said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Righteousness of God so the word might be render'd and this Phrase the Righteousness of God seems to be taken and be proved from my Text Jehovah our Righteousness 2. Faith is said to be in the Blood of Christ Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth for a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood All the Garments of Christ are said to smell of Myrrh Aloes and Cassia Psal 45.7 As Christ's Garments are expounded to be his Graces so they may also be interpreted to be the Actions of Christ that flow from those Graces Garments signifie Actions so it is said they washed their Robes white in the Blood of the the Lamb Rev. 7.14 So these Garments point out the Active Obedience of Jesus Christ It is said also That Christ gave himself an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God Ephes 5.2 Zanchy on the place observes the Emphasis of the Apostles words that Christ is said to be first an Offering and then a Sacrifice There were Offerings of First-fruits and Fine Flower and of such things as had not life but living creatures were offered up in Sacrifice and then their blood was spilt and their lives taken away Christ's being an Offering may point out the Holiness of Christ's Life and his being a Sacrifice did signifie his Sufferings and his Death How satisfactory and refreshing is it to us to Read and Hear of the sweet smelling Garments of Christ and the sweet smelling Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus It was foretold of our Lord Jesus Christ that his Ears both his Ears should be opened Psal 40.6 one Ear was opened as he was Man to hear and obey the Commands of the Moral Law and Christ's other Ear was opened to listen to and comply with that peculiar Commandment that was given to him As Mediator to lay down his Life Joh. 10.18 Innocent Man owed but a single debt to God and that was Obedience to his Law but Fallen and Guilty Man is bound to God in a double Bond. He owes God Obedience as he is a Creature and he owes God Glory to be raised out of his Sufferings Misery and Torments as he is a Guilty Creature Therefore Sins are called Debts Matth. 6.12 because the Transgressors of the Law for Non-payment of the Debt of Obedience contract another and New Debt and that is an Obligation to endure Punishment As they wrong and rob God by their sins of Omission and Commission so they are bound to make Restitution to God by their eternal Sufferings and Torments 1. Jesus Christ was to obey the Commands of the Law Joh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Jesus Christ was to Glorifie God in the Nature of a Creature in the Form of a Servant he was to be a perfect Pattern of Piety and an example of Righteousness on Earth where there had not been a full and exact Instance of Righteousness and Obedience fince the Fall Eccles 7.20 There is not a just Man on earth that lives and sins not The Earth hath been full of violence and wickedness before God Gen. 6.13 How much was it then for the Glory of God and the Honour of his Law that there should be a Man Perfectly Holy and Just on Earth A Virgin-Soul among Whores and Adulteresses A Diligent Servant among Drones and Lazy Loiterers A Loyal Subject among Rebels and Enemies How little Honour had been given to the Law if only the Penalty of it had been inflicted and its Curse been executed but the Commands of it had never been obeyed and fulfilled Is it for the Credit or Glory of an Earthly Prince to have no Obedience paid to his Laws but only the Penalties annexed to them to take hold of and be executed on all that are under his Jurisdiction And shall God's Laws never be obeyed Shall the Penalties of them only be executed As a Foreign Prince if he Travels through the Territories and Dominions of another King doth owe him a Topical Allegiance and must needs be subject to his Laws so the Son of God though he was a Rightful and a Glorious King yet Travelling through the Dominions of his Father in the nature of a Creature to Redeem Captives must needs be subject to the Laws that God gave to all Mankind The High-Priest under the Old Testament was an eminent Type of Christ he was bound to wear a Plate of Gold joyned to his Mitre on his Forehead Exod. 25.36 37 38. This did intimate and teach us that the true substantial High-Priest was to be Perfectly holy and absolutely devoted to God Tho' God may spy Faults and observe Blemishes and Spots in the best of Saints yet he may look to the Forehead of Jesus our Great High-Priest and there read nothing but Holiness to the Lord. The Law of God was perfectly impressed on Christ's Heart and fully expressed in his Life He loved God to the Height of utmost Perfection He loved Men even his own that were in the World with the most pure ardent and intense Love John 13.1 he was so intent so fixed in Exalting and Magnifying God that when his Soul was troubled in the prospect of his Sufferings yet he Pray'd thus Father glorifie thy own Name John 12.27 28 29. As if he should say However I am clouded and eclipsed whatever bitter Cup I drink whatever heavy Burden I bear yet Father glorifie thy own Name As the First Adam ruined us by his Self-seeking so the Second Adam raised and Recovered us by his Self-denyal and Christ's Love to his People was stronger than Death He leaped over Mountains of Difficulties and brake through Hosts of Enemies and Sufferings to Redeem them He did forget himself for a time that he might remember us to eternity He veiled his Glory and Majesty to manifest his Love to us We are all as an unclean thing Isa 64.6 but Jesus Christ is that Holy Thing that was Born of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1.35 he came into this World without a Foreskin on his Heart and therefore was that Holy Seed that was Figured and Typified by Circumcision Phil. 3.3 And we may Glory in him on this account The Fountain was pure from his Conception and Birth and the Stream that did flow from it was ever after clear and clean It was requisite that Christ should be Holiness to God that he might be made Righteousness to us 2. Christ's Sufferings may well be accounted a part of his Righteousness For 1. They were the Fulfilling of the Law given to him as Mediator that he should make his Soul an Offering for Sin and pour it out to the death Isa 53.10 12. Joh. 10.18 As the Moral Law belonged to Christ as a Man he could not possess our Humane Nature in Purity or order his Conversation with Beauty without submission to it so the Ceremonial Law belonged to him as a Jew and he was obliged to die as
could not content or satisfy himself with the joy of Riches sensual Delights or Worldly Honour such joy did not go deep would not stay or last long It was nothing but the joy of God's Salvation that could satisfy him Isa 25.9 We will be glad and rejoyce in thy Salvation Hester could take no Pleasure in her Honour in her Palace in all her outward Enjoyments when the Decree was passed to destroy her and her People Esther 7.3 4. If Sin reign in you Eternal Death must reign over you and the wrath of God abide on you What outward thing can comfort relieve or revive you Will it chear a Man condemned to Death to tell him you will give him one sweet Draught of Wine one good Meals Meat before he be Executed 8. You cannot dwell safely if you are not saved In the Text it is promised that those that are saved shall dwell safely and indeed no others can dwell safe from the fear of Evil Prov. 1. last Those that are in their Sins and under Guilt may fear still to be arrested by God their great Creditor and to be arraigned before him as their Sovereign Judge The dread of the First and Second Death may torment them an d hold them continually under grievous Bondage Heb. 2.15 Your Tabernacles Sinners will moulder down your Earthly Comforts will melt away your Stewardships will be taken from you God will change your Countenances and send you away into a miserable Eternity into a dark and doleful Prison You are Tenants at God's Will you are not sure of one Days continuance in the World God may quickly require and take away your Souls If David panted and longed so much for a short Temporal Salvation Psal 119.81 82. how much more should we long for a Spiritual and Eternal Salvation Psal 14. last We so need this Salvation that it is absolutely necessary for us Acts 4.12 We must be saved we can have no Pardon but from the God of Salvation Psal 51.14 and we can receive no Blessing but from the God of Salvation Psal 68.10 We must see God's Salvation Psal 11. last or our own Destruction Job 21.20 If we cannot commit our Spirits into the Hand of God as a Redeemer Psal 31.5 we must fall into his Hand as a Judge Heb. 10.31 No outward Enjoyments here can either be safe for us or sweet to us if they flow not from the God of Salvation God doth afford us a Day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 this is caused by the Day Spring from on high Luke 1.78 by the exercise of Christ's Prophetical Office Psal 22.22 John 17.6.20 He declares the Father's Name to us he teaches us that God hath chosen and appointed some to Salvation 1 Thes 5.9 2 Thes 2.13 that he hath prepared Salvation Luke 2.29 30 by anointing and sending his Son to obey suffer and satisfy God hath raised up this Horn of Salvation Luke 1.69 he hath perfected the Captain and Author of Salvation Heb. 2.10 Heb. 5.9 As Christ is saved himself Zech. 9.9 so he is in a fit and full capacity to save others The word of Salvation is sent to us Acts 13.26 The Gospel of Salvation is a Supernatural Doctrine we should have been utterly ignorant of it if God had not sent it to us What Grace is this that the word of Salvation should be sent to us that had destroyed our selves Hos 13.9 that were so blind that we did not seek after God and so vile and filthy that God might for ever have ceased to seek after us that are without strength to help our selves and yet are ungodly and so do provoke God never to help us or favour us Rom. 5.6.8 That it should be sent to us that did not seek after or send for it Light came it was not sent for John 3.19 O that God should send it to us and not to so many other Nations in the World they hear not the Trumpet of the Jubilee the Call of the Shepheard the Voice of the Bridegroom O shall the Spirit strive with us Gen. 6.3 and Christ's Servants endeavour to compel us by Earnest Intreaties and Importunity and yet shall all this be in vain will you not believe their Report or come to Christ for Life Shall a Treaty of Peace end in an Eternal War and a day of Salvation issue in your everlasting Destruction Salvation is brought near to you and placed in Zion and will you put the word of Salvation away from you and thereby judge your selves unworthy of Everlasting Life Acts 13.16 The Cord of a Promise is let down into our Dungeon Christ's Chariot comes among us Cant. 3.9 40. He comes near to us preaching Peace Ephes 2.17 He knocks at our Doors Rev. 3.20 4. You cannot escape if you neglect this Salvation Heb. 2.3 There is no other Physitian to heal you no other Redeemer but Christ to set you free no other Fountain in which you may wash no other Foundation on which you may build no other Wing Shadow or City of Refuge to secure you God will not suffer your contempt of Christ and neglect of Salvation to go unpunished God will wound the Head of such as go on in their Trespasses Psal 68.21 Christ's Hand will find out all his Enemies Psal 21.4 those that turn away from Christ Prov. 1.32 shall certainly be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 God bringeth near his Salvation offers it and promises it to all that will look to Jesus Christ for it Isa 45.22 Those therefore are worthy to perish that turn away from Christ and despise his Salvation 5. Consider there is but a Remnant that shall be saved Rom. 9.27 few that will walk in the narrow way that find the strait Gate Matth. 7.13 14. And those that are saved will be saved with a great deal of difficulty 1 Pet. 4.18 The Righteous are scarcely saved they must bear the Cross endure many Tribulations have frequent Combats and Conflicts and continual Warfare with Spiritual Enemies They must run with the greatest speed fight with the greatest zeal against Sin 1 Cor. 9.26 They have a Civil War with Lusts within a Foreign War with the World and Satan without 6. Consider what a great Mercy it is to obtain this Salvation it is a most valuable Grace for God to choose and appoint any to Salvation 1 Thes 5.9 2 Thes 2.13 when he might have appointed all to perish and left them to Destruction O what a Mercy is this for God to pluck out of a perishing World Gal. 1.4 to fish out of a dead Sea to cut off from a corrupt Stock to call out of an infected House and a barren Wilderness The Church represents it as a rich Stream of Mercy and spring of Joy to be cloathed with Salvation Isa 61.10 This is a great Mercy for 1. Such are armed against Spiritual Conflicts that have for a Helmet the Hope of Salvation Ephesians 6.17 1 Thes 5.8 This may guard their Heads from all anxious perplexing Thoughts
Have you Faith of God's working Col. 2.12 Hope of God's begetting 1 Pet. 1.3 Love of God's kindling 2 Thes 3.5 Deut. 30.6 Have you Evidence that you are redeemed that is bought again 1 Cor. 6.20 in that your Captivity is turned and that you are brought again Isa 52.8 Hath God saved you 2 Tim. 1.9 Is God's Salvation in a considerable degree communicated to you and executed in you God's Gifts and Calling are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 Those that God hath begun to save in Time he will not destroy to Eternity Several SERMONS ON Jer. XXIII 6. And this is his Namewhereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness IN the former part of the Verse we are informed what the Messiah should do that in his Days Judah should be saved and Israel should dwell safely In the latter Words we are instructed how he should effect this This is the Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Salvation and Righteousness are often joyned together in the Scripture Zech. 9.9 He is Just and having Salvation My Righteousness is near my Salvation is gone forth Isa 51.5 I bring near my Righteousness it shall not be far off and my Salvation shall not tarry Isa 56.13 Paul saith the Gospel is the power of God to Salvation because in it the Righteousness of God is Revealed 1 Rom. 16 17. The Gospel could not offer and promise Salvation if it did not reveal Righteousness God will not exalt Mercy and debase and wrong Justice God will save in a way becoming of himself and that shall eminently redound to his Glory as he will magnify Grace so he will exalt Justice as Love shall shine and Grace reign so God's Holiness shall be crowned his Law magnified the truth of his Threatning be demonstrated He that is the greatest instance and gift of God's Love shall also be the most Terrible Example of his Revenging Justice and Severity In the Words we may observe 1. That a Name should be given to and put on the Messiah This is the Name whereby he shall be called 2. What this Name is he shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness 1. This is intimated that a Name should be given to the Messiah God delights in the Scripture to give several Names to the Messiah and that 1. To describe and set forth the greatness of his Person Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bare a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel which signifies God with us God and Man were at the greatest distance and enmity with each other What a wonderful thing then is expressed in this Name that God is with us in our Nature made Man and manifested in our Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 He thus came down to us to raise us up to himself He apprehended our Nature Heb. 2.16 that he might apprehend our Persons Phil. 3.12 and espouse them to himself Hos 2.19 20. There is a wonderful Marriage of the Divine and Humane Nature in one Person that the Son of God and Believers might be joined together in one Body Eph. 5.23.29 30. An other Name of the Messiah is mentioned Isa 9.6 Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given he shall be called the Mighty God the Everlasting Father Here weak Flesh and the mighty God Time and Eternity an Infant of Days and the Ancient of Days a Child lately born and the Everlasting Father meet in one Person Though the Humane Nature did cloud and eclipse yet it did not abolish or extinguish the Majesty and glory of the Divine Nature 2. God gives the Messiah a Name that points at and sets out his Office He shall be called the wonderful Counsellor the Prince of Peace Surely he is a most excellent and wonderful Counsellor that can direct and advise how Enemies may be reconciled Prisoners be enlarged Captives be released languishing dying Souls may be healed those that are lost and entangled in a woful Wilderness may get into the right way and return into the Favour and Family of God and Strangers may be adopted by and related to God and he is an Admirable Prince that can speak Peace to Enemies and give Happiness to the Miserable that shall quiet and satisfy their Souls 3. God gives Christ a Name that signifies his new Relation to a Spiritual Seed He shall be called the Everlasting Father Isa 9.6 If we consider Christ upwards so he is the Everlasting Son but if we meditate on him downwards so he is the Everlasting Father He propagates his new Nature he raises up an Holy Off-spring he begets Sons and Daughters to God as a Second Adam because the new Nature shall never perish his Spiritual Life shall never be extinguished Christ may well be stiled an Everlasting Father the Seed of the new Creature is incorruptible it lives and abides for ever in that holy Nature that springs from it 1 Pet. 1.23 4. In the Words of the Text it is said that the Branch raised up to David should be called Jehovah our Righteousness A Branch should be joined to Jehovah and so should work out Righteousness for us and derive it to us This is indeed a wonderful Name given to the Messiah and Three things are implied in it 1. That our Righteousness is not in our selves but without us it is a Robe put upon us Isa 1.10 He hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness The Righteousness of God is said to be upon all them that believe not in them Rom. 3.22 How false then is that Name that Medina on Thomas Aquinas in Prim. Secund. Quest 113. Artic. 21. by the way of Contempt doth put on the Lutherans extrinsicarii Haeretici that is Hereticks that assert an outward Righteousness imputed for Justification 2. This Text proves and demonstrates that Christ is our Righteousness that his Obedience is the Matter of our Righteousness and his Attoning Sacrifice the Meritorious Cause of our Justification God accepts us in Christ the well-beloved Ephes 1.6 We are blessed in him that endured the Curse and are forgiven for his sake who was made Sin Ephes 4. last The first Adam was the efficient cause of our Sin but the second Adam is the formal cause of our Righteousness 3. This truth the Text doth further declare and hold out that this Righteousness of Jehovah must be made ours we must be interested in it we must be invested with it else Jehovah cannot be stiled our Righteousness And how can this be but by a Donation and Imputation of this Righteousness to us God that made Christ Sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 doth also make him Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 We must believe into Christ and so believe unto Righteousness How sweetly do those Phrases answer he that believes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on and into the Son John 3. last with his Heart he believes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.10 unto or into Righteousness I shall a little further consider of insist on and explain this Name
of Christ 1. It is a new Name that Jehovah the Son assumes if Adam had not fallen broken the Command defaced the Image extinguished the Life of God in his Soul there had been no need that the Son of God should have assumed this Name It doth not suit the state of Man standing but the condition of Man fallen and that in order to recover and raise him up If the Law of God had remained written Holiness and Righteousness had countinued flourishing in our Souls we should have been stiled the Friends of God and have needed no attoning Sacrifice to reconcile us to God But now we are destitute and void of Righteousness and so do need that Jehovah should take this Name and become our Righteousness It may be enquired whether Christ doth not point at this Scripture when he promises to write his new Name on victorious Believers Rev. 3.12 That this Name shall be openly legible and visible on them and that they shall have the honour and benefit of it to Eternity 2. This is a Name proper and peculiar to Jehovah the Son and cannot be extended or communicated to the Father or Spirit The Father is said to beget us again 1 Pet. 1.3 And to create us after his own Image Ephes 2.10 Ephes 4.24 And we are said to be born of and sanctified by the Spirit John 3.6 1 Cor. 6.11 But yet neither the Father nor the Spirit are said to be our Righteousness Our Saviour Christ is both the sole Worker and Subject of that Righteousness whereby we are Justified 3. This is a Mysterious Name it is asked by Agur who knows the Name of God's Son Prov. 30.4 Indeed we should never have been acquainted with this secret Name of the Son mentioned in the Text if the Scripture had not revealed it to us The Righteousness of God for our Justification is a great and deep Mystery most Remote from the Sentiments of the Natural Man and if Christ had hid it in his heart we should for ever have been ignorant of it Psal 40.9 10. The Son that wrought it doth also declare and Preach it to the World Would it not have looked like an unreasonable Presumption and have been reputed intollerable Pride for us to call Jehovah our Righteousness Could we ever have aspired to or hoped for such a thing had not the Scripture given Christ this Name and taught us this Doctrine What an amazing Mystery is this that when the Law of God requires us to work out a perfect Righteousness and perform a compleat Obedience for our own Justification that now the Son of God himself hath wrought and brought this Righteousness that he that might have exacted Righteousness of us should give Righteousness to us that he who as a Law-giver obliges us to a full Conformity to his own Law should become a Subject to his Father and a Servant to his own Law O! how surprizing is this that he who Teaches us Duty should himself learn Obedience Heb. 5.8 and become obedient to Death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.7.8 If Christ had not been made under the Law Gal. 4.4 he could not have been made Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 4. This is a most Honourable Name to Christ this is promised both as an Honour and as a Reward to Jesus Christ that he should justifie many Isai 53.11 How glorious is this to Christ that he is the Righteousness of the whole Church that he provides a Garment wide large and long enough to cloath his whole Body He appears in a Garment down to the Foot Revel 1.13 that can cover and adorn all his Members Though he be but one Man yet many may be justified by his Obedience Rom. 5.19 Though he be but one Sacrifice yet his Blood is shed for many for the Remission of sins Matth. 26.28 As the first Adam could defile thousands more if the World should so long continue so the second Adam could justifie thousands more if they did fly to him and trust on him God is as well satisfied as if the Curse had been executed on them that believe and they are as safe as if the Law of God had been Abrogated for them Believers are clothed with change of Rayment Zech. 3.4 This one Garment is styled change of Rayment it is as effectual to Clothe and adorn us as if every time we contracted New Guilt or Spotted our selves we were furnished with a new Garment this Righteousness of Christ is the only Righteousness of Men for Justification since their Fall It is an everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 The Glory of it never fades the Virtue of it is never Exhausted it is a Righteousness that hath lasted through all Ages and will be effectual to the end of the World It is so large a Patrimony so rich an Inheritance that as Noah was so all Believers may be Heirs of the Righteousness that is by Faith Heb. 11.7 and this is glorious to Christ that he hath so filled up the Breach by his own dead Body and made it stronger than if the Wall of our Innoceny had never been broken 5. This Name of the Son of God is most comfortable to us How woful is our Natural State there is none in it Righteous no not one none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.10 11. All are under fin Rom. 3.9 all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Rom. 3.23 They have failed in the Race of Obedience and are fallen short of the Prize of Glory And O how Refreshing and Reviving is this to hear that the Son of God brings near his Righteousness Isai 46.12 The World is a Sea of Wickedness an Ocean of Impiety Where could Righteousness be found or how could it be attained But this is a most surprizing and refreshing Truth that the Son of God Incarnate should be an Isle of Innocency and Righteousness standing up in the midst of a Sea of Corruption Theodoret in one of his Orations concerning Providence observes this as a wonderful Work of God to Create Isles as so many Inns in the Sea for Ships to apply themselves to rest in and receive necessary supplies from But this is more Grace and Mercy that we that are void of Righteousness laden with Iniquity and ready to sink into the Deep and Bottomless Sea of the Wrath of God may by Faith saile and swim to this blessed Isle of Righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ and there find rest and safety from the Tossing and Threatning Waves of Divine Displeasure It is dreadful for sin to be always and ever before the Lord Psal 109.14 15. but it is most sweet and comfortable for Christ's Blood to be sprinkled on the Thrones and to be always before the eye of God We were in darkness and horrour and ready to sink under desperation and then doth this Sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 his glorious beams do scatter the thick and black clouds of our Iniquities Isai
he was a Mediator He must be obedient to death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.7 8. 2. The Sufferings of Christ were part of his Righteousness because they were the enduring of what Jesus Christ as a Surety did undertake to undergoe If one Man doth bind himself in a Bond to pay the Debt of another it is but Justice that he should satisfie it if he refuse or decline it he acts contrary to the Rules of Righteousness So when Jesus Christ took our Debt on him it was Righteous that he should pay it off A Surety doth first make the Debt his own and then binds himself to the payment of it So Christ first took our sins themselves and then became liable to punishment for them As the Sacrifices of the Law had first Sins put and laid on them Levit. 1. v. 4. and then thereby were exposed to wounds and death If Jesus Christ had not been made sin he could not have been made a Curse 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 Christ's being made a Curse seems somewhat different from his being made Sin and was a Fruit and Consequent of it The Curse could not Fall Fasten or Abide on a Person but where Sin opened the Door drew and pluckt it upon him Jesus Christ by becoming a Surety was snared was taken by the words of his own Mouth Prov. 6.2 Jesus Christ said to the Father Psal Ch. 40.7 8. Loe I come that is to be an Atoning Sacrifice I delight to do thy will O my God that is to offer up my Body once for all Heb. 10.9 10. Now Jesus Christ was come into the Hand of his Father to be punished Prov. 6.3 It was just for God the Father to wound and bruise him to call the Sword of his Justice to awake against him Zach. 13.6 7. verses the Cup could not pass from Christ but he must drink it the Debt must be exacted of him Chastisement must be laid on him Isa 53.5 because Jesus Christ had engaged as a Surety to draw near to God sitting on a fiery Throne holding a flaming Sword and clothed with the garments of vengeance Jer. 30.21 Sins being laid on Christ Isa 53.6 Sorrows and Sufferings were to follow Isa 53.4 because he bare our sins he must also be burthened with our sorrows It was just with God on this account to wound the Man that was his Son and to smite the Man that was his Fellow Zech. 13.7 God's Sword had as it were slept for a long time in the Scabbard of his long-suffering his Justice had been silent and not roared against Sinners But now the Surety was come the great Atoning Sacrifice was presented and exhibited it was high time for God's Sword to awake The Times before Christ were the days of Forbearance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.26 God took Christ's Word till then but now the Day of Payment was come and therefore Christ could not be secured from a Dark Hour or be exempted from drinking of a bitter Cup Matth. 26.39.42 John 12.27 28. he came into the World to have such a Terrible Hour and to walk through the Dark Valley of the shadow of Death As he was loaded with our Sins God must not only forsake him Psal 22.1 but wound him Isa 53 5. He had not only a dark Night as the Light of God's pleasing Countenance was hid from him but he felt Dews and experienc'd the Drops of the Night Cant. 5.2 as God's punishing hand was stretch'd out against him Christ had not only a very Dark Night but a very Stormy and Tempestuous Night as we had estranged our selves from God and had forgotten our Relation to him so God estranged himself from Christ and seemed for a time to veile and forget his Relation to his Son to carry it as a Stranger and as one unconcerned in the Sufferings of Jesus Christ Psal 22.1 2. My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God! I cry unto thee in the day time but thou hearest not and in the Night season and am not silent O! how strange is this that God should thus withdraw himself from his own Son that the Father should deliver him up into the hands and leave him to the Will of his Enemies That God's ear should be stopt and his Bowels shut up against his own Son That Jesus Christ should roar out his doleful Complaints and yet God be as it were deaf and dumb to him and inexorable towards him when the Son was not silent to his Father day or night Surely Christ's Cup was very bitter his Burthen heavy and the Fire that Roasted this Lamb of God was very hot and scorching or else Christ that had the Power of the God-head to support him was now in the midst of his Enemies and near the end of his Sufferings would never thus have roared out The words of the Psalmist David do exactly Point out and Foretel that which Matthew Records Matth. 27. v. 46. And about the Ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani that is to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet Jesus Christ justifies the Father in forsaking of him in not hearing of him But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Psal 22.3 Though others tast thy Goodness admire and glorifie thy Grace and thou inhabitest their Praises yet thou art deaf to me I feel thy Wrath and Severity But thou art holy in all this I am come into thy hand as a Surety and must fall under thy weighty Arm as a God of Vengeance This was the true reason and cause why Jesus was wanting to himself did not plead his own Cause or more confute the Slanders and wipe off the Reproaches his Enemies cast on him clear and justifie himself from their Calumnies False and Forged Accusations Mark 15.3 4 5. Jesus Christ kept silence he Answered nothing to what the High-Priest charged him with He also Answered nothing to Pilate so that Pilate marvelled that he would not plead for and defend himself that he carried it as if he had no Reply no Reproofes in his Month to vindicate himself and silence his Adversaries This Silence of Christ was foretold Isa 53.7 He was dumb he opened not his Mouth The truth was that Jesus took our Sins and bare our Iniquities in order to his submitting to Punishment for them Isa 53.6 1 Pet. 2.24 Confusion of face did belong to us Dan. 9.8.9 Guilt might stop our Mouths seale up our Lips We had cause to lie down in our Shame to cover our selves with Confusion never to open our Mouths to deny extenuate or justifie our Practises Ezek. 16. last Christ now stood in our place he did as it were assume our Person Silence did become us Our Cause was so bad that it could not be pleaded or defended It was Just now that Christ should be Condemned Executed
thing The word intimates that Christ so Covers Sin that it is never more to be seen It is so Blotted out by his Blood that it is never more to be Read so Drowned that it is never more to appear Christ by his once Offering hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified and put an end to all Sacrifices for Sin Heb. 10.14 17 18. Fifthly That Christ so suffered for Sin that in a short time he removed the Guilt of it Zech. 3.9 God saith he would remove the Iniquity of that Land in one day O! How wonderful is this that Guilt which had been contracting Sins that had been committing many Hundreds yea some Thousands of years that these should be satisfied for in one day and should be so soon purged away Heb. 1.3 That what Sinners had been Writing Hundreds of years that Christ should blot it out in one day When Sins had long cried loud and clamoured in the Ears of God that all these should be stilled and silenced in one day Sixthly For Christ by Tasting death but part of three days to abolish it for ever 2 Tim. 1.10 by a short course of Obedience to bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 and by Temporary Sufferings to obtain an Eternal Redemption Heb. 9.12 this none could do but Jehovah Incarnate In the Sacrifices of the Law there was a Remembrance again of Sins every year Heb. 10.3 though there were Sacrifices offered daily to make Atonement for Sin and a Multitude of these were slain in a Year yet on the Day of Atonement that came the Tenth Day of the Seventh Moneth every Year there was a Solemn Confession and Remembrance of Sins again Levit. 16.21 27 29. which evidences the weakness and imperfection of all the Legal Sacrifices that they could never take away Sin or make the comers to those Sacrifices perfect Heb. 10.11 but Christ by one Offering perfects us for ever Heb. 10.14 Christ's one Sacrifice was the Truth and Substance of all the Sacrifices of the Law of the Burnt-offering 1 John 29. of the Sin-offering 2 Cor. 5.21 of the Trespass-offering Isa 53.10 Christ made his Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Trespass-offering Therefore on the account of this one perfect Sacrifice God saith he will remember Sins and Iniquities no more Heb. 10.17 Hence it is very rightly inferred very justly concluded where Remission of Sins is there is no more Offering for Sin 3. The Benefits that we receive by Christ's doing and suffering the will of God do Evidence that Christ is our Righteousness and our only Righteousness 1. It was Jesus Christ that gave his Life a Ransome for many Matth. 20.28 we did not contribute towards it or make up any part of it We cannot give to God a Ransom for our Bodies to prevent Temporal Death Psal 49.78.9 How then could we provide a Ransome for our Souls to prevent Eternal Death we could not satisfie Justice that our Bonds might be loosed our Prison door opened as God the Father found out the way of Redemption Job 33.24 I have found a Ransome So God the Son paid the Ransome and found Eternal Redemption Heb. 9.12 He gave his Flesh for the Life of the World John 6.51 he was slain and Redeemed us to God by his Blood Revel 5.9 As the Ram was the Ransom of Isaac Gen. 22.12 13. Abraham's hand was staid the Life of Isaac was spared and the Ram was offered up in stead of him So we were bound with Chains of Guilt the Justice of God was ready to give us the Fatal Stroke the Mortal Wound we were under the Sentence of death and knew not how we should be preserved but then Jesus Christ was substituted in our Room and this Lamb of God was offered as a Ransome for us therefore our Righteousness is wholly of him 2. We do not feed on or live by Food of our own providing but Christ is Living Bread and Bread of Life to us John 6.48.50 51. He came down from Heaven that we might eat and not die Christ speaks of a double giving John 6.51 First He gave his Flesh upwards in Sacrifice to God his Father so he gave his flesh for the Life of the World Secondly he gives it downwards as Food and Sustenance to us There is neither Sacrifice for God or Bread for us to be found in this lower World but both must come down from Heaven By our Fall and Apostacy from God we have brought our selves into a Barren Spiritual Wilderness as the Israelites when they came out of Egypt into the Wilderness they could not subsist there but by an extraordinary and Miraculous Provision that God made for them God Rained down Manna from the Clouds and fed the Israelites with the Corn of Heaven Psal 78.24 But Christ may more truly and properly be called the Corn of Heaven This very Bread did first spring up in the Mind and grow in the Heart of God he laid the great Design of a Spiritual Feast for fainting and famishing Souls He Predestinated Jesus Christ to be a Sacrifice to himself and Food to us This is a great and wonderful Mystery of Grace that Bread should come down from Heaven to Nourish us Bread should naturally Grow out of the Earth for our Souls as well as for our Bodies Our Righteousness should spring and grow out of our selves and be wrought by our selves but none of us have any thing of our own to relieve our selves with to subsist upon or to keep our selves alive by Psal 22.29 none could keep alive his own Soul we were ready to perish with Famine as the Prodigal Luke 15.17 Now what astonishing Kindness is this that Jesus Christ should be a Sacrifice that Sinners might have a Feast on him 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Believers are made Spiritual Priests Revel 1.6 and this is their Priviledge Honour and Happiness that they have an Altar to eat off Heb. 13.10 In the Times of the Law none might eat of a Sacrifice that was offered for their Sins if the Priest offered Sacrifice for his own Sins he might not eat of any part of it Levit. 8.10 11. those Sacrifices offered for Sin did not yield any Food or Sustenance to the Worshippers that brought them This did evidence and argue their weakness and imperfection that they could not feed or nourish those that brought them Levit. 6.30 it is ordained that no Offering whereof any of the blood is brought into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to reconcile withall in the Holy Place shall be eaten it shall be burnt in the fire But this is the Excellency of Christ's Sacrifice that though he was made Sin and a Trespass-offering yet we are called to Feed on and Eat his Body that was broken and Sacrificed for us Matth. 26.26 1 Cor. 11.24 25. There is still Food on Christ our Altar it is never empty The Altar was called God's Table Mal. 1.12 Ezek. 41.22 and the Sacrifice is called his Meat God did as it were Feed at
of Sin and the Spirit that was signified by the Water that flowed out of Christ's side is a sovereign Remedy against the Filth and Reigning power of Sin And Jesus Christ the Tree of Life beares Leaves for the Healing of the Nations Revel 22.2 No other Tree hath Healing Leaves but only Jesus Christ his Word Doctrine Promises are Healing Leaves We do not Work to Cure our selves tho' we are Patients yet we cannot be our own Physitians but we are Justified by Christ's Condemnation and live by his Death 4. We are not Washed in any Water of our own providing or in any Bath of our own making but God the Father hath opened a Fountain for sin and uncleanness Zech. 13.1 and this Fountain is opened where we could never have thought of or imagined any such thing even in the pierced side and wounded heart of the Son of God His Head was Crowned with Thornes his Hands and Feet were nailed to the Cross his Side was pierced and Blood did flow from thence to Purifie our Souls This is noble and precious Blood indeed that affects Conscience and reaches so far as to purifie it The Blood of Sacrifices the Ashes of an Heifer and Clean Water availed only to the Purification of the Flesh to take off Ceremonial Uncleanness but Christ poured out his own Blood and thereby made a Precious Laver a Costly Bath This Blood purgeth Conscience from sins that are dead Works as they are the Fruits of Spiritual Death and the Seeds of Eternal Death Though Conscience be stupid and doth not feel the weight of these dead Works yet if they remain unpurged they will revive and sting the Soul to death they will return upon it and sink it to Hell There is no other means to purifie and pacifie Conscience but this Blood and we exceedingly need it There is a Fountain of Iniquity in us that continually flows to defile us Jer. 6.7 As a Fountain casts out its Waters so Jerusalem casts out her Wickedness It is well for us that there is a Fountain without us in Christ to take off that Guilt that is contracted by the Flowings of that Filthy Fountain that is within us Christ's Blood though it is little in quantity yet it is mighty in Virtue There is a deep Sea of Merit in it Micah 7.18 19. Thoug it was poured out of his Body but a few hours yet it is a Fountain that Flowes in all Ages and Generations to take away Sin And is not this most sweet and comfortable that Jesus Christ did not only shed his Blood but sprinkles it also Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness Clean Water to wash the Body is common but clean Water to purifie the Soul is rare and no where to be found but in Christ This is wonderful Grace that Christ would not only shed his Blood but undertakes also to sprinkle it He shed it with unexpressible Pain and Anguish but he Sprinkles it with much Pleasure and Delight As he pitied Souls and shed his Blood for them so he Loves Soules and Sprinkles it on them and Washes them in this Fountain from their Uncleanness Revel 1.56 We are not clothed by our own Works or Righteousness Our Webs cannot become Garments Isa 59.6 Our best Performances cannot clothe us Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags they cannot hide our Shame cover our Nakedness they are too narrow and short to do it Isa 64.6 Shall we be proud of or trust upon filthy Rags Our own Righteousness is but a Garment full of Patches So Piscator renders the Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vestimentum frustrorum panni veteris attriti A Garment of Pieces of old and worn-out Cloth How long have we been serving in the Oldness of the Letter Rom. 7.6 and so our Garment may be called Old Cloth Sometimes we do good Works and then are apt to turn aside and to commit evil Works There are interruptions in our obedience Sin doth too often intervene so that these patches of the Old Man do much blemish and disfigure the Garment of our Righteousness There are Breaches in our Walls and Spots in our Garments As we need clean Water to Purisie us Ezek. 36.25 so we also want clean Linnen to Clothe and Adorn us Revel 19.8 Jesus Christ invites us to come to him to buy White Rayment that the shame of our Nakedness may not appear Revel 3.18 Christ was the Angel that commanded the Filthy Garments to be taken from Joshuah the High-Priest he caused his Iniquities to pass away and Clothed him with change of Rayment Zech. 3.4 The Garments of our Bodies do put us in mind of our Sins and bring to Remembrance our Transgression therefore they are called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bidge from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bagad that signifies to Rebel Because if Man had not Apostatized from and Rebelled against God he had not needed Clothing or Garments But the Righteousness of Christ may well be called the Garment of Praise Isa 61.3 It is a Garment for Beauty and Glory and so to be exceedingly praised when God puts it on us then we begin heartily to praise God Christ is stiled the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 he hath healing Beames for wounded Consciencies The Church is said to be Clothed with the Sun Revel 12.1 And is not this a Glorious Garment Doth it not deserve praise in it self and call for the highest Praises from us God provided Coats of Skins and Clothed our First Parents with them Gen. 3.21 The matter of those Coats was the Skins of Beasts that probably were slain and offered in Sacrifice to God This might instruct and teach them that the Spiritual Cloathing of their Souls was to be borrowed from the Obedience and Righteousness of the Great Atoning Sacrifice As many as are Baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 Our First Parents did sow Fig-leaves together to make Aprons to hide their shame Gen. 3.7 but when God provided Coats of Skin for them then they threw away their Aprons of Fig-leaves as useless So every Man Naturally seeks some Aprons of Works and righteousness of his own to cover his Nakedness when Conscience accuses them for sin and the Law of God Condemns them for Iniquity The Whore in Prov. 7.14 pleads That she had Peace-offerings with her and that day she had paid her Vowes and with this Apron she thought to hide the Filthiness of her Adultery But when Men come acquainted with Jesus Christ and have that Glorious Clothing revealed to them which he hath proved for Souls then they cast away their Aprons of Works and their own Imaginary Righteousness Paul saith That those things that he reputed his Gains that he thought would gain him the Favour of God Acceptance with God a Title to Everlasting Life these he counted loss for Christ Phil. 3.7 8 9. that is he cast them away not only as unprofitable
though not from the Eye of Omnisciency yet from the Eye of Vindictive Justice 3. I shall inquire how we are interested and partake of the Righteousness of Jehovah manifested in our flesh how we are Entitled to it and Invested with it Answ It is by Faith The Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that Believe The Gentiles have attained unto the Righteousness which is of Faith Rom. 9.30 With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness Rom. 10.10 The Righteousness of God is said to be Revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.17 This is the Righteousness from first to last that Faith cleaveth to and buildeth on The Just do not for a Day a Month or a Year only subsist by Faith but they all their days live by Faith So the same Righteousness is revealed to Faith at first when it is weaker and to Faith at last when it is stronger It is said We are Justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 This Phrase is used of no other Grace It is not said We are Justified by Love Repentance or Obedience It is exceeding observable that it is not said Abraham left his Countrey quitted his Idolatry abandoned his Relations or that he Offered his Son and it was imputed to him for Righteousness but that Abraham Believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness Gen. 15.6 which sheweth the peculiar dignity and excellency of Faith It is singularly fitted and suited to take hold of Christ and his Righteousness as a Beggar 's hand to receive an Alms. When as Love brings something to the Person beloved it is a grateful Eccho to his Love it doth Retalliate and as it were Recompense Requite and Re-pay him that Loves But Faith brings nothing L. Com. cap. 11. Justif but receives all things from Free-Grace Love poures it self out but Faith takes in Peter Martyr thinks that God chose Faith to this Office because it is a less noble Grace than Love and so all the Glory is given by it to God Love Gives and Faith Receives and it is more noble to Give than to Receive Faith looks to Christ Psal 45.22 Look unto me all ye ends of the earth and be saved We must look unto Christ and be healed John 3.14 15. we must run to Christ Heb. 6.18 we must lean on Christ by Faith Cant. 8.5 and lean hard lean strongly on Jesus Christ we must put the very stress of our Souls on Jesus Christ and not trust partly on our selves and partly on Christ As in the Old Testament Men stretched out the hand of Faith and laid their Sins on the Head of the Sacrifice as a Type and on Christ in Truth So we must now stretch out the hand of Faith to Christ come and receive Righteousness from him Rom. 5.17 We have that Phrase of coming into the Righteousness of God Psal 69.27 This may be farther cleared by that expression Heb. 12.24 Ye are come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament and to the Blood of Sprinkling By coming unto Christ and his Blood we come into his Righteousness we come into it as our Garment we put on Christ we are clothed with the Sun Revel 12.1 We come into this Righteousness as into our Castle Fortress City of Refuge wherein we are secure from the Lash of Conscience the Accusations of Satan the Threatnings and Curse of the Law God will not come into Judgment as an Accuser as a Witness against us Psal 143.2 Come not into Judgment with thy Servant Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not come Ne Venias as Pagnine renders Lord come not into Judgment with me do not bring any Charge or Accusation against me God will not come into Judgment as a Plaintiff against those that are come into the Righteousness of Christ These are passed from Death to Life and shall never come into Condemnation John 5.24 When we are dismaid by looking down on and into our selves when we are full of Confusion by reason of the Deformity Filth Nakedness and Diseases of our Souls when we know not what to do and are ready to Despair Sink and be Over-whelmed then Christ Graciously calls us to look off from our selves to him for Righteousness and Salvation This is the will of the Father that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have Everlasting Life John 6.40 It is this sight of Christ and his Righteousness that revives us when our hearts were dying within us If we fix the eye of Faith on Christ God himself will fix his eye on Christ our High-Priest for our comfort and advantage The High-Priest did bear this Inscription in a Plate of Gold on his Forehead Holiness to the Lord Exod. 28.36 37 38. God doth now look on the Face and Forehead of our High-Priest who is now near to him always before him he beholds him as perfectly Holy and Devoted to God for us John 17.19 For their sakes I sanctifie my self So the eye of a Believing Man and of a Righteous God do meet on Christ Believers Feel and Run to Christ Isa 55.5 Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee As the Man-slayer was to flee to the City of Refuge and stand in the entry of the Gate of it and there declare his Cause and claim the Priviledge and Benefit of the City of Refuge Then the Elders of the City having heard his Case were to take him in and to give him a Place that he might dwel among them Josh 20.4 So an enlightned awakened humbled Sinner being sensible of his danger flies to Jesus Christ gets to the Gates of this Blessed City of Refuge there pleads his Cause God's Invitations Offers and Promises and claims the Benefit of the City of Refuge And will not Christ receive and take such into him as Noah stretched out his hand and plucked the Dove into him into the Ark Gen. 8.9 God provided by his Law that if a Servant did fly from a hard Master those that received and entertained him should not restore him again to his severe Master Deut. 23.15 Even so Convinced Broken-hearted Sinners do fly from the Law as a hard Master It was given at Horeb this is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Drought or Dryness it gives no Water of Grace Comfort or Refreshment It was delivered in Sinai which is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seneh signifying a Bramble or Brier For the Law Scratches Wounds Gores us by its Terrible Threatnings Surely those that fly from this hard Master to Christ shall not be restored to or put under the Covenant of Works again Those that receive the Peace-maker shall also receive the Atonement But the main Influence that Faith hath on our Justification is as it joyns us to and interests us in Christ By Faith we joyn our selves to Christ Zech. 2. xi Jer. 50.5 and Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 But how doth Faith act towards Christ Answ 1.
he that Instructs us should learn obedience himself Heb. 5.8 The Father that laid Sins inflicted Punishment executed the Curse on Christ was as the Master and the Son that endured all things was as the Scholar He learned by experience what a hard and difficult thing Obedience was how costly and painful it was to subject himself to the Father loading him with Sins and sorrows chastising him for our Iniquities bruising him for our Transgressions that such an Obedience should be rendered by the Son is a deep Mystery and we should never have known it if Jesus Christ had hid it in his heart As the Israelites did not know Manna Dent. 8.3 he fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not neither did thy Fathers know when they found it and saw it first on the ground they wondered and cried out What is this Exod. 16.4 So the Margin renders the word very properly and this is most suitable to the following words for they wist not what it was To say they called it Manna for they wist not what it was is not so good and fit a sense Some have conceived that the phrase hidden Manna was borrowed from the Israelites Question and Ignorance of Manna indeed the Jews were and all Natural Men are ignorant of the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 The Wrath of God is indeed revealed from Heaven to all Men by Afflicting Providences Desolating Destroying Judgments as War Famin Pestilence Inundations and Earthquakes but the Righteousness of God is only revealed in the Gospel God might have stopt in the Revelation of his Wrath and have gone no farther but he hath proceeded to reveal his Righteousness in the Gospel that he is Just and the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. The Fountain is now opened in which we must wash the Ransom is now paid for which we must be Released the Obedience is now performed by which we must be Justified The Sun of Righteousness is now risen with Healing under his Wings Mal. 4.2 The glorious beams of this Sun of Righteousness dispels not only the thinner Mists of lesser Sins but the thickest Clouds of Heinous Iniquities that not only hide the Light of God's Countenance from us but would pour down a storm of Vengeance upon us 5. The Gospel is the Ministration of Righteousness 2 Cor. 3.9 and the Ministry of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 Christ in sprinkling Nations with the dew of the Gospel Isa 52. last he doth also sprinkle them with the drops of his Blood Jesus Christ is Justified himself Isa 50.8 and so in a full capacity to Justifie us and that because he hath born our Iniquities Isa 53.11 He that hath loosed his own pains of Death Act. 2.24 can loose our bonds of Iniquity There is an exhibiting and Communication of Righteousness for Justification in the Dispensation of the Gospel 3. Consider the Excellency of this Righteousness it is clean water to wash us Ezek. 36.25 It is clean Linen to adorn us Revel 19.8 Saints are but a Candle or Lamp of Righteousness but this is a Glorious Sun Mal. 4.2 It is a during lasting Righteousness it is styled Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 This garment never wears or decays It hath been of price and virtue in all Former Ages and it will last till the end of the World yea we may consider whether Saints shall not call Christ by this Glorious Name The Lord our Righteousness to Eternity A Candle wastes and consumes but so doth not the Sun So this Sun of Righteousness will never decay or lose his light and glory The Blood of Christ is still fresh he appeares even now as if he had been but a Lamb lately slain Revel 5.6 And because his Blood is still so fresh and the virtue of it so lasting therefore the Redemption that flows from it is Eternal Heb. 9.12 But more particularly I shall set forth the excellency of Christ's Righteousness and the pretiousness of his Sacrifice in these Following propositions 1. Jesus Christ's Obedience and Righteousness was one whole entire piece it was a continual Series of Holy acts without any interuption our Righteousness is made up of patches and pieces there are interuptions in our obedience but Christ obey'd during his whole Life and at last became obedient to the Death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 As Oxen of old did draw in the Yoke and at last were Offered in Sacrifice 2. Christ did neither stop or pause in his Work or stray at all from his way John 8.29 2. Jesus Christ did not pay our debt by halves but discharged it at once in an intire sum The Damned are always Suffering and yet never satisfie God But Jesus Christ offered one Sacrifice the vertue of which lasts for ever and by this one Sacrifice he perfected us for ever Heb. 10.12.14 Christ hath by this one Sacrifice put an end to all Offerings for Sin Heb. 10.18 Bloody Sacraments do cease in the Church and Bloody Sacrifices are much abolished now out of the World 3. Jesus Christ by his Sacrifice hath taken down the Vail and opened a way to the Heavenly Sanctuary This shewed that the Sacrifices of the Law were weak and defective that though they were still offered yet the Vail still stood and the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest those Sacrifices could not give access to God and entrance into Heaven But this discovered the excellency and efficacy of Christ's Sacrifice that when he Died Matth. 27.50 51. The Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom To intimate that now a way to Heaven was made by the renting the Vail of Christ's Flesh and by separating of his Soul from his Body Heb. 10.19 Christ by travelling to Heaven hath made a way by entring into it he hath made a door by landing on the Shores of a Blessed Eternity he hath made a Harbour this is a way still new a living way This way is never stale dead or out of date the High-Priest of old did kill a Sacrifice and with the Blood of it he entred into the Typical Holy of Holies Levit. 16.11.14 But the virtue of that Sacrifice was exhausted and the way made by it was dead so that he could not enter again a Second year without killing of a new Sacrifice But Christ's Sacrifice is of such virtue that it makes a way always new a living lasting way into the Heavenly Sanctuary that Believers in all ages may make use of 4. Jesus Christ hath carried his Blood into Heaven and Sprinkled the Throne of God with it The Mercy-Seat was sprinkled with the Blood of the Sacrifice Levit. 16.14 and this did figure and teach that the Throne of God must be sprinkled with the Blood of Christ and how admirable a change doth it make by turning a terrible Tribunal of Justice into a sweet and amiable Throne of Grace Heb. 4. last Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Dan. 7.9 10.
greatest Evils so he Swears again to assure us of the greatest good By my self have I Sworn saith God to Abraham that in Blessing I will Bless thee Heb. 6.13 14. Those to whom Christ is made Righteousness do also receive the Holy Spirit The clean Water of Christ's Blood and the Spirit do go together Ezek. 36.25.27 Tit. 3.5 1 Cor. 6.11 Psal 51.12 Some call the gift of the Spirit Executive Justification they mean that God executes the Sentence of Justification by bestowing the Spirit to break off our Chaines burn up our Dross purge away our Filth and make us free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 Though the Law of Sin be a strong and powerful Law to inslave us yet the Law of the Spirit of Life is more mighty to set us free as Jesus Christ by his Blood redeems us to be the Temple of God so by his Spirit he comes into his Temple takes Possession of it and fills it with his Glory As we live by the Sentence of Justification so Christ lives in us by the Spirit of Sanctification Gal. 2.20 The Spirit is given as a Tree of Life and all Graces are the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The Holy Ghost is given as the well of all Living Waters and Spritual streames John 4.14 John 7.37 38 39. By Faith we drink in the very Well it self and therefore Believers can never be totally dry He that Believeth on me shall never thirst John 6.35 Observe and compare the words of God the Father Zech. 13.7 with the words of the Church Cant. 4. last As God said once Awake O Sword against my Shepherd against the Man that is my Fellow smite the Shepherd so the Church now saith daily Awake O North wind and blow O South wind upon my Garden that the Spices of it may flow forth Because the Sword of Justice hath awaked terribly against Christ the Spirit may sweetly awake and blow on our Soules excite quicken and draw forth Grace into act and exercise Christ gives his people the Glory that the Father gave him John 17.22 Musculus understands this Glory to be the gift of the Holy Ghost The Spirit was on Christ Isa 61.1 and given to him John 3.34 And Christ communicates this glorious Spirit to his Members as the soul of the whole mystical body and this makes them one with the Father and the Son and perfects them in one because they participate of the Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son and have by it a new divine Nature and do aim at design and seek the Glory of the Father and the Son as they do design their own Glory 6. The Prayers of Justified persons are acceptable to and powerful with God for the Spirit that testifies God's Grace to Believers doth make Intercessions in them As a Spirit of Grace it gives Encouragement to Prayer as a Spirit of Supplication it gives assistance in Prayer Zeck 12.10 Rom. 8.26 This is the Fire from Heaven that warms our cold hearts and kindles all our Sacrifices that they may flame upwards The Prayer of a Believer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 5.16 A deep in-wrought Prayer it is not born in the lips but springs from the Soul Luther on Genesis well expresses it it is not Spuma oris sed singulus cordis The Foam of the Mouth but the Throbbing and Sighing of the Heart The Holy Ghost breaths in Holy Affections and the Soul then breaths out holy desires and expressions Saints pray as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those that are possessed and acted mightily by the Spirit of God hence it is that they so strive and wrestle with God and their prayers are so much valued and desired by Christ Those are wonderful words Cant. 2.14 Christ saith to the Church Let me see thy face let me hear thy voice He that seeth his Father's Face above desires to see Petitioners Faces below He that hears the Songs the Hallelujahs of Angels of Saints in Heaven desires to hear the Voice the Suits of Believers on Earth And as their Prayers are desired so they are accepted The Prayer of the upright is God's delight Prov. 15.8 They Pray in Christ's powerful Name John 16.23 26. and he adds the Incense of his Merits to the Prayers of all Saints Rev. 8.3 and so takes away the Iniquity of their Holy Things The Altar had a Grate of Brass Exod. 27.4 the use of it was to separate the Earthy and Grosser part of the Sacrifice and to let the Ashes through So Christ is an Altar that hath a Grate he separates our sins our defects our weaknesses from our services yea he is the Altar on which our Offerings must be laid and that renders our Sacrifices acceptable to God Isa 60.7 It is said that the Offerings of Believers shall ascend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Good-Will my Altar God speaks and puts this glorious Name on Christ Good-Will my Altar What an encouragement is this to Saints that are Spiritual Priests to offer Holy Sacrifices seeing they have Good-Will for their Altar God is so pleased with and delights in Christ that he calls him Good-Will my Altar 7. All the outward and Temporal Mercies of Justified Persons are heightened and sweetened to them by the Spring from whence they flow and they have a new tast He delivered me saith David because he delighted in me Psal 18.19 In love to my Soul saith Hezekiah he hath delivered me from the pit of corruption having cast all my sins behind his back Isa 38.17 Even Temporal Mercies are Glasses in which they see their Father's Face and are Stairs or Ladders by which their Hearts are raised to God Jehoshaphat had an Established Kingdom Riches and Honour in abundance And what was the fruit and effect of this his heart was lifted up in the ways of God 2 Chron. 17.5 6. Earthly Enjoyments do usually fuel Men's Lusts but they fed and inflamed Hezekiah's Love to God they are to Carnal Men Weights that press them down the Prosperity of Fools doth destroy them Prov. 1.32 but through Grace they are Wings to raise Saints Souls to God Believers enjoy their outward Mercies by a Spiritual Right they have them by Promise Heb. 11.9 Canaan was the Land of Promise and Abraham was Heir to it by the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.13 Sacrifices were slain that Typified Christ and then God entred into a Covenant with Abraham gave and assured Canaan to him Gen. 15.8 9 10 17 18. Believers have a Right to Earthly things by God's Promise and Christ's Death who is the Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 Earthly things are but as Cyphers but God adds a great Figure to them to make them signifie something Gen. 17.8 I will give thee the Land of Canaan and I will be thy God they are to Believers but additional things as an over-plus cast into the Kingdom of God as the Principal Matth. 6.33 So the Country of Sihon and Og the King of
Bashan were given to Israel that they might have a passage to Canaan their Inheritance Deut. 2.30 Deut. 3.1 So God gives the Earth to his People that they may have a passage through it to their Heavenly Country 8. All the Afflictions of Justified persons 1. Are allayed and mitigated Saints do acknowledge that God punishes them less than their Iniquities do deserve Ezra 9.13 the Wind is not so high the Furnace is not so hot the Burden is not so heavy as their sins do Merit yet God as a Father accounts the Sufferings of his People to be too much Isa 40.1 Thou hast received double at the hand of the Lord for thy sins These Sufferings that are not enough to Rigorous Justice are too many to Fatherly Mercy He stops his Hand sheathes his Sword throws away his Rod when yet our Sins call for more Strokes and Stripes He refines us but not with Silver Isa 48.10 he doth not so long keep us in the Furnace of Affliction till our Dross is quite separated and consumed for then our whole life would be nothing else but a Series of Misery and Sufferings 2. Our Afflictions have a new face they are not the fruits of pure Vindictive Justice or Wounds from an Incensed Implacable Judge but Chastisements from a Father who tho' he Corrects in time yet is pacified and reconciled for Eternity Yea Afflictions spring from God's Care of us and Love to us Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as sons Heb. 12.6 7. Those that are without Chastisement are Bastards and not Sons those that are an Illegitimate spurious seed the Father is ashamed to own and acknowledge them or to take any care about their breeding and education and regards not to correct them when they do amiss but a Lawful Posterity are better bred duely taught and timely corrected and God Chastens them with Judgment not in Anger Jer. 10.24 God may be said to Correct with Judgment when he considers their Relation and the Nearness of his People to him Lam. 2.20 Behold O Lord and consider to whom hast thou done this and when God considers rather how little his People can bear than how much they deserve and God hath gracious ends in Afflicting his People 1. That they may not be Condemned and perish with the wicked World 1 Cor. 11.32 We are judged and chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the World 2. God Afflicts to purge away sin to separate us from our dross of Iniquity and sin of Hypocrisie Isa 1.25 this is the fruit and end of Corrections to take away sin Isa 27.9 to drive away that Spiritual folly that is in our hearts God is a Refining Fire that he may not be a consuming fire as a Physitian takes away Blood to allay a Feaver and cure a Disease 3. God designs by Afflictions to make us partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12.10 11. that we might learn more to live to him and be brought more to live on him that we might less solace our selves in the Creature and more delight in himself that we might be more conformed to him and be better fitted to converse with him Though Afflictions are Punishments to the Old Man to pull it down yet they are Mercies to the New Man to build it up A poor Man would quietly suffer his Lord to pull down an old decaying sinking Cottage if he did believe that he designed to raise and build up a strong and better House all Afflictions tend but to wast and extinguish the life of the First Adam in the Body to make room for and to let in the glorious life of Christ into it at the Resurrection 4. This is a weighty and powerful consideration to lessen and lighten the anguish and bitterness of our Afflictions that Justification gives a Fatal and Mortal Blow at the root of them The time is coming when the Inhabitants of Zion shall not any more say that they are sick for their Iniquities shall be forgiven them Isa 33. last God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of Saints there shall be no more pain sorrow or crying no more Death Revel 21.4 No more Curse Revel 22.3 The days of Saints mourning shall be at an end Isa 60.20 All Afflictions are but short and momentary and therefore but light 2 Cor. 4.17 9. Death is an Advantage to Justified Persons Death is theirs 1 Cor. 3.22 To die is gain Phil. 1.21 In Death the Wicked Fear the greatest evil but the Righteous hope for the greatest good Prov. 14.32 When the Body falls under the Bondage of Corruption the Souls of Believers are perfectly freed from the Bondage of Sin Though it be a Mournful Seed-time to our Flesh it is sown in corruption 1 Cor. 15.42 yet it is a Joyful Harvest to the Spirit for it reaps Everlasting Life Gal. 6.8 Death that is in it self the most terrible thing hath Colour put into its pale Cheeks and it is changed into a comfortable thing Death in Christ is the purchase of all our happiness and Death to Believers is the way to possess it by Christ's Death they are Heirs in Reversion by their own Death they are Heirs in Possession that which utterly impoverishes others greatly enriches them that which kills the Body perfectly cures the Soul When our baser part shall return to the Dust feed Worms dwell in the darkness of the Grave our better part shall be called up to the Marriage Feast to see the Face of God and dwell in glorious Light and Reign in a Blessed Life Christ hath made Death Mortal and threatens to be a Plague a Deadly disease to it and to be Destruction to the Grave Hos 13 14. 10. Justified Persons shall Rise by the Power of Christ their Head and Second Adam 1 Cor. 15.22 His Spirit will find out the Ruines and Rubbish of its old Temple and build it up again as a Glorious and Everlasting habitation for it self Rom. 8.11 in Saints that shall be found alive at the last day mortality shall be swallowed up of life 2 Cor. 5.4 Dead Saints shall be raised and in them Death shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15.54 a Body shall be formed up again so the Grave shall lose its Victory this Body shall be animated and alive so Death shall lose its sting 1 Cor. 15.55 when the Soul bears the Image of Christ in Holiness 2 Cor. 3. last and the being in a Glorious Immortality 1 Cor. 15.49 then we shall be satisfied with his likeness Psal 17. last then Christ will give his Members clear and full Evidences of their Adoption Rom. 9.23 when their Bodies shall be redeemed from the Bondage of Corruption and Soul and Body both shall possess a lot in the Heavenly Canaan Dan. 12. last As Saints die to the Lord Rom. 14.8 sleep in him 1 Thes 4.14 so they shall be made alive in Christ 1
Israel out of his sight and cast Judah and Jerusalem also out of his presence 2 Kings 24.20 And God removed Judah out of his sight 2 Kings 24.3 because the King and the People did evil in his sight 2 Kings 24.9 19. They were not cast out of the sight of God's Omniscient Eye but from the Eye of his gracious and Fatherly Providence 3. God will at last Rain a Hell from his Angry Face 2 Thes 1.9 Those that known not God and obey not the Gospel shall be Punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Face of the Lord the same Face shall shine a Heaven of Happiness into the Souls of the Saints and shall Frown an Hell of Misery into the Souls of the Wicked 2. If God hide his Face from our Sins Love will come up into his Face and look out at his Eyes on Believers and Saints Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance on us the Love that was secret and hidden in the Heart comes up into his Face and is manifested to and shed abroad in the Hearts of Believers by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Cant. 8.10 I found Favour in his Eyes Love and Kindness sparkles in and looks out from the Eyes God looks with a pleasing Countenance on his People the Spiritual Day doth break and Dawn and the Sun of Righteousness doth Arise and Shine in the Hearts of Believers Malachy 4.2 Psa 130.5 6. and the Countenance of God is said to behold the upright Psal 41. last that is with complacency and delight he withdraweth not his Eyes from the Righteous Job 36.7 He sets his Eyes on them for good Jer. 24.6 I will set mine Eyes on them for good If Sin be not set before God's Face God may take good out of his Treasury for us and bestow it on us Hos 14.2 yea God will set us before his Face for Ever Psal 41.12 That we may still dwell in his Presence Psal 140. last and behold his Face in Righteousness Psal 17. last Psal 16. last 2. It is most desirable for God to blot out all our Iniquities for 1. It is the most dreadful Evil and Curse that can be wished for Sin not to be bloted out Psal 109.14 Let not the Iniquity of his Mother be blotted out 2. If God do not blot out Iniquitie he may by sudden Judgement and sore Vengeance blot persons out of the Land of the Living Gen. 7.4 Every Living Substance that I have made I will destroy in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will blot out Corrupt Men are Evil lines of being and it is said It repented God that he had made Man on the Earth it greived him at his Heart Gen. 6.5 Man is so cross and contrary to the very end of his Creation that God did blot out the Old World of Men by the Flood if Men are bloted out of the World in their Sins Where must they be lodged but in a miserable Eternity 3. If we consider what Sin is What a valuable Mercy is it for it to be bloted out 1. It is a mist a thinner or a thicker Cloud according to its Nature and aggravations Isa 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy Transgressions and as a Cloud thy Sins Sin is as a hiding Cloud it hinders the light of God's Countenance from shining on us Isa 59.2 Your Sins have hid his Face from you 2. It is as a storming Cloud Psal 11.6 The Lord will rain Fire and Brimstone on the Wicked this shall be the portion of their cup. If Men suffer here They are cast into the hand of their Transgression Job 8.4 In the Hebrew it is That God did cast Job's Children into the hand of their Transgression If their Iniquities are punished hereafter they do for them fall into the hands of God Heb. 10.31 2. Sin is a debt Matth. 6.12 Forgive us our debts These debts are recorded in the Creditor's Book God saith Behold it is written before me Isa 65.6 and it is registred also in the debter's Book Jer. 17.1 It is written it is graven that is the Sin of Judah on the Table of their Heart Sin is called a debt because the Sinner owes God Glory to be raised out of his Sufferings and Eternal Torments And it is desirable this debt should be blotted out to prevent God's arrest and our Eternal Imprisonment 3. Sin is a crime a capital crime and that which is kept safe as matter of accusation against the Sinner It is as it were sowed up in a bag Job 14.17 As the depositions of Witnesses and the confessions of Malefactors are kept safe against the Assizes and day of Trial. Yea Mens Sins are sealed up among God's Treasures Deut. 32.34 God speaks of the Israelites bitter and corrupt Fruit and then puts this question Is not this laid up in store with me Is it not scaled up among my Treasures God hath a Treasury of knowledg of all past things and Sins are sealed up among these Treasures But what a kind of capital crime is Sin I answer 1. It is Rebellion against God I have Nourished and brought up Children and they have Rebelled against me A Rebellious Subject with us a Rebellious Son among the Jews was put to Death What Homage do we owe to God our King What Obedience should we render to God our Father 2. Sin is Spiritual Whoredom and Adultery Hos 4.12 They have gone a Whoring from under their God Thou hast destroyed such as go a Whoring from thee Psal 73.27 Adultery was capital it was punished with death by the Law of God Men loath God and love the Creature 3. Sin is Robbery and Stealing Mal. 3.8 Ye have Robbed me God saith My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23.26 But the Heart of Men goeth after their Coveteousness Ezek. 33.31 Though they are by Baptism and a Solemn Covenant devoted to God yet they Sacrilegiously alienate themselves from God Isa 24.5 They broke the Everlasting Covenant Is it not our benefit to have our Crimes blotted out 4. If Sin be not blotted out God cannot write his Laws in our Hearts Jer. 31.33 34. God promiseth to write his Laws in the Heart And why It is thus answered vers 34. For I will forgive their Iniquity and I will Remember Sin no more Forgiveness of Sin is the root of all the Promises and Covenant-Blessings 5. God cannot record any Good thoughts words or works of ours if Sin be not blotted out Mal. 3.16 A Book of Remembrance was written before him for those that feared the Lord and thought on his Name Sin doth so corrupt and stain our best Works that nothing might be recorded for our honour or advantage Nehemiah prays that God would not wipe out his good deeds Neh. 13.14 6. If Sins be not blotted out the time is coming when God's Book will be opened Revel 20.12 God will review Men's Sins look on them and