who for avoyding the crosse perill have rejected him and the profession of his Gospell eternall perdition but to the godly who have persisted in the constant confession of his Name according to their workes life eternall This application of these words to the former matter is the true connexion of them wherein consider five things 1. The person that must come the Sonne of man 2. The action of comming shall come 3. The manner of comming in the glory of his Father 4. His attendants with his Angells 5. The end of comming to give to every man according to his deeds For the first The person that must come is the Sonne of man which title is used in the Scripture either commonly or singularly In the former sense for any common man borne of another Job 25. 6. How much more the Son of man which is but a worme In the latter it is taken for the eternall Sonne of God being made man Matt. 8. 20. the Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head For by the sonne of man is meant here whole Christ by an ordinary figure whereby that which belongeth to one nature is ascribed to the whole person so in Mat. 9. 6. the sonne of man hath power to remit sinnes which power agrees not to Christ as the son of man or in respect of his humane nature but in respect of the eternall Person as hee is God for who can forgive sinnes but God onely Beside Christ while hee was in the world said that the sonne of man came downe from heaven is in heaven which then could not be in regard of his humane nature but of his divine Nay by this title our Text must needes understand whole Christ God and man the Sonne of God and the Sonne of man for though his speech expresse him the Sonne of man yet the action here refeired unto him to be the just Judge of all the world proclaims him to be the Son of God and hee is indeed the Sonne of man but comming in the glory of his Father Quest. But why doth Christ ordinarily speaking of himselfe call himselfe the sonne of man he might have said the Sonne of God shall come in the glory of his Father which might seeme to have added more weight to his words Answ. Yet he useth the other title 1. In respect of himselfe To note that hee was a true man being not onely a man but the sonne of man that borne man having flesh and blood no where else but from man And herein this second Adam was opposed to the first who was a man but not the sonne of man for hee was the Sonne of God by creation Luke 3. 38. The first Adam was framed of the earth and so was made a man but not the Sonne of man the second Adam tooke flesh of the Virgin and so was not onely man but the Sonne of man also Againe it implies that he was a weake and fraile man as the Hebrew phrase soundeth Psal. 8. 5. Lord what is man or the sonne of man that thou shouldest respect him being so base and vile Esay 51. 12. Who art thou that fearest a mortall man or the sonne of man that is a weake and fraile creature And hereto serves that distinction among the Hebrewes of filii viri and filii hominis Beniâ—sh noteth men in excellencie eminencie dignitie and authoritie Beni-adam obscure persons and men of common and low condition In the same sense Ezekiel because he was astonied and throwne downe by a glorious vision Chap. 1. was so often afterward called sonne of man and bid to stand up on his feet As if the Lord had said Ezeki cl I know thou art a sonne of man a weake man not able to behold the brightnesse of such Majestie but gather thy selfe bee of good cheare and stand on thy feet And thus Christ the sonne of man takes on him our frailties and weaknesses undertook an abject low and base condition and appeared in the forme of a servant in his nativitie life and death in all our basenesse like unto us sinne onely excepted Yea and more in this very phrase hee impropriateth our miserie to himself that as all sons of men are base and miserable yet of all sons of men none was ever so abased as hee was no sorrow was ever like his no not all the misery of all sonnes of men was comparable to his and therefore hee doth after a sort appropriate this title to himselfe 2. In respect of his hearers and mens judgement who commonly esteemed him no other and rose no higher in their judgement of him than of a meere man though perhaps a great and holy man He would tender the weaknesse of his hearers for scarce the Disciples themselves after a great while could come to acknowledge the Majesty of the Sonne of God in this sonne of man and therefore he speakes of himselfe as they are able to conceive him more intending their instruction than his owne reputation 3. In respect of the argument For the manner of Scripture in speaking of the last judgement is to use this phrase above other 1. because this was appropriated to Messiah by Daniel chap. 7. 13. to which Christ undoubtedly had reference I beheld and there came as a sonne of man in the clouds of heaven 2. To shew that as he shewed himselfe in the nature of man to be judged on earth so hee would shew himselfe in a visible manner a Judge from heaven for it is meete that the Judge of all should be seene of all In regard of which manner of judging the Sonne onely shall judge although the Father and the holy Ghost judge also but after another manner Ob. Christ was as a sonne of man Dan. 7. and Revel 14. 14. I saw upon the cloulds one sitting as the sonne of man therefore Christ is not but onely like the sonne of man So Phil. 2. 7. He tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made like a man Answ. For the two former places Christ was seene figuratively in vision When Daniel saw his vision he was not yet the son of man but was to be born be in time the son of man And after he was incarnate ascended being by S. John seene in vision hee is said to bee 〈◊〉 the sonne of man for that he was not seene of either in substance but in figure onely For the place in the Philippians well answers M. Calvin Saint Paul speakes not of the essence of his humane nature but of his state hee came a true man but in a lowly state and condition even the base condition of a servant Note here how our Lord doth willingly acknowledge the humilitie and basenesse of his humanitie speaketh lowly of himself in such an argument as wherein hee shall shew his greatest glory He might have stiled himselfe the Sonne of God as hee was not onely as God by eternall generation
inconstancie of them And can these things so vaine in themselves recover so infinite a losse Secondly see them in their properties As they are vaine in themselves so are they not ours but some from parents as inheritances some from Princes as honors some from people as praise name reputation and all in other mens power so long as they will conferre or retaine them But our soules are properly ours as also our sinnes and no man can redeeme the soule of his brother Psal. 49. 7. Againe they are changeable and temporarie For wealth a man may out live a world of it and dye a begger Mens favors are no inheritance Beautie will not stand before one fit of sicknesse nor strength the shake of one ague One snuffe of a candle may suddenly overmaster the greatest estate and the greatest pleasures are but for a season Whereas the soule and faculties of it are immortall and capable of eternall weale or wo. Thirdly that which must ransome the soule must appease the infinite wrath of God which all finite creatures are not able to doe Pro. 11. 4. they avayle not in the day of wrath Only the blood of Christ is a plenarie expiation Againe that which must ransome a soule must buy backe the sentence and procure a righteousnesse answerable to the law but the whole world cannot do that onely Christ frees from the sentence of condemnation and his blood onely obtaines for us better conditions by vertue of a new covenant than the law affords us Lastly that which ransomes a soule must help us out of corruption pull us out of the power of Satan keepe the soule from hell and invest us into life and immortalitie But a world of worlds cannot doe the least of all these and therefore can be no proportionall recompence for a lost soule Fourthly all the world cannot offer a recompence to God of any thing which is not his owne whereas our ransome must be of a thing undue an offering above that the law requireth a free-will offering so that no sinner can offer a ransome of sin And by all this it appeareth that the whole world cannot afford a recompence for one lost soule Which serves to condemne the extreme blasphemie of the Romish Church teaching that masses pardons indulgences satisfactions humane merits pilgrimages and a thousand such toyes can become a recompence for a lost soule whereas no man nor Angell can become a recompence for a lost soule it is too great a price to pay the person must be no lesse than GOD and man 1 Pet. 1. 18. Yee are not redeemed with corruptible things 2. Let such rich men as to whom our Lord directeth this speach consider of their wofull estate while they abound with wealth trustin nothing so much as that A broken reed and for all their wealth being wicked they must to hell their riches cannot ransom thē yea they rather plunge them into the pit than help them out as a wedg of gold helps more to drowne a man that is cast into the sea thā to save or deliver him Which should be of use to all the more willingly to want them the more weinedly to hold them to grow into an holy contempt of them and to raise our desires to better more durable riches 3. It may humble us for that it imports the extreme miserie into which wee have plunged our selves by sin we have lost our soules and cast them into so ruinous a condition as the whole world is not sufficient to ransom them The greatness and desperateness of the cure amplifies the greatnesse and desperatenes of the disease What earthly danger is it which the world cannot buy out but gold and silver cannot purchase a Church no not one soule It must be an infinite ruine and breach the repaire whereof must be of such infinite value and sufficiency 4. It calls us to behold the excellencie of Christ and fixe our eyes upon the wonderfull vertue of his precious blood which did redeeme our lost soules when all corruptible things in the world could not How should it excite us to love him and admire his goodnes and raise the price of grace which is beyond all treasures yea and teach us to esteeme the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Paul would bee set downe a nothing in himselfe that he might finde the vertue of Christ his death and resurrection the worth and value wherof is beyond the worth of many worlds even so farre as infinite is beyond finite which holds no comparison Lastly it may raise in us the true valuation and respect of our owne soules Is the soule at such a rate as being lost a whole world cannot redeeme it what an extreme madnesse then is it for men so to live as if they had no soules or if they have they are but as salt to keepe their bodies sweet void of all care either to keepe or save them never an horse or hog about their houses but their lives are more regarded than their precious soules Certainly there is nothing of price no pearles no grace nothing worthy of care where men are so carelesse Let us bee exhorted to looke better to our soules than to lose them for any baites which the divell or the world layes in our way Prize them above all the world as Christ doth Be serious in the saving of thy soule above the winning of the world Use the ordinary means diligently Get the Spirit of faith love prayer c. which are utterly contemned by the most too much neglected by the best And with thine owne soule pitie and prize the soules of others especially such as are committed to thee as a Pastor as a Parent as a Master lose them not for want of instruction esteeme the soules of thy wife children precious things bring them to the means of salvation teach them pray for them help them out of danger of perdition if by thy default one soule be lost all the world cannot make up the losse either to thee or to that person Verse 27. For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angells and then shall hee give to every man according to his deeds OUr Saviour having enforced his doctrine of selfe-deniall by two strong arguments already the inevitable danger of fayling herein and the unprofitablenesse of that unhappie match of winning the world with the losse of the soule in these words addeth another of no lesse force than the former drawne from the consideration of the last judgment wherein all those his sayings shal be fully accomplished for howsoever he was now abased and rejected as not worth the following and owning yet the time commeth that hee will come in the glory of his Father attended with his most glorious Angells and then shall hee give to every man according to his workes that is to say to the wicked
ingenuous childe loves his father even when hee correcteth him and this keeps him from murmuring and discontent and frames him to stoupe under his fathers smiting hand contentedly That is true love which I shew to him that deales hardly with me 4. Humility and silence not disputing the matter with God much lesse charging him foolishly but as David Psal. 39. 9. I held my tongue and said nothing because thou O Lord diddest it 5. Joy and rejoycing not in the smart of the crosse but in waiting the sweet fruit of it Actâ— 5. 41. the Disciples rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer â—or the Name of Christ. So in Luke 6. 23. and Jam. 1. 2. A difficult thing to corrupt nature Yet the Scripture presseth it upon us with strong reasons as 1. No crosse is laid upon us but by the will and appointment of God nothing fals out but by his speciall providence not a Sparrow can fall to the ground not an haire of the head and much lesse the head it selfe As our Lord Christ himselfe had not the crosse laid on him but by the determinate counsell of God Act. 2. 23. Herod Pilate the Gentiles and the people of Israel did nothing against him but what the hand of God and his determinate counsell appointed to be done So is it in the members no crosse is laid on them but by Gods determination And as Christ told Pilate Thou couldest have no power over me if it were not given thee of the Father so may the members say to their persecutors And therefore those that are to suffer according to the will of God must submit to his will and commit themselves in well-doing to his revealed will for shall not both the head and member drinke of the cup which the Father hath given 2. We must therefore take up the crosse because this is the time and place of taking it up John 16. 33. In the world yee shall have tribulation God hath ordained this world to bee a dripping and watery seed time and hee must be content to sowe in teares that would reape in joy and God can wipe away no teares hereafter but such as are shed here The world to Christians is Gods furnace and fining pot to purifie his gold whereof hee will frame his golden vessels and while wee are earthly vessels hee will by crosses scowre us from the rust and filth of sin that stickes so fast to our natures 3. Wee must willingly take them up to shew our selves both conformable to Christ and serviceable Christ willingly tooke up his crosse for us and endured wounds scarres and markes in his body for us And so wee must for him willingly beare his markes and scarres in our body and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh Col. 1. 24. and this made the Apostle rejoyce in his sufferings and glory in his persecution for Christ Gal. 6. 17. I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Jesus And indeed it is the glory of a Christian souldier to shew the markes and scarres of his fortitude and valour in a good cause in his Princes quarrell and for the honour of his Country See Luke 24. 26. and 2 Tim. 2. 11. Againe to shew our service and love to him Hee became a servant and was obedient to the death and took up his crosse to endure a meritorious suffering the price of our redemption We cannot so suffer for him but must in way of thankfulnes endure the service of suffering and not love our lives to the death for him Acts 20. 24. My life is not deare to me so that I may fulfill my course with joy And wherein can a man more clearly expresse himselfe a servant of Christ than by suffering for righteousnes sake and by maintaining his Lords honour and just quarrell to the death 2 Tim. 2. 3. Suffer affliction as a good souldier of Jesus Christ. 4. We may chearfully take up the crosse because wee know it shall not overburden us for it is Christs crosse and he puts under his shoulder and beares the weight-from us and supplies strength to us to carry the light end of it for he did suffer to succour them that suffer Beside we know that no afflictions can separate us from the love of God in Christ Rom. 8. ult When Christ was on the crosse our sins separated between God and his sense and made him cry out My God my God why hast thou for saken me But his promise hath tyed his aide and presence to us in sixe troubles and in seven in passing through fire and water c. Againe wee know the sting is taken out of our crosse by Christ taking it on him and therefore we may cheerfully take it up as Moses tooke the Serpent by the taile and it was turned into a rod in his hand and threatens only a loving correction 5. We must willingly take up the crosse because of the present blessed use future issue of it For the present It is of use for the tryall of our faith much more precious than gold 1 Pet. 1. 7. for the exercise of our patience Jam. 1. 2. and manifestation of all graces Perfumes smell sweetest when beaten in a mortar Starres shine brightest in the darkest night so the graces of the Saints disappeare often in the noon-day sun-shine of prosperity are most shining in the darke night of affliction For the future issue These temporary short afflictions cause an excellent and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. This was Jobs argument not to refuse the Lords chastening for Blessed is the man whom God correcteth Job 5. 17. This was Moses his argument to chuse the crosse and afflictions Heb. 11. 25. for Hee had respect to the recompence of reward What if the way be rough asperous as a fowle lane yet it leads to heaven and brings into a glorious mansion Care not then so much what way thou goest as whither it leads A fairer way were more pleasant but perhaps not so safe Elias is not affraid nor hurt to be carried in a fiery chariot to his rest and glory And glad may we be if by the doung-gate or any posterne gate wee may get within the heavenly Jerusalem Thus seeing both the necessity difficulty and utility of this precept of Christ and seeing it may be and must bee attained of every Disciple let us frame to the obedience of it and get neere us such helpes as may hold us in a fitnesse and preparednesse to take up our crosse daily Quest. What are they Answ 1. Before crosses come make account of them and store thy selfe with patience even for the sharpest and for one after another not prescribing the time or measure but account him a slight servant that gives up his worke and makes holy-day at his pleasure This wisedome we may