he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the air the spirit that now works in the children of dâ—sobedience amongst whom also we all had our conversation in times past If we look upon times past Oh what a wofull condition was the poor creature in at his very birth all polluted in his bloud and as he growes up so carried away with the course of the world running headlong to his own destruction This was our condition But blessed be God that there is a change It was the joy of Jehotakim Evilmerodach the King of Babylon sent for him out of prison and changed his prison garments and gave him a continual portion before him all the daies of his life So Christ hath made a change and an exchange with us he hath taken from us the rags of sin and put upon us the robes of righteousness his own robes He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him he hath delivered us from that pit of darknesse and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus What a change is here do but compare your condition then and your condition now Is it not the joy of Angels There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth The woman rejoyceth that hath found her lost gâ—oat the man rejoyceth that hath found his lost sheep the father rejoyceth that hath found his lost son bring hither the fatted calf let us eat and be merry shall others thus rejoyce over us and is it not much more the joy of our own hearts Look upon other men how they still wallow in their wickednesse having their understandings darkned through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts and then reflect we on our selves thus it hath been with us if we look upon time past 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither fornicator nor idolater nor adulterer nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall enter into the Kingdom of God And such were some of you but ye are washed Such were some of you O what a joyfull word that we were but such that we are not so now So Paul before I was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious but I obtained mercy Lord what am I that thou hast brought me hitherto that thou hast loved Jacob and yet hated Esau that he should passe by so many and yet shew this grace and favour to my soul So do but look behinde you and consider how it hath been with you Do but remember the time past and Rejoyce ye righteous 8. Whilest we look before us Consider but the time to come Heb. 12.2 Looking up to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame Do but look upon the joy which is set before you and this will carry you above the crosse Beloved I have spoken something for your present comfort to cheer up your spirits and as the Queen of Sheba It is a true report which you have heard yet behold the one half is not told you As yet we have but the seed-time and some showres they are seasonable our life is but a bitter-sweet Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart But look before you and behold a harvest even the joy of harvest unintermixed joy The time is coming when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying neither any more pain Do but look before you and behold a Kingdom Come ye blessed children of my Father inherit ye the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Do but look before you and behold a Throne To him that overcometh saith our Saviour will I give to sit with me on my throne Do but look before you and behold a Crown From henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not unto me only but unto all that love his appearing The time is coming when we shall be gathered with Abraham Isaac and Jacob into the Kingdom of heaven to the Patriarchs our fathers to the Saints our brethren to the Angels our friends to Angels and Archangels and to all the company of that heavenly host The time is coming when the Lord Jesus shall send for us as once Jacob for his father He that sent us into the world owes us a better turn then to leave us for ever in the world Father I will that those that thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory How did it rejoyce the spirit of old Jacob It is enough Joseph is yet alive I will go and see him before I die So here and much more then so It is enough Jesus is yet alive though I cannot go and see him before I die yet Lord let me die that I may go and see him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is the best of all The time is coming when the Lord Jesus shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel and the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first to meet the Lord in the air that there they may be ever with the Lord. That they may be with God! Oh what a happy vision to stand continually in his presence Saith the Queen of Sheba concerning the servants of King Solomon Happy are thy servants and happy are these thy men which stand continually before thee but think if you can think how happy they are that stand continually in Gods presence there 's fulnesse of joy and pleasures for ever more A fulnesse of joy because there for ever for ever with the Lord O sweet word for ever And this is that indeed which crowns all our joyes Would it not be a hell in the midst of heaven to think of once losing heaven But Oh joyfull eternity An Eternal joy Whilest we are here and see nothing but what 's present we read nothing but vicissitude and the wheel still turning but when we consult with heaven and look upon that before us then pure and unmixed unchangeable and everlasting joyes Oh how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Goodnesse and great goodnesse but what tongue is able to expresse how great 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entrea into mans heart The eye hath seen much the ear hath heard more the heart of man is able to conceive much more Yet neither hath eye seen nor ear heard nor is the heart of man able to conceive the things which God hath prepared for
his faith is counted for righteousnesse Even as David also describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works There is an imputed righteousnesse a righteousnesse without works And if we believe on him there is one who justifies the ungodly and our faith is counted unto us for righteousnesse For the better understanding of this take notice 1. That Christ is become our Surety Heb. 7.22 He was made surety of a better Testament Now as the surety makes the debt his own so our sins are Christs Such was his singular love toward us that he was content to take all our sins upon himself 1 Pet. 2.24 He bare our sins in his own body on the tree It was love indeed A man void of understanding becometh surety for his friend saith Solomon And he that becomes a surety is insnared in the words of his own mouth Christ was content thus to become a fool thus to be taken thus to be insnared to become our surety As once Rebecca to her son On me be the curse my son so Christ here On me be the guilt of sin Or as Paul to Philemon in behalf of Onesimus If he have wronged thee or if he owe thee any thing set it on my score I will repay it I Paul have written it with mine own hand So Christ delivers his Epistle to the Father not under hand and seal but confirmed in his own bloud and he takes all our sins upon himself and writes them to his own account as no longer ours but his own 2. That God was content to accept him as our surety Here is no wrong to parties as Christ was content to undertake all for us so is God pleased to lay all our sins upon his shoulders Isa 53.6 The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all The Lord against whom the sin was committed he was contented to quit us and to put all upon Christs score so to receive the satisfaction at his hands Saith Christ when the souldiers came to apprehend him If ye seek me then let these men go Christ was content to be apprehended that we might be set at liberty and God was well pleas'd with this dismission So he hath put our sins upon Christs account 3. That Christ as our surety hath discharg'd the debt And a debt must not be twice paid that stands not with Gods justice Christ hath suffered for us Dan. 9.26 After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself Not for himself but us By the way take we notice It was not properly Christs active obedience as some think by which we are made righteous for if that had been accounted unto us for righteousnesse it being a spotlesse and a perfect righteousnesse there had been no need of his death and passion I speak not this to create a controversie but to shew you If not the active obedience of our blessed Saviour then much lesse our own I confesse it was necessary to give way to his passion that it might be a satisfaction for had he been a sinner he could not have been a sacrifice for sin but first he must have satisfied for himself Yet it is his bloud which redeems us from our sins 1 Pet. 1.18 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ It is his bloud the bloud of him too scornfully reproached by some who dyed at Jerusalem though they make it but a figure and so shew themselves in the number of those damnable Hereticks 2 Pet. 2.1 Even denying the Lord that bought them Yet Col. 1.19 20. It pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell and having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things to himself By his Bloud upon the crosse we are reconciled and our peace is made by that bloud which was once shed and but once we need not a second sacrifice that unbloudy sacrifice in the Masse for that purpose Heb. 10.12 This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God And vers 14. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified The bloud of this sacrifice thus once offered on the Crosse at Jerusalem is that which wipes off the score 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Christ cleanseth from all sin 4. And ex abundanti That God will no more lay our sins unto our charge Isai 38.17 Thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back So hath he blotted them out of his remembrance Isai 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own names sake and will not remember thy sins He crosses the book and not only so for that still is a Memorandum though the debt be paid but he quite blots it out that it may never be remembred any more And this is that which if understood clearly resolves the Riddle and dissolves the cloud It is indeed the marrow of the Gospell 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them And herein consists the happinesse of the Saints on earth not that they have no sin but that God will not lay it to their charge Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Thus I have shewed you that it is not the righteousness of Works for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified but it is the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousness of Christ imputed Rom. 4.11 Abraham received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of Faith which he had being yet uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed to them also And for the clearing of this you hear how Christ is become our surety He bare our sins that God is willing to receive the satisfaction at his hands He hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all That Christ hath discharg'd our debt He died for us and that God will not lay our sins unto our charge Thus then we appear as righteous in the sight of God Beloved I have stood the longer on this point as on the one hand to fill your hearts with peace and joy in believing that I might send you away as Philip did the Ethiopian Eunuch rejoycing on your way or as the shepherds glorifying and praising God for the things that ye have heard so on the other hand to convince gainsayers whilest they upbraid us that we leave the people in their sins and deny the perfection of the Saints and devest them of all righteousnesse Though we deny the righteousnesse of works the leaven of the Scribes and Pharises yet do we not shew you a righteousnesse of Faith Nay a more absolute and perfect righteousnesse then any
they dream on Suppose they should keep the Law as they vainly boast yet here 's a righteousnesse beyond it a righteousnesse beyond that of Adam in the state of Innocency nay beyond that of Angels it is the righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Not in our selves but in Christ not righteous but righteousnesse it self even the righteousnesse of God in him The Righteousnesse of God 1. Therefore the most absolute exact and perfect righteousnesse that can be imagined The righteousnesse which they speak on suppose it were as big as they boast yet it is but the righteousnesse of the creature and it hath its blemishes but this is the righteousnesse of God therefore without spot and without blemish Hence we read those high expressions Cant. 4.7 Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee And as the Spouse in the Old Testament so the Church in the New Ephes 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish 2. Therefore an unchangeable righteousnesse The righteousnesse of the creature is as the early dew which soon vanisheth Adam first in an estate of innocency but he fell away and the Angels kept not their first estate but left their own habitation and therefore saith St. Jude they are reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse to the judgement of the great day But Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not And as is himself so is his righteousnesse unchangeable Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy city to finish transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse It must needs be unchangeable because everlasting This then is a sure rock that will never fail us Hence the Apostles triumph Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who shall condemn It is Christ that died 3. Therefore a most acceptable and wel-pleasing righteousnesse God must needs own himself the righteousnesse which is of God Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Not with whom but in whom the meaning is that God in Christ is well pleased with us also Ephes 5.2 He hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour When Jacob appeared before his father in the garments of his brother Esau See saith Isaac the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed so when we appear in the righteousnesse of Christ those white robes of our elder brother then we are unto God indeed a sweet savour in Christ Jesus Righteousnesse belongeth unto thee saith Daniel but to us confusion and Daniel found favour in Gods sight The more that we take shame and confusion to our selves the more we give God the glory of his righteousnesse and the more that we give him the glory of his righteousnesse the more shall we finde favour in the sight of God So not to denude the people but to cloathe them with that absolute and perfect righteousnesse that everlasting and unchangeable righteousnesse that acceptable and wel-pleasing righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God which is my faith But to give it yet a further vindicaon from the standers of our foul-mouth'd Adversaries take notice The righteousnesse of Faith is no Doctrine of Licentiousnesse This Doctrine doth not open a door to profanenesse but on the contrary 1 Joh. 2.1 These things write I unto you that ye sin not This is the ingagement on our souls If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins These words are recorded for us not to harden but to melt our hearts These things saith St. John write I unto you that ye sin not When Saul saw the goodnesse of David in sparing his life he lift up his voice and wept It is impossible for a man to believe that God hath done all this for him impossible I say truly and indeed to believe this that God hath wrought such a righteousnesse for us but it must needs melt us into godly sorrow that ever we should sin against so good a God It is the strongest tye that can be laid upon any rationall and ingenuous spirit This is the true Evangelical way Rom. 4.2 Know ye not that the goodnesse of God leads you to repentance This is Gods way Hos 11.4 I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jawes and I laid meat unto them These are as cords and bands as the strongest cords beyond those of Philistims Samson himself cannot break these bands if once they be laid on indeed 1 Joh. 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure And it must need be thus if we consider 1. The end of that great work by which our righteousnesse is wrought What was his purpose in it Luk. 1.74 He hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all our daies This was his end therefore was it he delivered us that we might serve him as in righteousnesse so in the truth of holinesse Thus Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works He gave himself for us as to redeem us from our sins to justifie us so to purifie us to himself to sanctifie us that so we might be a special a peculiar people separated from the world a people zealous of good works Shall I give you a third Scripture And therefore is it that I multiply because I would have you to take notice of it Col. 1.21.23 You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight Therefore was it that he took flesh upon him therefore was it that he suffered death this was his end as to reconcile us unto God so that we might be holy and unblamable and unreprovable in the sight of God And now do but seriously consider this Hath Christ thus suffered for us and will he be disappointed of that for which he suffered or do we think that we shall have our end of Christ and that Christ will lose his end of us That we shall be made the righteousnesse of God in him yet still continue in our wickednesse Be not deceived you cannot thus disappoint him of his purpose conclude rather that you have
God and his doctrine be evill spoken on through your vain conversation As ye have received this righteousness of Christ so walk as those that are arrayed in these long white robes Get into the number of the righteous Beloved I know that ye desire it at least when you come to die I know there is none in this congregation but could wish with Balaam Num. 23.10 O let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his And if we desire it at our deaths why should not we endevour it in our lives What a folly is it nay do but consider seriously what a desperate madness that we should desire this so seriously at our end and yet never look after it till we come to die that this should be the first the chief in our desires and yet the least the last in our endevours Nay whilest thus we cast off the care of Christ and of his righteousness in our health is it not just with him so to cast off the care of us when we lie upon our beds of languishing Go cry unto the gods whom ye have chosen let them deliver you now in the time of your tribulation Whilest we disown him in our lives have we not just cause to fear that so he will disown us at our deaths Depart from me ye workers of iniquity verily I know you not If there be yet a profane heart in this congregation Oh do not deceive your selves with the righteousness of your faith nor flatter your selves with the hopes of joy As Peter to Simon Magus I perceive thou art yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity and hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee This is a messe provided only for a Benjamin Rejoyce ye righteous Beloved we have now found out the righteous man I have been long in this discovery So it concerns us A wise builder will be carefull to lay his foundation firm And a steward must be faithfull to give every man his own portion So here lest on the one hand we should take the childrens bread and give it unto dogs or on the other hand lest we should withhold bread from the children Having therefore thus clear'd the way now we may more cheerfully proceed to The joy of the Righteous Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart In these words we finde a Trinity in Unity a trinity of expressions in an unity of sense Be glad and rejoyce and shout for joy all to set forth the greatnesse of the joy of these happy men Yet here not only to word it to the ear but to lay it open to the eye let us look about us Where can we fix our eye but we finde matter of the greatest joy I shall now give the reasons of it 1. While we look above us God is our father and have ye not here Homers Iliads in a nut-shel Heaven in a word 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be a father unto you and ye shall be me sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Is not here matter of great joy How did it raise the spirit of David when Saul had given him his daughter Seemeth it a small thing unto you to be the son-in-law of a King But then 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God But farther as God is our Father so Christ is our Saviour The birth of Christ is glad tidings of great joy so it was sung by a whole quire of Angels O ye that are highly favoured climb up into the Sycomore-tree Do ye not hear his voice and it is sweet This day is salvation come unto thy house Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace saith old Simeon for mine eyes have seen thy salvation And the blessed Virgin My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour So the Ethiopian Eunuch when he had got but a glimpse of Christ he went on his way rejoycing Nay 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce even with joy unspeakable and glorious But yet further as Christ is our Saviour so the Holy Ghost our Comforter Joh. 14.16 I will pray unto the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive but ye know him Do we not finde the comforts of this Spirit confirming the Adoption of the Father He hath given us the earnest of the Spirit even the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father So sealing the redemption of the Son Oh grieve not the Spirit by which ye are sealed unto the day of redemption And now do not your hearts leap for joy whilest thus you behold God your Father Christ your Saviour and the Holy Ghost your Comforter the whole Trinity of Persons in the unity of your consolation Perhaps the world frowns upon you And what a poor thing was that of Haman so to vex and fret himself for want of the knee of Mordecai when he had the favour of the King himself But then what a pitifull thing is this in us to vex and torment our selves at the frowns of men whilest we have the love and favour of the Lord himself Why art thou cast down Oh my soul As once Elcanah to his wife Am I not better to thee then ten sons So is not the love of God better to us then ten thousand worlds Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us This puts gladnesse in the heart more then in the time that corn and wine and oyle increaseth Oh ye Favourites of heaven be not awanting to your selves If Haman had cause to pride himself in the favour of Ahasuerus that great King of Assyria how much more may it cheer up your spirits that ye have the favour of God the great God of heaven Rejoyce ye Righteous 2. Whilest we look below us Behold the Pit that bottomless pit Are you not affrighted with the horror of it such a fearfull pit So think upon that place of darknesse that blacknesse of darknesse Oh how comfortlesse how frightful to be reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse with the prince of darknesse And think upon those chains those everlasting chains Ah wofull eternity Were it on a bed of down if chain'd upon that bed how wearisome but there bound for ever Oh what heart is able to conceive the horror of this word for ever Nay yet worse Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Do not your sinews shrink to think upon this fire this everlasting fire Oh how afflictive and tormenting