Alas I doe it not it was the Lord that wrought this heart in mee I have seene the day when I could have beene as well content to heare the Minister preach plainly as to have a knife run to my heart but the Lord wrought my heart to it therefore the Spirit puts that magnet stone of the mercie and grace of Christ upon my heart hee puts this temper upon my heart and makes it able to close with it selfe in the promise in 2 Corin. 5.5 when Paul there had disputed of his desire to lay downe his life for the Gospell and to put his body upon suffering for the Gospels sake he was even weary of the world and would faine have beene gone how gat he this temper why the text saith Now he that hath wrought us for the same thing if God who also hath given us the earnest of his Spirit it is a great while before wee can bee brought to this temper when all the Ministers tongues are even worne to the stumps and the wicked will bee wicked still yet the Lord doth worke it so then you see that the Spirit of God by the promise works upon the soule and leaves a dint upon the heart and so brings the soule by the Spirit to close with it selfe in the promise and hence you may collect two things for your information in this kinde Colect 1 First that the beleever being moved by the stroke of the Spirit of the Father is made able to close with the Father and the Sonne because the Spirit of the Lord doth fasten fit and frame the heart hereunto in this manner and hence it is that the soule can close with the Father and the Sonne too why because the Spirit which proceeds and comes from the Father and the Sonne is able to frame the soule to close with both for the Spirit hath something of the Father and something of the Sonne and therefore is able to make the soule to close with both 1 Iohn 1.3 These things have I written unto you that you may have fellowship with us holy Iohn was a spirituall father unto them and hee writes to them that thereby they might have fellowship with the Saints and he saith Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ why doth he not say our fellowship is with the Father as well as to say our fellowship is with the Father and the Sonne because it is presumed before hand that a man must have fellowship with the Spirit before hee can have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne because it is the Spirit that hath fitted the heart and framed it to close with both Colect 2 Secondly hence it comes to passe that the person of the beleever may bee knit to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ the foot is knit to the head by the continuance of the order of the body and the members thereof as the foot is knit to the leg and the leg to the thigh and the thigh to the body and so to the head this is the meaning of that phrase Iohn 6.56 our Saviour presseth this hard upon the Disciples and saith My flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and in him then they begun to wonder at it and to say How can this be and yet Christ saith what if you see the the Sonne of man carrying the body of his flesh into heaven you will thinke it more hard to eat my flesh then yet you must eat my flesh then too how it is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak they are Spirit and life as if he had said my good Spirit is in the word and promise close you with my Spirit and then you draw my Spirit my flesh and my blood downe into your whole natures the words that I speake they are Spirit and Life that is my Spirit is in the Word of the promise though my body be gone up into heaven therefore close you with my Spirit in the promise and then you close with my flesh spiritually Thus much for the manner of the union Now for the order of this union how this is done and there the question will be this Whether the beleever is knit first to the humane nature of Christ or to the Divine nature Quest. 2 I am not greatly willing to meddle with this point in this popular congregation because there are many wise and orthodox Divines and godly too which are of contrary opinion they confesse both but they differ about the order but that I may bring no prejudice to the judgement of any I will shortly shew you the summe of those arguments Answ which either side hold and will shew to which I doe incline and so leave the point to the judgement of those that heare it to incline to which side they thinke best and thus I shall wrong none at all First some Divines wise holy and orthodox and many too doe goe that way all of them have it from that root they that hold that the soule is knit to the humane nature of Christ first have two reasons for it First say they as the Scripture reveales Christ to us so also our hearts embrace him and close with him but the Scripture reveales the Lord Christ more often and frequently in regard of his Manhood than in regard of his Godhead as in that place The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head and such like therefore the understanding first closeth with this and the heart first receives it the second reason why they hold this is thus much If say they all the great works of our redemption both sanctification and justification and redemption were wrought in the humane nature of Christ and as by a channell conveyed to us by his humane nature then it is reason that the soule should first close with the humane nature but it is so that all the great workes of justification sanctification c. were all accomplished in the humane nature of Christ for as the text saith He died for our sins and triumphed over sin and hell and death therefore say they it is fit that the soule should first close with the humane nature of Christ and this is the life and pith of all their arguments Againe other Divines and they are wise and orthodox they hold this and though all hold the maine substantiall truths of eternall life yet they differ in this they say the beleever is first knit to the Deity and they have also two arguments and the first is this That which is the maine and the proper object of faith to that the soule first lookes and to that the soule is first united for all union comes by operation in this kinde but the Godhead is the first object of faith in beleeving the Godhead and the third person of Trinity they are the first objects of
us and pronounceth us righteous by a legall course of proceeding as in these words That we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him such a righteousnesse as God the Father will worke in us and will accept of us As when the wife is betrothed and married to a man all her old debts are laid upon her husband and the law meddles no more with her and secondly all his lands at least the third part of them are made over to her What shee hath in point of debt is put over to him so all our sinnes and debts of corruptions are laid upon Christ and all the rich fefments of grace and mercy in Christ are made over to a beleever and hence a beleever comes to be acquitted and justified before God From the first part of this description the point is this Doctrine Iustification is an act of God the Father upon the beleever It is an act that passeth from God the Father upon the beleever For the proofe of this point there are three verses in the same Chapter which make it good the 18 19 20. verses and so on to the end of the Text in the 18. verse hee saith All things are of God which hath reconciled us unto himselfe by Iesus Christ of God that is of God the Father and yet more plainly in the 19. verse God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their sinnes to them Now what is meant by God in these two verses the old rule of Divines is this that wheresoever you finde the Name of God put in opposition to Iesus Christ it must not be taken essentially but personally for the Father For it were almost an absurd thing to say that Christ were in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe therefore the Apostle implies thus much God the Father was in Christ reconciling and God the Father by Christ reconciled the world unto himselfe and then in the 20. and 21. verses he saith Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs stead that yee be reconciled to God that is to God the Father for he hath made him sinne for us which knew no sinne and another proofe is in the 3. of Saint Iohn 14.15 and so to the end of the 18. verse it is an observation of wise Divines and good Interpreters when our Saviour comes to trade with Nichodemus about eternall life hee doth not onely content himselfe to speake of himselfe alone as he was Christ the Redeemer of the world but he sets him yet a little higher in the 14. verse hee saith As Moses lifted up the brasen Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of Man bee lifted up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternall life A man would have thought that this had beene enough but hee stayes not here but he puts him one pin above all these and saith For God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne for it that whosoever beleeveth on him might not perish but have everlasting life as if hee had said there is not only a Christ prepared and sent but God the Father also loved the world here is the highest staire to stay up the heart so that the point is plaine and sure enough Now let us make it cleare and that I shall doe by answering two questions Quest. 1 First why it is called an act of God the Father Quest. 2 Secondly why an act of the Father upon the beleever Quest. 1 For the former why doth the description say it is an act of God the Father Answer I answer it is an act of the Father not excluding the Sonne or the worke of the holy Ghost which must both bee understood it is an act of God the Father upon the beleever but it is through Christ there are these two grounds or reasons why it is given to the Father Reason 1 First because the Father was the party that was properly offended the Father is the first person in the Trinitie and he was directly offended by Adams sinne it is true the Sonne and the holy Ghost were offended too as being friends with the Father and having a relation to the Father and a sweet fellowship with the Father but the sinne was directly against the Father and indirectly against the Son and the holy Ghost The groūd of the point is this it wronged that worke of Creation wherein the manner of the worke of the Father appeared in a speciall manner and the manner of the worke of the Son appeared in redemption and the manner of the worke of the holy Ghost appeared in sanctification so that God the Father was the first in the worke of the Creation the Sonne second in the worke of redemption the holy Ghost third in the worke of sanctification Now creation being the worke wherein the power of the Father did most shew it selfe Adam falling away from this did principally wrong the Father for his manner of worke appearing herein therefore Adam did herein goe directly crosse to God Excellent is that phrase 1 Iohn 2.1 Little children these things write I unto you that ye sinne not but some may say what if we doe sinne why saith hee we have an Advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ the Iust. Now no man saith wee have an Advocate with an advocate no for that were absurd for no advocate pleads to another advocate but he pleads to the partie offended for the partie which hath offended now in that the Apostle saith We have an Advocate with the Father even Iesus Christ It is plaine that God the Father was the Person directly offended the issue then is thus much The Father being the Creditor and the Person directly offended the Lord Iesus Christ became our Suretie and the creditor doth require the debt at the hands of our Suretie and acquits the debtor the creditor requires this but the acquittance comes mainly and properly from the Father because the debt was due to him so that God the Father is the Creditor the Sonne is the Suretie the poore sinner is the debtor the holy Spirit is the messenger that brings the acquittance from God the Father and saith loe the Father hath accepted of thee in his Sonne the Suretie hath paid the debt for thee and see here is the acquittance for thee so that though the holy Ghost doth bring the acquittance yet the Father must give it This is the first reason Reason 2 Secondly wee say that Iustification is an act of God the Father because the Father is the fountaine in the Deity as Divines use to say in all the workes that are done by the Deitie the Father is the first for as the Persons are in their being so they are in their working The Father in order workes before the Son and the holy Ghost the Sonne workes not before the Father hath wrought and the holy Ghost workes not before the Father
and receives those that are most exact in a Christian course if thy heart be estranged from such as doe walke exactly before God either because he hath given them parts and gifts or because he hath made them humble and faithfull if the Spirit of the Lord be in the Saints then the Spirit of malice and of the Devill is in thee Gods Spirit closeth with all the faithfull ones but thy Spirit cannot close with them when they are made one Spirit with Christ wilt thou be of two Spirits with them then either Christ is to bee blamed or else thou art to be condemned for this basenesse of thine either Christ knowes not how to chuse a good Spirit or else thou art a base vilde spirit this is the great sinne of this last age of the world men are lovers of themselves and not lovers of God nor his grace nor Spirit it is admirable to see how every one that is wicked findes favours in the world but only those that are holy and gracious and one spirit with Christ a drunkard is no mans enemie but his owne and with adulterers you can make matches and if they were murtherers or theeves wee have a kinde of lamentation for them but when it comes to a sincere soule their hearts rise up against him with a desperate spleene and they say these are the holy brethren why what are they Oh saith the Father he is quite spoild I had a sonne which I had some hopes of but now he is gone downe the winde and he will never be good for any thing and then saith the drunkard hee was as good a companion as ever lived and had â—s brave jests to make us merrie withall but now he is quite spoild then thy meaning is that when hee had an uncleane spirit thou didst love him but now because he is come to have a neere union with the Lord Jesus Christ therefore thou art estranged from him then cursed be thy wrath for it is fierce and thy rage for it is cruell if the Spirit of God be holy and good to which hee is united then thou art a vilde unholy wretch I hope now you may know what will become of such and such in the townes and places where you live such I meane as are holy and gracious and yet are hated and despised even those poore creatures are glued to the Lord Christ nay they are holy spirited men which the Spirit of God delights in therefore thy spirit is of Sathan that thou doest thus malice him I confesse a godly heart will have his sits and excursions now and then like an unruly colt and may run wildly into sinne this may befall a godly gracious heart but all this while this is poison and the soule of a godly man sees this and is wearie of it and is marvellously burthened with it and saith Oh vilde wretch that I am what would I have and what is he that I cannot love him is it because the good Spirit of the Lord is there â— shall I resist the good Spirit of the Lord and so commit the sinne against the holy Ghost away thou vilde wretched heart I will love him thus the soule labours and strives for that exactnesse and would faine have that goodnesse which hee sees in other it is in this thing as it is in a mans meat he that hath an unwholesome stomack and seeth that the meat is good and knowne not but that he may eat it he will not blame the meat if hee be ill after it but his stomack but there are some that love to bee cating lome wals and such trash as is naught for them for the stomack is vilde within and would have as bad as himselfe so out of the pride of nature and self-confidence these distempers will bee rising in us but a gracious soule is even sick at the heart and weary of his life and he is never well untill he hath gotten a purge but he that hath the disease and is sick of hatred and malice looke how his heart is so is his tongue and as his heart is so is his carriage Oh poore wretched creature what God may doe for him I know not but for the present he hath the spirit of the Devill in him he is no man but a toad that can live of poison and make a meale of it and yet his heart never be affected with it Vse 3 In the third place is man a sociable creature and must he have some to keepe company with him then in the next place be exhorted to close with such as Christ himselfe doth close withall chuse such companions as the good Spirit of the Lord doth meet withall doest thou see a gracious sincere hearted Christian that is one spirit with the Lord love him and let thy heart be one Spirit with him too and not only the rich but the poore too it is that which we have in nature every man desires to have one that is of a faire nature and a loving disposition he is a â—â— man to make a friend of and these things are not discommendable it is strange to see when God hath cut the 〈◊〉 of these wolves how taâ—â— and quiet they are but would you have a man of a good nature indeed for as one saith hee that hath no more than restraining grace is no more than a tame Devill but would you have a friend of a good nature indeed for this is the maine of all then chuse such as are one with Christ and remember that place in 2 Peter 1.4 Wee are partakers of the divine nature he that is one Spirit with Christ he is partaker of the divine nature even the nature of God himselfe the Spirit of God and the Spirit of meeknesse and self-deniall is in him therefore let thy heart be inlarged towards him and joyne thou side with him which is joyned so neerely to the Lord it was the old practice of those in Zach. 8.22 when God shall honour the Jewes and make them glorious in sanctification and holinesse and they shall goe to market and buy and doe all things holily then shall ten men take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew and shall say We will goe with you for wee have heard that God is with you would you not goe with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Yes Oh then get you to the Saints of God and get them to your houses and lay hold upon gracious Christians and say I will live and converse with you for the Spirit of Christ is with you THE SOVLES BENEFIT FROM VNION WITH CHRIST By T. H. LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at the Black Beare in S. Pauls Church-yard 1638. THE SOVLES BENEFIT from Vnion with CHRIST 1 CORIN 1.30 But of him are yee in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption HOw the soule of a sinner should be prepared for our Saviour and
and the Son have wrought Hence it is that actions are given especially to the Father though not excluding the Sonne nor the holy Ghost but yet howsoever they are all equall in their working in regard of time yet the Father is first in regard of order A malefactor is now arraigned and condemned and the pardon is to be begged and none but the Kings sonne the young Prince can have a pardon his abilities are onely able to carry him through the worke the Prince begs it the Favorite brings it but the King onely grants it so it is here the Lord Iesus Christ is the Sonne of the everlasting Father and the Prince of peace and hee it is that begs the pardon of his Father hee sends it to us by the hands of the holy Ghost but only the Father grants the pardon When the soule hath long beene humbled and selfe denying and said Lord forgive the trespasses of thy servant and yeelds and layes downe the weapons of deflance and falls at the footstoole of the Lord Iesus Christ and rowles it selfe upon his merits then the Spirit comes and saith thy sinnes are pardoned thy person is accepted I bring thee this newes from God the Father God is now reconciled to thee in and by the Lord Iesus Christ now the Father is the King that grants this pardon the Sonne is he that begs it and the Spirit is the messenger that brings it Now you see how it is an act of God the Father Quest. 2 Secondly I come to shew why it is an act of God the Father upon the beleever Answer The reasons of the question are these we must understand that the actions of God are of two sorts First there are some actions which doe remain in God which are confined within the compasse of his owne Councell and goe no further and they are immanent actions they stay in God and goe no further A man may conceive in his mind what heresolves to doe in his heart whether hee will doe such a thing or no and no man can tell what he intends to doe but himselfe but if a man will practise answerably according to his purpose then he doth expresse the worke outwardly which he intended inwardly and now hee workes upon the creature and makes it to receive some impression of that good which hee kept secretly in himselfe There are some actions which remaine in God as the decrees and purposes of God before the foundation of the world and they are confined within the high Councell table of Heaven Father Sonne and holy Ghost and these never appeared to the eye of the world Secondly there are actions also which passe from God upon the creature and doe worke a change and an alteration upon the creature and these wee call transient actions or actions that passe which are not onely in God but passe from God and doe frame and order and dispose of the creature as God sees fit and of this sort are all the actions that belong to a Christian except predestination for the Lord doth not reveale those secrets unto any by the worke of vocation which is wrought upon the creature for there the Lord quickens desire and stirres up hope and kindles love and joy and the Lord turnes the face of the soule God-ward and in adoption regeneration and all the workes of grace and salvation and of this kinde is justification and this is the reason why I call it a transient action because it passeth upon the creature but that must be warily understood with a graine of salt as the Proverbe is now what change is this I answer the Lord workes a change upon the creature two wayes First the Lord is said to passe a worke or an action upon the creature when he puts some kind of abilitie upon the creature either spirituall or naturall as when the Lord makes a wicked man a good man an adulterous man a chaste man and of an envious proud malicious man a patient meeke and holy man and this we call a naturall change because there is a gracious frame put into the heart and soule which overpowers the creature and all things are become new new affections new desires but this is not all for here is the difficultie Secondly the Lord is said to make a change upon the creature when he takes off some relations and respects which the creature had and puts upon it some other respects hee doth not put them into the soule but puts the soule into another roome and they are not naturally qualities but onely relations which are imprinted upon the soule of man and these are called morall and of this kinde is justification as thus Take a Prentice that is bound by covenant and Indenture for so many yeeres and he is now fallen into an ague or a burning fever hee hath two relations First he is an apprentice Secondly hee hath a weake sickly distempered body now there may bee a double change wrought in this man according to this double disposition first the master burnes the Indentures and gives him his time and sets him free from his service and hee that was an apprentice before is now a freeman this is a morall change for all this while he is as sicke as he was before but the former relation is quite gone and the master cannot now command him to his service now the fellow servants cannot dominere over him because he is not now a servant but now the wise Physitian he comes and he by good means helps the man of his disease and brings him to a faire sweet and wholsome temper of body and now there is a change in the very nature of this servant before he was distempered but now he is well ordered before hot but now finely coole here is something wrought in the nature of this man Just so it is in this change of the soule there is a morall change in justification a man is bound to the Law and liable to the penaltie of it and guiltie of the breach of it now God the Father in Jesus Christ acquits a man of this guilt and delivers him from this revenging power of the Law and that 's not all but withall hee puts holinesse into the heart and wisedome into the minde and puritie into the affections this is called a naturall change because there are new spiritual abilities put into the heart not because of the nature of it but because of the thing which it works as to take the example of Scripture 1 Iohn 3.14 Wee are translated from death to life As it is with a man taken prisoner in Turkie or some other place haply a Christian of England he is accounted a Traitor there and is condemned as a Traitor the man being weake of himselfe and not able to deliver himselfe he must bee dealt by as a Traitor but now if this man bee rescued and finde some way of escape and bee set upon some other shore whereby he may be conveyed
the suit against the partie offending our Saviour steps into our roome and submits himselfe to the censure of the Father and as we were accounted so he was content to bee accounted and as we were to suffer so he was content to suffer for us God the Father loved him as he was God and holy and innocent yet he condemnes him and lets in his wrath upon him as he was to beare our sins for God the Father might love Jesus Christ and yet give his body to death naturall so God the Father might love the soule of our Saviour and yet give it over to paine supernaturall all the world confesseth that it was without anger that Christ died and yet the Father slew him this conclusion helps us to the interpretation of that place Matthew 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee He was a Father to our Saviour and our Saviour a Son to him Fourthly whatsoever punishment proceeded from the Father our Saviour tooke it upon himselfe yet so as neither his sins deserved it neither did he sinne in bearing of it nor yet was hee overwhelmed in bearing of it as the wicked are which are damned but hee wrestled with it and overcame it hee first tooke upon himselfe that should have come upon a beleever when the wrath of God comes out like a Lion to take the sinfull sons of men from off the earth and the sea of his indignation flowes in amain then the Lord Jesus Christ steps in between the wrath of the Father and the soule of a beleever and hee bears all Iohn 18.11 when Peter would have rescued our Saviour from the high Priests Our Saviour said suffer it to bee so put up thy sword into its place shall I not drinke of the cup which my Father giveth me to drinke of hee doth not say shall I not sip or taste of the cup but shall I not drinke of it that is he drinkes the cup of wrath which was prepared for poore sinners cleane off therefore Esay 63.3 hee is said to tread the wine-presse of the Fathers wrath alone he did squeese it all out observe these explications in this kinde and know thus much that the want of the sense and feeling and operation of Gods love and the feeling of the indignation of Gods wrath in it selfe considered it is not a sinne but so far as our sinnes deserve this wrath of God and deserve this separation and so far as we out of our infidelitie dash the sweetnesse of Gods love we sin in this kinde but none of all this befell our Saviour the bare want of the one and the sense of the other is not a sinne but we sin in bearing it It is a sweet observation of the Schoolmen that our Saviour cried my God my God even in the losse of the sweetnesse of Gods favour and when Christ complaines and sweat water and blood yea clods of blood so that his heart broke within him under the fierce indignation of the Lord this fierce indignation may be attended two wayes or there are two things in it I say in the separation of God from the soule there are these two things to be attended First a want of that grace and holinesse and confidence whereby the soule should close with God that howsoever God goes away yet the soule should follow him as Iacob did after the Lord when hee said I will not let thee goe unlesse thou blesse mee Now it is one thing when God goes away and it is another thing when we push him away therefore that want of grace and holinesse and confidence whereby the soule should cleave to and close with God this is one thing which causeth the separation of God from us this is on our part Secondly there is another worke on Gods part that howsoever the soule stands Godward and Christward and it cleaves to him as Iob did that would trust in him though he kild him yet God may withdraw the sweet refreshing operation and the sensible conveyance of his mercy and compassion from his soule and he frownes upon him and plucks away the hold and lets in his indignation upon him the first of these two can never bee without sinne and it is a hainous sinne when our soules sit loose from God and when we shall separate our selves from the mercy and goodnesse of God and are weary of Gods presence in his ordinances as many wicked men are and are weary of the promises and say as those in Iob did Depart from us for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes this is a cursed sinne and this never was nor could not be in our Saviour but now that the Lord may plucke away the sense of his love and favour and take away the operation and conveyance of his mercy this God may justly doe as he seeth good this was not a sinne in Iob that God did take away the sense of his love and mercy and seemed to be his enemy but if Iob had gone away from God as God did from him then he had sinned but hee held God still this was not a sinne in Iob that God did thus forsake him though haply it was through his sinne deserving it all this did befall our Saviour Christ and yet he was full of holinesse and hangs upon God and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And God was angry with him because he had our sinnes upon him but the first of these was not in Christ hee did not depart from God the second was inflicted upon our Saviour and that might be justly this ads much light to those passages those two ardent petitions of those two worthy lights Moses and Saint Paul Exodus 32.32 Moses perceiving that the Lord was ready to destroy the Israelites for their sinne he saith Now if thou pardon this sinne thy mercy shall appeare but if thou will not then rase mee out of the booke of life which thou hast written and in Rom. 9.3 Saint Paul foreseeing the rejection of the Jewes and that God would throw them away for sixteen hundred yeeres together the good man seeing the dishonour that was like to come to God the utter destruction of the people of the Jewes he saith I could even desire to be separated from Christ to be cut off from the Nation of the Iewes that they might not be forsaken of God Now should a man pray to be removed out of Gods presence and to be separated from God for ever and to be cut off from God and to be separated from Christ Jesus no for this were sinfull either it signifies that Paul should have his heart loosened and sit loose in his affections to God and to Jesus Christ this Paul did not pray for for it is a horrible sinne and it is an argument he hated Christ and himselfe too Now so farre as it implies our want of love to God and our want of depending upon God it is a fearfull sinne and these holy
and apprehension of the minde for what ever a man conceives his understanding closeth with it as whatever I apprehend I close with that there is a conveyance of the thing into my minde and I close with it now the union of a beleevers soule with Christ is more than this it is not a bare apprehension a wicked man will goe farre in the apprehension of Christ but this union is somewhat more and I call it a reall union because there is a knitting and a closing not onely of the apprehension with a Saviour but a closing of a soule with a Saviour Secondly I say this is a totall union the whole nature of a Saviour and the whole nature of a beleever are knit together first that it is a reall union all the places of Scripture doe intimate as much what the branch is to the vine the soule is to Christ now they are more than imagination so what the husband is to the wife the soule is to Christ Now they are more than in understanding for a man may conceive of another woman as well as of his wife but this is another union whereby the person of the one is knit unto another the bond of matrimony knits these two together This is the frame and guise of knitting the soule to Christ it is no bare apprehension but wee feed upon Christ and grow upon Christ and are married to Christ Hosea 2.20 I have married thee to my selfe in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse Secondly I say it is totall in so much that Christ is the head and a beleever a member in both these regards they are joyned Christ is the head of the Church not onely according as he is God but as hee is God and man and a beleever is a member not onely according to his body but according to his body and soule now whole Christ being the head and the whole beleever being a member therefore a whole Christ and a whole beleever must be joyned together The third is this this union is inseparable Ieremie 32.40 The Lord promiseth to make an everlasting covenant with the house of Israel and I will never part away from them to doe them good so Psalme 89.33.34 It is spoken there concerning Salomon as I conceive the Psalmist saith If he sinne against mee I will scourge him and I will visit him with stripes neverthelesse my loving kindnesse I will not take away from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile my covenant I will not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth marke that the Lord out of faithfulnesse doth establish thee to him in vocation the Lord hath made a covenant with the soule in vocation the hand of the Lord layes hold upon the soule and brings it home now though the Lord correct the soule sharply yet will be not leave it totally and finally it is inseparably knit to Christ what can it be what shall it be that can separate a poore sinner from Christ if Satan could have hindered him from comming to a Saviour hee would have then hindered him from comming to a Christ when he had his greatest dominion over him if sinne could have let him when a man had nothing else but sin he would not have forsaken that and have beene brought home to Christ If the world could have prevailed Christ should never have pluckt him from it but when Satan had his greatest power over him when a man was nothing else but sinne by nature when the world most prevailed yet then God by his good Spirit pluckt thy heart from sinne and selfe that soule is mine saith Christ Satan must give way and shall not hinder it that soule is mine saith Christ sinne shall not let it from comming to mee that soule is mine saith Christ and the world shall not stop the worke of a Saviour and if Satan in the height of his malice and the world in the top of its force could not prevaile to keepe the soule from Christ then much lesse shall these be able to pluck us from a Saviour the point then is undeniable that the soule is really totally and inseparably knit to the Lord Jesus Christ Vse 1 We may here take notice of the high and happy privilege of poore creatures how ever the poore Saints of God are despised and contemned of the world yet they are received into covenant with the Lord they are made one with Christ and are of the blood royall and this is the greatest privilege that can bee this should beare up the hearts of poore Christians yee are now in the very gate of Heaven nay let mee say as the Apostle speakes and I see no reason why a man may not say that hee is in Heaven in truth though not in that measure and largenesse of glory he shall be afterwards 1 Thess 1.17 The happinesse that a Christian shall have in Heaven is this Hee shall be ever with the Lord Iesus Heaven were not Heaven unlesse a man might bee with Christ there the place doth not make a man happy but the union with a Saviour that makes him happy and to be joyned to Father Sonne and holy Ghost that makes him happy and the beleever is now knit to them and therefore must needs be happy Deut. 33. the last verse as he said of the people of Israel so may I say of all faithfull soules Happy are thou oh Israel saith the text who is like unto thee saved by the Lord the shield of thy helpe and the sword of thy excellency so may I say Happy are ye oh beleeving soules who is like unto you yee are saved by God and are married to the Lord Jesus Christ and are the spouses of the Saviour of the world and he that is the Judge of the world is your Husband your beloved and you are his let nothing therefore dismay your hearts Vse 2 The second use is that of terrour and it is like a thunder-bolt able to breake the hearts of all those that are opposite to them that beleeve in Christ that which I would have all consider on is this that the persecution of the Saints is a sin of a high nature it is a most hainous abominable sinne in the sight of God how ever the world thinkes not so of it yet they shall bee sure one day to finde I know men thinke not then because haply the law of man provides not in this case to punish those that oppose the Lord Iesus Christ and the power of his grace because haply the Magistrate doth not or haply cannot smite those that set themselves against those that feare God and trample upon them therefore wicked men make the Saints of God the marke of their malice and the aime of their rage and all these indignation is bent that way they glory in what they have done and threaten what they will doe they will hang and draw and quarter within themselves this is that which the proud spirits of
faith therefore say they in the whole course of Scripture faith is cast upon the Godhead as Esay 50.10 Who so is wise amongst you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant he that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God all the phrase of Scripture runs thus Trust and hope and rely upon the Lord. So Iohn 14.1 2. vers Let not your hearts be troubled yee beleeve in God beleeve also in mee marke this Now did a man beleeve upon the Father as Father onely then hee did not beleeve upon the Sonne or did he beleeve onely upon the Sonne as Sonne then he did not beleeve upon the Father but in that hee beleeves upon the Father and the Sonne It is therefore plaine that he fals first upon the Godhead and seeing it is so that wee must beleeve upon the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost therefore we are not to beleeve upon one of them only but upon the whole Deity and the divine nature and all the three Persons in the divine nature for as the Schoolemen say that which doth appertaine to this as this belongs to this and to none other Now we beleeve in all the whole Trinitie and therefore wee close with all three the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and hence it is that these Divines observe that when we are said to beleeve in the Scriptures and in the promise not that any doe it properly but so farre as the promise that God in Christ revealing and promising and communicating himselfe so farre we beleeve in the promise that is in his faithfulnesse truth and mercy revealed in the promise The second reason which they alleage is this say they that which in reason must stay satisfie the soule of a beleever it is that in reason to which the soule must first betake it selfe and upon which it most first stay it selfe for faith goes out for succour and for good therefore that which only can satisfie faith to that onely it must first goe the beleever is dead in sinnes because of the commission of them but there is life in God therefore to an infinite God the soule comes to worke an infinite satisfaction for him which all creatures cannot doe in this case the Godhead prepares the humane nature and workes by the humane nature and gives power to the humane nature and makes it able to suffer and to satisfie faith sees that he hath offended an infinite God and deserved punishment of an infinite value therefore hee must repaire to him that can onely repaire in mercy to his soule therefore saith the Prophet David Psalme 130.7 verse Hope in the Lord for ever for with the Lord is plenteous redemption and in Esay 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength wee have everlasting miseries and troubles and distempers but with the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength therefore trust in him for ever nay hence it is that our Saviour saith Iohn 17.3 This is life eternall that they know thee to bee the very God and whom thou hast sent even Iesou Christ Now if you aske me which of these judgements I follow I answer because I love not to bee as a man that is here and there and no where in truth but I love to bee as a man that dwels at home for I am not ignorant that many Divines wise and learned whose parts and gifts I reverence they follow the former opinions and for my part I leave a judicious hearer to take which side he will but in truth the two last arguments have prevailed with me that the heart of a poor sinner beleeves and stayes it selfe firstly upon the Godhead and Deity and afterwards upon the Humanitie and mee thinkes the two former arguments seeme not to compell any mans understanding for bee it granted that the former Scriptures doe reveale the Lord Jesus Christ and mention him often as man yet it is as true they reveale him to bee God and mention his Godhead not mentioning at all his humanitie but whensoever they doe mention his humanitie firstly it is for good reason partly by way of prophecie to foretell of Christ what hee should be and partly by way of story and relation to relate of Christ what he was yet this reason inferres not that faith must therefore firstly lay hold upon the humanitie before the deitie but when the Lord is pleased to reveale Jesus Christ to the soule in the way of conversion then wee must apprehend Christ as God and Man in the point of conversion and then let the question be this whither the soule shall goe for that which it wants Now I see no reason why the soule should firstly goe to the humanity for what it wants and seekes hence it is that when the Scripture comes to speake in the way of conversion the Godhead is set first as in the 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe as God in Christ reconciles the world unto himselfe so God reveales himselfe to his faithfull Ministers and so they reveale him to the people it was the Godhead that was offended and must first of all be pleased and unto that God we must first goe for what we want so Ieremy 33.16 In those dayes Iudah shall be saved and Israel shall bee saved and this is the Name whereby they shall call him the Lord our righteousnesse so said the Angell they shall call his Name Emanuel which is by interpretation God with us this is to the first reason now to the second argument I answer thus If it bee good in reason that wee must first goe to the humane nature for these reasons propounded and if this be sufficient to call my faith that way because all the great workes are wrought that way then much more seeing the humane nature was inabled to the worke by the divine nature therefore my faith must first looke that way because the weight of the worke lies upon the Deitie the humane nature cannot assume to take to it selfe this glory not bee any way available to satisfie divine justice but that the Deitie enabled it and therefore faith must first of all looke unto that Thus it is confessed that the soule of a beleever is advanced to a marvellous high privilege now the use of it is referred to these three heads Vse 1 First are the soules of the faithfull come thus neere to Christ not onely to beleeve in him and to embrace him but to bee one Spirit with him then this may bee a use of instruction and it shewes to us that the sinnes of the faithfull are marvellous hainous in Gods account and exceeding grievous to his blessed Spirit that hath come so neere to us and brought us so neere unto himselfe every sinne is as a mountaine or as a wall of separation but the sinnes of the faithfull are no lesse than rebellion not
justified him Now the ground of this comfort lieth in three particulars or it affords a threefold consolation First because God the Father hath all things to doe with the soule of a beleever all the suits that are to bee made against a poore soule they come from God and if hee will cease the suit who can follow it if he will say hee is satisfied and well apaid then who can take any advantage against the soule Looke as it is with the Lord of a manour haply hee hath an ill neighbour lives under him and doth him much damage many wayes and the Noble man at last is resolved to follow the law against him therefore the poore man comes in and desires pardon of all that hee hath done amisse and promiseth never to doe the like and the Gentleman out of his noble disposition acquits him and forgives all now imagine some of the servants come in and raise clamours and complaints against him and all the servants of the family are against him well the poore man makes them this answer I have wronged none of you therefore if your Lord bee contented to acquit me I care not what you say I have not wronged you neither doe I feare you this is that which should chear up our hearts infinitely that God the Father is the Lord of the mannour even the Lord of the whole world and if there be any transgression done against thy neighbour whatsoever hee is the Lord of the manour it were no offence to steale but that he hath forbidden it and it were no offence to be disobedient to Parents but that hee hath said Honour thy father and mother c. The goods of thy neighbour are the Lords and the dammage that is done is against the Lord Now if God the Father doe mercifully acquit you and saith hee will pardon the breach of all his Commandements if God acquit us what need wee feare or care what the Devill sayes against us it may bee the Devill will come in and commence a suit against us and say what you be saved yes that 's a likely matter are you not guiltie of this and that well brethren we have done the Devill no wrong against thee onely have I sinned saith David it was against the commands of my good God and his holy Spirit it was against my Father and my Redeemer and they will pardon my sinne God saith I will forgive all that wrong done to me then let the Devill goe and shake his ears looke as it is with a creditor if he hath gotten the suretie in suit he will acquit the debtor and if the debtor be acquitted all the bailiffes in the world can doe him no hurt and hee saith I am out of your debt and danger so it is here God the Father is the Creditor wee have wronged God most infinitely wee owe unto God all that wee have but yet hee hath blotted out all our iniquities therefore if the Devill follow the suit it matters not The Lord saith I will remember his sinnes no more therefore the Devill can pursue him no further Secondly there can bee no court in the world can alter our justification if a man be righted in a lower court a higher court may call it over againe and overthrow it but this is admirable consolation doth God the Father acquit us in Heaven then let the Devill goe and appeale where he will A man never appeals from a higher court to a lower but from a lower court to a higher now all your sinnes are pardoned and you are acquitted in Heaven therefore goe your way comforted and let the Devill appeale where he will no man can reverse it The mercy of the Lord and his sentence endureth for ever you know it was Saint Pauls plea when hee saw that the Jewes were maliciously bent against him to have his life he said No man may deliver me unto them I appeale unto Cesar he saw hee should have hard dealing there if hee were committed to them therefore he appeals unto Cesar so we we have had our case tried in Heaven wee have Cesars judgement seat to goe unto the first person of the Trinitie is our Father the Creditor hath made it good unto us by the witnesse of the Spirit that our iniquities are pardoned and that he will heare no more of them therefore goe away for ever cheared and comforted Vse 2 Again in the second place we have here a word of direction Is God the Father the Judge of the Court then let me speak a word to all hūble broken hearted sinners when you have many Judges to sit upon you in your owne heart bee sure that you bee not judged by them but repaire unto God the Father and get his sentence upon them and whatsoever hee speakes submit unto it and bee contented to judge your selves and your estates answerable by it This is the great misery of many poore creatures that as many miseries as they have so many Judges they have sometimes their feare sits upon them and then they are damped sometimes their suspition sits upon them and then they are marvellously disquieted and sometimes hope sits upon them and then they are a little comforted Oh brethren and beloved in the Lord bee wise now for your soules and put your case to be tried onely by the Lord and not by every one Wee would count him a mad man that having a case of weight to bee tried should commit it to an enemy that hates him or else to an ignorant man that hath no skill at all in the businesse no wise man will doe it but hee appeales to the Judge of the court and lets him cast the cause just so it is here there are many of you some there are I am sure that have a sight of your sinnes and sometimes you thinke that God will certainly commence the suit against you what so many sinnes within mee and so many corruptions to follow mee and oppresse mee certainly my heart is naught are you so ignorant to commit your cause to bee judged by them your carnall reason is an enemie and your owne hearts are weake and not able to understand therefore go to a higher court and say with your selves I care not what the world saith and what carnall reason saith I passe not speake thou Lord a word of comfort to my soule and if his word bee for you then bee for ever comforted and quieted and looke onely to the judgement of the Lord and to none other it is in his hands onely to passe sentence and to condemne as hee seeth fit in his righteous judgement therefore stand to the sentence of him whose Word must stand and shall stand for ever as mount Zion If a plaintiffe have a case to be tried in the court of justice he cares not what the dispute of the lawyers be One man thinkes thus another thinkes thus another would be passing sentēce and saith thus it must be he cares not
of the Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father by faith and this must bee done at the doore of the Tabernacle the meaning is he is a common Saviour to all beleevers that as it is in a common ground every one hath a share in it and every borderer though never so poore may come and put on and feed his cattle as well as the best so here every poore beleever may come and feed upon the Lord Jesus Christ therefore the Apostle in the 3. verse of Iude cals it the common salvation not common to all the wicked and unbeleevers but to all the faithfull that border upon the promises and doe beleeve in them it is common to them all and the man that offered the sacrifice was to lay his hand upon the head of the sacrifice and there to confesse all the sinnes of the children of Israel this was the unburthening himselfe of his sinne and laying it upon the head of the sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ that so what wee are not able to beare hee may beare for us and answer divine justice for us and so there was another ceremony Leviticus 16.21 Of the scape goat there were two sacrifices to bee offered the one was to bee a burnt offering and the other was to escape Aaron was to put his hand upon the head of the live goat and to confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and their trespasses putting them upon the head of the live goat and shall send him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wildernesse so the goat shall beare upon him all the iniquities to a land not inhabited and the other was to be offered up for a burnt offering this was the type now the intendment of the ceremony was this the goat was the Lord Jesus Christ and when Aaron did put his hands upon the head of the goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and did put them upon the head of the goat it was thus much God the Father did charge all the sinnes of all the world upon the Lord Jesus Christ even of all from the beginning of the world to the end of it and did put them all upon the Lord Christ and howsoever he was a sacrifice for sinne yet hee was a scape goat and hath escaped out of the hands of hell and death and is now in Heaven and with him all beleevers shall escape from hell and death by the power of his merits Further ye see how the Prophet expounds the Law Esay 53.4 5. We thought him afflicted and buffetted for himselfe but he was wounded for our sins and broken for our iniquities hee was neglected amongst the wicked and they judged him as smitten for his owne sins but he was wounded for our sins imputed to him that wee through him might bee eased thereof and therefore the Text saith Hee bore our iniquities and me thinkes it hath reference to the scape goat and it is that which the Apostle doth peremptorily say Heb. 7.22 He was made a suretie of a better covenant Now the suretie hath not onely the payment to make but hee is accounted as the debtor the debt is laid to his charge as well as the payment is required thus the point is proved Now for the better discovery of this Doctrine let me doe two things First I will shew after what manner God did this and what is the behaviour of the Lord when hee chargeth the sinnes of the faithfull upon Christ Secondly I will shew the reasons of it why God the Father did so whereby it shall appeare that it is reasonable and it doth wonderfully magnifie the Justice and mercy of God Quest. 1 For the first if a man aske me what God the Father doth when hee chargeth the sinnes of the faithfull upon Christ Answer I answer this act carries three things in it or God brings about the worke by a threefold act First God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ made a mutuall decree and purpose that so many should beleeve they should bee saved And they did not only purpose this but they did make a mutuall agreement betweene themselves that the Lord Jesus Christ should take the care of those soules to make them beleeve and to save them by beleeving and the Lord Jesus Christ undertooke the worke according to their compact God the Father said I will have these children saved and Christ saith I will take the care of them Iohn 10.14 15 16. It s strange to see how our Saviour there speakes of his Office in the 14. verse he saith I am the good Shepheard and know mine and am knowne of mine that is I know those that are committed to my charge and knowledge even as the shepherd knowes his sheepe but how doth the Lord Christ know who God the Father will have to be saved looke verse 15. As the Father knoweth me so know I the Father and wee have agreed amongst our selves that so many shall bee saved The Father hath said I will have so many soules saved and Christ saith those soules shall bee my care and charge and in the 16. verse hee saith Other sheeâ— I have also which are not of this sold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce when the Father hath revealed that so many in such a place and so many in such a place shall bee saved then the Lord Christ undertakes the care of them and he calls at such a doore and saith I must have that poore drunken creature and he must be humbled and broken hearted and he must beleeve and he calls at such a doore and findes the adulterer in the armes of the harlot and hee saith I must have that unclean wretch I must humble him for his sinnes and I must make a separation betweene him and his sinnes A good shepheard will have a care of his sheep and will fetch them wheresoever they be as it was with David He did fetch his prey from the mouth of the Lion so though there were never so many baits to allure a man yet if the Lord Christ intend to save him hee will fetch him out of the mouth of the Lion and he saith that poore soule is mine I have taken the charge of him and therefore I must have him and he must heare my voice nay he shall heare my voyce Many times you have turned the deafe eare upon Christ and hee calls and knocks and yet that will not serve the turne untill hee breakes in upon the soule by horrour of heart therefore God the Father commits the care of all those wandring soules to the charge of Christ and hee will have them by one means or other As it is with a Husbandman that hath a great flocke of sheepe and he saith to his sonne loe I commit the care of them to thee loe here they are I would have thee to be carefull of them the number thou knowest and the
marke thou feest then the sonne concludes with the father and they enter into agreement and the son saith I will feed and keep those sheep so it is with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ God the Father gives all the names of all the faithfull from the beginning of the world to the end of it and saith all these are my children there is a poor creature in such a blinde corner of the countrie which I must have saved and in another place there is another base drunkard which I must have saved that I may make the world to wonder at it the foundation of the Lord standeth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his the Lord hath elected and called them that 's his marke and therefore our Saviour Christ undertakes the care of them and God the Father looks that all those that are committed to the care of Christ should bee saved as in Iohn 17.12 Of all that thou hast given me have I lost none but the childe of perdition that is he was a wolfe and no sheep and a lion and a cunning fox and none of my charge but of all that thou hast given mee hove I lost none all you poore ignorant and weake Christians little lambes that cannot helpe your selves Christ will not lose one of you but though you are never so mean and poore the Lord will carry you in his armes and bring you to everlasting life 1 Cor. 15.24 Then shall the end be when the Lord Iesus hath delivered up the Kingdome to the Father and shal say Father thou hast given me the charge of so many in England so many in Spain so many in Asia so many in the Palatinate the Lord Jesus Christ shall deliver up the whole number to God the Father Secondly our Saviour having undertaken to keepe these he addresseth himselfe to the worke to use those means by which hee may keepe and save them and that he doth thus he puts himselfe into the roome and place of all those poore lost sheepe of his and this is the difficultie to open this to you that are weake Now what is it to be put in the roome and place of another Christ doth willingly submit himselfe to the power of the revenging justice of the Father that whatsoever the Law and Justice of God required at the hands of the faithfull that doth Christ stand unto and will answer it all as thus the debter is taken and imprisoned and they that are his friends desire some releasment for him how upon consultation and conference with the creditor it is agreed that such a man shall undertake to help him and to free him from all the extremitie that he lies in for the debt and hee must doe it by one of these two wayes either hee must breake the prison and so rescue him by strong hand or else he must yeeld and submit to what the Law requires and is due to the creditor and the creditor saith if you will bee content to become debtor and acquit him of the debt if you will enter bond with me to become a pay-master of the whole debt due to me then I am content to free him Now the man that thus yeelds himselfe to what the power of Law and Justice can do against the debtor that man becomes a suretie for him he will bee as one that owes the money and that must pay and the Law proceeds as fully against him as against the debtor the debtor did personally owe the money and lay in prison for it but the suretie is as one that hath forfeited and must pay hee submits himselfe to the power of Law and Justice that looke what the Law requires of a man forfeiting and owing hee is content that the Law require it of him Just so it is here the sinner is this debtor and Christ undertakes for him by a mutuall consent betweene the Father and him and hee yeelds and submits himselfe to all the power of Justice that looke how the Law accounts of a sinner it should account of him Now the Law of God accounts of this man as one that hath broken the Law and deserved eternall death and Christ submits himselfe to these the Law requires doing and suffering and Christ is contented to undergoe all these for all that shall beleeve as Gal. 4.4 5. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his onely Sonne made of a woman and made under the Law that he might redeeme them which were under the Law the meaning is this looke how we were under the Law so was Christ under the Law for us that so he might redeeme those that were under the Law the Law laid guilt to our charge and the Law did condemne us and the Lord Christ was content to be under all that commanding revenging authority which the Law had over us so that now Christ is come into the roome of all the faithfull hence is that speech of Luther which the Papists so much cavill at hee saith our Saviour was the greatest sinner of all the faithfull that ever was upon the face of the earth not that he had any sin of his owne inherent in him or committed by him but because all the sins of all the world were charged upon him and Christ put himselfe into the roome of all the world that looke whatsoever the Law required of any the same it required of him and what the Law accounted of any it accounted the same of him Thirdly our Saviour having put himselfe into the roome of a sinner the Law now proceeds with full scope against him and God the Father may justly proceed according to rule and may justly expresse the power of his revenging Justice upon him and hence it is that God the Father accounts of Jesus Christ as a sinner and proceeds against him and condemnes him as a sinner and doth require of him whatsoever hee requires of a sinner a sinner must doe or die and so must the Lord Christ because hee hath put himselfe into the roome of a sinner As it is with a creditor haply the debtor growes a bankrupt and flies his countrie the creditor cares not for saith hee I will lay the debt upon the sureries backe such a man was bound for him I have him still in my chest and it is as good to mee as if the debtor himselfe were able to pay me so it is here when poore sinners wrong God and wound his Spirit and dishonour his Name and transgresse his Lawes and they are not able to answer him one of a thousand though they should goe to bell for it now God the Father saith I must be righteous I will lay all their sinnes upon the Lord Jesus Christ he became a debtor and undertook for them and therefore I will require it of him as well as of them Thus much of the first part of the discovery of this point that God the Father charged our sinnes upon our Saviour and
bee made a sacrifice for sinne and beare the punishment of sinne If Christ became a debtor for us then he must also lay downe the payment of the debt onely here remember this consider the bounds and limits of this mercy of the Lord it is limited onely to the faithfull they onely share therein and are partakers of that benefit that comes by the sufferings of Christ To prove this Doctrine looke Hebrewes 2.17 compare it with Hebrewes 4.15 In chap. 2.17 the text saith Wherefore it behoved him to bee made like unto his brethren in all things and in chap. 4.15 He was tempted in all things like unto us sinne onely excepted for there were no punishments excepted as appeareth in the former place therefore in Esay 53.5 6 7 8. the whole chapter is a full description of the punishments of our Saviour and you shall finde these three degrees of it in the afornamed verses Hee was stricken and so stricken that hee was wounded and so wounded that hee was bruised for our transgressions and then in the 6. verse it is very pithily laid downe All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquitie of us all that is the punishments of us all they were laid that is God made all the sorrowes and all the punishments of all the faithfull to meet upon our Saviour It is a terme taken from warre when an army is levied out every towne and countie sets out so many men and they all meet at such a place such a day so every faithfull soule sets out miseries and mans out afflictions and they all levie out an army of sorrowes and they all meet upon our Saviour all those sinnes and miseries of the godly from one end of the world to the other from east to west from north to south they run amain upon our Saviour and besiege the soule and body of him and they lie heavie upon him the chastisement of our peace was upon him that is it overwhelmed him for the while and made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Another proofe of this point is Gal. 3.13 The text saith Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us as it is written cursed be every one that hangeth on a tree He that was made such a curse for us as the Law did require and such a curse as wherein the Law was satisfied even he was made a full curse for us and bore all the punishment due to us but hee was made such a curse as the Law prefigured and wherein the Law was satisfied and therefore he must needs beare whatsoever the Law required and therefore I may say to the faithfull soule as Paul said to Philemon concerning Onesimus If he hath hurt thee or oweth thee ought set that upon my score so saith our Saviour whatsoever punishments the faithfull have deserved by their sinnes I will beare it and answer it Now for the opening of the Doctrine give mee leave to open these three questions Quest. 1 First what were the kindes of punishment which Christ did suffer and how farre did he suffer them Quest. 2 Secondly when did those sufferings begin and when did they end Quest. 3 Thirdly whether did he suffer them in soule or in body or in both Quest. 1 First what were the punishments that our Saviour suffered of what kinds were they Answer For answer hereunto hee suffered the pains of the first death by the first death I mean the death naturall when the frame of the body and soule was taken downe and those two old familiar friends were parted this death our Saviour did suffer but if you aske mee how farre he did suffer the death naturall let me answer it in three conclusions First whatsoever appertaines to the substance and the essentials of the first death that is the desolation of soule and body that our Saviour Christ did suffer for that onely was threatned unto Adam by reason of his sin therefore Christ needed not to suffer any thing but that which was threatned in Genesis 2.17 The curse threatned was this In the day that thou dost eat thereof thou shalt die the death the curse doth not mention many deaths nor doth it punctually set forth any one death but whatsoever death it is it is left indifferently to the choyce of our Saviour this I speake to wipe away a carnall cavill that is cast upon this truth by some that would diminish the sufferings of Christ If Christ did suffer punishment for all then why was hee not stoned with stones as Steven was and why was hee not sawne in peeces or burnt or the like The force of the argument followes not our Saviour was not bound to suffer many deaths nay the curse doth not intimate any one death in particular but onely death in the generall Now say they if our Saviour suffered all the punishments of the faithfull then hee suffered so many particular deaths the argument is false for looke how Adam being in the root of all mankinde and committed sinne looke what death he deserved that death our Saviour was to suffer and it was required of him and this death our Saviour undertooke but when Adam had committed sinne there were not many deaths denounced nay nor any one particular death but onely death in the generall and therefore death in the generall being onely threatned death in the generall our Saviour was onely bound to suffer Secondly though the curse doth not require any one particular death and say thou shalt bee stoned or sawne in peeces or the like yet that the Lord might shew the hainousnesse of sinne which deserves the worst death of all and to expresse the greatnesse of the lâ—â—e of Christ that was contented to die in that manner and that God the Father might shew his justice in punishing of sinne for this end God the Father appointed it and Christ undertooke it to die the death of the crosse a most shamefull and base death onely appropriate to the basest malefactors now Christ did willingly submit himselfe to this and God the Father did lay this upon Christ that sinne might appeare to bee most hainous and that sinne might be hated and Christ might appeare most mercifull and gracious and holy in loathing sinne as Philippians 2.6 8. Our Saviour being equall with the Father and thought it no robbery so to be yet he humbled himselfe and tooke on him the forme of a servant and became obedient to the death even the death of the crosse Thirdly those dishonourable infirmities which befall men because of the infirmitie of the flesh because they cannot avoid them and those dishonourable cruelties which are laid upon some men as to bee torne in peeces with wilde horses our Saviour had no need to suffer these First those dishonorable infirmities as the rotting of the body in the grave and returning to its own proper elemeÌ„ts the body of Christ did not
the soule with his indignation his heart would sinke but that a little leane starved hope supports him and he sees than Gods will is not yet fully revealed but that he may be saved and he saith this conscience may bee quieted and this soule may be saved and these sins may bee pardoned now despaire is the quite contrary when the soule hath no good in expectation and that which cuts the heart strings of a mans consolation and plucke a mans comforts up by the roots as hee hath nothing for the present so all means and wayes of getting any good are cut off and then he casts off hope and never lookes to God more because he never lookes for mercy from God and then hope goes out and saith Oh when will it once be cannot these sinnes bee pardoned c And at last hee sees there is no way of getting any good and therefore hee never lookes for mercy more but expects hell and damnation and cries out I am damned I am damned This is despaire and this is the nature of it Secondly this despaire is not any part or essentiall property appertaining to the pains of the second death whether we looke at the withdrawing of the sweetnesse of Gods love or whether wee looke at the inflicting of the wrath of God upon the soule this is no part of them for besides that which Divines will observe namely that all punishments are passions and they suffer them but despaire is a worke of the creature and it issues from himselfe and the creature doth it and therefore it cannot properly bee a punishment nor any part of the second death but besides all this which they observe this desperation so opened it is so farre from being any part of the second death as that it is not a consequent which nextly followes from the second death but from the weaknesse and sinfulnesse of the creature Desperation is not any effect flowing immediatly from the wrath of God upon the creature but it proceeds and comes directly and immediatly from the weaknesse and sinfulnes of the creature Imagine that yee saw the Lord Iesus Christ comming in the clouds with thousand thousands of his holy Angels and the thrones were set up and all flesh appeared the sheep on the right hand and the goats on the left hand and the Lord Iesus Christ passeth the doome and the sentence against them saying Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire Now when a poore damned creature seeth that the sentence is gone and seeth the good wil of God pass'd upon him and the power of his wrath now to bee exprest to the full against him and he apprehends the will of God now fulfild never to be crost more and the decree of God is now exprest never to bee altered more and hee seeth the gates of hell now sealed upon him and that the Lord hath cast upon him the tombstone of his wrath and that he is buried under the power of the second death and now he seeth the time is gone and the justice of God can never bee satisfied more and this power of the Lords wrath can never be removed Oh the time was that I had the word and the power of into quicken me and to informe me and the Spirit of God to strive with me and then there was some hope but now the decree of God is maâ—e unrevokable and this wrath I shall never beare nor never remove There is now to word no praying no hearing no conference no mercy nor salvation to bee hoped for and so the soule lookes no more for any good because the Lord hath so peremptorily set downe his doâ—me thus the soule breaks under the wrath of God and is not able to satisfie and the wrath of God can never bee removed the fire will ever burne and the worme will ever gnaw and now the soule casts off all hope and this is the meaning of those phrases 2 Pet. 3.7 and in the 6. verse of the Epistle of Iude where speaking of the devils the text saith They are reserved in everlasting chains under darknes to the judgement of the great day the devill is hopelesse he hath no hope of good nor shall never receive any good but our Saviour Christ that was able by the power of his God-head to suffer this wrath of God and to satisfie justice and to support himselfe under this wrath and to come out from it he hath a certaine hope to please God the Father and to have everlasting blisse and happinesse with him there is hope with our Saviour because he can beare and satisfie and come from under this wrath Take a bason of water and cast it upon a few coales of fire and it will put them clean out but throw the same boson full upon a great fire and though it may damp it a little at first yet it cannot quench it but rather increaseth the flame and makes it burne the faster what 's the reason of this that it quenched the little fire and not the great fâ—re it was not firstly and nextly because of the coldnesse and crosnesse of the water to the fire for the same water was as cold upon the great fire and as crosseâ— the nature of the great fire but the little fire was rob weake of it selfe to beare the coldnesse of the water and therefore it was quenched but the great fire was able to beare the coldnesse of the water and therefore it was not quenched so it is here the wrath of God is like this water as David saith All thy waves and billowes have passed over me that is the waves of Gods indignation and the ocean sea of Gods wrath â—hen this fals upon a poore weake sinfull creature that cannot beare this but breakes under this wrath and cannot take off the vengeance of the Lord but sinkes under it this creature despaires of all helpe not because of the wrath of the Lord firstly but because of the weaknesse and the sinfulnesse of the creature that could not beare the wrath of the Lord and hence he despaires and the soule saith alas I am weake and a poore sinne creature and this wrath of the Lord is of an infinite vigour I shall never be able to beare it nor to get from under it therefore I despair and cast away all hope of helpe but the Lord Jesus Christ being perfect God and perfect man having a great flame of holy affections kindled in him by the spirit of the Father this did assist him hereby to beare the wrath of God in his soule and not onely was hee able to beare it but to overcome it and although hee were tossed up and downe in the sea of Gods wrath yet he was not drowned and though hee sipped of the poyson yet he was not poysoned therefore he bore the paines of the second death and overcame them and did not despaire he expected to receive good because he knew he should have good thus our Saviour Iohn 19.30 when
what will ye spit in my face what you what and to a Saviour too and will ye pierce my soule by the corruptions of your hearts and by the actions of your hands thus the Lord Jesus Christ perswades you to see sin and to abhorre and 〈◊〉 it upon all occasions and therefore let us answâ—â— the requests of our Saviour and not shew our selves desperately wicked to pierce him againe and to renew his sufferings Vse 2 In the second place did our Saviour suffer these paines then see here the strictnesse of Gods justice Oh that exact precise severitie of Gods proceedings without exception of any mans person God puts no difference although hee were his Sonne but hee layes punishment upon him This is the reason of that exact dealing of God in Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish shall bee upon the soule of every one that sinned and why 〈◊〉 God is no respecter of persons as verse 11. that the ground of it and it is not onely exprest but it 〈◊〉 also proved undeniable Rom. 11.22 Behold therefore the bountie and severitie of God towards them which have fallen severitie but towards that bountifulnesse remember Gods just proceeding against the Jewes and therefore it is that the Apostle citeth all the proceedings of Gods judgements not onely against the heathens that never knew him or his enemies that alwayes opposed him but even to his friends such as he had shewed much favour and mercy to if they sinne they shall be destroyed for their sinne But oh the just exactnesse of the justice of the Lord how severely just he is for this exactnesse is not onely upon the wicked and open profane but upon his owne deare children and they that have had his ordinances as in Amos the Prophet shewes what favours they had received in regard of the means but yet feel how severely the Lord punisheth them but he hold the miracle of justice in the Lord Jesus Christ his onely Sonne in whom his soule delighted our Saviour that had but the shadoâ—s of sinne had all punishments laid upon him in thick 〈◊〉 Now answer me whether God the Father bee not a strict God or no and a just and righteous God that would thus deale with his onely Sonne A man would have thought if any thing in the world could have stopped the hand of Divine justice that it should not proceed from God the Father then Christ he might have done it for her had all that ever any one in the world could have If the excellency of the person of our Saviour could have done it or the holinesse of the soule of our Saviour then he might have beene exempted from punishment yet all these were not able to doe it because hee was a suretie but yet a man would have thought that those teares of blood might in some measure moderate the matter could not those servent petitions of him have had so much as some abatement of the punishment when he cried out saying Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me and then againe the second time Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee nay the third time Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from me The Son of God was now upon the racke with it if it be possible let this cup passe from mee let mee onely have a sip and away and so let it passe from mee Surely if any thing could have stopped the hand of divine justice then Christ might have done it but God would not nor did not abate our Saviour one drop of his indignation but God inflicts it all and Christ suffers â— all behold therefore if thus bee not a just God heare and feare all you that heare the good word of the Lord this day you that thinke that Christ is made all of mercy it is a God of your owne imagination and your owne devising it is not that God which is the Lord of heaven and earth it is not the God of hoâ—sts the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ Oh say poore ignorant people he is a very mercifull God and full of compassion it is true hee is mercifull indeed but know this also to thy terrour that God is strict and precisely righteous you thinke to put off God with a few good words and lazy wishes and with a Lord have mercy upon us and if you can have but an houres time before your death to cry God mercy oh their you thinke all shall be well and God will goe away with anything and because you suffer a little punishments and afflictions in this life therefore you thinke to bee freed from them altogether hereafter no no know thou shalt not carry it away so indeed thou hast troubles and afflictions here but thou shalt have eternitie of torments for ever in the life to come if thou still continuest to bee a sinfull wretch and an unbeleeve there is no way with thee but to beare thy owne plagues and miseries hereafter when thou seest the Sonne of God himselfe corrected dost thou thinke to goe free if God would not bare oils Saviour any thing of it dost thou thinke he will abate thee any thing againe our Saviour had our sins onely imputed to him but thy sins thou hast committed them thy selfe and canst thou thinke to escape that are proud and stubborne and malicious and liest and livest be thy sins and dost wallow in them and allow of thy selfe in the commission of them no surely God will not spare any blasphemer nor unclean wretch nor profane person under heaven if he did not spare his owne Son he will not spare thee but hee will inflict upon thee the sharpest punishments that can bee imagined therefore now if God bee so severe against sinne then let your affections be answerable thereunto doe you pitie none that are sinfull not onely slaves but in a childe a son a husband let us labour to get a hearefull of hatred against sin in any of these nay though shee were the wife of thy bosome or thy childe or thy deere friend if thou seest sin in them bee sure to punish it especially you that are in places of authoritie into whose hands God hath committed the sword of the Magistracie for the execution of justice You that are Gods vice-gerents upon earth doe you as God himselfe hath done and walke in his way and so bee blessed in whatsoever you doe I said ye are Gods saith David every Magistrate every Justice in the countrie and every Master of a family ye are Gods that is ye have the Image of God put into you and therefore say thou with thy selfe in this manner would God suffer a swearer or a blasphemer or a prophane person or a drunkard or an adulterer to goe unpunished and would God suffer a prophaner of his Sabbath and would not reforme him then whatsoever is amisse in thy owne soule or in thy wife or childe or servant if it be in thy place punish if
any weaknesse on our Saviours part because this withdrawing of the sweetnesse of Gods love brings onely a punishment upon the soule and takes to grace nor holinesse from the soule of our Saviour Now wee are come to the bottome now our Saviour foresaw all the mercy goodnesse and compassion of God the Father going away from him and hee panted after it saying my God my God mercy is gone and compassion is gone in regard of the sense of it Now that you may see the weight of the sufferings of our Saviour consider thus â—â—ich that the 〈◊〉 away the selfe of Gods love discovers it selfe in Scripture after this manner The Lord in this worke of his and in this heavie withdrawing himselfe he turnes away his face and lookes another way deprives him of the injoying of the sweetnesse of his fellowship which formerly hee had Ionah 2.4 Ionah was a good and a gratious man though he was a strange man as one observes yet when the Lord had dealt something strangely with him and cast him into the sea a whale receives him and when hee was swallowed up of the whale he was then swallowed up of a greater griefe for God had taken away the sweetnesse of his love from him therefore saith he I am cast out of thy sight hee would play the runne away with God and would goe to Tarsus therefore God casts him out of his sight to his owne apprehension therefore saith hee I am cast out of thy presence this was onely in regard of the sense and sweetnesse of Gods love and favour this you may see in the example of David Psalme 31.22 I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight as no question but Ionah prayed in the whales belly and said Lord pardon my sinne and forgive my transgressions no saith the Lord get you downe to Tarsus so David prayed and cried earnestly saying not smile of thy favour Lord no saith the Lord and hee looked another way yet thou heardest the voyce of my prayer and so Ionah yet will I looke towards thy holy Temple hee looked to mercy whiles his eyes and his heart and all faild so that faith may well stand even there where there is no sense at all Thus it was here in the case of our Saviour and thus the Scripture speakes admirable pithily Psalme 77.9 Hath God forgotten to bee gracious and hath he shut up his tender mercies as if he had said though I may not have mercy yet let me see mercy hath God in anger shut up his mercy the face of mercy is sweet and the presence of mercy is comely but hath God in anger shut up his tender mercies hee hath not onely sent him going out of doores as hee did Ionah but hee shuts himselfe up that the poore sinner cannot come within fight of him Oh saith the sonne I would my father would but looke out at the window that I might see him but when hee will not suffer his sonne to looke upon him this is heavie so the Lord saith to his servants no no you have slighted my kindnesse therefore I will locke it up that you shall see him no more In the second Booke of Samuel the fourteenth chapter the twentie eighth verse When Absolom had dwelt two yeares in Ierusalem and saw not the Kings face at length hee sends for Ioab to send him to the King and said either let me see the Kings face or else wherefore doe I live It was a great favour that hee might but see the Kings face though hee might not injoy fellowship with him this is a great trouble when the Lord shuts up his mercy in anger mercy hath come home to your hearts and it hath besought you to take it but you have dealt basely with the Lord and walked rebelliously against him well the Lord will shut you out of his presence and will shut up his mercy and then you shall say that you had mercy offered to you once and you would not accept it Thirdly and this is the highest degree of all the Lord doth not onely shut up his mercy that he cannot be seene but hee goes away that a man cannot tell where to seeke him Oh saith the sonne that I might but see my Father but hee is gone and then his heart is even swalloweed up nay God doth not only take away the sense and feeling of his favour beyond sight but hee goes away from a man that hee cannot tell where to seeke him that if he would write letters as I may say yet he knowes not where to send them and if he call his father he cannot heare him Thus the Scripture speakes and thus the saints of God have found it from time to time Psalme 77.7 8 9. Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever and will he shew no more favour this translation is reasonable well but the originall runs thus will hee adde no more to bee favourable as if hee had said what will he not only not entertaine me but is hee gone that I cannot tell where to finde him and in the â— verse Is his mercy cleane gone for ever This is the last of all and that which contains the pith of all that our Saviour speakes expresly of himselfe that God goes not onely out of his presence but out of his calling too the place is excellent Psal 22.1 from whence these words were taken My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee why art thou so farre from helping mee and from the words of my complaint God is gone beyond call Now that you may see the weight of the sorrowes that lay upon our Saviour consider thus much our Saviour was not onely cast out of Gods favour and God did not onely take away the sense of his love and the feeling operation of his favour that so he received not the sweetnesse that he had done but Christ tooke the place of sinners and therefore God the Father shut him out amongst sinners and drew his mercy out of sight and out of hearing and therefore he cried out My God my God c. Nay further why art thou so farre from my helpe Hee cried out that hee â—ore his bowels againe and stretched out his throat and cries my God my God and hee followes the mercy of God the Father in this kinde not that his faith did not prevaile but he had not the sense and sweetnesse of Gods love and so David in all that he spake saying Will he be favourable no more hath hee in anger shut up his tender mercies All this while God was present with him by supportation though he held that vision of mercy off from his soule now at this time it seemes to me and the text will beare it that though Christ before had but three bouts in the garden yet now all the sins of all his elect children and the cloud of sins of all the faithfull did arise to a mighty great fog and the cloud did overspread all the
threatnings of God can take no hold upon them but though they are so rebellious here yet everlasting condemnation shall take hold of them and shall have power over them hereafter and will drag their soules and bodies downe to hell and there they shall suffer intolerably and incomprehensibly and then hell and condemnation shall tell them thus much seeing the commands of God could take no hold upon you therefore we will the mercies of God could not perswade with you but the judgements of God shall prevaile against you What becomes of all the great and mighty men of the world where is Pharaoh and Nimrod and the rest of them the wrath of God hath throwne them upon their backs in hell but you that are true beleevers the second death shall have no power over you though wrath and condemnation seeme to lay hold upon you yet there is no power in them to condemne you because if Christ hath taken away the paines of the second death then it shall never oppresse such as belong to the Lord Jesus Christ therefore goe your way comforted there is nothing that shall ever prevaile against you Object Oh but saith the soule could I see Heaven gates set open if the way were open and plaine that I might see the way and walke in it then I could be comforted but what I in heaven the Angels are all holy and God is a holy God and a pure redeemer and all things there are pure and undefiled can such a wretch as I am come to heaven certainly the Saints will goe out of heaven if I come there Answer No the blood of Christ will doe all this for you and it will make way for thee into heaven as Hebr. 10.19 20. Seeing therefore brethren that by the blood of Iesus we may most boldly enter into the holy places by the new and the living way which hee hath prepared for us through the vaile which is his flesh marke two things in that place you may have boldnesse you feare now that your sinnes will not bee pardoned and that God the Father will not accept of you well be not proud and sawcie but take the blood of Christ along with you and goe on boldly and chearfully All you that have an interest in the great worke of God either for brokennesse of heart or vocation to call you to rely upon the Lord Jesus Christ bee thou a sinner If thou hast faith I speake not of the measure of faith but hast thou faith then why sittest thou here drooping Go you on cheerily and undauntedly and goe with comfort to everlasting happinesse every thing gives you comfort had you but eyes to see it God and men Heaven and earth sinne justice hell and condemnation gives you all comfort If you looke up to justice that saith you poore beleeving creatures goe your way comforted I am setisfied to the full If you looke to hell and death and condemnation they say be comforted you poore beleeving soules we have no power over you the Lord Iesus Christ hath conquered us and if you looke to your owne sinnes they tell you thus much and say be for ever comforted for wee have pleaded against you but wee have lost the cause If you looke up to heaven there you may see glory and happinesse and blessednesse ready to entertaine every beleeving soule and they all call after you and say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you therefore goe away cheerily and get you to heaven and when you come there be discomforted if you can if Christ and God and Heaven and all call you and say come all hither you beleeving soules then lift up your heads with joy and draw the waters of comfort and consolation from this truth onely remember this here when you finde your sins roaring upon you and telling your Father that you have sinned and justice cries and hell threatens then take the blood of Christ and see before your eyes all that ever Christ hath suffered and see justice fully satisfied and heare the blood of Christ speaking as well as the clamours of sinne it is the misery that we are in that we can here the bawlings of Satan and of corruption crying and saying what you salvation and yet have these and these corruptions we heare these and we hearken not to the other the blood of Christ hath pardoned all and will cleanse all Oh heare that voyce and you shall see and heare that it speakes admirable things this is the second use Vse 3 Thirdly hath Christ done all this then stand amazed at that endlesse and boundlesse love of the Lord Jesus Christ but onely that the Scripture cannot lie and God hath said which is faithfull and true and cannot be deceived and is infinite in all his workes otherwise man that is sensible of his sins and wants could not beleeve it but yet Christ hath done it and it is worth the while to weigh it and to consider of it in a holy admiration although wee are not able to walke in any measure answerable thereto had our Saviour only sent his creatures to serve us and had we onely had some Prophets to advise us in the way to Heaven or had hee onely sent his holy Angels from his chamber of presence to attend upon us and minister to us it had beene a great deale of mercy or had Christ come downe from the heavens to visit us It had beene a peculiar favour that a King will not onely send to the Prison but goe himselfe to the lungeon and aske saying is such a man here a man would thinke himselfe strangely honoured and the world would wonder at it and say the King himselfe came to the prison to day to see such a man certainly he loves him dearly or had Christ himselfe come onely and wept over us and said Oh that you had never sinned and oh that you had more considered of my goodnesse and the excellency of happinesse oh that you had never sinned this had beene marvellous mercy but that Christ himselfe should come and strive with us in mercy and patience and we slight it and not onely to provide the comforts of this life but the means of a better life and to give us peculiar blessings nay that the Lord Jesus should be so fond of a company of rebels and hell-hounds that he thinkes nothing good enough for them hee hath prepared heaven for them and he gives them the comforts of the earth for their use too nay he hath given them his blood and his life and all and yet you are not at the highest what doe you talke of life hee was not onely content to part with life but hee was content to part with the sense and sweetnesse of Gods love which is a thousand times better than life it selfe as David saith The loving kindnesse of God is better than life it selfe He was content to be accused that we might be blessed he was content