Encouragements TO FAITH Drawn from severall Engagements Both of GODS CHRISTS HEART To Receive Pardon SINNERS By THO: GOODWIN B. D. LONDON Printed for R. DAWLMAN 1645. JOHN 6. 37 38. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me A Preface THere are two Persons whom Faith hath to deal withall in seeking of Forgivenesse and laying hold of Salvation God the Father and God the Son the holy Ghost being that Person that sets the heart a work to seek out for salvation and reveales the love of them both And therefore it is that Grace and Peace which are the object of Faiths inquest are still wisht from God the Father and God the Son so generally in all Epistles excepting that of the Revelation given immediately by word of mouth from Christ himselfe And accordingly when Faith comes to treat with these two about the great businesse of Salvation the first and maine thing that it is inquisitive after is What their heart and mind is and how they stand enclined towards the receiving and pardoning of sinners it listens most to heare something of that and when a mans heart through faith is fully throughly perswaded of it then he is fully won Hence because the Scriptures were written for our comfort and so fitted to and for the workings of faith therefore they were so written as especially to bring down and lay before us the Heart of God and of Christ and so the maine thing they hold forth is the full intent and purpose both of God and of Christ to pardon and receive sinners This is a faithfull saying sayes Paul with open mouth that Christ came into the world to save sinners and this Christ himself every where indigitates and to hold forth this is the scope of these words uttered by Christ himself And such speeches do containe the very heart marrow and pith of the Gospel And though the heart of a sinner will never be fully satisfied till a perswasion be wrought that God and Christ are purposed and willing to save a mans own self in particular which perswasion is that which we call Assurance yet when once there is a through perswasion setled upon the heart but of so much indefinitely and in generall that God and Christ are willing and fully resolved to save some sinners so that the heart does truly beleeve that God is in earnest this draws on the heart to come to Christ and is enough to work faith of adherence such as upon which Christ will never cast us out as the Text hath it The great businesse then for the working faith in men is to perswade them of Gods good will and gracious inclination unto sinners to beget in them good opinions of God and Christ this way Men naturally having hard and suspitious thoughts of both as that speech of Christ Iohn 3. 17. implies God sent not His Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved Christ would never have hinted such a jealousie nor suggested such thoughts to mens minds had they not been in them before and this to prevent and take off such jealousies Men are apt to think that God had a designe upon them as upon enemies and laid but an Ambushment for their further condemnation in his treaty of peace tendred to them by his Son An example of which we have in Luther who fell into such suspitions as these for he misunderstanding some words he met with in the Epistle to the Romans as they were rendred by the vulgar translation then in use namely these that God sent his Son to declare his righteousnesse as they are by us translated he thought the meaning of them to have been this to declare and set forth his judgement on the world so he interpreted adjustitiam suam c. The truth is the jealousies of mens thoughts herein were those that have put God to his Oath As I live I will not the death of a sinner c. so also Heb. 6. 17. Men do not so usually question the power of God he is able enough to save them they think he is able to engraft them in as the Apostle speakes to the Jewes Rom. 11. 23. but all their doubts are about his Will Gods will was the Fountaine and spring of our salvation in the contriving of which he wrought all things according to the counsel of his own will as the Apostle to the Ephesians speaketh and in another place it is said He will have mercy on whom he will c. and therefore the great queries in our hearts are concerning the will of God towards us The words of the Text opened NOw these words of my Text do hold forth the full willingnesse of both these two persons both of God and of Christ 1. Of Christ he here professeth himself willing to entertain all that will come to him He that will come to me I will in no wise cast out Which words are not to be understood as if spoken only of casting out them that are already come unto him as if they were only a promise against being cast off after being received and so intended against feares of falling away but they are chiefly intended as an invitement to all that are not yet come that they would come to him and so to expresse how ready and willing he is to entertain all commers as one who sets his doores open keeps open house and beats back none that would come in Him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out And though it may seem to be but a slender and sparing expression of his readines to entertain such to say only I will not cast them out yet though he speaks with the least yet he will do with the most he being abundant in goodnesse and truth and one that is better then his word in the performance As when he sayes he will not despise a broken heart is that all the esteem he will manifest to such a heart Oh no it is the most welcome thing and endeared frame of spirit that can be in any creature His meaning is to shew what he elsewhere sayes of a meek spirit which is all one with a broken heart that with God it is of great price for so in Isaiah he expresseth himself I that inhabit eternity with whom will I dwell with a spirit that is broken and contrite He useth also this expression of not casting them out in relation and for a more direct answer unto the feare which he knew usually possesseth the hearts of poor sinners when they are about to come to him they fear he may reject them they know not their entertainment their welcome To meet with this Scruple he sayes I will not cast such out choosing rather thus to remove the doubt that is in their
hearts then to expresse the fulnesse of his own the Scriptures speaking potius ad cor nostrum quam cor suum rather unto our hearts then fully what is in his own which can never be done And yet even in this diminutive expression there is that inserted which argues not only a willingnesse and readinesse but a resolvednesse joyned with the greatest care and faithfulnesse that can be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I will in no wise cast out We may see his heart through this little crevis he doth herein as a faithfull man who to give the more full assurance puts in some binding word into his promise as I will at no hand or in no wise faile you Thus does God also in that known Promise Heb. 12. 5. to the hornes of which sanctuary many a soule hath fled for refuge I will never leave thee nor forsake thee where there are no lesse then five negatives to bind and assure it I will not in no wise c. leave thee Now this willingnesse of his on his part Christ shewes by two things First by that great journey he took from heaven to earth and that to no other purpose but to save sinners For this sayes he did I come down from heaven Great actions of one who is wise must answerably have great ends now this was the greatest thing that ever was done that the Son of God should come from Heaven And when there can be but one end of an action so great that end must needs be accomplished or else the action is wholly in vain Now in comming down from heaven he could have no other end but the saving of sinners he could have no other businesse to do that he did here therefore the Scriptures put his comming into the world wholly upon this to seek and to save that which was lost and do attribute his taking upon him the likenesse of sinfull flesh to have been for sin so Rom. 8. though other ends might be supposed and were accomplisht by the assuming mans nature yet he had no other end of taking fraile flesh especially there could be no other end of his dying but meerely and only for sin Iohn 12. 24. he sayes If he had not fallen to the ground and dyed he had then remained in Heaven alone and no sinners had come thither that therefore they might ascend to heaven he descends from heaven I came down from heaven c. Secondly He demonstrates his willingnesse by this that his Father had sent him on purpose to receive and to save sinners I come sayes he to do the will of him who sent mee and Iohn 8. he sayes I came not of my self but my Father he sent me And if he were sent by his Father to this end as he affirmes he was and as by the coherence appeares for he makes it the reason why he will cast none out then certainly he will faithfully do the work he was sent for In Heb. 3. 1. he is called the Apostle of our profession Apostle that is one sent so the word signifies and what followes who was faithfull to him that appointed him Now upon these considerations Christ tells you that you may build upon him that you shall certainly find him willing 2. For his Fathers willingnesse he tels us we may be much more confident of it for he puts his own willingnesse and all upon that Him sayes he that the Father gives me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out For I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and this is the Fathers will that hath sent me c. In which words you may observe both wherein he declares his Father to be engaged and how much First Wherein and that by two things 1. That he sent him to that end and so it is his Fathers businesse more then his own So also Luke 2. 49. he expresseth himself Shall I not do my Fathers businesse as elsewhere in Isaiah he is called his Fathers Servant in it and Iohn 5. 36. he makes it his Fathers work Secondly that he in a solemne manner gave unto him them whom he would have to be saved with charge to lose none All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and this is his will that I should lose none but give him an account of every soul of them at the last day They are given him as jewels and as his Beniamins to look to and see to bring back and keep from destruction Now whom he so solemnly gave to Christ to save he will never cast away when they shall come unto Christ Then 2. he shewes how much and how deeply his Father is engaged and makes it his Fathers will rather then his own I come not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me The meaning whereof is not to shew that he came unwillingly or receives sinners unwillingly but that his Fathers will was first in it as I shall shew anon and so much in it that if you will resolve it into its first principles Christs comming was principally to please his Father It is such a speech as that in Iohn 5. 22. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son c. Not that God is not a Iudge as well as Christ for Heb. 12. 23. he is termed the Iudge of all men but because all judgement is visibly committed unto Christ therefore the Father is said to judge no man So here because the Fathers will is chiefe and first in it Christ therefore sayes he came not to do his own will but the will of him that sent him And so you have the meaning of the words The maine Observation out of the words Demonstrations of Gods heart herein from his engagements from everlasting How his heart stood to sinners afore the world was THE Observation which I single out of these words to insist upon is this That Both God the Father and Iesus Christ the Son are fully willing and resolved to save sinners 1. For God the Father There are many Demonstrations of his will herein that may be taken ab extra from his Oath Word Promise c. which I shall handle in another method but those which I shall first hold forth are more intimate and Intrinsecall and homogeneall to the argument which Christ useth here in the Text which we have seen to be these that it was Gods will first and Christs but because it was his I come not to do mine own will and that it was he that dealt with Christ about it and wrought him off to it and made it his businesse but the will of him that sent me So that the Demonstrations which I shall pitch upon shall be drawn from Gods engagements both from his transactions with Christ from everlasting before he came into the world and those that now lie upon him from
Christs having fully performed what he sent him into the world for And from either may be fetcht strong consolations and confirmations to our faith that Gods will must needs continue most serious and hearty to save sinners Many other sorts of Demonstrations of this point might be fetcht and drawn from the riches of his mercy lying by him to bestow on some great purchase on what greater purchase could they be bestowed to shew forth the glory thereof then upon the salvation pardon of sinners But these also I shal at the present let lie by untold having elsewere counted them up and set them forth such demonstrations being only proper to this Text as argue an engagement of his will whereas all those riches of mercie that are in him although the moving cause of all might have for ever remained in him as his nature without any determination of his will to save any man When therefore a poor sinner shall heare besides the mercifull disposition of Gods nature that acts and resolutions of his will have past from him about the pardoning of sinners so as his will hath engaged all the mercies of his nature to effect it this brings in strong consolation Now the deepnesse of these engagements of his wil to pardon sinners may be demonstrated 1. From such transactions of his as were held by him with Christ from everlasting which hath both put strong obligations upon him and also argue him fully and firmly resolved to save sinners Now all the particular passages of those treaties of his with Christ about the reconciliation of sinners from everlasting I have elsewhere also at large handled and therefore it is not my scope now to enumerate them I shall now onely draw Demonstrations from some few of them by way of Corollary to help our faith in this point in hand namely Gods resolvednesse to pardon sinners The first is drawn from this That God the Father had the first and chiefe hand in this matter of saving sinners as I then shewed the project was his and the first motion his 1. The Project he laid the plot of it and contrived all about it for the effecting of it Therefore John 5. 19. Christ sayes the Son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do 2. The first Motion was his I came not to do my own will sayes Christ but the will of him that sent him Both which Project and first motion are shut up in that one sentence Ephes. 1. He worketh all things by the counsaile of his own will Now for God thus to have the first hand in it did put a great and deep engagement upon his Will in it We see among men the Projector and first motioner of a businesse is alwayes most forward in it because then it is most peculiarly his own and the greater will be his honour in the compassing of it How many great affaires have been spoiled because some men have not been the chiefe and first in them that affect the preheminence Now this honour God the Father may challenge that he was the first in reconciling and saving sinners It is therefore called Gods wisdome Eph. 3. 10. and his purpose Ephes. 1. 9. Gods righteousnesse Rom. 1. 17. and the pleasure of the Lord Isa. 53. Secondly this Project and Motion did rise up in him unto a strong resolution and purpose and to an unalterable decree to save sinners by Christ so Eph. 1. 9. And 1. For his purposes they are immutable Would not Paul lightly alter purposes taken up by him When I therefore was thus tamed sayes he 2 Cor. 1 17. did I use lightnesse or the things that I purpose do I purpose according to the Flesh that with me there should be yea yea and nay nay Would not Paul I say alter his purpose because he preached the Gospel and will God think you alter them who gave the Gospel no it is the ete nall Gospel Revel 14. 6. and God is of the same minde still so it follows in that place to the Corinths But as God is true or varies not so was our word to you which yet is his more then Pauls c. 2. For Gods Decrees whereof this was one they are also immutable The great Monarchs of the earth the Persians took to themselves the infallibility that they would not alter the Decrees which they made therefore when a thing was unalterable it was said to be as the Lawes of the Medes and Persians which was to shew their greatnesse and their wisdome that they could so resolve as no person or power whatsoever should be strong enough to cause them to change their resolutions and yet they were forced though not to alter a former Decree yet to give countermands unto it as Ahasuerus did and men do alter because they cannot foresee all events and so cannot make unalterable Decrees without prejudice Therefore the Pope who takes on him the style of Infallible and so assumes to himself the highest prerogative that ever man did yet of him it is said Papa nunquam lâ—gat sibi manus that he never binds his own hands by any Decree he makes because he cannot fore see all inconveniences notwithstanding what ever he assumes But with God it is not thus He is not a man that he should have cause to repent for he knows and foresees all that can or will follow Now 1. this immutability of his counsaile he shews by two oaths the first made to Christ the second to us 1. To Christ Heb. 7. 21. This Priest Christ was made with an oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever c. And this was from everlasting for then it was that Christ was first made Priest Now then God foresaw that he could never have a relenting thought at the pardoning of sinners through him this his Son would so satisfie and please him and thereupon he sware 2. To us Heb. 6. 17 18. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsaile confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation c. The thing I alledge this place for and which I would have observed is that this oath is not mentioned as that now which makes God so immutable though that be a truth But Gods oath is here made that whereby God did declare unto us the immutability of his purpose formerly and from everlasting taken up and so that immutability of his counsaile was the cause of his oath and that was to pardon sinners for it is the Promise made to Abraham and his seed that is there specified Yea 3. God set his seale unto all further to confirm it He both sealed Christ to the work Joh. 6. 27. and likewise sealed up in his Decrees the persons of those sinners that shall be saved 2 Tim. 2. 19. The
are equall so in all that his Father willeth his will is equall with his Father and so is as much in this busines as his In the demonstrating of this I will take the same course that I did in the former First I will shew how hearty he was in this To have sinners saved before he came into the world And Secondly How willing he was since he came into the world and since his death and going out of the world And as a generall introduction to either I shall premise this which shall be as the corner stone in this building joyning both parts of this discourse together and is a consequent of what hath formerly been delivered The thing to be premised is this That if God the Father be willing then Jesus Christ must needs be willing also and look how much the will of the one is in it so much the will of the other must be in it also for the Father and he are all one And this will serve for our further assurance of the wils of either and we may make use of it both wayes either to argue to our faith that if the Father be willing Christ must needs be so also and that if Christ be willing the Father is so also That whereas some mens thoughts have been more taken up about and so more taken with the consideration of how much the Fathers heart was in it and how active and plotting he was about it and again others mens apprehensions have been carried more unto Christs heart in the work this Demonstration which I have in hand shall be a help to the faith of either of these so that if your hearts have a door of Faith as the Apostle speaks set open or a window to see either into Gods heart or Christs you may raise a confidence of the one from the other and so come to be sure of both And this also I do first mention because it is the most intrinsecall bottome-demonstration that can be made of Christs willingnesse and is the utmost reason of it This demonstration I found upon Joh. 10. 30. I and my Father are one That whereas in this my Text he shewes how his Fathers will and his agree in one he there gives the reason of it for sayes he we are one and the words there as they stand in their coherence are proper to the purpose in hand For Christ there alledgeth them as the reason why his heart and power and all in him is so engaged for the salvation of his own that if he have any power in him and be able to do any thing not one of them shall perish because his Father and he are one For mark the occasion upon which he speaks this it is the same that here in my Text He had been speaking of saving his sheep and of his power and will to save them and concludes that they shall never perish And he sayes not only that he will never cast them out as here but that neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand And in that speech he shewes and utters the strength of his will as much as of his power For otherwise although his hand of power had been never so potent to have held them against all opposition yet if his will had not as strongly resolved to hold them in his hand and so if they were not as deep in his heart as they are fast in his hands this speech of his had not been made good That they shall never perish And then he gives the reason both of this resoluteness of his will and this prevalencie of his power from his Fathers both will and power engaged as much as his own in this fulnesse My Father sayes he that gave them me is greater then all and none is able to pluck them cut of my Fathers hands He pleads here first his Fathers will He gave them me And then secondly his power whom these Jewes he spake to acknowledged greater than all though him they did not He is greater then all none can pluck them out of his hands and then argues to himself My Father and I are one One in nature therefore much more in will Two persons that have distinct essence may yet be one in will as the Ten Kings are said to be of one minde when they agreed in one thing Rev. 17. 13 17. so Act. 4. 32. it is said that they that believed were of one heart and of one soule that is in judgement and consent of minde But Christ and God the Father are one yet neerer one in nature and therefore much more entire in will for by nature they have but one will between them And that place speaks at once in relation to both their willingnesse to save as to both their powers to save sinners And this is not only an Argument that they did both agree and were like to agree in it but that they can never disagree Two that essentially have two wills though for the present agreeing in one yet it may be supposed that they may come to disagree and not will the same thing but if they essentially have but one will it is impossible then but that they must ever agree This great security therefore doth Christ give for the salvation of sinners You have not only two Persons engaged Persons greater then all but all that is in them engaged both their Power and Will and what more can be desired And if the one holds his purpose the other must also for they are one You have the one-nesse of God and Christ given you for security so that if they can never be made two and wrought asunder then sinners must needs be saved Till these two Persons do disagree you are sure enough and they must cease to be ere they can cease to agree for they are one and one in being We have another testimony as full as this 1 John 5. 7. There are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost we are yet surer here is a third Person that comes in and these three are one Now what is the thing that these do witnesse unto ver. 11. it followes This is the record that God hath given to us eternall life and this life is in his Sonne Here their truth is pawned as in that other place their power was for the Apostle alledgeth this as such a truth as they all agree and stand in to make good And to prove this he sayes as in that other place Joh. 10. that these three are one that is one in nature therefore one in will and so also one in witnesse to this truth He sayes not only They agree in one for you shall observe that whereas there are three other witnesses mentioned to be on earth there is this difference put between their concurrencie in their testimonies and that of these that they agree in one so ver. 8. but there is more said of these namely that they
are one that is in Nature and so in Will or Purpose and so must needs much more agree in one Now that thing which their wils and testimonies and all agree in is as hath been said that God hath given us eternall life and this life is in his Son to all that shall come for it So that for Demonstrations of this I need go no further If there be any Power Will or Truth in these Persons Sinners shall be saved This being premised as the most bottome ground of Christs being at first and his continuing to be for ever willing to pardon sinners let us more particularly see first how his heart stood to the salvation of them before he came into the world and then secondly how it stood enclined unto it after he was come and what confirmations our faith may have from both So that the thing that I am herein to speak to is not so much his willingnes to the work of Redemption it self that I have elswhere handled apart but his willingnesse and readinesse to save sinners 1. Let us see how his heart stood to this before the world was and before he came into it And for this we find that his delights were set upon it so Prov. 8. 31. Rejoycing in the habitable parts of his earth and my delights were with the sons of men Which words are more properly spoken of Christ then of God the Father and therefore I produce them under this Head For they are said to be spoken by Wisdome that is Christ himself he therein shewing how his minde stood towards us before the world began for he speaks what he and his Father did before the mountains were c. I was set up from everlasting ver. 22. Then I was by him c. ver. 30. And how did they passe away that long aevum as the Apostle cals it in nothing but rejoycing and delights He there speaks of nothing else that they did And what was the matter of delight unto them 1. He and his Father delighted one in another ver. 30. 2. In the salvation of men My delights were with the sons of men so ver. 31. And he speaks of men as falne for it is said in the beginning of the same verse that he rejoyced in the habitable parts of his earth which is spoken not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles too and of men all the earth over Now first Delights arise out of the strongest and choicest desires Men are pleased with many things in which they delight not Christs heart and desires must needs have been most on that which his delights are in Again secondly the greater the persons are and the greater their minds are the greater are their delights Things of great concernment are usually the objects which are the delights of Kings and which they take pleasure in Now the great God and Jesus Christ singled out the pardon and reconciliation of sinners for their chiefe delights 3. Their delight herein is mentioned and in no other work of theirs not the Angels nor the World nor any thing in it 4 This their delight is mentioned next to their delighting in each other And fiftly this delight he took aforehand whilst his heart was only in the expectation of it and his mind but laying the plot of it He delights in it ere he doth it And if all this joy of his be only in the thoughts of it how much more will it delight him when he comes to do it All this argues how great a matter this was in his esteem and how much his heart was in it and that from everlasting Demonstrations from the disposition of Christs heart and his carriage upon earth As also some engagements since his death IN the second place when Christ had assumed our nature and whilst he remained upon earth how did this disposition of his abound in him It were endlesse to give all the instances that his story and Sermons do afford hereof See but how welcome all sorts of sinners were at all times unto him He cast out none that acknowledged him for the Messiah he turned none away that gave up their soules unto him to be saved his own way He was indeed most reserved unto that rich young man of any other yet he used him courteously the Text saith he loved him Christ turned him not away but directed him the right way to follow him And he went away of himself undervaluing Christ to his possessions And another time Christ indeed seems to discourage the Canaanitish woman and put her away calling her dog But it was only in words for underhand he strongly drawes her heart to him by his Spirit and suggests thereby to her heart by way of answer a consideration of the highest Faith towards him that dogs might partake of the crums that fall from their Masters table I instance in these because I would prevent and remove any exception which might be taken from them For otherwise Christs professed entertainment of all sinners was so open and notorious as it was turned into his disgrace and opprobry That he was a friend to Publicans and Sinners which yet he ownes and glories in professing that he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And how glad he was when any such came in unto him he sufficiently expresseth by those parables on purpose taken up of the joy of the Prodigals father for his returne and of the rejoycing for the finding of the lost groat and likewise of the lost sheep more then of the 99. We read of Christs joy but seldome and when it is at any time recorded it is at the conversion of Soules He had little else to comfort himself in being a man of sorrows and he had nothing else on earth which he took delight or pleasure in When he was converting the poor woman of Samaria which he doth as a pleasure and recreation to him he forgets his meat although before he had been very hungry and tels his Disciples that he had meat which they knew not of which was indeed the saving that poor womans soul In Luke 10. 21. we read that Jesus rejoyced in his spirit but observe the occasion He had sent out his Disciples to preach the Gospel and they had in his Name and through his Power cast out Devils He bids them not rejoyce in that ver. 20. but shews them what they should rejoyce in by his own example and by what most comforted him Father sayes he I thank thee that thou hast revealed these things unto Babes This in in the next words following recorded to be the matter of his rejoycing he saw now an handsell and an experiment of the fruit of his Disciples ministery and comforted himselfe before-hand in that as their souls had so others of the poorer and meaner sort should thus come in unto him We finde him at another time in like manner rejoycing namely in the story of his raising Lazarus Iohn 11. 15. And
what was it for Not that himself should be glorified by so great a miracle even the greatest that ever he wrought but sayes he I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the end that you might beleeve He rejoyced if any of his got a little more or further degree of faith And on the other side as sorry was he when men came not in Witnesse his tears over Jerusalem and those speeches of his Iohn 5. 34. These things I speake that you might be saved And thereupon in the ensuing verse he complainingly utters himself You will not sayes he come to me that you may have life He speaks as one greedy of winning soules and as sorry that any customers or hearers of his should passe by and not turne in You will not come to me c. And he relieves himself with this that there wâ—â—e others that would though they would not So here in this place when in the verse before my Text he had complained of them that they would not beleeve he comforts himself with this in the words of the Text All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me And the like you have Ioh 5. 25 26. You beleeve not but my sheep they heare my voice c. And then at his death when he was upon the Crosse he then converts a thiefe that was crucified with him and prayes for those that crucified him And after his Resurrection his last words recorded in Luke 24. 47. are That remission of sins should be preached in his name beginning at Ierusalem that so those whom he had prayed for though they had crucified him might be converted and saved Thus stood his heart all the while he was on earth both before and after his death And then in the third place now that he hath dyed and laid down that price which was to purchase the salvation of sinners he must needs be much more willing if it were possible he should be then ever Many Demonstrations there are from those obligations which Christs sufferings and death do put upon him which I have already given in a Treatise upon this very argument The heart of Christ in Heaven Part 2. onely I have reserved one or two for this place As 1. It was the aim and utmost intent of Christs soul in his being crucified to have sinners saved and saved effectually It was that travaile which his heart was then big with And certainly Christ would not that so many and so great sufferings now that they are past and over should be in vaine The Apostle makes a motive of it unto the Galatians Gal. 3. 34. Are ye so foolish have ye suffered so many things in vain To be sure Christs death shall not be in vain He will not lose the end of his sufferings as the same Apostle intimates but 4. verses before Chap. 2. ult. A businesse that a man hath praied for much how doth he long to see it accomplished and fulfilled and how glad is he when it falls out as he hath prayed and why but because it is the fruit of his Prayers Now much more glad is Christ to see the fruit of his death The travaile of his soul and thereby is satisfied Isai. 53. 10. a place I often quote to this purpose I will add but this to it When a woman hath been in travaile she forgets all her paines for joy that a man-childe is borne which is the fruit of that her travail and so doth Christ And then again for that other word that Christ is said to be satisfied Satisfaction is the accomplishment of desire or the fulfilling of ones longing So in that speech of Christ Blessed are those that hunger for they shall be satisfied So that this doth argue and presuppose the most vehement desires and longings in Christ for the salvation of souls and his having dyed must needs encrease them And 2. Adde this engagement unto that former That his death can be put to no other use then for the pardon of sinners So as if he should not expend it that way he should utterly lose the fruit of it or let it lye uselesse by him For divert it to any other use he cannot And yet if he knew how to improve it to any other purpose yet his love he having intended it for the sons of men would not suffer him to do it But besides if it be not imployed and bestowed this way it will be wholly in vaine for the good Angels though they stand in need of his Personall mediation to confirme them in grace yet his blood was not requisite thereunto And for the bad Angels they are utterly excluded the benefit of it And then Christ himself he stands in no need of it nor can he have any benefit by it all that Personall glory which now he hath in Heaven being due unto him by that Hypostaticall union So that his death serves for no end if not for this Christ indeed hath an honour in Heaven besides the glory of the personall union but then it ariseth to him from the salvation of sinners through his death which salvation is the purchase of his blood as you have it Ephes. 1. which might afford a third engagement In that Christ should not only lose the fruit of his death but that glory that is ordained him by the salvation of men So that he should be a loser not only of his sufferings by-past but of all that glory that is to come from the salvation of believers which is no small thing unto him As Officers in Courts of Law or in Universities get the more fees the more Clients and the more Commercers there are so it is the more for Jesus Christs gain that many sinners get out and are received to grace and mercy Some Extrinsecall demonstrations of Gods and Christs willingnesse to pardon sinners ANd unto all these secret engagements both of God and Christ mutually to each other and to us we may adde all the professed publications of their minds herein unto us which have been made upon all occasions and by all means possible As First This newes hath been published by all three persons first God the Father he began to preach it to Adam in Paradise and hath renued it again and again as with his own immediate voice from Heaven when Christ was baptized This is my welbeloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare him which the Apostle Peter records and confirmes as spoken a second time upon the Mount as a matter of highest moment to be known by us which voyce he heard sayes he and is no fable 2 Pet. 1. 16 17. Secondly Christ who is the faithfull and true witnes Rev. 1. 5. he came from the bosome of his Father and preached peace Ephes. 2. 17. Yea and it was one of his first texts he preached upon Luke 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anoynted me to preach the Gospel to preach deliverance to
the captives Thirdly The Holy Ghost he also herewith bearing witnesse that God hath exalted Christ to be a Prince and Saviour to give repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes Acts 5. 31 32. And so Heb. 2. 45. And these are these three witnesses in heaven 1 John 5. 7. whose record as it followes is this that there is life to be had in his Son Jesus Christ v. 11. Secondly God hath published this newes both by all creatures reasonable and to all creatures reasonable First the Angels they came and preached it singing Peace on earth good will towards men Luke 2. 13 14. Secondly By men and to that end he hath given gifts to men powerfull and full of glory Ephes. 4. 8. c. And a commission with those gifts a most large and gratious one And he hath committed to us the ministery of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Cor. 5. 20. Yea and thirdly he hath maintained this ministry in all ages even to our times all times have rung of the newes hereof and the world is still full of his Embassadors to treat with men about this peace and they are to proclaime that he is fully willing and upon that ground to beseech men to be reconciled and so long as Leiger Embassadors reside uncalled home or not sent for away so long the treaty of peace holds Fourthly He hath proclaimed this by these this Embassadors in all places he bad them go and preach it to all the world to every creature Mark 16. 15. And his Disciples did accordingly Now he would not have had it spoken so openly and generally if he were not most serious in it Fiftly Adde to this that he hath declared it by all wayes and meanes that do argue faithfulnesse and seriousnesse First Not by bare word of mouth but we have it under his hand he hath left his mind in writing This book which is dropt from heaven the title of it is The word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. the main argument of it being reconciliation In this book we find proclamation sent forth after proclamation book after book line after line all written to this end that we sinners might have hope and strong consolation as the Apostle witnesseth Secondly He hath added to this writing those seales of the Sacraments and further an oath to both and that made advisedly with the greatest earnestnesse and deliberation that might be Heb. 6. 17. God willing the text sayes more abundantly to manifest this his intent the immutability of his counsell he confirmed that promise with an oath that by two immutable things his word and oath we might have strong consolation Thirdly If this be not sufficient he hath pawned heaven and earth the Covenant of day and night in Mortgage to forgive iniquity and pardon sinners Thus Jer. 31. 34 35 36. This is my Covenant sayes God there that I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sinnes no more so ver. 34. and then it follows ver. 35. Thus saith the Lord who giveth the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and stars for a light by night If those ordinances depart from before me then the seed of Israel c. The like you have Chap. 33. 25 26. Day and night we see stand still and therefore this Covenant holds good still but we have a greater pawn then this the death of his Son And lastly Let his actions and courses which he hath taken from the beginning of the world speak for all the rest as satan hath been a murtherer from the beginning so God hath been a Saviour from the beginning and Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world God began with the first of mankind even with Adam and Eve the ringleaders the heads of this rebellion who drew all the rest of the world into that enmity these were yet reconciled Kings usually hang up the heads and chiefe in treasons for examples of their justice though they pardon others yet these did God save and pardon as examples of his mercy to all that should come of them and it is observeable that the first thing he did after the world was fallen was this act of mercy both in preaching this Gospel and in pardoning them he began to do that soon which he meant to be alwayes a doing to the end of the world it argues he delights in it yea and according to Christ last promise on earth that he would be with us to the end of the world God is to this day reconciling the world of men to himself Some that walk in your streets by you live among you And he will have thousands when you are gone and what are these but as flags and patternes of mercy hung forth by God to toll and bring others in as Ephes. 2. 7. Vse WHat should the consideration of these things work in our hearts but what the scope of the text it self puts men upon even that they would come in unto Christ and beleeve on him and give up their souls unto him He that beleeves shall in no wise be cast out As Christ therefore is willing so should we be a willing people That which keepes men off is that they know not Christs minde and heart think it not to be an indifferent thing to him whether you beleeve or no as if he came into the world to do this duty of dying for sinners singly in obedience to his Father so that men might be rendred savable if they will and that however if they will not he yet hath enough to satisfie and quiet himself with even this that he shall be glorified in what he hath done though few or none of the sons of men be saved It is a prejudiciall doctrine this to the salvation of men and derogatory to Christs free love What do we think that Jesus Christ is gone to heaven there to complaine unto Angels of the unkindnesse and hardnes of mens hearts that will not turne to him notwithstanding he hath done so much and to tell what he had done for them and what they would not be perswaded to do for themselves and that so he can sufficiently please himself with such just complaints no surely our effectuall salvation concernes him more then so and his heart is more fully bent upon it then thus to leave it of what he hath bought he will lose nothing The truth is he is more glad of us then we can be of him The Father of the Prodigall was the forwarder of the two to that joyfull meeting Hast thou a minde he that came down from Heaven as himself saith in the text to dye for thee will meet thee more then half way as the prodigals father is said to do by his spirit he will send him from Heaven to thee and at the latter day himself will come again to fetch thee and receive thee to himself If among the Angels in Heaven there be