritorious cause of our Resurrection so so it is the efficient cause of it also For when the time shall come that the Saints shall rise out of the dust they shall be raised by Christ as their head in whom the effective principle of their life is Your life is hid with Christ in God as it is Col. 3.3 As when a man awakes out of sleep the animal spirits seated in the brain being set at liberty by the digestion of those vapours that bound them up do play freely through every part and member of the body so Christ the believers mystical head being quickned the spirit of life which is in him shall be diffused through all his members to quicken them also in the morning of the Resurrection Hence the warm animating dew of Christs Resurrection is said to be to our bodies as the dew of the morning is to the withered languishing plants which revive by it Isa. 26.19 Thy dew is as the dew of Herbs and then it follows the earth shall cast forth her dead So that by the same Faith we put Christs Resurrection into the Premises we may put the believers Resurrection into the Conclusion And therefore the Apostle makes them convertibles reasoning forward from Christs to ours and back again from ours to his 1 Cor. 15.12 13. Which is also the sence of that Scripture Rom. 8.10 11. And if Christ be in you the body indeed is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness i. e. though you are really united to Christ by the Spirit yet your bodies must die as well as other mens but your souls shall be presently upon your dissolution swallowed up in life And then it follows vers 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you i. e. though your bodies must die yet they shall live again in the Resurrection and that by vertue of the spirit of Christ which dwelleth in you and is the bond of your mystical union with him your head You shall not be raised as others are by a meer word of power but by the spirit of life dwelling in Christ your head which is a choice prerogative indeed Thirdly Christs Resurrection is not only the meritorious and efficient cause but it is also the exemplary cause or pattern of our Resurrection He being the first and best is therefore the pattern and measure of all the rest So you read Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Now the Conformity of our Resurrection to Christs stands in the following particulars Christs body was raised substantially the same so will ours His body was raised first so will ours be raised before the rest of the dead His body was wonderfully improved by the Resurrection so will ours His body was raised to be glorified and so will ours First Christs body was raised substantially the same that it was before and so will ours Not another but the same body Upon this very reason the Apostle usâ—s that idential expression 1 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and thâ— mortal immortality Pointing as it were to his own body when he spake it the same body I say and that not only Specifically the same for indeed no other Species of flesh is so priviledged but the same numerically that very body not a new or another body in its steed So that it shall be both the what it was and the who it was And indeed to deny this is to deny the Resurrection it self For should God prepare
Earth and risen again from the Dead we must in this Discourse follow him back again into Heaven and lodge him in that bosom of ineffable delight and love which for our sakes he so freely left For it was not his end in rising from the Dead to live such a low animal life as this is but to live a most glorious life as an enthroned King in Heaven upon which state he was now ready to enter as he tells Mary in the Text and bids her to tell it to the Disciples go tell my Brethren that I ascend to my Father c. In the former verses you find Mary waiting at Christs Sepulchre in a very pensive frame exceedingly troubled because she knew not what was become of Christ. Vers. 15. in the next verse Christ calls her by her name Mary she knowing the voice turned her selâ— and answered Rabboni And as a soul transported with joy rushes into his arms as desirous to clasp and embrace him but Iâ—sus said touch me not c. In which words we have Christs inhibition touch me not strange that Christ who rendred himself so kind and tender to all and not only admittted but commanded Thomas to put his finger into his wounds should sorbid Mary to touch him but this was not for want of love to Mary for he gives another reason for it presently I am not yet ascended i. e. say some the time for embracing will be when we are in Heaven Then and there shall be the place and time we shall embrace one another for ever more So Augustin Or thou detest too much upon my present state as if I had now attained the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 culminating point of my Exaltation When as yet I am not ascended so Camero and Calvin expound it Or lastly Christ would signifie hereby that it was not his pleasure in so great a juncture of things as this to spend time now in expressing this way her affections to him but rather to shew it by hasting about his service Which is The second thing observable viz. his injunction upon Mary to carry the tidings of his Resurrection to the Disciples in which injunction we have First The persons to whom this message was sent my Brethren so he calls the Disciples A sweet compellation and full of love much like that of Ioseph to his Brethren Gen. 45.4 Save only that there is much more tenderness in this than that for he twits them in the same breath with what they had done against him I am Ioseph your Brother whom ye sold but in this it is go tell my Brethren without the least mention of their Cowardize or unkindness And Secondly The message it self Tell my Brethren I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I ascend It 's put in the present Tense as if he had been then ascending though he did not ascend in some weeks after this but he so expresses it to shew what was the next part of his work which he was to act in Heaven for them and how much his heart was set upon it and longed to be about it I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Not our Father or God in Common but mine and yours in a different manner Yours by right of dominion mine in reference to my humane nature not only by right of Creation though so too but also by special Covenant and Confaederation By Praedestination of my manhood to the grace of personal union by designation of me to the glorious office of Mediator My Father as I am God by eternal generation As man by collation of the grace of union And your Father by spiritual Adoption and regeneration Thus he is my God and your God my Father and your Father This is the substance of that comfortable message sent by Mary to the pensive Disciples Hence the Observation is DOCT. That our Lord Iesus Christ did not only rise from the Dead but also ascended into Heaven there to dispatch all that remained to be done for the compleating the Salvation of his people So much the Apostle plainly witnesseth Eph. 4.10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens i. e. all the aspectable Heavens A full and faithful account whereof the several Evangelists have given us Mark 16.19 Luk. 24.51 This is sometimes called his going away as Ioh. 16.7 Sometimes his being exalted Acts 2.33 Sometimes his being made higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 And sometimes his entring within the vail Heb. 6.19 20. All which are but so many Synonymous phrases expressing his ascension in a pleasant variety Now for the opening this act of Christ we will bind up the whole in the satisfaction of these six Questions First who ascended Secondly whence did he ascend Thirdly whither Fourthly when Fifthly how And lastly why did he ascend And these will take in what is needful for you to be acquainted with in this point First Who ascended This the Apostle answers Eph. 4.10 The same that descended viz. Christ. And himself tells us in the Text I ascend And though the ascension were of Christs whole person yet it was but a figurative and improper expression with respect to his divine nature but it agrees most properly to the humanity of Christ which really changed places and conditions by it And hence it is that it 's said Ioh. 16.28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father He goes away and we see him no more As God he is spiritually with us still even to the end of the world But as man the heavens must contain him till the restitution of all things Acts 3.21 Secondly Whence Christ ascended I answer more generally he is said to ascend from this world to leave the world That is the terminus à quo Joh. 16.28 But more particularly it was from mount Olivet near unto Ierusalem The very place where he began his last sorrowful Tragedy There where his heart began to be sadded there is it now made glad O what a difference was there betwixt the frame Christ was in in that Mount before his Passion and this he is now in at his ascension But Thirdly Whither did he ascend It 's manifest it was into the third Heavens The Throne of God and place of the blessed Where all the Saints shall be with him for ever It 's said to be far above all heavens That is the heavens which we see for they are but the pavement of that stately Palace of the great King He is gone saith the Apostle within the vail i. e. into the most holy Place And into his Fathers house Ioh. 14.2 And he is also said to go to the place where he was before Joh. 6.62 Back again to that sweet and glorious bosom of delight and Love from whence at his incarnation he
the Church as breathed on earth till Christ gave him into its bosom by conversion and then no meer man ever did the Lord and his people greater service than he Men of all sorts Greater and smaller lights have been given to the Church Officers of all sorts were given it by Christ. Extraordinary and temporary as Prophets Apostles Evangelists ordinary and standing as Pastors and Teachers which remain to this day Eph. 4.8 9. And those stars are fixed in the Church heaven by a most firm establishment 1 Cor. 12.28 Thousands now in heaven and thousands on earth also are blessing Christ at this day for these his ascension gifts Fourthly Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended most comfortably for whilst he was blessing his people he was parted from them Luk. 24.50 51. Therein making good to them what is said of him Ioh. 13.1 Having loved his own he loved them to the end There was a great deal of love manifested by Christ in this very last act of his in this world The last sight they had of him in this world was a most sweet and encouraging one They heard nothing from his lips but love they saw nothing in his face but love till he mounted his triumphant Chariot and was taken out of their sight Surely these blessings at parting were sweet and rich ones For the matter of them they were the mercies which his blood had so lately purchased for them And for their extent they were not only intended for them who had the happiness to be upon the place with him from whence he ascended but they reach us as well as them and will reach the last Saint that shall be upon the earth till he come again For they were but representatives of the future Churches Matth. 28.20 And in blessing them he blessed us also And by this we may be satisfied that Christ carried an heart full of love to his people away with him to heaven since his love so abounded in the last act that ever he did in this world And left such a demonstration of his tenderness with them at parting Fifthly He ascended as well as rose again by his own power He was not meerly passive in that his ascension but it was his own act He went to heaven Therefore it 's said Act. 1.10 He went up viz. by his own dâ—vine power And this plainly evinceth hâ—m to be God for no meer Creature ever mounted it self from earth far above all heavens as Christ did Sixthly And lastly why did Christ ascend I answer his ascension was necessary upon many and great accounts For First If Christ had not ascended he could not have Interceded as now he doth in heaven for us And do but take away Christs intercession and you starve the hope of the Saints For what have we to succour our selves with under the daily surprises of sin but this that if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father mark that with the Father A friend upon the place One that abides there on purpose to transact all our affairs and as a surety for the peace betwixt God and us Secondly If Christ had not ascendâ—d you could not have entred into heaven when you die For he went to prepare a place for you Joh. 14.2 He was as I said before the first that entred into heaven directly and in his owâ— name and had he not done so we could not have entred when we die in his name The fore-runner made way for all that are coming on in their several generations after him Nor could your bodies have ascended after their Resurrection but in the vertue of Christs ascension For he ascended as was said before in the capacity of our head and representative To his Father and our Father For us and himself too Thirdly If Christ had not ascended he could not have been inaugurated and installed in the glory he now enjoys in heaven This world is not the place where perfect felicity and glory dwells And then how had the promise of the Father been made good to him Or our glory which consists in being with and conformed to him where had it been Ought not Christ to suffer and to enter into his glory Luk. 24.25 Fourthly If Christ had not ascended how could we have been satisfied that his payment on the Cross made full satisâ—action to God and that now God hath no more Bills to bring in against us How is it that the spirit convinceth the world of righteousness Ioh. 16.9 10. But from Christs going to the Father and returning hither no more which gives evidence of Gods full content and satisfaction both with his person and work Fifthly How should we have enjoyed the great blessings of the Spirit and Ordinances if Christ had not ascended And surely we could not have been without either If Christ had not gone away the Comforter had not come Joh. 16.7 He begins where Christ finished For he takes of his and shews it to us Joh. 16.14 And therefore it 's said â—oh 7.39 The Holy Ghost was not given because Iesus was not yet glorified He was then given as a sanctifying spirit but not given in that measure as afterward he was to furnish and qualifie men with gifts for service And indeed by Christs ascension both his sanctifying and his ministring gifts were shed forth more commonly and more abundantly upon men These fell from him when he ascended as Eliâ—ahs mantle did from him so that whatsoever good of conversion edification support or comfort you receive from spiritual Ordinances he hath shed forth that which you now see and feel It 's the fruit of Christs ascension Sixthly And lastly if Christ had not ascended how had all the Types and Prophesies that figured and fore-told it been fulfilled And the Scriptures cannot be broken Joh. 10.35 So that upon all these accounts it was expedient that he should go away It was for his glory and for our advantage Though we lost the comfort of his bodily presence by it yet if we loved him we would rejoyce because he went to the Father Joh 14.28 We ought to have rejoyced in his advancement though it had been to our loss but when it is so much for our benefit as well as his Glory it 's matter of joy on both sides that he is ascended to his Father and our Father to his God and to our God From the several blessings flowing to us out of Christs ascension it was that he charged his people not to be troubled at his leaving of them Ioh. 14. And hence learn Inference 1. Did Christ ascend into Heaven Is our Iesus our treasure indeed there Where then should the hearts of believers be but in Heaven where their Lord their Life is Surely Saints it is not good that your Love and your Lord should be in two several Countries said one that is now with him Up up after your Lover that he and you may be together Christians you ascended with him virtually when he
the account of his Office and the benefits we receive by him We are obliged even on the score of gratitude and ingenuity to obey him For he is sent in the quality of an Advocate to help us to pray To indite our requests for us To teach us what and how to ask of God Rom. 8.26 He comes to us as a Comforter Ioh. 14.16 And none like him His work is to take of Christs and shew it to us i. e. to take of his death Resurrection Ascension yea of his very present Intercession in Heaven and shew it to us He can be with us in a moment he can as one well observes tell you what were the very last thoughts Christ was thinking in Heaven about you It was he that formed the body of Christ in the womb and so prepared him to be a sacrifice for us He filled that humanity with his unexampled fullness So fitting and anointing him for the discharge of his Office 'T is he thaâ— puâ—s efficacy into the Ordinances and without him they would be but a dead letter 'T was he that blessed them to your conviction and câ—nversion For if Angels had been the Preachers no conversion had followed without the Spirit 'T is he that is the vinculum unionis bond of union betwixt Christ and your souls without which you could never have had interest in Christ or Communion with Christ. 'T was he that so often hath helped your infirmities when you knew not what to say Comforted your hearts when they were overwhelmed wiâ—hin you and you knew not what to do Preserved you many thousand times from sin and ruine when you have been upon the slippery brâ—nk of it in temptations 'T is he in his sanctifying work that is the best evidence your souls have for Heaven It were endless to enumerate the mercies you have by him And now Reader dost thou not blush to think how unworthily thou hast treated such a friend For which oâ— all these his Offices or benefits dost thou grieve and quench him O grieve not the holy Spirit whom Christ sent assoon as ever he came to Heaven in his Fathers name and in his own name to perform all these Offices for you Inference 5. Is Christ ascended to the Father as our fore-runner then the door of Salvation stands open to all believers and by vertue of Christs ascension they also shall ascend after him far above all visible Heavens O my friends what place hath Christ prepared and taken up for you What a splendid habitation hath he provided for you God is not ashamed to be called your God for he hath prepared for you a City Heb. 11.16 In that City Christ hath provided mansions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resting places for your everlasting abode Ioh. 14.2 and keeps them for you till your coming O how August and glorious a dwelling is that where Sun Moon and Stars shall shine as much below your feet as they are now above your heads Yea such is the love Christ hath to the believer that as one saith if thou only hadst been the chosen of God Christ would have built that house for himself and thee Now it is for himself for thee and for many more who shall inherit with thee God send us a joyful meeting within the vail with our fore-runner and sweeten our passage into it with many a fore-sight and fore-tast thereof And mean time let the Love of a Saviour inflâ—me our hearts so that when ever we cast a look towards that place where our fore-runner is for us entred our souls may say with melting affections Thanks be to God for Iesus Christ and again Blessed be God for his unspeakable Gift The FORTY FIRST SERMON HEB. I.III. part of the Verse When he had by himself purged our sins sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on high CHrist being returned again to his Father having finished his whole work on earth is there bid by the Father to sit down in the seat of honour and rest A seat prepared for him at Gods right hand that makes it honourable and all his enemies as a footstool under his feet that makes it easie How much is the state and condition of Jesus Christ changed in a few days Here he groaned wept laboured suffered sweat yea sweat blood and found no rest in this world but when he comes to Heaven there he enters into rest Sits down for ever in the highest and easiest throne prepared by the Father for him when he had done his work When he had by himself purged our sins he sate down c. The scope of this Epistle is to demonstrate Christ to be the fulness of all Legal Types and Ceremonies and that whatever light glimered to the world through them yet it was but as the light of the day Star to the light of this Sun In this Chapter Christ the subject of the Epistle is described and particularly in this third verse he is described three ways First By his Essential and primaeval glory and dignity he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brightness of his Fathers glory the very splendor of glory the very refulgency of that Son of glory The primary reason of that appellation is with respect to his eternal and ineffable generation light of light as the Nicene Creed expresses it As a beam of light proceeding from the Sun And the secondary reason of it is with respect to men for look as the Sun communicates its light and influence to us by its beams which it projects so doth God communicate his goodness and manifest himself to us by Christ. Yea he is the express Image or Character of his person Not as the impressed Image of the Seal upon the Wax but as the engraving in the Seal it self Thus he is described by his essential glory Secondly He is described by the work he wrought here on earth in his humbled state and it was a glorious work and that wrought out by his own single hand when he had by himself purged our sins A work that all the Angels in Heaven could not do but Christ did it Thirdly and Lastly He is described by his glory the which as a reward of that work he now enjoys in Heaven When he had by himself purged our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high i e. the Lord cloathed him with the greatest power and highest honour that Heaven it self could afford for so much this phrase of sitting down on the right hand of Majesty imports as will appear in the explication of this point which is the result of this clause viz. DOCT. That when our Lord Iesus Christ had finished his work on earth he was placed in the seat of the highest honour and authority at the right hand of God in Heaven This truth is transformingly glorious Stephen had but a glimpse of Christ at his Fathers right hand
and it caused his face to shine as it had been the face of an Angel Act. 7.56 this his high advancement was foretold and promised before the work of redemption was taken in hand Psal. 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool And this promise was punctually performed to Christ after his resurrection and ascension in his supream exaltation far above all created beings in Heaven and earth Ephes. 1.20 21 22. We shall here open two things in the doctrinal part viz. what is meant by Gods right hand and what is implied in Christs sitting there with his enemies for a footstool First What are we to understand here by Gods right hand It 's obvious enough that the expression is not proper but figurative and borrowed God hath no hand right or left but it 's a condescending expression wherein God stoops to the Creatures understanding and by it he would have us to understand honour power and nearness First The right hand is the hand of honour the upper hand where we place those whom we highly esteem and honour So Solomon placed his Mother in a seat at his right hand 1 King 2.19 So in token of honour God sets Christ at his right hand which on that account in the Text is called the right hand of Majesty God hath therein exprest more favour delight and honour to Jesus Christ than ever he did to any creature To which of the Angels said he at any time sit thou on my right hand Heb. 1.13 Secondly The right hand is the hand of power we call it the weapon hand and the working hand And the setting of Christ there imports his exaltation to the highest authority and most supream dominion Not that God the Father hath put himself out of his Authority and advanced Christ above himself no for in that he saith he hath put all things under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him 1 Cor. 15.27 But to sit as an enthroned King at Gods right hand imports power Yea the most soveraign and supream power and so Christ himself calls the right hand at which he sits Matth. 26.64 hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power Thirdly And as it signifies honour and power so nearness in place as we use to say at ones elbow and so it is applied to Christ in Psal. 110.5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath that is the Lord who is very near thee present with thee he shall subdue thine enemies This is that then we are to understand by Gods right hand Honour power and nearness Secondly In the next place let us see what is implied in Christ sitting at Gods right hand with his enemies for his footstool And if we attently consider we shall find that it implies and imports divers great and weighty things in it As First It implies the Complement and Perfection of Christs work that he came into the world about After his work was ended then he sat down and rested from those labours Heb. 10.11.12 Every Priest standeth daily ministring and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins but this man when he had once offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God Here he assigns a double difference betwixt Christ and the Levitical Priests they stand which is the posture of Servants he sits which is the posture of a Lord. They stand daily because their sacrifices cannot take away sin he did his work fully by one offering and after that sits or rests for ever in Heaven And this as accurate and judicious Dr. Reynolds observes was excellently figured to us in the Ark. which was a lively Type of Jesus Christ and particularly in this it had rings by which it was carried up and down till at last it rested in Solomons Temple with glorious and Triumphal sollemnity Psal. 132 8 9. 2 Chron. 5.13 So Christ while he was here on earth being anointed with the Holy Ghost and wisdom went about doing good Act. 10.38 and having ceased from his works did at last enter into his rest Heb. 5.10 which is the heavenly Temple Rev. 11.19 Secondly His sitting down at Gods right hand notes the high content and satisfaction of God the Faâ—her in him and in his work The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand the words are brought in as the words of the Father welcoming Christ to Heaven and as it were congratulating the happy accomplishment of his most difficult work And it is as if he had said O my Son what shall be done for thee this day thou hast finished a great work and in all the parts of it acquitted thy self as an able and faithful servant to me what honours shall I now bestow upon thee the highest glory in Heaven is not too high for thee come sit at my right hand O how well is he pleased with Christ and what he hath done He delighted greatly to behold him here at his work on earth and by a voice from the excellent glory he told him so when he called out of Heaven to him saying Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2 Pet. 1.17 and himself tells us Joh. 10.17 therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life c. for it was a work that the heart of God had been upon from eternity He took infinite delight in it Thirdly Christs sitting down at Gods right hand in Heaven notes the advancement of Christs humane nature to the highest honour even to be the object of adoration to Angels and men For it is properly his humane nature that is the subject of all this honour and advancement and being advanced to the right hand of majesty it 's become an object of worship and adoration Not simply as it is flesh and blood but as it is personally united to the second person and enthroned in the supream glory of Heaven O here 's the mysterie that flesh and blood should ever be advanced to the highest throne of Majesty and being there installed in that glory we may now direct our worship to him as God-man and to this end was his humanity so advanced that it might be adored and worshipped by all The Father hath commited all Iudgement to the Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father And the Father will accept of no honour divided from his honour Therefore it 's added in the next clause he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Joh. 5.22 23. Hence the Apostles in the salutations of their Epistles beg for grace mercy and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and in their valedictions they desire the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Churches
Fourthly It imports the soveraignty and supremacy of Christ over all The investiture of Christ with authority over the Empire of both worlds For this belongs to him that sits down upon this throne When the Father said to him sit at my right hand he did therein deliver to him the dispensation and oeconomy of the Kingdom Put the awful scepter of government into his hand and so the Apostle interprets and understands it 1 Cor. 15.25 He must raign till he have put all his enemies under his feet And to thâ—s purpose the same Apostle accommodates if not expounds the words of the Psalmist thou madest him a little lower than the Angels i. e. in respect of his humbled state on earth thou Crownnedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet Heb. 2.7 8. He is over the spiritual Kingdom the Church absolute Lord there Matth. 28.18 19 20. He also is Lord over the providential Kingdom the whole world Psal. 110.2 and this providential Kingdom being subordinate to his spiritual Kingdom he orders and rules this for the advantage and benefit of that Ephes. 1.22 Fifthly To sit at Gods right hand with his enemies for a footstool implies Christ to be a Conqueror over all his enemies To have ones enemies under his feet notes perfect conquest and compleat victory As when Iosuah set his foot upon the necks of the Kings So Tamberline made proud Bajazet his footstool They trampled his name and his Saints under their feet and Christ will tread them under his feet 'T is true indeed this victory is yet incompleat and inconsummate for now we see not yet all things put under him saith the Apostle but we see Iesus Crowned with glory and honour and that 's enough Enough to shew the power of his enemies is now broken and though they make some opposition still yet it is to no purpose at all for he is so infinitely above them that they must fall before him It is not with Christ as it was with Abiâ—ah against whom Ieroboam prevailed because he was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them His incapacity and weakness gave the watchful enemy an advantage over him I say 't is not so with Christ he is at Gods right hand And all the power of God stands ready bent to strike through his enemies as it is Psal. 110.5 Sixthly Christs sitting in Heaven notes to us the great and wonderful change that is made upon the state and condition of Christ since his ascention into Heaven Ah 't is far otherwise with him now than it was in the days of his humiliation here on earth quantum mutatus ab illo Oh what a wonderful change hath Heaven made upon him It were good as a Worthy of ours speaks to compare in our thoughts the Abasement of Christ and his Exaltation together as it were in Columes one over against the other he was born in a Stable but now he raigns in his Royal Palace Then he had a Manger for his Cradle but now he sits on a Chair of State Then Oxen and Asses were his companions now thousands of Saints and ten thousand of Angels minister round about his throne Then in contempt they called him the Carpenters Son now he obtains by inheritance a more excellent name than Angels Then he was led away into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil now it is proclaimed before him let all the Angels of God worship him Then he had not a place to lay his head on now he is exalted to be heir of all things In his state of Humiliation he endured the contradiction of sinners in his state of Exaltation he is adored and admired of Saints and Angels Then he had no form nor comliness and when we saw him there was no beauty why we should desire him now the beauty of his countenance shall send forth such glorious beams that shall dazel the eyes of all the Coelestial inhabitants round about him c. O what a change is here Here he sweat but there he sits Here he groaned but there he triumphs Here he lay upon the ground there he sits in the throne of glory When he came to Heaven his Father did as it were thus bespeak him My dear Son what an hard travail hast thou had of it What a world of wo hast thou past through in the strength of thy love to me and mine Elect Thou hasâ— been hungry thirsty and weary scourged crucified and reproached ah what bad usage has thou had in the ungrateful world Not a days rest and comfort since thou wentest out from me but now thy suffering days are accomplisht now thy rest is come rest for evermore Henceforth sit at my right hand Henceforth thou shalt groan weep or bleed no more Sit thou at my right hand Seventhly Christs sitting at Gods right hand implies the advancement of believers to the highest honour For this session of Christs respects them and there he sits as our representative in which regard we are made to sit with him in heavenly places as the Apostle speaks Ephes. 2.6 How secure may we be saith Tertullian who do now already possess the Kingdom meaning in our head Christ. This saith another is all my hope and all my confidence namely that we have a portion in that flesh and blood of Christ which is so exalted and therefore where he reigns we shall reign where our flesh is glorified we shall be glorified Surely it 's matter of exceeding joy to believe that Christ our head our flesh and blood is in all this glory at his Fathers right hand Thus we have opened the sence and importance of Christs siâ—ting at his Fathers right hand Hence we Infer Inference 1. Is this so great an honour to Christ to sit enthroned at Gods right hand What honour then is reserved in Heaven for those that are faithful to Christ now on the earth Christ prayed and his prayer was heard Joh. 17.24 That we may be with him to behold the glory that God hath given him and what heart can conceive the felicity of such a sight it made Stephens face shine as the face of an Angel when he had but a glimpse of Christ at his Fathers right hand Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty Isai. 33.17 which respected Hezekiah in the Type Christ in the truth But this is not all though this be much to be spectators of Christ in his Throne of glory we shall not only see him in his Throne but also sit with him inthroned in glory To behold him is much but to sit with him is more I remember it was the saying of a heavenly Christian now with Christ I would far rather look but through the hole of Christs door to see but the one half of his fairest and most comly face for he looks like Heaven suppose I should never win in to
see his excellency and glory to the full than to enjoy the flower the bloom and chiefest excellency of the glory and riches of ten worlds And you know how the Queen of the South fainted at the sight of Solomon in his glory But this sight you shall have of Christ will change you into his likeness We shall be like him saith the Apostle for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 He will place us as it were in his own throne with him So runs the promise Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh I will grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne and so 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him The Father set Christ on his right hand and Christ will set the Saints on his right hand So you know the sheep are placed by the Angels at the great day Matth. 25. and so the Church under the figure of the daughter of Aegypt whom Solomon married is placed on the Kings right hand in God of Ophyr Psal. 45. This honour have all the Saints O amazing Love What we set on thrones while as good as we by nature howl in flames O what manner of love is this These expressions indeed do not intend that the Saints shall be set in higher glory than Christ or that they shall have a parity of glory with Christ for in all things he must have the preheminence but they note the great honour that Christ will put upon the Saints as also that his glory shall be their glory in Heaven As the glory of the Husband redounds to the Wife and again their glory will be his glory 2 Thes. 1.10 And so it will be a social glory O it 's admirable to think whither free grace hath already mounted up poor dust and ashes To think how nearly we are related now to this Royal princely Jesus but how much higher are the designs of grace that are not yet come to their parturient fulness they look beyond all this that we now know Now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be 1 Joh. 3.2 Ah what reason have you to honour Christ on earth who is preparing such honours for you in Heaven Inference 2. Is Iesus Christ thus enthroned in Heaven then how impossible is it that ever his interest should miscarry or sink on earth The Church hath many subtil and potent enemies True but as Haman could not prevail against the Iews whilst Hester their friend spake for them to the King no more can they whilst our Iesus sits at his and our Fathers right hand Will he suffer his enemies that are under his feet to rise up and pull out his eyes think you Surely they that touch his people touch the very Apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 He must reign till all his enemies are under his foot 1 Cor. 15.25 The enemy under his feet shall not destroy the children in his arms He sits in Heaven on purpose to manage all to the advantage of his Church Eph. 1.22 Are our enemies powerful lo our King sits on the right hand of power Are they subtil and deep in their contrivance he that sits on the Throne over-looks all they do Heaven over-looks Hell He that sits in the Heavens beholds and derides their attempts Psal 2.4 He may permit his enemies to straighten them in one place but it shall be for their enlargement in another For 't is with the Church as it is with the Sea what it loses in one place it gets in another and so really loses nothing He may suffer them also to distress us in outwards but that shall be recompenced with inward and better mercies and so we shall lose nothing by that A foot-stool you know is uâ—eful to him that treads on it and serves to lift him up the higher so shall Christs enemies be to him and his albeit they think not so What singular benefits the oppositions of his enemies occasion to his people I have else-where discovered to which I refer my Reader and pass to the Inference 3. Is Christ set down on the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven O with what awful reverence should we approach him in the duties of his Worship Away with light and low thoughts of Christ. Away with formal irreverent and careless frames in Praying Hearing Receiving yea in conferring and speaking of Christ. Away with all deadness and drowsiness in duties For he is a great King with whom you have to do A King to whom the Kings of the earth are but as little bits of clay Lo the Angels cover their faces in his presence He is an Adorable Majesty When Iohn had a vision of this inthroned King about sixty year after his ascension such was the over-powering glory of Christ as the Sun when it shineth in its strength that when he saw him he fell at his feet as dead and died it's like he had if Christ had not not laid his hand on him and said fear not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Rev. 1.17 18. When he appeared to Saul in the way to Damascus it was in glory above the glory of the Sun which over powered him also and laid him as one dead upon the ground O that you did but know what a glorious Lord you Worship and Serve Who makes the very place of his Feet glorious where ever he comes Surely He is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all that are round about him There is indeed a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldness or free liberty of speech allowed to the Saints Eph. 3.12 But no rudeness or irreverence We may indeed come as the Children of a King come to the Father who is both their awful soveraign and tender Father which double relation causes a due mixture of love and reverence in their hearts when they come before him You may be Free but not Rude in his presence Though he be your Father Brother Friend yet the distance betwixt him and you is infinite Inference 4. If Christ be so gloriously advanced in the highest Throne then none need to reckon themselves dishonoured by suffering the vilest things for his sake The very chains and sufferings of Christ have a glory in them Hence Moses esteemed the very reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.26 He saw such an excellency in the very worst things of Christ his reproaches and sufferings as made him leap out of his Honours and Riches into them He did not as one saith only endure the reproaches of Christ but counted them Treasures To be reckoned among his honours and things of value So Thuanus reports of Ludovicus Marsacus a noble Knight of France when he was led
discry Land crying with loud and united voices A shore A shore As the Poet describes the Italians when they saw their native Country lifted up their voices and making the Heavens ring again with Italy Italy or as Armies shout when the signal of Battle is given Above all which as some expound it shall the voice of the Archangel be distinctly heard And after this shout the trump of God shall sound By this Tremendous blast sinners will be affrighted out of their Graves but to the Saints it will carry no more terrour than the roaring of Cannons when Armies of friends approach a besieged City for the relief of them that be within The dead being raised they shall be gathered before the great Throne on which Christ shall sit in his glory and there divided exactly to the right and left hand of Christ by the Angels Here will be the greatest Assembly that ever met Where Adam may see his numerous off-spring even as the sand upon the Sea-shore which no man can number And never was there such a perfect division made how many divisions soever have been in the world none was ever like it The Saints in this great Oecumenical assize as the same Author stiles it shall meet the Lord in the air and there the Judge shall sit upon the Throne and all the Saints shall be placed upon bright clouds as on Seats or Scaffolds round about him the wicked remaining below upon the earth there to receive their final doom and sentence These preparatives will make it awful And much more will the work it self that Christ comes about make it so For it is to Iudge the secrets of men Rom. 2.16 To sever the Tares from the Wheat To make every mans whites and blacks appear And according as they are found in that Tryal to be sentenced to their everlasting and immutable state O what a solemn thing is this And no less will the execution of the Sentence on both parts make it a great and solemn day The heart of man cannot conceive what impressions the voice of Christ from the Throne will make both upon believers and unbelievers Imagine Christ upon his glorious Throne surrounded with Myriads and Legions of Angels his Royal guard a poor unbeliever trembling at the Bar. An exact scrutiny made into his heart and life The dreadful Sentence given And then a cry And then his delivering them over to the Executioners of Eternal vengeance never never to see a glimpse of hope or mercy any more Imagine Christ like the General of an Army mentioning with honour in the head of all the hosts of Heaven and Earth all the services that the Saints have done for him in this world Then sententially justifying them by open proclamation Then mounting with him to the third Heavens and entring the gates of that City of God in that noble train of Saints and Angels intermixed And so for ever to be with the Lord. O what a great day must this be Secondly As it will be an awful and solemn Judgement so it will be a Critical and Exact Judgement Every man will be weighed to his ounces and drams The name of the Judge is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of hearts The Judge hath eyes as flames of fire which pierce to the dividing of the heart and reins It 's said Matth. 12.36 That men shall then give an account of every idle word that they shall speak It is a day that will perfectly fan the world No Hypocrite can escape Justice holds the ballances in an even hand Christ will go to work so exactly that some Divines of good note think the day of Judgement will last as long as this day of the Gospels administration hath or shall last Thirdly It will be a Vniversal Iudgement 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Iudgement Seat of Christ. And Rom. 14.12 Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God Those that were under the Law and those that having no Law were a Law to themselves Rom. 2.12 Those that had many Talents and he that had but one Talent must appear at this Bar those that were carried from the Cradle to the Grave with him that stooped for Age. The rich and poor the Father and the Child the Master and the Servant the believer and unbeliever must stand forth in that day I saw the Dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened Rev. 20.12 Fourthly It will be a Judgement full of convictive clearness All things will be so sifted to the bran as we say that the Sentence of Christ both on Saints and sinners shall be applauded Righteous art thou O Lord because thou hast Iudged thus His Judgements will be as the light that goeth forth So that those poor sinners whom he will condemn shall be first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self condemned Their own consciences shall be forced to confess that there is not one drop of injustice in all that Sea of wrath into which they are to be cast Fifthly And lastly It will be a supream and final Iudgement from which lies no Appeal For it is the Sentence of the Highest and only Lord. For as the ultimate resolution of Faith is into the Word and truth of God so the ultimate resolution of Iustice is into the Judgement of God This Judgement is supream and imperial For Christ is the only potentate 1 Tim. 6.5 And therefore the Sentence once past its execution is infallible And so you find it in that judicial process Matth. 25. ult Just after the Sentence is pronounced by Christ it is immediatly added those shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into Life Eternal This is the Judgement of the great day Thirdly In the last place I must inform you that God in ordaining Christ to be the Judge hath very highly exalted him This will be very much for his honour For in this Christs Royal dignity will be illustrated beyond what ever it was since he took our nature till that day Now he will appear in his glory For First This act of Judging pertaining properly to the Kingly Office Christ will be glorified as much in his Kingly Office as he hath been in either of the other We find but some few glimpses of his Kingly Office breaking forth in this world as his riding with Hosannahs into Ierusalem His whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple His Title upon the Cross c. But these were but faint beams now that Office will shine in its glory as the Sun in the midst of the Heavens For what were the Hosannahs of little Children in the streets of Ierusalem to the shouts and acclamations of thousands of Angels and ten thousands of Saints What was his whipping the prophane out of the Temple to his turning the wicked into Hell and sending his Angels to gather out of his Kingdom every thing that offendeth What was a Title
written by his Judge and fixed on the ignominous Tree to the name that shall be now seen on his Vesture and on his Thigh Lord of Lords and King of Kings Secondly This will be a display of his glory in the highest before the whole world For there will be present at once and together all the Inhabitants of Heaven and Earth and Hell Angels must be there to attend and minister those glistering Courtiers of Heaven must attend his person So that Heaven will for a time be left empty of all its Inhabitants Men and Devils must be there to be judged And before this great Assembly will Christ appear in Royal Majesty that day He will to allude to that Text Isa. 24.23 raign before his Ancients gloriously For he will come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1.10 The inhabitants of the three Regions Heaven Earth and Hell shall rejoyce or tremble before him that day And acknowledge him to be supream Lord and King Thirdly This will roll away for ever the reproach of his death For Pilate and the High Priest that Judged him at their bars shall now stand quivering at his bar with Herod that set him at nought the Souldiers and Officers that traduced and abused him There they that reviled him on the Cross wagging their heads will stand with trembling knees before his Throne For every eye shall see him and they also that pierced him Rev. 1.7 O what a contemptible person was Christ in their eyes once As a worm and no man Every vile wretch could freely tread and trample on him but now such will be the brightness of his glory such the awful beams of Majesty that the wicked shall not stand in his presence or be able to rise up as that word imports Psal. 1.5 before him So that this will be a full and Universal vindication of the death of Christ from all that contempt and ignominy that attended it We next improve it Inference 1. Is Jesus Christ ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead great then is the security believers have that they shall not be condemned in that day Who shall condemn when Christ is Judge If believers be condemned in Judgement Christ must give Sentence against them Yea and they must condemn themselves too I say Christ must give Sentence for that is the proper and peculiar Office of Christ. And to be sure no Sentence of condemnation shall in that day be given by Christ against them For First He died to save them and he will never cross and overthrow the designs and ends of his own death That cannot be imagined nay Secondly They have been cleared and absolved already And being once absolved by divine Sentence they can never be condemned afterward For one divine Sentence cannot cross and rescind another He justified them here in this world by Faith Declared in his Word which shall then be the rule of Judgement Rom. 2.16 That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 And surely he will not retract his own Word and give a Sentence quite cross to his own Statute-book out of which he hath told us they shall be Judged Moreover Thirdly The far greatest part of them will have past their particular Judgement long before that day and being therein acquitted by God the Judge of all and admitted into Heaven upon the score and account of their Justification it cannot be imagined that Christ should now condemn them with the World Nay Fourthly He that Judgeth them is their head husband friend and brother who loved them and gave himself for them Oh then with what confidence may they go even unto his Throne And say with Iob though he try us as fire we know we shall come forth as Gold We know that we shall be justified Especially if we add that they themselves shall be assessors with Christ in that day And as a Judicious Author pertinently observes not a Sentence shall pass without their Votes So as that they may by Faith not only look upon themselves as already in Heaven sitting with Christ as a common person in their right but they may look upon themselves as Judges already So that if any sin should arise to accuse or condemn yet it must be with their Votes And what greater security can they have than this that they must condemn themselves if they be condemned No no it is not the business of that day to condemn but to absolve and pronounce them pardoned and justified according to the sence of Act. 3.19 and Matth. 12.32 So that it must needs be a time of refreshing as the Scriptures call it to the people of God You that now believe shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 5.24 You that now Judge your selves shall not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.31 32. Inference 2. If Christ be ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead how miserable a case will Christless Souls be in at that day They that are Christless now will be speechless helpless and hopeless then How will their hands hang down and their knees knock together O what pale faces quivering lips fainting hearts and roaring consciences will be among them in that day O dreadful day O astonishing sight To see the World in a dreadful conflagration the Elements melting the Stars falling the Earth trembling the Judgement set the Prisoners brought forth O who shall endure in this day but those that by union with Christ are secured against the danger and dread of it Let me demand of poor Christless Souls whom this day is like to overtake unawares First Do ye think it possible to avoid appearing after that terrible citation is given to the World by the Trump of God Alas how can you imagine it Is not the same power that revived your dust able to bring you before the bar There is a necessity that you must come forth 2 Cor. 5.10 We Must all appear It is not at the sinners choice to obey the Summons or not Secondly If you must appear are there no Accusers nor Witnesses that will appear against you and confront you in the Court What think you was Satan so often a Tempter to you here and will he not be an Accuser there Yes nothing surer for that was the main design of all his Temptations What think you of your own Consciences Are they not privy to your secret wickedness Don't they now whisper sometimes in your ears what you care not to hear of If they whisper now they will thunder then Rom. 2.15 16. Will not the Spirit accuse you for resisting his motions and stifling thousands of his convictions Will not your Companions in sin accuse you who drew or were drawn by you to sin Will not your Teachers be your accusers How many times have you made them complain Lord they are Iron and Brass they have made their faces harder than a
also You see how the Rivers in their course will not be checkt but bear down all obstacles in their way Saevior ab obice ibit A stop doth but make them rage the more and run the swifter afterwards There is a Central force in these natural motions which cannot be stopt And the like may you observe in the motions of a renewed soul Ioh. 4.14 It shall be in him as a Well of water springing up And is it not hard for you to keep it down or turn its course How hard did Ieremy and David find that work If you do not live holy lives you must cross your own new nature violate the Law that 's written in your own hearts and engraven upon your own bowels To this purpose a late Writer speaks Till you were converted saith he the flesh was predominant and therefore it was impossible for you to live any other than a fleshly life for every thing will act according to its predominant principle Should you not therefore live a spiritual life Should not the Law of God witten in your hearts be legible in your lives O should not your lives be according to the tendency of your hearts thus he Doubtless this is no swall advantage to practical holiness But Secondly Besides this principle within you have no small assistance for the purity of life by these excellent patterns before you The path of holiness is no untrodden path to you Christ and his Servants have beaten it before you The life of Christ is your Copy and it is a fair Copy indeed without a blot Oh what an advantage is this to draw all the lines of your actions according to his example This glorious grand example is often prest upon you for imitation Heb. 12.2 Looking to Iesus he hath left you an example that ye should tread in his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 His life is a living rule to his people and besides Christs example for you may say who can live as Christ did His example is quite above us you have a cloud of witnesses A cloud for its directive Use and these men of like passions temptations and constitutions with you who have gone before you in exemplary holiness The Holy Ghost intending therein your special help and advantage hath set many industrious pens awork to write the lines of the Saints and preserve for your use their holy sayings and heavenly actions He bids you take them for an example Jam. 5.10 Oh what excellent men are past on before you What renowned Worthies have led the way Men whose conversations were in Heaven whilst they Tabernacled on earth Whilst this lower world had their bodies the world above had their hearts their affections their actions their designs were all for Heaven Men that improved troubles and comforts losses and gains smiles and frowns and all for Heaven Men that did extract Heaven out of Spirituals out of Temporals out of all things their hearts were full of heavenly meditations their mouths of heavenly communications and their practices of heavenly inclinations O what singular help is this Where they followed Christ and kept the way they are propounded for your imitation and where any of them turned aside you have a mark set upon that action for your caution and prevention Doth any strange or unusual tryal befall you in which you are ready to say with the Church Lam. 1.12 Was there ever any sorrow like unto my sorrow Here you may see the same affliction accomplisht in your brethren 1 Pet. 5.9 Here 's store of good company to encourage you Doth the world and Devil endeavor to turn you from your duty by loading it with shameful scoffs or sufferings In this case you may look to Iesus who dispised the shame and to your Brethren who counted it their honour to be dishonoured for the name of Christ as the Original of the Text Act. 5.41 may be translated Is it a dishonour to thee to be rankt with Abraham Moses David and such as were the glory of the Ages they lived in Art thou at any time under a faint fit of discouragement and ready to despond under any burden oh how maist thou be animated by such examples when such a qualm comes over thy heart Some sparks of their holy courage cannot choose but steal into thy breast whilst thou considerest them In them God hath set before thee the possibility of overcoming all difficulties thou seest men of the same mould who had the same tryals discouragements and fears that thou now hast and yet overcame all How is thy unbelief checkt when thou saist Oh I shall never reach the end I shall one day utterly perish Why dost thou say so Why may not such a poor creature as thou art be carried through as well as they Had not they the same temptations and corruptions with you Were not they all troubled with a naughty heart an ensnaring world a busie Devil as well as you Alas when they put on the divine they did not put off the humane nature but complained and feared as you do and yet were carried through all Oh what an advantage have you this way They that first trusted in Christ had not such an help as you You stand upon their shoulders You have the benefit of their experiences You that are fallen into the last times have certainly the best helps to holiness And yet will not you live strictly and purely Will you put on the name and profession of Christians and yet be lofty in your spirits earthly in your designs neglective of duty frothy in your communions Pray from which of all the Saints did you learn to be proud Did you learn that from Christ or any of his From which of his Saints did you learn to be earthly and covetous passionate oâ— censorious over-reaching and crafty If you have read of any such evils committed by them have you not also read of their shame and sorrow their repentance and reformations If you have found any such blots in their lives it was left there designedly to prevent the like in yours Oh what an help to holiness is this Thirdly And this is not all You have not only a principle within you and a pattern before you but you have also an Omnipotent assistant to help and encourage you throughout your way Are you feeble and infirm and is every temptation even the weakest strong enough to turn you out of the way of your Duty Lo God hath sent his Spirit to help your infirmities Rom. 8.26 no matter then how weak you are how many and mighty your difficulties and temptations are as long as you have such an assistant to help you Great is your advantage for a holy life this way also For 1. First When a temptation to sin presses sore upon you he pleads with your consciences within whilst Satan is tempting without How often hath he brought such Scriptures to your remembrance in the very nick of opportunity as have saved
may find this case learnedly and solidly handled by Dr. Twisse Vindiciae graâ—iae Digress 8. Nulia alia ratione palam fâ—â—ripotest odium adversus peratum diciâ—um quam poenae commeritae inflictione Brad. de Justific p. 61. Hinc igitâ—r apparet quam neâ—essariâ—m fuit ut Christus mediator â—sset Deus homo nisi enim hâ—moâ—non fuisset iâ—oneum sacrificiâ—â— nisi Deus fuisset sacrificium illud non fuisseâ— sâ—ffâ—iâ—ntis virtutis Ames med p. 92. Synopsis purioris Theologiâ—e p. 318. Sacerdotium Christi est functio qua coram Deo appa et ut legem ab ipso acceptam nostro noniâ—e observeâ— scipsum victiman reconciliationis pâ—o nostris peccatis ipsi ofserat fua que apud Deam intercessione opâ—n ipsius perennem ac doâ—ationem spiritus sancti nobuÌ„ impetâ—et atque efficiter ap liâ—â— Certò aâ— statim morieris Dâ—ct Râ—ynoldâ— on Psâ—l 1.10 p. 409. Ob. Sol. Cor. 1. Cor. 2. Ponetâ— manum significaâ—s se scelera sua poenamque iis debitum conjicere in caput victimae Ut Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genus est imprecationis Drusius Menochius Heroâ— 2.39 It is a rule that where there is a total and sufficient cause in act there the effect must needs follow But if they be partial causes then the causes which suceâ—d in order do not produce their compleat effect until the last cause be in act Cor. 3. Cor. 4. Serm. 12. Opens the excellency of our High-Priests Oblation being the first act or part of his Priestly Office Oblatâ—o Christi unica est non tantum specie sed etiam numero quia nulla potest esse Oblatio Christi nisi intercedente morte ipsius eoque falsa est Sacrificii incruentem incruentem distinctâ—o Trelcatus Instit. p. 79. Doct. Sic Oblationes iâ— vase mundo offerebantur Esa 66.20 Ravan Bilson and Fevardentius affirm that Christ only offered up his body not his soul upon this weak ground that if he had offered both he had not offered one but two Sacrifices Against whom the Learned Parker in his excellent book de dâ—s 〈◊〉 urgeth my text and thus frees it from that corrupt gloss Pulchrè quasi boloca stum non unum fuit Sacrificium quia ex plur bus partibus constabit Sacrificium Christi unicum dicitur non in oppositione corporis ad animam sed in oppositione corporis animae semel Oblati ad multa illa Sacrificia quae non semel sed multotiâ—s in Lege Mosis offerebantur Parker de descensu Lib. 111. p. 146. Id â—olù◠rationem poenae babere potest quod infligitur à judice legi convenienter Non convenit autâ—m legi quae mortem denunciat â—t ob ejus violationem id infligatâ—r tantum ex quo guttula sanguinâ—s manet Joh. Camero p. 364. Virtus gratia Christi qâ—ate tuâ— mundi redemptor est omnium aetatum communis fâ—iâ— Calv. in Loc. Causa physica precedit effâ—câ—uÌ„ sâ—um tempoâ—pore non iteâ— caâ—sa mo alis Cameâ—onis opera p. 361. Nâ—nâ— servatâ—r no â—est ita ut olin non fuâ—rit atque ut non â—it servator in aeternum Camer myrothâ—â— p 337. Dâ—â—on â—n Loc. Odoratus Deo tribultur quo itidem Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complacencia gratia denotatur Sicut odore bono homo recreaâ—â—r coque delectatur pertinet hâ—c appellatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 odor quietis seu suavitatis quae crebrò Sacrificiisâ— Deo oblatis tribâ—itur Exod. 29. â— 25. Levit. 1.9 S. Glats Philolog Sacra Doccâ—t â—heâ—logâ— Christum pâ—o omnibus sufficienter pro Electis duntaxat Efficaciter mortâ—um esse Camero ubi supra p. 535. Mr. Strong Zanch de tribius Elohim Infer 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attollere vel sursum ferre Sic Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 julavit sursum tulit Beza Grec Annot. in 1 Pet. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infer 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita Theophilâ—ctus pul herimè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nolo Dâ—um absolutum Mr. William Lâ—ford Infer 3. Serm. 13. Opens the Intercession of Christ our High-Priest being the second Act or Part of Christs Priestly Office Redemptio quam operatus est fundamentum sit intercessionis ac propterea redemptioâ—em intercessionem tanquan duas individuas Christi Sacrificii partes Scriptura commemorare solet Ravenella ad verbum intercedere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ifferunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjecta matâ—riâ non differunt Nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proâ—riè perpetuitatem temporis significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non â—anc solam verùm etiam omnimodam â—â—â—fectionem Cameâ—â—â— Doct. See Dâ—odati and our English Annot. in Loc. Pet. Lombard Lib. 4. dist 45. Quid vâ—ò sibi veâ—it hic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro nobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videndum est Reâ—â—icit ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 portificis veteris qui i gressus intra velum dâ—cebatur apparere in consfectu Dei pro populo quatenus se cum sanguine hâ—rei piacularis presentabat Deo precibus suis supplex orabat uâ— propter sanguinem non illum hircinâ—m sed il o representatum Christi Mediatoris fundendum propitius esset peccatis suis populi Doct. Pereus in loc Voluntate ac desiderio s o ardenti quâ—nadmodum in terris antea secerat ita iâ— Coelis apud patrem morâ—is sâ—a vim atque â—fficatiam novis ad salutem appliâ—aâ—i postulâ—t Synops purior Theol. p. 346. Aelian Hist. lib 5 cap. 19. Deâ—daâ—i iâ— Loc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though he cannot weep or grieve now as he did on earth yet he can â—ove now as much as ever he loved and therefore he looks down from Heaven upon every particular mâ—mber He seeth that this man wantâ— this grace and that man wants that and the othâ—r is in danger of this corruption or that tempâ—atiâ—n Aâ—d iâ— daily caryiâ—g on the cure You see nâ—t your Physitian he stands out of your sight but he seeth you and it is he that doth all fâ—r you that is done â—â—xters Treatise of Coâ—version Vse 1. Vse 2. Goodwins Triumph p. 263. If Jesus be the Media or of the New covenant Believers may go with boldness and look the justice of God in the face for your debt is satisfied So long as a man is in debt he steals by the prison door in the dark but if his surety have paid the debt he dares come as you say and whet his knife at the Counter-door Christ your â—urety hath paid the debt you may go with boldness and look justice in the face the Devil and all the Serjeants of Hell in the face Mr. W. B. in his Treatise of Christ and the Covenant p. 98. Vse 3. He doth not forget us though he be exalted to his glory for he is not like the poor silly creature that cannot bear exaltation without being puffed up and forgeting both themselves their